When you hear someone described as a “serial dater,” you might assume they’re constantly in long-term relationships, never leaving themselves time in-between a breakup and the start of a new relationship to be single and enjoy their own company. As it turns out, the opposite is true: A serial dater is someone who loves the thrill of dating, but isn’t into commitment. At all.

Depending on what you want out of your relationships, you’re probably interested in finding out if the person you’re seeing is a serial dater—or maybe even if you’re one yourself. Here are the signs to watch for.

What is a serial dater?

First, let’s nail down this definition. I spoke to Matt Lachman, a certified sex therapist and owner of Cleveland Sex Therapy, to find out what exactly makes someone a “serial dater.” As he describes it, a serial dater is, “someone whose main goal of dating is to not enter a serious relationship,” but instead, “focus on the enjoyment and thrill that comes with dating.” The opposite of this would be a “serial monogamist,” or a person “who jumps from one serious, committed relationship to another with no real casual dating in between.”

Basically, serial daters are all about the experience of dating. They like the fun parts, the “honeymoon phase” stuff. They like getting to know people, going out on novel dates, the rush of all that newness—but not necessarily what comes afterward: the harder work of building a longer-term relationship. Pointedly, committing and settling into a routine aren’t their goals.

Recognize the signs of serial dating

If your goals are to date long-term, you might want to avoid serial daters, or at least know what you’re getting into with one, so you don’t get attached to the dream of a future they may not want to chase with you.

According to Lachman, signs that someone is a serial dater include a history of short relationships, a demonstrated fear of commitment, inauthentic communication, overpromising and underdelivering, speaking in a “toxic” way about past partners, and an overabundance of big gestures early on in the relationship. They may also show signs of getting bored or attention-seeking after a few months.

He adds that in heterosexual relationships especially, “potentially trying to sleep together too quickly” can also be a sign you’re dealing with a serial dater, but it’s not an iron clad one, and that can also a good way to determine your sexual compatibility. He recommends gauging your own comfort level, and considering the implications if you feel too pressured to do it. If you’re both feeling the sexual energy early on, go for it. If it feels like one of you wants to rush into physicality just to hurry up and get there, pause and consider whether that’s a sign of serial dating behavior.

Is there anything wrong with being a serial dater?

After reading through all these signs, you might worry the person you’re dating is a serial dater who may not want to commit. Or maybe you recognize these signs within yourself. That can be scary, since so much of the published content on the topic paints serial daters as nasty, unserious people. But the reality much more nuanced than that. Serial dating isn’t inherently bad.

“Most articles you read will talk about how to avoid this kind of person and that they are toxic,” says Lachman. “In reality, one of the main points of dating is to find a connection with someone, either for one date, a lifetime, or somewhere in between.”

Serial dating is problematic when one person is promising another a reality or future that they can’t really envision for themselves—in essence, leading them on. It can also be an issue for the serial dater themselves; Lachman cautions that serial dating “limits them from engaging in vulnerability, which is crucial for success in any relationship.” But that said, if you both go into the relationship knowing it’s a short-term fling (and feeling good about that fact), that can be perfectly OK.

What can you do if you’re dating a serial dater (or are one)?

It’s fine to casually date, if that’s what both parties want. In fact, it’s fun! But if one person wants a long-term commitment and the other is focused on a serial dating lifestyle, there will be friction. Lachman advocates for using an individualistic perspective to analyze your relationship goals. Why do you want to be in one? What are you getting out of it? How is the other person adding to your life?

Ask yourself those questions before you make any decisions about your relationship. If you are getting what you want from the relationship, there’s no need to toss it away just because the other person may not want to commit, but if that’s what you need, communicate clearly and honestly—and accept it if they’re not down. And if you feel like you’ve inadvertently wound up with a serial dater, realize it’s not personal; they’re just ahead of you in pursuing that individualistic approach, but “unfortunately, they tend to do this in an inauthentic, secretive way that isn’t open or honest,” Lachman says.

ANd if it’s you who is exhibiting serial dating behavior, consider what you value about relationships and why (and whether) you want to change. Lachman notes that sometimes, a fear of being vulnerable prevents people from changing, so consider where you learned this behavior, and what you’re getting out of practicing it. Embrace vulnerability by being open to experiencing it, reading books or listening to podcasts focused on being emotionally open in your relationships, or just talk to others about how you feel. And, of course, you can always seek help from a therapist if you feel the need to. Maybe you’re totally OK with being a serial dater—if so, great. Just make sure your partners know that, and feel the same way.

Source: LifeHacker – How to Spot a Serial Dater (and What to Do If It’s You)

My love for grocery store croissants has been well-documented. While they lack the air structure of those you’d find at a Parisian bakery, they’re delightfully soft and greasy, and I don’t feel bad if they go a little stale. I have mitigation strategies, some of which are more even more delicious than a plain croissant. I’ll usually make croutons or croissant brittle, but on one recent night, I decided to use a stale croissant to make cinnamon-sugar toast, frying it in ghee to give it heaps of texture and flavor.

This preparation, which doesn’t really have a name, lives in between fried cinnamon-sugar toast and the aforementioned croissant brittle. The ghee gives the cinnamon and sugar something to stick to, and when fried, the sweet, aromatic mixture caramelizes on the thin, flaky layers of the pastry, effectively candying them. It’s divine, and so easy to make, even a wildly high person could do it. (Not that I know anything about that.)

I like using ghee because it doesn’t brown like butter. This allows you to track the state of the sugar a little easier, because you won’t have to worry about confusing browned milk solids with caramelized sugar bits. You can use butter, of course; it will still taste good, though I recommend dropping the heat down a little so the butter doesn’t burn before the sugar caramelizes. Enjoy these crispy beauties with a little jam, a scoop of ice cream, or all by themselves.

Fried Croissant Cinnamon Toast

Ingredients:

• Day-old croissants

• ghee or butter

• 3 teaspoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Slice the croissants in half. Mix the cinnamon and sugar together and set aside. Spread softened ghee or brush melted butter on the exposed innards of the croissant, then coat with a generous layer of cinnamon-sugar.

Place the croissant half in a nonstick pan, sugar side down, and set the heat to medium (if using ghee) or medium-low (if using butter). Fry for a few minutes, until the sugar melts and caramelizes into a golden, crunchy coating. Remove from the pan, and let cool for a few minutes before eating to let the sugar harden. Repeat until you are out of croissants.

Source: LifeHacker – Fry Day-old Croissants in Ghee and Cinnamon Sugar

Bad bosses, or managers who regularly disappoint you, are common. This disappointment you feel can be varied. Maybe you crave mentorship and you feel ignored, or you desire autonomy but you feel controlled. Or maybe you would just really appreciate your supervisor actually responding to your emails once in a while. You are not alone. This survey of 1,500 employees found that 24% of them felt they were working for the “worst manager they’ve ever had.” And the impacts of dealing with a bad boss can range anywhere from general job disengagement to affecting your sleep habits, your relationships with others, and even your self-worth.

That said, in my years of working with managers, I’ve never met one who intentionally set out to be bad at it. Most people in supervisory roles are doing their best with the skills, knowledge, energy, and focus they possess within the circumstances. Also, relationships with bosses are exactly that: a relationship. That means it takes more than one person to create the dynamic, so staff also bear some responsibility for maintaining a healthy and productive boss/employee relationship.

This means that if you work for a bad boss, you have some agency over how that relationship plays out by way of how you interact with and react to them. It’s important to avoid focusing on trying to change your boss or spend any time wishing your boss was someone else. Instead, accepting them for who they are is the first step. Then, you can focus on your own interactions with them.

