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10 things that made us smile this week

uplifting, happy, joy

From puppies riding roosters to puppy panda costumes, here are 10 reasons to smile this week.

I don't know about you, but all of this [gestures widely at the general state of things] has been getting to me a bit lately. And when that happens, I've learned that the best way to pull myself out of the funk is to find joy in simple things. The fleeting colors of a beautiful sunrise. The hilarious quirkiness of my cats. The sound of my kids' laughter.

Big happiness can be found in little things, especially when you add a bunch of them together.

So without further ado, here are 10 things that can bring us all some joy as we head into our weekend.


A puppy riding a rooster is the unexpected therapy we all need.

What is even happening here? How did these puppies and roosters meet? When did they become friends? Who knew a rooster would ever do anything like this? So many questions, but honestly, who cares. It's friggin' adorable.

You can see the exact moment this cat says, "Oh crap," and it's just perfection. 

It's the cat's Jim Halpert stare at the camera at the 10-second mark that pushes this video over the edge. Hilarious.

Spanx founder surprised her 500 employees with two first-class plane tickets and $10,000.

After selling the majority share of her company, Sara Blakely shared the wealth with her workers in the form of two first-class plane tickets and $10,000 to spend wherever they went. An awesome example of taking care of the people who help you build success. Rock on, Sara Blakely. Read the story here.

A dad of an autistic boy shared how a U.K. football club made him feel at home.

Emirates Stadium has a sensory room for autistic spectators and others with sensory sensitivities.

Arsenal/Twitter, @TheresYourDC/Twitter

A dad took his autistic son to an Arsenal football game, and when he became overstimulated, he was going to take him home. But a kind employee intervened and took them to the club's sensory room, which is set up for people who might experience sensory overload at the game. Read about this beautiful example of inclusion here.

Every parent has experienced the planking baby vs. carseat fiasco. Too familiar, and too funny. 

@benandlex

Light as a feather, stiff as a board! #TargetHalloween #carseat #uppababy

Seriously, when they do this it's nearly impossible to get them to bend without feeling like you're going to break them. It's like a superhuman ability all babies are born with.

Awesome teacher wrote an official letter to the tooth fairy on behalf of a student who threw away their tooth.

It's even on official school letterhead! Gotta love a grown-up dedicated to keeping magic alive for kids.

Chris Evans' giddiness over playing Buzz Lightyear is the most delightful thing ever.

Chris Evans can't contain his delight at getting to play his dream role.

Chris Evans/Twitter

You'd think playing the studly superhero Captain America would be the pinnacle of an actor's career, but Chris Evans has never gushed over that role like he has over getting to play Buzz Lightyear in Pixar's upcoming film, "Lightyear." Check out how he talks about playing his dream role here.

These twin toddlers giggling their way through their first Target experience are all of us.

@savyjane

It’s @target right? 🎯 #myheros #preemiestrong #micropreemie #medicalmom #thattwinlife #twins #laughter #smiletoday #foryourpage #fyp

This is the soundtrack in my head every time I get to peruse the perfectly organized aisles of Target by myself. Target is magical.

A kid wanted her "most precious" rock to be put on display at the museum. Mission accomplished.

The plaque reads, "On 23rd August 2019, Bethan visited Poole Museum. After talking with her mum about what museums do, Bethan decided she wanted to donate her 'most precious' rock to the museum. She asked that we put it behind glass and look after it, so that everyone could see and enjoy it."

This is the way. Well done, Poole Museum.

Puppy pandas. I REPEAT. PUPPY. PANDAS. 

And just when you think it can't get better, puppy lions show up. This is seriously the greatest thing I've ever seen.

If that last video alone didn't make you smile, please seek help.

Hope that brought a little sunshine to your day. Come back next week for another roundup of joy and delight!

Pop Culture

Michelle Yeoh gave a perfect response to being rushed through her Golden Globes speech

Her reaction to the music cue was immediate, authoritative and hilarious.

Michelle Yeoh has been acting in films for 40 years.

Michelle Yeoh won the award for Best Actress in a Comedy at the 2023 Golden Globes for her leading role as Evelyn Wang in the acclaimed film "Everything Everywhere All at Once." It was a moment the actress had been waiting 40 years to have, and she wasn't about to let anyone rush her through it.

Yeoh, 60, has been acting in action films in Hong Kong since the 1980s and in the U.S. since the late '90s, kicking martial arts butt alongside the likes of Jet Li, Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan's 007. With major roles in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Crazy Rich Asians," among other films, she's become a well-recognized face to any regular filmgoer. But until "Everything Everywhere All at Once," she had never played the lead role in a Hollywood film.

Winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy was Yeoh's moment to revel in her success after decades of uphill battles as an Asian actress in an industry filled with underrepresentation and misrepresentation. So when the music cue indicated she needed to wrap up her acceptance speech at the two-minute mark, she simply wasn't having it.

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Years ago India opened a first of its kind elephant hospital and it's adorable.

“Today, for the first time, we can offer them a place where we can heal them."

Photo pulled from Youtube video

With numbers dwindling conservationist take amazing action.

This article originally appeared on 11.27.18


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Injured, sick, rescued, and elderly elephants now have a home to receive the care that they need. The facility is run by non-profit Wildlife SOS. Wildlife SOS also runs a conservation and care center near the newly opened hospital, and is currently home to 22 elephants.

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Education

A school assignment asked for 3 benefits of slavery. This kid gave the only good answer.

The school assignment was intended to spark debate and discussion — but isn't that part of the problem?

A school assignment asked for 3 "good" reasons for slavery.

This article originally appeared on 01.12.18


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Connecticut family gets a furry surprise when they find a hibernating bear under their deck

When Vincent Dashukewich took a peek under the deck, a sleepy black bear was staring back at him.

Photo by Chris Tellez on Unsplash

Family finds hibernating bear under their deck.

Bears are cute, even the giant grizzly bears that would probably eat you if given the chance. There's something about them being chubby and fluffy that makes you want to snuggle them. But most people, wisely, wouldn't dare to get close to one because humans have pretty keen survival skills that override the cuteness factor.

But as humans continue to encroach on natural animal habitats, there are more and more reports of interactions with bears. Mostly bears getting into trash cans or opening car doors while everyone is tucked in their beds, sound asleep. Recently, a Connecticut family found themselves unexpectedly face to face with a hibernating bear.

When Vincent Dashukewich took his dog out, she started acting strangely and growling at something under the pool deck. Surprisingly, when Dashukewich took a peek under the deck, a sleepy black bear was staring back at him. That's certainly a sight that will get your heart pumping.

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Mom hilariously thinks a church event is a birthday party for a child named Jésus

'It’s so weird. There was nowhere on there for me to RSVP.'

Mom hilariously thinks a charity event is a birthday party.

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You see the invitation, ask your kid if they're friends with the person the party is for and if they answer in the affirmative, you RSVP for a tiny human's birthday bash. It becomes like a reflex. But for mom Tasha Salyer on TikTok, that reflex got her into a confusing, yet hilarious situation.

Salyer uploaded a video of herself explaining to a table full of people how she ended up at the charity event instead of a child's birthday party. People at the table couldn't contain their laughter as the story went on. Apparently, Salyer picked up the invitation out of her daughter's cubby at daycare and confirmed with her daughter that she actually knew the child, Jésus.

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