Related Recs

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Traveler’s notebook

I have tried many a notebook, and what drives me crazy is the mish mash of daily lists, journal entries, and random plans/quotes/poem drafts. The separation gives me a peace of mind. The accesories are, unfortunately, very fun. Huge tip, use large, bendy paper clips to make this or, frankly, any notebook lay flat.

@jonjonkim

Oct 9, 2024

⭐

The midori traveller’s notebook

It makes me feel clever, important and sexy

@hollyf

Feb 6, 2024

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still evaluating

i’m still in my evaluation phase of a handful of different journals and paper types… in general, i think i’m a fan of most notebooks that have tomoe river paper, because it works so nicely with my fountain pens, but some specifics: - maruman mnemosyne spiral bound: i am using these in lined a4 or a5 format for my morning journals. good daily driver, bleeds a little if you’re overly aggressive. - apica premium CD: i am currently using one in memo size to jot down notes, ideas, and first drafts for a writing project i’m working on. i have a larger format that i’m planning to use for practicing drawing with fineliner pens, but i haven’t actually done that yet, so i’m not sure how well they go together. paper is SUPER silky and smooth, resistant to bleeding, but the smoothness makes it feels quite a bit different from most other kinds of paper. (ed. note: the above two were taken from Wirecutter’s article on the best notebooks and notepads) - traveler’s company: these are not really notebooks themselves, but sort of a system for customizing and evolving your own little custom notebook. you buy a leather cover, which comes with one notebook “refill,” and then you typically will either buy more to stuff in all at once, or to replace your refills as they fill up. it’s a very neat little way to have a nice notebook with some flexible paper choices and cute accessories! these use Midori MD paper, which is very solid, but there are a lot of different varieties you can get, so it’s worth exploring. i would argue the neatest thing about this choice is its modularity, which lets you e.g. explore Etsy listings for custom refills and accessories!

@sloane_shark

Oct 9, 2024

Top Recs from @salad_valet

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Breaking free from spotify

i canceled my Spotify account over the summer and have spent the last few months rebuilding my digital music library on a refurbished iPod Touch. reading critiques of the app (and it’s enshittification), i realized i wasn’t even sure of my own musical tastes and preferences. i had stopped picking for myself, stopped seeking out new music, ceasing to know how to choose what i wanted or articulate what i like. breaking free from the algorithm has been such a joy! i’m borrowing gobs of music from the library, rebuilding my old playlists, and consuming more music than i have in years. and better yet, my data isn’t being tracked by Spotify and i own what’s in my personal library. further, my receptors are more open when i’m out in the world exposed to music, searching for recommendations in an organic way.

@salad_valet

Jan 16, 2025

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The anti-capitalist nature of pi.fyi

i’ve been trying to articulate why i enjoy this space so much. yes, the UX is reminiscent of Tumblr and the early days of the internet. and there’s genuine sincerity and vulnerability on here that makes it feel really cozy and real, which i haven’t felt online in at least a decade. but i think what’s undergirding my love of this space is how anti-capitalist it feels. most of the recs everyone shares are vibe-checks, quality of life shifts, meditations and offers, music and movies, just plain good art. i don’t feel compelled to buy anything when i come here. i feel excited and pumped to be a cheerleader, find connection, find common ground. and FWIW the recs i’ve shared that have gotten the most traction are my suggestions for leading a less capitalistic / consumerist life (quitting Amazon, getting off of Spotify, building community to take care of you and your things). all of this is to say, i love it here and i love you guys.

@salad_valet

Feb 7, 2025

🛒

Quitting amazon

hear me out—this one might feel impossible, but i quit purchasing items on Amazon in 2018 and cancelled my GoodReads account shortly after. i did some serious reflection and realized i’d become super reliant upon, and frankly, quite used to the instant gratification of purchasing something and knowing i’d have it within a day. that’s not normal. the labor practices, economics, and environmental impacts of getting what you want from the internet delivered quickly and right to your door are skewed. i was filling a void in myself with mindless purchases. i’m aware that they service a huge swath of the internet (Amazon Web Services), own Whole Foods and Abe Books, and will likely take over more businesses we like and rely on. weaning off and avoiding entirely is very very hard, but it can also be a measured decision. that said, i know that it is a privilege to abstain from Amazon. i am able bodied, i don’t have kids, i have access to a car, i live in an urban environment with access to a lot of stuff at my fingertips. but making the choice to break out of the Amazon loop has ultimately been better for my pocketbook and better for my relationship to these mega-tech-companies that have their fingers in everything. in contrast, i’m becoming more interested in alternate economies, like bartering and sharing. i love the idea of having commonly shared tools and items (tool libraries are very cool). we don’t need to own it all, we have each other. interested in exploring more? the zine pictured below is a great start, and summarizes a much larger book by the same author on how to resist the leviathan that is Amazon.

@salad_valet

Jan 22, 2025