Reader’s Digest Names the Top 5 Videos of the Month

AI Generated Image (2023)/MidJourney

Videos you’ll want to watch again and again

Reader’s Digest may be known for finding the Nicest Places in America each year, but if, like us, you’re feeling the need for more sunshine, rainbows, cute puppies and funny babies, we’ve got you covered. Here’s the next installment of our Best Videos of the Month series. 

To come up with our finalists, we selected our top-performing videos from you, dear readers, and polled our staff to identify the most joyful nuggets—the small, tender moments that come from a place of love, kindness and trust, and that prove there’s still plenty of good in the world. 

But we’re not stopping there. We’re also rounding up previous Videos of the Month winners. From a surprise for a soon-to-be dad to a laughable dancing fail, what you’ll find in these videos doubles as your official prescription for a full, happy heart. (You’ll probably want to watch a bazillion more feel-good videos  after this to max out your personal happiness scale.) 

Tissues ready? Let’s start the official countdown! 

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more feel-good moments, humor, cleaning, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

March 2024

For this month, we’re sharing our Top 5 cleaning videos. From nifty DIY hacks to incredible before-and-after moments, these cleaning tips show you just how polished your furniture, cookware and bathrooms can be with some creativity and scrubbing.

5. How to deep clean pots to remove burnt food

When it’s time to clean a pot with stuck-on food that won’t budge, your first thought might be to toss it in the dishwasher. Not so fast! All you need is hot water and kitchen staple you probably have in your pantry. (A little elbow grease doesn’t hurt either.) Who knew that the one-two punch of boiling water and baking soda could make your pots look like new? This is the only way we’ll clean our burnt pots from now on.

4. How to quickly deep clean the bathroom shower

The bathroom is an oasis, especially after a long day at work. But the last thing you want to be thinking about when you’re in a misty cloud of relaxation is the amount of gunk on the walls and in the grout. And we can’t forget about the showerhead! Instead of waiting for your cleaning agents to work, use an electric scrubbing brush to speed up the process. Combined with a scoop of the Pink Stuff or sprinkling of Bar Keepers Friend, it will help you kiss those stains goodbye.

3. How to clean tight shower corners and stains

Here’s another shower-cleaning video to get you in the mood to scrub. Slimy shower walls disrupt your spa-like experience, but with a little effort, you can make them sparkle. A toothbrush is your MVP for tight corners, and a cleaning solution is a must to get rid of caked-on stains. Something that would normally take an hour can be done in just a few minutes, which means you have more time for relaxation.

2. How to clean couches with a simple DIY trick

A couch is the centerpiece of a living room—you need a solid one for movie marathons, doggy cuddles and a nap (or five). Your couch may be comfy, but a stain ruins the vibe. If it’s a glue stain, you might think you need to replace your entire sofa. Not so fast! Dissolving a laundry pod in warm water and soaking a towel in the mixture is a nifty trick to clean your couch. Wrapping the towel over a pot lid and going over the couch with gentle strokes yields results that are nothing short of mind-blowing. Now that the stain is gone, feel free to resume your TV show.

1. How to deep clean wooden spoons

If you think cleaning your wooden spoons with soap and water is removing every last bit of caked-on food, think again … and try these cleaning tricks. A soak in hot water is your first step, followed by a healthy dose of baking soda, dish soap and lemon juice. After a good scrubbing, it’s time to rinse the spoons. Once they’re dry, give them a light coating of vegetable oil with a paper towel to help them last longer. Your spoons will thank you for the face-lift.

February 2024

Since February is the month of love, we rounded up some of the sweetest and most romantic moments in relationships. These videos are the ultimate feel-good treats—perfect for watching while cozied up with your crush or significant other. From an exciting pregnancy reveal to a long-distance couple’s heartwarming reunion, these videos capture the essence of Valentine’s Day all month long.

5. Darth Vader helps a woman tell her husband she’s pregnant

The force is strong with this one. While on vacation at Disney World, Taylor Starr found out the most exciting news: She was pregnant! To make the reveal extra special, Starr reached out to Disney employee Courtney with a request to involve the characters from her husband’s favorite movie. With Darth Vader and his stormtroopers in place, her husband, Bryan, was led to the fan experience of a lifetime. That’s when he found out there was going to be a new recruit joining the Jedi Training Academy.

