CodeMacLife

Time to pause

I’m taking a real break from social media. Not a “see you next week” kind of break but a longer pause (maybe even up to a year). I’ve been thinking about it for a while and I’m finally choosing to step back and give myself space to breathe. The division and politics doesn’t help with the matter. Social media can be useful. For me, it is pulling my attention in too many directions. Even when I’m not posting, it’s easy to stay mentally plugged in — scrolling, checking and reacting to things not relevant. I don’t want to live in...

March 14th, 2026 mindfulness

The Weekly Review 09-2026

The Weekly Scribble“"When you doubt, abstain." - Ambrose Bierce” Moving to iA Writer for bloggingIt wasn’t too long ago I said I was using the Bear notes app for blogging. It’s true - I was. Since then, I have looked closely at what I want and the simplicity that goes with it. iA Writer has the minimalist writing experience I appreciate greatly. All the additional writing tools that go with the writing tool as well as wikilinks make the app perfect for what I want. It is a fabulous tool to use, especially the focus mode. Not only is iA Writer...

March 5th, 2026 The Weekly Review

The Weekly Review 08-26

The Weekly Scribble “If you focus on the hurt, you will continue to suffer. If you focus on the lesson, you will continue to grow.” My Apple Store experience Finally! I got my iPhone 15 back after many months without. The unpleasant part was the £289.00 charge on collection. The screen needed replacing after I had smashed it. In my last weekly review, I mentioned I had an unfortunate accident with my phone. Well, now I have the phone back and it feels like getting a new phone altogether. I knew the iPhone 11 wasn’t the fastest phone but I...

February 25th, 2026 The Weekly Review

Maybe I should create a book list?

I was thinking the other day - maybe I should create a list of books I have read with links to notes I have made on them? A review of the books wouldn't be necessary because reviews can be subjective. I once had the notes in an expensive note-taking software. The problem I have is the feeling of being stuck with an app (and subscription) I am not getting the most out of. Surely, a publicly accessible page is better suited for my needs. Also, anyone else can read the notes. Share is caring, after all.

February 22nd, 2026 Scribble

Apple TV shows so far

Loot and Severance are my favourite series on Apple TV. The Morning Show is up there, too. However, the latest season has lost its shine. Ted Lasso is truly amazing. The Studio surprised me - I didn't know if I liked it at first but then I became obsessed with it. Murder Bot is truly a diamond in the rough. I would definitely recommend watching it. I loved the first season of Plur1bus and I am curious to where it is going to go. I have a dedicated list of what I am have watched, watching and want to watch...

February 22nd, 2026 Scribble

Will I ever set up self-hosting?

Still on my SOMEDAY list within Apple Reminders is ‘Learn how to self-host’. I think the original idea was to keep my data self-hosted, so I wasn’t relying on others, especially Big Tech, but I never got round to it. I read a few articles and a handful of videos, which put me off the process. I’m not interested in self-hosting email.

February 21st, 2026 Scribble

Update - Tools page

I've updated my list of digital tools I use on a daily basis. It should come as no surprise that most of them are made by Apple. Apart from NordPass, all other third-party tools were one-off payments. I wanted to curate a list of tools that did not incur repeated costs. View the tools page here or click on the tools tab at the top of my blog.

February 20th, 2026 Scribble

A Simple Setup

I am not sure if I could replace my current office setup right now. I was thinking of getting a Mac Mini with a 32" OLED screen. It's tempting but I love the simplicity I have right now with my humble MacBook Air M1.

February 18th, 2026 journal

The Weekly Review 07-26

The Weekly Scribble “Always remember, your focus determines your reality." - George Lucas” Boring Phone Even with an iPhone 11, I can see the benefits of using the native Apple apps to preserve the battery life and maintain simplicity. My minimalistic and colourless approach to my phone has enabled me to use it less. One habit I had to work on for the past two months was avoiding Apple Safari to casually browse the internet and watch YouTube videos. The apps I use the most are on my home screen. Everything else can be accessed by swiping down and manually...

February 18th, 2026 The Weekly Review

Digital Declutter

I spent the day going through my files, photos and applications on my MacBook. By the end of the day, I had wiped my MacBook clean and only installed the software I need. Not surprisingly, I mostly use the default apps within the Apple ecosystem. The four additional applications installed were Wipr, SideNotes, NordPass and Awesome Habits.

February 17th, 2026 journal

X is a toxic place with AI junk

Saw it. Read it. Deleted it. Enough with low value 'social media' if you can call it that.

February 16th, 2026 Scribble

The Weekly Review 06-26

The Weekly Scribble “"Writing something down should be as simple as having a thought." - Tiago Forte. ” I should have posted two weeks ago but life and work got in the way. So, here’s what has been going on and what changes I have made during the fortnight away. Simplifying my app stack I have phases I go through and most of them are reactive. With the pressures of work and home life getting the best of me, I decided to review what challenges I was facing. As suspected, I had slipped into a trap of looking for the next...

February 10th, 2026 The Weekly Review

The Weekly Review 05-26

The Weekly Scribble ““Sticking to good habits can be hard work, and mistakes are part of the progress. Don’t declare failure simply because you messed up or because you’re having trouble reaching your goals. Instead, use your mistakes as opportunities to grow stronger and become better.” - Amy Morin” The theme this week is mostly around habits and setting goals. It is not about ‘new year, new me’ but a reflection on approaching habits differently. I’m the worst for maintaining intentions. However, keeping it simple this year gives me great optimism. Alas! Bear for blogging I've recently transitioned to using...

January 31st, 2026 The Weekly Review

The Weekly Review 04-26

The Weekly Scribble“Time is a limited commodity. That's why it it so important to make the most of every moment. - Holly Reisem Hanna ” Talking about time. I've had very little of it to sit down and write, hence the late post this week. Even with my best intentions and structured timetable, many additional tasks and deadlines were thrown at me. This week is shorter for this reason. I believe a Sunday post would be more suitable and realistic with the work commitments I have right now. Finding the right markdown writing app This week, I've been on the quest...

January 25th, 2026 The Weekly Review

The Weekly Review 03-26

The Weekly Scribble “The quieter you become the more you can hear. - Ram Dass” Understanding Zettelkasten better I’ve recently been diving deep into the Zettelkasten method—a German concept that translates to 'slip box'—and it’s slowly changing how I think about organising my life. At its core, this system is about more than just filing away information; it’s a framework for learning and understanding that relies on three specific types of notes: fleeting, literature, and permanent notes. I will write more about these three types of notes in greater detail once I understand the difference. Looking at my current habits,...

January 17th, 2026 The Weekly Review