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Upworthy gift guide 2021

Upworthy gift guide 2021
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If you're looking for the perfect present to buy a special someone or want to treat yourself (because you deserve it), look no further, as we have carefully hand-picked our favorites from Upworthy Market! At our shop, you can feel good about your shopping because every dollar you spend directly supports artisans who create their own products. In this gift guide, you'll find products that range from jewelry to games, accessories and more—all items that we personally love at team Upworthy.


1. 3D Tic Tac Toe

Waraporn Khamsuk creates a challenging tic tac toe from Thailand. Handcrafted from rain tree wood, the game features a square board with nine standing pegs for the addition of complementary X and O shapes. Just like traditional tic tac toe, the goal is for one of two players to arrange their shapes three-in-a-row. With this game, however, the rules of the old pastime are brought into a three-dimensional space—fun for the whole family.

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2. Alpaca Scarf

Woven by hand on a traditional loom, alpaca in shades of grey form a classic herringbone pattern. Raquel and Gregor weave this distinguished scarf by hand. The ends are not hemmed but are neatly trimmed for a smooth silhouette.

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3. Puzzle Set

Keep everyone entertained with our handcrafted set of 6 or 12 wooden logic puzzle games. Games include falling star, snake cube, ball in jail and more. Thai artisan Waraporn Khamsuk handcrafts each of the puzzles that come in a handy storage box.

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4. Unique Recycled Shoulder Bag

Fiesta colors alternate with silver in a charming shoulder bag. From Maria Isabel Ramos, the purse is woven from recycled candy and cookie wrappers and lined with cotton fabric.

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5. Handmade Ceramic Tree Ornaments

Made of shaped terracotta and hand painted in bright tropical colors, these festive ornaments depict colorful Christmas trees. Jose Arriola creates a set of six, each one different. Poinsettias with distinct stylizations adorn them, and the set arrives in a pouch of hand-loomed cotton.

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6. Mindful Cat Sculpture

A serene cat sits in lotus pose as if in prayer or meditation in this charming sculpture. Hand-carved in Bali from local suar wood and signed by artist Nengah Sudarsana, who shares his love for animals through his work.

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7. Stylish Elephant Elephant Charm Anklet

Tiraphan Hasub crafts a stylish anklet, centering bright brass beads with colorful agate. A symbol of old Siam, an elephant graces this original design. Jingling bells form the clasp, and the anklet is adjustable in length.

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8. Twirling Sterling Silver Dangle Earrings

Pichaya designs modern earrings that appear to dance and twirl. The earrings are expertly crafted by hand with the luminous elegance of sterling silver.

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9. Handmade Rain Tree Wood Bottle Puzzle

Demonstrating her creativity and love for games, Thai artisan Waraporn Khamsuk creates this ingenious puzzle that is perfect for entertaining friends and guests. The goal is to figure out how to free a wine bottle using four pieces of interlocking rain tree wood, a task that will prove to be an enjoyable and motivating challenge. The puzzle is reusable and fits a 12-inch by 3-inch wine bottle.

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10. Fair Trade Men's Brown Leather and Brass Adjustable Bracelet

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step," according to Chinese poet and philosopher Lao Tzu. Show your adventurous spirit with this subtly rugged brown leather wristband bracelet. Thailand's Chaloemphon crafts the bracelet by hand, weaving a narrow belt of leather along the wider cuff. Brass snaps secure the bracelet at one of three lengths for a comfortable fit.

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11. Apple Green Jade Solitaire Ring

Evoking the ancient Maya, this beautiful and simple solitaire ring is crowned by an oval of apple green Guatemalan jade. This stunning accessory is designed by Zandra Lorena Sajbin, who crafts the ring with a band of sterling silver.

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12. All Cotton Multicolored Cosmetic Bag

Working with a traditional loom, the House of Antigua Artisans creates beautiful accessories like this cosmetic bag. The all-cotton fabric is a jaspe weave in navy, crimson and avocado. The bag is trimmed with light brown faux suede, and fully lined in polyester. It's just the right size for cosmetics or travel-sized toiletries.

