Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Add Good to your Google News feed.
Google News Button

Instead of Black Friday or Buy Nothing, Make Something Today

Six easy DIY projects to tackle the day after Thanksgiving.

Ann Friedman
By Ann FriedmanNov 30, 2011
Ann Friedman
See Full Bio

While I've never been one to wait in line outside the mall in the pre-dawn hours of the day after Thanksgiving, I've never really found the Black Friday alternative, Buy Nothing Day, all that compelling either. After all, "buying nothing" is not an activity. It's not a way to spend your post-Thanksgiving Friday. It's opting out of something, but not for something else.

I also come from a proud tradition of crafty Midwest ladies. In that spirit, I'll be turning Black Friday into Make Something Day. If you'd like to join me, here are six little projects I've had bookmarked for quite awhile. Take out your glue guns, folks. Let's get busy.

diyholidaylifestylecraftsblack fridaymoney

The Latest

tomatoes, italian potter, work, focus, pomodoro, tomato focus, time
Life hacks

The Italian 'tomato technique' is an easy way to get more done while avoiding burnout

bad habit, life hack, inconvenience, mind hack, psychology
Life hacks

Got a bad habit? Experts say making it inconvenient is the easy way to break it.

bruce springsteen, misunderstood songs, macarena, the police, hozier
Culture

'Every breath you ...' what? 5 classic songs where people totally missed the meaning

childbirth, sibling bond, delivery room, young obstetrician, family moment, viral photos, emotional story, birth experience, 12-year-old helper, future doctor, inspiring youth, parenting moment, uplifting story, OB-GYN dream, delivery surprise, Facebook reactions, heartwarming viral, birth photos, supportive parenting, life-changing experience
Past Events

12-yr-old watching her brother's birth, asked life-changing question question by doctor

More For You

kindness, compassion, grief, stranger, grocery store, viral, TikTok, human connection, wholesome, empathy

Man looks at his grocery list at the store

Canva

She thought the man staring at her was a creep, then he spoke and she burst into tears

It’s a situation that can make anyone’s skin crawl: you’re going about your day, minding your own business, when you notice someone staring at you. Not just a passing glance, but a persistent, focused gaze that follows you as you move. For a woman named Amanda (@amanda_fornow), a routine trip to the grocery store turned into just such an unnerving experience.

As she pushed her cart through the aisles, she became aware of an older man who seemed to have locked his eyes on her. In a TikTok video recorded moments after their encounter, she explained that he wasn’t following her, but every time she looked up, his gaze was there. It was odd, unsettling, and the kind of thing that makes you want to finish your shopping and leave as quickly as possible. Amanda did her best to ignore it and continue on with her errands.

Keep ReadingShow less
migraine, headache, migraine relief, health hack, TikTok, natural remedy, pain relief, chronic pain, wellness, hot water therapy

A woman with a migraine rubs her temples

Canva

A woman was minutes from a debilitating migraine, then she tried this simple water trick

For the more than 35 million Americans who experience them, the onset of a migraine is a uniquely dreadful experience. It’s not just a headache; it’s a full-body neurological event that can steal hours, or even days, of your life. The world narrows to a pulsing pain behind the eyes, a nauseating sensitivity to light and sound, and an overwhelming need to retreat into a dark, quiet room and wait for the storm to pass.

It was in the throes of this exact scenario that TikTok user Andrea Eder (@andreaeder) found herself. She was at the point where, in her own words, her "eyes were shaking" and she "couldn’t see straight." Having battled migraines for years, she was desperate for anything that might offer relief. That’s when she remembered a surprisingly simple, almost unbelievable hack she had seen circulating online. With nothing to lose, she gave it a try.

Keep ReadingShow less
leaf, solar energy, solar cell system, scientist, University of Cambridge, fossil fuels, environment

A leaf and a researcher examines a solar cell system.

Image from Canva

Breakthrough solar-powered 'leaf' eliminates need for fossil fuels in everyday essentials

You might be surprised at how many daily essentials require some form of fossil fuel. Most of our energy for transportation, electricity, heating, and cooling is derived from fossil fuels. But also, things like packaging, candles, shampoos, makeup, deodorant, electronics, and medical equipment are derived from fossil fuels, and the list goes on and on. In other words, fossil fuels are completely woven into the fabric of our existence.

We know fossil fuels damage the planet. The good news is science hasn't given up on humanity quite yet. Scientists have created a semi-artificial leaf that can be the building block toward eliminating the need for fossil fuels in everyday products.

Keep ReadingShow less
happiness, life hack, therapist, therapeutic exercise, depression

Writing down three good things each day can lead to months of happiness.

