Ep. 540: Very Special Episode: Treasure Trove of Easy Ideas to Add Whimsy to Daily Life

Summary

Happier with Gretchen Rubin: Episode 540 – Treasure Trove of Easy Ideas to Add Whimsy to Daily Life

Release Date: June 25, 2025

In this very special episode of "Happier with Gretchen Rubin," Gretchen teams up with her cohost and younger sister, Elizabeth Craft, to delve into the delightful world of whimsy. This episode, marking the 540th installment of the podcast, serves as a treasure trove of easy, creative ideas to infuse more joy and surprise into everyday routines. Here's a comprehensive summary of their engaging discussion, enriched with key points, listener stories, and actionable insights.

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1. Introduction to Whimsy

Gretchen Rubin opens the episode by introducing the theme of whimsy—a playful addition to daily life that brings imagination, humor, and unexpected delight into routine activities.

Gretchen Rubin [04:49]: "When we add whimsy, that's when we use a little bit of imagination to add some surprise, something humorous, something just unexpected in everyday life."

Elizabeth echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the value of incorporating whimsical elements to make everyday tasks more enjoyable.

2. Listener Story: Cheryl and Mirea’s Wilderness England Adventure

The sisters share an inspiring email from Cheryl, a listener from Kentucky, detailing how their podcast motivated her and another listener, Mirea, to embark on a life-changing hiking adventure with Wilderness England upon Cheryl’s retirement.

Elizabeth Craft [03:00]: "They wanted to share a photo of the two of us on the trail brought together in England from opposite sides of the Atlantic. Because of Happier, this was a life marker experience."

Gretchen expresses delight at Cheryl and Mirea’s experience, highlighting the profound impact of sharing personal stories with the audience.

3. Defining Whimsy and Its Significance

The discussion pivots to what whimsy entails and why it's essential for enhancing happiness:

• Definition: Using imagination to introduce surprise, humor, or unexpected elements into daily life.
• Purpose: Makes routines more fun, personalizes spaces, and eases interactions that might otherwise be mundane or stressful.

Gretchen Rubin [05:38]: "Using whimsy can make something routine a little bit more fun… It makes fun things more fun and unpleasant things more fun."

Elizabeth adds that whimsy often reflects personal quirks and preferences, making environments feel more individualized and lively.

4. Personal Examples of Whimsy from Hosts

Both Gretchen and Elizabeth share personal anecdotes illustrating how they incorporate whimsy into their lives:

• Gretchen's Hidden Places:

  • Roman numerals on bookshelves representing family birth years.
  • A bookshelf that doubles as a hidden cabinet.
  • A frog painted above the dog’s water bowls.

  Gretchen Rubin [10:43]: "They include our initials. So that's just like a cool little thing that we know."

• Elizabeth's Corgi-Themed Decor:

  • Corgi mats, mugs, and playful stickers.
  • Chip-shaped bag clips that add a whimsical touch to everyday items.

  Elizabeth Craft [10:01]: "We have corgi whimsy all over our house. We have even on our fridge, Adam put up this big sticker that looks like a corgi breaking out of the fridge."

5. Listener Suggestions for Adding Whimsy

The heart of the episode features a compilation of listener-submitted ideas to effortlessly add whimsy without significant time, energy, or financial investment. Highlights include:

• Ava's Playmobil Scenes [15:42]: Turning underused wine racks into miniature Playmobil setups for her toddler to enjoy.

  Ava: "It's a great little Playmobil set of a painter and his canvas."

• Shelly's Stuffed Animals [17:04]: Displaying cherished stuffed animals on an empty shelf to evoke happiness during mundane tasks like laundry.

  Shelly: "Every time I do laundry I see my shelf of cute stuffed animals and feel a little lighter and happier."

• Eliza’s Bright Underwear [17:33]: Wearing neon-colored underwear to formal events for a private boost of joy.

  Eliza: "There's something about wearing neon pink underwear to a job interview that can give you a bit of a boost."

• Justina's Gamified Tasks [17:44]: Reframing mundane work tasks as fun activities, such as viewing B2B lead generation as matchmaking, and collecting pebbles from runs to visualize progress.

  Justina: "It even works on my questioner engineer type husband. Who knew?"

• Hannah’s Free Cart Surprise [31:03]: Taking extra quarters to Aldi to leave free carts for others, turning an ordinary errand into a surprise act of kindness.

