Just under a year ago I wrote a post about my two favorite purchases of 2017. It’s been almost a year, so that makes it a great time to share some of my favorite recent buys.
Razr Webcam
This is a good quality webcam (much better than my computer’s built-in one), but what truly sets it apart is that ring light that is built in.
I do a lot of calls for work and combining that with a travel-heavy lifestyle means that often I’m doing calls from somewhere with less than optimal lighting. This webcam has eliminated a lot of thought from my day to day life because I can almost entirely ignore the lighting in my environment and rely on its light. Highly recommend for anyone doing a lot of video calls with less than optimal lighting.
Blue-blocking Glasses
As a consequence of doing a lot of computer work, I was starting to get eye strain early this year. I bought two pairs of glasses from True Dark (the daywalkers and twighlights). After using them for my computer work and my evening reading, the eye strain quickly went away. An interesting side effect has been a noticeable reduction in anxiety and an increase in my ability to focus when I’m using them.
Reardon Steel T-shirt
I found and purchased this shirt on Tee Public. It has quickly become my favorite shirt. It looks good and sparks some interesting conversations with people (People who know, know and people that don’t know, don’t), but more importantly reminds me of Henry Reardon and inspires me to kick ass at work.
Over the past 10 years, there has been an explosion in clothing customization. With sites like Tee Public you can find all sorts of awesome clothing and items that bring joy to your life. Why would you settle for a boring shirt when you could get something awesome like this for $20.
Nike Free Commuter Slip-on Shoes
At the start of the summer, I discovered and purchased a pair of Nike Free Commuters. For a long time I had been biased against no lace shoes, but after using them, I am fully bought in. Slipping on and off your shoes is a massive increase in quality of life and modern materials make them just as supportive and durable as a laced shoe. Laces belong in the 20th Century.
Cardboard Standing Desk
One of the disadvantages of a nomadic life is that it doesn’t make financial sense to invest in a lot of work tools (like a legit standing desk). But then I discovered this awesome and affordable cardboard standing desk. I’ve been using it for four months now almost daily and it has held up very well. It is in the running for the best value purchase of my life ($25!!!). Even if you’re staying somewhere for a couple weeks, it is worth buying and using as a good substitute for your home standing desk.
Extra Pillows
On a recent trip to Charleston, I was staying at a hostel in a private room where I happened to have four pillows. For the entirety of my adult life, I’ve defaulted to two pillows. From a previous back injury, my neck/back is sensitive to the way I sleep, so I typically use one and put a pillow between my legs while I sleep on my side.
But sleeping with a bunch of extra pillows around was a revelation. I could use three to prop myself up more while I read and use the leftover one to prop my feet up. This relatively minor change opened up a world of possibility. As soon as I got home I bought another pillow.
We are blessed to live in a time when these soft and comfy bundles of joy are accessible to us for hardly any money. Yet, almost everyone lives with only two pillows (or keeps useless decorative ones). Simply buying and keeping extra pillows around has been a great improvement in overall quality of life.
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