Try This at Home
Upgrade the makeshift. If there is an area in your life where you’re making do with a temporary fix, take the time to upgrade to a more permanent solution.
Temporary tends to become permanent (and because the opposite of a profound truth is also true, the permanent is often more temporary than we think).
Happiness Hacks
Each year, take a picture of your children asleep on the night before their birthdays.
Remove photos from albums and give those photos to people who might want to have them — and tell the recipients that they’re free to do anything they want with the photos (i.e., they don’t have to keep them).
Deep Dive: Gifts for Teachers
We share listeners’ suggestions for gift idea for teachers and school staff. Many of these suggestions come from teachers themselves, and many of them are good gift suggestions for anyone, not just teachers. To see the list, click here.
Listener Question
A teacher asks how to handle her annoyance when students keep asking her questions about the schedule, even though the schedule is clearly posted.
Demerits & Gold Stars
- Elizabeth’s Demerit: She keeps buying the same pair of pants over and over again, even though it’s now clear that the “formula” for those pants has changed, and they’re no longer what she wants.
- Gretchen’s Gold Star: I give a gold star to beautiful, limitless New York City; I never take it for granted.
Resources
If you’re giving copies of my books as gifts (or you’d like this for yourself), request free, personalized bookplates here. Ask for as many as you want (within reason). Unfortunately, due to mailing costs, I can send these to the United States and Canada only.
What We’re Reading
Gretchen:
Hello and welcome to Happier, a podcast about how to be happier. This week we’ll talk about why we might upgrade the “makeshift” and we will share a hack from a listener about using photographs to connect with others.
[Music]
Gretchen:
I’m Gretchen Rubin, a writer who studies happiness, good habits, the five senses, the Four Tendencies, and human nature in general. I’m right back in my little home office here in New York City. And joining me today from Los Angeles is my sister, Elizabeth. My sister the sage.
Elizabeth:
That’s me, Elizabeth Craft, a T.V. writer and producer living in L.A. And Gretchen, I am back from Kansas City, which was as joyful as always.
Gretchen:
Oh, I wish I could have been there. Before we jump in, we are getting ready to talk about one-word themes. Our one-word themes for 2022 and our one-word themes reveal for 2023. So let us know what you’re thinking about, what you chose, and what you’re going to choose. We cannot get enough of these one-word themes.
Elizabeth:
Yes. And then we also want to know, what did you learn from #Rest22in22? Did you rest? What did you get out of it? What are your thoughts? We’re going to discuss.
Gretchen:
Yeah. And pretty soon we’re going to reveal the challenge for 2023. So anything you learned about how to get yourself to Rest 22 and 22 or your challenges would be great to hear. And then we have a few updates. We keep hearing from people about the question of, “Have you ever saved someone’s life or had your life saved?”
And Barbie wrote, “Today, I listened to you talk about the people and save someone’s life. It reminded me of all the lives that have been saved in 12-step programs through the actions of sober, clean, absent members who reach out to newcomers for fun and for free and to save the lives of those who are on their way to dangerous behaviors.” So, excellent point.
Elizabeth:
Yes. And then Gwen said, “As a retired doctor in the U.K., I was very interested in your section on saving a life. One thing struck me: The fear of not knowing what to do and worrying about making things worse. The solution is to learn some first aid. A face-to-face basic first aid course is probably the best course of action, particularly for learning CPR, but there are also good books and online courses.
“Statistically, the life you will potentially save will be one of the people you spend a lot of time with. A friend or family member. My dad saved his own father’s life when he cut an artery in his arm with a hay knife. You might also save your own life. When I was choking on my own in the house, knowing how to do the Heimlich maneuver on someone else meant I was able to work out how to do something similar to myself and dislodge the obstruction”
Gretchen:
That’s why we talked about the Heimlich maneuver on yourself last episode.
Tara wrote, “I am someone who has been saved by blood and platelet donations. I had a cancer diagnosis in 2017 and had multiple blood and platelet transfusions throughout my battle. I was hospitalized in 2019 with a second infection and again received a transfusion. I am so grateful for everyone who does donate. You never know who you are saving.” So it’s great to think about that.
Elizabeth:
Yes.
Gretchen:
So this way to Try This at Home tip is to “Upgrade the Makeshift.”
Elizabeth:
So Gretch, explain what you mean by this.
