Hey, Summer Lovers!

It’s hard to watch the summer season go by, but it’s important to remember that, for the time, it’s still here. Sure, school’s back in session and the days are getting shorter, but it’s not technically fall until September 23. And, until then, it remains summer. So make the best of the rest and get out and enjoy the beautiful weather of the great outdoors. The weather’s perfect this time of the season!

Everything Summer Camp will be helping you out with some great ideas for outdoor activities, not just today, but for the next three Mondays in September.

Idea #1: Apple-Picking. This is always one of my favorite end-of-summer activities. There’s nothing like taking a trip out to an apple orchard and filling your bushel with apples that were picked straight off the branch, touched by nobody but you. Doesn’t that sound good?

I have so many fond memories from when I was a child, walking through the seemingly endless aisles of apple trees with my family, climbing ladders to reach the perfect apple, running with my cousins because my dad and uncle scared us pretending to be bears…

It’s pretty hard NOT to have a fun time when you’re out apple-picking! After all, the picking process is its own reward in itself. All the delicious apples that you’ve picked along the way are a bonus for the days to come.

Luckily, there’s no such thing as picking too many apples. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but aside from an awesome snack, there are lots of things you can make to enjoy your hand-picked apples. Make apple sauce, apple cider, apple juice, apple crisp, apple pancakes, apple pie, CARAMELED APPLES!…

There’s really no downside to apple-picking! I know I’m planning a picking trip in the near future, how ‘bout you? Till next time, readers.

- John

Hey, Sports Fans!

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?!!! We sure are here at Everything Summer Camp! It’s finally September—when the weather approaches the fall season and turns ripe, providing us with cooler temperatures and relief from the merciless summer heat. It’s perfect outside and it all means one thing’s for certain—football’s back! This time of year, in golden, autumn weather like this, it’s only right to watch some football on TV and play a game of 500 with your friends during halftime.

That’s what a Sunday afternoon in autumn is all about! The 2014 NFL, regular season kickoff, however, is not launching on a Sunday. Instead, it’s TONIGHT with the Green Bay Packers facing off against the current Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field in Washington. The game starts at 7:30pm Central/Standard Time.

As Wisconsinites, here at Everything Summer Camp, our team is Green Bay. I think we’re a little nervous about starting out the season against the reigning champs, but we’re a good-lookin’ team who definitely could make this year the year we reclaim the championship and bring it back to Lambeau!

Football is football whether you’re a Packer fan, a fan of the Seahawks or if you root for any of the other 30 teams that make up the NFL. No matter who’s playing, it’s just good to see that it’s back!

So celebrate along in America’s most popular sport and join in the fandom that grows more and more every year. Football appeals to a lot of people which is good because the more people you watch it with, the more fun it is! (That’s partially why it’s so cool to actually go see a game at a stadium with a thousand other fans.) Throw a party and enjoy tonight’s game with all your football friends.

Thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

You know what? Unfortunately, everybody’s human. And since we’re only human, some of us, from time to time, end up making poor decisions. Stealing, though completely unethical and hurtful to the person who’s being stolen from, is a rather popular crime. Thing is, you typically don’t need to be a master thief in order to pull off these sort of crimes.

They’re called Crimes of Opportunity and they can happen most frequently when you’re living in a communal setting like at a boarding school or a college campus. See, when untrustworthy people walk past your room, your door is wide open, and no one’s inside, it makes it easy for them to spot that cool new video game you recently bought or that expensive purse that everyone just HAS to have—and why? Because the opportunity was there.

Don’t give them the opportunity.

Bring your C&N Footlocker to school to lock up your valuables tight. Whether you go with, the C&N big, bad strongbox—The Graduate—(our biggest footlocker), The Slim Footlocker case which fits under most beds, or any of our other sizes in between, the rugged construction of all C&N Footlockers is sure to keep your valuables safe, out of sight, and locked away.