Here are four types of bad managers, and a few tips on how to handle each one of them.

How to deal with a boss who is a micromanager 

Micromanagers are famous for having a low tolerance for ambiguity. They resist letting employees make their own decisions and monitor work closely. Micromanagers do this because they need a lot of information to feel confident and prepared to deliver on their own work. Many micromanagers are also born from other micromanagers. Meaning, they behave this way because their boss does and so on up the company’s leadership pipeline.

In these instances, try letting go feeling like you’re not trusted. It’s probably not the case. Instead, give your boss what they need to be successful and effective at their work. Ask them how frequently they want to be updated and in what format. By all means, don’t withhold information from them. Also, be willing to examine your own behavior and correct it in the event you might be encouraging micromanagement. For more advice on working with micromanagers, see my full guide here.

How to deal with a boss who acts like a buddy

These are managers who seem to care more about what their team thinks of them than making tough decisions, delegating work, or holding others accountable. Often, “friend managers” have compromised their ability to act as a supervisor because they frequently engage socially with their team or exchange too much personal information with staff. When tough decisions have to be made, they are inappropriately influenced by social interactions, struggle with worry over how they are thought of by staff, or confide in some but not in others (creating unfair work environments).

If you work for a “friend manager,” the first step is to break up. Stop being friends with your manager. By remaining too friendly with your boss, you are actively contributing to all the challenges that are in play. If cutting ties cold turkey is too extreme, make a commitment to not discuss work when you hang out socially. But better yet, just stop hanging out socially. By creating distance, many find their job experience improves.

How to deal with the “lone wolf” boss

This is the non-manager of managers. They function as an individual contributor, solely focused on their own work and deliverables while still approving timecards and vacation requests. They seem to have little concern or focus on the development of the team. Some people love working for these bosses because they have ultimate freedom and autonomy. But if you’re someone looking for mentorship or the experience of being led with strategic direction, this supervisor leaves you feeling unfulfilled.

In these cases, identify what is missing from this boss relationship and find it elsewhere. If you’re looking for a manager who readily shares their own experience to guide you, find a mentor. (Here are a few tips on how to do that.) Or, if you’re looking for a boss to teach you skills, seek out professional development classes or consult with a tenured colleague. Ask them for advice on career advancement. These bosses aren’t the worst to work for, so you might also just enjoy the freedom they afford.

How to deal with a boss who is a jerk

This is maybe the worst type of boss to work for: the jerk. These managers lack self-awareness and behave in ways that can be disrespectful and hurtful. These are the bosses who are very difficult to accept for who they are; they are easy to just plain dislike.

In theses cases, first try to envision them as someone other than your boss. Think about them as a son or as a daughter. Maybe they are parents or volunteers at a local nonprofit. Here’s the thing, jerks are jerks for a reason; they routinely behave badly. But, they are also human. Sometimes, finding their humanity can give you the patience to endure their antics. Then, inventory all the benefits or positive aspects of working for them or the company. Post that list so that you are reminded regularly. If their behavior is unethical or illegal, consider reporting them via your company’s policies. And, by all means, look for another job if those strategies aren’t fruitful.

Bad managers are common but the good news is that they aren’t everywhere. The same survey that found almost a quarter of employees were working for “the worst manager they’ve ever had” also found that 64% were working for the best boss they ever had. Great bosses are out there. If you’re working for one that leaves you unsatisfied, either develop your strategies to interact with them or accept that it might be time to find a new manager.

Source: LifeHacker – The Four Types of Bad Bosses (and How to Deal With Each One)

The 10 words below are commonly mispronounced in English. The first five are the top results from Google’s auto-fill for the phrase “How do I pronounce…” The rest are words that people often don’t know they’re messing up, so would be unlikely to search up on the web.

I’m no prescriptivist—words are yours to do with as you will, so pronounce ‘em however you like. “Correct” pronunciations are just what we call the way words are usually spoken according to the general consensus of English speakers. But there’s no governing body—if enough people pronounce a word “wrong” it stops being wrong, so keep saying “fried skrimp” or “Anartica” like I do.

Gyro

I’m starting with a tricky one. “Gyro” is either a shortened form of “gyroscope” or the name of a Greek lamb sandwich.

In the unlikely event that you’re talking about gyroscopes enough to need to shorten the word, it’s pronounced “jeye-roh.” The greek sandwich, according to Websters, is called a “yee-roh” or a “zhir-roh.” It’s rhymes with “hero.”

Interestingly, the Greek word for “to turn” is the root of the word for both the sandwich and the machine, but the terms came into the language at different times, so we don’t say them the say way.

Açaí

The berries from the Açaí palm tree that grows in South America have become popular enough that you may be called upon to say their name at brunch. If so, it’s pronounced aa-saa-ee. It doesn’t seem to make sense based on the spelling, but those accents over the “c” and the “I” tell the story: The word’s root is from Portuguese, and the accent over the “c” means “soft s sound,” and the mark over the “i” means “long e.”

Nguyen

“Nguyen” is a common last name in Vietnam, and Vietnamese is a little tricky for English speakers. We aren’t used to starting words with an “ng” sound. To add complexity: “Nguyen” is pronounced differently in different parts of Vietnam. In south Vietnam, it’s pronounced close to “win” or “wen.” In the north, they’re more likely to say something like “nuh-win,” but as close to one syllable as possible.

Gif

It’s pronounced “Jif” like the peanut butter, according to Steve Wilhite, the creator of the Graphics Interchange Format. Or it’s pronounced with the hard “g” sound because that makes more sense to you. There is no right answer.

Worcestershire

Worcestershire is a county in England where they invented a delicious condiment in the 1830s. It’s pronounced wu-stuh-shr. It’s not pronounced “Wor-chest-tir-shire.”

Phở

This Vietnamese noodle soup is pronounced “fuuh,” according to Websters, but “foe” seems to be catching on fast, at least if you’re an English speaker. Neither is exactly how Vietnamese people pronounce it, because “phở” contains a sound English doesn’t include.

Library

It’s not “lie-berry” or “lie-bear-y” It’s “llai-breh-ree.” But if you say it quickly without careful enunciation, it will sound like “lie-bree” anyway. It’s just an awkward word because of that middle syllable.

Often

That “t” in “often” should not be there. It’s not in the word when you say it, because it’s pronounced “aa-fn.” See also: “castle,” “mortgage,” “listen,” “soften,” and a slew of other words with silent t’s.

Niche

“Niche” can be pronounced “neesh” (rhymes with “sheesh”) or it can be pronounced “nich” (rhymes with “pitch.”), “Neesh” is a newer pronunciation. “nich” is the classic. But both are fine.

Arctic

It’s annoying, but “they” say you’re supposed to pronounce the hard “c”: So it’s “aark-tuhk,” not “ar-tuhk.” The same rule applies to “Antarctic,” which also has an inconvenient “t” sound you’re supposed to pronounce too.

This wasn’t always the case. The word used to be spelled “artic” and pronounced “ar-tik” but it was changed in the 17th century to match the Latin spelling. It’s all a mess.

Cache

This is an easy one! A “cache” is a group of hidden things. It’s pronounced “kash.” Some people say “kaysh,” probably because of the ending “e.” Some people say “kash-ay,” but. if you do that, you’re using the word “cachet,” which means “prestige.”

Forte

“Forte” (a person’s strong suit) has no agreed-upon pronunciation. You can say “fort.” Or you can say “for-tay,” or “for-tay.” No matter how you say it, someone will think you’re wrong.

