Nature nostalgia, a less neurotic way to track habits, and the hawk attack I didn't know I needed
This Week's Friday Faves
It's the last Friday of August. Closing out meteorological summer with some of my Friday faves...
This week’s Friday Faves
One way to celebrate a new baby: Everytime there’s a new baby in my immediate family, I pick a plant or flower the day it is born and press it. This week my new nephew arrived and I picked some yellow coreopsis. Welcome to the world, little one!
A less neurotic habit tracking system: The rigidity of daily streak goals is too stressful for my brain and body, but there are still areas of my life that would benefit from gentle consistency. Polar Habits is a newer habit tracker but its algorithm visualizes momentum, not streaks—you don’t start back at zero if you miss a day or two. Its gentler and momentum-focused visuals have helped me support healthy daily rhythms, including restarting a daily writing ritual for the first time in years.
Nature nostalgia: A completely superfluous Google session led me to a series of pocket-size nature books my brothers and I had as kids that felt vintage even in the 1990s. They were called Golden Guides and featured gorgeous illustrations of mid-century charm and now I can’t think about anything else.
The evolution of periods: Are you aware that human females are virtually the only creature on the planet (aside from 3 random species of whales) that goes through menopause, and scientists have no idea why? I wasn’t until I listened to this fascinating conversation with Dr. Deena Emera on The Period Party podcast.
What I’m laughing about this week: This video of a hawk sneaking into a discouraged guitarist's music video was the existential boost I didn’t know I needed. The dog! The computer! The palpable discouragement around her musical vocation! So many layers to relate to.
What were your favourites this week? Let me know below!
Hey Nicole, I just came across this post and your mention of Polar Habits!
It's amazing to read what you had to say about it, and I'm glad it's helped you get back into a writing routine! 😊