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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy.

joy smile

10 snippets of joy to bring a smile to your face.

There are so many ways humans experience and express joy .

Smiling is one way, of course. But joy can also cause us to giggle gently or laugh out loud. It might make us sigh with contentment or cry when our heart starts to overflow . We might jump for joy or dance when we're delighted.

But no matter how we share it, joy is arguably the most desirable human emotion. Is it possible to experience too much joy? Naturally, we can't expect to be in a constant, unshakable state of joy— nor would that even be healthy —but most of us want to infuse our lives with as much joy as possible.


And there are a million ways for us to do that. We might find joy in quality time with our families and friends. We might find it in nature as we soak in the wonders of our world. We might find it in the arts—painting, pottery, plays or poetry. We might find it in a baby's giggle or a child's curiosity or our favorite person's smile.

We might even find it in silly memes and adorable dog videos on the internet. It's all good. Joy comes in all shapes and sizes, and unless it's causing someone hurt or harm, joy should not be judged.

So kick back, relax and enjoy these 10 things that made us smile this week.

The energy and enthusiasm of this Texas A&M physics professor are absolutely infectious.

Dr. Tatiana Erukhimova teaches at Texas A&M University and she clearly loves her subject. See more of Dr. Erukhimova's educational and entertaining demonstrations here.

Watch how these two took the traditional father-daughter dance to a whole other level.

@bnrevell

Reason number 1838329194920 why I love my dad. 🫶🏼🥹 #thatdougietho #fatherdaughter #weddingtok

Oh. My. Goodness. Could not love this more. Read the full story here .

This decades-old outtake from 'The Carol Burnett Show' is laugh-out-loud hilarious.

It's always funny when the actors themselves can't keep it together. But what's even funnier here is that Carol Burnett had specifically told everyone to stay in character—then she was the first one to lose it. Vicki Lawrence's perfectly timed a-bomb knocking them flat was just icing on the cake. Read the details of how this scene came about here.

Grandpa's candid reaction to his first FaceTime call with his grandchild was so wholesome.

Aw, gotta love a good Gramps.

Seeing little Black girls see themselves in Halle Bailey as 'The Little Mermaid' is everything.

“https://t.co/zR9QLNuSkG”

Representation really does matter. See a whole roundup of these sweet reactions here.

Best doggo politely wipes his face after drinking water.

The most brilliant dog training idea ever.

Cat really, really wants to bite something, but mommy says no.

Such a good kitty!

Patagonia founder just gave away his $3 billion company to help fight climate change.

patagonia

Patagonia founder is giving the company away to help save the planet.

Wikipedia / Patagonia

Patagonia was already known for doing good . But now Yvon Chouinard, the 83-year-old founder of the outdoor clothing and camping gear company Patagonia , has given the $3 billion company away to a charitable trust and environmental nonprofit so that all of its profits will go toward fighting climate change. Amazing. Read more about the hows and whys of this move here.

Random New Yorkers stop to help a woman with a baby put together a new stroller.

New York gets a bad rap for being unfriendly, but those who've lived there know that kindness trumps surface manners . Love seeing humans show up for perfect strangers.

Let's leap into the weekend with the confidence and grace of this floofball.

Hope that brought a grin to your chin and a yay to your day! (Wow, that's a bit yikes , isn't it. Sorry, friends. I'm running out of ways to say I hope this post made you happy. I really hope it did.)

Keep finding joy wherever you go, and come back next week for another roundup of delights from around the internet.

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O Organics make eating organic affordable

True

Friendsgiving might have started as a novel alternative to Thanksgiving, but today it’s an American holiday in its own right.

For many, especially millennials and Gen Zers, Friendsgiving offers an opportunity to get creative with their celebrations without being obligated to outdated, even problematic traditions or having to break the bank.

However, some of us might not want to go to the extreme of only having pizza and beer. What if there were a way to balance the decadence of a traditional Thanksgiving meal while still keeping it easy and laid-back? And could we make it healthy too?

As it turns out, we can.

Here’s a super simple breakdown of what your next Friendsgiving prep could look like. An appetizer, salad, side, entree, and dessert. All done in an hour—even quicker if you assign certain dishes to different partygoers. #spreadsheetsrule

But wait, it gets better—all of these meals can be made organic at an affordable price, using O Organics® at Albertsons. O Organics helps shoppers find quality ingredients at reasonable prices every day of the year. Friendsgiving is no different.

Without further ado, let’s get cooking!

Appetizer: Charcuterie Board


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Nothing quite hits like the fancy, grown-up version of Lunchables. Crackers, meats, cheeses, and various fancy toppings that can be combined in endless ways. The easiest form of culinary creativity there is.