Gretchen:
Okay, so “Upgrade the Makeshift” sounds like it’s kind of like a word jumble, but so a lot of times we have things that are makeshift. They’re temporary solutions for something that we don’t think is going to be an enduring issue. So we’re like, “Why would I spend the money or take the energy or planning to figure out a permanent solution?”
And what we’re saying today is maybe you need to look around and say, “Hey, it’s time for me to do it.” To take the time, energy, and or money, to make a solution upgraded so that it’s a much better solution than just a makeshift thumbtacks-and-masking-tape solution to issues that we face in our lives.
Elizabeth:
Yeah. And we got some examples from people. This is coming up a lot, Gretchen, with working from home. A lot of people suddenly started working from home, made a makeshift thing, and then never really made it permanent. Even though a lot of people are continuing to work from home. And Lindsay, who you work with, had a situation with her printer.
Gretchen:
Yeah, so she was telling me and she’s like, “Oh, I finally got a printer.” And she’s like, “Oh, because, you know, I’m somebody who really needs to print things out and look at the paper version,” and I’m exactly the same way. I’m like, “How long did you not have a printer?” She didn’t have a printer for more than a year! So it’s like, “Okay, well then how did you get the printouts that you needed?”
And she said, “Oh, there’s a print shop down the street. I would go and print the things out.” And she’s working from home five days a week! I was like, “Okay, you got to upgrade your makeshift.” Because that is just getting a printer is going to add so much more convenience and ease to your workday.
Elizabeth:
Yes. And then there are a lot of examples of this we can kind of run through. Like getting a yoga mat instead of using a towel. That’s something people do.
Gretchen:
Yeah. Yoga mat is a lot better than a towel. I have done that. Let me tell you. Some people use wine bottles or cans of tomato sauce instead of hand weights, like if you’re regularly using hand weights, a beautiful tool to all makes work a joy. And the same thing is true if you’re regularly exercising.
Elizabeth:
This one, Gretch, which I bet hundreds of people who are listening right now are doing this: Using a dining room chair instead of an office chair when they’re working from home. We have all done that.
Gretchen:
We’ve all done it. And let’s just say they do not make dining room chairs should be something that you’re meant to be sitting in all day long. It’s really important. This is a big-ticket item. I remember when I bought this office chair myself. My mother-in-law had the greatest office chair, so I just bought exactly what she had.
And it was like for a week, all I could think about was how great my sitting experience was. But again, exercise, activity is a really big happiness booster is a high life priority both for health and mood and immune function. So it is a place to upgrade if that’s going to make it easier or more comfortable or more convenient.
So like a friend of mine who was running regularly, just in regular tennis shoes, I was like, I think you need to spring for the real running shoes. They really do feel different.
Elizabeth:
Yes, that can do permanent damage. Gretchen, I was thinking about this and remembering back in the day, before I was married and you know, a real adult, I may have even mentioned this on the podcast, my coffee table was an overturned cardboard box. I mean, which is as makeshift as it gets.
And I remember I was saying to Sarah, I said, “I just can’t get a table. There are just too many tables in the world. How can I pick one?” I go, “I don’t care what it is. I just wish it would just show up and be here.” And so then for my birthday, Sarah got me a $12 coffee table from the thrift store, and she’s like, “Here is your table.” And so that was my table for, like, the next five years.
Gretchen:
There you go.
Elizabeth:
Yes. And now I’ve upgraded to an actual nice coffee table. And Gretchen, I mean, speaking of needing to upgrade the makeshift, you can apply this to yourself and your recording situation.
Gretchen:
Yeah, I mean, I’ve cobbled together like a bunch of lights. I’ve got five bed pillows in here, plus, like a little decorative pillow. I have got cardboard old posters, like those thick posters that are covering the window that’s behind me. Because now that we’re doing it on YouTube, we have to think about the lighting and stuff as well. And I keep thinking like, what am I going to do?
Gretchen:
And I just haven’t been able to it figure out. I mean, it’s one thing to like upgrade to a yoga mat, upgrading to a real home studio just a little bit more. But I have thought about it because it would add a lot of benefits.
Elizabeth:
Yes. Yeah, I’m guessing use something you could put on your ceiling or your walls.
Gretchen:
Yeah. But you know, now you have to have everything visible as well. So you can’t just…
Elizabeth:
Oh, yes. Well, something to work on in 2023.
Gretchen:
One point to keep in mind is that temporary tends to become permanent. A lot of times we come up with temporary solutions and they become permanent just the way we might think something is a temporary habit or “Oh, I’m just going to do this for a few days,” but it can lock in pretty fast if we’re not careful.
