The Most Fun Ways to Live Like a Gilmore Girl
How to Live Like a Gilmore Girl
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I’m not sure I can describe my excitement in writing this post. Even though we’re at the height of summer, I thought this would be a fun halfway to fall post. When you think of Gilmore Girls, you probably think of fall. However, I’m happy to tell you that you can live like a Gilmore Girl any day of the year. I am finishing up my TENTH year of watching Gilmore Girls. Sure, you can call me crazy, but it’s a craziness I fully embrace beginning every year on September 1. I usually finish sometime during summer, which gives me about a two-month break before starting up again. If you, too, are on hiatus from watching the show, I hope you can use the ideas in this post to inspire you to embrace a little bit of Rory and Lorelai every day.
If you love this post, consider checking out some of my other content:
HOW TO THROW THE ULTIMATE GILMORE GIRLS FALL PARTY
19 REASONS TO GET EXCITED ABOUT FALL
14 WAYS TO CELEBRATE FALL IN A SMALL TOWN
HOW TO DEINFLUENCE YOUR LIVE AND LIVE MORE SIMPLY
10 REASONS TO LOVE LIVING IN A SMALL TOWN
Drink a lot of coffee.
If you want to live like a Gilmore Girl, you must drink coffee and you must drink it strong. Throughout the show, Rory and Lorelai can be seen drinking coffee in pretty much every episode. It’s a staple throughout the show and it’s an absolute must for true Gilmore Girls fans. The Warner Brothers Studio website carries Scotty P’s Big Mug Coffee. Scott Patterson, who plays Luke, launched a coffee company and he now makes Gilmore Girls’ themed coffee! After you get some for yourself, grab a cute Gilmore Girls’ inspired mug. I especially like this one and this one.
Eat junk food on a regular basis.
Ok, I’m not actually being serious, but it makes sense, that if you want to live like a Gilmore Girl, you must include junk food in your diet. Some of Rory’s and Lorelai’s favorite unhealthy treats include Pop Tarts, pizza, Chinese takeout, tater tots, tacos, donuts, danishes, and just about anything else that comes in a box or package. Obviously, eating like this regularly is a recipe for disaster (pun intended 😉), so I don’t advise mimicking their eating habits too often. However, if you want to eat like a Gilmore, you can either grab a copy of the Official Cookbook or peruse through the Eating Gilmore website for recipes fashioned after what the characters ate in the show.
Read books of many genres.
Over and over again, we see the characters in the show reading. Although Rory is known for her love of literature, we see many other characters gobbling up the written word as well: Richard, Emily, Lorelai, Max, Dean, Jess, Paris, and Logan among others. I love that the creators made these characters well-rounded and educated rather than shallow and vapid. If you want to live like a Gilmore Girl, you must read and you must read across multiple genres. Rory reads many books, but often returns to the classics. Jess is known for enjoying beatnik authors such as Allen Ginsberg. Richard loves history. Whatever you choose to read, read a lot and read books that are rich in content and language. Check out this fun reading Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge from the Candid Cover.
Embrace a defined style with hints of quirkiness.
If you have seen Gilmore Girls at least once, you know Lorelai is known for her quirky style, both in fashion and in her house. You may remember her tie dye t-shirt and cowboy boots during Rory’s first day at Chilton. We also can’t forget her Juicy sweatpants or the B52s t-shirt she wore to Rory’s parents’ night because she spilled coffee on her more appropriate shirt. Lorelai was known for having a mix of professional and quirky when it comes to her clothes. Her house was also a complement to her style, mixing her its vintage charm with fun elements like the famous painting in the entryway and the monkey lamp. To live like a Gilmore Girl, heighten your style with fun items that add in some quirkiness. For some inspiration, check out this Gilmore Girls style book.
Live in (or visit) a small town but have big dreams.
As someone who grew up in a small town, I understand the mindsets of people who live in a small town. It’s charming and comfortable and that is such a beautiful thing. Those who live in small towns typically have to be ok with driving 20+ minutes to the nearest Target, assuming there’s one that close! It takes a certain person to love this lifestyle (I’m one of them), so to live like a Gilmore Girl, you should be ok with living in a small town that’s not super close to convenience. The alternative is to enjoy visiting small towns, but it’s really not the same unless you live in one.
