Hey, Camp Fans!

We don’t like to complain about the weather here at Everything Summer Camp. After all, we’re Wisconsinites! We’re used to the cold temperatures and blizzard conditions that come in the winter, but some years bring much worse seasons than others and one thing I think everyone in Wisconsin (or at least here at Everything Summer Camp) will agree on is that this year’s winter could NOT have gotten any worse!

What a brutal winter it’s been! This year’s season brought record-breaking low temperatures reaching wind chills of 40° below zero here in northern Wisconsin! The low temperatures lingered and would then warm up just enough to snow and then freeze again rendering roads very unsafe to travel.

This year we also received some of the wettest, heaviest snow I’ve ever seen! It fell in large flakes and clung to power lines causing them to droop unusually low. I threw snowballs at them to avoid downed power lines!

Things may have been pretty rough in Wisconsin, but this winter swept the whole country in places that don’t typically see much in the way of winter weather. Temperatures in Texas were as low as 9° C and the virtually the entire state was shut down because of the snow and poor travel conditions.

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this year, predicting six more weeks of winter weather and BOY, was he right on that one! But, no matter how brutal the winter, we always make it through to the end. And today, my friends…today is the first day of spring!

It’s time for fresh beginnings, spring cleaning, and why not getting ready for camp? Start shopping now and avoid last minute running around! This way, you can spend quality time with your kid in the few days before summer camp starts instead of racing to finish getting ready!

Happy Spring, Camp Fans! Thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Merrymakers!

Christmas has been around for a long time and it’s come to mean a lot to a lot of people. For so many of us, we’ll spend Christmas with our families exchanging gifts with one another and enjoying a delicious holiday feast. That’s what I usually do with my family every year for Christmas.

This year, however, my family has already gotten together to have our Christmas celebration. Our gift-giving and ritual feasting has come and gone for the year. But just because we’ve already had our Christmas celebration doesn’t mean I’m done making merry this year!

Many families celebrate Christmas earlier than December 25. So if the holiday has already been celebrated, then what’s left for Christmas Day? People have their own traditions for a simpler Christmas Day that still makes the day special (or especially relaxing)!

Lots of people who have already celebrated Christmas with their family use Christmas as a day where it’s okay to stay in your bathrobe until after noon, take a nap in the middle of the day, and snack on treats and drink hot chocolate during waking hours. In other words, Christmas Day becomes a much needed break from this typically hectic season!

Others enjoy venturing out into the quiet town around them, going to see what’s playing in the theaters. A trip to the cinema on Christmas Day has become a rather popular tradition for those seeking out a quieter Christmas than the usual family celebration.

Sledding is another popular activity for a little fun on Christmas Day. What better way to celebrate a white Christmas than to catch a thrill as you slide down a snow-covered hill? Find yourself a good hill and good group of friends for your sledding experience.

No matter how you end up celebrating Christmas Day, make sure you have a happy holiday that’s special to you. From everyone at Everything Summer Camp, Merry Christmas! Thanks for reading, Camp Families!

Hello, Goblins and Ghouls!

I hope you’re getting as excited for Halloween as all of us are here at Everything Summer Camp! Unlike any other holiday, Halloween is that spooky one when we read scary stories, carve pumpkins into Jack-O-Lanterns, and—best of all—dress ourselves up in costumes so we can look like something we're not.

If you like Halloween as much as me, you’ve probably already put some good thought into what you’ll dress up as this year. Good thing, too. You never know when a good costume is going to win you a cool contest. Like the one we’re having at Everything Summer Camp!

Step 1.) If you don’t know what you’re dressing up as for Halloween just yet—I suggest you get planning. Surprise us! Impress us! And, most of all, SCARE US! We can’t wait to see what you all have in store for us. Deciding on a costume can be tricky. Sometimes it’s the trickiest part about costuming.

But never fear—there’s a world of creepy creatures and fun costumes out there. The hardest part is usually deciding what costume will be most suitable for you.

Step 2.) Once your decision has been made, now you have something to shoot for. Look up pictures of a creature you want to dress up as, be it a clown, a vampire, a witch, or werewolf, and think of what you’ll need in order to execute the look. This is the most creative part of the process and, in my humble opinion, the most fun.

Step 3.) You’ll want to find all the different parts you’re going to need to make your costume happen. Maybe you need a wig, cape, face paint, etc.

Step 4.) Now we’re to the easiest part of costuming. Simply turn yourself into the wild, maniacal beast you decided to be and then have someone take your picture so you can show us just how good (and frightening) your costume is.

Above all else, have fun with it, boys and girls. Happy costuming and thanks for reading!

- John