Goodbye, Readers!

It’s horrible to have to write to you again. If you’re all as dumb as I expect you are, then you probably don’t know that it’s Opposite Day…and by that I mean, it’s not Opposite Day because on Opposite Day you would say that something ISN’T in order to say that it WAS, right?

Er—I mean—wrong?

Okay, okay. Fingers crossed. Time out. This is getting too confusing. Let’s just talk with a little break from the rules of Opposite Day in order to say with absolute clarity that today is Opposite Day. This unofficial holiday is exactly what it sounds like: a day when up means down, yes means no, cold is hot, and summer camp is lame!

Of course, we don’t mean any of that! Summer camp is awesome! It’s just what we say because on Opposite Day, we say the opposite of what we mean.

Reminiscent of the ol’ fingers-crossed-behind-the-back trick that kids use when they mean the reverse of what they’re saying, Opposite Day is essentially an entire, hands-free day of having your fingers crossed. But don’t cross your fingers on Opposite Day—unless, of course, you actually want to mean what you say (like me for the last three paragraphs—I’m typing one-handed, by the way).

Some people ask, “How did Opposite Day ever get started?” And to that I respond, “Why is the sky blue?” And then they usually say, “Yeah…what’s your point?”

Well, the point is Opposite Day is a fact of life. It’s a part of nature. The flip-side of identical. Every positive charge has a negative and every day has a night. And, as the Yin and the Yang teaches us, you really can’t have one without the other. I think Opposite Day (while it may be a tad confusing at times) is a great reminder of the crazy world in which we live where the nonsensical and sensible stand alongside each other and laugh at logic.

On that closing note, I’ll uncross my fingers and, as never, thanks for not reading.

- John

Hey, all of you shining Blog Readers!

What’s the best way to spread your natural sunshine? By telling everybody else how much they shine! And, while any day is good for giving out unexpected compliments, today is an especially great day for sharing pleasant remarks with one another because it’s National Compliment Day.

National Compliment Day was founded by Kathy Chamberlin as well as Debby Hoffman in 1998. Their reasoning behind Compliment Day was to give people a reminder that compliments are an easy, pleasant, and positive way to make a quick connection with somebody else. After all, who doesn’t love receiving compliments?

We may not all be as practiced at giving people compliments as we could be. It’s not something that people always remember to do for each other. That’s why we have a holiday to remind ourselves to do it. But fear not! I’m here to give you some tips on complimenting.

First of all, you have to mean what you’re saying. So, as to keep from cheapening the holiday, you don’t want come off as being insincere. How do you come off being sincere? BE SINCERE! Don’t just run around telling everyone how much you like their shirt or shoes or hair. It doesn’t matter how many people you compliment if none of them actually meant anything to you.

If you really are thinking about how great someone’s shirt is, then by all means, compliment that person on the shirt—because you mean it. The point is that you want to say something that’s going to make somebody smile. If you can’t think of something, don’t worry about it. No compliment is better than a cheap, forced one.

It’s also good to keep in mind today (and any day) that you may be complimented. Some people are even less practiced at receiving compliments than they are at giving them. You certainly don’t want to disagree with a compliment and make the other person feel bad about having said something nice! Accept compliments graciously with a simple, “thank you.”

You should also avoid volleying a compliment right back as it depreciates the original remark.

So go put some smiles on some faces and give people the gift of positivity! It’s sure to make their day as well as yours. Till next time, Readers!

- John

Hey, Blog Buddies!

Ever wonder how we manage to offer such great products for summer camp? Well, we’re just that good at finding other cool places who also offer cool products like LC Industries. Allow me to introduce to you the 14 new products from LC Industries that you can now find right here at Everything Summer Camp.

We’ve recently added great camping gear and supplies like a Silicone Travel Cup that collapses in on itself, a Folding Hairbrush that has a Mirror on its handle, a Digital Clock that doubles as a Flashlight, a Mood Neck Pillow which is designed to give you optimum sitting comfort, and the Odyssey 6 in 1 bottle that’s a filtered water bottle that also works as a flashlight, lantern, strobe light, and small storage unit.

Aside the great new camping gear and camping supplies from LC Industries that can now be found at Everything Summer Camp, we’re also adding items that make things not only easier to travel but also easier to live out of!

