Circle Pines Spruces Up Your Holidays With Scholarship Trees & Wreaths

We've mentioned this before, but here's 1 last call from Circle Pines, social justice camp:  

Dear Chicago Area Friends of Circle Pines:

We have 6 - 8 foot Fraser Fir, Douglas Fir and Blue Spruce trees for sale, all for $8 per foot. All proceeds go to summer camp scholarships. These are beautiful, freshly cut, Michigan grown trees. We also have 22" Fraser Fir wreaths. Plain wreaths are $20 and beautifully hand decorated wreaths are $40 (request red or gold bow - or none at all). Douglas Fir garland is $40 per 25 foot roll or $2 per foot.  An order form is below.   Order two or more wreaths and receive a discount of $5 per wreath.

We will deliver a load of trees and wreaths this Sunday, December 18, to 54th Street and Kenwood Avenue (near the south end of Murray School) in the Hyde Park area of Chicago. We will be there from 12 noon to 1:30 pm. You must order a tree or wreath for us to have it there for you to pick up. Prices include delivery to this drop off point. 

If you live in Hyde Park and want your tree delivered to your home, add $5 to the price. If you'd also like your tree carried inside, add a total of $10. If you want it set in your tree stand, add a total of $15. Home deliveries will take place just prior to or just after the noon to 1:30 drop off time.

Call (269)623-5555 or email info@circlepinescenter.net for questions or to place an order.

To order trees or wreaths, print attached form and return it by email to info@circlepinescenter.net, or fax (269) 623-9054 or call (269) 623-5555.   Checks should be made out to Circle Pines Center and we also accept cash, Visa, Discover and Master Card. We can collect cash and checks upon delivery, but prefer to handle credit cards ahead of time. You may also pay via our secure on-line payment button at our website, circlepinescenter.org.
 
Remember, all proceeds from the sale will go to summer camp scholarships. 
Call (269) 623-5555 or reply to this email with any questions or to place your order.

The CPC year-round staff,
Tom, Rachel & Ron

Circle Pines Center Calendar:
New Year's Getaway: Dec 29 - Jan 2
rental group: Jan 13 - 16
rental group: Jan 20 - 22
Cabin Fever Getaway: Jan 27 - 29

CPC Board Retreat: Feb 3 - 5
Goat Milk Soap & Cheese Making: Feb 10 - 12
Co-op Winter Retreat: Feb 17 - 19

Maple Syrup Weekend #1: Mar 9 - 11
Maple Syrup Weekend #2: Mar 16 - 18

2012 Buttermilk Jamboree: June 8 - 10

2012 Summer Camp:
Session 1: July 1 - July 14 (2 weeks)
Session 2: July 15 - 21 (1 week)
Session 3: July 22 - August 4 (2 weeks)

Circle Pines Center
8650 Mullen Road
Delton,  Michigan  49046

(269) 623-5555
(269) 623-9054  (fax)

www.circlepinescenter.org 

****Also, remember, a week or two at summer camp makes a GREAT clutter buster present for the holidays!   Make lasting memories instead of lasting landfill.   Circle Pines is accepting applications for summer 2012.   Guarantee your choice of weeks before their spots fill.    We'll have some great, video interviews with Circle Pines counselors, campers and parents coming up this year, leading up to summer camp time.   We also have footage of their camp satire of the musical, Grease!

Need a Fresh Tree or Wreath for a Great Cause?

 Summer Campers at Circle Pines 2011

 
Circle Pines, is bringing their evergreens to Chicago!   Last year we bought a tree from a local hardware chain and despite water, and TLC, it dropped it's needles like a shedding Akita, and was practically naked by the big day!   Want to avoid the same fate with lot tree which are sometimes cuts months in advance and even spray painted green (yuck!) when they turn brown before sale day?   Then buy a super fresh cut tree and/or wreath from Circle Pines.
 
Circle Pines is a great camp in Delton Michigan, that we've been happily promoting for a year, and sent our son to for 2 weeks of summer camp.   They promote social justice and have a great woodsy space full of dedicated counselors and creative, conscientious kids.   Check out some of our photo filled, past coverage here.   Their tree/wreath sales go toward camp scholarships for kids who couldn't otherwise afford to go.

Here's the details:

Need a fresh cut holiday tree or wreath? Proceeds support the summer camp scholarship fund. Order one today and pick it up at the Holiday Party! We will also be delivering to Hyde Park on December 10th from 1:30 - 2:30 and December 18th. Call (269)623-5555 or email info@circlepinescenter.net for questions or to place an order. We have Fraser Fir, Douglas Fir and Blue Spruce trees (5-8 feet, $8/foot). The wreaths are made of Fraser Fir and you can get one plain ($20) or beautifully decorated ($40) with your choice of red or gold bow.

If you're picking up a tree or considering Circle Pines as your summer camp home away from home, you're welcome to come to the holiday party.   It's a camper family reunion, but also open to friends.   So come on down. 