  Hannah: "My seven-year-old son and I take extra quarters to Aldi to put in the grocery cart so people don't have to find one to get a cart."

• Lynn’s Fairy Lights [25:34]: Using fairy lights around the home to add a magical ambiance, likening them to the “workhorses of whimsy.”

  Lynn: "I use fairy lights in places in my home. It gives me joy."

Additional suggestions encompass hiding tiny ducks as surprises, setting up poetry tea times with children, and transforming everyday objects like fridge spaces and car interiors into whimsical displays.

6. Hosts’ Reflections and Encouragement

Gretchen and Elizabeth reflect on the shared ideas, expressing enthusiasm and considering how to implement some into their own lives. They encourage listeners to experiment with adding whimsical elements, highlighting how even small gestures can significantly boost happiness.

Gretchen Rubin [33:10]: "Let us know if you do try this at home and how adding more whimsy to life works for you."

Elizabeth suggests creating a "26 for 26" list of whimsical activities, inspired by the shared ideas, to cultivate ongoing creativity and joy.

7. Resource Highlight: Read 25 Day

Gretchen introduces the Read 25 Day challenge, a collaborative event encouraging listeners to read more by participating in silent reading sessions. Partnering with bookshop.org, the challenge provides various ways to engage, whether solo or with others, and emphasizes reading in any form, including audiobooks.

Gretchen Rubin [33:50]: "Read 25 Day… participating indie bookstores, you can join other people at an in-store event… Or you can just schedule it to suit yourself."

8. Closing Remarks

The episode wraps up with Gretchen and Elizabeth reiterating the importance of whimsy in fostering a happier life. They express gratitude to listeners and their production team, while encouraging continued participation in the Read 25 Day challenge and the ongoing quest to infuse more joy into daily routines.

Elizabeth Craft [35:10]: "Thank you to our executive producer, Chuck Reed and everyone at Lemonada."

Key Takeaways

• Whimsy Enhances Daily Life: Small, imaginative touches can transform routine activities into sources of joy and personal expression.
• Personalization Matters: Incorporating one's quirks and preferences into decor and habits fosters a more individualized and happy environment.
• Community Inspiration: Listener stories demonstrate the profound impact of shared whimsical ideas on personal growth and life-changing decisions.
• Practical Implementation: Whimsical additions don't require significant resources—often, creativity and a bit of playfulness are all that's needed.

Join the Conversation

Listeners are encouraged to share their whimsical additions to daily life via social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, or by emailing the hosts. Additionally, participation in the Read 25 Day challenge is welcomed through resources available at happiercast.com/read25day.

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This episode serves as a delightful reminder that adding a touch of whimsy can significantly enhance happiness and bring unexpected joy into our lives. Whether it's through playful decor, creative task reframing, or spontaneous acts of kindness, embracing whimsy invites more smiles and lighter moments into our daily routines.

Transcript

[Gretchen Rubin]

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[Elizabeth Craft]

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[Gretchen Rubin]

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[Elizabeth Craft]

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[Gretchen Rubin]

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[Elizabeth Craft]

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[Gretchen Rubin]

Hello and welcome to Happier, a podcast where we talk about ideas and strategies for building more happiness into our everyday lives. This week is a very special episode. It's episode 540 and every 10th episode is a very special episode. And this is an episode about whimsy. More whimsy for all. I'm Gretchen Rubin, a writer who studies happiness, good habits, secrets of adulthood, the five senses, human nature. I'm in my little home office in New York City and joining me today from Los Angeles is my sister, Elizabeth Craft. And Elizabeth, you are often a source of whimsy for me.

[Elizabeth Craft]

That's me, Elizabeth Craft, a TV writer and producer living in la. And Gretchen, this is one of our favorite topics. I actually feel like I have trouble being whimsical so I need help.

