Happy Dancing Blog

Who doesn’t love to occasionally look back and see from where they’ve come, and reflect on where they’re going? 2019 was a year we tackled new topics and connected with new partners, yet, we also wrote about things near and dear to our hearts. So, we thought it would be fun to look back at our most read posts written in 2019. 1) Get Your Trek On! Every summer we love to encourage kids to get outside. So, for the last few summers, we’ve hosted camping trips to local and state

Earlier this December, we hosted our annual Grateful Gathering and Bites Bar & Grill, just south of Pine River. It’s a moment where we pause before the busy holiday season and take the time to reflect on the past year and ponder the future. This gathering was a bit bittersweet as we bid a fond farewell to three of our favorite coworkers, Bob McLean, Kathy Hoefs, and Janis Redfield. Kathy will be leaving us to work on her growing event center with her husband, Marlon. Bob, a R

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, the average American spends so much on wrapping paper during the holidays that they could use it to cover almost 6,000 football fields with shiny, Santa clause covered paper. This year, we should try to see if we can minimize how many fields we can cover with these alternative wrapping ideas: 1. Furoshiki If you are a long time reader, you may remember Quinn’s article on Furoshiki. Furoshiki is a traditional folding techniqu

Smaller trees and homemade ornaments can make your holiday greener. You don’t need to have new decorations each year. You can make your own ornaments from paper or make your very own play dough and paint them. You can also see what your parents or grandparents might want to pass on. The majority of my tree ornaments are from my mother after she cleared out her basement. (My most favorite ornament given to me is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Leonardo with my name across his be

As we’ve discussed in previous blog posts, there are a lot of great alternatives to material gifts – volunteering/donating, giving experiences, spending quality time together, travel, etc.  However, if you are choosing to give a material gift, there is something you can do to make it far more meaningful and extra special: Make It Yourself. Sound scary? It’s not! I promise. Let’s start with the warm fuzzies of why you might do this before moving on to tips and ideas. Reasons t

We just covered how many people are choosing to buy less stuff for the holiday season. We must admit that the tremendous amount of pressure from media, retailers, and social networks, people want to show their love for family and friends without going online or to the department store. Giving experiences instead of a thing is one way to show those feelings. As an adult, I look back at holiday memories and the ones that stand out the most are taking the time to bake with my gr

I remember as a kid how excited I was for the holiday season to come. When the first snow flakes started to drop and the sunsets show up earlier and earlier, the surety that the most “wonderful time of the year” was just around the corner hit our little minds. But, as a child, I was sure that the holiday season hadn’t started until well into the last month of the year. My birthday is December 3, so it was very important to me that both “holidays” were kept separate. No holida

Happy Holidays from the staff of Happy Dancing Turtle. We want to share with you some of our favorite traditions and recipes that we’ve used over the years as we met and dined with our families. Some are more classic while some are different, indeed! However, the main reason behind them is they are a reason we get together with our friends and families during the holiday season. Colin M’s Rosette Recipe We’ll start with dessert, which indeed seems like a good place to begin.

With the holiday season upon us, many of us are focused on giving the perfect gifts to our loved ones. Whether it’s the latest gaming system or a fun new kitchen gadget, we spend a lot of time and money shopping for gifts each holiday season. This season of giving is also a good time to look at ways we can give back to our community. There are so many opportunities to give back that it’s easy to find a way that fits you and your family’s interests and means. Adopt a family Ma

The holiday season is a time of joy, family, friends, warm drinks, lights, and laughter. However it is also a time where there is an increase in waste. Here are five things you can do to diminish your holiday waste: Use Sustainable Dishware Instead of using disposable dishes and utensils for your holiday parties and dinners, choose to use reusable dishware. If you don’t have enough you can always borrow from a friend or ask guests to bring some. If you end up having to use di

Yes, I’m sure you’ve heard of homemade coupon books before or you have been given one of these things before. BUT, they are the quintessential holiday gift. Plus, I find that it means more to receive these. What was the the old adage? “It’s the thought that counts!” *cue eyeroll* Homemade coupons ooze thought, though. Also, it gives you a great reason to stay local when shopping. Homemade Coupons can be for almost ANYTHING! Know that your friend has a ton of kids? BAM! One f