It's already Tuesday again?! My mood knowing we're about to hit your inbox: 

I'm coming to you from week five of my maternity leave—so I'm either deep in the newborn trenches or high on newborn bliss, but regardless, I'm trying to soak up every moment. 

Before I left I curated some of my favorite stories from Positive DONUTs past, so sit back, relax, and enjoy! 

Thanks for being here. 

—Kailyn

Ready, Set, Go: Today's newsletter takes ~3.02 minutes to read (802 words).

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I trust that everything is working out for my good.

Kitty Tait was only 14 when she battled her first major bout of depression. Her mental health plummeted, leading the UK teen to question "what it was all for." According to the now 21-year-old: "I became a shell, [I would] just lay in bed and wouldn't leave the house. I almost couldn't form sentences.” 

Kitty's therapist suggested she find a hobby to help bring some purpose and joy back into her life. She tried gardening, knitting, and drawing.... but none of them stuck. 

Then she tried baking. 

Her bread and butter: Kitty became fascinated with baking bread after watching her dad, Alex, successfully bake a simple, no-knead bread recipe in the family's oven. Wanting to give it a shot, she rolled up her sleeves and gathered some ingredients. 

The rest, as they say, is history❤️.

Baking bread soon took over Kitty's life in the best way; the teen found a new sense of purpose in her daily bakes. 

• “Baking filled my time and put me in a really calm state, but it also gave me a huge sense of purpose when all I really felt like was a burden,” she shared. 
• “I’m naturally quite a people pleaser, and the lovely thing was I could make a loaf, and then give it to someone to enjoy.”

Word started to spread throughout Kitty's UK town about her delicious bakes. She then started charging for her homemade loaves. Less than a year later, in 2019, Kitty and her dad opened their own brick-and-mortar location.

• Kitty also founded Breaducating Britain, a social project with the mission to "demysify baking, and share with everyone what she knows to be the many benefits of great quality bread." 

Bottom line: The storefront has since closed, but Kitty has no plans of ending her career with bread any time soon. More than anything, she's grateful for how her passion has helped her mentally. 

"Bread has given me so much joy," she told Positive News. "It’s a joy to make, eat, and teach. What I’d love is for all kids and adults to understand that bread is something really simple that we can all make at home."

+Note: Story from July 2024.

Costa Rica's national motto means "pure life," and many conservationists embody this philosophy perfectly. Your Everyday Heroes captures their work protecting endangered species:

• 🐒 Jeremy Levine operates Wild Sun Rescue, rehabilitating injured wildlife and howler monkeys
• 🦜 Vernon Arias leads ASOPROLAPA's scarlet macaw breeding program, bringing vibrant wings to Costa Rican skies
• 🐢 Tracey Lemon dedicates her retirement to protecting crucial sea turtle populations
• 🗑️ Alejandro Morales tackles plastic pollution by creating eco-friendly construction materials

These heroes demonstrate how "pure life" means fighting for all life.

Wisconsin mom Analysia Beck was not expecting to welcome her third bundle of joy as early as she did. 

She started going into labor with two young kids at home—and by the time the babysitter arrived and she-and-her-husband made it into the car, she was well into contractions. To make matters worse, they faced a massive snowstorm on their way to the hospital. 

Do you want fries with that? Analysia's husband, Daniel, was forced to pull into a McDonald's parking lot. She climbed into the backseat, while he called the paramedics.

• Baby Micah was born soon after, with paramedics there to whisk the mom and baby to the hospital. Both were deemed healthy and doing well. 

Coming soon to a McDonald's near you: Micah has already garnered the nicknames "Little McNugget" and "Little McFlurry." And while the latter is no Grimace Shake, sources tell us that the possibility of it hitting the McD's menu has the purple monster quaking in his proverbial boots.

+Note: Story from Jan. 2024.

🦦 Local Oregon tribes and nonprofits received a $1.56 million grant to lead a planning effort to reintroduce sea otters to the Oregon and Northern California coasts. The adorable creatures have been missing on their land for over a century—locals hope they will help restore the state’s dwindling underwater kelp forests and control invasive sea urchin populations.

🧔🏻 The New York Yankees reversed a decades-long “no-beards” rule, allowing players to grow short and well-groomed facial hair for the first time since 1976.

🩰 Anyone can dance…The Washington School of Ballet has become one of the only premier ballet companies in the world to offer a full curriculum for adults seeking to learn, or relearn, the art of ballet.

+Note: This section previously appeared in a February 2025 edition of Positive DONUT.

Meditation is a simple and effective way to take care of yourself. The act of mindfully sitting with ourselves and our breath can have some amazing effects.

🥰 So, what are you waiting for? Try out this quick self-love meditation for an instant boost of acceptance and love for yourself. There's a solid chance you'll feel amazing after.

Honestly, I was so skeptical about Wild because I'd been burned by natural deodorants before. I'd try them and by 2 PM I'm panicking about whether people can smell me. But Wild actually works. I've been using it for a little over a month now and it handles everything—hot days, workouts, you name it.

My friends always comment on how cute the metal case is, and I feel good knowing the refills aren't just more plastic trash. I'm genuinely impressed and wish I'd found it sooner —it's such a relief to finally stop worrying about it.

Welcome to What’s Your Win, the section of the newsletter where we celebrate all of the good news happening right here in the Positive DONUT community. I love sharing stories from around the globe, but there’s just something extra special about hearing what’s going on in your lives.

Check out the submissions we received this week!

👶 Kailyn T. from Guilford, Connecticut (yes, the Kailyn), is actually high on newborn bliss...

• "I know I'm on maternity leave, but I had to share with my Positive DONUT Fam... I'm over the moon to share the arrival of my sweet daughter, Leya, born on June 12th, 2025! We're 2 1/2 weeks in now and doing amazingly. My fiancé and I are just soaking up all the newborn cuddles and bliss that we can. We are so in love with our girl! ❤️"

🚐💪 Shannon F. from the US is crushing her solo adventure... 

• "Since June 3rd, I’ve been traveling Western Australia by myself in a campervan! I’m almost halfway through my trip. I’m so proud of myself. I was fearful of driving by myself on the wrong side of the road (I’m from the US…), and just journeying by myself. But, I’ve met such kind people on the way, have enjoyed my own company, and have seen the most beautiful sights. Here’s to the adventures still to come!"

🙌 Brody H. from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is especially appreciative of family time...

• "I am in college, and recently got to visit my family back home in PA. I had an awesome time and I am super grateful for them."

Today's trivia theme is general knowledge. Take your best shot at answering the questions below: 

1. Over 70% of the world's population has what color eyes? 
2. What was the first US state? 
3. What's the biggest animal in the world?
4. What is the name of a shape with nine sides?
5. In The Great Gatsby, what is located at the end of Daisy Buchanan’s dock?

(keep scrolling for answers)

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🥰.

And 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. Brown 👁 
2. Delaware 🇺🇸 
3. Antarctic blue whale🐋 
4. Nonagon 9️⃣
5. Green lantern 💚