Now, because the opposite of a profound truth is also true, it’s also true that the permanent can be more temporary than we think. So you may think, “Oh, I’ve had this, have it for two years, there’s no way I would break this habit.” And yet you find that that habit maybe is more susceptible to being broken than you assumed. So it’s just something to always keep in mind is the relationship between the temporary and the permanent.
But when you feel that something that is temporary, that was intended to be temporary is in fact becoming permanent, you really want to look at it and say, “Given that this is now the permanent situation, is this how I want things to be? Because if not, let me fix it because it’s probably going to make a pretty big difference in my life since it’s now permanent.”
Elizabeth:
Yeah.
Gretchen:
So let us know if you do Try This at Home and how you upgraded something makeshift to make it more permanent. Let us know on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. Drop us an email at podcast@gretchenrubin.com or go to the show notes. This is happiercast.com/406 for everything related to this episode.
Elizabeth:
Okay, Gretchen, coming up we have two Happiness Hacks. But first this break.
[Music]
Gretchen:
And now for Happiness Hacks, we’ve got a hack and a bonus hack.
Elizabeth:
Yes. This comes from Sharon. She says, “A mom took a picture of her children sleeping every year the last night before their birthday as a tradition. I thought this was a sweet idea to see how they changed.”
Gretchen:
So cute. Love that.
Elizabeth:
I know. “When my mom had to move out of her house, we went through all of her photo albums and I made an envelope for each person that I thought would enjoy pictures that pertain to their lives. It turned out to be such a nice project and we got a lot of lovely feedback from the recipients.
“I only stated that there was no judgment as to what they decided to do with the contents of their envelope. It is a great decluttering idea and also relieves me of being the family custodian.”
And, Gretch, mom did a version of this. She went through and separated a lot of family photos and photos of us and gave them to us.
Gretchen:
And I love the way Sharon said to people basically, like, there’s no obligation to keep these because you don’t want to just offload your clutter on someone else. And I think sometimes people kind of need permission to be told, “It’s okay if you just look at these and then just keep a few you don’t need to keep them all.”
Gretchen:
Now, Elizabeth, on the Packing Cubes, I did not know that this was such an intense subject of interest. How did you and I stay out of this for so long? But I can’t resist adding this one because it touches on something that I love, which is: The uses of Ziploc bags.
Jessica wrote, “Instead of packing cubes, Ziploc bags. Instead of a packing cube, you pack a whole outfit into a Ziploc bag. They’re perfect because they’re inexpensive, see-through, you can write on them and reuse them.”
Elizabeth:
Yes, I did this one. Jack went to camp, actually.
Gretchen:
There you go. So there’s such a nice little tool.
Elizabeth:
Yes.
Gretchen:
It’s the little things.
Elizabeth:
The packing cubes.
Gretchen:
The packing cubes. Yeah.
Elizabeth:
The comments just keep coming.
Gretchen:
So this is the little things that give you a boost. You’re just so satisfied.
Elizabeth:
Yes.
Gretchen:
And speaking of those solutions that can boost happiness, just because we know what’s going to work, we are going to do a Deep Dive into gifts for teachers and school staff. These are great suggestions for teachers and school stuff, but a lot of these ideas you could use very broadly. And we got such great suggestions from listeners, many of whom were teachers themselves.
Elizabeth:
Yeah. Now, of course, Gretch, many mentioned gift cards. And in the gift card arena, pointed out that a general gift card is easier to use than a specific gift card. So, for instance, a big box store instead of a local movie theater or a particular restaurant. Which makes sense.
Gretchen:
Yeah, Sarah said, “School supplies that I actually use: Dry erase markers are a big one.” And she said, “Gift cards are always wonderful. Always, though not all of us drink Starbucks.” And then, she added, “The absolute best gifts are when you get your child to actually write me a note. I love those the best.”
Elizabeth:
Oh, Heather said, “Every September, I send my son to school with a getting-to-know-you sheet for his teacher to fill in. It has questions like favorite restaurant, sweet or salty, drink of choice, favorite treat, etc. It makes buying gifts so easy.” That’s a great idea.
Gretchen:
Yeah. And it’s do you have a house parent? That is what they call it at my daughter’s school, like someone who’s in charge of engaging with the classroom—that could be a great thing. So just one person does it, and then everybody has access to it. So that’s a fun thing.
