Modern Simple Living

Gear · Multitools Leatherman vs. Swiss Army Knives Two different multitool philosophies — and why one always ends up in the pocket Table of Contents ① Cutting: The SAK Advantage ② Pliers: Where Leatherman Leads ③ Carryability ④ Shelf Tool vs. Everyday Tool ⑤ Final Thoughts Section I Cutting: The Swiss Army Knife Advantage During a November trip, I found myself thinking about why, despite owning several Leatherman tools over the years, I always end up carrying a Swiss Army Knife. SAKs are built around the blade, and the Trekker is a perfect example of that design philosophy. It handled every cutting task I threw at it — slicing small logs, feathering wood, cutting cord — with an ease that felt natural and intuitive. Light, quick to open, and optimized for real-world cutting, the Trekker highlights why SAKs excel when...

Travel · Road Trip · Oklahoma City Thanksgiving Road Trip: Camping, Bricktown, and a Smooth Cruise up I-35 From a Yellowstone cabin in the Texas woods to OKC's canal-side warehouse district — a holiday well spent ~200 mi DFW to OKC 26.3 mpg Highlander Avg. $140/nt Renaissance Hotel Table of Contents ① Adventure Creek Ranch ② Lido Restaurant, OKC ③ Renaissance Hotel ④ Bricktown River Walk ⑤ Bricktown Brewery ⑥ The Road Trip Section I · Forestburg, TX Adventure Creek Ranch I kicked off Thanksgiving break with a much-needed escape into the outdoors near Forestburg, Texas, at Adventure Creek Ranch. They have some incredibly creative cabins — everything from Star Wars themes to Hobbit-style hideaways. I spent two nights in their Y...

Tech · Digital Habits Smartphone vs. Laptop: Why I'm Rebalancing My Digital Life Breaking the comfort loop — and rediscovering what a bigger screen actually changes 6–8 hrs Daily Phone Use 10+ yrs Laptops Still Working 1 habit Worth Changing Table of Contents ① The Smartphone's Everyday Appeal ② Where Laptops Still Lead ③ Using My Laptop More Again ④ Relearning Better Habits ⑤ Finding the Right Balance Section I The Everyday Appeal of Smartphones Smartphones have an undeniable advantage: instant convenience. They're always with us, instantly on, and built around a touchscreen interface that feels fast, intuitive, and effortless. Even though laptops now include touchscreens, the experience still doesn't match the responsi...

Wine Review Costco Wine Haul for the 2025 Holiday Season Getting Ready for the Holidays 4 Bottles Reviewed $7-$30 Price Range 3 Bulk Buys 4 Holidays Table of Contents ① Prepping for the Holidays: My Costco Wine Strategy ② The 2025 Holiday Wine Picks ③ What’s Next: Hunting for More Value Section I Prepping for the Holidays: My Costco Wine Strategy I stocked up on a few wines from Costco for the 2025 holiday season—something for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. I love GSM blends from Côtes du Rhône, so I was drawn to the Bordeaux and Priorat options. Costco’s European wines continue to deliver great value compared to California bottles, though Paso Robles is catching up. I’m still not ready to spend $80–100 on Napa Cabs, so the $20–40 range at Costco is perfect. I’ve tried three of the four wines so far, saving the Priorat for Christmas.   Section II The 2025 Holiday Wine Picks Bordeaux Selections → 2019 Reignac — This one blew me away. It had everything I lo...

Food & Restaurant Reviews ★ ★ ★ Texas Roadhouse Bone-In Ribeye Their Best Steak $30.99 Menu Price 20 oz Cut Size Rib Primal Cut I recently tried the bone-in ribeye at Texas Roadhouse after years of ordering their regular steaks — and now I wish I had discovered it sooner. The flavor and juiciness are on another level. The bone helps keep the steak tender and adds that rich, steakhouse taste I usually only find at higher-end places. If you usually stick with the sirloin or boneless ribeye, do yourself a favor and try the bone-in next time — it's the best steak Texas Roadhouse serves. The Steak Why the Bone-In Wins → Flavor & juiciness — noticeably richer than the boneless cuts; the bone adds depth → Tenderness — the bone helps retain heat and m...