Hey, Winter Fans!

Snow. Snow. Snow. It’s cold, wet, white, and we LOVE the stuff! What other type of precipitation allows you to throw it at one another, mold it into a man, or make angelic impressions in it? Snow is, indeed, one unique, white wonder of our wintry world. It only makes sense that we have a day inspired by this soft, white stuff.

Today is Cutout Snowflakes Day! You know what’s amazing about snowflakes is that, despite the fact that there are billions upon billions of them that fall every year (a ‘septillion’ to be more-or-less specific—which, written out, would look like this: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000), no two are ever exactly identical!

Cutting snowflakes from paper is more than just something you do for decoration or a quick, craft time activity. To cut out a beautiful design that imitates the creations of Nature herself, that’s an art! It takes skill, coordination, and reliable know-how in order to make something as beautifully crafted as the freshly fallen snow.

While the activity is referred to as making ‘snowflake cutouts’, the actual cutting is a surprisingly minimal part of the job. What’s even more important than the cutting is the FOLDING. It’s nothing overly fancy like some kind of complicated origami swan—it’s just folding in halves and thirds. Despite its simplicity, even just folding in thirds and halves can be a little confusing. 

Once you’ve made a bunch of your snowflake cutouts, you can decorate your home. Hang them from the ceiling above your bed or tape them to the window so you can watch a blizzard falling every time you look outside. Have fun with this craft project today and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Chocolate Chasers!

If you’re really THAT crazy about chocolate, then there’s a good chance that you already know what tomorrow is: Cover Anything in Chocolate Day. And when I say, ‘anything’, I mean ANYthing! Because chocolate, you see, is a surprisingly versatile food.

For those of you who are able to boast a matured palette, you may have already experienced the explosive spiciness of a salsa that bears one surprising ingredient which is the most intensely desired superfood of them all…you got that right, chocolate.

I’ve talked a lot about chocolate on this Blog in the past. I’ve talked about Hot Chocolate Day and the history of Chocolate, I’ve talked about Chocolate Ice Cream Day, Chocolate Cake Day, Chocolate CUPcake Day, S’mores Day, Chocolate Mint Day, and I’m positive that I’ve, at least casually, mentioned Chocolate in other posts. Well, I’m not about to stop now!

If Cover Anything in Chocolate Day is tomorrow, then why am I posting about it today? Why, to give you some time to prepare your chocolate-covered treats, of course. It takes a little time to go through such a process. Here’s how you do it.

Once you make the chocolate, you’re ready to cover your snacks. What you’ll be covering in chocolate is completely up to you. My advice is to not be afraid of the unknown. You can find that, just like the chocolate in salsa, chocolate and many other flavors pair up nicely. Get wild and wacky with the things you choclify today. Some people cover GRASSHOPPERS in chocolate!

Here are some weird and extraordinarily intriguing ideas:
•    Cheddar Cheese
•    Saltines
•    Licorice
•    Grapes
•    Dried Apple
•    Gummy Worms
•    Popcorn
•    Banana Chips
•    Orange Slices
•    (And the one I find most interesting) Bacon

You never know until you try it, folks. So melt some tasty chocolate and wrap it around some of your favorite snacks for a world you’ve yet to discover! And, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Dear Writers,

Today is Letter Writing Day! In a world where communication is dominated by phone conversations, electronic messages, and social media posts, receiving an actual, handwritten letter sent through the United States Postal Service means more than ever! Nowadays, the key into people’s hearts…would seem to be through their mailbox.

Whether you write to a pen-pal, an old friend, a nice relative, or some jolly, ol’ elf in the North Pole, there’s no better day than today to put your pen to paper, stamp that envelope, and reach out to someone through your own written words.

It’s fun, exchanging little slices of our lives this way. Unlike social media sites and text messages, a letter gives you an amount of space that allows you more freedom in your writing since you don’t have to choose your words as wisely as you would in, say, a text message or a Tweet. Writing a letter gives you the space to open up and really share your thoughts with someone.

It’s extremely easy. Here’s what you’ll need:
•    Loose leaf paper or whatever paper you have around (preferably not napkins)
•    Pen or pencil—your choice, but keep in mind that pen will not fade, nor will it erase
•    Envelopes
•    Stamps
•    The address of the person you’re mailing

Families tend to stick together this time of year, but, Parents, should your kids be away visiting relatives—PERFECT! Write to them! Just the same as spending time away from home is good practice for every camper’s summer camp stay, writing letters is good practice as well since that will certainly be your main (and likely only) form of communication during their camp stays to come.

Go ahead, folks. Write those people who mean the most to you and tell them how important they are to you. It’s much easier to say in written words what you may never say out loud. So write those words down today and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Folks!

There are so many different kinds of people in this world to recognize and appreciate. Because there are so many people to recognize and honor, we have a lot of holidays and observances throughout the year; we wouldn’t want to leave anyone out now, would we? Back in May we had Mother’s Day. Then, in June, there’s Father’s Day. And now, finally, today we have Children’s Day!  Observations of Children’s Day date back to before either Mother’s or Father’s Day existed. However, unlike Mother’s and Father’s Day, Universal Children’s Day isn’t so much a holiday as it is a day of global observance. This is a day to encourage children’s welfare and inform one another about the living conditions and rights of children across the world.

While this day is recognized in all parts of the world, lots and lots of nations celebrate it on different dates. The significance of November 20 is that it marks the anniversary of the ‘Declaration of the Rights of the Child’ as well as the ‘Convention on the Rights of the Child’ two historic documents that affirmed specific rights of children and adults’ responsibilities toward them.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is one organization that really makes a difference for kids around the world. For sick children who need treatment from a specific location, RMHC plays a vital role in helping these kids recover.

They may not be the ones administering the medicine, but they provide housing near a child undergoing treatment to help keep families together during hard times as well as offer financial help and guidance in finding basic medical and dental care in struggling communities. RMHC has nearly 300 local Chapters found in 62 countries!

Unfortunately, kids, you don’t get the day off of school for Children’s Day, but—HEY! Most of you should get a couple days off for Thanksgiving next week! Thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Hikers!

It’s never too late in the year for a vigorous constitutional down a scenic, woodsy trail. In fact, a solid hike this time of year will typically feel even more invigorating than it does in warmer temperatures. Sure, you might need to bundle up a little bit, but this is actually great hiking weather! That’s why today is National Take a Hike Day. Strap on your trail shoes and breathe in the late-Autumn air!

Hiking gets your blood pumping and makes you feel good. Why? Well, there’s more than just one reason because hiking benefits you in more than just one way. Unlike a lot of exercises that require expensive equipment or gym memberships, hiking is free and benefits your body as well as your mind!

Hiking—especially hiking uphill—is similarly efficient exercise for burning calories as jogging is and helps you lose weight. The pressure that hiking puts on your bones helps to strengthen your bone structure and helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis. It tones your muscles and does good things for your cardiovascular system too. Really, it just increases your overall fitness.

But hiking does more than just keep your body tuned up and feeling good. It’s also good for your mind. Incorporating a beautiful trail that twists and turns and leads to new landscapes is a nice little treat for your eyes and eases your head. Treadmills and exercise bikes don’t give you this aspect of exercise. Also, the air you breathe in is much crisper and brings a fresh oxygen supply to your brain, resulting in a happier you.

Most people live within driving distance of cool trails that are just waiting to be discovered and explored by you. Prepare for your outings at Everything Summer Camp; we carry a slew of great hiking gear to help you get the most out of your hikes. From trail shoes to water bottles, backpacks, and Hydration packs, we’ve got everything you need.

Happy Take a Hike Day and thanks for reading.

- John