Hey, Popcorn People!

It’s National Popcorn Day! In the past, we’ve celebrated this and another popcorn-related holiday by discussing all the different flavors that are out there as well as taking an in-depth look at the scientific explanation of the explosive behavior of popcorn kernels.

When we think about heading to the movie theater, we tend to think about popcorn! Cinema and this salty treat seem to go hand-in-hand, but it wasn’t always the case. Today, we’ll learn some interesting tidbits about popcorn and its role in the theater throughout the ages.

It may surprise you to know that movie theaters initially didn’t allow popcorn. Theaters of the 1920's and 30's were built to architectural perfection and their proud owners considered popcorn to be too messy a snack to let people munch on inside their beautiful theaters in fear that the carpets and seating would be damaged. Considering how sticky the floors are in our current-day theaters, they may have had the right idea. 

Despite that the theater owners didn't permit popcorn, popcorn proved to be an unavoidable presence. As the Great Depression set in, inexpensive things grew wildly in popularity. Throughout the 30’s, people found that movies were cheap and popcorn was cheap. People kept sneaking this forbidden snack into the movie rooms with them until the owners finally realized they couldn’t stop people from bringing in their own popcorn, but they could at least make it at the theater and make profits. 

Everyone knows movie popcorn is horribly unhealthy for us which could lead one to assume that popcorn is an unhealthy snack. But actually, it’s all the toppings that they put on the popcorn that makes it unhealthy—it’s the oil the popcorn is cooked in, it’s the butter that’s drizzled on top, it’s the excessive garlic/salt that’s dumped on top. With the proper, light spicing, popcorn is actually an incredibly healthy snack.

Enjoy popcorn in whatever way you like it best—maybe with a good movie playing while you snack—and have a great National Popcorn Day! As, always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

This isn’t the first Blog post I’ve written about the very beautiful actress, Anne Hathaway. In that post, I covered where she attended summer camp, at Camp Johnsonburg in northwestern New Jersey. I mentioned how when she was a child, she had planned on becoming a nun when she was older. And we talked about her path to stardom.

Today, I thought we’d take a closer look at Ms. Hathaway to learn some additional things to help us get an understanding for who she is off the screen.

Personal Thanksgiving

August 3^rd may as well be a holiday in Anne’s world. That was the release date for ‘The Princess Diaries’—the movie that landed her the role that launched her career, Mia Thermopolis. August 3 has since been a day of thanks for the blessing in her life of her dream coming true.

Anne landed the highly desired role of Catwoman, in The Dark Knight Rises but she didn’t even know it. She thought she was going for the part of Harley Quinn. In fact, she didn’t even know Catwoman was in the movie! She found out after her audition just what part it was that she’d received.

Model Acting is a method some actors use in which they adopt behaviors of their characters into their own lives in order to better perform the role. For one role, Anne actually smoked cigarettes to help her smoke more naturally. She’s since quit when the role was done, but she admits her struggle to quit and sometimes regrets the decision to method act in this scenario.

Anne strikes us as a grateful, humble, and highly-respected member of Hollywood as well as summer camp alumni. I hope you enjoyed learning a little more about her and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Folks!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Here we are on the other side of the New Year, wasting no time to announce discounted prices yet again on our first sale of 2020! And, after such an incredible decade for Everything Summer Camp, this sale is a BIG Thank You to our customers for making it a great past ten years! We’re showing our gratitude with this 10% Off the Top 10 Products from the Last Decade Sale.
Once you’re finished perusing this post, make a stop at our online shop with this sale already in effect! That's right! Its going right here and right now! So how’s this sale work? Check out the details:

Ten³

The majority of the products we have here at Everything Summer Camp haven’t been around for the whole last decade. The products available ten years ago that are still offered today have stood the test of time and are obviously popular pieces of camp equipment. We’re taking 10% off the price of the top 10 products from the last ten years.

Can I Code?

For those of our customers with a camp code to use, you’ll be happy to hear that your code will work in addition to this sale so can reap savings on top of your savings!

