Me, seeing this email hit your inbox and knowing we're about to brighten your day:

Welcome back to another edition of Positive DONUT, the weekly newsletter to remind you that there is still plenty of good in the world around you. 

I hope you enjoy today's newsletter, and let me know which sections are your faves- I always love hearing from you!! 

––Kailyn

Ready, Set, Go: Today's newsletter takes ~3.16 minutes to read (841 words).

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• $25-value book + $125 cash gift card courtesy of Frugal Friends Podcast
• $200 cash gift card courtesy of Matt’s Flights
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• $50 cash gift card courtesy of Cozumel Collective
• Dyce Games Pack courtesy of The DONUT
• NoNetz Prize Pack courtesy of Positive DONUT

Don’t miss out on this amazing chance––enter the giveaway now for free. 

I am grateful for the new opportunities today brings. Today could be the best day of my life!

Around 50 years ago, Ludwika Mickevicius left her home country of Poland to immigrate to New York City. She made the move in hopes of starting a better life for her family––her beloved husband and two children––arriving in New York with a little money and a dream.

• Ludwika started working at a small dive bar in the East Village near her apartment, and soon became a neighborhood staple. 
• The regulars got to know Ludwika and looked forward to seeing her friendly face at the bar. People in the neighborhood started calling her Lucy.

Fast-forward: The real story starts a decade later, when Lucy became the owner of the very same dive bar where she had worked since arriving in New York. She renamed the little bar "Lucy's," and spent the next four decades serving drinks and a smile to the neighborhood.

Lucy always paid for the space on a casual month-to-month lease, but after the East Village became one of the hottest neighborhoods in Manhattan and new ownership took over, Lucy soon realized that she wouldn’t be able to make rent.

• It broke her heart, but she announced she would be closing her doors.

The neighborhood, distraught by the dive’s possible closing, quickly rallied to try and save Lucy’s. That’s when Jon Neidich, CEO of Golden Age Hospitality, stepped up to the plate. 

• Neidich had lived above Lucy’s for years and sparked a friendship with the now 84-year-old; he had also been a bartender at Lucy's in the 90's. 
• The high-end night club director approached the new landlord and cut a deal to save the space––and he decided he wouldn’t change a thing.

“Places like Lucy’s are disappearing in New York, which is why I’m adamant this remains Lucy’s,” Jon said. “Luckily, I’m in a place in my career where I could take it over and help. Sure, if you want to order a martini here now, you’ll be able to get one. But we’re still using normal ice cubes here, not large ones.”

After some very basic renovations, Lucy’s reopened to the public last month. Lucy, of course, showed up in all her glory.

While Lucy has moved on to a happy and well-earned retirement, Jon is making sure the beloved East Village grandmother is taken care of, paying her a wage, benefits, and health insurance as well as a 20% share in the bar.

“Saving the bar was part of it, but it’s also about making sure Lucy still has a livelihood,” he told the NY Times. “As everyone says, what makes Lucy’s special is Lucy.”

Want to provide your dog with premium health support without breaking the bank? Four Leaf Rover delivers top-quality wellness products that never compromise on ingredients or effectiveness—leaving both your pet's health and your wallet in better shape.

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• 🐕 Hip & Joint preserves your companion's mobility with pure green-lipped mussels and eggshell membranes

👆 Meet Marlene Flowers, aka "Granny Guns," who started working out for the first time at 58 after a series of health problems.

One decade later, Marlene now has millions of people online following her journey as a senior bodybuilder. She trains constantly, dedicating five days a week to weight lifting and at least one to cardio.

• “It took a while for me to get out of the house,” Marlene told the Washington Post regarding her fitness journey’s slow start. “Now, it’s just the opposite. You can’t keep me out of the gym.”

🏊‍♀️ Maya Merhige is a California teen who has swum the Catalina Channel, English Channel, and circumnavigated 20 miles around Manhattan. Most recently, she completed a daunting swim across the Cook Straight in New Zealand. All of her swims are to raise money for children’s cancer research; so far she’s raised $125,000.

🐶 A win for dog lovers everywhere…A new small study by researchers at Chiang Mai University in Thailand found that petting a dog may be the easiest way to reduce stress without medication. Petting a friendly pooch for just 15 minutes can help reduce stress for both us and our furry friends.

🏠 Claire Cao was a senior in high school when she created ShelterBridge, an app that connects users in need to highly reviewed shelters and homeless services in their area.

Need some help incorporating more gratitude into your day-to-day? Try this exercise suggested by @hereweeread on Instagram.

How to create your “Good Things Are Always Happening To Me” List:

1. Create a note in your phone with the above title.
2. Every time something good happens to you throughout your day (no matter how big or small), jot it down on your list to remember for later.
3. On days when you’re feeling down and need a reminder that life is still filled with joy, open up your list and scroll through the little and big wins.
4. Rinse and repeat!

I started my list this morning––join me and remind yourself that little daily joys are always there if we keep our eyes open to them.

Did you know some credit cards can actually help you get out of debt faster? It may sound too good to be true, but here’s the secret: Find a card with a 0% intro APR on balance transfers.

• By moving your debt to one of these cards, you could pay it down faster without worrying about interest.

Right now, some of the best balance transfer cards offer 0% intro APR until nearly 2027—giving you plenty of time to make progress without extra costs. These hand-picked cards are perfect for those looking to pay down debt, not add to it.

Welcome to my favorite part of the newsletter, What’s Your Win, where we celebrate all of the positive news happening right here within our DONUT community!

Sadly, we didn't receive any new submissions this week, but don't fret—we’ll be spotlighting some favorite wins from Positive DONUTs past.

❤️ Bill H. from Morrison, Colorado, remembered the joy of being kind…

• "I went into a convenience store to buy a bag of ice. The clerk had used eye makeup that really was a stunning makeover. I complimented her, and she smiled so broadly and said 'Thanks!' I love bringing joy to someone else."

✏️ Lauren M. from Newark, Ohio, was feeling grateful for her teacher…

• "My current events teacher, Mr. Mummey, is amazing. He had us all subscribe to The Donut to get great news updates for class. Having him be apart of our school community for my senior year is a huge personal win because of how supported he makes all of his students feel. Every time I give him a fun fact or a small drawing on one of my quizzes, it is an extra point. It is always so important when a teacher makes their students feel valued."

🥳 Terrie S. from Texas kicked cancer’s 🍑!

• “Celebrating ten years since I completed active treatment and kicked breast cancer’s butt!!”

Take your best shot at solving the brain teasers below. How many can you get? 

1. No matter how little or how much you use me, you change me every month. What am I?
2. My voice is tender, my waist is slender and I'm often invited to play. Yet wherever I go, I must take my bow or else I have nothing to say. What am I?
3. What can be driven although it doesn't have wheels, sliced but stays whole?

Share your own wins...If you take a moment to slow down and recognize the good things in your life, you'll notice there really is always something to be thankful for 🥰.

If you feel compelled to share, let us know what you're feeling especially grateful for or proud of right here. Nothing is too small or insignificant to celebrate, and we promise to be your biggest hype-people😎! 

Submit your or a loved one's wins here for a chance to be featured in next week's newsletter.

1. A calendar 📅
2. A violin 🎻
3. A golf ball ⛳️