Chicago Area Holiday Party: Saturday, Dec 10, 5-10pm
at the UE Hall, 37 S Ashland in Chicago


Save the dates (Circle Pines happenings)
 
New Year's Getaway: Dec 29 - Jan 2
Cabin Fever Getaway: Jan 27 - 29
Goat Milk Soap & Cheese Making: Feb 10 - 12
Maple Syrup Weekend #1: Mar 9 - 11
Maple Syrup Weekend #2: Mar 16 - 18

2012 Buttermilk Jamboree: June 8 - 10

2012 Summer Camp:
Session 1: July 1 - July 14 (2 weeks)
Session 2: July 15 - 21 (1 week)
Session 3: July 22 - August 4 (2 weeks)

Circle Pines Center
8650 Mullen Road
Delton,  Michigan  49046

(269) 623-5555
(269) 623-9054  (fax)

www.circlepinescenter.org

Coffee & Dessert With Illinois Farm Families at Palmer House This Sunday

  Circle Pines Camp in Michigan-- resident goats

If you're like most urban parents I know, you try to feed your kids fresh, healthy food as much as possible.   You read up on potential toxic chemicals, agricultural practices and food additive health risks.   And you also read about the health benefits of eating well, so your kids can grow strong minds and bodies.

Earlier this year, I had the chance to meet with California Strawberry Producers and Illinois Farm Families, and we'll be featuring lots of great info on health benefits, farming practices, recipes and more in the coming year.   We'll even be giving away a strawberry recipe book as part of our huge Holidaze Gift Guide and Give Aways running from now through Dec. 15th.   Every few days we'll be running reviews and adding loads of great new give aways, so check back with ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often!   Enter at the bottom of this post for your chance to win.

We have also tried to make sure our city kids have a good sense of where food comes from.    We've picked strawberries in Wisconsin, harvested eggs and fed chickens in Michigan, gone to summer camp with goats, and milked cows.  
 


Illinois Farm Families Says:  Beginning this fall, Illinois Farm Families will bring a group of city moms out to meet our families and tour our farms.  

We’re opening our doors to give these Field Moms a behind-the-scenes look at how we:

• Grow your food
• Care for our animals
• Protect the land

Field Moms will see firsthand how we raise food that is safe and healthy for your family – and ours.  And they'll report what they see, hear and learn right here, on Watch Us Grow.     
  
If you're a Chicago Mom with questions about food you'll want to join us for a Sunday afternoon Meetup with Illinois family farmers.  You'll have the chance to meet the farmers, ask questions about food and learn what they do on their farms everyday. There will be coffee and dessert and time to have all your questions answered. 

Sunday, Dec. 4
3:15PM 
Palmer House Hilton
17 E. Monroe
Grand Parlor Rm. 6th Floor


If you're interested in farm related events in the area, join their meet up group and/or talk to them in person this weekend.   Event is free and open to the public.   RSVP on their meet up group here.



ChiIL Mama's 2011 Holidaze Gift Guide & Give Aways
Remember, every few days we'll be running reviews and adding loads of great new give aways, so check back with ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often!   You can enter every day between now and midnight 12/14 with documented social media shares, and check off as many gifts as you'd like.    It is a wish list after all...     So happy holidaze all, and good luck!

Mellow Yellow Monday--ChiILin' At Circle Pines Social Justice Camp

It's been a couple of circ weeks, with my oldest at CIRCle Pines Camp in Michigan and my youngest at CIRCEsteem in the city.    Here's a little, yellow tinged taste (for Mellow Yellow Monday) of Du-Jay's first adventure with sleep over camp.    


Circle Pines is a magical, peaceful, fun filled place between Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a large and devoted contingent of campers that make the nearly 4 hour drive from Chicago.   We even met 3 campers and a Mom volunteer who flew in from California for camp.   And we met a number of others from places as far flung as Florida and the East Coast.   We've been impressed by the number of campers that come back for generations.


We'll have a full, photo filled feature and loads of video footage from Circle Pines in the coming month.   We're still in the editing process, but we're very excited to bring our readers interviews with campers, parents and staff, along with candid scenes, awards ceremonies and performances from the final days of summer camp.   So check back with ChiIL Mama early and often.

Circle Pines Center is a member-owned and run non-profit cooperative organization.   They run a children's summer camp and year round retreat and conference center with programs for families, children and adults. The co-op owns 294 acres of land with rolling hills, hardwood and pine forests, meadows and frontage on Stewart Lake. They have miles of trails for hiking and cross-country skiing, diverse wildlife and an organic garden and orchard. The mission of Circle Pines is to teach peace, social justice, environmental stewardship and cooperation. The Center aims to demonstrate cooperative alternatives for economic and social issues and to teach cooperation as a way of life.

For more Mellow Yellow Fun from around the globe, click below.

Check out Buttermilk Jamboree

The Buttermilk Jamboree celebrates traditional and progressive arts with a common vision of social justice, cooperation and sustainability.  Music, art, storytelling and workshops will create an environment of discovery and connection.

