Cheapest destinations/Similar song finder/Mini vacuum
Recomendo - issue #478
Cheapest destinations
Every year, Tim Leffel, who runs our sister newsletter Nomadico (a Recomendo for travel) researches the cheapest places to travel round the world. His 2025 Cheapest Destinations report is brief, but very current. Inexpensive regions can extend how long you travel, or raise the level of quality, or both. Cheaper places also make the most difference if you are attempting to work for a while as a nomad. His survey takes that into account. — KK
Similar song finder
This search tool helps you generate playlists based on your favorite music. Just input a song, and it finds similar tracks based on energy, instrumentation, acoustics, and danceability. You can also adjust your preferences. I’ve been discovering artists I never would have found — and songs I instantly love. — CD
Mini vacuum for quick cleanups
This handheld vacuum from HRYCF is a handy helper for small messes. I use it to clean coffee grounds near my espresso station and crumbs on countertops. It offers strong suction and comes with versatile attachments, even converting into an air blower. Its compact design makes it easy to grab. The USB-C rechargeable battery runs for up to 40 minutes. — MF
In a category of one
Martha Stewart, now 82, was the original lifestyle influencer. She built a media empire beginning in the 1970s around herself making stuff, from gardening, baking, to crafts, to home improvement. She was the first woman to become a self-made billionaire. Like many geniuses, she was a bit of a jerk. (I had a chance to interview her mid-career.) What I really like about Martha, the new documentary about her surprising life, is that it reinforces the power of being the only, of being a category of one. Instead of trying to overcome her oddities, her unconventionality, her character weaknesses, she leaned into them hard so that she was unique and had no competition, until she herself was the brand. This later became the goal of many others: “the brand of YOU.” The documentary is extremely well done, a lot of fun because Martha Stewart can’t hide her flaws, and is streaming on Netflix. — KK
How to resist everyday temptations
This is a useful guide for understanding impulsive behaviors and managing everyday temptations, like snacking and binge-watching. What I find helpful is immediately replacing an urge with a healthier and enjoyable alternative — like swapping doomscrolling for a phone call — and creating roadblocks by deleting apps or moving snacks out of sight. More importantly, the guide emphasizes being kind and gentle with yourself, and reminds us that progress comes from consistency and smart tweaks to your environment. There’s plenty of actionable advice here, but the real shift for me was how it normalizes impulsivity without shaming it. With that acceptance, it becomes easier to better understand myself. — CD
Free newsletter for life experiments
I've known A.J. Jacobs for 20 years and have read all his books, including his accounts of reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica, becoming the healthiest person alive, and thanking the 1,000 people involved in his morning coffee routine. His newsletter, "Experimental Living," is a weekly dose of his signature immersive journalism. Each issue blends memoir, humor, science, and practical self-help tips from his latest life experiments. — MF
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Recomendo is published by Cool Tools Lab, a small company of three people. We also run the Cool Tools website, a YouTube channel and podcast, and other newsletters, including Gar’s Tips & Tools, Nomadico, What’s in my NOW?, Tools for Possibilities, Books That Belong On Paper and Book Freak.
The Similar Song Finder recommendation is a delightful discovery!