To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition, the end to which every enterprise and labour tends. — Samuel Johnson, the Rambler, No, 68.
That’s the very first quote in Gretchen Rubin’s brand new book, Happier at Home (affiliate link) which — like its predecessor The Happiness Project — is sure to be a blockbuster. The Samuel Johnson quote immediately hit home for me, because 
golly, isn’t this blog about finding happiness in our sweet little midcentury homes… about loving the house you’re in, instead of pining after what it may lack… and about giving our houses our tender loving care — so that they can give theirs back?
Crikes, sorry to get all mushy there. But in case you haven’t guessed, I am hugely enormously, gigantically, sentimental about happiness in house and home. It is kind of… all that I think about. I also just read Gretchen Rubin’s first book The Happiness Project (affiliate link) in July. I thought that the book was hugely enormously gigantically brilliant. It was a #1 New York Times best-seller for good reason. The book is NOT self-help FLUFF. This woman is a take-no-prisoners serious, avid researcher. She wrote lauded history books about Winston Churchill and John F. Kennedy before she turned to the more prosaic, yet elusive, topic of Happiness. In a nut, with The Happiness Project, she synthesized amazing amounts of research on the topic… and then… and this was the especially brilliant part: She put her findings to work in her own life, small-step-by-small-step, over a 12-month period, and chronicled her experience. The book is super easy to read, super encouraging — but at the same time, it’s deeeeeep. How often can you say that.
Now, Gretchen (I don’t think she will mind my familiarity) has followed up her first best-selling happiness book with a second one that focuses even more specifically on cultivating happiness within your home and with the creatures who may live there with you. UPDATE: Happier at Home has just hit #2 on the New York Times best-seller list, in just its FIRST week on sale. THIS BOOK IS A MUST-HAVE!
One more happy thing: Gretchen once gave a shout out to Retro Renovation on her blog — and send several hundred new visitors our way. She like the retro. Can ya believe it. I can: Retro is Happy!
Lizzie says
I am happier at home when I follow the one minute rule (and when I can get the husband to follow it too!) – anything that takes one minute or less (to put something away, clean something up, etc.) is done right away. Then all those little things aren’t building up into a whole lot of things that I shouldn’t even have to think about again!
Mia says
I’m happy at home when everyone is home!!
Ellie says
I’m happier when I have free time to look forward to. Life is much less stressful that way!
Joanne says
I am happy to enter for a chance to receive the book! Count me in!
Sarah Swanner says
I’m happier when I’m organized and have a gameplan to go by.
kristin says
I try to keep the dining table clear. It stresses me out to walk in the door and see piles all over it!
Kelly says
I am happier at home when I am cooking and “nesting”!
Ali says
I’m happier at home when its fall and I can sit on the front stoop with my husband and kitty enjoying a mug of hot chocolate and watching the sun go down! Love the giveaway!
Augusta Kantra says
When I come home from work, as I get out of my car, I lightly brush off my arms and chest as if to brush away anything that is stuck to me from the day. It’s a small energy clearing gesture that makes me smile and sets the tone for me to enter my “sanctuary”. It reminds that it is my choice alone how I choose to be. 🙂
Lauryn says
Gratitude and forgiveness have proved to be two of the most important keys to happiness in my life. Years ago, my husband and I would start asking each other, especially in the most challenging times, what we were grateful for and we were amazed at the difference it made in our lives. And the forgiveness (of ourselves as well as others) part seems to be even more important. The alternative is a hard, bitter heart, which doesn’t go very far towards happiness!!
Those two things and working in my garden make for a happy home for me … especially when the latter yields a perfect heirloom tomato!