[Gretchen Rubin]

No, it's Good to get ideas for sure. And so we are so excited to share so many suggestions from listeners. But before we jump in, we got an interesting email from a listener.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, Cheryl said, Gretchen and Liz, the two of you made the two of us happier. Last summer. I listened from Kentucky as you shared about your upcoming hiking adventure with Wilderness England. I immediately googled them and continued to follow your preparation, the voice memo diary during the week, the follow up reflections, and the interview with your guide. I knew that was the gift I wanted to give myself when I retired from teaching. At the time, I did not know for sure when my retirement date would be in Barcelona, Spain. Another woman, Mirea, was also listening along. She knew a Wilderness England adventure was just the gift to share with her husband. Shortened story I decided to retire November 1st. Soon after making the decision, I booked my spot on the Northumberland Lake district tour for May 2025. Because I knew I wouldn't be teaching school, I flew into Edinburgh, Scotland and stayed for a couple of days before training to Penrith. When we got into the van, our guide asked how we heard about Wilderness England. Mureha, who was sitting beside me, said, I heard about it on a podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin. What a fun snippet of serendipity. We wanted to share a photo of the two of us on the trail brought together in England from opposite sides of the Atlantic. Because of happ, this was a life marker experience.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Well, this was so much fun. It was so fun to see their photo, which Cheryl included. I love the fact that they went on a great trip and made friends the way we had such a great time on that trip.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, the same one we did. And so I recognized the scenery looked very familiar in the picture and it made me wish we were back there again. Gretchen, it was just such a great experience.

[Gretchen Rubin]

I remember the Penrith train station extremely, extremely well. Same happy memories. Well, now for some whimsy. And the first question is, okay, what do we mean by adding whimsy to everyday life? So when we add whimsy, that's when we use a little bit of imagination to add some surprise, something humorous, something just unexpected in everyday life. You could give an event on your calendar a goofy name, or you could do something silly to decorate your desk. It's just adding that little elevated note to just the everyday routine.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, unhappy or in Hollywood. Gretch, Sarah and I have been talking about things like if you have to buy them anyway, what can you buy that's whimsical? Like paper clips shaped like dogs, for instance.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Right because you need paper clips, but you might as well reach for a little bit of whimsy. Oh, I just saw something on that note. So our mother loves cherries. That's kind of an auspicious symbol for her is cherries. And, and my friend knows that our mother's auspicious symbol is cherries. And so she ripped a page out of a magazine to show to me that was all cherry related things like an apron decorated with cherries. And it was the cutest thing. It was a measuring spoon. You know how you buy like a ring and it has five measuring spoons off of it?

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yeah.

[Gretchen Rubin]

So it looked like five cherries hanging off of a green stem with a leaf. And I thought, oh my gosh, maybe I'll get that for mom just because that's one of her symbols is the cherries. And it's handy to have measuring spoons. And that would be little whimsical note to elevate it, make it a little bit more personal.

[Elizabeth Craft]

So, Gretch, why do we reach for whimsy?

[Gretchen Rubin]

Well, you know, the thing about whimsy is by adding it, we add this note that makes everyday life a little easier. Maybe it makes something routine a little bit more fun, like using the dog paperclip. Maybe it makes us feel like our quirks and our loves and our preferences are out in the world around us. Like if our mom was using cherry shaped measuring spoons or like if I got you something with a corgi on it, it's just like a little whimsical touch. I think using whimsy can make it easier to what otherwise might be considered to be like nagging or reminding. It's that idea that a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down. It makes fun things more fun and unpleasant things more fun. And it's funny. Whimsy seems to be having a moment. It just is popping up everywhere in online conversations, in design trends. I wrote an on my site about whimsy, if anybody wants to look at it, it'[e-mail] whywhimsey and I'll post a link to it in the show notes because it really does add something. I remember I saw these household rules that somebody had and it said in giant capital letters, heinous infractions. Right. Like this very extreme language. And then below it was just perfectly ordinary chores like hang up your coat. But then at the bottom it was like penalty is death or cash equivalent. You know, it was just the whole thing was so funny and so over the top melodramatic that family was able to make its point and post its list of tasks and chores in a way that was a very light touch.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yeah, Gretchen, you know, I recently on Substack, wrote about whimsy because it's been so much in our conversation lately. And I have to mention the Happier in Hollywood substack. Please subscribe. It's free. Just go to happierinhollywood.com and scroll down and enter.

[Gretchen Rubin]

And mine too. Secrets of Adulthood. We're both on substack now. Yes.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Oh, yes. Now I have to be plugging yours as well.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah, Substack now.

