Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy.

woman with dog, teacher in classroom, twins in crib

Upworthy/Instagram , @primrosetheband/TikTok, @thattwinmama_/TikTok

10 reasons to smile

Did you know that August 26 was National Dog Day? I'm more of a cat person, but I do appreciate other people's good doggos, and we have a whole collection of sweet pupper videos as just one of our 10 things that made us smile this week!

We also have a hilarious wedding album mishap, an adorable twin baby reunion, a mom's delightful prank on her college freshman, a try-not-to-laugh Magic Flute Challenge and more.

We could all use more reasons to smile, so kick back, relax and enjoy this week's roundup of joy!

1. Mom's mishap with her daughter's wedding album has everyone in stitches

@niki_nibs
Our mother is single handedly the most hilarious person we know, and its usually completely on accident. Favorite wedding gift EVER!!! @shutterfly #shutterfly

This will be hilarious for as long as they both shall live. Check out the full story here.

2. Dapper British man offers strangers "devastatingly effective' compliments

@troy_hawke
Complimenting strangers in Notting Hill. Try it for yourself with Compliments on @Bumble #troyhawke #nottinghill #bumble #ad #compliments

What if we all perfected the art of the compliment? Read more about Troy Hawke here.

3. Scroll through some pupworthy adorableness from our National Dog Day roundup

See on Instagram

So much doggo love.

4. Baby twins were separated for the first time ever and their nighttime reunion was so sweet

@thattwinmama_
Will forever make me😭… cant think of anything stronger than the #twinbond ❤️ #twinsoftiktok #twins #twinsisters #babylife #twinlove #sisterlove #feelgood #babiesoftiktok #sharethelove #newmom #4u #sistersforever

There's no bond like a twin bond. Read the full story here.

5. Mom pranks her college freshman son with a full-size cutout of her for his dorm room

@jillwagner81
@Hakin Wagner Dad and i are always with you😂 #maryville #moveinday #college

I mean, he did say he wanted posters. Tee hee. Read the full story here .

6. Someone felt guilty that their birth played a role in their mom's passing, and a mom offered the best response

See on Instagram

Speaking as a mom, YES. Exactly that.

7. Try not to laugh at this Magic Flute Challenge video (sound up from the beginning)

How long would you last? I lost it at the strangled rooster 😆
by u/enacheionut1991 in ContagiousLaughter

Watch each person's face. So dang funny. See more Magic Flute Challenge fun here.

8. Teacher gets his students' attention with the most awesome call-and-response prompts

@primrosetheband
Gotta find creative ways to get them to listen! #teacher #musicschool #teacher #primrose

WRESTLE WITH JIMMY! Weezer simply has to be part of a well-rounded education. Read the full story here.

9. She was about to go live when a kid interrupted for the cutest reason

See on Instagram

Aw, kids are the best. Everybody needs a hug sometimes.

10. Glide your way through the weekend like this loon landing on a lake

— (@)

Seriously, that's one of the most satisfying videos I've ever seen in my life.

If you loved this roundup, I have some fabulous news. You can get these posts delivered to your inbox each week simply by signing up for The Upworthiest, our free newsletter, here.

Keep smiling, everyone!

uplifting

Joy

Unlikely couple falls in love after man rents woman’s spare room as an Airbnb

The funny thing about love is that the person we fall in love with, more often than not, we run into by accident. Another strange twist is that the love of our life is likely to show up when we least expect it.

The following story, which feels like the promise of a hit rom-com, comes courtesy of a twist of fate created by the World Cup and an Airbnb.

In 2013, after six years of battling an illness, Ana was living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Having been financially drained by years of being sick, she invested the last of her money to buy two bunk beds and convert one of her bedrooms into an Airbnb for small groups of friends.

The Airbnb was a last-ditch effort to pay her rent and medical bills. A year later, the modest investment grew into a success, Ana’s health began to return, and the World Cup, one of the largest sporting events in the world, was coming to Rio.

To take advantage of the soccer fanatics flocking to the Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvelous City), Ana and her roommate, Fabio, turned a half room in their apartment into an Airbnb rental to give tired soccer fans a place to sleep.

“Though it was a small (pantry!) room, we added a bunk bed and listed two beds on Airbnb. One day after the listing went live, we had tons of requests for ‘Fabio’s Pantry,’” she shared. “It was fully booked for the entire World Cup period except for one week in July.”

