Hey, Scrabblers!

Last year, I told you all about how today, April 13, is Plant Appreciation Day. You can check that Blog post out by clicking here. Today, however, we have a whole other reason that makes today special—it’s my sister’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Kim!

I guess that one’s really just celebrated by the people in her life, though. Okay, well there’s yet another reason that makes today special even if you don’t know my sister; today is Scrabble Day. And Kim’s a huge Scrabble fan so it all works out.

This board game concentrated on crafting words out of tile letters has an interesting history that goes back to 1933. It began with a New York architect who was out of work for some time. His name was Alfred Mosher Butts. Alright, folks—let’s get all the jokes out now before I continue…

Ready? Okay. So Butts was an avid reader of the New York Times and would often play the word games like the anagrams and crosswords. He once said, “There is one thing that keeps word games from being as popular as card games: they have no score.”

Inspired by the anagrams and crosswords, Butts went about developing a game that put a scoring system to the letters you randomly picked and had to form crossword style with other words on a board. He called this game…Lexiko. You weren’t expecting that, were you?!

Going by a different name than what we all know and love, Butts’ board game was turned down by game manufacturers time and time again. Unsatisfied with the name Lexiko, Butts changed the name and started marketing it as...Criss Cross Words.

Unfortunately, the concept of this game continued to be declined until Butts met a game enthusiast and entrepreneur named James Brunot. Brunot helped Butts refine the rules as well as the design of the board. And, most importantly, they changed the name once more.

They named the game Scrabble, a word that means ‘to grasp, collect, or hold onto something’. This game was finally trademarked in 1948 and caught on slowly, but surely and eventually became the household name that it is today. A Scrabble set is found in three of every five American households.

Enjoy a game of Scrabble today and send my sister warm birthday wishes (if you know her)! As always, thanks for reading, Camp Folks! And happy camping!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

As a camping gear store directed at families with kids heading to summer camp, we’re thrilled to have formed such awesome relationships with a whopping 300 camps across the nation. We can’t help ourselves but to sing their praises every now and again. Today let’s shine our summer camp spotlight westward, located in a suburb near Los Angeles, California where we find Pali Adventures summer camp.

Surrounded by stunning mountains, this 74-acre area became known as Pali Mountain and was the land where entrepreneur, Andy Wexler founded Pali Adventures summer camp in 1999. ‘Pali’ comes from the nickname given to the Pacific Palisades, a truly beautiful place.

Pali Adventures has cultivated this scenic spot to provide campers with a field for activities like Soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, Water Balloon Fights, and plenty more. The have Archery Ranges, a Swimming Pool, a Ropes Course, a 700+ foot Zipline, a Basketball Court/Skate Park, and ATV Tracks. A recent facility addition is the Huckleberry Hall—a grand dining hall used for eating and lots of other gatherings.

The cabins at Pali Adventures feature beautiful, solid wood with twin-size bunks built-in. The bunks have real mattresses for your camper’s comfort. The cabins are all designed to accommodate ten campers as well as two cabin leaders. Each cabin provides a private bathroom and shower facilities.

You’re bound to have a blast when you pick Pali Adventures for your summer camp stay! Check out their website for yourself to see all the fun stuff they have in store for their campers. You can browse their site when you click right here. Be sure to tune in during the last week in April for our next Summer Camp Spotlight in which we’ll feature Camp Med-O-Lark. As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans. And happy camping!

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

While we’re pleased to offer all the summer camp gear and other camping supplies on your packing list here at Everything Summer Camp, our camp trunks are truly our pride and joy. We’re the Maker of C&N Footlockers—the best footlockers around. Melanie (or Mel as she goes by) is one of our esteemed Production workers, crafting our high quality camp trunks.

Given the opportunity to go to summer camp nowadays, as an adult, Mel could think of several ways she would spend her time. Check out her favorite activities she would sign herself up for…

Kayaking
Easily making the top of the list, Mel went kayaking three times just last summer. Her favorite places to go are on the nearby Yellow River in Stanley as well as the Namekagon River in Hayward. She can still recall her first trip out with her mom, her brother, and her best friend back when she was 11. She was a little nervous her first time, but it can be a very soothing experience she told me. “It’s beautiful out there in the morning!”

