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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy.

girl singing, boy with dog, dad with giggling baby

The world is filled with moments of joy.

Have you ever wondered what happens in your brain when you're smiling?

The act of smiling releases molecules in your brain called neuropeptides, which help you fight off stress. Then come smaller neurotransmitters such as serotonin (which acts as an anti-depressant) and endorphins (which provide mild pain relief). These chemicals may just be tiny molecules floating around in your brain, but they make a big difference in how you feel.

At Upworthy, we're all about small things making a big difference. Whether it's the life-giving sound of a baby's laughter, the delight of a person dancing like no one's watching or the beauty of a random act of compssion, little doses of joy can go a long way toward creating the kind and peaceful world we all want to live in.


Hope this collection of small, happy things brings some big smiles to your faces!

1. The way this baby belly laughs every time the bird chirps. Oh. My. Goodness.

There is nothing better than the sound of a baby laughing. It's just pure, unhindered joy.

2. Shop owner gifts a $700 prom dress to a girl who drove six hours to her store.

@juicybodygoddess

I didn't cry until I did edit #plussize #plussizetiktok #juicybodygoddess #plussizefashion

Summer Lucille opened her Juicy Body Goddess store precisely for moments like this. The way she hypes up her customers and helps them feel their own beauty is truly a joy to behold. See more of Lucille's stellar service and read the full story here.

3. This girl is on fire, for real.

Such confidence! Every kid deserves this kind of encouragement in their artistic expression.

4. A Fred Meyer store gave its entire Powerball bonus to the local food bank.

Fred Meyer, food bank

Fred Meyer paid their lottery bonus forward to the community.

Upworthy

Not only that, but the corporate office also gave the store associates $10,000 to celebrate. Read the full story (including how the $754 million Powerball winner who bought the ticket saw a 'sign' that won her the jackpot) here.

5. Dad shares a genius way to handle a kid drawing on the wall.

The ultimate "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" approach to parenting. Most kids will draw on a wall at some point, and while parents do have to teach when and where it's okay to draw, there's no harm in showcasing their artistry in the process.

6. Dad narrates his son's trip to the mall 'Look Who's Talking'-style and it's delightful.

@kingkeraun

Come get yall nephew ! 🙄

The voice-over comedy still hits. Way to go, Dad. Read the full story here.

7. Mom shares a perfect, real-life example of the 'Dad is RIGHT THERE' phenomenon.

@tinyann22

Moms can never get a minute of peace lol #momsoftiktok #momlife #ring #camera #kidsoftiktok

As a mom whose husband is a totally involved, hands-on parent who shares child-rearing equally, I can attest that this phenomenon is all too real no matter what. I have watched my children leave the kitchen where their father is cooking to come and ask me where to find something…in the kitchen. He's right. there. A follow-up to this video shows the dad on the ring doorbell, tablet in hand, with the kid still telling Mom the tablet isn't working. So darn funny.

8. Boy reassures rescue dog that he'll be cared for and protected, and where's my tissue?

Gulp. What a sweetheart. And what a lucky doggo.

9. Dog sneaks around on tiptoe to get what he wants and it's hilarious to witness.

Okay, Milton. That is too much. Read more about Milton's sneaky habits here.

10. Here's to the friends who immediately go in for the snuggle when they see you.

​Monkey's all, "Bring it in, buddy." Too sweet.

Feeling better with those soothing neurochemicals flooding your brain? If you'd like to get these serotonin-pumping posts delivered to your inbox each week, you can sign up for our free newsletter, The Upworthiest, here. Share the joy with someone who needs it and keep the feel-good molecules flowing!

Our home, from space.

Sixty-one years ago, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to make it into space and probably the first to experience what scientists now call the "overview effect." This change occurs when people see the world from far above and notice that it’s a place where “borders are invisible, where racial, religious and economic strife are nowhere to be seen.”

The overview effect makes man’s squabbles with one another seem incredibly petty and presents the planet as it truly is, one interconnected organism.

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The “Chili’s (Welcome To Chili’s)" singers putting it down.

Few jingles get stuck in your head as easily as the Chili's "Baby Back Ribs" song, officially known as “Chili’s (Welcome To Chili’s),” which was first broadcast in 1996. The music starts with a deep-voiced man singing, “I want my baby back, baby back, baby back,” and builds from there to a sweet and tangy crescendo of “I want my baby back ribs!”

