Mrs. Claus is coming to town!

Mrs. Claus has been visiting Girl Scouts Heart of Central California (GSHCC) for several years, and this year she will be at the GSHCC Sacramento Regional Program Center's GS Shop on December 21, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.! This free event will include a photo opportunity with Mrs. Claus, games, crafts, and special shop sales. Plus, if you bring a donation of school supplies for GSHCC’s World Thinking Day education event, you will receive a 25%-off coupon to use at The Girl Scout Shop. 

The Modesto Regional GS Shop will also celebrate from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. on December 21 with raffles, games and a fun wintery photo backdrop. 

While you’re at the shop—check out the perfect holiday gifts! GS Shops have everything from stocking stuffers, dolls and Speed Stack cups, to warm knitted scarves, caps and gloves. 

Happy Holidays!

Please note GSHCC's holiday hours: The GSHCC offices and shops will be closed December 25–January 1 for the holiday break, but our eShop will be open 24/7 with FREE shipping!

Exciting week for Girl Scouts!

This week is Girl Scouts’ “I can’t wait to” National Recruitment Week—September 30–October 7. Girl Scout councils nationwide are promoting the “I can’t wait to” campaign, signing girls up to be Girl Scouts, and spreading the message that we need more adult volunteers so that even more girls can become Girl Scouts. And to kick off the week, GSUSA released a video featuring our Honorary National President, First Lady Michelle Obama—check it out: www.girlscouts.org/join. In this video, she highlights the fun of Girl Scouting and the important role of Girl Scout volunteers… exciting, right?!

We want everyone to hear about the fun and importance of Girl Scouts!

Here’s how you can help spread the word:

• Please share with your networks online and offline about Girl Scouts’ “I can’t wait to” National Recruitment Week.
• Specifically share the link to the video with your networks as well: www.girlscouts.org/join.
• Interact with GSHCC’s posts on our social networks (Facebook and Twitter).

To celebrate recruitment week, please leave a comment sharing with us what you love most about Girl Scouting!

Day Camp Spotlight: Air Aware

Air Aware day camp wrapped up its fourth year hosting Girl Scout Cadettes! Thirty-one girls participated this year, completing the requirements to earn the Aware and Alert awards from the Breathe! Journey. The girls had guest presenters from BREATHE Sacramento; Spare The Air and Yoga Seed. These presentations lent a hand in projects the girls were working on, to become more aware of the impact we have on the air and the environment. 

They also got to tour Sacramento State University, spend a night at the Sacramento Hostel and were even treated to a movie at Esquire IMAX! At the end of the week they presented their newfound knowledge about air to parents, staff, troop leaders, and volunteers. It was a fantastic week of fun, learning, adventure and memories, with a great group of girls. Another successful year for Air Aware!

 

 

Congratulations to our Buy 5 Drawing Winners!

Two years ago, Girl Scouts Heart of Central California started a “Buy 5 Drawing” during cookie season. How does the drawing work? For every five packages purchased, customers can enter to win Girl Scout Cookies for a year – that’s 12 cases of cookies, totaling 144 packages of their favorite varieties. Awesome, right!?

Last year, there was only one council winner. This year we chose two winners – a winner from the council’s northern region and one from the southern region. Check out the deliveries to the winners…

Buy 5 Winner Matt S. of Antelope receiving his cookies from
Girl Scout Brownies in Troop 16 and Troop Leader Stephanie Emerson.

Buy 5 Winner John S. of Lodi receiving his cookies from
Kyra in Troop 1133.

Congratulations to this year’s winners, and thank you to everyone who entered into the drawing. Stay tuned for the upcoming cookie season… you could be the next Buy 5 Drawing winner!

A Summer Bucket List

                As the bell rings on the last day of school we will all jump for joy knowing that the next couple of months are going to be filled with late night sleepovers, movie marathons, summer camp, and overall fun times. However, after a month in we all seem to get that feeling of…boredom. As much as we hate to admit it, our summer days can end up being spent doing nothing more than just watching TV.

I'm challenging you to make this summer unforgettable. Start by making a bucket list! Design a list of super fun goals, but be sure to add a few that will help you grow and develop as well.

                Begin by brainstorming alone or with a group of your best friends. Think about all the new and exciting things you want to experience this summer. Have you always been afraid to ride the big roller coaster at Six Flags? Write it down and by the end of summer muster up your courage and have some fun. Been wanting to tackle that cool DIY project you saw on Pinterest? Give it a try! Anything that you have been wanting to do, but haven’t had the time or the courage to do, this summer is your time to shine.

                As Girl Scouts we understand the importance of giving back to our community. This summer is your chance to volunteer your time and energy to a worthwhile cause. It is also the perfect time to begin work on one of the many badges, Journeys, and awards Girl Scouts has to offer.