4. A woman travels from the U.K. to Texas to surprise her boyfriend

While most would be content celebrating Valentine’s Day with flowers, chocolates and a nice dinner, Ajibola Ogunranti had a better idea. She booked a flight from the United Kingdom and flew 4,785 miles to Houston to surprise her boyfriend, Dami Akinwunmi. When he returned home from class, Ogunranti jumped out of his bathroom, and Akinwunmi did what most people would do in this situation: He ran! Their reunion proves that while distance might make the heart grow fonder, time together will always reign supreme.

3. A couple keeps falling while dancing in the snow

With a supportive partner by your side, anything is possible. With Vancouver’s first snowfall of 2024 upon them, Tyrina and her boyfriend, Junghoon, grabbed their trusted tripod and jetted to the park to channel their inner Dirty Dancing stars. In a classic case of Instagram versus reality, the couple struggled to keep their balance and found themselves spending more time in the snow than waltzing their way to social media perfection. Their love and affection for each other were on full display as they persevered toward capturing their perfect moment.

2. A girl waking from anesthesia reacts to her boyfriend kissing her

What’s better than falling in love? Falling in love all over again, and that’s exactly what happened to Taylor Tequilla when she woke up from surgery and found a cute stranger by her side. Spellbound by this development, she couldn’t believe it when the stranger (aka her boyfriend, Blake) began showering her with compliments and a kiss to seal the deal. This truly was the start of a brand-new happily ever after.

1. A woman pranks her husband with a water bottle

They often say that the key to maintaining a successful marriage is to never stop dating, but Marietta and Thomas Tyks from South Bend, Indiana, have put a unique twist on this notion. They rely on pranks! That’s right: They keep their marriage fresh and loving by regularly getting the best of one another. Here, we have Marietta showing Thomas a new magic trick she recently learned. Intrigued by this illusion, Thomas leans in to see if Marietta has truly managed to move the penny into the water bottle. In this moment, their day is once again filled with laughter, joy and a memory that is sure to last them a lifetime.

January 2024

5. An adorable baby boy cuddles his nurse

Going to the doctor can be scary for people of all ages! But that’s not the case for baby Joey of Attleboro, Massachusetts, who warmed our hearts by warming up to his nurse with an adorable little snuggle. Recorded back in 2017, this 9-month checkup could not have been any sweeter. Next time you’re in need of a dose of happy vibes, this video is here to raise your spirits. 

4. Triathlon runner helps a woman cross the finish line 

It’s a scene right out of a Hollywood movie: An athlete rushes toward the finish line of a grueling Ironman race in Hawaii when he notices a competitor’s body has given up on her. Instead of worrying about his own glory, he helps his fellow athlete finish the race. It’s an outstanding display of sportsmanship and kindness that may just renew your faith in humanity.

“I worked the first day of Ironman in their VIP lounge, which was right above the finish line,” says the person who recorded the video back in 2022. “I was able to watch most people finish the Ironman, which was an absolutely incredible thing to witness. The strength and determination of these people is inspiring. I heard really loud cheers at one point and realized it was a woman crawling herself to the finish line. It seemed like her legs had given up, but she was right there. A man ran by her and got to the finish line but went back to grab her, and I thought that was the most admirable thing for him to do. I had to film the moment because I had never witnessed anything like this.” 

3. A little girl in a wheelchair gets a Barbie that looks just like her 

Young Ella of Johnstown, Ohio, was born with a form of spina bifida. Due to her also having myelomeningocele, she’s paralyzed from the chest down. This 2020 video captured a moment when her mother gave her a Barbie that looked just like her for Christmas. Ella’s eyes light up with joy and excitement as she finally gets to play with a toy that represents her. If Greta Gerwig is looking to make a Barbie sequel, Margot Robbie may have some competition!