Gardening
Years before her Kayaking days, Mel discovered a love for Gardening. She loved spending time in the big garden her grandma and grandpa’s house where they offered her money for working out there. They’d give her a dollar for each plant she planted and a dollar per item she harvested. Pretty good incentive!

Baking
Mel discovered a love for Baking at a fairly young age. Her mom had her Baking at just six years old. Folks will attest here around the office that Mel’s Baking skills are next level! “Homemade feels so warm,” she noted.

Softball
Just two years after Baking came Baseball (or Softball anyway). Mel started playing little league as an eight-year-old and she loved it so much that she continued to play throughout her school years and played for her high school team. She missed playing it after graduation and she eventually coached in order to get it back in her life!

Do you love any of the same camp activities as Mel? Her picks are particular, but pretty essential summer camp experiences! Maybe you’ll enjoy one or more of these come your summer camp stay. As always, thanks for reading and happy camping!

- John

Hey, Music Fans!

Why do we say the same, centuries-old phrases and sayings? Most of the time we say them without even knowing it. They’re so built in to our daily speech that we don’t even think about it. Folks find themselves saying phrases like ‘Stick out like a Sore Thumb’ and ‘Showing the Ropes’. Today we’re examining the origin of the phrase ‘Pull Out all the Stops’.

What does it mean? This is one common saying whose message isn’t quite so clear (though you may be able to guess from the context in which you’ve heard it), ‘Pull Out all the Stops’ means to make every possible effort in order to make something happen. So what exactly what kind of ‘stops’ are we talking about pulling out here?

Well, several centuries ago, people started using the word ‘stop’ in a musical context. It actually referred to a key or note. Thus, a sheet of music could be described as being ‘full of stops’.

With its foot already in the musical door, 'stop' sort of dropped its connotation as a musical note and went on to be used to refer to the knobs in pipe organs that control the airflow through the pipes—either by pushing them in or pulling them out. Pulling out the stops increases the volume coming out.

At this point in time, anyone talking about pulling out the stops was literally referring to these pipe organ knobs. However, the phrase slowly acquired a figurative sense. It was first recorded with figurative use in an 1865 essay written by one Matthew Arnold.

The next time you’re faced with a challenging task, pull out all the stops to see it through! Enjoy another adage origin Blog post from the past by clicking right here. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Rainy Dayers!

April showers are a great reminder to be prepared for precipitation. We recently introduced the Helly Hansen brand to our collection of rain gear with several new rain jackets and a new rain pant as well. Check out the Juniors’ Urban Rain Jacket, the Juniors’ Moss Rain Jacket, the Juniors’ Celeste Rain Jacket, and, finally, the Juniors’ Moss Rain Pant. Check out these classic-style pieces!

Juniors Urban Rain Jacket
This sleek number is totally waterproof, windproof, and an extremely comfortable wear! Constructed with PFC-Free HELLY TECH® Protection, this coat keeps the rain off of you with authority. It’s got mesh lining that’s quick-to-dry and feels comfy.

Juniors Moss Rain Jacket
A rolling stone gathers no moss. But the Moss Rain Jacket gathers no rain. You may as well be dodging each drop when you’re wearing the Juniors’ Moss Rain Jacket from Helly Hansen. An updated look of the old-fashioned fisherman’s raincoat! Constructed with Helox+® fabric technology, the welded seams of this rain jacket make it fully waterproof and windproof! The interior is quick-to-dry and feels comfy.

Juniors Celeste Rain Jacket
Constructed with PFC-Free HELLY TECH® Protection, the Juniors’ Celeste keeps you dry when the floodgates open up. With a mesh lining that’s quick-to-dry and feels comfy. Don’t be surprised if you hear a choir of angels singing when you put on this celestial wonder!

Juniors Moss Rain Pant
You’d better wear the pants when you want the full spectrum of protection during a downpour. Constructed with HELOX+® fabric technology, the welded seams make this Rain Pant fully waterproof and windproof! Stay unaffected by the rain with the invincibility you attain when you’re wearing the Juniors’ Moss Rain Pant.

Browse our ever-growing Rain Gear selection by clicking right here. And take a gander at our Helly Hansen Rain Gear selection by clicking right here. Order your Rain Gear and enjoy staying dry when the world gets wet. And, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Folks!

- John