Elizabeth:
Yeah. Tina says, “This wasn’t a Christmas gift, but one of the most thoughtful gifts I ever received as an end-of-school gift was a beach towel tied up with a magazine and a mini sunscreen. I felt seen like they knew I was just ready to chill at the beach.”
Gretchen:
Debbie said, “Heartfelt notes are what I appreciate most, but a bundle of sharpened Ticonderoga pencils—2 per student—would make teacher me very happy in December,”
So I can’t resist adding that my “Days are Long” Pouch from the Happiness Project Shop is perfect for that. For putting in a bunch of pencils or if you wanted to put sticky pads, or erasers, or dry erase markers, or something that cords. Elizabeth, I know that’s what you do with your pouch. It’s a nice pouch, and then it maybe makes it feel more like a gift because it’s put inside something. As well as pencils.
Elizabeth:
That’s great.
Gretchen:
Mary said, “When my son was in elementary school, I’d go to the local printer and print up a tablet with the teacher’s name and the school name below it at the top of the page. I would include correctly sized envelopes, too. This is always a big hit with teachers, one told me numerous times how much she liked her stationery.”
Well, Elizabeth, you love this of like, ordering sticky pads. Maybe it’s like an image, like the lightning bolt for you, or someone’s name. It’s really true. Things that are personalized feel more special and online. Now, there are so many ways to create this kind of thing.
Elizabeth:
Yes, I love that idea. She also says, “Another thing I did was always tip the bus driver some cash. I figured he had my son’s life in his hands twice a day. Better build an alliance. Bus drivers are hard to find where I live.
Gretchen:
You know, I think bus drivers, it’s like there’s a bus driver shortage. Yeah. Yeah. And they do such important work. Well, Marci said, “I love it all. Working at a high-poverty school, any gift shows my students’ family prioritized showing appreciation to me.” So that’s a great reminder.
Elizabeth:
Nina said, “Honestly, I love letters from parents and students. I keep them in a special place in my classroom because teaching is hard. And on those days, when I want to give up, I will read some of the letters I’ve received over the years to keep me motivated to do what I’m doing. After 27 years of teaching, I don’t need more stuff. The memories of my students and their families are what I cherish.”
Gretchen:
Building on that, Sherry had an idea of kind of how to present this in an interesting, creative way, she said, “My favorite gift of my 36-year career was a jar filled with colorful strips of paper. The kids wrote a favorite memory on each one of the strips, then decorated the jar. Even after retirement, I still love to read the memories.”
Elizabeth:
Oh, that’s nice. Beth said, “I delivered box lunches to my daughter’s teachers for several years with a chicken salad croissant sandwich with a pasta salad and cookie. I added a pretty bow to each box and a note to each teacher. All the teachers loved this and commented on how much they enjoyed a non-school lunch. It was a treat for them.”
Gretchen:
Kelly said, “In our school, parents put in money at the beginning of the year to the class parent. Then the combined amount is able to pay for a gift card.” So nice.
At Eliza and Eleanor’s school, the class parents would organize everybody to do that. And also we would do things sometimes like, every child would do a drawing of a favorite memory, and we would get it bound together or like, let’s do a cookbook where it’s every child’s favorite recipe for the teacher.
And that was actually, as a class parent, that was one of our biggest jobs, was hurting the cats. To get everybody to be part of that. And I will say this, as somebody who’s done this, if a group is trying to organize something like this, and Elizabeth, maybe you have this at work since you have all kinds of gift-giving related to work… if people are organizing it, cooperate right away.
Do it right away. Do what you’re supposed to do. If they say to use an 8.5×11 sheet of paper, don’t come back with a 5.5×7 piece of paper. It’s like it’s a lot of work to, like, get people to cooperate. So, it’ll make people very happy if you cooperate.
Elizabeth:
Right. And we do this at Jack’s school too, and I’m never the one in charge, but I so appreciate those who take on these projects because it is a lot of work.
Gretchen:
Kara says, “Donating time is a big one. We never have enough time as teachers. So if you can, ask the school, if you could donate an hour of free time to the teacher.” To help out. That’s great.
Elizabeth:
Sarah said, “I often ask students to donate to St. Jude. St. Jude treated my niece for childhood cancer and the donation was more meaningful than a gift card.”
Gretchen:
Now on what not to give, all the teachers said they love getting gifts, they love feeling appreciated. You know, it’s fine. But Christine gently made the point that a mug with the words “World’s best teacher” on it, probably the teachers already have it. She said, “School staff rooms are overflowing with these.”
