Five Things Making Me Happy (First day of spring / Mahomes’s “Read for 15”)

Hello,

Spring is here, and for me, that means I’ve entered the count-down phase to the publication of Life in Five Senses. After so much writing, editing, and re-writing, as well as figuring out the cover, recording the audio-book, and more, it’s hard to believe that an actual book will hit the shelves in less than a month, on April 18.

In my writing life, the work for every book has been very different, but one thing stays the same: the importance of pre-orders. If you’re inclined to buy Life in Five Senses, it’s a huge help if you pre-order it now; pre-orders really do build support for a book among readers, booksellers, and the media. This means you! The other day, my sister Elizabeth told me, “I’m going to make you a mug that says, ‘Pre-order early and often.’” I laughed for a long time. Pre-order here.

Onward,

5 Things Making Me Happy

As a child, one of my favorite novels was E. L. Konigsburg’s brilliant From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. The other day, I spent some time skipping through the 1973 movie, which starred Ingrid Bergman as Mrs. Frankweiler. My favorite thing about it was the chance to see how the Met and its exhibits have changed over time—and the 70’s fashions. Surprise cameo by Madeline Kahn.

Speaking of children’s literature, I’m in two book clubs where we discuss children’s and young-adult literature, and of course, I’m a lifelong fan of the author Judy Blume. I was fascinated to read in The New York Times about the “Blume-aissance” that’s happening now.

Spring has arrived. In general, I try to use the first day of a new season as a catalyst for reflection, though this March 20, I must confess, I forgot to do it. If you like using calendar dates as prompts for reflection, check out my Calendar of Catalysts. I’m collecting as many useful dates as possible! For instance, do you know why July 2 is a good day to reevaluate our aims?

I was thrilled to learn about an initiative led by Patrick Mahomes, the star quarterback for my hometown football team, the Kansas City Chiefs. “Read for 15” challenges children to read for 15 minutes a day for 15 weeks—Mahomes’s jersey number is 15. This reminds me of the “Read for 21 in ‘21” yearly challenge that Elizabeth and I did with the listeners of the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast in 2021. From that challenge, we saw how a short time spent reading often turns into a lot of time spent reading. I’m so happy that Patrick Mahomes is helping children find their way to the joys of books.

I love the sudden emergence of gorgeous, imaginative, reasonably priced sticker books. Stickers have gone to a whole new level. Now I want the same thing to happen to scratch-n-sniffs. I love scratch-n-sniffs! (If you’re a fan of Happier you know my love for the John Derian Sticker Book.)

Updates

Join me for a special Instagram Live with chef Carla Hall. Tune in: Friday, 3/28.

This week on Happier with Gretchen Rubin

PODCAST EPISODE: 422

We talk about why and how we might create our own “Audio Apothecary” to help us evoke certain moods. We also discuss a handy pronunciation hack, and two Questioners ask how a Questioner can handle the annoyance of being peppered with questions or being told to follow arbitrary rules. Plus a big announcement! The launch of a great new know-yourself-better quiz to identify your “neglected sense.”

Listen now>