What is whimsymaxing? (And 30 ways to try it this week)

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Whimsymaxing means deliberately adding as much small, playful joy to ordinary days as you can. Where the trend came from, how it differs from romanticizing your life, and 30 easy ways to try it.

Woman in a blue dress playing hopscotch in the park, the Early Dismissal experience from Romanticize Collective

Whimsymaxing (also spelled whimsy-maxxing or whimsymaxxing) means deliberately adding as much small, playful joy to ordinary days as you can. Think a picnic on a Tuesday, a kite on your lunch break, or candles and a real tablecloth for a dinner of one. It took off on social media as a softer, sillier cousin of "romanticizing your life," and the point is simple: fun doesn't need an occasion.

Where the word came from

"-maxxing" is internet slang for pushing something to its max (looksmaxxing, sleepmaxxing). Then people started applying it to something much nicer: whimsy. TODAY described it as intentionally adding joy and playfulness to everyday life, and VICE called it the internet's latest feel-good trend. It shows up in home decor and fashion, but the version we love is about what you do with your days.

Whimsymaxing vs. romanticizing your life

They're siblings. Romanticizing your life is about noticing the beauty that's already there: your coffee, your walk, the light at 5pm. Whimsymaxing adds a wink. It's more playful, a little ridiculous and very much on purpose. You can romanticize your commute. You whimsymax it by wearing a tiara on it.

Why it works (the non-cringe version)

New, slightly unexpected experiences make days feel distinct instead of blurring together, and play takes the pressure off being productive for a minute. Psychologists have also found that people tend to get more lasting happiness from experiences than from things (Van Boven & Gilovich, 2003). And whimsy is cheap. Most of the ideas below cost under $10.

30 ways to whimsymax this week

At home

  1. Roll pasta by hand. Cavatelli is the easiest place to start, and flour on the counter counts as decor. (Make Nonna Proud brings the board.)
  2. Eat dinner by candlelight on a weeknight, no guests required.
  3. Pour a candle into a thrifted teacup (A Second Light).
  4. Write a letter to someone who'd never expect one. Seal it with wax if you're feeling dramatic (Love You, Mean It).
  5. Press flowers from the grocery store bouquet inside a heavy book.
  6. Make a "restaurant" menu for tonight's leftovers.
  7. Swap the ceiling light for fairy lights for one evening.
  8. Have a solo dance party to the album you loved at 16.
  9. Build a blanket fort and read in it. Yes, you're an adult. That's the point.
  10. Host a tiny tea tasting with three teas and tasting notes, sommelier style.

Outside

  1. Fly a kite. Nobody looks unhappy flying a kite.
  2. Play hopscotch in the park (chalk costs about $3), or make it a full recess with Early Dismissal.
  3. Take a walk with a mission, like finding five red doors.
  4. Pack a picnic for your lunch break.
  5. Buy yourself flowers and arrange them like you mean it.
  6. Watch the sunset from somewhere new.
  7. Leave a kind note in a library book.
  8. Go to a farmers market and buy one thing you can't name.

With friends

  1. Host a "bring your weirdest snack" night.
  2. Do a craft night where you all make the same thing, badly.
  3. Start a letter chain with your group chat.
  4. Hold a themed dinner for no reason ("Tuesday in Paris").
  5. Plan a mini field day with a picnic blanket and a three-legged race.

Alone, on purpose

  1. Take yourself on a solo hot date: get dressed up, book the table, bring a book.
  2. Order dessert first.
  3. Ride the carousel by yourself.
  4. Keep a "tiny joys" list for one week.
  5. Wear the fancy thing on a Wednesday.
  6. Plan tomorrow's breakfast like it's a hotel breakfast.
  7. Put one fun thing on your calendar every week and protect it like a meeting.

Want more? Here are 50 things to do at home instead of scrolling.

How to make whimsy a habit (when you're busy)

The hard part of whimsymaxing isn't the whimsy. It's the planning. By Thursday night, nobody wants to research a pasta recipe and buy a board and hunt down semolina.

That's why I started Romanticize Collective, the experience club designed and curated in Los Angeles. Every month we mail original surprise experiences, each with a guide I design and the core items to bring it to life, so the fun is already planned when you open it. Members have opened thousands of them. We've even taken it offline: our whimsymaxing event in Los Angeles made a local roundup of the best things to do in LA.

  • Want one a month? Single Experience Membership, $19.99/mo, pause or cancel anytime before the 20th.
  • Want one a week? Signature Membership, four wrapped experiences a month, designed like an advent calendar so you open a new one every week. From $59.99/mo with free U.S. shipping.
  • Giving it? Best of Box, our members' most loved experiences, gift ready, $69.99 one time.
  • Just curious? Try a member favorite for just $25, like Early Dismissal, our ode to playing hooky.

Whimsymaxing FAQ

What is whimsymaxing?

Whimsymaxing (also "whimsy-maxxing") means deliberately adding as much small, playful joy to ordinary days as you can: a picnic on a Tuesday, a kite in the park, a candlelit dinner for one. Romanticize Collective turns it into a habit by mailing a new whimsical experience every month, fully planned.

Is whimsymaxing just a TikTok trend?

The name is new. The idea, making ordinary days a little more fun on purpose, is not. The trend just gives people permission.

Do I need to spend money to whimsymax?

No. Most of the ideas above are free or under $10. Spending only helps when it saves you the planning.

What's the difference between whimsymaxing and romanticizing your life?

Romanticizing is noticing the beauty that's already there. Whimsymaxing is adding play on purpose. Most people do both.

What's a good whimsymaxing gift?

An experience she doesn't have to plan, like Romanticize Collective's Best of Box ($69.99, four experiences, gift ready), a single $25 experience or an eGift card.

Written by Aly Aguilar, founder of Romanticize Collective, the experience club designed and curated in Los Angeles.

Ready to try one

Experiences planned for you, shipped right away

New members get $15 off their first month of Signature membership. Order by the 20th for next month's experiences. Best of Box and $25 experiences ship right away (5 to 10 business days).

Aly here, founder of Romanticize Collective: original experiences that make ordinary days worth looking forward to again. If you want something new to look forward to each month, start with the Single membership, $19.99 plus shipping, skip or cancel anytime.

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