Delightfully Random Recommendations: December Edition
This was really fun for me to pull together. I asked for recommendations on LinkedIn and people were generous. What follows is a crowd-sourced mix of things people (and I) genuinely love and keep recommending. Enjoy!
Wishing you all a lovely holiday season.
š§ Podcasts
Search Engine ā āThe 2025 Business Updateā episode: I loved this because they talked about the real tradeoffs that happen when you have a small team, limited budget, and big ambitions.
Ologies with Alie Ward: KT recommended this and Kate said it's her favorite podcast. I think I'll start with the episode on OCD.
Telepathy Tapes: Eleanor said it was fairly life-altering for her and how she thinks about a few people in her orbit. This has been recommended to me a few times, so I guess now it's time to listen.
You can also learn more about my story on Make Life Less Difficult and Armchair Expat.
š Books
Traction ā Gino Wickman: Operational clarity and execution (EOS framework).
All In ā Josh Levs. Ben said it made him totally rethink the relationship between fathers (himself included) and the workplace
Donāt Believe Everything You Think - Joseph Nguyen Natalie said this book really helped her.
I recently enjoyed Strong Female Character - Fern Brady. I'm looking forward to this as my holiday read; it was recommended by multiple friends.
The ADHD Productivity Manual and The Neurodivergence Skills Workbook: If you work with or have neurodiverse people in your life, here are two skills-based books that might be helpful.
The Creative Act: A Way of Being - Rick Rubin: Ruth read this last year, and has since vowed to re-read every winter. She also has this one on her list.
The Portfolio Life - Christina Wallace: Faith said this anti-hustle culture book helped her narrow down how she want to spend her time and say no to the other things.
ā Small Joys
East Fork mug: KT and Eleanor swear by theirs. Kate likes the big one, Eleanor likes the espresso size.
Blue Bottle mug: The East Fork mugs are gorgeous, but I do not like drinking out of a mug with thick ceramic. The Blue Bottle one is perfect for me.
Maldon sea salt: KT also loves some high-quality salt. I think fancy salt is always a small upgrade that makes you feel fancy.
Yetch Puzzle: I was gifted this for my birthday. It's been sitting half completed since May. It's all edges and definitely a challenge. (I've also been able to keep it half-complete thanks to this which lives under my couch.)
š½ļø Habits & Ways of Living
Feed people: Ariel recommended feeding people: cook, take your friends out to lunch, volunteer at a feed bank. She reminded me that Food unites us as humans and is a powerful way to communicate that you care. Make it a regular occasion and I guarantee you'll profoundly strengthen your relationships.
Bake for people: Since I don't like to cook, but I love to bake, I say Bake for People. I love giving cookies as gifts for neighbors, teachers and delivery workers.
Rest!!: Unless you work in retail, use these next few weeks to seriously slow down. Your nervous system will thank you, as will Jan 2026 you.
š§ Planning, Focus & Work Systems
Intelligent Change ā Quarterly Planner: My favorite practical, analog system for staying focused week to week. It's a perfect time to try it for Q1.
Notion: Flexible digital workspace for planning, systems, and organization.
You can also see my full tech-stack here for recommendations.
š Tools to Watch
hili: Still in beta, this is Karli's emerging platform for real, word-of-mouth recommendations.
Too Good to Go. A global platform to get groceries or food from local restaurants for cheap and combat food waste in your local community! Kate said it is all wins!
Shield: For all your LinkedIn analysis (if that's important to your work). I did the two week trial and found it helpful.
The Nugget: Faith is building The Nugget to help families find friendly places to go out in new cities.
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