Hey, Camp Folks!

We all get great enjoyment out of a hard day’s work here at Everything Summer Camp but, just like all you, we want to have our fun in the sun as well. I’ve been asking people all around the workplace to see what kind of summer camp activities people would be most interested in returning to or trying out for the first time! I stopped by in our Shipping Department recently to talk to one of our star-shippers, Madisen to see what her pick would be for her favorite camp activity!

Without any hesitation, Maddy came back with her automatic and singular answer: Horseback Riding. Like our Call Center supervisor, Diane (who talked about her love of riding in her Blog post), Maddy has had a soft spot for horses and has loved to ride since she can recall. Horse riding was her favorite thing during her days back in summer camp, finding it both peaceful and freeing.

Maddy expressed to me what a stress-relieving activity horse riding has been for her. “I’ll go out there and she takes it all away,” she told me referring to her horse. “She makes me feel free. When I’m on her back riding it’s like no one can touch me.”

I’m sure Maddy isn’t the only one who has made the connection between riding and peace of mind that riders tend to feel. After all, riding becomes the only thing you’re thinking about when doing it. Riding and balancing. It induces a level of mindfulness that requires constant focus on the proper posture for riding. It makes sense that it quiets the mind.

Maddy loves horses and horse riding so much that she moved to Wyoming a couple years back to work for Buffalo Mountain Outfitters—a horse ranch  where she fed hay bales to horses, took them out to water, got them saddled up for guests, and would help with safety procedures during tours.

Are you passionate about horseback riding like Maddy is? If it’s something you love, hopefully you’ll be enjoying horse riding come the summer season. Happy trails. And, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans! Till next time.

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

With an exceptional understanding of what durable footlocker construction is and how to achieve it on every single one she touches, Teresa, our Production Supervisor, is one of the best trunk-makers in the country—maybe even the world. After almost 16 years of building them, we consider her the expert. With her exceptional know-how and efficient orchestration of construction, it’s no wonder that our Production Department puts out such solid products.

Given the opportunity to go to summer camp nowadays, as an adult, Teresa couldn’t make up her mind and settle on just a single activity. Check out the busy schedule she would make for herself with sports, Archery, Horseback Riding, and more!

Sports
Teresa kept spotting different sports that she enjoys playing with her current seven-year-old grandson who they call Chase, “because you got to chase after him,” she told me. They all enjoy playing games of Badminton, Soccer, Baseball, and more.

Archery
Shooting a bow and arrow was a clear pick for her as well. She loved it back in high school—she even strung her own bow! “When you’re a country girl you do a lot on your own,” she explained with a smile.

Horseback Riding
Of course, horseback riding had to go on her list as well. As a ‘country girl’, Teresa grew up with horses. At one point, her family had five horses altogether. One of them was like the wind, she told me.

Arts & Crafts
Partial to creativity (and working with her hands, of course), Teresa would also love to sign herself up for Arts & Crafts time, including Drawing and Painting. She reminisced of a painting she made in her high school days of her grandmother’s birdhouse.

Other…
A few other activities caught her eye that she tossed in like Gardening, Baking, and Fishing. She would go fishing all the time at her family’s cabin on a lake, she regularly gardens, and she’s been decorating cakes since she was ten!

Do you love any of the same camp activities as Teresa? Her picks are particular, but pretty essential summer camp experiences! As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Guys and Dolls!

You can enlist to do LOTS of different things during your stay at summer camp! Camps tend to offer lots of the same, more traditional activities like Archery and Zipline and typically a variety of more unique options. Perhaps the camp that you’re going to offers something you’re interested that’s a bit more unique such as Guitar Playing or Doll-Making. Let’s take a peek at the latter today and dive into the world of dolls.

The term ‘dolls’ refers to a wide variety of craft products. Most commonly thought of are probably baby doll toys. But this is just a drop in the bucket of the possibilities to what someone is referring to when they say call something a ‘doll’.

The vast majority of other types of dolls are more so along the lines of a figurine than they are a baby doll. The difference between a doll that’s made to cradle and burp is a crafted toy whereas many other styles of dolls are more like crafted collectibles. Here are a few different types of dolls you can make right home.

Who You Callin’ Mop Head?
Purchase a Mop Doll kit and follow simple instructions to make some cute dolls that are made using yarn that gets wrap around a dowel on a small base. You can put one together quickly and they are simple to make. They make for some adorable bedroom decor and toys for soft playing—they’re not action figures!

These Old Rags?
Rag dolls are another type of doll you can make that relies a bit more on your creativity, whereas Mop Dolls are more cut and dry. Like the ever-famous Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, this duo was made of rags. These traditionally homemade figures made of cloth are typically made from and stuffed with spare scraps of material laying around the house (though a trip to a supply store can help it along).

Bottle Baby
Lastly, we have water bottle dolls. Really…it’s an anything-that-works doll. With a similar concept to the Mop Dolls that use a wooden base and dowel for the body, this idea uses a water bottle (or, as I said already—anything that will work). Add a head with a wooden bead or whatever else you have layin’ around. Throw on some pipe cleaners or paperclips for arms. Add some felt for hair or clothing. There’s really no limit to your creativity for this one!

It will help move you along with a project to check out some ideas of what other people have done but be sure to add your own creative twist on your dolls. That way, they’ll be special just to you! Have fun with these potential projects and enjoy your doll making! As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

Have you ever noticed that when you place an order with us here at Everything Summer Camp, your order is delivered at your doorstep in just a couple days? Our Shipping Department is a well-oiled machine thanks to Anita’s awesome orchestration! Under her management, so many great improvements have been implemented to our order-picking and order-packing processes. Creating such a fun work environment, it’s no wonder that our Shipping Department works so smoothly.

If given the opportunity to go to summer camp now in her adulthood, Anita said she would be most eager to do some good ol’ overnight camping. Anita feels at home in the Great Outdoors. Monthly camping trips were a regular part of the first 18 years of her life. But once she started dating the man she would come to marry, her camping trips became a weekly activity.

Included in her overnight camping trip, Anita would do some kayaking, some mountain biking, and—of course—outdoor cooking!   

Kayaking
Like lots of kids, Anita could never get enough time in the water. She’d go swimming all the time in her teen years and enjoyed plenty of other water activities growing up like fishing, tubing, water sports, and, her current favorite, kayaking.

Mountain Biking
As natural on a bike as she is in the water, Anita has plenty of fond memories cruising through a trail on her mountain bike. She recalls “Lots of our trips out,” she told me where “We’d just grab the tent, the cooler, the bikes, and go!”

Outdoor Cooking
Anita still goes on camping trips as often as her busy life allows. And no camping trip is complete without meals made over a campfire! Her and her daughter will still make pizza masterpieces over the open flames as well as orange peel muffins and plenty of other delicious meals. Sounds like I ought to join Anita on her next camping trip!

Do you love the same camp activities as Anita? Her picks are very essential summer camp experiences! It’s no surprise to find someone so in love with overnight camping working here at Everything Summer Camp! As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John