We now offer a clear, Quart-Size Carry-On Toiletry Pouch which meets TSA 311 guidelines. You can also find a Carry-On Bottle Set which includes three bottles and a half oz. screw-top jar, all in a quart-size zip-top bag to avoid extra purchases of travel-size shampoos and creams. We also offer convenient toothbrush holders.

We also now offer two Lewis N Clark Duffel Bags, the 14” by 30” bag as well as the 14” by 36”. You won’t run out of space using these attractive bags. Easily fit your new camp gear, supplies, and toiletries from LC Industries inside these sturdy bags.

 We are also offering Luggage tags and belts from LC Industries. Identify your luggage and wrap a belt around your duffel or bursting suitcase to make sure you’re transporting everything securely.

Enjoy browsing the new products this year at Everything Summer Camp.

Hey, Blog Buddies!

A while back I told you about the Receptionist at Everything Summer Camp, Missy. Missy is the first person you see when you walk into our Main Building. Warm, and incredibly friendly, Missy is always there to help. Aside from answering business calls, Missy also handles endless spreadsheets of important Web information as well as all of our sales reports, and much more.

I could go on and on about Missy’s hard work, but today, I’m telling you about Missy’s favorite product that you can find right here at Everything Summer Camp. Drumroll, please… It’s the LidMate Organizer! At Missy’s household, the LidMate Organizer is kid tested, mother approved. “All the pockets work very nicely to store stuff in all sorts of sizes—that’s what my kids say anyway!” Missy says with a big laugh.

The LidMate Organizer is one product that literally provides more storage space within a footlocker. See, it gets mounted securely on the inside of your trunk lid (hence the name) and lets you take advantage of every square inch that your camp trunk has to offer! Without the LidMate Organizer, the inside surface of your footlocker lid is completely unusable.

The center of the LidMate holds a metal, carabiner style light to shine on the contents of your trunk—no flashlight necessary! Featuring five turn buckles, seven zippered pockets, a mirror, and a clear pocket to display pictures from home, the LidMate knows how to make the most of your footlocker trunk!

When Missy’s kids are happy, she’s happy too; so that makes the LidMate Organizer her favorite product here at Everything Summer Camp. Are you utilizing the maximum amount of storage space that your trunk has to offer like Missy’s kids are?

That’s all for today, Readers. Till next time!

Hey, Readers!

I’m sure that everyone knows who Martin Luther King, Jr. is. After all, the man has an American federal holiday that marks his birthday each year. Though his birthday is January 15, we observe it on the third Monday of January. That day is today.

King was born in 1929 to a teacher and Baptist minister. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, King attended grade school, high school and college, all in his hometown. He was 19 when he received his Bachelor's Degree in sociology from Morehouse College.

After Morehouse College, he attended the Crozer Theological Seminary and then continued his studies, going on to earn his doctorate at Boston University. Around this time, he met a music student named Coretta Scott whom he came to marry. Eventually, the two of them ended up with four beautiful children.

At 25, King became the minister of a Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. It was around this time that King started making changes to things he saw that he didn’t like. His first focus became the segregated Montgomery buses. These buses said that blacks couldn’t sit with whites. So King boycotted these buses and got lots of others to boycott the buses along with him.

The message gained him a reputation on a national level! While his involvement did result in the desegregation of Montgomery buses, it also resulted in the bombing of King’s house. He responded by writing a book about the bus boycott. He also visited India where he studied such subjects as nonviolence as well as civil disobedience.

Upon his return, King was arrested and sent to jail for his participation in nonviolent, anti-segregation protests in Birmingham. But in the same year, King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington.

It wasn’t long after that that Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, putting an end to segregation in the workplace and places of education. King was given the Nobel Peace Prize at age 35, becoming the youngest man to date to receive it. He used his prize money of $54,123 towards the continuance of the civil rights movement.

King’s influence advanced progress and led to further changes. Congress soon passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which suspended, and eventually banned, literacy tests as well as any other restrictions that disallowed blacks the right to vote.

While the man and his message of equality brought about great changes, unfortunately his leadership also brought about his untimely death. King was assassinated while standing on the balcony of his motel in Memphis where he was supposed to lead a protest to support black garbage collectors who were going on strike.