But if you’re using “forte” to talk about the musical notation for “play loudly,” it’s always “for-tay”

Source: LifeHacker – How to Actually Pronounce ‘Worcestershire,’ ‘Açaí,’ and Other Commonly Mispronounced Words

The idea of declaring “email bankruptcy”—just deleting all the emails in your inbox past a certain date—is so popular, it has its own Wikipedia entry. And it goes beyond email: Declaring a personal bankruptcy and mass-deleting games, movies, and e-books you fear you’ll never play, watch, or read is a common practice with proponents far and wide (including some right here at Lifehacker). But declaring bankruptcy is such a drastic step. What if you tried inbox amnesty instead?

What is inbox amnesty?

The idea for inbox amnesty comes from Lifehacker’s health editor, Beth Skwarecki, who advocates for achieving inbox zero by selecting all your emails and archiving them, instead of deleting them. “BOOM,” she says. “You have inbox zero and will do better in the future.”

While there are tricks you can employ to manage your inbox in real time and keep the number of unread messages down (like the “one touch” rule), there will still be times when your inbox gets unruly. That doesn’t bother some people, but the ever-increasing number in the notifications badge makes others feel like they’re losing their minds. If that’s you, declare inbox amnesty and just start over.

Why inbox amnesty is better than inbox bankruptcy

While inbox amnesty and bankruptcy both rely on the same idea—nuking all the emails and starting again, determined not to let the unreads get out of hand—there is one key difference: Amnesty doesn’t destroy the emails forever, it just marks them as read and tucks them away, out of sight.

This means you can go back into that archive if you need to, finding contact information or threads that you might actually need to follow up on in the future. If you go bankrupt and nuke them all, you won’t be able to refer to anything from the past—and you just know something will come up that requires you to look at an older email you no longer have.

You can set a reminder for yourself to fully delete your archived messages after six months if they don’t become necessary, but as long as they’re not clogging up too much of your storage, feel free to hold onto them in case of emergency.

Source: LifeHacker – Declare ‘Email Amnesty’ to Achieve Inbox Zero

Remember when you were little and asking questions was easy? You weren’t expected to know everything, and everyone understood that you would need help sometimes. Yet now that you’re a parent helping your own kids, asking for help yourself seems so much harder—even when you feel just as lost and in need of guidance as you did all those years ago.

“At a young age, you asked incredibly hard questions without fear or hesitation, and with conviction,” writes Laura Fredericks in her book Hard Asks Made Easy: How to Get Exactly What You Want. “The ask has always been in you.” Figuring out how to unlock “the ask” as an adult can be surprisingly challenging, but doing so pays dividends.

Fredricks’ tips for asking are applicable to big asks like talking to an employer about needing more flexible hours, or asks that just feel big, like approaching a parent acquaintance for a favor. And any parenting situation that overwhelms you is an opportunity to ask for help, whether it’s from your partner, your children, family members, or other members of the community. Here’s how to ask for help as an overwhelmed parent.

There are four types of “askers”

Fredericks identifies four types of “askers.” You can take her quiz to identify your type here. And figuring that out can help you better ask for help when you need it.

Here’s an overview of advantages, drawbacks, and tips for each type of aske.

The Negotiator

This asker wants everyone to be at ease and is well-prepared with attention to detail. Their style may leave the person they ask feeling too at ease, like the request wasn’t that important after all. This type of asker should try to be more direct, dial back the excessively agreeable nodding and smiling, and address conflict calmly instead of trying to smooth things over.

In practice, that might look like this: The Negotiator might want to tell her employer, “I think we’re on the same page that it’s more efficient for me to work from home while my child is out of school than to use PTO and lose a day to work on the presentation, right?” A more direct approach would be better: “We were talking about how important it is to get the presentation done this week, and I can manage that. I do need some flexibility Thursday, since my daughter will be home from school. Can I work from home Thursday to finish my part, and we can finalize Friday?”

The Empathizer

This asker spends most of their asking time listening and putting themselves in the other person’s position. They may be so other-focused they end up leaving themself (and the importance of their need for help) out of the equation. Empathizers, remember you are asking on behalf of yourself, yes, but also your family group. Try to shift focus away from your empathy for how it will inconvenience the person you’re asking, and toward the people who will benefit from their aid.

For example, the Empathizer needs her husband to pick up the kids while she goes to urgent care for a sudden illness. She can tell right away he’s had a busy day and her empathy gets in the way. She might say, “I can tell you’re so busy at work right now. I hoped you could pick up the kids while I go to the doctor, but maybe it would be easier for me to find an urgent care with later hours so I can go after you get home.” A better approach: “I know you are having a rough day. It’s not great timing, but I really need you to pick up the kids so I can see the doctor and start feeling better. If not, tomorrow might be even harder.”

The Presenter

This asker draws attention, is entertaining and interesting, works on developing relationships, but asks indirectly. In fact, it may not be totally clear they are asking for something. Fredricks suggests speaking 25% of the time and listening 75%. Be careful not to dominate with your personality, and don’t bury your request in a wordy speech.

Here’s an example: The Presenter hits the PTO meeting with waves, smiles, and jokes for everyone. He tells everyone about the Fall Festival plan, how fun it’s going to be, that he is going to judge the pumpkin contest. At the end of the meeting, the volunteer sign up sheet is empty because he failed to emphasize how everyone else’s contribution of time and supplies would be crucial to a successful event. To be more effective, the Presenter could jazz everyone up with his enthusiasm, mention how their individual skills would help with the project, and ask directly for a commitment to volunteer.

The Charmer

This asker captures attention with their words, story, and persuasion. However, they may come off as too direct. Charmers should get to know people with open ended questions, be aware of a too strong or too direct tone (which may seem aggressive), and word requests so they are more personal and less direct.

Here’s an example: The Charmer needs a new babysitter ASAP. At dance class, she tells the other moms an amusing story about her old sitter moving on, last minute tickets to a concert, and her dilemma of finding childcare. She hands each parent a notecard, saying, “Write down names and numbers of your best sitters so I can call everyone tonight!” No big deal, but it feels kind of like a gun-to-your-head situation. Instead, the Charmer could send a polite and simple text to her parent contacts saying, “Hi, long story, but I need a babysitter tomorrow. Is there anyone you would recommend?”

How to ask for help and get the answer you want

• Be prepared. Select the right environment to ask for a favor. Face-to-face might be best for a really personal or emotional request, like asking your partner to help you find the time, money, and energy to see a therapist for burnout; you’ll get lots of body language feedback, but in-person may be hard to schedule for a last-minute request. A phone call is convenient and quick, but lacking in personal connection. A text is direct and simple, but you have to be very conscious of your tone; use text for quick requests from people you know well, like asking a friend if you can borrow their backyard movie screen for the weekend.

• Be personal. Be aware of the interests, motivations, and lifestyle of the person you’re asking and how those things could impact their response. For example, if your want your kid’s help to prepare for visitors, emphasize how much fun they are going to have with Aunt Hope. If they help you make the bed, they can arrange an army of stuffed animal to keep her company.

• Be present. During the asking conversation, be sure to really listen to the other person and stay present.

• Format asks in two sentences, and one question. “This will prevent you from over-asking your ask or making your ask too confusing for the person to make a decision,” Fredricks wrote. Try this: Sentence 1: Acknowledge and empathize with the person you are asking for help. Sentence 2: Explain why you need help. Question: Ask how you can solve the need together. For example, “I appreciate you cleaning up the backyard this weekend — it was so hot. I want us to be able to spend more time out there as a family. Would you figure out how to get us some some of those big shades for the patio?”

• Anticipate their responses. For big asks like requesting a raise, think through what they could say and how you would respond to each answer. Fredricks suggests you actually write all this down to build confidence in how you’ll respond.