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13. Happiness Mug

Painted onto the surface of this ceramic mug is a colorful and vibrant sun in the tradition of Mexican folk art with the message of "Happiness" on the reverse. Eufrosia Pantaleon creates this simple and classic mug.

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14. Cheerful Turtle Plant Pot

A cheerful little turtle comes to life in terracotta. Handcrafted by ceramists from the House of El Salvador Artisans, this versatile design is perfect to hold a potted plant. Geometric patterns in pale brown adorn the ornate shell

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15. Wood Three-Sided Domino Set

By Thai artisan Waraporn Khamsuk, this domino set offers a unique twist on the traditional tabletop game. Handmade from rain tree wood, 56 triangular dominoes or "trionimoes" come in a handy wooden box. The corners of each domino are hand-painted with colorful dots. This 2-6 player set offers fun for the whole family.

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16. Dolphin Necklace

Sleek and agile, twin dolphins leap and play on this pendant necklace made by Andi Rachmansyah in Bali. The pendant is hand- carved from smooth cow bone and centered on a black cotton cord of adjustable length.

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17. Owl Trio Statues

Three petite green ceramic owls recommend that we "see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil." Believed to have originated in ancient Japan, these charming statuettes are crafted by hand and given the crackled glaze that is characteristic of celadon ceramic.

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18. Lotus Flower Sterling Silver Band Ring

Realized in darkly oxidized relief, the image of a single lotus flower is featured on this band ring from Bali. Asmara Putra designs the ring, crafted of sterling silver.

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19. Alpaca Wool Beanie

The colors of the firmament, when the sun finally bids day farewell, inspire the vibrant design of this alpaca hat. Fernando Cano creates vibrant patterns as he knits the hat in shades of plum, orange, green and brown. Alpaca has been prized in the Andean region for centuries thanks to its warm and lightweight fleece.

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20. Protective Tranquility bracelet

Rituu Agarwal honors Buddhist meditation practices with the design of this Shambhala-style bracelet. Meaning "bliss" in Sanskrit, the Shambhala-style bracelet symbolizes tranquility, peace and happiness—the oneness of all. Rituu expertly knots the cotton bracelet by hand with macramé techniques and crowns it with black and enhanced onyx, believed to protect against negativity.

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Planet

Easy (and free!) ways to save the ocean

The ocean is the heart of our planet. It needs our help to be healthy.

Ocean Wise

Volunteers at a local shoreline cleanup

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The ocean covers over 71% of the Earth’s surface and serves as our planet’s heart. Ocean currents circulate vital heat, moisture, and nutrients around the globe to influence and regulate our climate, similar to the human circulatory system. Cool, right?

Our ocean systems provide us with everything from fresh oxygen to fresh food. We need it to survive and thrive—and when the ocean struggles to function healthfully, the whole world is affected.

Pollution, overfishing, and climate change are the three biggest challenges preventing the ocean from doing its job, and it needs our help now more than ever. Humans created the problem; now humans are responsible for solving it.

#BeOceanWise is a global rallying cry to do what you can for the ocean, because we need the ocean and the ocean needs us. If you’re wondering how—or if—you can make a difference, the answer is a resounding YES. There are a myriad of ways you can help, even if you don’t live near a body of water. For example, you can focus on reducing the amount of plastic you purchase for yourself or your family.

Another easy way to help clean up our oceans is to be aware of what’s known as the “dirty dozen.” Every year, scientists release an updated list of the most-found litter scattered along shorelines. The biggest culprit? Single-use beverage and food items such as foam cups, straws, bottle caps, and cigarette butts. If you can’t cut single-use plastic out of your life completely, we understand. Just make sure to correctly recycle plastic when you are finished using it. A staggering 3 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans annually. Imagine the difference we could make if everyone recycled!

The 2022 "Dirty Dozen" ListOcean Wise

If you live near a shoreline, help clean it up! Organize or join an effort to take action and make a positive impact in your community alongside your friends, family, or colleagues. You can also tag @oceanwise on social if you spot a beach that needs some love. The location will be added to Ocean Wise’s system so you can submit data on the litter found during future Shoreline Cleanups. This data helps Ocean Wise work with businesses and governments to stop plastic pollution at its source. In Canada, Ocean Wise data helped inform a federal ban on unnecessary single-use plastics. Small but important actions like these greatly help reduce the litter that ends up in our ocean.

