Weekly Whims with Thomas - Vol. 4

Thomas takes over for this week. Plus Bonus Whims For Paid Subscribers

Hey, it’s Thomas. This week, I’m taking over Weekly Whims. I’ve been trying to get my ideas over to Julia for the past few weeks, so she thought it was time for me to have a dedicated one.

1. OAS – My Go-To Resort Wear Brand
   This has become my favorite men’s brand for resort wear. I first started with these waffle knit shorts and love them—I always get compliments when I wear them. These pieces (pants and swim trunks) come on every warm weather trip with me.

2. Matte White Fellow Aiden – The Coffee Machine I’ve Been Waiting For
   Fellow makes some amazing coffee products—like their kettles, grinders, and travel mugs. The Aiden launched last year, and it looks awesome with its automatic features and ability to make both large batches and smaller cups. I never bought one because it wasn’t available in white, but now it is. It doesn’t have a built-in grinder, but this is actually a great price for all the features it offers.

3. The Paradox of Choice – A 20-Year-Old Book That Feels More Relevant Than Ever
   I brought this book on our trip, and it feels even more relevant today than when it was first published. In a digital world, we are bombarded by choices. As a self-identifying maximizer—someone who always seeks the best of a category rather than settling for “good enough”—I found the topics of maximizing vs. satisficing and their relation to happiness particularly interesting. Another concept that stood out was how past experiences influence future purchase expectations and how we are surprisingly inefficient at self-reflecting to make better decisions. I also came across Peak-End Theory, which suggests our memories of the past are influenced by the peak (either positive or negative) and the end of our experience which has inspired me to design our travel itineraries to have moments of really fun plans of new things we've never done and end trips with a bang—maybe the best hotel of the trip or a really fun experience.

4. Remarkable Tablet – Organizing My Notes and Reducing Screen Time
   When we started our Substack, I found myself writing more and more, with handwritten notes everywhere. It was getting cluttered, so I decided to get a Remarkable tablet (Amazon link here). While they really market the paper-like feel, I’m not quite as sold—though my family makes the best pencils in the world, so I have high standards. That said, I love having unlimited paper and cloud sync capabilities. I’ve also been using it to read PDFs and my evening reads in bed (highlighting and scribbling notes as I read), as the tablet emits significantly less blue light than my phone screen.

5. Seeds for Spring Gardening – A Few of My Favorites
   Here’s a list of some flowers that can brighten up your yard this spring and summer:

• Zinnia Profusion Mix – These bloomed in my garden from April to November last year. They’re self-cleaning, so no deadheading is required. I just ordered all white to fill in at our new house.

• Dwarf Sunflowers – These grow only about 18 inches tall and are branching, meaning lots of blooms per plant.

• French Marigolds – Perfect for pots or borders, and they keep blooming with some deadheading.

• Calendula – Another favorite for continuous blooms.

6. Disclaimer – The Apple Show That Inspired Me to Read the Book
   I finished Disclaimer last week, and I thought it was one of the best shows I’ve seen recently. It was intense, and Julia had her reservations about watching it, but it was gripping. Also, Cate Blanchett is in it, and I'll watch anything she's in. I don’t want to give too much away, but the story is about how a grieving parent publishes a book about their son’s death, and Cate’s character tries to battle with her past. It’s the first TV show that inspired me to want to read the book.

7. The Vertical Gardening Tower That Got Denied
   I spent hours researching this gardening tower—I loved the idea of growing food and flowers in a tight vertical space. It has a unique watering system where you just fill up a reservoir, and the spinning base ensures equal sun exposure. I was sold, but Julia denied it for our new house. Oh well.

8. The Best Thing I Ate in Mexico
   I could eat Mexican food for every meal, every day. My daily rotation has included chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, and breakfast burritos. For lunch, I’m trying all the tacos—and no guacamole is being left behind. But shockingly, the best dish I had was a rack of lamb with tzatziki and tahini sauce—not very Mexican, but incredibly delicious.

9. Valentine’s Day Plans – Two Extra Day in Mexico
   Originally, we were supposed to come home today, but now we get to enjoy two extra days as a family on this wonderful trip. I hope you're enjoying fun plans with your significant other this week.

10. Ingredient Household Experiment
    I was motivated by my friend Brooks Reitz to experiment with becoming an “ingredient household” for a week. That means no packaged snacks or foods with more than one or two ingredients. I’ll be boxing up everything that doesn’t fit the criteria and hiding it out of sight. A big meal prep session is on the horizon—wish us luck.

3 More Bonus Whims For Paid Subscribers