Stephanie Pederson

"A 2015 study at the University of London found that participants who multitasked during cognitive tasks experienced declines in IQ scores that were similar to what they'd expect if they had smoked marijuana or stayed up all night. IQ drops of 15 points for multitasking men lowered their scores to the average range of an eight-year-old child." (p. 140)

"Do something about all those cords and chargers. Nothing clutters the look of a room like a tangle of cords and power strips. Run cords through the wall, use a cord management system, or mount power strips to the underside of bookshelves, side tables, cabinetry, and sofas." (p. 47, emphasis added)

"While hygge cannot be described in a single English word, it can be explained in several. Hygge is experiencing quiet joy in any given moment. It is the complete absence of anything annoying or emotionally overwhelming. It is taking pleasure from the things around you. Like the Danes themselves, hygge is a practical word, one that encourages you to create beauty in your daily interactions, objects, and activities. It is the Danish ability to spin the functional into an almost spiritual experience. It is the magic of turning any situation into a moment of coziness." (p. xv)

--American Cozy: Hygge-inspired ways to create comfort and happiness (2018)

Jada Yuan

For many, the 52 Places  traveler position is a dream job. For Jada, that dream, while not always totally dreamy, is a daily reality. And in that reality, you sometimes land in a hotel where there is ice cream for breakfast. Some readers had a few things to say about ice cream. In Cincinnati, the consensus was clear: go to Graeter's. And get the blackberry chip—in a pretzel cone. And when someone suggests a chocolate factory, never, ever, say no.

New York Times, Travel section, p. 5, January 6, 2019.