Ocean Wise, a conservation organization on a mission to restore and protect our oceans, is focused on empowering and educating everyone from individuals to governments on how to protect our waters. They are making conservation happen through five big initiatives: monitoring and protecting whales, fighting climate change and restoring biodiversity, innovating for a plastic-free ocean, protecting and restoring fish stocks, and finally, educating and empowering youth. The non-profit believes that in order to rebuild a resilient and vibrant ocean within the next ten years, everyone needs to take action.

Become an Ocean Wise ally and share your knowledge with others. The more people who know how badly the ocean needs our help, the better! Now is a great time to commit to being a part of something bigger and get our oceans healthy again.

Pets

Family brings home the wrong dog from daycare until their cats saved the day

A quick trip to the vet confirmed the cats' and family's suspicions.

Family accidentally brings wrong dog home but their cats knew

It's not a secret that nearly all golden retrievers are identical. Honestly, magic has to be involved for owners to know which one belongs to them when more than one golden retriever is around. Seriously, how do they all seem have the same face? It's like someone fell asleep on the copy machine when they were being created.

Outside of collars, harnesses and bandanas, immediately identifying the dog that belongs to you has to be a secret skill because at first glance, their personalities are also super similar. That's why it's not surprising when one family dropped off their sweet golden pooch at daycare and to be groomed, they didn't notice the daycare sent out the wrong dog.

See, not even their human parents can tell them apart because when the swapped dog got home, nothing seemed odd to the owners at first. She was freshly groomed so any small differences were quickly brushed off. But this accidental doppelgänger wasn't fooling her feline siblings.

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All images provided by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

Collins after being selected by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

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A changemaker is anyone who takes creative action to solve an ongoing problem—be it in one’s own community or throughout the world.

And when it comes to creating positive change, enthusiasm and a fresh perspective can hold just as much power as years of experience. That’s why, every year, Prudential Emerging Visionaries celebrates young people for their innovative solutions to financial and societal challenges in their communities.

This national program awards 25 young leaders (ages 14-18) up to $15,000 to devote to their passion projects. Additionally, winners receive a trip to Prudential’s headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, where they receive coaching, skills development, and networking opportunities with mentors to help take their innovative solutions to the next level.

For 18-year-old Sydnie Collins, one of the 2023 winners, this meant being able to take her podcast, “Perfect Timing,” to the next level.

Since 2020, the Maryland-based teen has provided a safe platform that promotes youth positivity by giving young people the space to celebrate their achievements and combat mental health stigmas. The idea came during the height of Covid-19, when Collins recalled social media “becoming a dark space flooded with news,” which greatly affected her own anxiety and depression.

Knowing that she couldn’t be the only one feeling this way, “Perfect Timing” seemed like a valuable way to give back to her community. Over the course of 109 episodes, Collins has interviewed a wide range of guests—from other young influencers to celebrities, from innovators to nonprofit leaders—all to remind Gen Z that “their dreams are tangible.”

That mission statement has since evolved beyond creating inspiring content and has expanded to hosting events and speaking publicly at summits and workshops. One of Collins’ favorite moments so far has been raising $7,000 to take 200 underserved girls to see “The Little Mermaid” on its opening weekend, to “let them know they are enough” and that there’s an “older sister” in their corner.

Of course, as with most new projects, funding for “Perfect Timing” has come entirely out of Collins’ pocket. Thankfully, the funding she earned from being selected as a Prudential Emerging Visionary is going toward upgraded recording equipment, the support of expert producers, and skill-building classes to help her become a better host and public speaker. She’ll even be able to lease an office space that allows for a live audience.

Plus, after meeting with the 24 other Prudential Emerging Visionaries and her Prudential employee coach, who is helping her develop specific action steps to connect with her target audience, Collins has more confidence in a “grander path” for her work.

