+
Sign up for
The Upworthiest
Our top stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox.
upworthy
Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy

baby dancing, dog with stuffed zebra, man with fluffy dog
@maakenziee/TikTok, @aguyandagolden/TikTok, @dadanddolly (via Upworthy/Instagram)

Babies and doggos bringing the smiles

If any animal embodies the simple joy of our "10 things that made us smile" series, it's gotta be a Golden Retriever. This week's list includes not one but two Golden good boys being their playful, hilarious selves. We've also got a sweet floofy puppers and a story about tiny dogs that is certainly smile-worthy. (Doggos for the win!)

And babies! Gracious, do we have a couple of adorable babies this week. Wait till you see the "Oh No" dance. Serious cuteness overload.

Also, have you ever seen a duck being tossed into a kiddie pool over and over because it just can't get enough? You will, and your day will be all the better for it.

Enjoy all this and more in this week's roundup:

1. Find someone who looks at you the way this doggo looks at his stuffed animals

@aguyandagolden

Aspiring to have a love like Teddy and his toys. #dog

The fact that this is a regular thing Teddy does is too much.

2. A mom handed her 2-year-old her phone and told her to take pics of things she loves. It's surprisingly moving.

So beautiful to see the world through the eyes of a child. Read the full story here.

3. Big bikers making baby voices at their tiny dogs is everything that's right with the world.

A gang of Hagrids. The best.

4. Parents share photos of their kids before and after the first day of school and it's so relatable.

Swipe through. We've all been there, kiddos! Read the full story here.

5. Woman's job won't allow her pink hair so she 'maliciously complies' by wearing horrible wigs.

woman at a desk wearing silly wigs

Emily's "malicious compliance" is cracking people up.

Emily|TikTok

The policy is only about "unnatural hair colors," not George Washington ringlet wigs, right? Read the full story here.

6. Woman's dog mistook her coat for a chew toy and chaos ensued. You have to hear her laughter.

It's practically impossible not to laugh right along with her. Read the full story here.

7. Baby girl obsessed with the 'Oh No' song is the cutest thing everrrrrr.

@maakenziee

😂 #ohno #funnybaby #babydance #ohnonononoo #cute #cutebaby #toddlersoftiktok

When she stands up and dances, hands in the air? Priceless.

8. This 87-year-old and his superfloof companion are the epitome of adorable

@_dadanddolly

Best decision i ever made #dad #dog #bestfriends #companions #love #family #fyp

Also, let's just take a moment for how handsome and stylish Dad is.

9. Woman shares how a 'hardcore' gym bro's words of encouragement meant the world to her

Lifting others up instead of tearing them down is such a simple, powerful act. We never know how much our words might mean to someone who needs to hear them.

10. Let's strive to attai the unbridled joy of this duck being tossed into a kiddie pool

Perhaps we can start by greeting each day with a "Ready, set, WHEEEE!"

If you enjoyed this post, you can receive more like it right in your inbox by signing up for our free newsletter, The Upworthiest, here.

From Your Site Articles
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.”

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
travel
Health

How 7 things that have nothing to do with rape perfectly illustrate the concept of consent.

Well this is all a very brilliant way to show what it's all about.

mage from Everyday Feminism, used with permission by creator Alli Kirkham.

There are many different scenarios where consent is necessary.



In 2013, Zerlina Maxwell ignited a firestorm of controversy when she strongly recommended we stop telling women how to not get raped.

Here are her words, from the transcript of her appearance on Sean Hannity's show:

"I don't think that we should be telling women anything. I think we should be telling men not to rape women and start the conversation there with prevention."

So essentially — instead of teaching women how to avoid rape, let's raise boys specifically not to rape.

Keep ReadingShow less
Education

The one sign that someone is highly intelligent, according to literary genius Leo Tolstoy

He was a master of understanding the human condition.

via JulianPhilosophy/TikTok

Tolstoy's sign that someone is highly intelligent.

