May 2025
Thoughts on Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine – Rick Steves’ Travel Blog
Today is a profoundly sad day. Russia’s aggressive action is heartbreaking for the death, suffering, and economic turmoil it will cause in Ukraine and, indirectly at least, beyond. Here at Rick Steves’ Europe, we hope that a diplomatic solution can be found and peace will return to that fragile and long-suffering part of our […]
Oura Ring 4 Review: Two Month Update
Ah, wearable tech. You’ve been missing my posts on this particular subject, haven’t you? Admit it! For a few weeks back there I went all in on the wearable tech subject, doing rash things like buying titanium Apple Watches and Oura rings in four different metal colours and then writing about them for general amusement/information […]
How We Made Vintage-Inspired Corbels For The Outdoor Kitchen Gazebo
As I was designing this “kitchen gazebo,” I found almost no inspiration that looked and functioned like I wanted ours to look/feel. They were mostly big boxy McMansion-looking Texas-style structures or hexagonal sweet old timey gazebos, but I found almost no images of rectangular covered structures that looked charming and pretty. So I knew that […]
How to achieve a “soft glow” without filters
Giving your photos a “soft look” or “soft glow” is easy with the help of filters. However, you can still get this popular, dreamy look in-camera and with a bit of editing on post. Sounds like something you want to try? Street and travel photographer Roman Fox shares how he does this in five steps […]
Save on Fuel by Having a Staycation
Gas prices are hitting record highs with no signs of coming down anytime soon. With that in mind, many Americans are rethinking their summer road trip and vacation plans. With fuel economy in mind, here are our tips to saving money on fuel by having a great staycation near home. Go to a National Park […]
How the FDA Might Make It Harder to Get COVID Shots This Year
The U.S. government has not yet made its official recommendations for who should be able to get COVID booster shots this fall, but FDA officials published a policy position in the New England Journal of Medicine announcing that it intends to make some drastic policy changes. The changes could result in healthy people under age […]
Tarot Card of the Week (May 19–25, 2025): The Chariot
Tarot Card Reading: The Chariot This week’s tarot card pulled from our deck is The Chariot. Bold. Undeniable. Unstoppable. In our featured image, a lynx drives The Chariot. The Lynx doesn’t second-guess. It waits, it watches, and when the time is right? It moves. That’s your energy now. If you want the dream: the promotion, the […]
How to Resolve Team Conflict
HANNAH BATES: Welcome to HBR On Leadership, case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts—hand-selected to help you unlock the best in those around you. As a manager, it can be empowering to acknowledge your comfort level with conflict. Whether you tend to lean into it or avoid it like the […]
Back to Cyprus and the Land Cruiser – Overland Travel
It was with a sense of loss that we left the Land Cruiser behind on Cyprus last summer. Still numb from Coen’s brain cancer diagnosis (read about it here), and with him just out of the hospital – part of his head shaved, stitches crisscrossing where the tumor had been removed – we drove through […]
IRS Maximum HSA Contribution Amounts for 2025 & 2026
This maximum HSA contribution overview has been updated with info for the 2025 and 2026 tax years. If you’ve been following this site, you know that I have long been a big fan of health savings accounts (HSAs) and have made the maximum annual HSA contribution when I was eligible to do so. There is […]