“I learned that my network could extend to multiple spaces beyond my realm of podcasting and journalism when industry leaders are willing to share their expertise, time, and financial support,” she told Upworthy. “It only takes one person to change, and two people to expand that change.”

Prudential Emerging Visionaries is currently seeking applicants for 2024. Winners may receive up to $15,000 in awards and an all-expenses-paid trip to Prudential’s headquarters with a parent or guardian, as well as ongoing coaching and skills development to grow their projects.

If you or someone you know between the ages of 14 -18 not only displays a bold vision for the future but is taking action to bring that vision to life, click here to learn more. Applications are due by Nov. 2, 2023.
Pop Culture

A-ha's stripped-down, slowed-down performance of 'Take On Me' is a must-see

The slower tempo and simple instrumentation creates a sadder, more haunting version of the 80s monster hit.

A-ha performing live for MTV Unplugged Summer Solstice

According to NPR—and the ABBA blaring from my young adult daughter's headphones—we're in the midst of an 80s music revival. As a Gen Xer who came of age in the 80s, I think most of that decade should stay locked in a time capsule, but there are a few songs that have managed to remain timeless despite the synthesizers and bad hair.

A-ha's "Take On Me" is one of them. Despite its consummately-80s sound, the song with the famous sketch animated video is still enjoyable (if not a little earwormy—good luck once it gets stuck in your head).

But a lesser-known 2017 arrangement of the song is actually, miraculusly, even better. A-ha performed "Take On Me" for an MTV Unplugged Summer Solstice album, and it's significantly different than the original. The Norwegian band filmed the performance live on the island of Giske, dropping the electric piano as well as the tempo for a stripped-down version that has become a fan favorite. As of this writing, the video has 97 million views on YouTube.

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Science

Researchers dumped tons of coffee waste into a forest. This is what it looks like now.

30 dump truck loads and two years later, the forest looks totally different.

One of the biggest problems with coffee production is that it generates an incredible amount of waste. Once coffee beans are separated from cherries, about 45% of the entire biomass is discarded.

So for every pound of roasted coffee we enjoy, an equivalent amount of coffee pulp is discarded into massive landfills across the globe. That means that approximately 10 million tons of coffee pulp is discarded into the environment every year.

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Dads are ridiculous. But perhaps, in the world today, there is no dad quite so ridiculous as Rob Lopez:


Photo via Rob Lopez/YouTube.


On a morning not too long ago, Lopez apparently had the following thought: "I'm going to dress up as Darth Vader and wake up my 2-year-old."

Photo via Rob Lopez/YouTube.


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Pop Culture

Some people talk about changing the world. These young people are actually doing it.

From tackling maternal mortality in Cameroon to fighting food insecurity in the U.S., these "Goalkeepers" are making their mark on global development goals.

Photo by Chris Farber/Getty Images for Gates Archive

The 2023 Goalkeepers Awards honored activists from opposite sides of the globe.

The past two centuries have seen humanity transform into a truly interconnected global community. Like any community, we have our virtues and strengths as well as our challenges that require collective effort to overcome.

The United Nations created 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 to help us focus our efforts on vital areas of concern, including poverty, gender equality, education, food security, health, climate and more. And every year since then, changemakers have arisen to meet those goals in various ways. Some of these changemakers are already leaders on the world stage, from heads of state to global celebrities. But others are grassroots activists doing incredible work on the ground to move us toward meeting our SDG targets by the 2030 deadline.

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Man finds adorable best friend after never having a pet

Not everyone gets to grow up with pets so they don't get the first hand knowledge of how it feels to love an animal. Sure, they may have experience with friends' or family members' pets but that's not the same as caring for one under your own roof. The memories and mini serotonin boosts you get when pets snuggle up to you on a hard day are missed by those who never own a pet.

Up until recently, Caleb had been in the "never had a pet" camp, then one day he found a tiny little kitten. He knew when he saw how little and helpless she was that he just had to rescue the sweet baby.

"I was walking home and I looked down and there was this little kitten," Caleb told The Dodo. "I feel chosen, this is my first pet."

He named the itty bitty kitty, Nala Jaye and takes her everywhere he possibly can.

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