Welcome to the Bright Side, a weekly roundup of all the good news and ideas you might have missed from the past week.
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Somewhere in America, it’s National Tequila Day. And you know what that means: all new Tipsy Scoop peaches and cream margarita ice cream from Matthew McConaughey’s tequila brand, Pantalones. Now, if you’re like me, and you habla Español like un gringo, you may think that pantalones means “pants.” Well, mi amigo, that is correct! It’s also Spanish slang for “guts,” at least according to the award-winning, completely irreverent, 100% organic Blue Weber agave tequila brand.
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Tequila got its start when Mexico’s indigenous people drank a type of “mezcal wine” from fermented agave back in the 16th century. Now, the distillation is most often found in margaritas, palomas, and blurry college memories (pantalones optional). Whether you sip it, scoop it, or imbibe in spirit, we’re toasting todos ustedes (Spanish for “all y’all”) this weekend.
Literally, what was life before Jimothy?
If you haven’t already fallen in love with Jimothy, he’s the awkward little raccoon with the rounded spine who’s taking over the internet. As a Seattle city council member Alexis Mercedes Rinck described him, “He’s an example to all of us that you don’t have to be perfect to be loved … it’s what makes us different that makes us sensational.” It’s also those little raccoon fingers, though, am I right?
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Enjoying legitimate celebrity, Jimothy was named by Kiana Hall, who first captured his wild frolicking on camera. His odd body shape makes him almost unrecognizable as a creature from this planet. Reportedly, he suffers from short spine syndrome, which causes his structure to bunch almost into a ball atop his disproportionately lanky legs. But it doesn’t matter. He seems to be going along in life without too much worry, just as he is. He’s even inspired tattoos and murals during his short run with fame so far. There’s even talk of an upcoming “Jimothy Summer” celebration. May he live forever.
Gym, but first … chocolate?
There are a lot of unhinged fitness gimmicks floating around out there. But when I heard of “smelling chocolate” in order to crush it in the gym, I was skeptical. (Who paid for this study, Goobers?)
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Well, chocolate-and-barbell lovers, this science is real. According to a study from Frontiers in Physiology, fasted gym bros who sniffed dark chocolate before, during, and after their workouts significantly increased their number of reps without trying any harder than normal. Inhaling dark chocolate aromas from a jar also tamed their appetites. Does the food cue have to be chocolate? Maybe not! As study author Mohamed Nashrudin bin Naharudin noted, “A person likely needs to find the odor familiar and appealing — or at least not repulsive — to trigger the psychological shift in appetite that’s needed to see a performance boost.”
We’ll see whether sniffing a jar full of donuts makes me any better at deadlifts — or looking not-weird at the gym — but since leg strength is a predictor of longevity, this is one delicious reason to go for a few extra reps.
LEGO Grandma gets it
I recently rediscovered a love of LEGOs. After I gifted this Durrr Burger set to my boyfriend (and then promoted myself to general contractor, overseeing 193 pieces of plastic), we had the best time recreating the fast food restaurant chain from Fortnite, over coffee. I was surprised at how relaxing it was since my chaotic mental load is usually more aligned with the middle of Times Square. Well, one granny knows the power of a leisurely pastime, and she’s taking this iconic kid hobby to the pro level.
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Mary, the 97-year-old “LEGO Grandma,” spends six hours a week working on LEGO Icon builds such as the Colosseum, the Titanic, and the LEGO Grand Piano that actually plays sheet music (using your smartphone). My favorite comment about her talents was from someone who posted to Reddit: “I hate to break it to you, but according to the box she only has two years left.” (Luckily, LEGO raised its official max age range to 100+ in honor of David Attenborough’s 100th birthday.)
Life advice from trees
The first time I hiked through the forest in Sequoia National Park, I was struck by how many of the giant evergreens had lived over 2,000 years. Some had deep gashes in their trunks, others were missing critical limbs, and General Sherman — the largest living tree in the world — had lost a massive branch after battling lightning, forest fires, floods, and annoying tourists taking selfies and wanting to hug it (me). Suddenly I realized why I felt peaceful walking over the trees’ strong, ancient roots: I was surrounded by survivors who had seen some things. What a powerful testament to nature, mirrored in the human spirit.
One of the nicest things about trees is that they never seem embarrassed to start over every spring.
— Antidepressant Content (@depressionlesss) July 9, 2026
Maybe it’s because I read Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree” roughly 900 times as a kid, but I’ll take any life lesson related to trees. (Except for those sassy apple trees from “The Wizard of Oz.” So rude.) Spiritual teacher Ram Dass talked about giving our friends, neighbors, and strangers the same grace we give to nature. He suggests, “Look at trees … some of them are bent, and some of them are straight, and some of them are evergreens … you look at the tree and you allow it … The minute you get near humans … you are constantly saying ‘You are too this, or I’m too this’ … so I practice turning people into trees … appreciating them just the way they are.”
Enjoy your tequila responsibly, and share your own Jimothy in the comments! (Mine’s my dog, Lemmy. He’s the weirdest, and I could watch him be his quirky little self all day.) As always, email me as you please. Same time, same place next week? See you there. — Lauren
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