A Kid Got a Magnifying Glass for Christmas…and Promptly Set His Lawn on Fire

One minute you think you got your child a cool Christmas gift, and the next, the whole neighborhood is about to go up in flames.

That’s exactly what happened: a 12-year-old boy in Texas got a magnifying glass for Christmas – and then accidentally set his family’s lawn on fire. I can tell you, as a former 12-year-old boy, that about 99.99% of kids that age are going to use magnifying glasses to start some kind of fire (hopefully of the small variety that won’t spiral out of control.

The boy’s mother explained on Facebook,

“Christmas Day was memorable to say the least!?My twelve year old son Cayden, who is an avid reader, an honor student, and interested in science, asked for a magnifying glass for Christmas. (It’s like a basketball player asking for basketball shoes.) We thought it was for reading, but instead he tried to see if he could light a fire with it! We discovered that he and his two brothers went out on the driveway to see if they could burn a couple holes in some newspaper.

Everything was under control until the boys came running into the house telling us that a corner of the lawn was on fire and the Christmas lights were melting! Justin and I rushed outside to see the entire front lawn turning black! We grabbed buckets, turned on the hose and sprinklers, and I grabbed blankets to smother and trap it – before it could spread any more into the neighbors yard! What a sight to see – a bunch of people running around crazy trying to put a front lawn fire out while wearing matching Christmas jammies!

I want to reiterate this was an accident. It could have been worse but it wasn’t. So instead of a tragedy it will now be a Christmas to remember! 2019- The Christmas the lawn lit on fire. ???

Oh and never buy a magnifying glass for your son!”

Christmas Day was memorable to say the least!?My twelve year old son Cayden, who is an avid reader, an honor student,…

Posted by Nissa-Lynn Parson on Thursday, December 26, 2019

People on social media thought the whole incident was pretty darn hilarious.

Well, we’re glad no one was hurt and that they were able to get the blaze started by Cayden under control.

Note to self: don’t buy any young kids a magnifying glass anytime soon…

The post A Kid Got a Magnifying Glass for Christmas…and Promptly Set His Lawn on Fire appeared first on UberFacts.

People Share Their Most Wholesome Secrets

People assume secrets are hidden because they’re bad – maybe a shameful event in your past, or a thought you’d never want to share with anyone.

But secrets can also be wholesome, like if you made a large donation to a non-profit, anonymously. Or if you sent a package of goodies to a friend without them knowing.

Who knows why some people decide to keep the good they do secret, but it happens. Here are 10 heart-bursting secrets that will leave you smiling.

10. Bank error in his favor

“My best friend’s mom passed away from cancer four years ago on Easter Sunday. She was like a second mom to me. She was very religious and always dreamed of going to Jerusalem.

When she passed away, my best friend became reckless and would try to drown his feelings and cover up the darkness inside him with the bright lights of clubs and women. This went on for a couple years.

Eventually, my best friend hit beyond rock bottom to where he was living in his car with only a backpack of clothes and his mom’s ashes.

I let him stay with me and he turned his life around. He stopped going to bars. He started caring again. He started saving money. He decided he would spread his mom’s ashes in Jerusalem.

Well, he got into a car accident last month and totaled his car. Not his fault. Someone plowed through a red light. Medical bills and attorneys fees drained his savings. But it’s okay. He told me how there was a bank error and someone deposited $3,000 into his bank account.

He’s all set to be in Jerusalem around Easter and my Hawaii trip was postponed.”

9. Here kitty kitty

“I’ve had my cat for 18 years. I’ve had my husband for three years. He always wanted a cat and never had one.

Their love is strong and true, but obviously, the cat is slightly more attached to/familiar with me.

My husband loves that cat so much and gets a little bit of a thrill out of the idea that the cat loves us equally even though I had a 15-year head start.

What my husband doesn’t know is that I sometimes intentionally annoy the cat so that he will go snuggle with my husband instead, because it is so dang cute how giddy my husband gets about it.”

8. Best decision ever

“My daughter isn’t biologically mine. My ex became pregnant via an affair. One of many, I came to find. After the paternity test confirmed it, I almost left, but I had a thought.

This baby girl did not ask for this situation. She is innocent in all this and down a father since the dude split and disappeared. I knew her mother was not able to cope with motherhood, as she was only barely coping with childless adulthood some of the time.

I stepped in. I’ve always wanted to be a father and I’m all about helping children at a disadvantage because of my own crappy childhood. If I can spare any child from that, I would, so I did.

