Summer never fails to bring out the kid in me. I go barefoot, collect rocks, and listen to copious amounts of beach music. I bike ride, chug lemonade, and swim with my eyes open until I’m bloodshot and chlorine drenched by the end of the day.
And then there’s camp.
The arrival of camp season makes me giddy. I look forward to planning a summer filled with cool camps for my kids (sadly, none for Mom). It’s a chance for them to grow, sample new skills (horse riding, music, magic, art—the list is endless!), and spend time outdoors exploring and adventuring. Plus, they get a dose of freedom—and for my boys in particular, that’s much needed after a long, sit-still-and-study school year.
Of course, girls benefit just as much from time outdoors. The Girl Scout Research Institute released a study this year, More Than S’mores, indicating girls exposed to camp experiences more readily seek challenges, are better problem solvers, and gain confidence and character… sign me up!
As a mom, I live vicariously through my kids during camp season, and I get valuable free time to lounge poolside and sip mojitos…or, if we’re being real, to do errands, laundry, and housework! It’s not too hard to figure out why youngsters dig camp so much, but I asked my kids for their personal takes on it…
Boy #1: You do a lot of cool stuff like fight a dragon and all kinds of survival stuff. There’s no camp that isn’t interesting. There are millions of camps out there, and it’s not like school because first of all they’re not telling you what to do—you’re kind of free. And also, you do much cooler stuff.
Boy #2: I like being with my friends, and we get to run around and have battles. I like being outside even though it’s really hot sometimes, but then we get cold treats like ice pops and slushies.
Girl: I like summer camp because you see a lot of your friends there. And a lot of times the counselors are really nice.
So, according to my seven and eight year olds, that’s the winning summer camp formula: dragons + friends + treats.
Whether you’re four or forty, summer is the season of treats—ice cream, ‘sicles, sundaes, floats, frozen delights—and for me, anything involving chocolate. I’m a chocolate enthusiast (a word I prefer to “addict”), and my kids often joke: “Mom, do you love me more than chocolate?”
Given our family fondness for sweets, we were thrilled at the chance to sample a trio of Nestlé® Crunch® Girl Scout™ Candy Bars. These limited edition goodies (released only during summer) are a double dose of joy for chocoholics like me. The only thing better than a box of Girl Scout Cookies® is the idea of a candy bar inspired by their flavors. Sigh. Faint. Bring on the sugar binge!
The Nestlé® Crunch® Girl Scout™ Candy Bars were inspired by the three most popular flavors of Girl Scout Cookies®—Thin Mints®, Caramel & Coconut (a.k.a. Samoas/Caramel deLites), and Peanut Butter Crème (inspired by Tag-a-longs/Peanut Butter Patties). My daughter is a Brownie and was more than happy to help me sample the goods. My twin boys got in on the action too and liked the bars so much they asked if they could eat one for breakfast the next day!
Mom’s Review: I can down a box of Girl Scout™ Samoas in one sitting—those gooey little concoctions are seriously addictive. So, no surprise—the Nestlé® Crunch® Caramel & Coconut bar was a standout for me. A close second was the Peanut Butter Crème, which I chilled and nibbled cold (highly recommended). The Thin Mints® was the biggest surprise, though. I’m not a mint person, but this was delicate and partnered with dark chocolate (my raison d’etre)—I expected to take one or two bites but ended up finishing the whole bar. Read on for more surprises about this one…
Kids’ Review: I have three kids with diverse tastes, but all chose Peanut Butter Crème as the hands-down favorite. The Caramel & Coconut came in second (and since none of them like coconut this is a testament to how good these bars are). One of my sons devoured the Thin Mints®, while the others mostly nibbled because they had OD’ed on candy by then!
This post was sponsored by Nestlé’® Crunch®
