We know how to holiday
According to a recent study by health and wellness website Innerbody.com, New Hampshire is one of the most festive states in the U.S. The study examined Christmas-related online searches of topics including the sales of advent calendars, inflatable lawn decorations and festive holiday clothing. “New Hampshire has risen to 9th place in the rankings, up from 10th last year,” read a Dec. 16 press release from Innerbody, “suggesting an increase in its Christmas spirit.” This contrasts with its neighbors, Vermont and Maine, which rank among the states with the lowest (or “Grinchiest”) Christmas cheer.
QOL score: +1
Comment: The study ranked West Virginia as the most festive, and the District of Columbia as the least festive. Visit innerbody.com/most-festive-state.
Girl Scouts convert bags to benches
A Mont Vernon Girl Scout troop has collected enough semi-firm plastic bags — the type you get groceries in — to be recycled into a park bench. Girl Scout Troop 59205 is a group of four cadets in seventh grade, led by Scout Leader Bobbi Billow. When the project began, the troop had 13 members who all contributed to the project for a full year and helped reach the 1,000-pound milestone. “Month after month, the residents of Mont Vernon came together and averaged 100 pounds of plastic recycled per month,” Billow posted on Facebook on Dec. 1, “an incredible achievement for a small town with a big heart.”
QOL score: +1
Comment: According to a Dec. 15 press release from Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains, Troop 59205 will donate their bench to the Mont Vernon Conservation Commission to be placed at Carleton Pond. This project was taken on as part of a challenge by Trex Recycling. Visit nextrex.com/view/programs.
New Hampshire and the Peace Corps
In a Dec. 15 press release, the Peace Corps (peacecorps.gov) announced its 2025 rankings of the top volunteer-producing states across the United States with New Hampshire ranked No. 3 among states with the highest number of Peace Corps volunteers per capita. According to the press release there are currently 36 New Hampshire residents serving worldwide. “In 2025, the nation’s capital is the largest producer of volunteers per capita with 31 volunteers, more than 4 volunteers per 100,000 citizens. Vermont took the No. 2 spot for per capita production, with 24 volunteers.”
QOL score: +1
Comment: Volunteers in the Peace Corps travel to other countries to donate their time and expertise. The Peace Corps aims “to help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served” and “to help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans,” according to its website.
QOL score: 79
Net change: +3
QOL for the end of 2025: 82
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?
Let us know at news@hippopress.com.
