Happy Halloween, Everybody!

The time has come once again to parade ourselves in costumes to pretend we are who we are not. It’s Halloween. From Trick-or-Treating to haunted houses, you can’t go wrong with this holiday! But where does its name come from? Sort of spooky sounding and unique, you might wonder what it means and why we’ve called it by this name for the last 2000 years. 

The celebration of Halloween is even older than its name. It was initially a Celtic celebration called Samhain (pronounced sow-ain) that began on October 31 and lasted until November first—a bit like the modern day New Year’s Eve celebration. In fact that’s exactly what it was for the Celts—it marked the end of the summer season and the beginning of winter, so they made it their New Year’s celebration.

Pagan traditions saw people lighting bonfires and donning costumes in the hopes of warding off ghosts. But as Christianity spread across the world these Pagan traditions were still incorporated in a new holiday announced by Pope Gregory III in the 8th century: All Saint’s Day, November 1^st—a day to honor all the saints in heaven.

‘Hallow’, being another word for ‘holy’ or ‘saintly’ was commonly used back then. So another way of saying ‘All Saint’s Day’ was ‘All Hallows’ Day’. This designates the night before November 1^st, All Hallows’ Eve which means ‘hallowed evening’. You’ll still see Halloween spelled with an apostrophe in it from time to time (Hallowe’en) which was to show the joining of two words: ‘Hallow’ and ‘Even’ (short for evening).

Thanks for joining us on this hallowed night full of excitement and fun fright. From everybody here at Everything Summer Camp, Happy Halloween! And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Summer Lovers!

We all love to feel those glorious sunbeams that shine on down and smack us right on our smiling faces. Sun showers is what summer fun is all about! The days are long and we’re charged with that vitamin D and that summer solar energy! Indeed, the sun provides us with a plethora of benefits such as stress relief, bone strength, strength of immune system, and *ahem* SUNNY demeanor.

The list goes on, but despite all the reasons to soak up the sun, there are other effects of the sun that we would deem less desirable. Ultraviolet rays, for example, that ride down inside those beautiful sunbeams, can cause premature aging of the skin, wrinkles, leathery skin, liver spots, eye damage, and more stuff you don’t want!

It’s important to take the necessary precautions for hanging out in the sun. That’s why Everything Summer Camp offers a plethora of available products containing 100% natural oils and plant-based extracts that ensure your protection from harmful UV rays while being totally skin-healthy themselves.

Today is National Sunscreen Day. It’s a good point to note that Sunscreen Day occurs within the spring season. As I heavily alluded to above, we associate fun in the sun in the summertime. There are still plenty of sunny days right now in the springtime as well as autumn and even winter. Basically, it’s never a bad time to use sunscreen if you think it’s a sunny enough day!

Sunscreen—the magical concoction goes on the skin to absorb and/or reflect ultraviolet rays from the sun that are otherwise harmful to exposed skin while letting all other beneficial properties of sunlight pass on by. But the sun has always been shining down on the earth, so when was sunscreen invented? All the way back in ancient times? Yep!

Check out this Blog post from a handful of years back about the history of Sunscreen by clicking right here. Remember to keep your skin safe this summer and all year long with convenient sun protection from Everything Summer Camp. As always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

Over the course of my eight years writing the Everything Summer Camp Blog, I’ve written a number of posts about honoring and celebrating Mother’s Day…probably eight! There are a handful of ways to approach Mother’s Day: consider all the things your mom does for you, think about what you can do for her, think about what you definitely shouldn’t do for her. Let’s review some of those valuable pointers from Mother’s Days past.

Why Mom Matters
Why does Mom matter?! Well, for starters, Moms lives are full of upkeep. They’re constantly cooking meals, doing laundry, running errands, changing poopy diapers, reading bedtime stories, etc. And they do it EVERY DAY! Second, her unconditional love for her kids gives them security and peace of mind. No matter what they do, Mom’s going to be there for them. And third, Moms have a way of setting the level of peace and happiness in the home! Help make your mom happy. You’ll be happy you did!

What to Do for Mother’s Day
It’s always customary to think of something to give to your mom for Mother’s Day. A thoughtful gift like a necklace or a sweet service like breakfast in bed are some of the more stereotypical ideas. Here are some more realistic ideas: 1) Design your own maze, word search, word jumbles or other fun paper and pen games. 2) Make your own card and/or Mother Coupon for chores to be done or doing something she likes for her. 3) Draw a picture for her or write her a poem…maybe make her some kind of craft.

