Hey, Happy Shoppers!

We love happy customers, but we realize that that isn’t all on you—so we try our best to pitch in where we can and contribute to your happiness to help keep it going! That’s why it’s my sincere pleasure to inform you that we have a sale which went into effect today and will last through Friday, the 29^th.

Catch the deal behind our Pop Up Soft Trunk Sale…

This sale takes one of our most popular products—the Pop Up Soft Trunk—and cuts its price down from its regular price at $129.99 to $98.99. The sale is as simple as that, but I wanted to take a moment to explain just how popular this product has become over the years—the last two years in particular.

This product has become so popular that we’ve had trouble keeping it in stock. In fact, despite our desire to keep our customers happy and satisfied, we haven’t been able to keep our Pop Up Soft Trunks in stock for you. They simply fly off our shelves. We’ve gone out of stock for the last two years in a row.

Allow me to apologize on behalf of the Everything Summer Camp brand: We’re sorry that we haven’t had these in stock for you. We underestimated their demand and popularity and are first now wrapping our heads around how much we need in stock to see us through the summer season.

We hope to avoid being out of stock for the following camp season and appreciate your patience with us for any inconvenience or dissatisfaction we may have caused you. Enjoy this sale as a celebration of our Pop Up Stock up. Pick up your own by clicking right here and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Kitchen Characters!

No matter what kind of vocation you’re interested in for yourself down the road, the craft of cooking is one that everyone can benefit by honing their skills in this art form. The kitchen may not seem like such an exciting place compared to a soccer field or hiking trail, but you might be surprised at how much you enjoy your time preparing food for you and your friends. Luckily you can try your hand at cooking with some guidance if you go to a summer camp that offers Cooking for an activity!

Coinciding with logical sense, people have been cooking for as long as we’ve mastered the art of fire-making. There are many unknowns about our original diet when our species had yet to leave the Fertile Crescent—but the idea is that our initial diet consisted of nuts, berries, and other fruits and vegetables which required no cooking to consume. However, evidence that we’ve been fishing since 40,000 B.C. would suggest that we’ve been cooking for as far back as that.

Self-Esteem
Cooking isn’t at all easy to master, but perseverance will show you that you can learn quickly from both your mistakes and your triumphs in the kitchen! Unlike so many things in life, Cooking is one activity that offers instant feedback based on taste-tests and reactions from others. Learning a skill like Cooking is proven to reflect your capabilities and build your confidence!

Communication
Cooking can offer you some nice time alone just as well as create a cool environment for quality time between friends and family. Unless it’s Thanksgiving Day, the kitchen tends to induce a relaxed energy, making it a great place to talk about anything you want. This is a great moment to talk with your kids, Parents!

Life Skills
Much like driving a vehicle or developing reading skills, Cooking is something you’ll use for the rest of your life. After all, one day the responsibility of providing food will land solely on them as they grow into adulthood. The younger cooking skills are introduced into your kids life, the easier that shift in responsibility is going to be later on in life.

If you know your way around the kitchen, Cooking is definitely an enjoyable activity. But the best is when you rekindle your roots and cook outdoors over an open fire. Browse our products on our online shop for outdoor food prep and storage. Look into a summer camp that offers Cooking as an activity to boost your confidence in the kitchen and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Friends Fans!

We all love friends (that’s what friends are for), but I was talking about the TV show. And while every lead character was pretty friendly on that show (hence the show title), I always had a soft spot in my heart for the charm of Courteney Cox. In fact, this isn’t the first time I’ve talked about her on the Everything Summer Camp Blog!

As I posted about her some five years back, I thought it might be time to retread some water and look at Courteney a little closer. In her previous post, I discussed how she attended Camp Mac in Munford, Alabama and some other info on her, like how she is the ‘baby’ of her family with two older sisters and one older brother.

I also covered interesting little tidbits, like how she wasn’t actually going to be Monica. She was initially offered the role of Rachel in ‘Friends’, but she turned it down. Today, however, I want to go real deep so we can attempt to really get to know this woman.

She’s a Foodie
She really loves to eat. “At a diner, I’ll get scrambled egg whites, turkey bacon, sliced tomato, cottage cheese and a scooped-out onion bagel with cream cheese,” she’s said. “My favorite meal is New York grilled steak with sautéed garlic spinach and broccoli and maybe garlic chips or garlic fries.”

She Holds an Unbreakable Record—Period
Courteney Cox was actually the first person to ever say the word ‘period’ on American television—and she wasn’t referring to the grammatical symbol. She was featured back in 1985 (almost a decade before her role as Monica) in a Tampax commercial.

