Defaults: early 2024 edition

Things change, so does my opinion. It turns out I like the idea of a status /uses page better.

Inspired by App Defaults, this is a list of the main tools I frequently use these days.

Type App(s) Experience
Mail client Spark ๐Ÿ™‚
Mail server Various ๐Ÿ˜‘
Notes Obsidian ๐Ÿ˜
To do Goodnotes ๐Ÿ˜
Photo shooting Camera.app, Polaroid Now+ 2 ๐Ÿ˜
Photo editing Snapseed ๐Ÿ˜
Photo management Various ๐Ÿ˜‘
Calendar Calendars ๐Ÿ˜‘
Cloud file storage Dropbox ๐Ÿ™‚
RSS Reader ๐Ÿ˜
Contacts Contacts ๐Ÿ˜‘
Browser Chrome ๐Ÿ™‚
Chat Messages, Whatsapp ๐Ÿ™‚
Bookmarks Chrome, website ๐Ÿ™‚
Read it later Reader ๐Ÿ˜
Word processing Obsidian, Google Docs ๐Ÿ™‚
Spreadsheets Google Sheets ๐Ÿ™‚
Presentations Google Slides ๐Ÿ™‚
Shopping lists Obsidian ๐Ÿ™‚
UX design Figma ๐Ÿ˜
Meal planning N/A -
Budgeting YNAB ๐Ÿ˜
News N/A -
Music Spotify ๐Ÿ™‚
Audio books Audible ๐Ÿ™‚
Podcasts PocketCasts ๐Ÿ™‚
Password management redacted
Code editor, desktop VS Code ๐Ÿ™‚
Code editor, mobile Working Copy ๐Ÿ™‚
Maps Google Maps ๐Ÿ™‚
AI assistant N/A -
Reading log Goodreads ๐Ÿ˜
White noise Better Sleep ๐Ÿ˜
Prayer Lectio 365, Prayer Day By Day ๐Ÿ˜
Media triggers Does The Dog Die? ๐Ÿ˜
Pomodoro Flow ๐Ÿ˜
Notes, handwritten Goodnotes ๐Ÿ˜
Code repository GitHub ๐Ÿ˜
Bible study Logos+ ๐Ÿ˜
Language learning Memrise ๐Ÿ˜
Flashcards Quizlet ๐Ÿ˜
Music study Toned Ear ๐Ÿ˜

In addition

Identity

This category may sound strange to you. Yet, as a Black person who grew up in a white environment, I have to make a proactive effort to find community among people whose stories resonate with mine. These are spaces that help me do this:

Hardware

  • WH-1000XM4 Wireless Premium Noise Canceling Headphones
  • (What brand is that reading light again?)
  • I use a knock-off version of the Roost laptop stand. I’d share a link, but I got it for free from a hostess at a coworker space, who took it straight from the Lost & Found. The knock-off is perfect, and has convinced me you don’t need to buy the actual Roost one.

Kitchen

  • I’ve inherited Anja’s kitchen utensil snobbery and have become a big fan of Le Creuset’s silicone spatula series. I wouldn’t know how to cook a proper meal without them.
  • Our best and most-used knives come from Karasu in Amsterdam

Wear & care

  • Over the Summer, I got myself a Nike Sportswear RPM Waistpack. Fanny packs are notoriously sizeist, but luckily this pack’s extra belt makes for a create extension, giving me the support I need.
  • I use the following products of Yari’s Green Curls line quite religiously: Moisturizing Shampoo, Hydrating Conditioner, Deep Treatment Mask

Wellbeing

Yoga

  • Yogitri ECO Buddhi eye pillow with lavender-scented flax seed, used for savasana
  • Yogitri ECO Pratyak bolster
  • DoYourYoga half moon meditation pillow
  • YogaTimer
  • (I have an excellent mat that I’m trying to identify on the Internet)

Standing invite to say hello

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I'm Zinzy Waleson Geene, a diary-keeper, designer, and community builder in Amsterdam. Yelling at Internet clouds since 1997.