Morning Motivation: Hey, Houston, these fresh, bright stories will get your day off right

HOUSTON – Start the day a little lighter and brighter amid the coronavirus pandemic with Morning Motivation, good news stories curated by KPRC 2.

Lots of love in H-town

Love in windows: Teddy bears are popping up in windows across Bellaire amid social distancing as a community-wide effort to entertain kids walking around the neighborhood. It’s a fun activity to spot and count the stuffed bears while on a stroll around the block.

Kindness rocks: One KPRC 2 viewer is having her kids paint rocks to keep them entertained. Once finished, the kids hide the rocks around their community to later be found by neighbors during outdoor walks.

Our daily reminder about washing your hands

Zeke the chameleon says wash your hands: There are few things better than animals getting in on the handwashing. Take a lighter look at the new national pastime with this Twitter video of a chameleon washing his hands. Just make sure it’s at least 20 seconds, Zeke.

Enjoying the extra time with our four-legged friends

#DogsofTwitter: Because you need more pugs in your life, here’s Lulu the Pug and Poppy chilling out at home. #DogsofTwitter make life worth living during quarantine, amirite?

When dogs talk to us: It makes us feel so good when our animals are worried about us. Here’s a service dog named Sampson sharing a little worry about his human.

Oh, dad!

When dad picks the wifi password. This is what happens.

And 3 more we know you will just love

1. A new bunny in town? Easter is right around the corner. Did you know there’s a new Cadbury bunny in town? He is a two-legged dog and his name is Lieutenant Dan. Here he is.:

2. Free toilet paper? We all know toilet paper is a precious commodity, but two YouTube stars are giving it away for free. As CNN reported, Justin Stuart and Andrew Scites run MoreJStu, a YouTube channel known for “nautical nonsense” videos, stunts, pranks and challenges. Among their antics last October was buying all the toilet paper -- about $5,000 worth, enough to fill a moving truck -- from a Target store to construct a giant castle fort. They also handed out some rolls for free during a “toilet paper pop up shop.” But there was plenty left over. So when coronavirus struck, they paid it forward with rolls and rolls of free bathroom tissue. The two made a video of their day. Some grateful strangers nearly cried, while others shared stories of their families’ struggles.

3. We’re all loving puzzles: As the one-two combination of home quarantine and coronavirus anxiety takes its toll on millions of Americans, the hunt is on for new ways to pass the time. (After all, there’s only so much Netflix a person can watch.) People sharing their quarantine routines online seem to be fascinated by a recently revived -- and very analog -- solution: Jigsaw puzzles. NBA players are doing them. International soccer stars are doing them. Even social media queen Kylie Jenner is doing them. Local retailers have reportedly seen record-breaking sales and Instagram feeds are dotted with people showing off their hard work. However, it’s not just the monotony of self-isolation that’s brought this pastime back into the spotlight. Puzzles have been “a thing” for about a year now, riding the trendy wave of other low-tech, contemplative activities like coloring books and bullet journaling. In 2019, MarketWatch predicted the value of the puzzle industry could reach $730 million by 2024. - CNN

Share your uplifting news

Do you have an uplifting story you’d like to share with us? Leave it in the comments.