She’s Not JUST a Talented Actor
You may know her for her incredibly successful acting career, but Courteney is talented in the musical department as well! She plays the piano and drums. In fact, she opened the ceremony with a drum solo at MTV’s Movie Awards in 1995.

She’s into House-Flipping
Along with her acting career and musical interest, she’s also into house-flipping for a hobby! House-Flipping is when you purchase a house that needs some fixing up, renovate it, and then put it back on the market for more than what you initially paid.

We hope you enjoy the friendships you make at summer camp as Courteney appreciated the honest friendships she made throughout her summer stays. “I don’t have time for superficial friends,” she’s commented. You’re sure to make sincere friends during your summer camp stay. And check out Camp Mac by clicking here if it seems like a good fit for you. As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

What’s up, Camp Fans?!

We’re proud to spread the fact that we work with more than 270 summer camps here at Everything Summer Camp and we love singing their praises all the time. And this Blog makes the perfect venue for letting everyone know what great things are going on at the great camps with whom we’ve developed such a strong working relationship. Today we’re swinging our Summer Camp Spotlight to the Northeast Coast in Naples, Maine.

Here we find the awesome Camp Takajo!

Since 1947, Camp Takajo for boys has existed in the Sebago Lakes region of southern Maine near the coastline. The campgrounds boast pine trees that overlook the land from a high vantage point. Takajo’s waterfront goes for a mile along the crystal clear Long Lake. The surrounding countryside is characterized by beautiful lakes and evergreen forests. Camp Takajo is a seven-week, boys’ sleep-away summer camp.

Athletic activities include Archery, Baseball, Basketball, Flag Football, Golf, Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Tennis, Volleyball, In-line Skating, and much more! As for Water Sports, Takajo offers Swimming, Waterskiing, Sailing, and Canoeing.

Their Hobby Activities consist of Nature Study, Painting and Drawing, Crafts, Ceramics, Music, Drama, Journalism, Photography, Woodworking, and more! And on top of that, their Pioneering activities include Backpacking, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Ropes Course, and other awesome adventurous ways to learn and have fun!

You’ll also find exceptional facilities at Camp Takajo. They enjoy some delicious food in their 10,000 square foot Dining Hall which boasts awesome windows that let in the sunshine as well as the inspiring views of Long Lake! Arts & Crafts type of activities (called Hobbies at Takajo) take place in the cute Hobby Lane building.

And the MJG Playhouse (dedicated to camp founder, Morten J. Goldman) is the hub of camp—home to a number of theatrical productions, music shows, movies, dance socials, and so much more every summer.

Cabins house anywhere from seven to nine campers and two counselors. All cabins have electricity, bathrooms, and plenty of storage space for clothing! If seven weeks of bonding with friends, nature, and yourself sounds like an experience you’re interested in, give Camp Takajo a closer look by clicking here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Proud Dads!

Happy Father’s Day! Today is a day set aside to honor the unconditional, loving support that fathers give to their children every day. On Father’s Days past, I’ve given out gift ideas for dear ol’ dad—things that you could either purchase or things that you could make on your own for free with items found around the house. Today, however, I’m talking about some things you can do WITH your father to make his Father’s Day feel a little more special!

Play catch
Your dad will be sure to appreciate the gesture if you ask him to go play a simple game of catch in the backyard. Dads love ‘Catch’! Whether they want to throw a baseball, a football…SCOOPball—it doesn’t matter. You’ll both enjoy the activity in the fresh air and sunshine—not to mention the quality time you get to spend together.

Catch a Movie
My dad was a movie buff for sure! See if your dad wants to throw something in from your home collection or maybe make some time to head out and catch a show at the theater! You can’t beat the big screen (or the popcorn…or the pretzels)!

Get Musical
Does your dad love music? Maybe he plays an instrument! See if he has time to show off his talents and maybe you can even join in for background accompaniment. Whether you are musically gifted or not, it can be a great bonding experience to let the harmonies and vibrations boost your spirits together!

Play a Game
I don’t know about all of your dads, but my dad and I played a zillion games back in the day. He was a Chess junkie and enjoyed a mean game of Trivial Pursuit. We played video games, card games, and dice games—whatever sort of game is up your dad’s alley, see if he’s interested in playing that tonight!

These are just some ideas that will more-than-likely make your father’s Father’s Day today. Or maybe these ideas have inspired you to go spend some quality time with your dad in some other way that the two of you can enjoy. In any case, enjoy the fun with your dad and give him the best Father’s Day you can! Happy Father’s Day to fathers everywhere and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John