Make function fun

Add delight to everyday objects

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is to make function fun. When you are
choosing a functional object, whether for yourself or as a gift,

(00:27):
let it be a source of joy and delight if
you can. Today's tip is inspired by Ingrid Fatil Lee's
book Joyful, The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to create
Extraordinary Happiness. In the book, Lee, a designer, enumerates ten

(00:49):
factors contributing to joy, things like abundance, play, surprise, transcendence,
and celebration, and she gives specific examples of items that
reflect each. For instance, Lee points out that confetti, polka dots, stripes,
strings of Christmas tree lights, even skittles tap into the

(01:13):
joy that comes from abundance. She says, balls, hula hoops,
googly eyes, and other round shapes evoke the joy of play.
The pop of a champagne cork, an inflatable tube beIN
like the ones you see it used. Car dealerships lead
the mind towards celebration. The Joyful book has lots of

(01:34):
ideas for injecting more fun and joy into your life.
Some of these ideas are about pure delight, like keeping
a drawer full of confetti, as a person described in
the book does. However, if you are aiming to acquire
less stuff, you might most practically aim to incorporate some
joyful aspects into everyday objects in essence you make function on.

(02:01):
Let's start with office supplies. For instance, why not keep
a container of felt tipped pins in a rainbow of
colors on your kitchen counter. There's no reason your grocery
list needs to be in blue ballpoint, inc When a
pin jar full of different colored pins can bring the
joy of abundance. I know someone with a bright lime

(02:23):
green stapler. Yes, it means she can identify it if
someone has walked off with it, but how fun to
see something in bright colors on a rainy day. Fun
coffee mugs and water bottles can be another source of joy.
Whimsical dish towels and cooking utensils can be delightful, and

(02:44):
whisks and cooking spoons designed to evoke people, animals or
plants always make me smile. There's no need to home
edit your whole house or apartment and put your entire
life into clear containers in rainbow order. But it can
be fun to use clear containers for brightly colored things
you already have, like apples, oranges, and bananas on your counter.

(03:08):
If your kids have marbles, maybe those go in a
glass jar, or you get a clear container so you
can see all of your colorful spools of thread displayed.
An umbrella is another great place to bring in some joy,
which is especially welcome on a dreary, rainy day. Go
for bright colors and fun patterns, or the traditional black

(03:31):
umbrella on the outside with a surprising and delightful blue
sky and clouds printed underneath. Especially in the winter when
you are wearing boots, have some fun with your socks.
Wool socks come in plenty of colors and patterns, so
why stick with solid black or gray. Consider adding some

(03:52):
pizzazz to your workout wardrobe. Two. The gym or the
running trail is a place where you are free from
any constraints of looking serious or professional, so aim to
dress in a way that makes you smile. The next
time you need to buy a functional item for yourself
or as a gift for someone else, choose something that

(04:15):
marries fun and function In little but meaningful ways. You
can add joy to your daily life and the lives
of those around you in the meantime. This is Laura.
Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of
our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.

(04:43):
You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else.
Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at
Before Breakfast pot that's b E the number four, then
breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me an
email at before for Breakfast podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com
that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.

(05:06):
Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.
Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For
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