[Elizabeth Craft]

I wrote about the shuttlecocks at the Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City because they are the ultimate whimsy. They're four giant 19 foot tall shuttlecocks that are supposed to look like giants have been playing a game of badminton using the museum's building as a net. And that the shuttlecocks just fell where they wherever after the giants were done playing. And that is exactly what they look like. And they are so fun and whimsical and always make me smile.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Well, now they've really become one of the symbols of Kansas City. They're just so fun. They're very different from the main body of the museum is like columns and transcendent, timeless forms. Very classical. And so the shuttlecocks are just this very whimsical. In contrast, also in your substack, you reminded me of a little bit of whimsy that I love, but I had forgotten about, which was Garbage Eve. The family that celebrates Garbage Eve as basically as a way to remember that the next day was garbage day. But calling it garbage, let's go celebrate Garbage Eve is this way of elevating the kind of ordinary tasks and routines.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes. That cracked me up. The idea that bringing in or taking out the garbage pans is the way to celebrate Garbage Eve.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah, I know, exactly. So what are some other touches of whimsy, Elizabeth, that you've incorporated?

[Elizabeth Craft]

Gretchen, you mentioned corgis. I mean, we have corgi whimsy all over our house. We have even on our fridge, Adam put up this big sticker that looks like a corgi breaking out of the fridge.

[Gretchen Rubin]

It is trompe l' oeil and it really. It looks like there is a hole in the fridge. I've seen it many times and every time I look at it, I'm like, wait, what's going on? And then it is very funny.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yeah, that's the most dramatic one. But then, yeah, we have corgi mats and cor Mugs. And my friend gave me a corgi mom mug that I love. So we've got a lot of that going on. Then I've also got my chip shaped chip bag clips that mom gave me. So they're potato chip bag clips actually shaped like potato chips.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Oh, I haven't seen those. That's so fun. I love those clips to close bags of food. Yes, those are very handy.

[Elizabeth Craft]

How about you?

[Gretchen Rubin]

I like hidden places. Kind of like things that you might not notice but that have secret meanings. So, for instance, in our living room, we have these bookshelves, and at the top are painted Roman numerals. And it's as if we were some, like, gigantic library. And each bookcase was numbered with Roman numerals. But in fact, each number represents a birth year of some member of the family. So that's just like a cool little thing that we know. I have a thing that if you look at it, it looks like a bookcase, but actually it swings open and behind it is a cabinet. So it's a fake door. We have like a little frog painted behind our kitchen door, which now it's funny. Now it's above where the dog's water bowls are. So it's funny that there's a little frog there. I can't remember if I wrote about it in the Happiness Project or Happier at Home, but celebrating minor holiday breakfasts is a way to bring in whimsy because it's like, dye the milk green or make something pink. That's a way to have whimsy. Oh, and then I have the boxes. This I wrote about in Happier at Home. I have those mini. Like, I have the one that's the magical garden. So there's a shelf on my bookshelf that actually looks like a miniature magical garden. Or I have one that's Mermaid Lagoon and one that's mountaintop that's hidden inside a cabinet. Oh, and we have a fake fireplace. And in the mantel is painted to look like marble, but it includes all of our initials. So I like. That's one way I like to have whimsy is hidden things that you have to know to look for.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yeah, I think that's fun. Along those same lines. Like, I think it's fun in a powder room. If you have a powder room, a lot of people like to do whimsical wallpaper.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Oh, yes.

[Elizabeth Craft]

It feels like a spot where, you know, you can really go crazy with your wallpaper because it's so small and give some whimsy. Yes.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Well, whatever happened to that mischievous monkeys wallpaper that Adam loved so much.

[Elizabeth Craft]

We have the wallpaper but we have yet to put it up.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Oh, okay.

[Elizabeth Craft]

So we've got the whimsy at hand, but we have not yet put it up.

[Gretchen Rubin]

I think I see something on the 26 for 26 list.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, I need. That's a very good idea. All right, Gretch. Coming up, we're going to dive into listeners ideas of whimsy which are so wonderful. But first, this break.

[Gretchen Rubin]

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[Elizabeth Craft]

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[C]

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[Gretchen Rubin]

And now we're back for listener suggestions for bringing more whimsy into everyday life. These are all ideas that we can do without spending a lot of time, energy or money because people don't have a lot of extra time, energy or money. But there's a lot of imagination.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, this idea comes from Ava. She said. You have been a big inspiration to me in bringing whimsy into my parenting as you seem like a very serious, well studied person like me, but you also seem to really embrace the fun in everyday life. My small example of everyday whimsy is that we recently moved into a new house with a kitchen island with built in wine racks. My wife and I aren't big wine drinkers, plus we have a toddler, so leaving easily accessible glass bottles around isn't the best idea. Therefore, we weren't using these racks for anything. They're a bit too small for useful storage. However, they are perfect toddler viewing height, so I decided to turn them into little Playmobil scenes for our wee boy and his friends to discover when they come round to visit, she says. I've attached a recent example, but I'd like to get more creative with these when I have some spare time. Keeping in mind, they often get destroyed by the end of the day and then it's a great little Playmobil set of a painter and his canvas.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah, and it looks like there's fairy lights in the back giving it a sparkly look. Yes, I love that. Little hidden scenes like that. I can imagine how enchanted I would have been as a child if every time I walked over to the shelf there was some little scene there. Love that.

