We all have our favorite internet haunts, no? I literally have a favorites folder entitled 'Daily Perusal' that I click through every blessed morning as I nibble on my peanut butter toast. And though I lovelovelove Design Sponge and Slate, some overcast mornings I need an extra shot of joy in my coffee. When that happens, I turn to a few sites that always lift my mood, no matter how dour.
A fantastic, ongoing list of the many tiny things that make life great. I love reading this and then yelling "You're right! That is awesome!" to no one in particular. Some of the mooost awesome things? #620 Singing In the Car on The Way Home From a Concert, #967 Illegal Naps and #935 Eating Cookies Like Cookie Monster.
Gives Me Hope
Similar to the FML (Eff My Life) and MLIA (My Life Is Average) websites except, you know, happier. Some awesome entries that give me hope?
One day, after substituting at a pretty tough high school, I was walking to my car, feeling rather beaten. I looked up to see one of the tenth graders who had given me trouble walking through the parking lot holding his 10-yr-old sister's hand, carrying her Dora the Explorer backpack. Love GMH.
In the small town where I go to university there was a homeless man who did small chalk drawings, always in the same spot, on the pavement. He was always smiling. Over the summer, when I was away, he died. When I returned his old space was full of cards, flowers and chalk drawings from local people saying how much they will miss him. GMH
Today, a professor found out that I have no family nearby to spend Thanksgiving with, and invited me to enjoy the day with him and his family. When I sheepishly mentioned I don't have a car, he immediately volunteered to give me a ride, both ways. He lives an hour away. Caring teachers GMH.
I think I'll be referencing this website on the daily now that it's January and I no longer have holidays and sugar cookies to get me through the remaining three months of winter.
Operation Beautiful
Encouraging notes, left for strangers, in public spaces. Lovely! And you can take part to help spread the love!Gives Me Hope
Similar to the FML (Eff My Life) and MLIA (My Life Is Average) websites except, you know, happier. Some awesome entries that give me hope?
One day, after substituting at a pretty tough high school, I was walking to my car, feeling rather beaten. I looked up to see one of the tenth graders who had given me trouble walking through the parking lot holding his 10-yr-old sister's hand, carrying her Dora the Explorer backpack. Love GMH.
In the small town where I go to university there was a homeless man who did small chalk drawings, always in the same spot, on the pavement. He was always smiling. Over the summer, when I was away, he died. When I returned his old space was full of cards, flowers and chalk drawings from local people saying how much they will miss him. GMH
Today, a professor found out that I have no family nearby to spend Thanksgiving with, and invited me to enjoy the day with him and his family. When I sheepishly mentioned I don't have a car, he immediately volunteered to give me a ride, both ways. He lives an hour away. Caring teachers GMH.
I think I'll be referencing this website on the daily now that it's January and I no longer have holidays and sugar cookies to get me through the remaining three months of winter.
Operation Beautiful
Love My Life
Another member of the MLIA, FML, GMH family, this little site allows us to sing the praises of our own lives and break our arms patting ourselves on the back ... which can be a bit awkward in real life. Some good ones:
Today, I received a package in the mail. It was my wallet that I lost a week ago in the Chicago O'Hare Airport! I now have my licence and school I.D. back. I love my life!!
Today, I got the results of a math test. One of the answers was (2, infinity), and on the side I wrote "and beyond!" I got extra credit. LML
Today I wore batman leggings under my jeans to school. I had to change for gym so all the girls saw my leggings and rolled their eyes or laughed jokingly. Then the new kid pulled off her jeans to show her superman leggings. Best friend? Yes. LML
You Are Remarkable
A fantastic collection of inspiring quotes and original prose, this site is always thought provoking and lovely. This is probably my favorite post.
Improv Everywhere
Ahhhh! Hilarious, fantastic 'missions' meant to incite laughter and glee and eye rolling. Pants-less subway rides! Spontaneous supermarket musicals! Major league cheering for a little league team! I would be all over this if I lived in NYC.
Love 365
This is the pet project of Yes and Yes reader Vanessa. Here's how it works: Vanessa is writing one thing she likes about herself every day and she'd like you to join in the love! Email her something that you love about yourself and every Friday she'll put up a big post of everyone's selflove, slathering the internet with joy and fun. Lovely, no?
Operation Nice
A fantastic collection of inspiring quotes and original prose, this site is always thought provoking and lovely. This is probably my favorite post.
Improv Everywhere
Ahhhh! Hilarious, fantastic 'missions' meant to incite laughter and glee and eye rolling. Pants-less subway rides! Spontaneous supermarket musicals! Major league cheering for a little league team! I would be all over this if I lived in NYC.
Love 365
This is the pet project of Yes and Yes reader Vanessa. Here's how it works: Vanessa is writing one thing she likes about herself every day and she'd like you to join in the love! Email her something that you love about yourself and every Friday she'll put up a big post of everyone's selflove, slathering the internet with joy and fun. Lovely, no?
Operation Nice
This site is full of lovely testimonials of People Behaving Kindly and even Nice Assignments. Assignments like: write 10 thank you cards, learn someone's name, make small talk.
What are your favorite pick-me-up online haunts?
What are your favorite pick-me-up online haunts?
47 comments:
This is a great post!
Thanks for sharing all the links and spreading the posiitive vibes through them.
I love 1000 Awesome Things and MLIA - i check them every time I need a cheering up.
These are awesome, I love them all so much!
Try this one: Cute Overload http://cuteoverload.com/ - you can't help but smile!
Ahhh, I love cuteoverload! I can't believe I forgot to include that one - thanks for sharing :)
It's neat that you say this, because after I discovered your blog I added it to a folder in Google Reader named "inspire me." Maybe 8 or so blogs that I know won't fail to pick me up or make me think. Thanks for shining brightly!
