Good News, Holiday Music, and a Whole Lot of Hanover Heart

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Christmas is right around the corner, and if it feels like time and money are both running low, you’re not imagining it.

This week, I want to gently remind you to be kind to yourself. You don’t need to do everything. Pick one thing that helps you exhale. Coffee with a friend. A slow walk downtown. An early night with your favorite comfort show. Small resets count.

A big thank-you to this week’s sponsors, Money.com, Pique Life, and Google Adsense. Clicking their links directly supports this newsletter and helps keep local stories alive.

Every big idea starts with a few people who believe in it early. These are ours:

Darlene · Brian · Holly · Andy

When you become a Founding Supporter, you’re not just funding a newsletter. You’re helping build a movement of neighbors who believe connection, kindness, and local pride still matter.

Your support is especially appreciated as we enter the next chapter for Heart of Hanover - short-form videos, business interviews, a podcast, and lots & lots of marketing!

I’m really excited to share this news with you.

Heart of Hanover was awarded a $1,350 BLOOM Grant through the BLOOM Grant Program for women-owned small businesses. And just as importantly, Wren and Bluebird Boutique, right in downtown Hanover, was awarded $1,500.

If you’re not familiar, the BLOOM Grant program offers micro-grants ranging from $500 to $1,500 for tangible business improvements. Think equipment upgrades, safety enhancements, marketing tools, or other real, practical investments that help small businesses grow and better serve their communities.

For me, this grant solves a problem that has quietly limited everything I want to build. My tech setup has been the bottleneck. Editing takes too long. File storage is clunky. Multimedia ideas get parked because my laptop simply cannot keep up. With this funding, I’ll be upgrading to a new laptop with enough processing power to actually support the future of Heart of Hanover.

That includes video interviews with local business owners, short-form video content, better photo and audio editing, and a podcast version of this newsletter. I’ll also be adding a second monitor, storage to secure data, and the software needed to streamline production instead of wrestling with it. This isn’t about flashy gear. It’s about removing friction so the work can grow.

And while I’m grateful, I’m especially glad I don’t get to share this news alone.

Wren and Bluebird Boutique, located at 110 Broadway, has quickly become one of those places that feels like it was always meant to exist here. Owner Jen Thomason opened the shop in winter of 2024 after more than 20 years as a second grade teacher. Her decision came after a devastating loss, the passing of a student named Kinleigh, who died from a brain tumor.

Grief has a way of rearranging everything. For Jen, it meant stepping away from teaching for her mental health and slowly finding her way toward something new. Wren and Bluebird was born from that season. Not just a boutique, but a space rooted in creativity, compassion, and connection.

Yes, the shop offers women’s clothing and accessories. But it has also become a gathering place. Clothing and food drives. Activity nights for teachers and neighbors. A space where women feel welcome exactly as they are. Inside the store is a kids’ craft corner dedicated to Kinleigh, a joyful invitation for young visitors to color, create, and stay a while.

The BLOOM Grant will help launch Wren and Bluebird’s new e-commerce store, expanding its reach beyond Broadway and allowing people near and far to support what Jen has built. It’s a practical next step, and one that keeps the heart of the shop intact.

This is what small-town growth actually looks like. Not overnight success stories. Not viral moments. Just people being given the tools to take the next right step.

I’m grateful to BLOOM for investing in women-owned businesses here in Hanover. And I’m proud to be growing alongside businesses like Wren and Bluebird, places built from resilience, care, and the quiet decision to keep going.

Sunday brunch in Hanover is doing what it does best this week, meeting you exactly where you are. Kids in tow, no kids in sight, or something a little more expressive and grown. Pick your lane and show up hungry.

🎅 Brunch With Santa @ Fat Bat | All Ages
🕙 10 AM – 12:00 PM
📍 10 N Railroad Street

If your Sunday includes kids, this one’s an easy yes. Fat Bat is hosting a family-friendly brunch with Santa, complete with free pancakes and sausage, seasonal crafts, and plenty of time for photos with the head elf himself.

Low pressure, high payoff. Bring the kids, bring your camera, and let someone else handle the morning magic for once.

🍳 Sunday Brunch @ The Circle | 21+
🕚 11 AM
📍 5 E Walnut Street

This is brunch for people who like their eggs with a side of Bloody Mary and a little football on in the background. The Circle’s Sunday brunch runs all day, with the November menu still in play, plus mimosas, boozy cold brews, craft beer, and cocktails.

Come for brunch, stay for the games, or just settle in and pretend Monday doesn’t exist yet.

