Whimsy in Your Home: Spark Joy With Stuff

I’m all for minimalism, and I’m all for simplicity. But, there are some things in my life that I keep for pure fun. I’d never put the term “whimsy” to them until recently after reading Outer Order Inner Calm” by Gretchen Rubin. 

She talks about having items of whimsy in every room of your home. These items are just for fun. They may not have a practical purpose. They may even collect dust. But, they are there to help us bring some fun into our spaces. 

I first applied this word to situations after reading Bob Goff’s books (Love Does & Everybody Always) and listening to him talk. He talks a lot about whimsy in terms of how we love others and how we walk through life. Gretchen’s application of whimsy was in terms of finding fun things in your home for pure enjoyment and a spark of fun. What I love about both applications is that it has a light feeling. I feel more free when I think about having whimsy in my life, whether that’s in the items I let into my home or the fun act of kindness or silly action I take in my day. 

Whimsy is actually one of my favorite words in life. Whimsy reminds me that I don’t have to take life so seriously. As a recovering perfectionist, high achiever, and big-time box checker, I need constant reminders to be less serious. 

So, when I read Gretchen’s encouragement to have items of whimsy in every room of your home, I clung to this idea. I can focus on minimalism and simplicity, but still have some fun. My home doesn’t need to be sparse and empty (and let’s get one thing clear: my home is anything but sparse). I also loved her encouragement of items of whimsy because I realized I had already been doing that. It was a fun walk-through my home to see what items I had for that whimsy factor. 

Do you have things in your life that are there for fun and there for whimsy? Take a quick glance around your space to see if you have anything that sparks joy and life.