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

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!