Hey, Summer Camp Fans!

We spend so much time on these blog posts talking about the great companies that we work with here at Everything Summer Camp—bragging for them, praising them, expressing our gratitude to be working with them. But once in a while, I want to spend some time talking about our own company.

So, you know what’s great about Everything Summer Camp? Everything—of course. However, out of all the great things about us, one notable perk to being a customer of ours is the Lifetime Free Repair Warranty we have on all of our C&N Footlockers. That means we’ll repair any one of your damaged footlockers for you, for free—guaranteed for life. You are responsible for the shipping costs and we are responsible for repairing your footlocker. The only thing not covered is cosmetic damage.

Sound good? It gets better than that! When I say we’ll repair any damaged footlocker for free, for life, you should realize that when we manufacture our footlockers, we intend for them to stand up to a lot. That’s why we say we stand behind and on top of them. Because the cute camp trunks that we construct over here are in reality big, bad strongboxes. These trunks are built solid—no doubt.

So, that’s a pretty amazing deal, right? Well, hang on—it gets even better than that. Check it out—90% of the time there won’t be any shipping involved! No repackaging, mailing, or any hassle because almost all of the parts on our trunks can be repaired by you, in your home using nothing but a Phillips screwdriver! We will send you the necessary parts and instructions for free.

When you purchase a C&N Footlocker we want you to know that you’re covered – for life. That’s just one of the many great things about us at Everything Summer Camp!

Hey there, Camp Enthusiasts!

It’s my absolute pleasure to tell you about one of the amazing companies with whom we here at Everything Summer Camp have the absolute pleasure of doing business. At twenty-six years old, some might consider Everything Summer Camp a young company. But that’s nothing compared to our friends over at bobble.

If we’re young, then bobble’s a baby. It was only three years ago that they got started. And since 2010, bobble’s retail network has grown with ferocity! You can find a bobble water bottle in more than 35,000 stores across each and every one of the United States. They’re in nearly thirty-five countries spanning five continents! In only three years, bobble has sold millions of water bottles the world over!

That’s quite a feat.

The good folks that work at bobble are like-minded, creative individuals with a love for design and the planet. Their reusable, filtered water bottles both change people’s drinking habits for the better and help to remove millions upon millions of discarded, single-serve, plastic water bottles from our planet.

bobble has given the world a sustainable, reusable, portable, filtered water bottle. bobble makes a good point that tap water, unfortunately of wavering quality, has become a second-rate source of water despite the fact that it’s free and widely available. The smart design of a portable, filtered bobble water bottle is you can still use tap as a source of water without concerning over the water’s purity!

Single-serve plastic water bottles all sell nothing but the concept of pure water. But you don’t know that bottled water is really any purer than the tap that comes out of your faucet! That’s why the filter is kind of ingenious! After achieving so much in their first three years, you might wonder to yourself, what else can they do?

To answer the question in their own words, “We’ve only begun. We’re peering around every corner, at each item in our everyday life, and asking ourselves, can we do better?…More often than not, the answer is yes.”

Thanks for reading, Camp Fans! Till next time.

- John

How to Ensure Success by Taking Care of Your Own Stress

It’s normal to be anxious about how your son or daughter will do at camp. Yes. That’s right. So relax. It’s normal. And if you’ve read my blogs on homesickness prevention and followed my advice, then chances are your child will thrive at camp. (Behind on your prep? No time to read more? Check out this anti-homesickness DVD: EverythingSummerCamp.com.)

I know you. You’re still worried. Will Sam make friends? Will Pat pass his swim check? Will Robin change his underwear? Will Francis take his medication? I’m a parent, too. I know what it’s like to fret about your kiddo’s future. I also know that fretting openly generally ramps up my kids’ angst.

If you’d perused clinical psychology journals in the late 1990’s, you’d have read Lisa Capps’s research on anxiety transmission from parent to child. Her studies showed that when parents spoke nervously to their elementary school children about things that could go wrong on the walk to and from school, the kids developed school phobias of varying intensity. Worry, as it turns out, can be contagious.

The key for parents who may be worrying about what might go wrong at camp (and that’s all of you reading this) is to share those concerns with another adult. Your son or daughter needs to hear a consistently positive message of confidence and optimism, such as: “You’ll love camp” and “I know you’ll do great” and “It’s gonna be a terrific experience” and “I can’t wait to hear about your new friends and the new things you try.”