What to do when the answer is “no”

Fredericks shares three mantras to help you accept a “no.”

• “No” now is not “Never later.”

• “No” now is an invitation to keep in touch with them.

• “No” is an answer, one far better than never receiving a response.

If possible, find out why they said no, so you can know if they are a person you might come to for help at another time. Parenting is a long haul, and there will be more opportunities for people who care about you to help out.

“Finally, if you just cannot find your way to try these responses, or it is just not your style to do so, think of this. You have a definitive answer” Fredricks wrote. “It is worse, far worse, not to receive an answer and go chasing after it with multiple follow-ups, eating away at your time, than to have your answer. They actually did you a favor. They responded.”

More than anything, you need to get comfortable asking for help

Parenthood is often overwhelming, from managing schedules to illness to dealing with emotions and relationships. Thinking you have to do it all by yourself is just an added stressor in the equation.

Sometimes when I’m overwhelmed, just making a list of people I could ask for help is a relief. Start with being brave and confident enough to ask for help, then let people know you are willing to offer help in return, and before you know it, you’re building a whole supportive parenting network.

Source: LifeHacker – How Overwhelmed Parents Can (and Should) Ask for Help

If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for December 22, 2023 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. I lucked out with today’s puzzle and got it in two! Beware, there are spoilers below for December 22, Wordle #916! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game.

How to play Wordle

Wordle lives here on the New York Times website. A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight, your local time.

Start by guessing a five-letter word. The letters of the word will turn green if they’re correct, yellow if you have the right letter in the wrong place, or gray if the letter isn’t in the day’s secret word at all. For more, check out our guide to playing Wordle here, and my strategy guide here for more advanced tips. (We also have more information at the bottom of this post, after the hints and answers.)

Ready for the hints? Let’s go!

Does today’s Wordle have any unusual letters?

We’ll define common letters as those that appear in the old typesetters’ phrase ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Memorize this! Pronounce it “Edwin Shirdloo,” like a name, and pretend he’s a friend of yours.)

Four of them are in our mnemonic, and the remaining letter is also fairly common. 

Can you give me a hint for today’s Wordle?

If you’ve been reading my hints, you’ll know this as my trusty second starter word, the one I almost always play after ARISE.

Does today’s Wordle have any double or repeated letters?

Nope, five different letters today. 

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

There are two vowels in today’s word.

What letter does today’s Wordle start with?

Today’s word starts with T.

What letter does today’s Wordle end with?

Today’s word ends with H.

What is the solution to today’s Wordle?

Ready? Today’s word is TOUCH.

How I solved today’s Wordle

No hits on ARISE, so of course I play my trusty second, TOUCH. Welp, that was a lucky one!

Wordle 916 2/6

⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

A primer on Wordle basics

The idea of Wordle is to guess the day’s secret word. When you first open the Wordle game, you’ll see an empty grid of letters. It’s up to you to make the first move: type in any five-letter word. 

Now, you can use the colors that are revealed to get clues about the word: 

• Green means you correctly guessed a letter, and it’s in the correct position. (For example, if you guess PARTY, and the word is actually PURSE, the P and R will be green.)

• Yellow means the letter is somewhere in the word, but not in the position you guessed it. (For example, if you guessed PARTY, but the word is actually ROAST, the R, A and T will all be yellow.)

• Gray means the letter is not in the solution word at all. (If you guessed PARTY and everything is gray, then the solution cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)

With all that in mind, guess another word, and then another, trying to land on the correct word before you run out of chances. You get six guesses, and then it’s game over.

The best starter words for Wordle

What should you play for that first guess? The best starters tend to contain common letters, to increase the chances of getting yellow and green squares to guide your guessing. (And if you get all grays when guessing common letters, that’s still excellent information to help you rule out possibilities.) There isn’t a single “best” starting word, but the New York Times’s Wordle analysis bot has suggested starting with one of these:

• CRANE

• TRACE

• SLANT

• CRATE

• CARTE

Meanwhile, an MIT analysis found that you’ll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:

• SALET

• REAST

• TRACE

• CRATE

• SLATE

Other good picks might be ARISE or ROUND. Words like ADIEU and AUDIO get more vowels in play, but you could argue that it’s better to start with an emphasis on consonants, using a starter like RENTS or CLAMP. Choose your strategy, and see how it plays out.

How to win at Wordle

We have a few guides to Wordle strategy, which you might like to read over if you’re a serious student of the game. This one covers how to use consonants to your advantage, while this one focuses on a strategy that uses the most common letters. In this advanced guide, we detail a three-pronged approach for fishing for hints while maximizing your chances of winning quickly.

The biggest thing that separates Wordle winners from Wordle losers is that winners use their guesses to gather information about what letters are in the word. If you know that the word must end in -OUND, don’t waste four guesses on MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; combine those consonants and guess MARSH. If the H lights up in yellow, you know the solution.

One more note on strategy: the original Wordle used a list of about 2,300 solution words, but after the game was bought by the NYT, the game now has an editor who hand-picks the solutions. Sometimes they are slightly tricky words that wouldn’t have made the original list, and sometimes they are topical. For example, FEAST was the solution one Thanksgiving. So keep in mind that there may be a theme.

Wordle alternatives

If you can’t get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, the best Wordle alternatives, ranked by difficulty, include:

• Wheeldle, which lets you play one puzzle after another

• Dordle and Quordle, which ask you to play two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles at the same time, with the same guesses. There is also Octordle, with eight puzzles, and Sedecordle, with 16.

• Waffle, which shows you several five-letter words, scrambled in a grid; you play by swapping the letters around until you solve.

• Absurdle, which changes the solution after each guess, but needs to stay consistent with its previous feedback. You have to strategically back it into a corner until there is only one possible word left; then you guess it, and win.

• Squabble, in which you play Wordle against other people with a timer running. You take damage if you spend too much time between guesses; winner is the last one standing.

• Antiwordle, in which you are trying not to guess the day’s solution. You’re required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.

Source: LifeHacker – Today’s Wordle Hints (and Answer) for Friday, December 22, 2023

Google Nest Minis are the most affordable way to make your home a heck of a lot smarter. First of all, they’re adorable, like pastel M&M’s that can sit or be mounted almost anywhere. And as cute as they are, they’re also powerful little speakers that can interact with you in all sorts of ways—and when you add in the power of Google Home automations, you’ll feel like you’re living in the future.

Google Nest Minis are the cheapest way to get Google Assistant throughout your home

The affordability of the Nest Minis ($49, but often on sale) means you can reasonably deploy a fleet of them throughout your home. For instance, drop a Nest Mini in your bathroom to listen to music in the shower—and even change the song by shouting at the speaker while you’ve got shampoo in your hair. A kitchen Mini can translate cups to tablespoons or remind you what temperature chicken needs to be cooked at. It can even read you a recipe, step by step. A Mini in my office is great for a quick time check, updates about the weather, and what appointments I have coming up. It can even shoot off an SMS, send an email, and make a phone call. Sadly, it cannot call 911, or it would make a great tech replacement for the senior members of your family, but it can make a home so much more accessible overall. (Technically, if you have also bought into Nest Aware, a subscription plan that covers Nest smoke protectors, it will enable emergency services on the Minis, so they can dial e911.) 

Recommended products

The second-generation Nest Mini comes in either chalk (white) or charcoal (black), and retails for about $49:

• Nest Mini (chalk)

• Nest Mini (charcoal)

The rest of the Mini family

There are all kinds of Google Hubs to think about as an alternative if you also want video capability and an even a more powerful speaker. But for now, let’s talk about how to install one of these candy-colored speakers. First of all, Google has a spectacular guided walkthrough you can use, perfect for sharing with your less tech savvy family members. If you’re on your own, follow along below. 

