Weekly Whims Vol. 7

Gardening Essentials, Spring Men's Fashion under $250, and more

Hey everyone, Thomas here. This week’s whims are coming straight from me, filled with all the spring enthusiasm, quirky discoveries, and personal musings that keep life interesting.

Spring Gardening and the New House

We're moving soon, and I tried convincing myself I'd take it slow with gardening this year. No massive projects, no grandiose plans—just a careful, investigative season, easing into our new space with simple container gardening. But spring in Charleston has other ideas. Suddenly, I'm lost in Pinterest boards, obsessively examining drone shots of our new garden, and flipping through every gardening coffee table book we own. After eight years cultivating our current garden, I’ve picked up invaluable lessons and made countless mistakes—now I can't wait to apply that experience in our new space. For fellow gardeners feeling the spring bug, here are some essentials that have genuinely made my gardening life better:

• Gardening Hand Tool Tote – Ideal for conveniently carrying small tools, plant labels, and seed packets around the garden.

• Gardening Clogs – Gardening clogs are my go-to for quick trips to harvest herbs or perform brief tasks. Boots might offer better support for full-day gardening or heavy digging, but nothing beats these for quick and easy wear.

• Cutting Tools – Every gardener needs a reliable pair of snips. They're perfect for harvesting herbs, flowers, and light garden clean-up. Snips are also less sharp at the edges, making them safer to carry in your pocket. Alternatively, these Niwaki hybrid secateurs offer exceptional comfort and precision for heavier tasks.

• Gloves – Nitrile-coated gardening gloves are essential for protecting your hands while providing excellent flexibility and grip.

• Watering Can – Even though I prefer automated irrigation systems, I still find great satisfaction in using my Haws watering cans. I own several sizes, but this particular one is my favorite.

• Trowel – When investing in garden tools, Sneeboer always delivers quality. This trowel is my absolute favorite—sturdy, reliable, and perfect for planting.

• Garden Trugs – Extremely handy for moving soil, transporting harvested produce, and general garden clean-up.

Spring Selections from Mr. Porter

As I shared in my Husband’s Guide to Fashion, I take "cost per wear" seriously—especially living somewhere like Charleston, where spring quickly gives way to hot summer days. Right now feels like the perfect moment to refresh my closet with a few carefully chosen pieces, since I'll practically live in shorts and short sleeves for the next seven months. I've been spending a bit too much time browsing Mr. Porter's latest arrivals, looking for versatile additions that will seamlessly carry me through the upcoming seasons. Here’s what’s caught my eye lately - all under $250.

Reflections on Adam Grant’s 'No You Don’t Get An A for Effort'

I’ve always admired Adam Grant’s insights, and a more recent piece in The New York Times about effort vs. outcomes resonated deeply. Adam Grant, in addition to hosting a fantastic podcast and authoring numerous insightful articles and books, is also a professor. In his recent piece, he discusses a trend he's observed: students increasingly believe their grades should reflect the effort they invest rather than the actual mastery of the course content. Playing sports taught me early on that while working hard is essential, it's never the full equation. Baseball taught me vividly that you can do everything perfectly and still not get the results you want. Eventually, you have to strategize differently, not just push harder. Effort alone doesn’t guarantee success—a hard truth, but one that’s shaped how I approach goals and challenges in life and business. Like many parents, Julia and I have been consciously replacing the standard "good job" praise with phrases that highlight effort, such as "I can see you put a lot of effort into that!" But now I'm wondering if I've swung too far the other way. What's the best practice here!? Parenting sure keeps us guessing.

The Elusive Perfect Men’s Backpack

I’ve always joked there's no such thing as an amazing men’s haircut—only bad or acceptable. Similarly, I thought there was no such thing as the perfect backpack until Julia gifted me what I consider the best backpack ever made. On a recent flight, I noticed another guy had the exact same bag. I was genuinely tempted to strike up a conversation—partly to see if he loved it as much as I do, partly because it's that rare—but ultimately decided not to disturb his red-eye nap. You'll understand my enthusiasm: It's sleek, fits a large laptop effortlessly, has practical outside pockets, and doesn’t yell “Business Traveler!” Unfortunately, the catch is that my dream backpack's price tag rivals a used car’s. Since then, I've been on a quest to find a similarly perfect yet affordable bag. While I'm still searching, I've rounded up a few promising options to share.

The Surprising Excellence of Beef Tallow Skincare

Online trends fascinate me, especially quirky health and skincare fads. Julia dove deep into castor oil wraps recently—I’m skeptical and teasingly call them "castor placebo wraps." But then came my turn with beef tallow skincare. I initially cringed at the thought of slathering beef fat on my face, but curiosity overcame skepticism. The skincare set turned out surprisingly great for me, lots of hydration and no breaking out and for our family’s sensitive skin, tackling dry patches beautifully. But the deodorant? That was a leap of faith. I imagined smelling like a steakhouse gone wrong, yet it turned out to be shockingly effective—perhaps the best deodorant I’ve ever used. Let's see how it holds up come Charleston's humid summer, but for now, it’s a total win.

Enhanced Shoe Shopping

Technology has officially infiltrated every aspect of my life—even something as basic as shoe shopping. Recently, I used both Road Runner Sports' digital fit finder and ChatGPT’s new deep research tool, incorporating my Fleet Feet foot scan data from last year. Both independently recommended the Brooks Ghost 16. I’m pretty amazed at how precise and detailed AI has become. Can't wait to put some miles in with these new shoes.

Cookware: Lessons from Experience

I’ve tried practically every pan out there—fancy “ultra-clean” nonsticks, classic stainless, and everything in between. In my experience, pricey nonstick pans typically underperform within months, so my advice is to keep it affordable for everyday nonstick pans (OXO is great) and save the splurge for stainless steel. My favorites? Reliable All-Clad or the pricier but truly phenomenal Hestan Nanobond. They deliver the lasting performance and cooking satisfaction worth paying for.

Fascinated by Mr. Beast

Have you checked out Mr. Beast’s new show, Beast Games? My girls love it, and I'm amazed by his meticulous dedication. I listened to him recently on my favorite new podcast, Diary of a CEO. Amazon paid him $100M to make the show and he said that he lost tens of millions making it. The guy's obsession with perfection—from checking product displays for his chocolate company, Feastables in Walmart to meticulously planning content—is mind-blowing. His obsessive drive is unmatched. It’s inspiring but exhausting just imagining the sheer level of detail and effort behind every video. I’ll happily stay a viewer rather than trying to match that pace.

A Simple Kitchen Timer’s Surprising Impact

It’s funny how sometimes the simplest devices are the most impactful. This basic digital kitchen timer has become my secret productivity hack. It keeps the kids on track, makes sure I'm getting enough rest in my workouts, and helps me maintain focus when working. It’s an inexpensive tool that's drastically improved my daily routines.

My Weird Fascination with the Atlanta Airport

As a loyal Delta flyer and living near their hub, ATL is unavoidable. People often gripe about the crowds at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, but I find it fascinating. It’s the busiest airport in the world (286,000 passengers per day) yet manages to operate with extraordinary efficiency. You can go from one end of the airport to any gate in 20 minutes or less. One time during a 3 hour layover I walked the entire airport, passing every gate. Watching it function seamlessly—even amidst chaos—is a lesson in logistics and design. Next time you're passing through Atlanta maybe you’ll have an appreciation for my favorite airport in the world.