2. A man is introduced to his kidney donor   

Leon Hammond of Fayette County, Georgia, needed a new kidney after he was diagnosed with stage four kidney disease. After going public with his illness on social media, Hammond found a match in Alan Reeves, a U.S. Secret Service agent. The moment was caught on video at McIntosh High School, where Hammond works as an athletic director. He thought he was receiving a celebration for becoming AAAAA Region 3 Director of the Year. However, this 2022 video captures the surprise as Hammond and Reeves meet for the first time. A helping hand can come from anywhere, so it never hurts to reach out.

1. A mom cheers on her daughter with cerebral palsy  

Videos like this really put your life into perspective. Falak Zaman has cerebral palsy and was told she would live in a wheelchair her entire life. But Zaman defied the odds and took the steps to prove everyone wrong. Recorded in 2021, this viral video captures her highly motivational mom coaching her through an incredibly big milestone: taking a single step off the porch. Zaman is an inspiration and even earned the nickname Warrior from her hospital because of her ability to fight the odds. “My past was not the easiest battle, and I still face unexpected battles, but I am so thankful for my life, and I see every day as a gift,” she says. You can follow Zaman’s journey on TikTok here! 

December 2023

Honorable mention: Dolphin rescue

While sailing back from a family fishing trip in May, Charlie Carreon and his brother noticed a baby dolphin stranded in the sand of Texas’s Port Aransas Channel. Moved by the dolphin’s cries, Carreon jumped off the boat and approached the small creature, lifting it out of the sand and giving it a few pushes to help it get back into the ocean.

“Me and my mom were so happy and thanked my brother for being such a hero,” Carreon’s brother says. “We also heard an oil cargo boat across the channel announce out loud, ‘That was cool—that was awesome!’ And we celebrated such an incredible feeling to help that baby dolphin. It truly was the best family day my mom, my brother and I could have ever had.”

5. A little boy can’t stop crying when his little sister takes her first steps

Back in February 2023, when Texas toddler Karti Abrams was learning to walk, mom Kayla had a feeling her daughter was close to taking her first steps, so she started to film. What she didn’t expect to capture that day was her 6-year-old son, Jeezy, becoming overwhelmed with emotion while watching his sister reach this exciting milestone.

“Nobody loves their sister more than Jeezy does,” Kayla captioned the video she posted on TikTok. “Their love for one another as siblings is unmatched—what age gap?”

4. A man in the military surprises his sister at graduation

U.S. Marine and big brother Rod Duhaylongsod of California had been away from his family for several months, so it was a huge surprise for his little sister, Rea, when he showed up at her high school graduation in May. Adorably, he snuck up behind her, and when she turned around, she screamed and cried tears of joy.

3. A young woman reacts hilariously to her boyfriend after anesthesia

Does this video look familiar? It should! Your favorite video of February 2024 is also the third most popular video of 2023. Ashe Memorial Hospital in North Carolina is the setting for this sweet moment. Taylor Tequilla, recovering from a treatment and still under the influence of anesthesia, became smitten with the cute boy at her bedside—not realizing he was her boyfriend, Blake. When this “cute stranger” started showering her with kisses, she was surprised, thrilled and seemingly starstruck. The scene got lots of laughs in the moment, but it was as romantic as it was funny. She fell in love with her boyfriend all over again, right before our eyes.

2. A teacher proposes to another teacher in front of students

It was no ordinary Valentine’s Day at this West Carrollton, Ohio, elementary school when math teacher Jason Seifert called science teacher Ally Barker’s fifth-grade class to attention. What started with him addressing the rumor that the two were dating—he says, in his best teacher voice, “Raise your hand if you’ve heard …”—turned into a surprise marriage proposal, complete with him getting down on one knee and presenting a ring. Barker’s students screamed with delight. You might say these two have chemistry!

1. An adorable baby can’t stop laughing at his mom

Just try not to laugh along with Reader’s Digest’s No. 1 feel-good video of 2023—we dare you! Three-month-old Thomas Peyton-Traynor of Bulli, New South Wales, Australia, was lovingly looking at his mom, April Traynor, when she put his pacifier in her mouth and pulled it out with a pop. The loud sound it made sent little Thomas into deliciously contagious giggles over and over again. Are you smiling yet? We thought so!