She carries my name. Looks like me oddly enough (her bio dad looks like a younger me), and is now 3 with a 1st-grade education. She speaks very well. She has a very good imagination. She is as happy as a clam and unabused.

I teach her mother how to actually be a mother, and I take my daughter for extra time, all the time.

It’s the best, most fulfilling decision I have ever made. I may not be her father, but I’m darn sure her daddy.”

7. Angels from above

“When I was 17 years old, my BFF and I decided to take the snowmobiles out for a ride in the blizzard. We thought it would be amazing to hit some fresh forming powder and drifts. The visibility was low so we stuck to the main roads.

We ended up on a desolate road with two homes and acres and acres of farmland. As we got close to the homes we noticed some lights and went over to see what was going on.

It turned out that the old couple living there had ventured out to the store to get food in case they got snowed in. They made the long drive and everything went fine (they had to have hit several drifts that were 1-4 feet tall). Things only went wrong when they slowed down to turn into the drive. They didn’t dare leave their car out because they feared a snow plow would hit it. My friend and I in full snow gear, helmets and face masks dug the car out and shoveled the driveway and made sure they got the car in the garage.

I thought that was the end of the story.

I didn’t even mention anything to my parents. Lo and behold, the next day at church this couple was there. Our church gives time for the congregation to get up and talk about their beliefs/faith-building stories. Sure enough, the old man gets up and starts telling about their trip to the store last night. He talked about getting stuck and worrying he would never get his car unstuck and that it would be destroyed by a snow plow.

He then said two angels appeared, barely spoke, unstuck his car and disappeared as quickly as they arrived. He said that he had been pleading with the Lord for some help but figured it would never arrive because no one ever travels the road. My mom looked at me and knew it was me. She didn’t say anything, I didn’t say anything.”

6. A Christmas Miracle

“My little sister was extremely sick with pneumonia in the ICU one Christmas when she was 6. This happened often around this time of year for her because of her asthma, but this time it was worse. She was so sick and tired, she lost track of the days in the hospital even though Christmas was approaching fast. People dressed as elves would come in and bring gifts and my sister would say, ‘Am I going to make it back in time for Christmas?’

She was so worried and already so upset after being poked and prodded by doctors, draining fluid from her lungs and trying to get her better. Christmas came and we decided not to tell her she missed it. We promised her. We weren’t going to ruin her Christmas!
On the 27th, while my dad worked and mom was at the hospital, I got a list from my mom and went to the store to get her gifts. I spent all night wrapping them.

The next day, they released my sister from the hospital and we told her it was Christmas Eve! I even promised her she could sleep in my bed that night, under all the Christmas lights I hung up, so she could wake me up as soon as it was Christmas morning.
I can’t even tell you how happy she was to wake up the next day and she couldn’t stop saying how much of a Christmas miracle it was! She’s 13 and still remarks how amazing it was she made it back before Christmas, after being so horribly sick and stuck in ICU.”

5. Random treats for lucky kids

“When I was a kid, I used to always twist the quarter machines on the way into stores just in case. Got lucky a couple of times and got a few free toys. Now that I’m grown, if I’m leaving a store with them, I like to drop change into them if I have it and leave them half twisted.”

4. Helping the family

“My Aunt was gonna be short for her rent. I paid the landlord and told him to say that she paid it earlier in the month. She was so happy about it. I made steaks for supper and paid extra on other bills so she’d be ahead of them.”

3. Helping out the homeless

“I used to have to regularly travel abroad for work to this one specific town. I would stay near the main square so it got to be I would recognize the homeless people around my area.

It was a difficult time in my life, so I was drinking a little more than was healthy (nothing during the daytime or that would interfere with work, just at night to go to bed), so most nights I would go out to pick something up.

Some homeless people asked for money, some were straight up and asked for a can or two. I always felt bad doing the whole ‘pat my pockets and shrug’ routine to them as I exited the shop, knowing I was just blowing my money away on drinks for myself. In that moment, was I so different than these guys?
I finally got up the courage to acknowledge/talk to one of them, he asked for a can or two of drinks, and I asked what kind he wanted (high percentage, of course).

In the store, I bought stuff for me, and I also bought this guy two cans, but there was a catch. In the bag were a few other things I bought him, a few sandwiches, some milk, and some sports drink.
So that was my routine. For over a year, I would be in this town once a month or so, and I would go around and get this man a few cans and also made sure he had something to eat. I learned that he had a shelter he could sleep in at night, I learned his name, I would shake his hand every time I saw him, chat for a bit, and wish him well.