With your spouse, partner, colleague or best friend, you can say, “I won’t sleep soundly until I get his first letter” or “I’ll be checking the camp’s website every hour” or “I don’t know what I’ll do without him” or “I’m not ready for her to go away this year…I should have waited until next summer.” But beware of sharing those thoughts—and other nervous notions—with your child. You’ll create worry where there wasn’t any.

If I’ve convinced you to keep your public pronouncements positive, I’m pleased. But now you’re wondering, “What if—after all I’ve done to keep my concerns among trusted peers—it’s actually my child who rings the alarm bells?” I’ve already told you the answer: Express confidence, optimism and positivity. The trick is being ready to respond.

Almost every child headed to summer camp for the first time will ask, “What if I feel homesick?” Well-intentioned parents will sometimes make the monumental mistake of saying, “If you feel homesick, I’ll come and get you.” But think about the subtext of that remark. What you’re really saying is, “I have so little confidence in your ability to cope with this normal feeling, that I think the only solution is for me to come and rescue you.”

That shaky message is not what any youngster needs to hear, directly or indirectly. So be ready with: “There are many things you love about home, and I’m sure you’ll miss some of them. You’ll probably be having so much fun, that you’ll barely notice any homesick feelings. But if anything starts to bother you, I’m sure you’ll know what to do. And remember, your counselor or cabin leader is also there to help.”

Still have a few unanswered questions? You’ll feel better if you had the answers. So now is the time to read everything the camp has sent you. And check out the website one more times. Then call the camp director if there are still lingering pre-season queries. Remember, information is the best antidote to your own anxiety. And when that’s under control, your child will sense your calm. That, too, is contagious.

Enjoy the summer!

Hey, Camp Lovers!

I have quite the product to tell you about today. It’s another new product that we’ve now started to carry here at Everything Summer Camp, your one-stop online shop for all your summer camp needs. You’re guaranteed heavy-duty protection with a lightweight feel wearing this innovative headwear from Wind X-treme.

More than just a bandana, this headwear is actually, in essence, simply a stretchy sleeve. Yet, with a little imagination, and a slight amount of skill, this ingenious piece of fabric transforms into more than ten different uses! Similar to buff headwear made popular by the reality show Survivor, Wind X-treme headwear is sure to soon be all the rage.

The fabric is designed for many different kinds of action-sports. Whether you’re into skiing, biking, running, hiking, climbing, or tennis, Wind X-treme headwear is essential! The reason you can wear it for so many different occasions and in so many different ways is because of the fabric’s amazing elasticity.

You can wear this headwear as a facemask, a helmet liner, a skull cap, a neckerchief, a neck gaitor, a headband, balaclava, a pirate cap, for a more stoic look you can wear it as a sahariane, use it as a hairband, a scrunchy, a wristband, or a scarf! So as you can see, this garment is truly as versatile as it is soft and comfortable.

It’s made with high performance microfiber technology that’s moisture-wicking and quick to dry. Wind X-treme headwear gives you exclusive protection no matter what the season. It insulates the cold winter air as well as summer’s heat. This fabric has built-in warmth without having any additional weight. Yet it’s still highly elastic and breathable too.

This fashionable headwear is sure to be one hot item this camp season. How many uses can you wear it? Till next time, Camp Fans.

- John

Why Send Your Son to Summer Camp?

Today’s world is becoming more complex each day. Children are exposed to many different lifestyles and values and must choose among them.

At Camp Laney we emphasize many traditional values, and our staff and program are directed toward helping each boy lead a happier, richer and more fulfilling life. The camp activities will provide your son with some of his most exciting boyhood memories. He will talk about his adventures at camp for years to come.

With the successes he experiences in his activities, a boy’s self-confidence grows daily. Living as part of a group, a boy learns to give and take, and get along with his counselors and cabinmates. Away from home, he becomes more responsible for himself and his belongings.

Surrounded by rugged natural beauty, many boys begin to appreciate the outdoors for the first time.

The most rewarding aspect of camp is the warm friendships that develop between the campers and between the campers and staff. The staff is the most important aspect of any camp. Our senior staff members must have completed a year of college. These young men serve as models for our campers. We are looking for young men of outstanding character who are mature, have a natural liking and ability to get along with boys, and have the ability to teach a skill. Camp is a growing and educational experience. We sincerely feel that by sending your son to camp you are making a priceless investment in his future.