All C&N Footlockers are constructed with 3/8″, solid Aspen plywood and the outside is covered with a scratch-resistant, lead-free steel, then finished with zinc-plated hardware. The spacious insides are lined with DuraWrap, a water and odor resistant, virtually tear-proof paper liner.

You can use its surface as an extra nightstand in your room, as a sit-down bench, or a stand-on ladder. Its many uses will certainly come in handy around your room. Keep your valuables locked away in a C&N Footlocker while you’re at school and don’t allow yourself to become the victim of a crime of opportunity.

Thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Food Lovers!

Today is a day dedicated entirely to indulging ourselves in delicious dinners, desserts, and other tasty treats that are absolutely UNhealthy for us! Today is National Junk Food Day. Whether it’s a sweet tooth that you’re looking to satisfy or a scrumptious salty snack, today is definitely the day to do it!

I don’t know about you but everyone here at Everything Summer Camp certainly gets a hankerin’ for sweet and salty treats from time to time!

Glorified, junk food certainly has a soft spot in everyone’s heart. Who can resist the call of a cool ice cream treat or the fiery desire of fast food French fries? We all know that, as far as nutritional value is concerned, junk food does absolutely nothing for us (and actually works against us); but despite our understanding, Junk Food—we still love you.

After all, would a trip to the theater be the same without your choice of popcorn, candy, or soda? Would a nightly snack be the same if it was just some stalks of celery? NO WAY, MAN! You want to walk on the wild side. You want something with some calories to it, something that’s got the potential to cause some cavities, right? I mean, what are you brushing your teeth for, anyway?

While it’s perfectly fine to indulge in junky foods from time to time, it’s important to keep these foods away from your everyday. The occasional unhealthy treat may be fun, but not so much a mouthful of cavities. Moderation is the beauty of junk food—not to mention the basic definition behind the word ‘treat’.

Just as a trip to the movies isn’t the same without junk food, junk food isn’t the same if you eat it every day. In fact, your moderation of junk food directly affects your appreciation of it. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and (in this case) the stomach grow hungrier. Treat yourself today and enjoy your junk food with moderation!

Thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Messy Kids!

It’s no secret; kids are notorious for keeping a messy room. Maybe not all of them, but lots and lots! HECK! Some adults still keep messy bedrooms because (as we all know) they were once kids as well. For some kids, they grow up and realize the benefits of maintaining a neat and orderly room. Others may NEVER realize it on their own!

That’s why I’m broadcasting that today, May 10, is Clean Up Your Room Day. If keeping a clean room is NOT your regular practice, it could (and almost certainly will) do you some good to clean it up. You’ll find it easier to breathe in your room, easier to enjoy your room—you’ll even see the FLOOR in your room!

How can cleaning up your room do so much good for you? What’s the difference if your clothes are hung in your closet or strewn on the floor? Who (besides your parents) cares that your bed isn’t made? What’s the big deal if your toys are left out?

Well, I can assure you that a clean room is positively imperative for a clear mind and a happy start to your day. In fact, just the cleaning in itself will brighten your day. Cleaning, while a chore and sometimes physically taxing, is—in the long run—a therapeutic, rewarding deed that simply makes you feel good about what you accomplished.

When you leave all your earthly belongings sitting out on your floor and on top of your desk, it’s a crowded environment that spawns a crowded mindset. Without even realizing it, when you look upon your stye —er, bedroom your brain scans its surroundings taking in information from everything around you. When you leave everything sitting out, you’re not just cluttering your room, you’re cluttering your mind!

It’s also nicer to start your day in clean surroundings where you aren’t limited to tread a narrow path to your closet or forced to trip on your way to the door! It also makes finding things a lot easier.

I, myself, DO allow my room to gather a small mess from time to time. But I take care of it at least once a week. And it never takes very long because I maintain its tidiness so frequently.

But I digress! There are many great reasons for you to clean your room up today, but if you haven’t found any of them sufficiently inspiring, you should at least make your room clean for Mother’s Day tomorrow! Mothers absolutely love a tidied bedroom!

Till next time, Camp Fans!