Hey, Summer Lovers!

It’s hard to watch the summer season go by, but it’s important to remember that, for the time, it’s still here. Sure, school’s back in session and the days are getting shorter, but it’s not technically fall until September 23. And, until then, it remains summer. So make the best of the rest and get out and enjoy the beautiful weather of the great outdoors. The weather’s perfect this time of the season!

Everything Summer Camp will be helping you out with some great ideas for outdoor activities, not just today, but for the next three Mondays in September.

Idea #1: Apple-Picking. This is always one of my favorite end-of-summer activities. There’s nothing like taking a trip out to an apple orchard and filling your bushel with apples that were picked straight off the branch, touched by nobody but you. Doesn’t that sound good?

I have so many fond memories from when I was a child, walking through the seemingly endless aisles of apple trees with my family, climbing ladders to reach the perfect apple, running with my cousins because my dad and uncle scared us pretending to be bears…

It’s pretty hard NOT to have a fun time when you’re out apple-picking! After all, the picking process is its own reward in itself. All the delicious apples that you’ve picked along the way are a bonus for the days to come.

Luckily, there’s no such thing as picking too many apples. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but aside from an awesome snack, there are lots of things you can make to enjoy your hand-picked apples. Make apple sauce, apple cider, apple juice, apple crisp, apple pancakes, apple pie, CARAMELED APPLES!…

There’s really no downside to apple-picking! I know I’m planning a picking trip in the near future, how ‘bout you? Till next time, readers.

- John

Hey, Grandkids!

Sure, Mom and Dad are great! I mean, c’mon! They raise you, they feed you, they house you. They give you everything that you NEED! Now, don’t get me wrong, that’s really, truly amazing of them; but today isn’t about our mothers or our fathers. No, today is National Grandparents’ Day.

Unlike your parents, Grandma and Grandpa are the ones who give you everything that you WANT! In fact, they spoil you rotten! Their love for you knows no bounds and it’s always such a treat to make a trip over and visit the two of them! Thank goodness there’s a day that’s entirely dedicated to them!

But, like every other holiday, it hasn’t always been around. National Grandparents’ Day has been recognized in the United States since 1978 and is celebrated in various other countries on more-or-less arbitrary days. I think that it’s only a matter of time before the entire planet celebrates WORLD Grandparents’ Day!

So how did such a holiday come about? Well, much the same as how Mother’s Day and Father’s Day was created, Grandparents’ Day became officially recognized in the U.S. through persistent rallying, letter-writing, and determination.

A woman named Marian McQuade from West Virginia is responsible for making this holiday official. Her purpose was to inform the younger generation of the contributions made by their elders. She gathered people who supported what she was doing and, together, they contacted political figures like governors, senators, and congressmen from all 50 states, urging them to recognize Grandparents’ Day.

Within the following three years, 43 states had proclaimed their own statewide Grandparents’ Day. Pretty soon, a national proclamation was made and signed by the president at the time, Jimmy Carter. The signed document states the purpose of the day as, “…to honor grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children’s children, and to help children become aware of strength, information, and guidance older people can offer”.

Thanks for reading and Happy Grandparents’ Day from all of us here at Everything Summer Camp!

- John

Hey, Sports Fans!

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?!!! We sure are here at Everything Summer Camp! It’s finally September—when the weather approaches the fall season and turns ripe, providing us with cooler temperatures and relief from the merciless summer heat. It’s perfect outside and it all means one thing’s for certain—football’s back! This time of year, in golden, autumn weather like this, it’s only right to watch some football on TV and play a game of 500 with your friends during halftime.

That’s what a Sunday afternoon in autumn is all about! The 2014 NFL, regular season kickoff, however, is not launching on a Sunday. Instead, it’s TONIGHT with the Green Bay Packers facing off against the current Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field in Washington. The game starts at 7:30pm Central/Standard Time.

As Wisconsinites, here at Everything Summer Camp, our team is Green Bay. I think we’re a little nervous about starting out the season against the reigning champs, but we’re a good-lookin’ team who definitely could make this year the year we reclaim the championship and bring it back to Lambeau!

Football is football whether you’re a Packer fan, a fan of the Seahawks or if you root for any of the other 30 teams that make up the NFL. No matter who’s playing, it’s just good to see that it’s back!

So celebrate along in America’s most popular sport and join in the fandom that grows more and more every year. Football appeals to a lot of people which is good because the more people you watch it with, the more fun it is! (That’s partially why it’s so cool to actually go see a game at a stadium with a thousand other fans.) Throw a party and enjoy tonight’s game with all your football friends.

Thanks for reading!

- John

Sorry, there’s no Blog post today. It’s Labor Day, so I’m not working. I’m out having fun, like you should be.

Happy Labor Day from Everything Summer Camp!

- John

Hey there, all you little Artists!

I’m sure you already know that there are a million different ways to find your creative outlet—whether you’re working with basic contour line, watercolor, charcoal, aluminum dust…Wait a minute. Aluminum dust? That can’t be right.

Well, actually, by the early 1960’s this had become a very popular medium with which to work. What is aluminum dust, you ask? It’s the stuff inside an Etch-A-Sketch, of course! I know you’re all WELL aware of the Etch-A-Sketch—one of the most popular toys of all time!  

In the 50’s, the Lincrusta Co. hired an electrician by the name of André Cassagnes. Lincrusta Co. was a manufacturer of wall coverings. They used aluminum powder in their processes. Installing a light-switch plate at work one day André peeled away a decal and made a couple pencil marks on its face. He was intrigued, however, when he found that the pencil marks had transferred to the other side.

The other side was covered in aluminum powder.

And so the light switch in his brain went on and he was inspired to make an erasable slate that got covered in aluminum powder. As his idea developed, he thought to give it dials that were attached to a stylus which made it possible to ‘draw.’

He called it ‘L’Ecran Magique’ which translates to ‘The Magic Screen’ in English. Showing off his invention at trade shows, André’s Magic Screen eventually generated some interest from an American manufacturing company called Ohio Art.

Although it was heavily marketed to kids, the Etch-A-Sketch became quite the toy for artists of all ages like Jeff Gagliardi who started using the toy during his adulthood in the 70’s. He mastered it and used it to create amazingly intricate sketches.

Playing itself in the Toy Story movies, the Etch-A-Sketch has certainly proven itself over the years without losing steam. As popular as ever, it seems the Etch-A-Sketch has etched a place in our hearts.

Pick up your own right here at Everything Summer Camp.

Thanks for reading.

- John