You already know how to make one of these bad boys, but here’s a basic template if you’re needing a dose of inspo:

Meats: Some tasty choices here are salami, prosciutto, sausage, etc. I made a smaller-scale board and decided to go with salami. If you or your friends aren’t a fan of pork, sliced turkey or smoked salmon are some yummy alternatives.

Cheese: The possibilities are endless here. You can even opt for a dairy-free cheese option!

Bread or Crackers: Artfully arranged. Speedily snacked upon. Some O Organics options here and here .

Fillers: this is where the charcuterie really shines. Fill in the spaces with splashes of color and flavor. Be sure to go for both savory and sweet. That means olives , sliced cucumbers, bell peppers, nuts , and a vibrant array of fresh or dried fruit . A yummy fruit spread doesn’t hurt either.

Time: 5 min

Salad: Squash And Feta Salad

Ingredients:

( 3-4 servings )

1 small red onion ( O Organics sells them in a bag )

1 bag O Organics frozen Butternut Squash

6 cups fresh O Organics spinach , arugula , kale , or whatever salad green you like

1/4 cup O Organics pecans

1/4 cup O Organics Extra Virgin Olive Oil

O Organics Lemon and Olive Oil Salad Dressing

Crumbled O Organics Goat Cheese

Salt and pepper

Chop some onions. Sautee them in olive oil. Add a bag of frozen squash. Dress some salad greens with dressing. Add the onions and squash. Top with pecans, cheese, salt and pepper. Badda bing badda boom.

Time: 10 minutes

Side: Autumn Seasoned Air Fryer “Roasted” Potatoes

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As any millennial will tell you, we love our air fryers. Nothing quite ticks all the quick, easy and healthy boxes quite like one. And if you haven’t yet had a perfectly crispy on the outside, buttery soft on the inside air fryer potato, then what are you waiting for?

Ingredients:

One 3 pound bag of O Organics red or russet potatoes—honestly any potato will do

2 Tablespoons O Organics olive oil

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

That’s it. No really.

Cut potatoes into one-inch pieces. Coat with olive oil. Sprinkle seasoning. Cook in an air fryer at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Toss the potatoes in the basket and continue to cook for 8-10 minutes or until tender and crisp.

Time: 20 minutes. TOPS.

Entree: Coconut Chicken Curry

cravingsomethinghealthy.com

Because who needs turkey? This one pot piéce de rèsistance is the very essence of Friendsgiving—unique, versatile and not without a little spice.

Being the entree, this dish calls for a few more ingredients, but is honestly not much more demanding. You’re basically looking at 15 minutes for prep, and about 30 minutes to simmer.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon O Organics olive oil

1 medium onion diced

2 teaspoons ginger minced

2 teaspoons green curry paste

2 teaspoons curry powder

2 cups O Organics Thai Style Curry Chicken Broth

1 large sweet potato peeled and cut into 1-inch dice

1 15-ounce can O Organics full-fat coconut milk

2 ½ cups O Organics cooked chicken breast

1 8.8 ounce package O Organics 7 Grains & Lentils Blend

1 16 ounce bag of O Organics frozen peas

½ teaspoon salt or to taste

Lime juice

Cilantro

Chopped O Organics cashews to garnish

Using a Dutch oven (or large pot with a lid), saute the onion and ginger in olive oil over medium heat, for about 4 minutes. Add the curry paste and curry powder and saute for one more minute.

Add the Thai Style Curry Chicken Broth and the diced sweet potato. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium-low and catch up with friends for 20 minutes while the dish simmers.

When the sweet potato is tender, shake the can of coconut milk well and pour it into the pot. Add the chicken, 7 Grains & Lentils Blend, and peas. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and let the curry simmer for another 10 minutes.

Congrats! You are finished. You can add salt, lime juice, cilantro, extra curry powder/paste, or garnish with roasted cashews. Each bowl is customizable.

Time: 40 min

Dessert: Holiday Kettle Corn Bark

onbetterliving.com

Of course, you can always opt for pie, but sometimes people might want to opt for something a bit more bite-sized when it comes to desserts—especially after a hefty meal. This sweet and salty finger food does the trick quite nicely.

Ingredients:

1 bag (6 oz) O Organics Kettle Corn Organic Popcorn (about 9 cups)

1 bag (10 oz) O Organics Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

8 oz white chocolate, broken into small pieces

1 cup pistachios, roasted and salted

2/3 cup O Organics Dried Cranberries

2 tbsp O Organics Organic Coconut Oil

1 tsp salt

Line a 12x17-inch baking sheet with wax or parchment paper. Spread kettle corn on the lined baking sheet in one thin single layer. Put the semi-sweet chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Drizzle the melted chocolate evenly over kettle corn, reserving about a 1/3 cup for finishing touches. Sprinkle the pistachios and cranberries over the kettle corn evenly.