Install the Google Home app

Step one is to get set up with the Google Home app. If you use Android, particularly a Google phone like Pixel, you’ve likely done this already. If not, go ahead and download it for Android or iPhone. You’ll also need the Google app, which is different. 

If you have an Android, make sure it’s running 9.0 or later; on iPhone, make sure it’s at least updated to iOS 15. You’ll need your wifi name and password and a 2.4 wifi connection. (Most people are running both a 2.4 and a 5.0 connection simultaneously.) Lastly, ensure that Bluetooth is turned on within your mobile device. 

The importance of connecting to the right Google account

Lots of people have more than one Gmail account: maybe one for work, one for home. Perhaps you have a Google Workspace account for your domain and also a separate Gmail account. When setting up Google Home, be thoughtful about which account you’re connecting to–it’s particularly important if you use Duo (although I don’t know anyone who does), since you’ll need to connect to that account specifically.  

Connect the Nest Mini to the Google Home app

Unbox your Nest Mini and plug it in, even if it’s not in its final location. If you’re repurposing a Mini that you bought secondhand, you’ll need to factory reset it first. Open the Google Home app on your phone, then set up a home, if you haven’t yet. Tap the button that says Create home and enter a nickname for your home or workplace, wherever the Mini will live. Google will ask for an address, which is important for geolocation services. Google Assistant needs to know where you are in order to provide the right time and weather, for instance. 

Add a device

Tap on the Devices tab and click the plus sign. Now, tap on New device from the list of options.  Google Home will search for this new device, and as long as you’re near the Mini, it should find it. If not, search again. Once it finds the device, click Next. The Mini will make a sound to tell you it’s been found and registered in the app. Continuing following the prompts. 

Now, Google needs to connect the speaker to wifi, so it’ll show you the local networks. Choose the primary network you have in your space that will offer a 2.4 connection. It will ask for the password and then connect the device. You’re almost done! 

Set up Google Nest Mini features

Now comes the fun part: setting up your speaker. To manually adjust the volume, tap the speaker on the right or left side of the speaker. Right for volume up, left for volume down. You can also turn off the voice assistant altogether by toggling the switch on the side. Your Google Home app will walk you through setting up voice match, which is what allows Google to distinguish your voice from everyone else’s. Next, you can set up streaming services for radio, music, video, and TV. Of course, you can easily access controls for your devices in Google Home by talking to your assistant, as well. 

Now that you’re up and running, catapult your home into the future and set up some automations.

Source: LifeHacker – How to Set Up Your First Google Nest Mini

Like other aspects of interior design, different types of flooring go in and out of style. Sometimes the trends coincide with when a newly developed material is mass produced and becomes affordable and widely available—like linoleum in the early 20th century, or synthetic-fiber carpeting in the 1950s. Other times, a popular color or palette might dictate what’s considered fashionable in flooring, like the gray vinyl flooring installed when design shows made the color ubiquitous in the 2000s and 2010s.

But the most popular flooring at a given moment isn’t always the most practical choice for every room in a home. (Two words: Carpeted bathrooms.) Instead, you’re better off considering how the room is used and finding flooring to meet its needs. To make that process easier, I asked three flooring experts to identify the best types of flooring for each room and space in a home. Here are their top picks.

The best types of flooring for each room in your home

A quick caveat before we begin: The flooring experts’ recommendations are based on how the rooms are used, rather than budget or style, and were made with the assumption that you’re installing new flooring, rather than working with what you have.

The best types of flooring for a kitchen

Ceramic or porcelain tile

Both Sean O’Rourke, a 30-year veteran of the flooring industry and the national director of merchandising for Floor Coverings International and Mark Buskuhl—the founder and CEO of Ninebird Properties, a company specializing in buying, renovating, and selling houses in Dallas, Texas—identified ceramic and porcelain as the most durable and long-lasting types of flooring for a kitchen. That’s thanks, in part, to being water resistant.

“They also come in a wide range of colors, patterns, and textures, allowing you to create a customized look for your kitchen,” Buskuhl says.

Vinyl flooring

O’Rourke and Buskuhl also agree that vinyl flooring is the next-best option for kitchens. “LVT—luxury vinyl tile or plank—is waterproof and much less expensive,” O’Rourke says. Plus, as Buskuhl points out, vinyl planks or tiles can mimic the look of other materials—like hardwood or stone—at a lower cost.

The best types of flooring for a bathroom

Ceramic or porcelain tile

O’Rourke and Buskuhl are on the same page again: Ceramic or porcelain floors are also their top pick for bathrooms, for much of the same reasons. According to O’Rourke, it’s “the clear winner” for bathrooms, “due to its practicality, durability, and waterproof capabilities for both floors and walls.”

They’re also hygienic and easy to clean, making them a practical option for a space that is frequently exposed to moisture, Buskuhl notes. Plus, “tile also offers design and color options not found in other flooring types,” he adds.

Vinyl flooring

According to Buskuhl, vinyl flooring is also a great option for bathrooms, as it can withstand high levels of humidity without warping or expanding. “Vinyl planks or tiles can also provide a waterproof barrier, making them ideal for bathrooms with shower stalls,” he explains.

The best types of flooring for a living room

Hardwood

This is O’Rourke’s top choice for living rooms “due to its authentic, natural appearance, durability, and warmth.” He says this is especially true in newer, open-floor-plan homes, where it can be incorporated throughout the kitchen area.

Tile

Tile is another solid choice for many of the same reasons, O’Rourke explains, adding that it’s a popular option in “southern & warmer climates.”

Laminate flooring

Don’t overlook laminate flooring, O’Rourke advises. “Today’s laminate floors are almost indistinguishable from the real thing, and most have water-resistant or waterproof warranties, and are considerably less expensive if your budget doesn’t allow for hardwood or tile,” he notes.

The best types of flooring for a bedroom

Carpet

“Carpet may give the bedroom a more cozy feeling, adding extra warmth through its installation,” Rotem Eylor, the founder and CEO of Republic Flooring tells me. From a practical sense, carpet still rules in bedrooms, O’Rourke says, because of its softness and comfort under foot—especially if it’s installed over a high-quality padding.

Hardwood

Hardwood is O’Rourke and Eylor’s other top pick for bedrooms. “Some people may prefer hardwood for a more clean, classic look, and for easier maintenance,” Eylor explains.

The best types of flooring for a hallway

Hardwood

“You can’t go wrong with hardwood flooring for a hallway,” Eylor says. “It’s a timeless look, and easy to sweep and clean.” Plus, as Buskuhl points out, hardwood’s durability means it can withstand heavy traffic and other wear-and-tear, and both hardwood and engineered wood floors can be refinished if necessary.

Carpet

O’Rourke suggests carpet for bedroom hallways. While it can add warmth and a level of comfort, it may require more maintenance than other types of flooring, and may not be the best choice for high-traffic areas, Buskuhl notes.

Laminate or LVT (luxury vinyl tile)

Laminate flooring or LVT are good options for areas considered “living spaces” and connect adjacent rooms, O’Rourke says. And, as Buskuhl points out, it’s also scratch-resistant and easy to clean.

The best types of flooring for a mud room

Porcelain or ceramic tiles

Like kitchens and bathrooms, porcelain or ceramic tiles are a good choice for mud rooms, according to all three flooring experts.

Natural stone flooring

Slate or granite are also durable and options for a mud room, Buskuhl says.

