winter calls for whimsy

some (mostly) tried-and-true tips to survive february

welcome, welcome to the absolute worst month of the year! it may be up for debate, but truly, february has absolutely nothing going for it IMO. a self-important groundhog? pfft. the super bowl? my only allegiance is to buffalo wings. a hallmark holiday? please. snow? hell no! all of that is to say that, despite the overload of whimsy in the substack space lately, i think it’s the perfect time to lean all the way into the little activities and rituals that make life a little more magical. you can never have enough of that, i say!

find a random bar, restaurant, or hotel’s spotify playlist and play it loud in your house

i think i kind of made this one up and i have no idea why or how, but it’s SUCH a mood-setter and truly transportive. your mileage may vary with genres, but here are some of the best i’ve found:

• alcove mid-shift transition and alcove open modern (this is apparently some cocktail bar in indiana, lol)

• bacari restaurant (i think this one’s in LA)

• dawn cafe/drift santa barbara

• all of the imbibe account playlists (it looks like they create curated playlists for bars! #dreamjob)

make an elaborate (or not) cocktail or mocktail recipe

my latest attempt was olivia noceda’s diet coke cherry cold foam mocktail and it was delicious.

“time travel” from your couch: cue up an old MTV episode of 120 minutes and eat dunkaroos and bugles, or watch ‘80s commercials and movies while having kraft mac & cheese, etc.

i love doing this so much, especially for cozy, no-plans winter nights. youtube is a treasure trove of retro goodness!

go to a nice restaurant just to order dessert

relatedly, go to a diner counter and get a milkshake for extra whimsy.

my biggest regret was not splurging on this

buy something unhinged off of facebook marketplace (or, even better, get it for free from your community buy nothing group!)

ideally something small and strange, like a lamp or painting or wall clock.

find the nearest bulk candy store and stock up on your favorite candy

my go-to: chocolate-covered gummy bears (don’t knock ‘em ‘til you try em). it’s such a delightful treat when i spot them!

sit in a cafe and write down overheard phrases

you’d be surprised at the funny and weird things you hear when you’re eavesdropping.

wacky elementary school art teacher fit, can u see the vision

decide on a “character” for the day and dress as them

i put character in quotes because you don’t have to pick an actual fictional character (though you certainly can). i’m talking in the loosest sense of the term, like “‘grunge-loving seattle resident in the ‘90s” or “indie sleaze hipster” or “wacky elementary school art teacher.” it’s not only a fun style challenge, but introduces something new to every day!

get one adorable kitchen or home item

my gentle, easy suggestion: a sugar jar that looks like a mushroom.

play “thrift roulette” with a friend: go to a secondhand store and take turns going down the rack with your eyes closed until the other says to stop, then wear the outfits you blindly picked to a bar

i did this and filmed it a few years ago and it was incredibly fun!

get a psychic or tarot reading

what do you have to lose (except a little money?) you can always laugh if they’re totally off base, but you just might marvel at the spooky accuracy.

pick a vinyl record from the cheap/$1 bin at a record store from an artist you’ve never heard of

one of my favorite ways to discover new music! i’ve found some gems based on the cover alone (one, pictured above). and to echo the last item, you’re out a buck or two if you happen to hate it.

plan a whole just-for-fun itinerary for a random weeknight

i don’t know about you, but i tend to compartmentalize my weeknights and weekends — like, yeah, i’ll meet a friend for dinner and drinks or go to a show or event that sounds cool on a tuesday. but it’s rare that i adopt that leisurely, flitting-around energy that i have on saturdays and sundays.

one night after work last summer, i had to go to central square in cambridge, a nearby neighborhood, to take some last-minute photos of a place in my book that our photographer wasn’t able to get. while there, i decided to thrift and record shop and grab some food at this little cafe that i’d been meaning to check out. and when i tell you that short little excursion just added such texture to my day! i’ve been striving to wander and loll about during the workweek more often ever since.

send snail mail to a friend

i fully admit that i have not done this yet, but i really want to and i’m going to try to this year. amid the texting and DMs and posts, it’s so novel to get a cute handwritten note through the old-fashioned post. preferably with some stickers inside.

would love to hear your whimsical tips!