Leo Tolstoy was a Russian novelist known for epic works such as"War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina.” His life experiences—from witnessing war to spiritual quests—profoundly influenced his writings and gave him profound insights into the human soul.

His understanding of emotions, motivations and moral dilemmas has made his work stand the test of time, and it still resonates with people today.

Keep ReadingShow less
kindness
Science

Levi's CEO settles the debate on just how often you should wash your jeans

There are a lot of diverse opinions on the topic.

via Levi Strauss and Ricardo Gomez Angel/Unsplash

How often should you wash your jeans?

Social media has become a fertile breeding ground for conversations about hygiene. Whether it’s celebrities bragging about how little their family bathes or battles over how often people should wash their sheets or bras.

One of the debates that gets the most diverse responses is how often people wash their denim jeans.

Denim atelier Benjamin Talley Smith tells Today that jeans should be washed "as little as possible, if at all.” Laundry expert Patric Richardson adds they should be cleaned “after nine or 10 wearings, like to me, that is the ideal." At that point, they probably have stains and are "a little sweaty by that point, so you need to wash 'em," Richardson says.

Still, some people wash and dry them after every wear while others will hand wash and never hang dry. With all these significant differences of opinion, there must be a correct answer somewhere, right?

Keep ReadingShow less
clothing
Joy

'Sandlot' star Patrick Renna is now a dancing dad viral sensation on TikTok

Just when we thought "The Sandlot" couldn't give us anymore joy.

@patrickrenna/TikTok

He's always had moves.

You could say that Patrick Renna has found his niche in lighthearted sports humor.

Back in the 90s, the actor played the forever quotable character Ham in "The Sandlot,” followed by his role of a scene-stealing goalie in “The Big Green.”

And now, at the age of 44 and a father of two, Renna is still bringing a little laughter to the sports world…one dance move at a time.

Keep ReadingShow less
celebrity
Pop Culture

John Cena explaining ‘You can’t see me’ to a fan’s grandmother is so precious

"So, I'm a bit of a rabble rouser…"

@thehook/Tiktok

John Cena sat down to tea with a fan's granny and delight ensued.

John Cena is one of the most beloved celebrity wrestlers and actors, but it's not because of his wrestling or his acting. In addition to being generous and kind, he has a likeability that's hard to ignore. He embodies so much effortless charm and charisma that even people who have never watched a moment of WWE know who he is and say, "Oh yeah, that guy. He seems so nice."

So seeing John Cena sitting in a suit for a proper tea with a British grandmother is already a delight before either of them even open their mouths. Then their conversation begins, and it's about as wholesome as it gets.

Cena is known for his "You can't see me" hand wave move, which he had to explain to a fan's grandma when she said, "Do you know, my granddaughter, who is an avid fan, said that I wouldn't be able to see you?"

"I can explain," he said. And then he did, in the most granny-friendly way possible.

Keep ReadingShow less
john cena
Family

Parents start huge viral debate after sharing their 'Switch Witch' Halloween candy tradition

That's a different way of doing Halloween.

via Jill Wellington/Pexels

A young girl goes trick-or-treating on Halloween.

A family from Utah has ruffled a lot of feathers on Instagram after sharing the Halloween tradition they celebrate with their 2-year-old daughter, Aria. Instead of allowing her to eat all the candy she gets while trick-or-treating, they let her select 5 pieces.

That's right. Just 5 pieces. But there's a catch!

The parents put the remainder of the candy on the porch for the night for the “Switch Witch,” who exchanges the sugary foods for a toy. In this case, Aria received a “Frozen” doll from the witch.

The parents who came up with this idea are Emily and Erik Jensen, fitness trainers and life coaches known for sharing family health and wellness tips on social media. "You can get fun with it and give your witch a name," Levi captioned his post, in part. "The witch who stops by our house is Wilda."

Keep ReadingShow less
halloween
Trending Stories