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Around this time, Ana was feeling well enough to go on her first vacation in years and took a quick trip to Uruguay. Just before she left, Ana received a reservation from a man named "Darko B." for the only unbooked days in July.

“I have always been a big fan of the movie ‘Donnie Darko’ and thought it was a strange coincidence, but didn't think anything of it,” Ana wrote. “I accepted the request, let him know I would not be there for check-in and Fabio would care for him until I was back the following week.”

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travel

Family

A letter to my mother-in-law who spoiled my sons

"It's pointless to dwell on regrets, but I often think about how I had it all wrong. I was so wrong in how I perceived your generosity."

Tina Platamura

You always stole my thunder. You gave them everything they wanted. You never said no when they asked for anything.

Tina Platamura

A second helping of dessert. Candy before dinner. A few more minutes in the bath. Money for the ice cream truck.

I struggled to show you respect and appreciation while trying to make sure you didn't spoil my children. I thought you would turn them into “selfish brats" by giving them everything they wanted. I thought they might never learn to wait, to take turns, to share, because you granted their wishes as soon as they opened their mouths and pointed.

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Joy

Video of cats punching above their weight gives us a new appreciation for our feline friends

Maybe they're actually as superior as they think they are.

Photo by 傅甬华 on Unsplash

Cats are far more badass than we give them credit for.

Cats have a reputation for being aloof and standoffish, like they're better than everyone and simply can't be bothered. Those of us who have cats know they're not always like that … but yes, they're sometimes like that. They can be sweet and affectionate, but they want affection on their terms, they want to eat and play and sleep on their own clock, and we puny, inferior humans have little say in the matter.

There's a reason why we have obedience schools for dogs and not for cats. Maine coon or Bengal, Savannah or Siamese, ragdoll or sphynx, domestic cats of all breeds are largely untrainable little punks who lure us into loving them by blessing us with the honor of stroking their fur and hearing them purr.

But perhaps we assume too much when we think cats are full of themselves for no good reason. Maybe they are actually somewhat justified in their snootiness. Maybe they really, truly are superior to pretty much every other creature on Earth and that's why they act like it.

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cats

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy.

1. Mom's mishap with her daughter's wedding album has everyone in stitches

2. Dapper British man offers strangers "devastatingly effective' compliments

3. Scroll through some pupworthy adorableness from our National Dog Day roundup

4. Baby twins were separated for the first time ever and their nighttime reunion was so sweet

5. Mom pranks her college freshman son with a full-size cutout of her for his dorm room

6. Someone felt guilty that their birth played a role in their mom's passing, and a mom offered the best response

7. Try not to laugh at this Magic Flute Challenge video (sound up from the beginning)

8. Teacher gets his students' attention with the most awesome call-and-response prompts

9. She was about to go live when a kid interrupted for the cutest reason

10. Glide your way through the weekend like this loon landing on a lake

"It's pointless to dwell on regrets, but I often think about how I had it all wrong. I was so wrong in how I perceived your generosity."

You always stole my thunder. You gave them everything they wanted. You never said no when they asked for anything.

Until you were gone.

My kids, now in their teens, miss you dearly. And they don't miss your gifts or your money. They miss you.

The more I long for you to come back, though, the more I realize that in a way, you never left.

Help unlock your child's best self with a few tried-and-true strategies.

A lot of parents are tired of being told how technology is screwing up their kids.

But beneath the madness of modernity, the basics of raising a moral child haven't really changed.

1) Hang out with your kids.

2) If it matters, say it out loud.

3) Show your child how to "work it out."

4) Make helpfulness and gratitude routine.

5) Check your child's destructive emotions.

6) Show your kids the bigger picture.

Her viral video sparked a debate as to whether or not providing school supplies should be mandatory for parents.

Birth is intense. It's also beautiful.

When San Francisco photographer Lisa Robinson was about to have her second child, she was both excited and nervous.

Normally, Lisa takes portraits and does wedding photography, so she knew the logistics of being her own birth photographer would be a somewhat precarious new adventure — to say the least.

In the hospital, she realized it was a lot harder to hold her camera steady than she initially thought it would be.

The shots she ended up getting speak for themselves:

In the end, Lisa was so glad she went through with her experiment. She got incredible pictures — and it actually did make her labor easier.

Lisa's mom took this last one.

"The flavor of the wooden spoon haunts me to this day."

Maybe they're actually as superior as they think they are.