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Thanks for stopping by for Day 30 of Upworthy's 31 Days of Happiness Countdown! If this is your first visit, here's the gist: Each day between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31, we're sharing stories we hope will bring joy, smiles, and laughter into our lives and yours. It's been a challenging year for a lot of us, so why not end it on a high note with a bit of happiness? Check back tomorrow (or click the links at the bottom) for another installment!

"Cat Person," the uncomfortably relevant short story from The New Yorker, was the viral hit of the holiday season. This ... is not that.


This is, however, another piece of cat-related content that really, really, really deserves your undivided attention right now. Instead of making you queasy or hitting too close to home, this one will bring you oodles of sheer unbridled joy.

Earlier this year, a 10-year-old girl named Gabi decided to sit down and interview her cat, Coco, which is a totally normal thing to do. She then transcribed that interview, and it is honestly one of the best pieces of journalism I've read this year.

Her dad, Paul Duane, tweeted a photo of Gabi's hilarious transcription, and it went viral. For obvious reasons.

Interview with Coco!!!

ME: Coco, can I rub you on the head?

COCO: Absolutely

ME: The back?

COCO: Sure.

ME: The tummy?

COCO: YOU-ARE-FORBIDDEN-TO-EVER-TOUCH-MY-TUMMY!!!

ME: The legs?

COCO: NO!!!

ME: The tail?

COCO: ABSOLUTELY NOT!

ME: The butt?

COCO: IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU?!?! THIS INTERVIEW IS OVER!!!























The single tweet racked up over 62,000 retweets and nearly 200,000 Likes, making Gabi and Coco major internet celebs.

According to her father, Gabi was pretty pumped about all the attention and seemingly hopes to springboard her 15 minutes of fame into some kind of literary career.

Kids really know how to ask the tough questions, don't they?

Props to Gabi for bringing us all a much-needed laugh as 2017 draws to a close. This girl is truly going places.

More days of happiness here: DAY 1 / DAY 2 / DAY 3 / DAY 4 / DAY 5/ DAY 6 / DAY 7 / DAY 8 / DAY 9 / DAY 10 / DAY 11 / DAY 12 / DAY 13 / DAY 14 / DAY 15 / DAY 16 / DAY 17/ DAY 18 / DAY 19 / DAY 20 / DAY 21 / DAY 22 / DAY 23 / DAY 24 / DAY 25 / DAY 26 / DAY 27 / DAY 28 / DAY 29 / [DAY 30] / DAY 31

Hello and welcome to Day 22 of Upworthy's 31 Days of Happiness Countdown! Each day between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31, we're sharing stories we hope will bring joy, smiles, and laughter into our lives and yours. It's been a challenging year for a lot of us, so why not end it on a high note with a bit of happiness? Check back tomorrow for another installment!

Oh man, this guy's day just keeps getting worse and worse. And it is fricking hilarious.


The setup is that Gordon Ramsay is trying to teach this guy, Shane, to make crab cakes. In 15 minutes. Using only verbal instructions — no peeking. No help. No redos. And the comedy of errors starts almost immediately. 26 seconds in, and the crab is upside down.

The mistakes only escalate from there, leading to the final hilarious scene where the two chefs finally compare their dishes. Ramsay's looks predictably perfect. Shane's ... well, you'll just to watch.

I think you'll agree that the video's pretty funny, but it's really the two guys' attitudes throughout that make it a delight. Ramsay is chipper and encouraging and Shane — well, he doesn't let a little thing like ending up with a giant peppery mess get him down.

And, you've got to admit, that's a good example of how to be. If Shane had just gotten frustrated and walked off, he'd never learn anything. It's OK to mess up. If nothing else, it'll be hilarious on YouTube.

More days of happiness here: DAY 1 / DAY 2 / DAY 3 / DAY 4 / DAY 5/ DAY 6 / DAY 7 / DAY 8 / DAY 9 / DAY 10 / DAY 11 / DAY 12 / DAY 13 / DAY 14 / DAY 15 / DAY 16 / DAY 17 / DAY 18 / DAY 19 / DAY 20 / DAY 21 / [DAY 22] / DAY 23 / DAY 24 / DAY 25 / DAY 26 / DAY 27 / DAY 28 / DAY 29 / DAY 30 / DAY 31
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31 Days of Happiness Countdown: a new must-watch Christmas classic. (Day 20)

This star-studded video is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

Thanks for stopping by for Day 20 of Upworthy's 31 Days of Happiness Countdown! If this is your first visit, here's the gist: Each day between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31, we're sharing stories we hope will bring joy, smiles, and laughter into your life. It's been a challenging year, so why not end it on a high note? Check back tomorrow (or click the links at the bottom) for another installment!