Leigh, thanks hun! What are the other blogs that are inspiring you these days?
I only knew of a couple of these sites and am so glad to know of more! I'm a therapist so my day is full of unhappy people. It's nice to spend some of my free time being reminded about the goodness that exists in the world, and within my own life. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the inspirational links Sarah!!
i love reading fmylife, but have never heard of gives me hope. i can't stop crying... but in a good way! i'm such a sap! but i need all the hope i can get!
Improv Everywhere is one of my favorites!
And I am so glad you shared Gives Me Hope... MLIA makes me giggle but Gives Me Hope warms my heart!
Thanks for posting these, some I already knew, but many are new to me. Yay!
I too love Cute Overload. I also get a good laugh at PeopleofWalmart.com, and of course Engrish.com, and FailBlog. Not that they are particularly uplifting, but laughing is always a good thing. :)
Aw! Awesome! I used to love FML (had the app and everything) and one day I realized I hated it because it was just making me realize how shitty people are to one another. I deleted it and replaced it with MLIA which makes me feel much better.
Another fun site to check out is www.stumbleupon.com
This is cool if you're bored because you just keep hitting stumble and it will keep generating sites that have your specific interest.
Enjoy!
Thanks so much for posting these up Sarah! I can't wait to try them all out, they all sound amazing! :]
Your blog is my go-to spot for an instant pick me up. I can't remember a single time that reading your latest post hasn't made me laugh, smile, or tear up over the inspirational awesomeness that you impart. Seriously, I don't comment much (if ever), but your advice and words in general have already helped this about-to-graduate-college-and-enter-the-scary-real-world girl so much more then any career advisor has.
Thank you.
Great suggestions! Can't wait to have a look at some of these mornings when I'm hungover and need a little pick me up :)
DO you know how amazing you are for posting these links?
well your blog, of course! and also: http://www.natthefatrat.com/ and http://www.hannahmiet.com/ and http://sleeptalkinman.blogspot.com/ hope you enjoy as much as i do! if you're interested in another bibbity-bobbity-boop blog, here's a link to mine http://farinonthewestwindsoferin.blogspot.com/
Awww, group hug guys!
I love the energy on your post -- so loving, supportive and positive. Like a bra. *muah*
:)
thank you for the websites! one of my faves is www.lovejoyandpeace.org. it's full of messages of love from strangers, to strangers. i love it :)
This is a great post! I must pass on these links to spread the happy ~
Fantastic Spatula! (fantasticspatula.blogspot.com)
I'll let the name intrigue you. ;)
Enjoyed the post! Now I have some wonderful quicker picker uppers! :D
This post? GMH. :)
I discovered 1000 Awesome Things at a time when I needed cheering up and it's definitely one of my go-to sites if I need a lift. I'm also a fan of "It Made My Day" (http://itmademyday.com) which is another FML-type site, only with "little moments of WIN."
And when I need inspiration? That's when I come here.
OMG I loved that grocery store musical. "Lets squish our fruits together!!!!"
Pure gold!
i started reading GMH and i just about starting crying - all of the stories are SO sweet. thanks for posting.
I look at icanhazcheezeburger and cuteoverload to pick me up. Nothing like cute animals to make you smile.
Sarah Von, you've just made my day!
I seriously need a peruse daily folder now.
FML and failblog, do cheer me up, but I guess that's just my sense of humour.
I LOVELOVELOVE Postsecret though! It's just beyond words.
Sarah, every morning I eat my peanut butter toast (with banana on it) and read through your website, cos it always, always, always makes me happy about a) the world, that there can be people like you in it and b) my life, cos you always make me realise how lucky I am! I also like http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/ as it's super sweet :)
I love 1000 Awesome things. I've only just discoved Operation Beautiful and think its amazing!
GMH totally made my day.
GREAT post! I'm saving this for sure. :)
Ahh, that Gives Me Hope website is making me teary with each entry! I'm a sap. Thanks for sharing the good links!
Thanks so much for helping me out! You'll never know how much I appreciate it :)
I was already familiar with Operation Beautiful, but I haven't gotten around to doing it yet. Whenever I think to, I find myself in a place with a mirror and nothing to write with. I should write a bunch of notes and put them in my purse with a roll of tape.
I'm going to have to check these out! Thanks for the recommendations, Sarah. Honestly, if I need a little smile on my face, usually reading your blog does it for me. :)
One of my favorites these days is http://theuniformproject.com/
It's full of everything I like--fun, funky, sustainable fashion and philanthropy! Plus a lot of really wacky comments.
you always have the best posts! i'm envious.
This is exactly what I needed tonight. <3
You have just opened a door for me which will probably let a bunch of happiness and love and inspiration into my life. Example of little thing yielding big effect. Amazing.
oh my God, GMH. I'm tearing up, sending it to my cynical facebook chat buddies, reading through it page by page.. thank you soooo much. i need to remember that the world's bigger and brighter than the darkness in my head. xxo
Sarah, thank you SO MUCH for posting this. all of these websites, especially GMH put me closer to tears of joy than i have ever been in my life. Thanks for making my day =)
(sneaks out from cave)
Thank you for sharing. You are wonderful. :)
(back to the cave)
I come to your blog when a need a cheer. And PostSecret is a must. Then I go to craft blogs such as blah-to-tada.blogspot.com and VogueKnitting's tutorials, just for crafty inspiration, whitch gives a cheer. I also love going through friends photos on Facebook, they make me smile.
I like this http://www.thefuntheory.com/
My brother sent it to me a while ago and I thought it was neat. Some of the contest ideas where really neat too, especially the water pipe one.
amazing. thank you for these!!
I subscribed to two more blogs becaus eof this post and I have been loving both. Thanks for the tip!
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