The Weekly Wrap: April 5, 2026

Our neighborhood is in full bloom. Some of the plants I know. Most of them, I don't. This week, while on the way to school, the kiddo stopped to ask about a random flower growing in someone's yard. Instead of guessing, I pulled out iNaturalist. I recently downloaded it and we figured we'd find out together. 

After I dropped her off, I logged a few more blooms on my way back home. I also uploaded a picture of a coyote (!!) we saw on our walk to school earlier in the week. That sighting was eventually "confirmed" by another user of the app. When I got the email notification, I ended up exploring some of the community features of the program.

What I hope is that, this first week of use, becomes the start of something bigger.

I’d love for our walks - whether it’s to school or along our local trails - to turn into little explorations. Not in a big, over-planned way, just in a “let’s see what we notice today” kind of way. Maybe we start keeping track of the things we find. Maybe we try to identify a few new plants each week. Maybe we just get a little more curious together.

I like the idea of having something that gently nudges us to pay attention. To stop when we see something interesting. And, maybe, to follow those small questions to learning more together at the library.

And, I'm hoping this gets us (really, me) outside more.

This app feels like a way to connect with nature, our neighborhood, and each other. And if it helps us slow down and wonder at a few more flowers along the way, that's all the better.

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• I'm adding a bunch of these to my reading list. [the spark]
• Probably will be downloading this app before my next flight. [INC - may be paywalled]
• Another AI is increasing costs for everybody. [The Atlantic - gift link]
• AI chat bots can easily turn into your worst coworker. [Northeastern Global News]

• I used to send a lot of snail mail. This might get me to pick it back up. [Life Kit]
• A close analysis of "Duel of the Fates." [The Soundtrack Show]
• Tasting honey. [Atlas Obscura]

• I added Mercy to our watch list back when the first trailer came out. A real-time crime mystery told through some interesting techniques was too good to pass up. Sadly, the story of this movie is a little too on the nose. AI tech is problematic! People will cheat and lie! Drugs bad! Also, it's not Chris Pratt's best work. He comes across as wooden and flat... and it's not a character choice. Rebecca Ferguson, on the other hand, does a good job as the AI avatar. She's robotic but with a touch of humanity. [Amazon Prime]
• We blasted through season 4 of Bridgerton in just a few days. I'm a little bummed. This was my least favorite season. The Cinderella notes were blindingly obvious and our leads had less  chemistry than the previous seasons. That said, it's still a frothy delight. Guess I don't need something to be "good" to be enjoyable. [Netflix]

• I forgot I had a few bottles of Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel seasoning in our pantry. I used some to make everything bagel tuna salad. I subbed canned chicken for the tuna because I didn't want the seafood aroma to permeate my office. The chicken was good but the tuna would have been better. Also, needs more capers. [Eating Well]
• Sheet pan meals like one pan healthy Italian sausage and veggies are great because they are minimal prep work. This one does involve some chopping, but it's not that bad. My main complaint is the cook time. The sheet pan was so overloaded that it took twice as long to cook. I will split it across two sheet pans and increase the oven temperature next time. [Chelsea's Messy Apron]
• We had leftover feta to use so I whipped up  shrimp and white beans with spinach and feta.  The hardest part of this recipe is peeling the shrimp - and my husband took one for the team on that. Don't skip the balsamic vinegar. It's a crucial part of the flavor profile. [Skinny Taste]