+
upworthy
Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy

huskies, a boy dancing, a toddler making a tall woman

From dogs to dancers, we've got a whole list of smile-worthy finds.

Have you ever wondered if laughter counts as exercise? After all, your heart rate increases, your muscles seize up and sometimes you can't even breathe. That sure sounds like exercise.

Actually, laughter does burn extra calories. If you can keep the giggles going for 10-15 minutes, you can burn 40 calories. Do that a few times a day, and you've not only gotten in a decent burn for not a lot of work, but you've also given your immune system a boost and lowered your blood sugar levels.

If you're looking for a laugh, we've got a few things here that ought to do the trick. And we've got a bunch of other things that are definitely worth smiling about, so if you could use a mood boost, we've got you.

Enjoy!


1. Watch this papa singing to his baby boy during a 'Ragtime' rehearsal

Pardon me, but my ovaries just exploded. Next.

2. Dad proudly shows off his yo-yo moves and it's seriously impressive

The ski lift? Are you kidding me?

3. Owner of three huskies realizes she's the problem as they escalate into full husky mode

@tikanni.kita.n.tehya

When you finally realize you’re the problem #fypシ #huskylife #foryoupage #funnydogs #siren #howling #howl #dogcomedy #dogsvideo #cutedog #howlingwolf #viral #dog #husky #humor #doghumor #chaos #imtheproblem

How dare she ask such a question! Fluff outta here, Karen. (Also, why are huskies so very extra?)

4. Woman mistakes a stranger for someone she knows in the most epically embarrassing way possible

@mustlovedogskc

This is what happens when you’re a hugger! #Mybad #whoopsieDaisies #comedy #laughing #fyp

"Who does that? Me." Can you even imagine? Read the full story here.

5. Speaking of embarrassment, check out this kid's awesome response to his mom trying to embarrass him at school pickup

That kid's gonna go far in life. Love it.

6. Andy Grammer shares how he 'goes on offense' against grief and it's utterly heartwarming

@podcrushed

Go on offense with grief 🖤 #grief #loss #lossofaparent

Such a beautiful approach to navigating grief. Read the full story here.

7. People are having a chuckle over the notes a previous homeowner left during a bathroom remodel

"What's wrong with the way we did it?!?!?" HA. Swipe to see the bunny, too! Gotta love a couple with a sense of humor. Read the full story here.

8. Baby becomes 'tall woman' and her facial expressions are on point

@messijross

She living her best life

Adorable. Read the full story here.

9. This kid's got smooth dance moves for days

He's so serious about it, too. So good.

10. Heyyyy, introverts who let their freak flag fly around their select few, we see you

"If only people could see you now." We all know—or perhaps are—one of these people. Reserved in public, goofballs in private. Gotta love it.

If you enjoyed this post and want to see more of them right in your inbox, sign up for our free newsletter, "The Upworthiest," here.

Keep smiling, everyone!

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.”

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.”

Keep ReadingShow less

Strikers, Ludlow Tent Colony, 1914.

The early 1900s were a time of great social upheaval in our country. During the years leading up to the Ludlow Massacre, miners all around the country looking to make a better life for themselves and their families set up picket lines, organized massive parades and rallies, and even took up arms. Some died.

It's always worth considering why history like this was never taught in school before. Could it be that the powers that be would rather keep this kind of thing under wraps?

Keep ReadingShow less
Family

Did this woman drop the greatest breastfeeding response of all time?

Another woman was attempting to publicly shame her.

Photo cropped from Facebook page.

Everyone eats sexualized or not.

When it comes to breasts, Americans really have it twisted. We've sexualized them to such a point we no longer see them for their main purpose: feeding babies.

This disconnect is so extreme that when women breastfeed their children in public they are often met with scorn or shame.

Keep ReadingShow less

This isn’t comfortable to talk about.


Trigger warning for discussion of sexual assault and violence.


A recent video by Just Not Sports took two prominent female sportswriters and had regular guys* read the awful abuse they receive online aloud.

Sportswriters Sarah Spain and Julie DiCaro sat by as men read some of the most vile tweets they receive on a daily basis. See how long you can last watching it.

Keep ReadingShow less
Family

This is the best mother-daughter chat about the tampon aisle ever. Period.

A hilarious conversation about "the vagina zone" turned into an important message about patriarchy from mother to daughter.

A mother and daughter discuss period products.


Belinda Hankins and her 13-year-old daughter, Bella, seem to have a great relationship, one that is often played out over text message.

Sure they play around like most teens and parents do, but in between the joking and stealing of desserts, they're incredibly open and honest with each other. This is key, especially since Melinda is a single parent and thus is the designated teacher of "the ways of the world."

But, wow, she is a champ at doing just that in the chillest way possible. Of course, it helps having an incredibly self-aware daughter who has grown up knowing she can be super real with her mom.

Case in point, this truly epic text exchange took place over the weekend while Bella was hunting for tampons at the store.

Keep ReadingShow less
Science

A study found 4 different categories of couples. Where do you belong?

What if I told you someone did find a way to "categorize" your love style but with actual real science?

This movie couple definitely could have used some healthy therapy.

Ever fallen into one of those Internet dating quizzes? You know, the ones that promise to categorize you? Like "what your astrological sign says about your relationship style."

They can be fun, but we all know they're mostly fluff.

What if I told you someone did find a way to "categorize" your love style but with actual real science?

Keep ReadingShow less
Pop Culture

15 nightmare situations, according to introverts

Does anyone actually like networking events?

Photo by Ryan Snaadt on Unsplash

The only thing worse than a party—the afterparty.

The concept of being an introvert versus an extrovert is a fairly new one. Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung first came up with both terms in the early 1900s, and from the get-go, it was understood that people’s personalities generally fell somewhere between the two extremes.

Nowadays introverts are often mislabeled as being antisocial, which isn’t necessarily true. Going off of the Jung definition, introverted people simply orient toward their “internal private world of inner thoughts and feelings”—unlike extroverts, who “engage more with the outside world of objects, sensory perception, and action.”

Most introverts will tell you, it’s not that we hate people. We just find them … draining. What we tend to detest are things like trivial small talk and the cacophony of large groups. But even that, many introverts can turn on for, enjoy even … so long as we can promptly go home afterwards and veg out.

Keep ReadingShow less