A few times, he had some sores on his foot so I bought bandages, antiseptic cream, stuff like that.

It’s not a big deal, but I always kept it a secret. Even when my girlfriend came with me on one of my trips, I just told her I was going to go for a walk at night to clear my head, and I went and visited this man and bought him a few drinks and some food, never told her about it. I’ve never told anyone – I think that would ruin it for me – it’s not about me or getting a slap on the back, it was just about treating this guy like a fellow man, even for a few minutes.

Maybe I was doing something wrong, maybe that’s not the right way to help someone, I don’t know. All I figured was this guy had more reason to drink than I did, his life looked rough. If he wanted to get messed up, he was going to find a way to get messed up anyway, and this way I figured at least he’d get some nutrition, and someone who would shake his hand, call him by name and chat and look him in the eye. I haven’t been back to that town for years. I don’t know if he remembers me. I think of him often. I hope he’s doing ok.”

2. Everyone is loved on Valentine’s day

“Back in college, I liked to do special things for my friends in my dorm for Valentine’s Day. One year, I taped chocolate boxes to their doors, and the next year I taped bags of heart-shaped cookies. My friends would find out that it was me one way or another, but it was still nice to do something nice for the people I care about. The next year, after the majority of my dorm friends, had graduated, I still wanted to do something nice for the people in my dorm.

I created about 150 little paper envelopes, to cover everyone that would be getting a special surprise. At around 2 a.m. I set out to taping these envelopes to all the doors on my floor (2 people per room) as well as all the RA’s on all the other floors. I then filled every tiny envelope with a few heart-shaped Reese’s and Snickers candies. It probably took about 2 hours to completely finish. I know a few chocolates really aren’t that big of a gift, but I wanted everybody to feel some love on Valentine’s Day.

The next day, some of the RA’s posted about it on Facebook. They were saying that we had the best residents. It made me feel really warm and fuzzy inside, but I never let any of them know that I was the one that did it.”

1. A trip of a lifetime

“Without revealing too much information, my previous job had a major perk: a lottery system in which the winners got to accompany a group to various locations in the world for a hybrid vacation/work trip. I won the lottery one year and was selected to go to Istanbul. I heard a coworker talking to her spouse on the phone about how bummed she was she did not get it (she was selected as my backup, but did not know who she was backing up).

She had hoped to visit a long-lost family member. She is a quiet, sweet, helpful person. She’s very behind the scenes and rather underappreciated.
I gave up my spot due to a ‘prior commitment.’ She got to go instead. I had a great time looking at her pictures.”

No matter the situation, giving up or granting something to people can make you feel good. Kindness is not a word, it’s an act. Keep paying it forward you wholesome secret keepers!

The post People Share Their Most Wholesome Secrets appeared first on UberFacts.

This Man Turns Discarded Christmas Trees Into Canes for Veterans

You always see a ton of discarded Christmas trees dragged out onto driveways to be hauled off by garbage trucks after the holidays. I’ve never really thought about what comes next for this near-endless supply of trees, but I suppose they just decompose in the dump, releasing CO2 back into the atmosphere.

Great.

That’s not what happens to (some of) the trees in Copperas Cove, Texas, however. One local man has found a creative and important use for some of these old trees.

Jamie Willis is an Army veteran, and he’s asking people to send their old Christmas trees his way because he turns the trees into canes for fellow veterans who need mobility aids – and for other folks who require canes as well.

I'm happy you like the cane. Thanks for sharing your picture brother.

Posted by Canes For Veterans Central Texas on Thursday, March 30, 2017

Willis’ cause is called Canes for Veterans Central Texas and he’s made about 200 canes so far. Willis said, “The whole process, it’s just done off donations. I make the canes myself. Everything’s done out of pocket.”

This is the second year that Jamie Willis has reached out for tree donations, and he has been overwhelmed with this year’s response. He said, “It’s been an outpouring of donations this year, more than I ever thought I would get. Home Depot flooded me with trees, they’re sending me 400, and the rest of the community will be giving me about another 100 trees.”

Posted by Canes For Veterans Central Texas on Saturday, January 4, 2020

Willis said he usually takes an entire day to make one cane. He got the idea to start making his own because the one he was given by Veterans Affairs kept collapsing on him, and he didn’t trust it. So he reached out to an organization in Florida called Free Canes for Veterans.

