Jessica's Friday Five: Go dig that lunchbox out NOW
Published about 5 hours ago • 2 min read • Friday Five
Hi Reader,
My family's annual tradition of random acts of kindness is coming up in a few weeks. Each year, on July 3rd, we set aside time to practice intentional kindness to honor the memory of my brother Nick, who passed away suddenly in 2015, and we encourage others in our community to do the same. To learn more about Nick and our commitment to practicing kindness, watch Nick Was Kind: One Simple Day of Kindness That Makes a Real Impact. #nickwaskind
Also - quick tip if you've got school-aged kids in your home - I don't know who needs to hear this, but if summer vacay has arrived, go get that last-day-of-school lunchbox out of their backpack now so that Back-to-School You is not set up for a gross surprise in a few months.
Let's get to your Friday Five:
For the furry escape artists in your home: I just got this free smart tag for our mischievous and speedy 1-year-old cat, Jake. I like it because the smart QR code pet tags store everything that matters, including multiple emergency numbers and addresses, as well as your pet's allergies and medications. Unlike a traditional tag, that info can be updated anytime, so your pet's details are always up to date if you ever need them. If you mark your pet missing, they immediately alert all the nearby vets (!!). You just have to pay $4 for shipping the tag to you. Very affordable peace of mind IMO.
For business owners: I’ve recently added new topics to Jess's Bite-Sized Business Boosts, including a free tracker to keep track of resources you have, like courses and tools you've collected. If you're a business owner, I made this free resource just for you.
Voice typing into Google Docs: Did you know you can use your voice to type and edit content in Google Docs? You can also dictate speaker notes in Google Slides. This can be so helpful! Here's how to do it. I'm also a new Wispr Flow user, which seems pretty useful now (this allows voice typing into any text field in any app anywhere - I'm still trying to remember to use it more!).
Books for parents: I recently updated my Fave Books for Parenting with a new book I LOVED recently (it's the one by David Yeager in the list). I think anyone who has kids in upper elementary school or above (or who manages early-career folks in their 20s) would benefit greatly from reading this, but that book list has all my favorites from the baby stage through teenage years.
Want to win a book? We're doing another book giveaway, just like the one we did a few weeks ago! This week, we’re giving away Unmuted: Leaders Discover Their Voice to Speak Up and Stand Out. Michelle (one of our Friday Fivers) is one of the book's authors! To enter, just hit reply and tell me a great book you've read in the last few years. I can't wait to hear your answers!
Bonus Sponsor Resource: iMemories: This is for you if there are old photographs or VCR tapes that you wish were digitized. Do you remember when folks walked around with camcorders and film cameras, documenting the big family moments, and then sat around years later, watching those old home movies and flipping through photo albums? Order a SafeShip Kit Today for 50% off with my link (that makes it $14.99 with free shipping). They can convert all your films, videotapes, and photographs into digital formats! They give you the option to download your digitized files, stream them in the iMemories Cloud, save them to a USB Drive, or load them onto a DVD or Blu-ray disc. This resource is from one of our Friday Five sponsors - thank you to them for keeping this newsletter free for readers!
Last Friday's Most-Clicked Link:The 14 Father's Day gifts I've personally gifted to dads in my life. You've still got 9 days until Father's Day, but don't wait too long to get a gift!