Guy Bommarito, the songwriter who wrote the jingle, says that Chilli’s execs weren’t initially too excited by his creation. "The response was, 'Yeah, that should work.' Nobody was blown away or overly impressed," he told Delish. "But it could've been my singing."

The song was later rerecorded in 1998 by a team of studio pros who took it to the next level with their soulful professionalism. The recording session video was shared on YouTube by singer Alvin Chea, and there’s something so satisfying and nostalgic about watching these guys put it down together at the same time.

In the new version, the iconic “baby back” bassline is sung by Alvin Chea, the bass singer for Grammy-winning gospel a cappella group Take 6, who also sang on Michael Jackson’s “This is It.” Dorian Holley, in the vest and tie, sang harmonies and also worked with the King of Pop as a background singer.

Oren Waters takes the lead on the “Chili’s” line and is part of the Waters family who sang background on MJ’s “Thriller" album. Louis Price sings the “barbeque sauce” line and was the lead singer of The Temptations from 1977 to 1980.

@keepingalfoatwiththejoneses/Instagram

Inexpensive and tranquil…what's not to like?

Saving money and living comfortably don’t always go hand in hand, but people do find ways to accomplish it. Sometimes all it takes is thinking a little outside the box—getting a job that allows you to travel the world or swapping out a traditional mortgage for more creative, less costly home ideas.

Take this couple in North Carolina, for example, who gave up living on land to move into a floating cabin and apparently saved $27,500 annually by doing so.

According to Good News Network, Sarah Spiro, 27, and her boyfriend, Brandon Jones, 40, break down the math: Their one-bedroom floating home, which they bought in March 2021, originally cost less than $30,000. The pair then spent two months and $23,000 renovating, for a total initial investment of less than $50,000. And now, they pay $2,500 a year to live on the lake. Yes, you read that right. $2,500 a year. They used to pay that much per month on their combined individual rents.

Obviously, it was a “no brainer,” said Spiro.

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ACUVUE launches a new campaign to inspire Gen Z to put down their phones and follow their vision

What will you create on your social media break? Share it at #MyVisionMySight.

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If you’ve always lived in a world with social media, it can be tough to truly understand how it affects your life. One of the best ways to grasp its impact is to take a break to see what life is like without being tethered to your phone and distracted by a constant stream of notifications.

Knowing when to disconnect is becoming increasingly important as younger people are becoming aware of the adverse effects screen time can have on their eyes. According to Eyesafe Nielsen, adults are now spending 13-plus hours a day on their digital devices, a 35% increase from 2019.1. Many of us now spend more time staring at screens on a given day than we do sleeping which can impact our eye health.

Normally, you blink around 15 times per minute, however, focusing your eyes on computer screens or other digital displays have been shown to reduce your blink rate by up to 60%.2 Reduced blinking can destabilize your eyes’ tear film, causing dry, tired eyes and blurred vision.3

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Viral song hilariously imagines naming other things the way we named 'pineapple'

A clever, catchy and slightly chaotic take on the English language.

Would you like to slice some hotdoglemons into your morninggravel?

The way words get added to a language is an endlessly fascinating topic. Most English root words originate from Latin and Greek, but we also excel at borrowing from languages around the world.

Some of our words are just weird, though. For instance, "pineapple." Rather than calling the delicious yellow fruit with pokey leaves "ananas" like most of the world, our ancestors apparently took a look at one and decided, "Eh, kinda looks like a pinecone. But it's clearly a fruit. How about we call it a 'pineapple'?"

A video creator who goes by @thejazzemu made a hilarious song exploring what would happen if we named other words the way we named "pineapple"—by combining two words with "minimal conceptual link"—and it's a silly feast of musical and etymological brilliance.

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Special ring that tells people you're single created for folks tired of dating apps

The Pear ring is a new "social experiment" trying to connect folks IRL, not online.

Dating never stays the same.

Why, it feels like it was only yesterday when dating apps were the shiny new trend in the singles world. However, with life becoming increasingly more virtual, many people are looking to become less dominated by screens. As a result, folks are once again hoping to find love from an authentic connection IRL. Swiping just isn’t as romantic (or cutting edge) as it used to be.

That’s where the Pear ring comes in. Self dubbed as the “world’s biggest social experiment,” this $25 brightly colored blue ring offers something classic, with a twist. Basically, folks wear it out to signal they’re single and ready to mingle. Almost like the opposite of an engagement ring, really.
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