At the same time, even though Rory and Lorelai loved living in Stars Hollow, they had big dreams. Since the first season, Lorelai talked about owning her own inn with Sookie and Rory dreamed of going to an Ivy League school to study journalism. They might not have lived in a big city, but they sure knew how to dream big. Even if you live in a small town, the show shows us that it’s ok to dream big and to go after what you want.
Talk fast and do it on a regular basis.
One schtick within the show was the Gilmore girls’ ability to talk fast. In fact, if you listen to Scott Patterson’s podcast, I’m All In, there are a few interviews which talk about the actors having to say their lines but speed them up to keep with the tempo of the show. Lauren Graham’s book is even titled, Talking As Fast As I Can. If you want to live like a Gilmore Girl, you’ll have to learn to talk fast and also gesticulate while you talk. Even better, make it so you talk in circles so no one can understand what you’re saying.
Attend cute and quirky festivals and events.
You can’t live like a Gilmore Girl without attending some kind of festival or event. I’m not talking about festivals in big cities (which are seriously lame-o). I’m talking about the charming festivals only known to small townsfolk. Among the many festivals featured in the show, some favorites are the Firelight Festival, the Autumn Festival, the Festival of Living Art, and the Winter Carnival. If you live in a small town, attending a town festival is like a rite of passage into residency. In my own small town, you can expect to attend events such as the annual Town Fair, Strawberry Social, Pirate Fest, Grinchmas, and Valentine’s Day candy scavenger hunt. Take your pick and make sure to join in the fun.
Embrace seasonal living, especially fall.
Gilmore Girls is a very seasonal show. The transitions between each season are very clear and the girls love to live seasonally, especially during fall and winter. Rory was born in October (during a snowstorm) and Lorelai loves winter. In fact, she can smell snow! (IYKYK). If you want to live like a Gilmore Girl, you must embrace the seasons. While this is mostly captured through fashion, scenery, and activities in the show, you can also live seasonally by cooking or eating seasonal foods.
Live like it’s the year 2000.
Gilmore Girls aired in October 2000. Kind of fittingly perfect, huh? Every time I watch it, it’s so nostalgic, especially the first three seasons. The show is filled with things like oversized sweaters, Doc Martens, fishermen hats, bandanas, chokers, flip phones, and trips to the mall, along with great music. The 90s and early 2000s styles have been making a comeback, so this is one great way to live like it’s the 2000s. You can also downgrade from a smartphone to a flip phone and make real, in-person connections. Throw on a great playlist from the 2000s era, but make sure it does not include Michelle Branch, Avril Lavigne, or NSYNC for Lane’s or Rory’s sakes!
Go to the mall and shop ‘til you drop!
Malls have declined in popularity over the last decade, but as a kid of the 90s and 2000s, I can attest to their popularity that once was. Malls acted as not just a place to shop, but as a place to get some crappy Chinese takeout and spend time with your friends. Also, going into FYE to see the newest CD releases was a must. Like the Gilmore Girls in “Scene in a Mall,” I often could only afford to window shop or purchase items with a limited budget. Even so, there was something about regularly going to the mall that was so much fun. If you wanna live like a Gilmore Girl, make sure you take regular shopping trips, even if it’s just window shopping.
Spend quality time with your closest friend.
Friendship is a main theme in the show. Rory has Lane and Lorelai has Sookie. While the girls do have other friends, it’s clear that these are the girls’ best friends. In order to live like a Gilmore Girl, it’s important to prioritize your friendship with your own best friend. As much as Lorelai loves to be social and talk to people, nothing compares to her relationship with Sookie. Some of the most special moments in the show are when we see the two connecting with their best friends, sharing moments of heartbreak, love, pregnancy announcements, and successful wins. So, go spend time with your best friend, and bonus points if her house is close enough to walk to.
Learn to take risks.