[Elizabeth Craft]

It's like the people who get so crazy creative with their elf on a shelf.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes, right, exactly. Shelly writes. My kids are outgrowing their stuffed animals, so I've started giving them away. But there are a few that I have been unable to part with, either because they are adorable or they remind me of a particular memory. With my kids, I've started putting these on an empty shelf in my laundry room. Now every time I do laundry I see my shelf of cute stuffed animals and feel a little lighter and happier this is great. She realizes she likes these herself, so she's keeping these in a way so she can enjoy them. Love it.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Eliza said wear bright colored underwear, especially if going to a formal serious event. There's something about wearing neon pink underwear to a job interview that can give you a bit of a boost.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Well, I like that. I like. That's very fun. Yes, Justina writes as a rebel, and thank you forever for making me realize that I am one. I use whimsy as part of my identity to positively manipulate myself into doing things I find boring but have to do in all areas of life. At work, I often do B2B lead generation, but reframe it as matchmaking. And yes, my meeting notes are filled with little scribbly hearts wherever I see alignment between two parties. When I run, I choose a destination to what I call the ugly house. It's a notorious route and landmark in my family. Now I collect a little pebble from the road at the end of each run and collect them in a little jar to visualize my progress. All of this is working well on me and the kids. Of course, they prefer anything to be reframed in a silly way rather than a plain choreography. But here comes the magical, more surprising twist. It even works on my questioner engineer type husband. Who knew? Background. We're about to move to another country and the kids were hoping that with a new house and garden, they might get a dog. I feel meh about that right now, but would love a hamster. The most whimsical pet of all time goes back to what made me happy as a 10 year old. Another one of your wisdoms. Kids were game. Husband really wasn't until I thought of a silly way to get him into the idea. He really like, really, really wanted to be an astronaut when he was little. So I had our four year old propose to him that we could call the hamster Neil Hamstrong. And the week after he video called us from inside a pet store, he was looking at the rodents and thinking of all the cool ways we can engineer its living space with mazes, et cetera. Manipulation, maybe. But it's whimsical, so it's okay. I love this.

[Elizabeth Craft]

That is so sweet.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Neil Hamstruck. First of all, is the hamster the most whimsical pet of all time? Everybody weigh in. What is the most whimsical pet? Okay, because you might say, well, kangaroos perhaps are more whimsical, but they are not pets, right? And maybe they are not whimsical. I Guess kangaroos are pretty strong and violent, though it's fun to watch them jump around. Is the hamster the most whimsical pet? Let us know. And if you do not know what a rebel is, take the quiz gretchenrubin.com and you will find out if you are a rebel or an upholder or a questioner or an obliger. And you will learn all about the four tendencies. But I love that this idea from Justina about leaning into what she knows about a rebel. Rebels often do like gamification. They do like things being surprising like this. And of course love the creativity about the hamster. That is so fun.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, Gretch, I would say a hedgehog is a more whimsical pet. Allowed some places, not allowed others.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah, I don't know that people do keep hedgehogs as pets. Do they? I've never heard of that.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, I knew an editor who had a hedgehog.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay, what about the giant Welsh rabbit? Can it hop?

[Elizabeth Craft]

Does it hop also whimsical?

[Gretchen Rubin]

I don't know. It may be too big to be whimsical. It's just. It's just a very, very large rabbit. Whimsical to look at. Maybe not so whimsical to take care of.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Elise said, I restored my great grandmother's dollhouse partly as research for a novel I wrote. And now I keep it next to my desk in my office for daily doses of joy. And that's not all. I' much fun learning how to make miniatures. And I'm flying from Seattle to Bangor, Maine in early June to attend a week long school run by the International Guild of Miniaturists to try all kinds of fun new things from mini pottery to micro knitting. I can't wait. I mean, Gretchen, is this the most fun, whimsical week long camp that you've heard of?