Hope to see you there

 Tickets on sale NOW

Check out their website HERE  for more info.
And if you're considering Circle Pines for camp, it's a great chance to come out with the whole family and enjoy their peaceful, amazing space.

Unique Birthdays and Highly Recommended Camps

We have birthdays on the brain this week.    My youngest, Sagezilla, just turned 8 on Wednesday and experienced her 1st breakfast in bed and her first American Girl Doll!    She's quite consumed with CircEsteem performances this weekend, so we've postponed her "kid friends party", though the circus timing works well for visiting grandparents.

Back in March, Du-Jay shared his birthday on the 12th with author/screenwriter Dave Eggers and beat poet, Jack Kerouac.    And we had one of the best birthday parties ever, at Archery Bow Range Chicago.    Speaking of birthdays, these guys just turned 1 May 6th.   We were super impressed with the staff and highly recommend Archery Bow Range as a unique birthday party destination.


Our party was led by world class marksman and Lincoln Park Archery Club President, Bill Munson.  It's rare to find someone is an expert in their field, who is also great with kids and can not only do but teach others.    That's a unique gift.


Here's our video from our son Du-Jay's 10th birthday at Archery Bow Range Chicago. Archery is great because beginners can jump right in, while those with more experience can still be challenged. It's gender neutral and girls can shoot just as well as the boys. And the largest or fastest kids don't have an unfair advantage. All the kids had an excellent time and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Ya gotta love a bow range that quotes Buddha, Ralph Nader and Euripides, among other wise international wordsmiths, on their site!  

  

Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.            --  Ryunosuke Satoro – Japanese poet 

A jug fills drop by drop.   -- Buddha 

We ought to think that we are one of the leaves of a tree, and the tree is all humanity. We cannot live without the others, without the tree.       --Pablo Casals

No  man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent … -- John Donne

There is the sky, which is all men's together... -- Euripides (412 B.C.)

It is in the shelter of each other that the people live. -- Irish proverb

When strangers start acting like neighbors...communities are reinvigorated. –Ralph Nader

That's the kind of people these guys are.

They also run a summer camp, so check 'em out HERE.

SUMMER DAY CAMP
June 27 - July 1
(Details coming soon)

Hours of Operation:

Sunday:  12noon-5pm
Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Friday: 6pm-9pm
Saturday: 12noon-6pm

CASH or CHECKS only. 

Archery Bow Range Chicago is located at:

1757 N Kimball Ave

Chicago, IL 60647 

CircEsteem

photo chiilmama.com

We also highly recommend CircEsteem classes and summer camp.   They have amazing teachers, a multicultural perspective, and an egalitarian approach that brings together kids from all over Chicago to work, play, create and travel together.   They are accepting camp applications now and have camps running in 1 week sessions from June 20-July 29.   Join the circus for 1 week or all summer.   Multiple weeks bring multiple skills.   The performance team is also available to perform for parties and special events. 


   

photo chiilmama.com

Circle Pines

If you're considering overnight camp, check out Circle Pines.   We've been talking up Circle Pines since February, but they still have some summer camp space available.    As much as we're committed to city living, we love to camp, and hike and love to get away to where the trees are taller than the buildings.

Circle Pines is just 3 hours away from Chicago, and offers kids and families a chance to appreciate nature, actively participate in social justice and the arts, environmental stewardship, and thrive in an accepting environment.    They take campers from 8-17 years old and have 3 camp sessions of two weeks each.   Click HERE for more info and application forms.

The mission of Circle Pines is to teach peace, social justice, environmental stewardship and cooperation. The Center aims to demonstrate cooperative alternatives for economic and social issues and to teach cooperation as a way of life.

ACTIVITIES

Along with all the normal camp recreational activities - like swimming, canoeing, field games, arts and crafts, drama and dance, there are other things unique to Circle Pines. Each day after lunch, campers and staff sing from our extensive collection of folk songs, many coming from the peace, social justice and environmental movements. Circle discussions foster critical thinking and creative problem solving: campers are empowered to come up with topics to discuss with their counselors and peers. Creation of the “puppet parade” (1st session) and “folk opera” (3rd session) are events where great fun is had by the whole camp.

SAFE, INCLUSIVE SPACE

Many of our campers tell us that they feel more at “home” at Circle Pines than they do anywhere else. We pride ourselves on creating a safe, inclusive, engaging space where diversity and growth are fostered.

Circle Pines Center is a member-owned and run non-profit cooperative organization. We run a children's summer camp and year round retreat and conference center with programs for families, children and adults. The co-op owns 294 acres of land with rolling hills, hardwood and pine forests, meadows and frontage on Stewart Lake. We have miles of trails for hiking and cross-country skiing, diverse wildlife and an organic garden and orchard.

Circle Pines Center is located in Southwest Michigan, about halfway between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, in beautiful Barry County.

Circle Pines Center

8650 Mullen Road, Delton, Michigan 49046

Phone: (269) 623 - 5555

Fax: (269) 623 - 9054

E-mail: info@circlepinescenter.net

Watch Circle Pines Center Coop Summer Camp in Activism Videos