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Happy Dancing Blog

How Much Sleep Do We REALLY Need?

Sep 27, 2019
2 min

How Much Sleep Do We REALLY Need?

It’s a game that I like to play with myself, sometimes. I’ll be binge watching a show (lately it’s been Westworld or The Good Place) and once the closing credits appear, if it’s been a particularly good episode (or a cliffhanger), I decide that one more episode probably wouldn’t hurt me…that is until I pause the feed, check the clock, run the numbers, and see that morning alarms are only a few hours away. Lot’s of fun, right? There is solace in knowing that I’m not alone in t

What is the Youth Environmental Education Program?

Nov 2, 2017
2 min

What is the Youth Environmental Education Program?

Happy Dancing Turtle has been sharing about sustainable living topics with children for over a decade. Topics vary widely from recycling and water conservation to pollinators and habitat. The ages that HDT serves range from 4-adult. One of our longest running and most popular kids’ programs is Eco Camp. Eco Camp is a week-long day camp that includes environmental topics, recycled crafts, exploration, and field trips. If you want to help support programs like these, please go

Sustainably Back to School – College Edition

Sep 22, 2017
3 min

Sustainably Back to School – College Edition

While the heat of summer wanes, for many, the thought of school just around the corner hammers our nerves and sense of freedom even more. So, why not make the most of it? Look forward to that new year of classes. Now add to that a hint of green thinking, and it might just be the best school year ever! Let’s focus our sustainable minds on the products college students need. To make sure life in the dorms is as comfortable and efficient as possible, there are a few key areas to

3R’s for Sustainable Clothes Shopping

Sep 18, 2017
2 min

3R’s for Sustainable Clothes Shopping

With the start of school comes (another unsuccessful) football season, new (successful) teachers and a(n overwhelmingly long) back-to-school shopping list. Before darting out to the store to pick up new clothing and supplies, take a moment to revisit the 3Rs – reduce, reuse, recycle. Just like you do with your garbage, you can utilize the 3 R’s for your school clothing. Because you’ve taken to heart the rules of our 3R’s video, you already use the 3Rs on a daily basis. Decisi

Back to School Shopping: Big vs. Small

Sep 5, 2017
5 min

Back to School Shopping: Big vs. Small

I don’t know if you readers know this, but I have six kids, aged 19 years all the way down to 6 years. Five of them are going to be in school this year. Along with the transition from summer to school bedtimes, my wife and I are trying to find creative ways to get our (younger) children ready for school. We even thought of back to school essays, (What I’m looking forward to most this upcoming school year), but we think there may be a small riot. We are lucky, however, that ev

Sustainable School Lunches

Aug 1, 2017
3 min

Sustainable School Lunches

With six kids, I understand that it is infinitely easier to let your child eat a hot lunch prepared by the hard-working cafeteria folk. For the most part, the lunch that your school district offers is tasty, well-balanced, and cost-effective. However, if you want to and have the time to make your child their very own lunch, why not make it the sustainable way? We’ve put together a quick list of how you can make your child’s lunch both delicious AND better for the environment.