An Everyday Whimsy List
Ideas and silly habits to add joy to your life
So it helps to keep a list of things that bring whimsy to your life.
That way you can revisit your list whenever you need a little burst of joy, a breath of fresh air, or even just an adjusted perspective. If you’re looking for a place to start your list, the Winter 2025 edition of Real Simple magazine included a secondary feature titled 54 Ways to Jump Start the New Year that offers a great start.
Most of this listicle are things I already do, like keeping a special playlist for baths, lighting a scented candle, and wearing my favorite perfume “just because.” So, in support of print media, I will not repeat them1. But here are some additional things that bring whimsy to my life whenever I do them.
1. Sitting in a part of my house that I don’t normally sit.
Okay so, you know that picture of Meg Ryan that’s in just about every romantic’s mood board? The one where she’s reading a book at the window of a Starbucks in New York? I get it, but the true inspiration I got from You’ve Got Mail was Meg Ryan sitting next to her dresser with a bowl of soup. Meg looks small in her apartment, afraid of large, overwhelming change. But, to me, it’s Meg’s chance to get a new vantage point on her life. This silly habit always helps me appreciate change.
2. Making a new recipe or riffing on an old one.
Ever thought about swapping cinnamon into a recipe that calls for pepper? What about adding both? Sometimes the results are disastrous. And sometimes I accidentally find my new favorite flavor combination.
3. Accepting a silly challenge from a friend or family member.
My husband once challenged me to eat nothing but burritos for a week. I ate so many tortillas that week… but boy did I have fun. My coworkers even got in on the joke. Another time, my husband and I jointly challenged each other to listen to nothing but The Rosebuds for a whole month. Remarkably, we were not bored of them when the month concluded. Instead, I think we appreciated them even more.
4. Taking a tour of my own house.
I started this tradition as a way of calming down my oldest child. We walked from room to room and I described each room as if I was the housekeeper at Pemberley, showing us Mr. Darcy’s riches. I call it “taking a tour of our estate.”
5. Ordering from a new restaurant and keeping a scoring bracket.
After living in Los Angeles for most of our adult lives (so far) my husband and I had a wealthy knowledge of local restaurants. When we moved to Nashville, we knew nothing about the restaurant scene… and that made it a completely fresh space to play! We knew BBQ was popular in the South, so I started a tracker to decide whose ribs had the best flavor and which brisket was the most mouth-melty.
Random Fact: We also quickly learned there is a massive Indian population in Nashville and the cuisine is on par with that offered in London; way better than LA’s. I won’t share a picture of my Indian food tracker, but you can bet I kept one…. Next up is grassfed burgers.
6. Temporarily repurposing a space.
This is a great one if you live someplace small (like a Studio apartment) but works just as well if you have dedicated rooms. Remember what it felt like as a kid to turn your dining room table into a fort? I’ve also turned my living room into a cozy rabbit hole, my kitchen into a painting studio, and my bathroom into a mini-spa, complete with a “Quiet Room” (code for comfy blanket nest).
7. Changing outfits during the day.
I’ve already confessed in Notes that I change outfits a minimum of 3 times each day. Most of that is a mental necessity to calm my sensory processing issues. But part of it is just feeling appropriately dressed for activities. There are certain clothes I can’t wear when I am working. And other clothes I love when I am working. Blazer-wearing Rebecca is ready to tackle her 8-hours-of-Zoom day. But she cannot tackle the dishes. If I start to feel overwhelmed, one of the first things I ask myself is “Am I dressed in a way that makes this activity comfortable for me?” If not, it’s time to change. And sometimes that involves dressing up to go to the grocery store! I don’t mind being overdressed for silly occasions, that’s part of what makes this habit whimsical.
I’d love to hear from you:
If you enjoyed this post, you might also like:
You can buy a back issue here at Pocket Mags.
The changing outfits one reminds of certain scenes from gilded age where they go and dress for dinner, every outfit had a purpose.
… that one’s not for me, the older I get the lazier, I used to have a dog walking outfit so I’d still look somewhat presentable in case I wanted to pop into a store but now it’s just outside sweats vs inside sweats haha.
I also change my clothes several times a day. I feel better now.