Podcast 24: Take Photos of Everyday Life, the Tension that Exists in Love–and Should I Get a Dog?

It’s time for the next installment of  “Happier with Gretchen Rubin.”

Update: After episode 17, listeners got in touch to tell us about the things that they call their preciousssss. Fascinating. And do you have a beloved toy -- or other artifact -- that you still treasure from childhood? Here's Elizabeth's Blankey (I confirmed the spelling).

Try This at Home: Take photos of everyday life. Never forget how easy it is to forget.

Assay: Elizabeth and I discuss a story that singer-songwriter-author Rosanne Cash told us about working with her husband, in episode 22. It really resonated with us, because it captures an important tension that exists within loving relationships: "You're awesome just the way you are" vs. "You can do better." (By the way, our producer Henry did give me notes at the end of the episode! Which I really do appreciate--his job is to push us harder.)

Listener Question: "My family has moved to a new city. We loved the city where we were living, but how do we make sure we're as happy in our new city as we were in our old city?" (I can't resist including a link to my book, Happier at Home, which is all about -- you guessed it -- how to be happier at home.)

Gretchen’s Demerit: My daughters really want a dog, but I'm not sure I want a dog. Listeners, should we get a dog?

Elizabeth's Gold Star: She's a good sister and talks to me at length about the dog issue. (Here's a photo of Elizabeth's cat Blackjack.)