[Gretchen Rubin]

Well, I love it. And you know what it's also making me think of is from my book, you know, the book that I want to write about, the Open Door phase project Empty Nest. One of the things that people always say is get a hobby. And people are like, well, I don't have a hobby. So one thing to say is, well, what did you do for fun when you were 10 years old? Maybe it was something like dollhouses. And can you go deeper into it? Can you become an expert? Can you become a collector? Or can you get inside of it? So instead of just observing it or playing with it, can you make it yourself? Like instead of reading substacks, you're writing a sub stack. Or instead of just watching movies, you have an online thing where you rate and review movies. And I love this idea of really bringing it into her life in a much deeper way because, you know, the more we put into something, the more we get out of it. I love this. Very whimsical. Yes, Kathy says. A friend and I always seem to catch 11:11 on a clock. We snap a picture and text it to each other. It's a nice way to keep each other connected and in regular contact when life feels busy. And this is funny, right?

[Elizabeth Craft]

Very funny. There's an app where at a certain time every day, it tells you to take a photo of yourself wherever you are, and it automatically posts and then everybody who's on the app, who you're connected to, sees that photo. It's kind of a fun thing.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Interesting.

[Elizabeth Craft]

September says I keep special things in my junk drawer, like travel mementos mixed in with everything else. Every time I open the drawer to get a pen or tape, I am reminded of a happy memory. And I love the tradition of looking for a junk drawer item on each vacation. After creating the Happiness Project, I also started to collect little Swarovski cows. I collected them for a decade, and seeing them arranged on their little shelf also makes me happy.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Love a junk drawer. Love a tiny memento. Mementos are better when they're small in size and few in number. Love a specialized collection. That is so fun. Bethany says I sing songs to certain activities when I'm annoyed. Example doing laundry or switching clothes and folding. I sing I love Laundry to the beat of I want Candy. My teens are frustrated about a situation. I sing it's not about you to the beat of it had to be you. My family has gotten used to my weird humor, and now they sometimes ad lib more lyrics. Elizabeth I love this. Clearly from my attempt to sing this. I have no sense of how to sing, but you get it. I want candy. It had to be you. Change the words. I think that's a really, really good idea, especially for someone who has singing talent.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And I love that you you attempted that, Gretchen. That was very whimsical of you. Yes. Elisa said I keep bubbles in my car to blow when stopped for road construction. Well, that's funny because I bet people in other cars probably get a kick out of that too. That's true.

[Gretchen Rubin]

That's so fun. Oh, you know, and this reminds me of what somebody else did. She whenever she would go to museums and saw pieces of art that she really loved, she would buy the postcards and then she would keep a basket by her front door and she would grab a handful and then for the next week or so, keep them in the visor above her seat in the car. And then as she was stuck in traffic, she would pull a postcard and just look at a beautiful piece of art. Like, how can you transform the experience of being stuck in traffic? Great ideas, Tiffany said, not an everyday thing. But I started this last year on my birthday. I asked the bartender at the restaurant to make me their interpretation of a singing unicorn. And it's so much fun to see what they come up with. You can call your drink whatever you want, of course, but it's a little surprise to look forward to. And you get a custom cocktail. Win, win. And I bet you make the day of the bartender. I mean, how fun for them. They probably all have some drink that they're like, oh, this could be my Manhattan. Or whatever.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes. I'm thinking it's pink, it's purple, maybe it's green. I love the idea of the singing unicorn.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah. I sit in the office when Michael Scott, he's like orange juice and vodka. I came up with this amazing combination. It's like, yes, you have.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Stephanie said, before I put my seasonal clothes in the attic. I hide some money in the pockets. Also, I buy my underpants mostly when I'm older, on vacation. So when I get dressed, I will be reminded of that special place somewhere that is so fun.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Who knew that underwear was like a good opportunity for whimsy? I love it. Lynn says I use fairy lights in places in my home. I'm 70, but my guest bedroom looks like a tween girl lives there. Can't help it. I'm an old hippie. It gives me joy. Can I just say, fairy lights and food dye are like the workhorses of whimsy. There is a lot you can do with fairy lights and food dye.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes. I'm never not happy to see fairy lights. That's for for sure. Janet said, before I leave my house for a holiday, I set up stuffies reading books and having tea. By the time I'm back, I've forgotten I did that. And it just makes me laugh. I love that people do these things.

