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December 3, 2013July 21, 2020 • Counselors • Sofie Ehlinger

Host The Perfect Holiday Party

Open any glossy magazine cover this month and you’ll notice no shortage of party planning advice- Seven Simple Steps to a Perfect Holiday Party!, Party Planning on a Budget!, This Holiday’s Hottest Party Playlists!, Perfect Party Dresses! Oh my!

Today, we present to you party planning advice from a muddy-sneakered, wide-grinned, sun-soaked Rockbrook Girl.

If a summer camp camper or Rockbrook counselor were to take the lead on a holiday party advice article, here’s what she might say….

Dear Rockbrook Girl,
Let’s talk food. What should I serve? Hors D’oeuvres? Scallops wrapped in bacon? Artichoke dip? I need advice on menu planning.
Yours,
Munchies

Dear Munchies,

Keep things simple and fun! Old standbys like s’mores, GORP, puppy chow, and drippy ice cream cones are great. It’s always a good idea to roast your party food over an open fire- hotdogs, banana boats, tin-foil pancakes. Of course, milk and cookies are a huge hit!

Yours,
Rockbrook Girl

Dear Rockbrook Girl,
I’m looking for good conversations starters for my holiday party. Any suggestions?
Yours,
Chatty Kathy

Dear Chatty,

Great question! It’s a wonderful idea to ask your guests about themselves. It will make everyone at your party feel comfortable and supported. Make sure to listen actively and the conversation will get rolling in no time. Here are a few of my favorites:

Tell me about the last book you read?

I heard you can divide two three-digit numbers in your head! How do you do that?

What makes you laugh?

If you couldn’t watch television, how would you spend your time?

Do you have any pets?

Yours,
Rockbrook Girl

Dear Rockbrook Girl,
What should I wear at my party? I hear so much about holiday fashion these days, I just don’t know what’s trendy.
Yours,
Trendy Wendy

Dear Trendy,

Well, red and white are always in fashion! My advise is this, dress for function. Ensure that you are warm, cozy and comfortable while hosting for the holidays. Anything that you can jump, swim, roll, giggle, zoom, run, swing, stretch, and dance in is a must. It’s not at all about how you look, it’s all about how you feel!

Yours,
Rockbrook Girl

Dear Rockbrook Girl,
I’m wondering about presents. Should I ask my guests to bring gifts to my party?
Yours,
Wrapped Up

Dear Wrapped,

I love this question! By inviting guests to your party, you’ve automatically asked them to bring gifts to share with everyone! Each and every one of your guests has something beautiful to share with the world; they have their own unique set of talents and traits that are- are you ready?- GIFTS! At your party, instead of requesting that your guests offer up something synthetic just ask them to bring themselves- perfect and priceless.

Yours,
Rockbrook Girl

Camper Health and Beauty Tips

Fun Camp Tips for Girls — Dear Rockbrook Girl

If you’ve ever read any of those swanky health and fitness or fashion magazines, you are most certainly familiar with the health and beauty tips that leap out at you from the pages: “torch calories”, “create the perfect pout with your lipstick”, “dress for your body type”.

Although you probably won’t find these on any newsstands or runways in the near future, the health and beauty tips you learn working at summer camp are way more fun than any we’ve ever read in a magazine. (Not to mention that they outlast all the trends!) Here’s how we imagine a Rockbrook girl’s advice column about how to look beautiful and live beautifully might read:

Dear Rockbrook Girl,
I’d like to improve my look, but I don’t know where to start. Any suggestions?
-From: Confused about make-up
Dear Confused about Make-Up,
Great question! Well, lucky for you, I know a quick way to perk up your look. SMILE! Your face will automatically shine and shimmer; your complexion instantly brightened!
-Rockbrook Girl

Dear Rockbrook Girl,
I’m preparing for a very big event. I’ve picked out an outfit and I know what shoes I’m going to wear, but I cannot figure out what to do with my hair! HELP!
-From: All dressed up and no hair to go
Dear All Dressed Up,
Hmmmm. This is a tough one. Now you’re probably referring to a red carpet affair or a party as a “big event”, but I think that we can make a big event out of anything: brushing our teeth, writing a letter, wading in a creek. My general rule thumb about hair is to keep it simple. Dry it naturally, don’t use any product, and if it ever gets in your eyes as you’re exploring, throw those tresses in a ponytail!
-Rockbrook Girl

Dear Rockbrook Girl,
What are the hottest fashion trends for this summer?
-From: Wardrobe Warrior
Dear Wardrobe Warrior,
Keeping up with the trends can be difficult, but have no fear. This summer it looks like fashion is going to be easy and breezy. Any clothes that you can play, jump, and climb in should serve you well. Popular items in 2013 will be water shoes, one-piece bathing suits, worn-in T-shirts, and whities with a red tie.
-A Rockbrook Girl

Dear Rockbrook Girl,
I am looking for a new regimen for my skin? Any tips on how to achieve a clear complexion?
-From: Comfortable in my own skin
Dear Comfortable,
What you need is a mixture of dirt, lake water, sweat, and shaving cream. Ta Da! Happy skin from your head to your toes.
-Rockbrook Girl

For many more health and beauty tips, apply to work at camp TODAY!

Dear Camp Counselor

Here is just a quick reminder of how important you are. If a camper and a parent were to write to our staff, here is what they might say:

Dear Counselor,

You are my hero. When I grow up I want to be just like you. I think it’s so cool how you use all those funny voices when you read to our cabin before bed! And you made me discover I like carrots! I told my mom I thought they were gross, but then you were eating them last Thursday at lunch (you remember the day you wore your blue shorts and had your hair in a pony tail and ate three pieces of chicken and told us about that squirrel who had that big acorn? Yeah- that day) so I gave them a try. Presto! I love them now! The other day, when you french braided my hair in two braids, I loved it so much I wrote a whole letter home, just about that! I’m so glad you are my counselor because you are the coolest person I have ever met.

Love,

Your Camper, Suzie

Dear Counselor,

I am trusting you with my heart and soul. I am leaving in your care the single, most important thing in my life. I know that it would be ridiculous of me to ask you to put exactly one tablespoon of sugar in Suzie’s corn flakes, or to make sure that she brushes her teeth for exactly two minutes before bed, so I’ll just ask you this- The time you spend with Suzie this summer will shape her entire life. Every compliment you give her, every time you smile at her, every story you tell her, every story she tells you will mean the world to her. Knowing that her counselor cares deeply for her will put Suzie one step closer to growing into the strong, competent, amazing woman I know she has the potential to become. For the next three weeks my child’s life is in your hands. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you will tend to it with love and kindness.

Love,

Suzie’s Mother

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