Fun Five is a monthly email I send out on the 5th. Each edition is a short list of five things I’ve been enjoying lately. Things like inspiration, design, music, food, small curiosities, and more.
April is officially here, and living in Montreal, there is nothing quite like the feeling of the city finally waking up from a long winter. With the days getting longer and the snow finally clearing out, I've been focusing on getting outside more and finding ways to quiet the noise online. Here is what I found for this month.
1. Remove ads on Instagram and Pinterest on your iPhone
I can't believe it took me this long to realize you can actually use an ad blocker on your iPhone. I was getting really fed up with constantly seeing ads anytime I scrolled social media for inspiration, and that is when I stumbled upon the uBlock Origin Lite app. The only catch is that it only works with Safari. But all you need to do is set up a shortcut using the Shortcuts app that links to the web version of Instagram, Pinterest, or whichever social platform you want to remove ads from. Add that shortcut to your home screen and voila: ad-free Instagram and Pinterest.
2. Hide YouTube Shorts and recommended videos
I wanted to find a way to stop pesky YouTube Shorts from appearing on my computer while I was browsing my home feed or subscriptions. I found the Unhook Chrome extension and it works perfectly. It hides the shorts section, the recommended sidebar, and pretty much anything else that distracts you from what you actually logged on to watch.
3. Neighbourhood photo walks
With the weather finally turning around, I'm trying to make a habit of taking my camera with me everywhere I go. It's been really nice having it with me on simple walks around the neighbourhood with my partner. It is so easy to fall into the trap of only taking photos on big trips or special occasions. Forcing ourselves to look for interesting light and compositions right in our own city has been a great creative exercise and a really nice excuse to just get outside more.
4. The joy of bar trivia
I went to my first trivia night at a bar last Sunday and I had the best time. If you've never been, look up bar trivia in your city and I'm sure you'll find a number of them. They usually post about it on Facebook or Instagram. A good host will keep the evening fun and you'll likely leave with a prize, learn a few fun facts, or realize you might not know as much as you thought you did.
5. Ten thousand miles
I came across this proverb recently: "It is better to travel ten thousand miles than read ten thousand books." It's a great reminder to get out there and go experience things. Talk to strangers. Make memories that will last a lifetime.
Thanks for reading the Fun Five. If there’s something you’ve been really into lately, feel free to reach out and share it!
P.S. Here is one of those neighbourhood shots I mentioned earlier.
