Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

When I was exploring my unmet needs (blog link here), I realized I don’t play enough and I don’t laugh enough. Then a Living Life Fully mini-seminar I was listening to talked about having fun and laughter as critical elements of living a full life. That serendipity said, look into this more! Looking forward to 2026, I asked myself “How can I have more fun and laugh more?”  Or even, “How can I just smile more?”

I started with, “what did I do in 2025 that did make me smile?” It was a tough year. But I did keep tracking the things I had tracked in years past – New Experiences and Books Read.  My tracking lists are not to hit any goal, but I love lists. The new experiences list makes me consciously willing to try new things and the books read list reminds me which book club I read which book for, so I can share my finished books with others when my declutter urge hits.  And the lists also give me a way to look back and see what made me smile.

Looking back at 2025:

• I tried 37 new restaurants! Big Smile. While some were during our travels, a number were ones I had on my to-try list for a long time. Some were in the area of town we now live in, which was a conscious choice – to explore this area while we are living here. I love trying new restaurants, but I’ve realized I have a few favorite places to return to now as well.
• I read 52 books. Small Smile. It is a lower number than years past, but satisfying as pleasure reading this year was challenging for me to focus on. Being in 3 books clubs helped! And there were some comfort re-reads. I started two different series, both with female protagonists – a futuristic one I might be done with at book 9 of 21, and a historical fiction mystery series where I’m at book 7 of 18. My favorite books of the year were surprisingly in the fantasy genre – House on The Cerulean Sea and its sequel, Somewhere Beyond the Sea.
• I took 3 trips to new places!  Another Big Smile. We enjoyed our road trip to St Augustine and Charleston; loved the dry air, sunshine and blue skies of Sedona (despite a majorly sprained ankle); and walked miles exploring the monuments and museums of Washington DC. It had been a long time since we did much pleasure traveling and travel planning remains a challenge for me. But remembering all three trips did make me smile.

There were smaller new experiences that brought a smile when I reread the item – playing tambourine with CK on the drums at a jazz jam session, dressing up and going to a high-end fundraiser (thanks to JT), a beach sunset dinner date, stopping at Buc-ee’s on a road trip to Ohio (there are now 3 along the way), and (finally) having lunch out on Sparkman’s Wharf in Tampa.

As a researcher-at-heart, I then Googled “fun things to do” (yeah, AI).  No, I’m not going to start watching funny dog videos. But it jump-started a list of possibilities. Plus, I relooked at my old Jolt of Joy lists for what have I not done recently (link to old blog post on that Retirement Transition tool). 

Here’s some of those possibility ideas for creating more smiles in 2026, in no particular order:

• Start a compliments file. Document the great things people say about you to read later.
• Scratch off a lurker on your to-do list (something that’s been there for ages and I’ll never do) and celebrate the Death of the Lurker.
• Go cloud-watching. Lie on your back, relax, and watch the sky.
• Restart artist dates – this is a concept from The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. They are “self-dates” doing something that nourishes you or builds your hobby (visiting a museum or gallery, thrifting, ethnic markets, getting a facial, a solo park Awe Walk)
• Sing out loud – in the car, in the shower, around the house
• Light candles and/or diffuse essential oils
• Define a seasonal drink for myself
• Create an upbeat playlist
• Explore new area of town, which made me ask, what have I not done from my Tourist in own Town list!
• Go to an afternoon movie matinee (and yes, get the popcorn)

There are things I know I will continue in 2026 that make me smile – monthly museum dates with hubby, regular shelling beach walks, cardio drumming, tarot card readings.  And from looking at last year, some new things to put on repeat: beach sunset picnic dinner, new restaurants to try, book club book reading.  But I’ll be making an effort to add a few fun possibilities to my calendar every month going forward.

And maybe there will be more smiles and laughter and fun in 2026.

What do you do that makes you laugh and smile?

Picture: From this weekend’s Lighten Boat Parade – a fun, smile-worthy event!

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