Thank You for Toilet Paper: A History of the Little Things

From pristine soccer pitches and golf courses to your own front lawn, a well-trimmed lawn makes for wonderful memories, fun activities, and healthier grass. On today's podcast episode, we take a little bit of time for a little bit of gratitude for lawn mowers! (Even though I'm pretty sure my lawn mower hates me.) ;)

This delicious dish has been an important part of Korean cuisine for hundreds and hundreds of years! On today's episode, it's time for a little bit of love and gratitude for Kimchi!

From the boardwalk to social gatherings, saltwater taffy has appeared in many places to make life sweet. In this podcast episode, it's time for a little bit of love and gratitude for saltwater taffy!

From brown sugar to barbecue sauce and more, molasses has a long history with lots of food and a few crazy stories to boot(leg). Time for a little bit of gratitude for molasses!

From ancient Egypt to Native American dancing to schoolyard crazes, hoops, and hula hooping have given humanity a lot of joy over the years! Time for a little bit of love for hula hoops!

The future is what we make of it! As we look forward to the new year, it's time for a little bit of gratitude for the power of looking ahead! Joining us on this episode are a few voices of the future too, thanks to this week's special guests, the "cool boys in the neighborhood"!

From Germany to Japan to the Philippines and around the world, paper stars hold a special meaning, from good luck to religious symbols to lighting the windows of our homes and the way to a brighter future, there are quite a few reasons to be grateful for paper stars. Time for a little bit of love and gratitude for paper stars!

Did you know that potatoes used to be nicknamed "the devil's apples"? Turns out some of our ancestors were a little afraid of the veggie, while others had been enjoying potatoes for thousands of years. Time for a little bit of love and gratitude for potatoes!

From the White Cliffs of Dover to blackboards to toothpaste, chalk shows up in a number of delightful, surprising places. Time for a little bit of love and gratitude for chalk!

From woodworking to metalworking, to keeping slugs off your plants, there are plenty of reasons to be grateful for sandpaper!

Did you know that the first mass-produced toothbrush had its origins in prison? From using trees and sticks to electric toothbrushes, we’ve come a long way in keeping our teeth clean and smiles fresh. Time for a little bit of gratitude and love for the toothbrush.

Did you know that sunflowers were planted to help clean up after Chernobyl? Sounds like they do a little bit more than simply follow the sun. Time for a little bit of gratitude and love for sunflowers!

Did you know that New Orleans has a connection to your dental hygiene? Did you also know that humans aren't the only ones who floss their teeth? Time for a little bit of love and gratitude for dental floss!

Growing up, playing with a pinwheel in the wind was something like magic. But did you know that a pinwheel is technically also a whirligig? And whirligigs have been around since ancient China. Time for a little bit of love and gratitude for pinwheels and whirligigs!

Did you know the ice cream sundae was created to work around a law in the United States? Well, at least, that's one of the stories! From outlawed sodas to cherry syrup spread on a whim, there are a number of stories about how we got the first ice cream sundae. Time for a little bit of gratitude and love for ice cream sundaes!

Have you ever searched for a pen to make note of your brilliant, world-saving idea you had in the middle of the night? Or maybe you took a moment to write a nice note to someone? Ballpoint pens have been making it easier to connect, write, explore, take note, and more for decades! Time for a little bit of gratitude for ballpoint pens!

Did you know that Aristotle believed in cinnamon birds? And he wasn't the only one! From trade secrets to medicine to becoming a part of breakfast with cinnamon sugar toast, there are quite a few reasons to be grateful for cinnamon!

From spooky fog to cauldron brews, dry ice has been used to create a few magical effects over the years. But did you also know it can work as an effective bug trap? Time for a little bit of gratitude and love for dry ice!

Mirror, mirror on the wall, time for a little gratitude for how you've helped us all! From rearview mirrors to letting us know we've got food in our teeth, mirrors have been helping us see a little more clearly for thousands of years. Time for a little bit of love and gratitude for mirrors!

From the three little pigs to fireproofing, bricks do a lot to keep us safe. And they make for a fine pizza oven. Time for a little bit of love and gratitude for bricks!

Did you know that drinking fountains had a strong connection to the temperance movement in the US and the UK? From temperance to playgrounds, to city drinking water, there are many reasons to be grateful for drinking fountains! Time for a little love and gratitude for the handy water dispenser.

From frozen burritos to breakfast burritos to ones filled with tater tots and guacamole, there are a lot of reasons to love burritos. Let's take a little bit of time for a little bit of gratitude for burritos.

Every language has its own beauty and mystery. (I'm looking at you grammar for the mystery). And for sign language in particular, that beauty can be felt without sound. Time for a little bit of love and gratitude for sign language.

For all the times we've stubbed a toe, gotten injured on the playing field, or needed to keep food cold in the cooler, ice packs have been there to help us keep our cool. Time for a little bit of love and gratitude for ice packs!

Perfect for chill vibes and hanging out at the beach, the ukulele has been the soundtrack for a good time for over a hundred years. Time for a little bit of love and gratitude for the ukulele!