What NOT to Do for Mother’s Day
In the end, the least you can do for Mother’s Day is help keep the peace in the household. That means no bickering with brothers and sisters if you’re prone to fighting. Consider messiness before you make any—don’t track mud through the house or leave things untidy after use. And don’t insult your mother’s cooking. She worked hard to make a nutritious meal for you and… Wait a minute!!! It’s Mother’s Day, don’t leave dinner up to her.

All in all, enjoy spending time with your mother today and show her the gratitude, happiness, and love that she deserves each and every day! Make sure she knows that too. And, as always, Campers—thanks for reading. Happy Mother’s Day!

- John

Hey, Springtime Fans!

It’s easy to see that Spring is in full swing as we now sit on the other side of Easter Sunday. As the world comes back to life for all of us who have seen our way through another cold and snow-filled winter, today is National Dandelion Day. The birds are chirping, the grass is greener, and those cute, little yellow ‘flowers’ start poking up in droves once the weather is right! 

It’s no secret that dandelions are a weed. There’s lots of folks who go through plenty of effort and/or expense to entirely eradicate these cute and sunny symbols of spring from their lawn. Others will rejoice to see them back and pick them just for their own display and enjoyment. Not only do they look nice (in the eyes of the right beholder), but they offer some great health benefits to people as well.

Of course, should you happen to find some growing in an otherwise pristine yard, it likely means that they fought past the chemical that was sprayed, in which case you don’t want to consume it. But wild dandelions on untreated land yield great effects.

All parts of the dandelion are valuable. The leaves, stem, and head are all an awesome and edible source of potassium. Potassium is an electrolyte as well as a mineral—one that naturally stimulates your heartbeat. Potassium is beneficial in aiding your kidneys as they filter out toxins and improve your blood flow. Check out a few different ways to eat this yellow weed. 

Dandelion Tea
Also found in traditionally packaged tea bags at most grocery stores, Dandelion Tea is easy to make at home too. Just pick your weeds, clean them, lightly roast them (optional), and stick them in a disposable tea bag or tea infuser. 

Dandelion Salad
Even easier than making tea is throwing dandelion pieces into a fresh garden salad. Mix the leaves in with some lettuce or spinach and other leafy greens of your choice along with other vegetables and dandelion stems and heads!

Dandelion Sandwich
Put them between two pieces of bread as well! Dandelion leaves, stems, and heads are delicious on a piece of bread with butter or maybe some avocado spread across it.

Dandelions are a treat to eat as they only come around once a year and—best of all—they’re free! Unless your family sprays the lawn, chances are you’ll have a dandelion or two poking up in your yard pretty soon if not already! Pick them as they pop up and put any one of these weedy menu items to the test! Enjoy the spring weather, Everybody. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Readers!

Happy Veterans Day. Today is a holiday intended to honor and show our appreciation to those who have served their country in the armed services. We call those people veterans. Everything Summer Camp extends immense gratitude to those who have fought for our freedom. What is this day all about and what’s so special about today’s date?  

Jump into today’s Blog post for a better understanding of this federal holiday and what you can do to honor those who served our country.

Similar but Different
Veterans Day can sometimes be confused with Memorial Day. While they ARE similar to each other, Memorial Day restricts who is being honored. It is a day meant to remember those who have fought and died while serving their country. Veterans Day is meant to honor both those who have fallen and the ones who survived.

Why Today?
November 11 marks the end of World War I (nearly a century ago) when a truce was made with Germany. Veterans Day is pretty much the American celebration of Armistice or Remembrance Day. Although, our intentions are to honor all veterans—not just those from the first World War.

How to Celebrate
Mailing cards or letters is a wonderful way to show someone your appreciation. Wearing a remembrance poppy or a yellow ribbon is a simple, great way to quietly show your support as well. You can get some more ideas about how to show your appreciation for vets in your life by browsing through a previous Blog post—just click here.

It’s taken a long time for the holiday to become what it has come to be. So appreciate those around you that you may know who have served in the armed services for your country and wish them a Happy Veterans Day. As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John