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I received the following email from Google:

Dear Sarah,

Thanks to you, this holiday season Google is able to donate $20 million to charitable organizations around the world. They in turn will help improve the lives of over 50 million people. Click here to see how.

Thank you for being a part of what Google is today. All this is possible because of you.

Have a wonderful holiday.

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The Good News Network

Yay! The Good News Network shares news about what's going well in the world! A cursory glance at the home page tells me that some poor Mexican families received free toys to brighten their holidays and Hawaii is working on a fueling infrastructure to support hydrogen-powered cars. You do have to subscribe to get access to most of the content, the same as with any major newspaper, but the difference with this news is that you don't have to sift through negativity to get to news that makes you happy. You can register here and have the option to get a free 30-day trial.

Yay, helpful friends! :)

Rena and I hung out yesterday with an old friend of mine from college who was in town. Following her treating me to dinner -- a big enough yay already -- she insisted on walking us all the way home despite the snow on the ground. She helped me maneuver the stroller whenever necessary, and we arrived home safely. Big YAYs! :)

Two shiny sinks! :)

Big yays! After finally taming the kitchen sink and making it, and the dishes, squeaky clean I confronted the bathroom sink and shined it too. Yay for cleaning and double yay for shiny sinks. Check out the Fly Lady for some cleansing advice for the New Year.

Snow! :)

There's a big snowstorm here in New York. I love snow! It's so beautiful! Rena, my husband, and I might go out and play in it tomorrow after it dies down.

Here's a random picture I found online that appears in the New York Times crossword blog. I'm not entirely sure, but it looks like a couple going for a romantic walk in the blizzard of 2006.

Shabbat quote meant for yesterday

Heard from a family friend while watching someone having fun while uncorking a wine bottle: "Anything can be fun if you want it to be."

Got rainbows?

Check out this slide show! I saw one picture of it on Facebook when it was first posted but just saw the whole show today! This rainbow was photographed in Israel on the Hava and Adam Eco-Educational Farm by a participant in the Eco Israel permaculture program. Shout out to my friend Max Turk who's also in the program!

In an unrelated story, my daughter's middle name is Rainbow.

Date Night

Cross posted on Foodiscovery

Hubby here! For the first time in a long while we were free from following the little-one around on her adventures. Yay for grandparents who come all the way to New York....to babysit. Sarah and I had a romantic meal at Shalom Bombay (great service and food!) interspersed with many tender affections and not a little bit of conversation about Hinduism and karma.  Give a yay to get a yay is what I say. How many of you had a yay day today? A yay hour? A yay moment? Share your daily yay and keep the good vibes alive.

A yayful restaurant experience!

Cross posted on Foodiscovery

My in-laws arrived today! That would be a "yay" in and of itself, but the servers at Wolf and Lamb, the kosher meat restaurant where we went out to dinner, went out of their way to accommodate our group of four adults and one baby. They really didn't have to, as the restaurant was already almost filled to the brim. They managed to squeeze in a high chair at a table that was really supposed to be for just four people. Though we'd been feeding Rena banana flavored Organic Puffs to tide her over, a server brought us a complimentary giant matzah ball for her to eat. Wow, she enjoyed this new food so much, she gave her Grammy huge smiles and clapped excitedly while she scarfed it up!

Rena and her daddy playing with her sippy cup at Wolf and Lamb

My 14-month-old's new favorite toy

Rena, my 14-month-old daughter, LOVES her Bounce And Spin Zebra! We bought it together at Toys R Us near Times Square last week. She loves to spin one of the pieces to have it make music, even when she's not riding it. Today's yay is that she figured out how to get down from it all by herself! YAY!

Heard from a subway preacher:

"The devil will say, 'Yes!'" (I heard this awhile ago but I'm still amused whenever I think about it.)

A beautiful song about loving everyone!

Citizens of the World is by a band called Pangea, referring to the ancient supercontinent. I highly recommend watching the music video (below) while listening because it has lyrics in various languages that are translated into English on the video. This lively, upbeat, world music makes me say "Yay!" whenever I hear it,