Jessica's Friday Five: A lesser-known search trick I love
Published about 24 hours ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader,
Instead of creating a Black Friday deal for y'all this year, I thought I'd do two free things next week. Feel free to join either or both if you'd like!
The first is a live Google Doc where I'm going to try what I'm up to next week, hour-by-hour - the good, the annoying, the productive, the mistakes, the lunch choices, all of it. I'm calling it "Jess's Journey". Sign up here, and I'll send you the Google Doc link on Monday morning when I start.
The second is a free webinar - Why Simple Systems are the Secret for a Calm 2026. It's on Thursday at 11am PT/2pm ET/7pm London. I've prepared content about the research on why systems can make work and home less cognitively demanding, with tons of examples for both work and home, and how to modify them for your specific brain and context. See you in the Zoom room if you can make it! RSVP here.
Let's get to your Friday Five!
Buy today if you want to make a child smile: Black Friday deals can be overwhelming, let's be honest. One thing I always try to keep an eye out for is excellent toy sales to donate to local toy drives. If you're open to shopping on Amazon today, here are the toy deals they've got. I usually try to pick up classic games like Connect Four or Candyland to donate. I also get these for our artificial Christmas tree each year.
Buy today if you're a business owner: Two things I've happily spent my money on and would again and again as a business owner - Braden's Contract Club for every contract I've ever used for anything. It's just $150 for lifetime access through Monday. Most affordable lawyer ever. And second, what do I have in common with a nun, a rabbi, and a BDSM educator? We’re all in Liz Wilcox’s Email Marketing Membership! I know. But it’s not just us. There are local + online businesses, service providers + course creators, and people looking to make their first $$ and 8-figure businesses in there too! Her Black Friday deal is the annual way to get all of her content for just $108 for the whole year. So good.
Search Tip for Google, Gmail, Dropbox, etc: The next time you’re searching for information on a topic on Google, or trying to find an email in your Gmail account, or a file in your online files, try using a dash (-) to refine your search by excluding words that don't matter (think of it like a minus). For example, to find information about the Ford Mustang car but not the animal, search for Mustang -horse. This removes results about the animal, letting you find info about the vehicle only. It’s perfect for narrowing down topics with many overlapping results, and it’s a simple way to avoid distractions in your search results.
Christmas countdown activity if you have kids: Here’s a free printable Christmas countdown activity your family is sure to love in preparation for Christmas—it gets everyone involved and brings a little more magic and excitement to the holiday season as a whole.
Create your own iMessage poll: Did you know you can create a poll in iMessage? This can be a fun way for your family group chat to decide where to eat out, what weekend activity to do, or a host of other things, and it helps eliminate some of the back-and-forth of decision-making. Everyone in the chat needs to be using an iPhone, unfortunately, but it's useful if that's your situation!
Bonus Sponsor Resource: Stress Relief You Can Wear. When your week feels packed, simple sensory grounding can make all the difference. Parker Mountain Comfort’s weighted wraps and calming companions are designed to help your body soften and reset, even in a five-minute break. Natural fabrics, soothing weight, and beautiful textures you’ll reach for on repeat. A moment of calm you can take anywhere. Their bundles make great holiday gifts for the people in your life who need a little reset. Shop Comfort. This resource is from one of our Friday Five sponsors - thank you to them for keeping this newsletter free for readers!
