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

It's kept the world going for billions of years, it's the center of our solar system and can give a wicked sunburn. But more than that, the power of the sun can keep us warm, nurture crops, and even help us power our homes, cities, and airplanes! On today's podcast episode, we'll be taking a little bit of time for a little bit of gratitude for solar power!

Taking us to greater heights in the world of bread, yeast has been lifting our spirits for hundreds of years. In this podcast episode, we take a little time for a little bit of love and gratitude for baking yeast!

Taking us from buckets of water to high-powered streams, the fire hydrant has helped humanity fight fires and keep each other safe for many years. In this podcast episode, we take a little bit of time for a little bit of gratitude and love for the fire hydrant!

From nights out with co-workers or friends, to still later nights out with the true die-hards, karaoke has sparked the joy of music and convinced many of us that we can sing (even outside the shower) and has given us the spotlight for a moment while making fond memories. On this podcast episode, we take a little bit of time for love and gratitude for Karaoke and all the late-night sing-alongs we've enjoyed over the years.

From washing dishes to saving time and water to perhaps cooking a salmon dinner, there are quite a few, and even some surprising, reasons to be grateful for the dishwasher! Let's take a little bit of time for a little bit of gratitude on today's podcast episode!

From professional kitchens to our counters at home, cutting boards make life and cooking just a little bit easier! On this episode, we take a little bit of time for a little bit of gratitude for cutting boards!

From potash to baking soda and from the Native Americans to the Irish, soda bread has impacted the cuisine of quite a few countries--and it certainly makes for a delicious addition to St. Patrick's Day celebrations. On this podcast episode, we take a little bit of time for a little bit of gratitude for soda bread!

If you've ever made a shuffle ball change, a shim sham shimmy, or cramp rolls, you've played a part in the world of tap dance! From its beginnings in the US with roots in West Africa and Europe, tap dance has brought the beat for generations. In this podcast episode, we take a little bit of time for a little bit of gratitude for tap dance!

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!