🔥 The one thing happy couples do more than you’d expect… nope, not that

It’s probably something you’ve both been trying to avoid.

Relationship experts have a habit of assigning unrealistic quotas. Want that perfect relationship? That’ll be three dates a month, two to three acts of service a day, and… checks notes… two fights a week? Wait, that’s not right, is it?

Well, actually, it is.

As Mark Wales reports, happy couples don’t stay that way by avoiding conflict, they get better at it. Research shows that arguing a couple of times a week (the healthy kind, not the shouting-match kind) can strengthen trust, clarify boundaries, and deepen intimacy.

So the next time you and your partner go a few rounds about the thermostat, remember: you’re just following expert advice.

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🧸 Why more adults are sleeping with stuffed animals

Is ‘never’ the right time to put the stuffies away for good?

I would never yuck someone else’s yum. Sometimes you just have to look at something and go, you know what? That’s not for me. Enter this piece by Elyssa Goodman.

Elyssa explores why sleeping with a stuffed animal as an adult isn’t a sign of regression, it’s actually a sign of emotional health. Psychologists say cuddling a soft, fuzzy friend can lower stress, ease anxiety, and even help you process old wounds. CNN’s Dr. Jade Wu suggests adults might just be seeking comfort in uncertain times, while other experts argue it’s a deeply valid form of self-soothing.

From Squishmallow collectors to Elyssa’s own four-foot bear named Randolph (who’s lived rent-free for years), grown-ups are rediscovering the quiet power of a good cuddle.

I dunno. Seems a little childish. Now… if you’ll excuse me, as soon as I publish this newsletter, I’ll be getting back to work on this Lego Space Shuttle…

🤘 Millennial ‘butt rock’ is having a redemption arc

Creed, corniness, and a comeback?

If the phrase “butt rock” doesn’t ring a bell, think gravel-throated vocals, crunchy guitar riffs, and lyrics that punch you right in the feelings. That earnest, post-grunge sound of the late ’90s and early 2000s, delivered by bands like Nickelback, Creed, and Papa Roach.

The name? Possibly a cheeky twist on “nothing but rock” radio slogans. Or maybe it’s a nod to the genre’s macho swagger and tight-jeans bravado. Either way, it stuck. And for years, butt rock was cultural shorthand for cringe.

But now? It's having a full-blown redemption arc. Music writer Ryan Reed makes the case for six surprisingly great tracks from the golden age of butt rock. Songs that deserve a second listen (yes, even Nickelback). Whether you blasted them unironically or mocked them into memes, these power ballads and fist-pump anthems are back for your nostalgia-soaked reappraisal.

On November 12th, 1859, French acrobat Jules Léotard donned a custom-made outfit that would bear his name of all time, and did something so astonishing that even 166 years later, we find it hard to look without covering our eyes.

For twelve minutes, Léotard flew between three swinging bars, inventing the flying trapeze and changing live performance forever. He made danger look elegant, turned physics into poetry, and made that snug little uniform iconic.

Within two years, he was Europe’s most celebrated performer, inspiring a hit song (“The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze”) and a generation of daredevils who wanted to feel the same impossible freedom.

Jules died young, at just 32 (No, you grumpy pessimist, he didn’t fall. He died of either smallpox or cholera.) But the art form he invented still shapes everything from Cirque du Soleil to Olympic gymnastics.

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💬 From the group text…

Oh, man! My Christmas cards are going to be a whole lot more fun this year!

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