Elizabeth:
Yeah. And then John said, “My wife’s a teacher and I’m a guitar teacher. One thing we don’t want is candy or baked goods. We have allergies and a very specific diet. When people load us up on cookies, we often can’t even eat them and end up tossing them.”
Gretchen:
So that’s a good reminder.
Elizabeth:
Yes. And Gretchen, of course, I have to mention that your shop grethenrubin.com has lots of great gifts for teachers, lots of notebooks and beautiful things.
Gretchen:
Yeah, there are journals and water bottles and stickers, like a lot of different price points. So if you want to check that out, you can go to gretchenrubin.com/shop and check out everything that is there. And on the teacher theme this week, our listener question comes from a teacher.
Elizabeth:
Shannon says, “I’m an elementary school teacher, and one of the things that annoys me to no end is when students ask me what we are going to do next. I have a schedule posted so students know what times of the day are for what types of activities or subjects. Additionally, I have objectives posted that tell what specifically we will be learning for the day, the week, or the unit.
For some reason, so many kids want to hear specific information directly out of my mouth, minute by minute, hour by hour, and it makes me completely insane. But that often gets back with frustration or annoyance on the part of the child. My sinister side wants to employ the idea of ‘play stupid games when stupid prizes’. And every time they ask me a question that is plainly obvious like that, I will just respond with something completely inane like ‘We are going to be dissecting baby flying squirrels.’ I often respond by saying, ‘You’ll have to wait and see.’ Help!”
Gretchen:
I have to suspect that this person is a Questioner who just does not like to be asked questions, which is a thing that many Questioners experience. They don’t mind teaching and sharing information, but they don’t like to be asked questions. But she is being asked questions.
Elizabeth:
Right. Well, one thing you can do is just say the same thing every time. So check the board, check the board, check the board. And then I one would think enough times hearing that the kid’s going to know they’re going to have to check the board.
Gretchen:
And also it takes out that feeling you have like, “What am I going to say?” Am I going to say this? No, I always say “Check the board.” And it’d be fascinating to hear what teachers say both about where this is coming from, like why this is such as why she’s seeing this is such a typical behavior from children, and what to do about it.
But I will say, I remember when Eliza was in kindergarten, the kindergarten teacher said that Eliza would ask silly questions like she would be holding a piece of trash in her hand. And she’s like, “Where should I put this?” And I think it was because of wanting to check in with the teacher. It’s like, at least for Eliza, it’s wanting that feeling of reassurance.
And Elizabeth, you and I have talked about that, like, sometimes asking a question is just a way to like engage. You don’t know what else to do or what else to say. So you say, “What are we doing next?” Just like, “Wow are you doing?” or “How was your day?: Because it seems like as a questioner, she’s like, “If I give you all the information, that’s going to be what’s going to solve your problem. Because if you understand why and when and what, that’s going to scratch that itch for you.” But maybe for the children, it’s much more about having a teacher reassure them, like, “You’re in the right place and everything’s going as planned.”
Elizabeth:
Yes. One thing I will say, Gretchen, is that you and I are both people who want very specific information. And it is possible that the teacher’s information isn’t as clear as she thinks it is. Just saying. You and I both can read ambiguity into almost anything.
Gretchen:
Oh, 100%.
Elizabeth:
If it’s like 8:00, we’re like, “Was 8:00 when it’s starting or is 8:00 when we’re supposed to be there?” We are those people. So people need different levels of specificity to feel like they know what’s happening.
Gretchen:
Yes, excellent point. So that’s a really interesting question. If you have thoughts or responses, send them in because it’s thought-provoking.
Elizabeth:
Okay. Gretch, coming up, I’m giving myself a pants-related Demerit. But first this break.
[Music]
Gretchen:
Elizabeth, it’s time for Demerits and Gold Stars, and this is an even-numbered episode, which means it’s your turn to talk about a Demerit. And I think you’ve given yourself pants-related Demerits in the past.
Elizabeth:
Have I? Oh my God.
Gretchen:
Who knew there was so much ground for four Demerits in the world of pants?
Elizabeth:
Okay, Gretchen, this is so ridiculous, but I keep buying the same wrong pair of pants over and over. So let me explain. I bought a pair of pants, yoga pants, that were the perfect pants. And I then went back to get more in a different color, but I got them. And then it was like a different fabric that I don’t like as much. And for certain the cuff was different and I keep thinking if I buy a different color, they’re going to come back as exactly the same as the ones that I initially bought.
