WEBVTT - Make function fun

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is to make function fun. When you are

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<v Speaker 1>choosing a functional object, whether for yourself or as a gift,

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<v Speaker 1>let it be a source of joy and delight if

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<v Speaker 1>you can. Today's tip is inspired by Ingrid Fatil Lee's

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<v Speaker 1>book Joyful, The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to create

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<v Speaker 1>Extraordinary Happiness. In the book, Lee, a designer, enumerates ten

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<v Speaker 1>factors contributing to joy, things like abundance, play, surprise, transcendence,

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<v Speaker 1>and celebration, and she gives specific examples of items that

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<v Speaker 1>reflect each. For instance, Lee points out that confetti, polka dots, stripes,

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<v Speaker 1>strings of Christmas tree lights, even skittles tap into the

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<v Speaker 1>joy that comes from abundance. She says, balls, hula hoops,

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<v Speaker 1>googly eyes, and other round shapes evoke the joy of play.

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<v Speaker 1>The pop of a champagne cork, an inflatable tube beIN

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<v Speaker 1>like the ones you see it used. Car dealerships lead

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<v Speaker 1>the mind towards celebration. The Joyful book has lots of

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<v Speaker 1>ideas for injecting more fun and joy into your life.

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<v Speaker 1>Some of these ideas are about pure delight, like keeping

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<v Speaker 1>a drawer full of confetti, as a person described in

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<v Speaker 1>the book does. However, if you are aiming to acquire

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<v Speaker 1>less stuff, you might most practically aim to incorporate some

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<v Speaker 1>joyful aspects into everyday objects in essence you make function on.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's start with office supplies. For instance, why not keep

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<v Speaker 1>a container of felt tipped pins in a rainbow of

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<v Speaker 1>colors on your kitchen counter. There's no reason your grocery

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<v Speaker 1>list needs to be in blue ballpoint, inc When a

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<v Speaker 1>pin jar full of different colored pins can bring the

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<v Speaker 1>joy of abundance. I know someone with a bright lime

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<v Speaker 1>green stapler. Yes, it means she can identify it if

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<v Speaker 1>someone has walked off with it, but how fun to

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<v Speaker 1>see something in bright colors on a rainy day. Fun

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<v Speaker 1>coffee mugs and water bottles can be another source of joy.

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<v Speaker 1>Whimsical dish towels and cooking utensils can be delightful, and

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<v Speaker 1>whisks and cooking spoons designed to evoke people, animals or

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<v Speaker 1>plants always make me smile. There's no need to home

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<v Speaker 1>edit your whole house or apartment and put your entire

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<v Speaker 1>life into clear containers in rainbow order. But it can

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<v Speaker 1>be fun to use clear containers for brightly colored things

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<v Speaker 1>you already have, like apples, oranges, and bananas on your counter.

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<v Speaker 1>If your kids have marbles, maybe those go in a

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<v Speaker 1>glass jar, or you get a clear container so you

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<v Speaker 1>can see all of your colorful spools of thread displayed.

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<v Speaker 1>An umbrella is another great place to bring in some joy,

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<v Speaker 1>which is especially welcome on a dreary, rainy day. Go

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<v Speaker 1>for bright colors and fun patterns, or the traditional black

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<v Speaker 1>umbrella on the outside with a surprising and delightful blue

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<v Speaker 1>sky and clouds printed underneath. Especially in the winter when

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<v Speaker 1>you are wearing boots, have some fun with your socks.

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<v Speaker 1>Wool socks come in plenty of colors and patterns, so

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<v Speaker 1>why stick with solid black or gray. Consider adding some

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<v Speaker 1>pizzazz to your workout wardrobe. Two. The gym or the

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<v Speaker 1>running trail is a place where you are free from

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<v Speaker 1>any constraints of looking serious or professional, so aim to

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<v Speaker 1>dress in a way that makes you smile. The next

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<v Speaker 1>time you need to buy a functional item for yourself

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<v Speaker 1>or as a gift for someone else, choose something that

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<v Speaker 1>marries fun and function In little but meaningful ways. You

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<v Speaker 1>can add joy to your daily life and the lives

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<v Speaker 1>of those around you in the meantime. This is Laura.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of

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<v Speaker 1>our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.

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<v Speaker 1>You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else.

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<v Speaker 1>Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at

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<v Speaker 1>Before Breakfast pot that's b E the number four, then

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<v Speaker 1>breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me an

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<v Speaker 1>email at before for Breakfast podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com

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<v Speaker 1>that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.

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<v Speaker 1>Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For

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