The best types of flooring for a home office

Almost any flooring type can work in a home office, O’Rourke says. “My choice would be a hardwood floor with a stylish area rug under the seating and desk area,” he says. Laminate, LVT, and cork flooring are all solid options as well.

The best types of flooring for a basement

Vinyl flooring

Waterproof vinyl planking is the best option for basements, according to O’Rourke—especially if there are known moisture issues.

Carpet squares

Carpet squares are another practical and durable option, which is why they’re often used in commercial spaces, O’Rourke explains. “Carpet squares have a moisture-resistant backing and can easily be repaired or replaced due to their portability,” he adds.

Ceramic or porcelain tiles

Like other rooms prone to moisture, ceramic and porcelain tiles also work well in basements, Buskuhl says.

Source: LifeHacker – How to Pick the Right Flooring for Each Room in Your Home

The holiday season often leads even the savviest of spenders to overextend their budgets. Gift giving, parties, traveling, food—it all adds up, especially on top of regular monthly bills. If you feel anxiety brewing about your finances this time of year, take a deep breath: There are specific things you can do to prevent overspending, no matter where you are starting from.

Track every dollar

First, start tracking your spending down to every last dollar. Download a budgeting app or use a spreadsheet. The act alone of having to input and record where your money is going each day makes you more aware of bad habits. Analyze the recent data, looking for those frequent little expenses on things you likely won’t even remember or care about next month.

List must-haves vs. nice-to-haves

Next, make your holiday gift list then divide people into must-have and nice-to have categories. Must-haves should be immediate family and very close friends where you feel obligated. Nice-to-haves are those you’d like to get gifts for if possible. Be honest with yourself about priorities and expectations.

Set firm spending limits

For each must-have person, set a firm limit for spending on gifts, say $50 or $75 max. Having the endpoint caps explicitly stated makes it easier to say no to things in stores that exceed boundaries. For nice-to-have folks, set even lower thresholds, gifting only if you have extra money later.

Try cash-stuffing

The cash-stuffing method, “or envelope system,” helps turn your budgeting into a more visceral, even “gamified” experience: You have different physical envelopes for different categories of expenses, and you stuff each envelope with a budgeted amount of cash for one category (or pay period). The key here is you can only spend money in a certain category (say, groceries or gifts) from its designated envelope. Once the envelope is empty, that’s that until your next paycheck arrives.

Cash-stuffing works because it forces you to be more intentional (deciding how much money gets allocated into each envelope) and more disciplined (you can’t put more money into the envelope once it runs out).

Keep perspective

When you feel yourself getting carried away or tempted by holiday commercialism, pause for perspective. Make a list of things most important for well-being—family, friends, doing meaningful things. No material goods you can buy ultimately provide more lasting joy than those pillars. Keep the holiday season about value, not money-sucking excess. Stay intentional with spending while still embracing the spirit of the season.

Source: LifeHacker – Take These Steps to Spend Less Money Over the Holidays

The convenience and ease of apps like Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Waze—along with GPS devices and built-in navigation systems—have made the once-ubiquitous folding paper maps largely a relic of the past. Most people no longer need their car’s map light to read their road atlas after dark, but it does come in handy in a number of other nighttime situations—as does the dome light. But like other light bulbs, the ones inside map and dome lights don’t last forever.

How to replace an interior light bulb in your car

Growing up, chores in my household included the usual tasks—like cleaning, taking out the garbage, and helping to prepare meals—as well as yard work and some basic car maintenance. Before I turned 15 and started preparing to get my license, my duties were simple: Largely limited to washing and detailing, checking and refilling windshield washer fluid, and replacing interior light bulbs.

It’s been a while since I last replaced a bulb in a map or dome light, so I asked John Lim, a mechanic and the owner of JB Motor Works to walk me through the steps. Before we get started, it’s important to note that these are general instructions and won’t necessarily apply to every vehicle. Also, some vehicles now come equipped with LED bulbs, which are unlikely to burn out while you own the car. As always, when in doubt, check the owner’s manual to find out what you’re working with and what kind of replacement bulb you should buy.

Turn the vehicle off

“Always start by ensuring your car is turned off and the keys are removed from the ignition,” Lim tells me. “This is crucial to prevent any electrical shorts or potential shock.”

Remove the lens cover

According to Lim, the lens covers of map and dome lights usually snap off—even though it may not seem like it at first, because they’re held in place firmly to prevent rattling while driving. “Use a flat-head screwdriver or a trim removal tool, but wrap it in a thin cloth first,” he explains. “This prevents any damage to the surrounding trim or the lens itself.”

Gently insert the tool at the edge of the lens cover and pry it off with a small amount of force.

Remove the old bulb

There’s a good chance the old bulb is held in place by a clip or screwed into a socket. “For a clip, you can gently pull the bulb out,” says Lim. “If it’s in a socket, a counter-clockwise twist should free it.” Either way, he recommends using a cloth or gloves to remove the bulb to prevent potential injury in case the bulb shatters.

Install the new bulb

Double check your replacement bulb to make sure it’s the right type for your vehicle. Then, using a cloth or gloves, insert the bulb into the empty clip; if it’s a socket, twist it clockwise to secure it. In addition to protecting your hands in case the bulb breaks while you’re installing it, Lim recommends using a cloth or gloves to you can avoid touching the bulb with your bare fingers, as “the oils can shorten its lifespan.”

Test the bulb

Before you replace the lens cover, Lim says that it’s important to test the new bulb. “Turn your vehicle on and activate the light,” he says. “If it doesn’t turn on, double check the bulb’s position and ensure it’s properly seated in its socket or clip.”

Replace the lens cover

Once you’ve confirmed that the new bulb works, you can replace the lens cover. “Align it with the housing, and gently press until it clicks into place,” says Lim.

Source: LifeHacker – How to Replace the Interior Light Bulbs in Your Car

If you or someone on your gift list wants to learn a new instrument, you can get Skoove Premium piano lessons on sale for $149.99 right now (reg. $1,198). The app comes with over 400 lessons and thousands of instructional videos from experienced Skoove music instructors, and it also provides real-time feedback so you can improve every step of the way. It was an App Store Editors Choice with 4.5 out of 5 stars, and includes a wide range of music–from fundamental pianists like Bach and Beethoven, to more modern artists like John Legend and Adele. And whenever you are struggling or have doubts, Skoove also comes with one-on-one support options.

The app is compatible with all pianos and keyboards, both USB/MIDI or acoustic, and since there’s obviously no shipping, it can make a great last-minute present.

You can get a lifetime subscription to Skoove Premium piano lessons on sale for $149.99 right now (reg. $1,198), though prices can change at any time.

Take a look in your email’s spam folder, and you’ll find a sea of obvious, pathetic, sometimes hilarious phishing attempts. Occasionally, however, scammers get a bit clever and figure out how to scare you into sharing your most important information.

The latest Instagram phishing scam wants your backup codes

In this latest case, as reported by Trustwave, scammers are impersonating Meta, warning users their accounts are “infringing copyrights.” To make matters worse, they’ll emphasize that if you do not appeal this decision, Meta will delete your account within 12 hours. That’d be pretty awkward if you saw this email the following day, with a perfectly intact Instagram account.