The man behind that organization, Army veteran Oscar Morris, told Willis they didn’t have any more canes and instead taught Willis how to make his own. Willis then asked if he could branch off of that organization and start his own canes-for-veterans nonprofit in Texas, and Morris gave him his blessing.

Mr. Paul Miles and cane #209 standing tall. Another veteran brother who I met while at a local tire shop. And after talking with him we were honored to make him a cane. Much love and respect go out to you sir.

Posted by Canes For Veterans Central Texas on Thursday, August 8, 2019

Morris said that Jamie Willis is the fifth veteran to start their own branch of Free Canes for Veterans. Great work by all!

The post This Man Turns Discarded Christmas Trees Into Canes for Veterans appeared first on UberFacts.

Here Are Some Funny Tweets About Holiday Movies

Did you get your fill this year?

I love holiday movies! Some of my favorites are Beautiful GirlsDie Hard (it is a Christmas movie, okay?), and of course, the classic A Christmas Story.

Let’s enjoy some funny tweets about holidays flicks in all their glory!

1. Heard that.

2. And again…and again…

3. Plot twist.

4. Might be time to get some new kids.

5. Think about that one…

6. Doesn’t seem like he’d be a great dog owner.

7. Time to move on.

8. You knew this was coming.

9. I’m reminded of this every year.

10. That looks to be the case…

11. That’s basically the plot.

12. Worried about The Grinch.

13. A pure legend.

14. Mind = Blown.

15. That’s a tough one to swallow.

What are your favorite holiday movies?

Share them with us in the comments!

The post Here Are Some Funny Tweets About Holiday Movies appeared first on UberFacts.

A Woman Messaged Her Tinder Matches With Quotes From ‘The Grinch’

Well, this is entertaining…

Dayna Troisi is a big fan of How The Grinch Stole Christmas and so she decided to do something very clever on Tinder.

Troisi said, “he is all of us. Like, for example, he hates people, and refuses to go out when he can’t find the perfect outfit (don’t you hate when you’re too bloated for your favorite bodysuit?). He is also emotionally stunted but good-hearted at the end of the day. Plus, he has a dog, so he can’t be that bad. So, I wondered: What would happen if I messaged my Tinder matches with quotes from The Grinch?”

Let’s see how it went, shall we?

1. Sign him up.

Photo Credit: Tinder

2. Nice recovery.

Photo Credit: Tinder

3. Not feeling it.

Photo Credit: Tinder

4. More cuffing.

Photo Credit: Tinder

5. This fella got it.

Photo Credit: Tinder

6. This guy is pretty serious.

Photo Credit: Tinder

7. This went off the rails.

Photo Credit: Tinder

8. Okay…

Photo Credit: Tinder

9. What else do you feel?

Photo Credit: Tinder

10. A poet and he knows it.

Photo Credit: Tinder

Pretty brilliant, I must say!

Have you ever done anything like this on dating apps? Tell us all about it in the comments!

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For 25 years, two brothers re-gifted…

For 25 years, two brothers re-gifted each other the same pair of pants, in increasingly inventive and difficult packaging, including a 600lb safe, a double-glazed window, a 16-foot rocket ship, and a crushed car, with a card that read “Merry Christmas, the pants are in the glove box”.

Here Are Some Funny Jokes About White Elephant Parties

Have you been to a White Elephant party before? Or perhaps you call it a Yankee Swap or a Dirty Santa party?

They’re a lot of fun – folks bring gifts to trade, and guests have the option to “steal” gifts from other people. It can get heated, and it’s even more fun when there are totally inappropriate presents involved!

If you’ve been to these parties, these will look familiar. If not, get yourself to one this year if you can!

1. You don’t say!

2. Uh oh…

3. Not gonna make it this year.

4. Some might even call it trash.

5. Might as well.

6. Swap with the Big Boss?

7. Might turn into a free-for-all.

8. Just like The Hunger Games.

9. They always dreamed of this.

10. Conspiracy theory.

11. Could be your meal ticket.

12. Mine!

13. Trying to tell you politely…

14. I’m here to file a complaint.

15. You won 2019.

Tell us all about your holiday parties this year!

How’d they go? Any drama? Any hilarity?

We’re dying to hear from you!

The post Here Are Some Funny Jokes About White Elephant Parties appeared first on UberFacts.