[Gretchen Rubin]

I know. Hannah said I added stained glass film to my sunroof so I'd have pretty colors in my car. Elizabeth, I have never heard of this. Did you know about stained glass last film?

[Elizabeth Craft]

I didn't, but now that she says it, I can absolutely picture exactly what it is. And it sounds like so much Fun.

[Gretchen Rubin]

It sounds so fun.

[Elizabeth Craft]

All right, coming up, we've got more whimsical ideas from listeners. But first, this break. Introducing the new Dell AI PC powered by the Intel Core Ultra processor. It's not just an AI computer. It's a computer built for AI. That means it's built to help do your busy work for you so you.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Can fast forward through editing images, designing presentations, generating code, debugging code, running lots of apps without lag, creating live translations and captions, summarizing meeting notes, extending battery life, enhancing security, finding that file you were looking for, managing your schedule, meeting your deadlines, responding to Jim's long emails.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Leaving all the time in the world for more you time and for the things you actually want to do. No offense, Jim. Get A new Dell AI PC starting at [e-mail] AI PC how those ahead Stay ahead. As we grow wiser, we become more intentional about what we put in our bodies, which is why we're delighted to share Ghia's alcoholic aperitifs with you. What's remarkable about Gia is there's absolutely no added sugar and, of course, zero alcohol. Instead of the hidden sugars found in most wine spritzers or cocktails that can affect our energy levels and metabolic health, Ghia uses only pure botanicals like yuzu, rosemary and elderflower for its sophisticated, bright and bold flavor. Gretch, I love taking a really nice glass. You know, I care about my glassware and having that drink, but it's so nice to have it feel special but not be alcoholic.

[Gretchen Rubin]

And there's so many great flavors. Ghia ginger, lemon, salt, sumac and chili or Ghia soda. Look for Ghia products at a Target or Whole Foods near you, and enjoy a special discount when you shop on drinkgea.com use code happier at checkout and get 20% off your order. That'S-R-I-N-K-G-H-I a.com and use code happier for 20% off. Off.

[Elizabeth Craft]

All right, Gretch, we are back with more whimsy. Love all the whimsy. This idea comes from Lottie. She says I have poetry tea time with my two little boys on Thursdays. I make a treat, serve tea or milk, and we each pick out a poem from our poetry books for me to read aloud.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Oh, my gosh. This is like the most cultured, wonderful thing. I'm filled with regret that I did not do this with my girls. How fun is this? This same?

[Elizabeth Craft]

That's exactly what I was Thinking like, how did I not do this? This is such a great idea.

[Gretchen Rubin]

But you could also have fairy tale tea time Circle Thinker wrote, I am a hider of tiny ducks and it brings me so much joy. Seeking the perfect place to put them is excellent. Going back sometime later and finding one is no longer there. Excellent. Going back sometime later and finding one is still there. Excellent. I mean, this is so fun. We had these holiday crackers at Thanksgiving that had little tiny wooden animals in them that were really nice and I liked them so much. I like scampered around the table and like got everybody to give me their little wooden animals and I put them in a wooden box. I just thought, oh, this is a little bit of whimsy. Like if somebody just opened up kind of a decorative box, there's all these little animals, but maybe I'll hide them all over our lake house. That could be really fun. And you're like, here is a little tiny wooden rabbit. But tiny ducks, I mean a yellow rubber duck, maybe they are the definition of whimsy. If a hamster is whimsy, tiny duck is also whimsy. Like put a tiny duck anywhere or googly eyes. Put googly eyes on something. Instant whimsy.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yeah. And I think hiding rubber ducks is a thing many people do.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Oh, is that right?

[Elizabeth Craft]