🌈 Live Your Truth Brunch @ David’s Outlook | 18+ (16–17 with adult)
🕚 11 AM (Doors @ 10:30 AM)
📍 228 E Chestnut Street

If your brunch plans involve expression, connection, and a little sparkle, this one’s for you. Presented by Eteam Productions and Hope Project, the Live Your Truth Brunch includes an unlimited buffet and drinks, followed by a live show that starts at noon.

This is not a rush-in, rush-out brunch. It’s a linger, connect, and celebrate kind of afternoon.

I am firmly on team “do less in the cold.” A windshield snow cover has been one of my favorite winter shortcuts for years. You put it on at night, pull it off in one clean move in the morning, and your windshield is just… clear.

No scraping. No frozen fingers. Less effort before coffee.

This is the third winter I’ll be using mine, and it’s already come in clutch multiple times this season. I never seem to have extra time in the mornings, and I definitely don’t have time to freeze my butt off scraping ice. Past-me tried the whole “spray the windshield with wiper fluid and hope for the best” approach, which only works if your wiper fluid doesn’t freeze. Ask me how I know.

My personal pick:
AstroAI Car Windshield Cover

A cheaper alternative:
LoyaForba Windshield Cover
(I haven’t tried this one myself.)

Sharing in case it helps. If you use the link, it helps support Heart of Hanover at no extra cost to you.

The holidays can be joyful and heavy at the same time. If this season has been stretching your family a little thinner than usual, this is for you.

Macaroni KID Gettysburg–Hanover is hosting a drop-in Christmas toy giveaway this Sunday, open to any York County family in need. No applications. No explanations. Just a short window to pick up gifts while supplies last.

The giveaway includes a mix of new and gently used toys, and items will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. Please bring your own bag or box.

📅 Sunday, December 14 | ⏰ 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM
📍 139 Manchester Street, Glen Rock, PA 17327

If you or someone you know could use a little extra help this Christmas, consider sharing this quietly and directly. Sometimes the most helpful thing we can do is pass along the information and let people decide what they need.

The Carroll County Dance Center brings its annual, full-length professional production of The Nutcracker to the Eichelberger Performing Arts Center this weekend, continuing a tradition that has delighted audiences since 2003. For more than two decades, this production has been part of many families’ holiday rhythm, passed from dancer to dancer and shared across generations.

Follow Clara as her Christmas Eve unfolds into a world of swirling snowflakes, waltzing flowers, and toys that refuse to stay still. The cast includes dancers of all ages, from the youngest performers to pre-professionals and guest artists, all sharing the stage to tell a story that never really gets old.

📅 Saturday, December 13, 2025 | 🕐 1:00 PM | 🕔 5:00 PM
📍 Eichelberger Performing Arts Center, 195 Stock Street, Suite 200

💵 $35 tickets | 🎫 Buy Tickets Online

Lydian Stone/Greer’s Burger Garage | Santa @ The Brewery | 1 PM – 3 PM
Lydian Stone | Music Bingo & Karaoke | 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
David’s Outlook | Annual Christmas Party + Live Music | 6 PM
Church of Satire Comedy Club | Ben Staab | 8 PM – 10:30 PM
The Bourbon Mill | Steel + Ugly Sweater Contest | 8 PM

Fat Bat Brewing | Sunday Brunch w/ Santa | 10 AM – 12 PM
The Circle | Sunday Brunch | 11 AM
David’s Outlook | Live Your Truth Brunch | 11 AM
The Bourbon Mill | Six to Midnight | 1 PM– 4 PM
The Bourbon Mill | Holiday Karaoke | 6 PM – 9 PM

Sign of the Horse Brewery | Euchre League | 6 PM – 9 PM
Church of Satire Comedy Club | Open Mic Night | 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM

The Avalon Ale House | Dual FX Trivia | 6 PM – 9 PM
Fat Bat Brewing | Trivia Night | 7 PM – 9 PM

Avalon Ale House | AYCE Wings & Fries | 4 PM – 10 PM
Bair’s Den | Music Bingo | 6 PM – 9 PM
Divino Pizzeria | Trivia Night | 6 PM – 9 PM
Fat Bat Brewing | Christmas Trivia | 7 PM – 9 PM
The Bourbon Mill | Beginner Line Dancing | 7 PM – 10:30 PM
The Circle | Yuletide Open Mic & Jam Session | 8 PM – 11 PM

Lydian Stone | Music Bingo & Karaoke | 6 PM – 8 PM
Church of Satire Comedy Club | Nick Macik | 8 PM – 10:30 PM
Dolphin & Anchor Brew Pub | Music Trivia | 7 PM – 9 PM
Fat Bat Brewing | Home Brewed Comedy | 7 PM – 9 PM
The Bourbon Mill | Intermediate Line Dancing | 7 PM – 10:30 PM

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