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.
May is finally here, and it feels like Montreal is actually waking up. The weather is warming up and the city is buzzing with excitement as the Habs move on to the second round of the playoffs. With the shift in seasons, I've found a few new things that have been keeping me inspired and entertained while getting some new prints and paintings up on our shop. Here is what I found for this month.
1. Treating your week like a 7 game series
Sometimes getting through the week feels like an uphill battle, but I recently came across this short Instagram reel about weekly mindsets that really shifted my perspective. The creator compares your week to a seven game playoff series where you only need to win four days to "advance" and win the week. It takes the pressure off having a perfect schedule and makes dealing with a bad Monday so much more manageable. It feels extra relevant and easy to connect with since the NBA and NHL playoffs are happening right now.
2. A masterclass in small space apartment design
I always enjoy seeing how people organize and decorate their homes, and this Strasbourg architect apartment tour is a great watch. More than just looking at a nice layout, I really loved hearing him describe the reasoning and intention behind his design decisions. He absolutely nails how to make a small space work by being thoughtful about every single detail. It is also great to see the sense of personality and style he brings to the place, whether it is through the art he has on display or the cool DIY Mikado shelf he built for his bedroom.
3. A better way to negotiate
I really love the editing style of this video from the Speeed YouTube channel that popped up in my feed this month. They take seven lessons about negotiating from the famous book "Getting to Yes" and pair them with simple, memorable examples. It is an entertaining and practical watch if you want to learn how to get what you want out of a conversation without feeling sleazy about it.
4. A realistic guide to eating less sugar
I'm always looking for ways to optimize my meals, and this video about cutting out sugar by Flourished Hope really caught my eye. She doesn't preach about going cold turkey. Instead, she shares some very reasonable strategies, like enforcing a 5 minute delay when a craving hits and only eating desserts that meet a super high standard. It feels like a very realistic approach to cutting down and an easy mindset shift.
5. Movie of the year?
I recently saw the Project Hail Mary movie in theatres and absolutely loved it. I enjoyed it so much that I'm now listening to the audiobook, especially since everyone says the book is somehow even better than the film. I'm excited to see if I feel the same having seen the movie first. If you're into sci-fi at all, you need to check it out.
Thanks for reading the Fun Five. If there’s something you’ve been really into lately, feel free to reach out and share it! Before you go, don't forget to take a look at the latest artworks we just put up for sale. As a Taurus myself, I may be biased, but I think my favourite piece we just released is the one we named "Toro".
P.S. Remember those neighbourhood walks I mentioned in the April Edition? Here is my favourite shot my girlfriend snapped on a recent stroll.