Photo credit: Canva

Doctor's ‘Three Good Things’ hack can rewire your brain for long-lasting happiness

Sometimes it can be hard to put on a smile and boost yourself out of the doldrums. Even “fake it ‘til you make it” doesn’t work all the time. There’s no quick fix to make lasting happiness, and anyone who promises instant joy is trying to sell you something. Even if it works, it’s likely fleeting. However, one doctor has a happiness hack that could improve your happiness in just a week.

Positivity-driven psychologist Dr. Martin Seligman developed a method that, when practiced routinely, has been shown to improve happiness. Dubbed the “Three Good Things”/“Three Blessings” method, Seligman recommends that you mindfully sit before going to bed to write down three good things that went well that day. It could be something as big as getting a promotion at work or as simple as your sandwich order being correct. By reflecting on the good in your day, you could feel genuinely happier and more grateful by the end of the week.

Keep ReadingShow less
paul simon, homeward bound, george harrison, simon & garfunkel, saturday night live

George Harrison took the Art Garfunkel role for Paul Simon's 1976 'SNL' version of "Homeward Bound."

Photo credit: YouTube screenshot via Shout! Studios

In 1976, George Harrison joined Paul Simon for a haunting 'SNL' duet of 'Homeward Bound'

The Beatles released their culture-shattering debut album, Please Please Me, in March 1963. A year and a half later, as the British Invasion was starting to take hold, an American folk-rock duo named Simon & Garfunkel released their first LP, the largely overlooked Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. In many ways, through the rest of the decade, these two bands were kindred spirits—prioritizing harmonic cleverness and lyrical depth, evolving to experiment more in the studio. They even collapsed at essentially the same time: Simon & Garfunkel released their final studio project, Bridge Over Troubled Water, in January 1970; four months later, The Beatles bid farewell with Let It Be.

Of course, all of their respective songwriters continued with solo careers, and it only felt natural that they’d collaborate in some way. That summit took place on November 20, 1976, during the eighth episode of Saturday Night Live’s second season. Paul Simon was pulling double duty that evening, hosting the show and serving as musical guest—but George Harrison also served as a second musical guest, appearing in two promo videos and duetting with Simon on two tunes, Simon & Garfunkel’s 1966 classic "Homeward Bound" and his own 1969 Beatles anthem "Here Comes the Sun."

Keep ReadingShow less
autism, parenting, child's drawing, viral, TikTok, motherhood, kids art, neurodiversity, wholesome, good news

A little girl draws a picture next to her mom

Canva

A mom asked her 5-year-old with autism to draw her and the result was not what she expected

It's a moment familiar to almost any parent: asking your child to draw a picture of you, bracing for a delightful, if not entirely accurate, creation. For mom Rebecca Rand (@officiallysidity), this simple challenge with her 5-year-old daughter, who has autism, led to a viral moment of pure joy and profound insight.

In a TikTok video, Rand explained that she is always trying to encourage her daughter’s creativity. "We had just got this new whiteboard, so I was like, 'Okay, mommy is going to sit right here and you draw what mommy looks like,'" she recalled telling her daughter. After a period of focused work, her daughter was ready for the big reveal.

Keep ReadingShow less
Reddit, entitlement, police, detective, law enforcement, boating, public space, parenting, malicious compliance

A man fishes from his boat during sunset

Canva

Retired detective schools an angry woman and her son after she tries to kick his family off a public lake

Some stories of public confrontation are so perfectly structured they feel like a movie scene. This tale, shared by a retired detective on Reddit, is one of them—a masterclass in what happens when someone tries to wield authority they don't have against a quiet expert.

The detective, posting under the username u/Country_Fence, set the scene on a local public lake where he and his family often took their ski boat. "One day, after a few hours on the lake, my daughter mentioned she needed to use the bathroom," he recalled. They did what they always did: pulled their boat up to a docking area near the public restrooms, making sure to stay far away from the designated swimming zone.

Keep ReadingShow less
air travel, seat dispute, airplane etiquette, passenger drama, Indigo Airlines, airline seating, Reddit story, travel woes, flying experience, airplane behavior, entitled passengers, exit row seat, flight upgrade, in-flight conflict, travel stories, plane seating mix-up, funny airline story, boarding pass, travel mishaps, viral Reddit

Representative image: Travel shouldn't include this much drama.

Photo credit: Canva

Entitled woman stole his plane seat so he tricked her in the best way

Air travel is stressful enough without entitled passengers making it worse. Whether it's armrest hoggers or seat recliners, there's always someone who makes the journey unpleasant. But one airline passenger took things to another level—flat-out refusing to move from a seat she didn't pay for.

Reddit user u/compile_commit shared the wild story, which involved his cousin flying from Ahmedabad to Kolkata on Indigo Airlines. He had specifically booked an exit row aisle seat and even paid extra for it. However, when he boarded, he found a woman already sitting there, completely unwilling to move.

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2025