Follow the same melting instructions for the white chocolate, then drizzle evenly over the kettle corn. You can follow with any remaining semi-sweet chocolate for a layered effect. Let the kettle corn stand for 5 minutes.

Place the kettle corn bark in the freezer for 10 minutes to harden. Once the bark has hardened, break into pieces.

Time: 20 minutes.

OR…if you want to make life even easier…just grab some pints of ice cream and call it a day. No judgment here.

Time: literally a few seconds to open the freezer and grab some bowls.

And there you have—a no muss, no fuss, healthy and affordable Friendsgiving spread. Spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your chosen family.

Get to your nearest Albertsons today and find everything you need to make these yummy dishes! No Albertsons in your area? You can also find O Organics products exclusively at Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, ACME, Shaw’s, Star Market, Tom Thumb, Randalls, and Pavilions.

A young woman drinking bottled water outdoors before exercising.



The Story of Bottled Water www.youtube.com

Here are six facts from the video above by The Story of Stuff Project that I'll definitely remember next time I'm tempted to buy bottled water.

1. Bottled water is more expensive than tap water (and not just a little).

via The Story of Stuff Project/YouTube


A Business Insider column noted that two-thirds of the bottled water sold in the United States is in individual 16.9-ounce bottles, which comes out to roughly $7.50 per gallon. That's about 2,000 times higher than the cost of a gallon of tap water .

And in an article in 20 Something Finance , G.E. Miller investigated the cost of bottled versus tap water for himself. He found that he could fill 4,787 20-ounce bottles with tap water for only $2.10! So if he paid $1 for a bottled water, he'd be paying 2,279 times the cost of tap.

2. Bottled water could potentially be of lower quality than tap water.

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Image from Pixabay.

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Here are three things I've learned since losing Mam:

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@jac.rsoe8/ TikTok

Some dads just get it.

There’s no shortage of stories out there showing how emotionally distant or out of touch some baby boomers can be. Younger generations are so fed up with it that they have their own catchphrase of frustration, for crying out loud.

The disconnect becomes especially visible in parenting styles. Boomers, who grew up with starkly different views on empathy, trauma and seeking help, have a reputation for being less than ideal support systems for their children when it comes to emotional issues.

But even if they often have a different way of showing it, boomer parents do have love for their children, and many try their best to be a source of comfort in some way when their kid suffers.

Occupational therapist Jacqueline ( @jac.rose8 ) recently shared a lovely example of this by posting a video of her boomer dad helping her through a divorce in the best way he knew how.

Turns out, it was the perfect thing.

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We all know that Americans pay more for healthcare than every other country in the world. But how much more?

According an American expatriate who shared the story of his ER visit in a Taiwanese hospital, Americans are being taken to the cleaners when we go to the doctor. We live in a country that claims to be the greatest in the world, but where an emergency trip to the hospital can easily bankrupt someone.

Kevin Bozeat had that fact in mind when he fell ill while living in Taiwan and needed to go to the hospital. He didn't have insurance and he had no idea how much it was going to cost him. He shared the experience in a now-viral Facebook post he called "The Horrors of Socialized Medicine: A first hand experience."

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Inside the Beatles’ messy breakup, 53 years ago

More than 50 years later, there's still more to learn about the world's greatest band.

via TM on music / Twitter

Fifty years ago, when Paul McCartney announced he had left the Beatles, the news dashed the hopes of millions of fans, while fueling false reunion rumors that persisted well into the new decade.

In a press release on April 10, 1970 for his first solo album, "McCartney," he leaked his intention to leave. In doing so, he shocked his three bandmates.

The Beatles had symbolized the great communal spirit of the era. How could they possibly come apart?

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Steps of Faith Foundation/ Youtube

Rebecca and Ted, together again.

It hasn’t even been a year since the beloved series “ Ted Lasso ,” which told the story of a kind hearted, folksy football coach and his team of believers, came to its final episode.

And yet, since the series ended, fans have yearned to have any type of chance to see some of their favorite characters come together again—which is what makes a surprise rock-n-roll duet between Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso himself, and Hannah Waddigham , who played boss and bestie Rebecca Welton.


A video quickly making the rounds online starts with Sudeikis sharing the stage with fellow “Saturday Night Live” star Will Forte, telling him “there’s nobody I would rather be singing this song with. ”

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