Back in November, Sia released an absolutely joyful Christmas album with songs about puppies, kissing underneath the mistletoe, snowmen, and of course, Santa Claus. While the whole album is filled with the kind of music you'll want to listen to cuddled up on the couch with a cup of hot cocoa, it's really the video for one song in particular — "Santa's Coming for Us" — that makes the album a perfect winter treat.


The video stars Kristen Bell, Dax Shepard, Henry Winkler, Susan Lucci, and JB Smoove, as they dance around a house in preparation for a big holiday party with a majorly retro (in a great way) vibe.

GIFs from Sia/YouTube.

As Bell dances around the house, lip synching the song's lyrics, Shepard fumbles with the Christmas lights and rushes to get things ready for their guests, getting a bit of help from Winkler at one point.

There's food. There's singing. There's dancing. There's laughing. But most of all, the video brings a feeling of joy and nostalgia for warm winter memories with loved ones.

I really can't overstate how much you'll appreciate taking three-and-a-half minutes to watch this absolutely adorable video this holiday season. You'll be glad it's in your life. But don't just take it from me, check it out for yourself:

More days of happiness here:DAY 1 / DAY 2 / DAY 3 / DAY 4 / DAY 5 / DAY 6 / DAY 7 / DAY 8 / DAY 9 / DAY 10 / DAY 11 / DAY 12 / DAY 13 / DAY 14 / DAY 15 / DAY 16 / DAY 17 / DAY 18 / DAY 19 / [DAY 20] / DAY 21 / DAY 22 / DAY 23 / DAY 24 / DAY 25 / DAY 26 / DAY 27 / DAY 28 / DAY 29 / DAY 30 / DAY 31

Thanks for stopping by for Day 17 of Upworthy's 31 Days of Happiness Countdown! If this is your first visit, here's the gist: Each day between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31, we're sharing stories we hope will bring joy, smiles, and laughter into our lives and yours. It's been a challenging year for a lot of us, so why not end it on a high note with a bit of happiness? Check back tomorrow (or click the links at the bottom) for another installment!

[rebelmouse-image 19471358 dam="1" original_size="400x224" caption="GIF via "Parks & Recreation."" expand=1]GIF via "Parks & Recreation."


I'm pretty sure the only thing that kept me from being an astronaut is the face-melting liftoff ... well that, and the decades of advanced math and science. But mostly the liftoff. I get nauseous on carnival rides, so exploring the final frontier just wasn't in the cards for me.

However, I am kind of obsessed with the astronauts who live and work in space. You know, the folks living in the space station, speaking to school children on Skype while their hair stands on end, and doing somersaults and experiments all the time. That's the kind of anti-gravitational fun I live for.

GIF via NASA.

So when I found European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti's videos, my mind basically exploded.

While living on board the International Space Station, Cristoforetti made cooking videos. Yes, cooking videos! THIS IS TASTY IN SPACE, Y'ALL!

Generally, the meals in the final frontier are pretty standard, but every astronaut gets "bonus food" that reminds them of the flavors of home. In this video, Cristoforetti takes us lowly Earth-dwellers through the process of making turmeric chicken and whole red rice with mushrooms and peas. Forget outer space, Cristoforetti is living in flavor country.

I don't want to spoil the whole thing, but here are some highlights.

First, Cristoforetti doesn't use plates because that would be pointless. Instead, she plates her meal on a tortilla. This is a tip I will incorporate into my own life.

GIFs via ESA/YouTube.

To get the food to stick to the tortilla, she uses smashed pea cream as an adhesive. This is a tip I will not incorporate into my own life.

Also as she cooks, her dinner just keeps floating away which is hilarious the first time, and even better as she adds more food to the tortilla. #spaceprobz

You can (and totally should) watch Cristoforetti make a mean dinner below. It's got everything: space travel, mushrooms, floating tortillas. WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT, PEOPLE?

(Plus, it's probably the most delightful meal you'll see all day, unless you know an otter eating Christmas cookies.)

Oh, and if you're as hungry as I am, here's a walk-thru on how to make Cristoforetti's exact meal — weightlessness on the side. Bon appétit, space nerds!

More days of happiness here: DAY 1 / DAY 2 / DAY 3 / DAY 4 / DAY 5 / DAY 6 / DAY 7 / DAY 8 / DAY 9 / DAY 10 / DAY 11 / DAY 12 / DAY 13 / DAY 14 / DAY 15 / DAY 16 / [DAY 17] / DAY 18 / DAY 19 / DAY 20 / DAY 21 / DAY 22 / DAY 23 / DAY 24 / DAY 25 / DAY 26 / DAY 27 / DAY 28 / DAY 29 / DAY 30 / DAY 31