I'm still learning how long it actually takes to get back to equilibrium after life gets unusually full. Two trips in a few weeks, plus everything happening in my business, volunteer, and parenting worlds (y'all don't forget teacher appreciation week is in 10 days, but I've got you covered for that) — and I still catch myself believing that a few hours of focused time will get me "all caught up."
Silly, right? I know that's not realistic. And yet… I still feel some kind of way about not being "on top of all the things" when life is this full. If you're prone to this same magical thinking — or beating yourself up about being behind — hit reply and tell me I'm not alone. We're doing great. The important things will get done.
Now let's get to your Friday Five!
Tip from Friday Fiver Stephanie: Stephanie shared this tip with me and said it was okay to share with all of you - I love this and am literally going to use it this weekend. So smart. "When I'm measuring out the dry ingredients for muffins or cookies, I use reusable zip lock bags to add the ingredients for future batches, making my own mixes. I use a wipe-off marker to label the mix. The next time we want muffins, I just have to pull out the mix and add the wet ingredients."
Vibe Coding Ideas:I asked in a recent issue how y'all are using vibe coding — building apps and tools by just describing what you want to AI — and the responses blew me away. Brandon built a swim schedule tool for his community and deployed it using Claude (so cool). Alexis found a tool called Base44 that nailed what she wanted in a single prompt. And Leah built an ADHD-friendly task management app using Lovable that actually shows your past accomplishments instead of hiding completed tasks — because sometimes you need to see how much you've already done - love that. I recently had Claude write a script for me (and tell me how the heck to install a script) to automatically color-code my Google Calendar events if certain words were in the invite just by starting with the question, "is there any way I can automatically color-code by calendar with certain rules?". I also appreciated this debate and this question + answer (on AI and water consumption - check out that fact about blue jeans!) recently on the topic of AI in Tangle. Complex, fascinating, tricky times we live in.
Beehive Meals (Now With Flat Top Options!): I've shared Beehive Meals before and they keep getting better. They just added flat-top meals — think griddle or Blackstone-style cooking — alongside their slow cooker options, and I am so excited. I order a box every few months and keep the meals in the freezer for those nights when cooking from scratch just isn't happening. With Maycember coming up (that wild end-of-school-year sprint), having a stash of freezer-to-cooker dinners is a game changer. Here's the thing: next Tuesday I'm dropping an exclusive double discount just for Friday Fivers, so I'd suggest holding tight for that. But if you can't wait, use code JESSICA for $10 off.
I love this iPhone Tips Newsletter. I’ve heard that y’all are REALLY enjoying reading this email newsletter, so I wanted to share it again! Between meetings, home life, and everything else on your plate, the last thing you have time for is figuring out all the features of your iPhone that would help you, but you didn't know about. That’s why I think you’ll love iPhone Life Tip of the Day too. It’s a free daily newsletter that makes mastering your iPhone’s hidden features quick and easy. Clear instructions. Step-by-step screenshots. I learn surprising new things every week from this newsletter. Sign up for free!
Jess's Product Picks. I quietly launched a new thing to a small group of you this week and it's been WAY more popular than I could have guessed. Which is delightful because I'm so excited about it. It's a new free email newsletter by me where I will be sharing my fave products, what I am not impressed by, the books I'm loving, and gift ideas (I LOVE giving gifts). Want to get in on it? Go here. You'll get some of my fave products right away in your inbox, and read that first email carefully because there's also a fun thing I've been sending the earliest subscribers that they seem to be into.
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