Launch the confetti cannons—because Positive DONUT is now five years old! 🎉🎂

I still remember my very first brainstorming meetings for this newsletter back in early 2021; it's awesome to see how we’ve grown into the amazing community that exists today.

Whether you’ve been around since the very first send, or are just joining the Positive DONUT fam, thank you for being here.

Have a fantastic week! 🥰

—Kailyn

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s newsletter should be a ~3.64 minute read (968 words).

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I am centered and at peace.

Blue Zeus spent years roaming Wyoming’s Red Desert alongside his mares and foals, becoming something of a celebrity among photographers and wild-horse advocates. But in October 2020, the blue roan stallion and his family were rounded up by the federal government and separated from one another.

One of the people following his story was Clare Staples, founder of Skydog Ranch & Sanctuary, who had admired Zeus through photographs for years and promised herself that if he were ever captured, she would try to help him.

That opportunity eventually came, although finding Zeus proved a bit complicated. He had been transported to a holding facility in Cañon City, Colorado, inside a maximum-security prison that was largely inaccessible during the pandemic.

• After months of calls and emails, Clare was finally allowed to attend an adoption event featuring older stallions, where Blue Zeus came up for auction.
• She was the only bidder, and adopted him for $25.

The search for family begins: Getting Zeus to Skydog was only part of Clare’s plan; she also wanted to reunite him with the mares and foals he lived with in the wild, which meant finding them among ~2,000 horses at the Colorado facility.

• Clare was eventually granted four hours to search the pens, using photographs and identifying markings to figure out which horses belonged to Zeus’ family.
• She searched through pen after pen without finding them, until reaching the final group.
• There, she spotted Nike, Zeus’ longtime lead mare, along with other members of his family.

The horses were brought to Skydog for a reunion, 11 months after first being separated.

Welcome home: When Zeus was released to meet his family, he galloped toward the herd and greeted the horses before leading them around their new place. Over time, the family settled back into many of the same relationships they’d had in the wild, including Zeus’ close bond with Nike.

Blue Zeus and his family currently live together on 1,200 acres at Skydog, where they have plenty of room to roam.

(P.S. Thank you to our subscriber, Gretchen, for sending in this amazing story!)

Jones Road Beauty believes makeup should look like real skin. Enter What The Foundation, a buildable formula that leaves your complexion looking natural, fresh, and glowing.

Created by iconic makeup artist Bobbi Brown, it’s earning praise from customers: “The coverage is light and natural-looking. It’s not cakey and doesn’t settle into lines.” Sounds like witchcraft, but it’s not.

If you’ve been buying foundation for years, we get it. But Jones Road believes your skin should still look like your skin.

🦴 Over the past 15 years, British couple Nicole and Gary Wordsworth have fostered 59 dogs, giving the pups a quiet, loving place to relax and let their personalities shine while waiting for adoption.

While saying goodbye might seem like the hardest part, the couple says they take heart in knowing every dog is off to its next chapter, and are grateful to have been part of the story at all.

⛰️ When 70-year-old hiker Craig Berg didn’t return from a solo backpacking trip through Isle Royale National Park, his family reported him missing and launched a massive search effort. After 11 days, Craig was spotted by two kayakers on a lake, leading rescuers to his location. Craig, who's now safe and recovering, says he's incredibly grateful for everyone's help.

🐿️ Retired guidance counselor Nancy Rose has spent the past 15 years photographing backyard squirrels in miniature homemade scenes, capturing them “drinking” tea, taking baths, bowling, and more. The 72-year-old’s adorable hobby has inspired a series of children’s books, calendars, and puzzles, while introducing her to a whole community of fellow squirrel lovers.

😮 Better late than never? A New Hampshire man recently returned a magazine to the Concord Public Library a whopping 132 years after it was checked out. Luckily for him, the library had frozen overdue fines and saved him from a $12,055 bill.

While journaling is very different than writing for a living, I'm still a major fan of getting my thoughts on paper. 

The simple act of casual journaling can have some powerful effects on both our minds and bodies, whether you're a daily journaler or brand new to the idea. So grab a pen and paper—or your Notes app—and reflect on some of the prompts below:

1. What are you particularly grateful for lately? How can you invite more of these things into your life?
2. What have you been struggling with lately? How can you continue to work through that and/or ask for support?
3. Describe your perfect day.
4. What are some of your goals as we move into the spring and summer seasons?
5. Hype yourself up! What are your favorite qualities about yourself?

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🏰 Savings up to $600… Experience the Scottish Highlands on this 10-day guided tour with stunning castles and distilleries. Book by 9/30.

🏘️ Up to $500 in savings… Explore the hometown of the Beatles, Shakespeare’s birthplace, and many more on this 9-day Britain guided tour. Book by 9/30.

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.

Sadly, we didn’t receive any new submissions this week—but that just provides an opportunity to share some amazing past wins. After all, it’s never too late to celebrate!

🖼️ One anonymous subscriber from NC was proud of her big sister:

• “I wanted to share a big win for my sister, Hannah! She is a talented artist but has a lot of social anxiety. She’s been working hard on it and has finally gotten to a place where she’s brave enough to get out of her comfort zone. She now has her amazing art featured at a popular local art gallery.”

📚 Dena O. from Tennessee supported her local library:

• “This Saturday, I will chair an event to raise money so our public librarians can write grants to us for items/events outside the scope of their budget. Every dollar will impact residents of my county and literacy. ❤️ “

💪 Margaret from FL crossed off a long-awaited to-do:

• “I've been trying to get floor of my room cleaned for the last few months and it was just so overwhelming. So on Monday afternoon I put in a CD and methodically got the floor of my room clean. I am so proud of myself, now I tackle my dresser.”

🙏 Invisawear lets you secretly call for immediate help whenever you feel unsafe, without needing to reach for your phone or draw attention. This tiny hidden panic button looks like a simple piece of jewelry, and can give you priceless peace of mind when you need it most. Positive DONUT readers get an exclusive 50% discount.✨

🥹 When land pups watch sea pups...Peak cuteness is achieved.

💚 Green girls unite: Sherwin-Williams just announced its upcoming 2027 color of the year, and it’s one of my faves!

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Take your best shot at these fall-themed trivia questions, in honor of today being the first day of autumn:

1. What are the three zodiac signs of fall?
2. Where is the pumpkin capital of the US?
3. What year was the first Thanksgiving?
4. Apple cider is the official drink of which US state?

In this crazy day-and-age, nothing positive is too small to celebrate. And who knows? A little bit of positivity and support may be just what's needed to help someone else power through some tough times.

Feel free to share even the simplest achievements with us, we promise to be your biggest hype-people🤝😎.

Share your everyday wins and accomplishments.

1. Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius
2. Morton, Illinois: the town produces and processes roughly 85%–95% of the world's canned pumpkin. (Honorable mention: Floydada, Texas also claims the title of Pumpkin Capital specifically for field-grown decorative and carving pumpkins, rather than canned processing.)
3. 1621
4. New Hampshire

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