To the trained eye, this initial message may be an obvious scam. While they get the Meta logo right, you might not fall for an intro that reads “Hi! Dear [Your Name],” or a direction that says “Click ‘Go to Form’,” when the button actually reads “Go to appeal form.” Meta also would never delete an account 12 hours after sending a warning email unless you “appeal” the decision first. If you dig deeper, the email address isn’t from Meta: It’s from “contact-helpchannelcopyrights[.]com,” and the URL to the appeal form goes to a Google Notification link, not a Meta URL. Suspicious…

However, many won’t see these red flags, and may click the appeal button as soon as possible to avoid losing their Instagram account. If you do, you’ll be taken to a fake Meta “Violation Status Central Portal,” where you can begin your “appeal.” Once you click through to another site to begin the process, the site asks you for your Instagram username and password (of course). But what the phishers are actually after comes next: They’ll ask if your account has two-factor authentication. If it does (as it should for maximum security), you will be asked to provide one of your backup codes for “protection.”

Let’s take a step back. Two-factor authentication (or 2FA) sends a code to a trusted device whenever you try to log into your account. It’s meant to keep intruders who know your username and password out, and is why you should never share your code with anyone. However, if you don’t have access to your trusted device, some services like Instagram use backup codes. These are pre-established codes that you can use on a one-time basis that act like 2FA. That way, even if you don’t have access to the text message with your 2FA code, you can use a backup code to authenticate yourself.

The scammers want you to provide one of your backup codes, following your username and password, so they can use it all to log into your account on their end. Once they do, they can reset both the password and the codes, locking you out of your account. Again, you should never hand out your 2FA or backup codes to anyone. Only use them when you are directly attempting to log into your account and are prompted to do so.

How to protect yourself from phishing scams

Scammers aren’t going to stop scamming, but you can make it harder for them to succeed. At this point, we should all stop checking our email. But, if you must, follow these general tips:

• Always check the domain of the sender. Often, a scammer will replace their name with the name of the company they’re impersonating (Meta, in this case), but if you click the name in your email app, you’ll see the full domain. It’s likely bogus.

• Be extremely cautious with links in messages. Before clicking, hover your mouse over the link and read the URL preview that appears. If the link is official, it should take you to a familiar domain (something related to Meta or Instagram). If it’s a jumble of nonsense, or a company name that has nothing to do with the email, that’s an issue.

• Be mindful of spelling, grammar, and formatting issues. These billion dollar companies don’t send out emails with mistakes: If the copy is poorly written, or if the formatting seems amateur, that’s because it is. It’s giving “graphic design is my passion.”

• If you do click a link and regret it, just close out of the window. Do not download anything or give any information away. False sites love to ask you to “sign in,” all the while recording your username, password, and other valuable information like your 2FA codes.

• If in doubt, reach out to the sender directly. If “Instagram” wants you to log in, log in from Instagram’s site yourself. If your boss wants you to wire money, call them directly. (Although I promise you, they don’t want you to.)

Source: LifeHacker – Don’t Fall for This Instagram Copyright Infringement Scam

You’ve heard that money doesn’t buy happiness, but you probably haven’t heard of the wealth-happiness nexus. While money alone doesn’t buy happiness, it definitely makes you feel more secure—and can empower you to buy things that facilitate happiness, too. The idea of the wealth-happiness nexus takes things a step further, exploring not only how wealth can or cannot make us happy, but how happiness can positively impact our bottom line.

What is the wealth-happiness nexus?

Lots of research has shown that there’s a link between overall satisfaction and economic growth. While you don’t need a bunch of scientists to tell you that you feel happier when you have a robust checking account, it’s worth considering these conclusions: The relationship, it turns out, is bi-directional, meaning happiness not only comes from economic growth, but can “be an engine” for it, too. Happiness can help you make more money. Again, even on a common-sense level, this makes sense. When you feel happy and like your needs are met, you are less stressed and can get more done. 

What else plays into this nexus?

Having money doesn’t automatically make you happy, of course. Like any emotion, happiness is subjective and depends on all kinds of personal factors within you. Just like there’s research on the link between happiness and money overall, there’s also been research on the little elements at play.

In this research, it wasn’t income that seemed to impact a person’s wellbeing so much as the following two concepts: subjective socioeconomic status and something called “Comsim.” Subjective socioeconomic status is an individual’s perception of their own social and economic standing, which isn’t determined by income, education, or job, but rather that person’s own feelings and beliefs about how they compare to others around them. Comsim is the practice of comparing your current socioeconomic situation with individuals from similar backgrounds, based on the idea that it’s easier to draw comparisons with someone who had the same upbringing you did than it is with your immediate peers. Both of these factors seem to be significant predictors of subjective wellbeing, and if you focus on them too much, you can reduce your own happiness, no matter how much money you actually have.

The objective, then, is to focus more on personal goals, progress, and accomplishments. Avoid comparing yourself to others and instead consider your financial position in a purely personal way. Consider whether you have enough for the budget you’re setting for the new year, not whether you have enough to compete with your childhood best friend. Celebrate any financial gains you make and don’t think about the ones you see other people make. 

To start, assess your finances using a checklist before the year is over, then set a resolution to make more if you want, but also to celebrate your successes and spend money on things you enjoy. Your goal isn’t actually to be rich and happy, but self-satisfied and above the urge to compete with everyone else. There’s the real wealth-happiness nexus.

Source: LifeHacker – How the ‘Wealth-Happiness Nexus’ Could Change the Way You Think About Money

Every year the holiday season seems to get longer. By the time Christmas actually arrives, you’ve heard more than your fair share of Christmas music—it’s practically inescapable. And every holiday playlist looks nearly the same as the next; if you search for “Christmas music” on any platform you’ll get similar results—including a bunch of songs that have become closely associated with the holiday but aren’t actually Christmas songs except by association.

Sometimes these non-Christmas Christmas songs make sense, because their lyrical imagery is all wintry and it’s easy to see the holidays implied within them. But if you pause for a moment to really think about those lyrics, it’s usually pretty obvious what is and isn’t an actual, bona-fide Christmas song. Here are eleven that snuck into the holiday season under false pretenses.

“Winter Wonderland”

If you feel pressured to work even after you’re technically off the clock, you’re not alone. But did you know that people in your situation report that this actually makes them feel less productive overall? It’s counterintuitive but true. Here’s what you need to know about why you should call it a day at the end of the day. 

Working beyond your work hours makes you feel burned out

It’s common sense that if you work too much, you’ll start to feel overwhelmed and burned out, but Slack’s latest survey of about 10,000 desk workers shows how bad it really is out there. Of their respondents, two out of five said they regularly work after hours and 50% of those say it’s because they feel pressured to, not because they choose to. What’s really interesting, though, is that those who feel pressured report 20% less productivity throughout the day, which Slack attributed to a “focus on quantity over quality across many aspects of work.” In other words, when you’re working more than you should be, feeling more stressed about it all and not taking time for yourself, overall work quality can decline, not just the quality of whatever you’re doing in your off time.

The most common reason these workers give for why they work so much is that they don’t have enough time during their day to get their work done. One in four respondents say they spend too much time in meetings and the same amount say they spend too much time focusing on email. 

How to stop working overtime

So, it seems pretty clear that working outside your regular working hours isn’t a great idea for a variety of reasons. But how you do stop? There are a few things you can do to combat these feelings of not having enough time to work, therefore pushing yourself to work beyond your time on the clock. 

First, you need to figure out what you’re doing with all your emails. You have some options for inbox management, like the 4D method of quickly deciding whether you’ll delete, do, delegate, or defer any incoming message, or the LIFO method of going through your inbox at a scheduled time, starting from the top and working down. 

Next, start timeboxing, or scheduling, every little second of your day and making these blocks of time visible on your work calendar. Whichever email management system you choose, make sure you only use it during an allocated time. Try a half hour in the morning and 20 minutes after lunch, then 10 minutes just before you leave for the day. Put these clearly defined boxes in your schedule, plus every other thing you need to do in a day. If you’re having a hard time deciding how long each task will take, spend a week or two tracking your time with an app to figure out exactly how much of a commitment all of your responsibilities require. 