Gretchen:
So, is this like they have the same name? Like “The Beachy Days” or whatever?
Elizabeth:
Yes. Same exact name. Only thing different, supposedly, is the color or the pattern, but they’re coming back not the same as my original pants under that name. And anyway, it’s just silly. Like a new one popped up this week like a new and I go, “Oh maybe that’s the one.” And it was on sale.
And so I’m like, “Oh, I must get this. I bet this is going to come back like is my original amazing pants.” And the ones I initially bought, they don’t have that color at least. So anyway, it’s so ridiculous. I need to stop. But I just. I’m on a quest for those perfect pants because it’s like, I don’t want to wear them, you know, because I love them so much. I’m in that place with them.
Gretchen:
I know that feeling.
Elizabeth:
But I got to just give it up and quit buying these same wrong pants over and over again.
Gretchen:
And because they have the same name, you’re like, “Surely…”
Elizabeth:
Surely they will be the same. Yes, right, right. So anyway, that’s what.
Gretchen:
We’ve all done it.
Elizabeth:
That’s what I’m doing. What is your Gold Star this week?
Gretchen:
I want to give a Gold Star to New York City. You know, we often talk about how easy it is to take for granted the everyday architecture of our lives. And I was walking around my neighborhood and somehow I ended up on a side street and it was only like four or five blocks from my house that I was looking around and I’m like, “I don’t remember ever walking down this particular side street.” Like it had this funny little coffee shop, basement store. And I was just like, “How have I never seen it?”
And it just made me realize how limitless New York City is. And that’s one of the things I love about it most. You always feel like there’s more to explore, there’s more to see. You could never see it all. It’s just like all these doorways, and stores and restaurants, and apartment buildings, and uniforms, and people doing errands, and jobs you’ve never heard of.
And I’ve often thought it would be fun, as a project, to randomly pick a place in the five boroughs and just go there and see like, what is there? If you went there, what would be there? So I just feel very fortunate. I never want to take it for granted. I feel lucky every day when I step out of my apartment building and I’m right here in New York City.
Elizabeth:
It is the best.
Gretchen:
It’s the best. The resource for this week. Okay. This is one where it’s like “Act Fast.” Because we are coming up on the holidays and I’m seeing a big uptick in the people requesting bookplates, whether for themselves or for gifts for other people. But these take a little while because I have to like get the labels and make them and mail them.
There are a lot of steps. So if you would like these, please act fast. So I make sure that I get them to you by the holidays (if it’s a holiday gift). You can ask for as many as you want within reason. I will personalize these. I can do it for the U.S. and Canada only. I’m very sorry about that.
But if you want to sign up where you like, give me the name if you want a personalized, and your mailing address, because these are actual physical bookplates that I will mail to you. So you have to have your mailing address. Go to gretchenrubin.com/resource/bookplate and you can sign up there. And again, I’ll put that in the show notes.
What are we reading? Whether it’s a book that’s personalized and signed by the author or not, what are we reading? What are you reading?
Elizabeth:
I just started “The Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller.
Gretchen:
I’ve read that. And I just started “Will and Testament” by Vigdis Hjorth. And that’s it for this episode of Happier. Remember to Try This at Home, upgrade the makeshift. Let us know if you tried it and if it worked for you.
Elizabeth:
Thank you to our executive producer, Chuck Reed, and everyone at Cadence 13, Get in touch. Gretchen’s on Instagram @gretchenrubin and I’m @lizcraft. Our email address is podcast@gretchenrubin.com.
Gretchen:
And if you like this show, please be sure to tell a friend or maybe you know someone who needs to buy a gift for a teacher! You can send them this episode so they can listen for themselves. Word of mouth really is how most people discover our show.
Elizabeth:
Until next week. I’m Elizabeth Craft.
Gretchen:
And I’m Gretchen Rubin. Thanks for joining us. Onward and upward.
[Music]
Gretchen:
Elizabeth, Nacho and Daisy did not bark once this episode! I mean, I think ever since you’ve gotten them, it’s like this is the first time they’ve been quiet for the whole recording.
Elizabeth:
I know. I think they’re sound asleep, that’s why.
Gretchen:
Or it’s like the time when Nacho went quiet. We found out that he had completely hollowed out the…
Elizabeth:
Oh, they’re doing something naughty?
Gretchen:
Like ripping apart the beach chair. I remember that.
Elizabeth:
Oh, yes. I’m not going to forget that one.
[Music]
Gretchen:
From the Onward Project.