When we last rounded up our staff’s Weekly Upgrades, our editors were embracing our caffeine addictions, trying our hand at meal kits, making the most of work-related travel, and improving the contents of our inboxes.
This week, we’re tweaking our workout techniques, finally buying life-changing gadgets, and discovering the pure joy of life with a bidet.
What upgrades did you make this week? Let us know in the comments.
Conquer a new fitness challenge
I learned how to climb a rope! I’ve struggled with this before, but what made the difference this time was the coach sat down on a box to demonstrate how you wrap the rope around your feet, and then had me sit on the box to practise. It was so much easier to understand what was going on! I climbed to the ceiling a half dozen times that day. Pro tip: Wear socks that cover your ankles to avoid rope burn on the way down.
Beth Skwarecki, Health Editor
End your dependence on toilet paper
I got a bidet. I think we’ve covered why bidets are good pretty extensively on this site. I can confirm the rumours are true.
Claire Lower, Food & Beverage Editor
Stop suffering from dry air
This week, I decided to try upgrading my nighttime routine with a humidifier. I learned two things: One, always check a product’s dimensions before purchasing it online. (I foolishly assumed the humidifier was going to be on the small side, like most others I’ve ever seen. It is actually the M1A1 tank of humidifiers.) Two, where have you been all my life, humidifier? I woke up without any annoying dryness in my mouth or throat for the first time in a while. Feeling great!
David Murphy, Senior Tech Editor
Slowly cut down on your coffee habit
I have a severe dependence on coffee. It isn’t that I simply love coffee, but I crave it constantly. In the morning, after every meal, and with the 4PM pick-me-up I end up drinking coffee all day long. This is clearly not healthy, but I can’t quit cold turkey. What I decided to try this week is replacing my regular coffee order with a dirty chai latte (a regular chai latte with a shot of espresso.) It’s kept me more focused, satisfied my cravings, and cut down on my trips to the restroom.
Adam Powers, Video Producer
Be the best dungeon master you can be
I’ve played RPGs for years, but I always just used a PDF the dungeon master handed out. Now I’m DMing a game of my own and buying the physical books (and a DM screen!) for the first time. Feels very adult and responsible.
Nick Douglas, Staff Writer
Protect yourself from workout-related injuries
I finally overcame my youthful hubris and got insoles for my running shoes, and I am tempted to get some for every pair of shoes I own because they feel great. Between that and a new knee brace, I’m in much less pain post-run.
Alicia Adamczyk, Staff Writer
Add more kitchen gadgets to your life
I know I should be trying to pare down the number of doo-dads I have in my kitchen, but frankly, that’s just not how I live my life. This week I added yet another tool to the arsenal, in the form of a re-fillable olive oil mister. I tend to use way too heavy a pour when I’m adding olive oil to a pan or to a bunch of soon-to-be-roasted veggies, which ruins whatever I’m eating. Now that I have the mister, I’ve been able to control my oil-ing much better, and add on just a bit at a time until things are just right. Everything I’ve made tastes better, and less heavy. A very worthwhile purchase if I do say so myself.
Virginia K. Smith, Managing Editor
Give your battery life a boost
After my phone died at 60 per cent this week, I finally decided to replace my battery. I have an iPhone 6 so I was eligible for a $80 discount, meaning I only paid $39! I’d been putting off doing this for months and can’t wait to have a phone that doesn’t go from 100 per cent to 10 per cent because I want to scroll through Twitter during my commute.
Emily Lipstein, Social Media Editor
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