Finally, if you have any say in whether you have meetings or not, try implementing a policy of one day for meetings per week. Research has shown that getting pulled into too many meetings sucks and makes you less productive, so do what you can to minimize the amount you have to be in and consolidate the necessary ones on a single day. Then, do what you can to make the essential meetings actually useful and efficient.

Remember that your productivity needs breaks. Working too much just isn’t good for you, so prioritize getting off work and staying off work. Employ the methods above to get more done during the regular day so you can leave without feeling pressured to do more, then go out and enjoy your off hours.

Source: LifeHacker – Why Working Too Much Might Actually Make You Less Productive

Struggling to find the perfect present for someone picky or who simply seems to have it all? Instead of resorting to boring gift cards, let’s get creative this holiday season. Consider these unique gift ideas for those on your list who are extra difficult to buy for.

Give an experience

Obvious, yet underrated. For the person who buys whatever they want for themselves as soon as they want it, shift your gifting focus to experiences. Book them a cooking class, wine tasting, pottery workshop, concert tickets, or other events you know match their interests. Giving events and activities creates lasting memories compared to more stuff.

Surprise travel

If your budget allows, surprise that frequent jet-setter or travel lover with elements of a trip like plane tickets, hotel bookings, or even full travel packages. Or get creative with travel accessories, like monogrammed luggage tags, organizational packing items, and cozy blankets for the flight.

Products to consider:

• Compact travel blanket for flights, $24.99

• Travel bags to keep your shoes clean, $12.99

• Collapsible water bottle, $7.99

Subscription boxes

For eclectic personalities who enjoy surprises, subscription box services make fantastic ongoing gifts, especially monthly ones that they’ll continue to enjoy in the months following Christmas. There are a ton of different subscription boxes out there that deliver curated items like books, coffee, healthy snacks, or even exotic meats and alcohol. You pay for a recurring shipment for a set period—like 3, 6 or 12 months—in which they’ll receive items tailored to the recipient’s unique tastes. Consider a flower subscription service for the eco-conscious, an Atlas coffee club subscription for the caffeine addicts in your life, or perhaps a snazzy Japanese snack box.

Fancy consumables

Lifehacker’s Alice Bradley got a Murray’s Cheese gift basket this year and “lost [her] dang mind.” Cheese, candles, napkins—think really elevated versions of everyday stuff, like cashmere socks and fancy hand soap. I mean, who doesn’t need a new (or back-up) umbrella? (And when is anyone going to buy an umbrella for more than five bucks, if not for a holiday gift?)

Charitable donations

A charitable donation gifted in someone’s name can be meaningful for do-gooders and people passionate about social causes. You can choose a monetary amount or symbolic adoption of animals or trees through various nonprofit organizations. Print out a custom certificate to give the recipient announcing your donation made in honor of them.

Lifehacker managing editor Meghan Walbert recommends One Simple Wish, an organization that allows you to grant wishes for kids in foster care. Another option is to plant a tree in someone’s name, which you can do here.

And hey—if they’re a stinker about a charitable gift, then they should reflect on why they’re so hard to buy gifts for in the first place. But hopefully, with a little extra thoughtfulness and creativity, you can make even the pickiest on your holiday shopping nice list light up.

Source: LifeHacker – The Best Gifts for the Person Who Has Everything

You can get a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac on sale for $29.97 right now (reg. $229) or Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows on sale for $29.97 right now (reg. $229).​​ These Microsoft Office software suites are the 2019 versions but still have the same basic functionalities as the newer ones, but for a lower price. Both versions include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote—and Windows users also get Publisher and Access.

You can get Microsoft Office Home & Business or Microsoft Office Professional Plus on sale until December 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT, though prices can change at any time:

• Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac, on sale for $29.97 (reg. $229)

• Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows on sale for $29.97 (reg. $229)

Source: LifeHacker – You Can Get Microsoft Office Professional Plus for Right Now

Have you ever noticed iridescent rainbow stains on your driveway after it’s rained? What you’re seeing is the thin film interference principle at work, and a sign that someone’s car is leaking. But before you can address the root cause of the dripping, you need to figure out where it’s coming from, and what it is. One of the simplest ways to do that involves a large piece of cardboard and some detective work. I enlisted the help of two mechanics—Jason Farrell, an ASE certified master technician and the editor of Mechanic’s Diary and John Lim, a mechanic and the owner of JB Motor Works—who walked me through the steps of the cardboard test, and how to identify the leaking fluid.

How to use cardboard to identify car leaks

While the cardboard test is pretty straightforward, here are a few things to know that will help you get the most out of the process.

The set-up

Here’s what to do:

1. Park: When you’ve finished driving for the day, “try to park on a flat surface to prevent the fluids from running off the cardboard,” says Lim.

2. Wait: As a safety precaution, Farrell recommends waiting for the engine to cool down before getting started.

3. Put down the paper: Place a large, light-colored piece of cardboard underneath the car. “Make sure the cardboard extends beyond the width of your vehicle,” Lim tells me. “If possible, use a large piece that can cover the area from the front bumper to the back.” Farrell recommends using using heavyweight cardboard.

   Most people aren’t going to have car-sized pieces of white cardboard sitting around, so you may need to improvise. You could:

   -Tape several pieces of cardboard together—placing the tape on the underside only, if possible.

   -Glue or tape pieces of white paper on top of the cardboard.

   -Use white butcher paper (the kind that comes in a roll) and tape or weigh down the perimeter so it stays in place.

   -Use a light-colored tarp or old sheet.

4. Wait some more: Leave everything in place overnight.

The identification

Check the cardboard (or sheet, or butcher paper, etc.) the following day. “The stained cardboard tells quite a story,” says Farrell. More specifically, it will provide two pieces of information: what fluid is leaking, and where it’s leaking from.

It’s usually easier to try to identify the source of the leak first, while the cardboard is still in place.

“You need to trace the drips or stains on the cardboard back to the car,” Lim explains. “The position of the stain on the cardboard should give you a rough idea of where to start looking. However, keep in mind that fluids can drip off one part, hit another, and then fall to the ground, so the leak may not be directly above the stain.”

Farrell suggests using a flashlight to illuminate the undercarriage while tracing the leaks, and taking photos of the position and patterns of the stains while the cardboard is still under the car, and once it’s out.

Once you pull the cardboard or sheet out from under the car, it’s time to take a closer look at the stains.

The fluids

“When reviewing cardboard stains, location, color, smell, and consistency all provide clues to the source,” Farrell explains. “For example, oily spots dripping straight down likely come from the oil pan or filter areas. Greenish liquid pooling near the front signals coolant from the radiator, hoses, or water pump. Brake fluid may eat through the cardboard, indicating a leak higher up around calipers or brake lines.”

Here are some other tips for identifying various fluids from Farrell and Lim:

• Engine oil generally appears dark brown or black, feels slick, and burns the nose.

• Transmission fluid is usually red or green and slippery.

• Coolant can be pink, green, or yellow, feels slimy, and smells sweet.

• Power steering fluid is clear to light brown, and has a burnt-marshmallow smell.

• Brake fluid is clear to light brown, and feels oily but not slick.

If it looks like you have multiple leaks, Farrell recommends troubleshooting in order of difficulty. “Always start with the simplest leak possibilities before digging deeper, in case it’s an easy fix,” he says. “Catching problems early by ‘reading’ that cardboard could prevent thousands in repair bills down the road.”

Source: LifeHacker – The Easiest Way to Figure Out Which Part of Your Car Is Leaking