Hey, all you Lucky Folks out there!

Everybody knows that you don’t HAVE TO be Irish in order to celebrate St. Patty’s Day. Whether people are Irish or not, they still dress up in green, throw parades, and eat corned beef and cabbage all around the world! After all, who doesn’t want to have the luck of the Irish?

…actually…

Now that I think of it, where does the phrase ‘Luck of the Irish’ even come from? Everybody seems to think that this phrase refers to the wealth of good luck that’s forever blessed the rolling, green fields of Ireland. But when you stop and think about it, there’s nothing lucky about the Irish!

Their abundant rainfall and overcast skies, not to mention the endless turmoil  that their rainy country has seen for centuries, adds up to make for a decidedly UNlucky bunch of people. Could it be an ironic phrase (as it remains nonspecific as to what KIND of luck we’re talking about here)? Well, yes. But that isn’t the whole story.

The phrase didn’t actually originate in Ireland; it started over here in the United States during the Gold Rush of the 1800’s. As Irish folk were making their way over to America, they hopped on board the gold mining frenzy. Semi-successful at it, the phrase ‘Luck of the Irish’ was born.

Rather than any words of encouragement, however, this phrase was coined as a means of poking fun at the Irish. What was meant by it was that the Irish weren’t bright enough to strategically find gold—it had to be chocked up to luck. This is likely where the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow comes from as well.

In any case, whether the Irish are lucky or not, celebrate St. Patrick’s Day today with some green articles of clothing and some corned beef and cabbage for dinner. And, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

It may no longer be the most popular form of long-distance communication, but the postal service used to be the primary form of long-distance communication available.

For many children attending summer camp sending and receiving letters is still how they can check in with loved ones. That’s why for so many campers there’s  magic in receiving mail from a friend or family member.

Funny Camp Letters

At Everything Summer Camp, we understand the importance of connecting with your children during their time away at camp. For camp parents, sending a letter to their child who is away at sleepaway camp is practically a rite of passage.

We also understand that sometimes the inspiration for camp letter ideas can be in short supply, so we created these funny letters to mail to your child at camp. These cards are a great way to check-in and make sure your camper is having the time of their life from afar.

We carry other stationery and summer camp postcards as well, but these Summer Camp Letter Cards are a great way to let your campers know that you’ve been thinking about them during their time away. Write a little message to go along with the funny, printed message on the card’s front.

- John

Hey, Popcorn Lovers!

If you’re like everyone else on the planet, then you’re probably a pretty big fan of popcorn. If that’s right, then today is directly up your alley! It’s National Popcorn Lover’s Day! Not to be confused with National Popcorn Day, Popcorn Lover’s Day arrives every year on the second Thursday in March.

It comes as no surprise that we have, not just one, but two days throughout the year that celebrate this intriguing food AND the people who love to eat it. What’s not to love, anyway? Popcorn is one of those extremely versatile snack foods; it can take on a lot of different faces.

Traditionally (in the U.S. anyway), popcorn is topped with salt and butter, though some folks prefer their popcorn be cheeesy.  But even so, while the salty take on popcorn is definitely the more popular route, popcorn also likes to show off its sweet side. Dressing this treat up in caramel is genius to any sweet tooth. And who doesn’t love kettle corn?

But that’s only scraping the tip of the popcorn flavor iceberg. Let’s dig deeper—shall we?—to discover what experimental flavors are out there! Reminiscent of ‘Harry Potter Jelly Bellies’, popcorn can take on some pretty bizarre flavors. How bold are you when it comes to popcorn?

Would you try Eggnog Flavored Popcorn? What about Hot Sauce and Pickle Juice? Which, by the way, looks like this: The weird list doesn’t end there, though. Ever hear of Dill Pickle and Ice Cream? This combo is a favorite among pregnant women. You could also try Buffalo Wing and Blue Cheese. There’s Curry Coconut and Cashews. And Loaded Baked Potato—a combination of butter, sour cream, cheese, and bacon.

They may be weird, but weird ice cream flavors aren’t made just for the sake of being weird. They’re actually carefully concocted flavors meant to be enjoyed. I, myself, have never tried any strange popcorn flavors, so I can’t say if any of them are any good.

But, I can’t say any of them are bad either. But even if I could, there’s only one way for you to find out if YOU like it! Enjoy National Popcorn Lover’s Day and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Do you like apples? Well, believe it or not, you may have never tasted one if it wasn’t for a man named John Chapman. What’s that? You’ve never HEARD of John Chapman? Well, I find that rather hard to believe, but…Oh! Wait! You probably know him better as Johnny Appleseed—the seed planting pioneer who traveled the western frontier around the turn of the 18th Century.

‘The West’ in the late 1700s was completely uncharted territory. And the known ‘frontier’ consisted of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and other surrounding areas. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, when Johnny first journeyed out, he brought the gift of apples to the frontier. Living a nomadic lifestyle, he would stay in people’s cabins from one night to the next as he was a very friendly and extremely charismatic guy.
Though a lot can be said about the legend of Johnny Appleseed, separating the truth from the myths that enshroud him is a rather difficult task. Extremely famous in his own time, John Chapman received the nickname Johnny Appleseed while alive and young.

It wasn’t hard for such a popular guy to accrue a mythical identity. Legends about the man grew quickly.

It can’t be said for sure that he wore a tin pot for a hat or a burlap coffee sack for a shirt; but we do know that the common notion of Mr. Appleseed planting seeds at random wherever his journeys took him is false. In fact, Johnny had his own system down to a science:

He did not plant orchards, instead he thought of them as nurseries. Indeed, they were: he built fences around the trees he planted to provide them with protection from livestock. He built these ‘nurseries’ and left them in the hands of neighbors who recruited as reliable caretakers. Johnny would then return every other year or so to lend his own personal care to the nursery.

Thanks to his hard work and passion for his occupation, John Chapman brought the gift of apple trees to North America in such great abundance that people confuse it for an American fruit. Thank you, Johnny. Happy Johnny Appleseed Day and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

You know, it’s pretty hard to argue, we offer some really great, fun, high-quality products here at Everything Summer Camp. And, while we’d love to, we can’t take all the credit. A lot of it, in fact, rightly goes to the businesses with whom we’ve formed a relationship and whose products we’re offering.Due credit goes out to frogg toggs today from Everything Summer Camp. Our hat’s off to this company’s amazingly lightweight, wind and water proof, incredibly breathable, and completely affordable rainsuit design for production-leading Rainwear.

The folks at frogg toggs are all located in Alabama—wetter than Louisiana, wetter than Florida, THE WETTEST STATE in the country—so it’s truly no wonder that this state birthed the leading brand in rainwear and other raingear. These people certainly know what it takes to stay dry in a wet world; they’ve been making rain suits since 1996.  

After nearly 20 years of business, they now offer an excellent product line consisting of assorted jacket-styles like vests and ponchos, waterproof pants, suits, footwear, fun accessories like hats and umbrellas, and more. The ticket to their success and leadership in the raingear industry: they listen to their customers.

Based completely on the promise of customer satisfaction, the people at frogg toggs are committed to ensuring that their new products will unquestionably result in demonstrating the quality of frogg toggs rainwear to their happy, dry customers.

frogg toggs target customers range from outdoor sporting event participants to simply outdoor activities in general, like picnicking or camping. For just that reason, the frogg toggs Youth Polly Wogg Rain Suit and the Ultra-Lite2 Rain Suit from frogg toggs make for great products here at Everything Summer Camp.

The pleasure is all ours, working with this chief of the raingear industry. As always, thanks for reading.

- John