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

Try This at Home

Have an end-of-the-year ritual. Let us know your ideas. We’re looking for good suggestions.

Interview with Drew Barrymore

Yowza! It was so much fun to meet her. Her new book is Wildflower. What a fascinating conversation.

As we discuss, Drew Barrymore’s sister-in-law is writer Jill Kargman, who created and stars in the TV show Odd Mom Out.

One of many highlights — Drew’s point about maternal instincts, when she wondered, “When these maternal instincts kick in, are they going to be overarching, like a rainbow that comes across me, or more like Skittles on the floor?” Rainbow or Skittles — a great metaphor for a complex point.

In our discussion of Drew’s personal symbol of “flower,” I couldn’t resist mentioning my spiritual master, St. Therese, who describes herself as a “little flower” in her memoir, The Story of a Soul. Note that in the image below, Drew is indeed decked out in flowers.

We discuss the Four Tendencies framework. Drew revealed that she’s an Obliger — which is what I thought, from reading Wildflower. If you want to take the quiz to find out if you’re an Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, or Rebel, take it here.

Drew’s Try This at Home

Drew writes in a journal to her daughters every day; she also suggests writing letters to your children on important days — and also ordinary days — keeping them in a box, and giving the box to your children when they turn eighteen. Such a great idea.

I was so thrilled to hear that my book The Happiness Project had struck such a chord with Drew. So gratifying.

By the way, the clip we play is from the movie The Wedding Singer. You can watch here.

Elizabeth’s Demerit

Elizabeth hadn’t taken out her Christmas decorations yet, because a plastic sheet was covering the door of the closet — even though she could easily get through the plastic.

Gretchen’s Gold Star

I love temporary tattoos. So fun, so cheap, so easy, so delightful.