Making 'Thank You' a Habit

Now that we're about halfway through National Thank You Month and a couple weeks into our New Year's resolutions, (keep it up!) we want to encourage saying 'Thank You' beyond just the month of January. Did you know it takes 66 days to form a habit? With that being said, how can we stick to this resolution (let alone our own personal resolutions)? Here a few tips to continue having 'Thank You' and gratitude as part of your daily routine.

1. Start Small! 
• You don't have to say 'Thank You' 100 times a day (maybe a future goal?). Find one or two things to explicitly say thank you for each day. Make a point to say it, write it, or creatively show it. You'll probably find that you have a lot more than two things to say 'Thank You' for. You can eventually work your way up to saying it more and more!
2. Write in a Gratitude Journal
• Bullet Journaling is becoming incredibly popular these days. It takes only a few minutes to write down a few quick things about your day, and it's a great opportunity to take the time to write down what you're thankful for! This could be that someone held the door open for you, it was extra sunny, or just positive things about your day in general. Looking at these bullet points helps you hold those moments a little bit closer, and it can boost your mood when you flip back through previous days. 
  
3. Volunteer, Give Back
• Take the time to do something for others - it's shown to help you also feel good about your own strengths! You can volunteer for various causes or keep it as simple as taking the time to listen to a friend, smile at someone you don't know, hold the door for somebody, and MORE. The list could go on and on! 
4. Schedule Spontaneity and Do it Regularly
• We all love receiving notes and gifts at random, and we can make saying 'Thank You' a random act! Turn this into a habit by scheduling that spontaneity into each day to go out of our way to appreciate someone. The big takeaway of this point is to do it regularly. Whether you're verbally saying 'Thank You' to someone, sending a gift, or finding joy in the small things of life - it's the mindset of being thankful. Take nothing for granted, and enjoy the little moments that make your day brighter. 
  

We can make saying 'Thank You' and expressing gratitude part of each and every day! We hope you continue to incorporate gratitude beyond this month. Again, it can be a small gesture or acknowledgement of someone - it's always the thought that counts.

Thanks to Camp

"Let's face it. The impact of camp can be hard to explain. We know it's more than s'mores, games and crazy costumes." - Canadian Camping Association

Here's a shout-out to our neighbors to the north. The Canadian Camping Association put together an incredible video, "Thanks to Camp", that beautifully portrays the wonders of summer camp.  Individuals from across Canada submitted their iPhone footage which was ultimately compiled to create this masterpiece, and let me tell you, it just warms your soul.



If this video inspires you, please create your own #thankstocamp and post to our Facebook wall. We would love to see and hear how Camp Foley has impacted your life.

What Camp Foley Means to Mae

This Thanksgiving, as with every Thanksgiving dating back to 1924, we are thankful for our campers. This year we will put the spotlight on one of our Hall of Fame inductees, as we are incredibly blessed to have alumni just like Mae in our Foley Family. Mae wrote her Bridge Crossing essay during her 5th summer as a camper (2012) and had the opportunity to read it aloud to all of camp while she entered the Hall of Fame in 2017. As a 16 year old,  Mae found her 11 year old writing to be quite comical as she took frequent laugh breaks while sharing what camp means to her with her camp peers.   

What Camp Foley Means To Me

Mae M. 

2012

I love Camp Foley so much! It is awesome and it is the main thing I look forward to doing the summer. It is like fourteen days in paradise.

Camp Foley means friends! Everyone always has so many friends at Camp Foley. I love going back to camp to see so many of my friends that I have not seen in a year. It makes me so excited to go  back to Camp Foley! Also, all of the people and counselors are very, very nice and awesome. They are always smiling and giving great advice to everyone.

Camp Foley means super fun activities! All the activities are so awesome. But my very favorite two of all the many activities are windsurfing and soccer. I was so excited when they added soccer. I like playing with a TON of people. I also love facing my brother and sister in soccer. Windsurfing is also super cool. I get so excited while I am windsurfing.

Camp Foley means overnights! Every year I have slept in the tree houses. It is awesome because we have hot dogs and a treat. We also play a fun game called Mafia and a whole bunch of other games. Along with the tree houses I am also excited about my first year being able to go on a canoe trip. It reminds me of going to the Boundary Waters with my family, except at Camp I will be going with all my friends instead. I think it will be even more fun going with my friends. I am excited to be able to cook our own food and sleep in a tent.

2017

Camp Foley means amazing food! Camp's food is so yummy! Sometimes we even get special treats like ice cream and soda bread. I think canteen was one of the greatest inventions ever. You can eat ice cream, candy, and pop. So Good! It makes my tummy rumble just thinking about it. I love Baker's Square Night. It is pie night. All of the older girls dress up. I love camps pie.

Camp Foley means history. All of the cabins are names after American Indian people or tribes. It is so exciting to figure out which cabin I will be in every year. Camp Foley has been around since 1924. Both my parents were counselors at Camp Foley and my mom started there when she was eight years old. So if it weren't for Camp Foley I would not be here.

Camp Foley means super fun extra crazy things. I love how camp always does funny skits and lip syncs. The opening campfire is always my favorite of all three campfires. The staff is so funny! I also love the banquets. The food is so yummy and it is so fun to dress up in crazy costumes.

Camp Foley means activities, food, overnights, dances, lip syncs, and campfires. But it mostly means friends, and having a very fun time at Camp Foley.

Thank you for letting us share your essay, Mae! If you would like to be featured on the Rattlin' Blog please shoot an email to Jordan. Or if you know someone who would love all of the yummy food just as much as Mae does, Register Today! 

Grateful for YOU

In 2016 we had a lot to be thankful for, from completing our 92 summer serving youth, to welcoming many new campers in to our Foley Family, to having the opportunity to cuddle with Nike and Norm on the daily.

Always at the top of the list is our entire Foley Family. We are infinitely grateful for the incredible campers, staff, and alumni. You are the reason camp has such a feeling of "home."

The Foley Family is spread far and wide across the world, which is a beautiful thing. We enjoy celebrating with you all in spirit and were excited to receive photos from current and past Foleyites. Below are few of those photos!

We look forward to seeing where 2017 takes each of you!

Pippa, a staff member in 1999 and 2000, and her family pose for
a photo near their home in South Africa. Happy Holidays!

Lilly, camper for 10 years, celebrated on the slopes in Colorado.

Former campers and staff Diego, Claudia, Mauricio, and Regina
sent their holiday greetings from Rome. 

Hally, a staff member in 2014 and 2016, celebrated back home in Australia
by putting "another shrimp on the barbie." 

Louise, a current camper, had a frosty time decorating cookies
for Santa with her younger cousin near Minneapolis! 

Peter, a long time camper and staff, celebrated
with his preschool students in the province of Sanmatenga.



Explore CAMP FOLEY and REGISTER your child today.