10% Off What?

I suppose you’d like to know what these top 10 products of the last ten years are exactly. Here you go:

• Happy Camper Footlockers
• Wheel Away Systems
• LidMate Organizers
• Glide & Go Trays
• Stick-On EVERYTHING Name Labels
• Clothing Name Labels
• Clothing Stamps
• Laundry Bags
• Deluxe Fan/Lights
• UnderGrad Footlockers

So check out the products you can score for a great price. We will strive to make 2020 the launch of a brand new decade to bring even larger strides forward for Everything Summer Camp. Enjoy shopping our one-stop camping gear shop and let your savings make you smile! As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Sharks.

If you’re at all like me, then Billiards—or Pool as it’s more commonly known—is your game. Of course, I had the advantage of growing up next-door to my grandfather who had a pool table in his basement, so I had the opportunity to play pretty much whenever I wanted. But, it’s a popular enough sport that many summer camps across the country offer it as an available activity during your camp stay.

Pool is played on a rectangular table. A Pool table has six pockets—four in each corner and two in the middle along each long side. It’s played with as many as 16 balls. Each ball is numbered except for the blank white cue ball which is the ball used to hit any other ball with the cue stick. The number of balls in play depends on the type of pool you're playing. Some games, like ‘Eight Ball’ call for all the balls while others such as ‘Nine Ball’ only require the nine balls in play along with the cue ball.

Pool goes back to medieval times (sometime around the 15th Century in Northern Europe). It was played by kings and commoners alike. Men and women alike enjoyed it. It basically had an immediate following because it (like Table Tennis) originated from a popular lawn game known as Billiards. The game was moved indoors and shrunk down to a wooden table with a green cloth to simulate grass.

Much about the game has changed over time, but its popularity has remained. Maybe that’s because of the way it helps us build our own character. It does so in a number of ways. For example:

Fixes your Focus
In order to be successful in Pool, you need to apply yourself to each situation you end up in on the table. Planning and making your shots requires patience and undivided attention.

Clearer in the Classroom
This game honestly could help you in math class, particularly Geometry or Physics. As your skills develop, this sport helps you discover your own natural understanding of dimension, angles, and the basic laws of physics.

Aids Assurance
As you get better at the game, you can start to ‘feel’ if your shots are successful or not before it all plays out. Somehow you just know the outcome before it happens. The feeling is confidence-boosting, both on and off the table.

Whether you ever play enough of the game to actually develop any of these benefits, I highly recommend you play when you have the opportunity too. It’s fun for both a first timer and for any pool "shark"! Enjoy your time at the table and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

We here at Everything Summer Camp do everything we can to help you send your camper off fully prepared and ready to get the most out of the summer camp experience. While we pride ourselves greatly on the footlocker trunks, we’re also proud of our awesome camping gear selection. Consisting of great brand names like Speedo, Under Armour, and Northside, you can find the best quality swimming gear right here!

Another great brand we carry that keeps us stocked with superior swim gear is TYR. What’s that stand for? Nothing. TYR Sport was actually named after the Norse god of warriors, Tyr (pronounced like ‘tier’). Founded by the partnership of swimwear designer Joseph DiLorenzo and Olympic swimmer Steve Furniss, TYR came to be in California, 1985.

In its short existence (for business years), TYR has created the reputation for itself as one of the most recognizable swimming and triathlon brands in the world! Set up with international distributors, TYR has found time to expand their following while continuing to introduce innovative equipment with advances in swim caps and goggles.  

With creative minds, the ability to produce, and the experience to design the most beneficial products possible in the swimming equipment market, the folks at TYR have hit breakthrough after breakthrough in their construction of swim gear. Whether you’re a competitive athlete or you simply enjoy being in the water, you’re certain to appreciate the careful quality and ability TYR puts into their product design and final outcome.

The clear brand for water lovers and athletes who can’t get enough of life in the water, TYR is one of our latest additions to our gear here at Everything Summer Camp! Scope out all our available products from this excellent brand by clicking right here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John