What is life if not for being allowed to take risks? I love that, while Stars Hollow offers such a safe and comfortable haven for the Gilmore girls, they also take risks throughout the show. Lorelai goes after her dreams of owning an inn. Rory transfers to Chilton in hopes of it allowing her to pursue Harvard. Harvard turns into Yale. Rory jumps off an insanely high scaffolding with just a tiny harness. Time and time again, though, we see these two fail, only to get back up and keep trying. Even if it did take Rory almost half a season to realize Mitchum Huntzberger is just a jackwagon who has no power over her. Taking risks is a part of life and it’s important to do so (safely, of course!). Risks help us grow and move forward in life.
Be a regular at your local coffee shop or diner.
This might be my personal favorite way to live like a Gilmore Girl. Make sure you become a local at a nearby coffee shop or diner. Starbucks and other chains don’t count. It also makes it a little easier if you live in a small town where plenty of the residents know who you are. Either way, having a café you can frequent where the owner and/or employees know you by name is a fun feeling. It helps build a sense of community. In small towns, residents and business owners heavily rely on this sense of community to keep the town’s economy growing. If you’re not a resident of a small town but are just passing through, be sure to stop at a locally-owned shop and help support small businesses! If you’re ever in the Lancaster County, PA area, check out New Holland Coffee. Some of the best coffee in Pennsylvania can be found here.
Listen to some awesome, not-too-well-known bands.
Gilmore Girls is filled with great music that was current at the time. Yes, it featured very famous artists such as the La La’s, the Bangles, and Blondie. However, the show was known for its not as well known bands like XTC, Grant-Lee Phillips, Sam Phillips, Nick Drake, and Mazzy Star. When it did feature well-known artists, they were more alternative and quirky artists like Elvis Costello, David Bowie, and Claudine Longet. Check out my Gilmore Girls’ playlist, which features many of the songs played in the show.
Plan a Lorelai-worthy party.
When Rory was little, she and Lorelai may not have had much money, but Lorelai always made Rory’s birthday parties a lot of fun. Whether it was the astronaut themed birthday, Rory’s 16th birthday, Rory’s Asia party when she wasn’t able to go with Logan, or when she stepped in to save April’s party, Lorelai knew how to have a good time. To live like a Gilmore Girl, it’s important to plan a birthday party that would make the Gilmores proud. The most important parts of a Gilmore party include lots of friends and unique ideas that don’t cost a lot of money (Except maybe Rory’s Asia party). A fun idea is to plan your own Gilmore Girls’ themed party!
Watch movies of all kinds, definitely ones no one knows about.
Another major element in the show is the many movies Lorelai and Rory watch. None of them seem to be very mainstream and some are even just downright strange. Take for example, Riding the Bus with My Sister or Tears and Laughter: The Joan and Melissa Rivers Story. While the Gilmore girls love classics like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and The Godfather series, they tend to pick movies that others don’t know. And knowing their personalities, this is very much on purpose. I have a feeling they would now be watching Wes Anderson films more for the entertainment and less for the art. Grab a quirky movie that no one has heard of and I’m sure Lorelai and Rory would be proud.
Stand up for what you believe in.
Lastly, in order to live like a Gilmore Girl, you must stand up for what you believe in. One quality that stands out amongst both Lorelai and Rory is their self-assuredness. They know who they are and are not afraid to let others see that or try to get in the way of it. Sometimes it becomes a detriment, but most times, it shows their courage. Rory stands up to Headmaster Charleston after she tries to make friends and gets pulled in to a prank gone very wrong. Lorelai does make some poor choices regarding her relationships, but she’s never afraid to realize what she truly wants in life and stick to those ideals. While not all of their decisions are good or right, they are always willing to live by their values.
If you love this post, consider checking out some of my other content:
HOW TO THROW THE ULTIMATE GILMORE GIRLS FALL PARTY
19 REASONS TO GET EXCITED ABOUT FALL
14 WAYS TO CELEBRATE FALL IN A SMALL TOWN
HOW TO DEINFLUENCE YOUR LIVE AND LIVE MORE SIMPLY
10 REASONS TO LOVE LIVING IN A SMALL TOWN
Well, I hope you enjoyed these suggestions for how to live like a Gilmore Girl! How many of these do you practice on a regular basis? Are there ones that I didn’t include that you would add? I’d love to hear! Until next time, Kayla.