A global thing? Yeah.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Oh, interesting. Okay.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Arcana said, I listen to old pre recorded Indian radio channels on YouTube from my childhood days as I have my morning cuppa. The world could be falling apart, but the nostalgia inducing RJ voices and commercials take me back to a time when life was was simpler and everything suddenly feels okay. Gretch. This reminds me of a Facebook feed I get of 80s toys and I love looking at the 80s toys because most times I had that toy and it just brings it all rushing back.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Like an Easy Bake Oven.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Or yes, like Merlin is one, which is like this electronic game. Or a Barbie head to do hair on.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Or a camper that came with little people and you know, like a table and chairs to set outside the camper. All sorts of things. Holly Hobby color forms so many.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Well, so maybe the larger point is maybe there's a way technology can connect you to with something that feels cozy and makes you happy from your past. For you it's like getting this little hit when you see that in your feed. And for Arcana, it's listening to this on YouTube. So that's super fun. Hannah says, My seven year old son and I take extra quarters to Aldi to put in the grocery cart so people don't have to find one to get a cart. We try to be sneaky so people are surprised by a free cart. Oh, that's kind of like do a little random act of kindness. That's so fun.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Oh, and Gretchen, speaking of shopping carts, Melody says when I'm putting my shopping cart away, I always step up on the bar and scoop myself across the parking lot, working up a good speed so I can coast a bit. I've been known to do this inside if an aisle is empty.

[Gretchen Rubin]

That is so funny. When I was recording my audiobook, it makes you very restless cause you really have to focus to do an audiobook. It's surprising how tiring it is. And I had read some research about the value of skipping. And so I would just to take breaks, I would skip up and down the halls. And I have to say, like, skipping is super whimsical and fun too. Not as whimsical and fun as racing across an empty parking lot and riding a shopping cart. But it feels like the same time of life that you're tapping into.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, I love it.

[Gretchen Rubin]

And then finally Wendy says I book all my dentist appointment at 2:30 for my own and hopefully the receptionist's amusement. I love that. It took me a minute to realize why 2:30 was a funny time. But it's tooth 30 for a dentist appointment again. Even if nobody gets to beat you, you would smile every time you went to the dentist.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes. I need to start doing some of these. Gretch, I need more whimsy.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Well, when we're on our reader retreat, Elizabeth, maybe when we take breaks for meals, we will plot some whimsy.

[Elizabeth Craft]

I love, love it.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Let us know if you do try this at home and how adding more whimsy to life works for you. And what whimsy did you add? We still want more ideas. There is just something energizing and cheering about adding this little bit of whimsy. And that's why it can play an important role in a happier life. Even if these little gestures feel kind of small, they can pack a big effect. Let us know on Instagram threads, TikTok, Facebook. Drop us an [e-mail] or as always, you can go to the show notes. This is happiercast.com 540 for everything related to this episode.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And Gretch, what's the resource for this week?

[Gretchen Rubin]

Well, today is Read 25 Day. I've been talking about this. Of course. Our challenge for 2025 is read 25 and 25 and today is a special day. June 25, read 25 day. Thousands of readers from all over the country are coming together for silent reading throughout the year as part of our Read 25 and 25 challenge. It has been so much fun to team up with bookshop.org to provide challenges and resources and practical tips and reading suggestions to help all of us cultivate the habit of reading that makes us all so happy. Now read 25 day is by far our biggest event yet. I am so happy it's here. There are many ways to participate, you know, and it's not too late if you haven't made a plan. There are nearly 200 participating indie bookstores, so you can join other people at an in store event. If you want to go be with other people at a great indie bookstore, but you can do it on your own. You can do it with families and friends. Remember that any kind of reading counts. Reading audiobooks, whatever you want. For more information and for the list of bookstores, go to happiercast.com read25day. More reading for all.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes. And remember, it doesn't have to be at any particular time.

[Gretchen Rubin]

It has to be a particular time if you want to join other people at the bookstore. Otherwise, you can just schedule it to suit yourself. And that is it for this episode of Happier. Remember to try this at home. Add some whimsy to your life. Let us know if you tried it and if it worked for you.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Thank you to our executive producer, Chuck Reed and everyone at Lemonada.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Here's your rhyming reminder. And really listen to it. Take it to heart. Please do it. We appreciate it so much. If you love the show, leave a review to let us know until next week.

[Elizabeth Craft]

I'm Alex Elizabeth Craft.

[Gretchen Rubin]

And I'm Gretchen Rubin. Thanks for joining us. Onward and upward.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Gretchen. I was just thinking Maybe a fun 26 for 26 list would be like 26 whimsical things.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes.

[Elizabeth Craft]

To do or ideas to incorporate. I don't know if I could come up with 26, but.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Oh, I bet you could.

[Elizabeth Craft]

This would help me start.

[Gretchen Rubin]

I bet you could. We'll start keeping a list now and then by the time 26 comes, it's like my. My 25 things that please me makes me so happy. It is really great. That's a great idea.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Okay, I'm gonna think about that.

[Gretchen Rubin]

All right, let's add to it from the Onward project.