                I’m sure the last thing you want to think about is school, but the summer is a great opportunity to sharpen your skills and possibly sign up for some summer classes to make sure you are on top of your academic game. For high school girls this is your time to tour potential colleges, and get a feel of where you might want to go after graduation. It is also a great time to get ready for the dreaded ACT and SAT tests. With so much free time it will be easy to set up and stick to a regulated study schedule so that you can ace those tests and get into the college of your dreams.

                Summer is a time for fun, but also for self-improvement. Create your bucket list before school ends to keep you on track for the next couple months, then work to make sure your summer is both fulfilling and exciting. Good luck and have an awesome time!

[written by Lynze]

Girl Scout Junior Troop 845 “Caches in, Trashes Out”

Hey Girl Scout Juniors: Have you earned your Geocacher badge yet? Here’s how one troop combined a Take Action project with their favorite pastime—geocaching!

Cache In Trash Out  (CITO) is an ongoing environmental initiative supported by the worldwide geocaching community. Since 2002, geocachers around the world have been dedicated to improving parks and other cache-friendly places.

Geocaching is an activity that involves the out-of-doors and technology. “Caches” or containers with  tracker logs are hidden at GPS coordinates and others try to find them for sport. At each cache, trackers can log that they found the cache and sometimes they trade swag—little trinkets left behind.
Girl Scout Junior Troop 845 has been geocaching for a few years and has attended other CITO events. When they noticed trash along a local bike path and creek, they decided to plan one in their own town.
Guided by their troop leader, Roger, who has organized CITO events in the past, the girls did all the planning and talked with the park and recreation department to organize the event, which they called 
“Girl Scouts Giving Back.” With their leader’s help, they were able to post the event on the geocaching website to invite the public. On March 3, more than 100 geocachers and Girl Scouts attended the event—one person even drove in from San Jose, another Girl Scout troop came from Novato. Great job, girls!

Want to be adventurers too? The Geocacher badge is in the The Junior Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting. Geocaching tools are available for purchase at The GS Shop in Sacramento and Salida. 

Lynze’s Agricultural Adventures

Hey Girl Scouts! What is the first thing you think of when you hear the words “eating healthy”? All I used to think is…boring! However, I’ve come to realize that eating healthy doesn’t have to mean lackluster meals. There are many exciting foods that you can branch out and try. Not only are these foods delicious, they contain key nutrients that fuel your body. Being Girl Scouts, we strive to be well-rounded individuals, and that means we can get pretty busy. We need healthy foods to fuel us so that we can keep up with our extensive schedules. I’ve included three new foods for you to try and recipes you can whip up on the go by yourself or with parental supervision, depending on your age. These recipes can also help you meet a few of the requirements to earn a new badge! (See last paragraph for specific badges.) To get started on a healthy lifestyle, here are three great new foods to try. Happy healthy eating!

QuinoaQuinoa is a seed that can be prepared like rice. It has a fairly high content of protein per  1/3 cup and is gluten- and cholesterol-free. It has a nutty flavor and can be cooked in a variety of ways. Pick it up at your local health food store.

Quinoa recipes:

For an easy lunch or dinner, this quinoa burrito recipe is great. 

Real Simple: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/chicken-and-quinoa-burritos-00000000052476/index.html

For an easy breakfast, I recommend quinoa fruit power bars. 
Kitchen Daily: http://main.kitchendaily.com/recipe/quinoa-and-fruit-power-bars-142682/

To eat as a plain side-dish, follow this recipe.

Eco Child’s Play: http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/09/05/kid-friendly-organic-grains-fast-cooking-quinoa/

Kale
Kale is a healthy super-food that’s jam-packed with essential nutrients. When consumed on a regular basis, kale provides your body with nutrients such as vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber, iron, potassium and so much more! It also has antioxidants and numerous health benefits. It belongs to the food family that includes cabbage and collards. It is available in three different varieties: curly, ornamental or dinosaur. This dark leafy green can be found at your local grocery store and is readily available winter through spring.

Kale recipes:

For a healthy snack, try making your own kale chips.

Babble: http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2010/07/06/its-easy-eating-green-with-kale-chips/

A kale smoothie? I know what you’re thinking…”ick!” Give this recipe a go, and you won’t be sorry! The fruit covers up the taste of the kale, making this sweet smoothie a delicious breakfast or dessert.

Anderson Cooper: http://www.andersoncooper.com/2012/06/22/kale-smoothie-for-kids-recipe/

For an easy and delicious vegetable side dish at dinner, try sautéed kale.

Kitchen Daily: http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/basic-sauteed-kale-639

Jicama
This yummy root vegetable contains dietary fiber, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins. It has an interesting sweet flavor and a crunchy texture. It can be consumed in a variety of ways and is available year-round at your local grocery store.

Jicama recipes:

Jicama tastes great in all salads; here is one that I really like: .

Simply Recipes: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/jicama_salad/

What’s better than French fries? Jicama fries!

Super Healthy Kids: http://www.superhealthykids.com/healthy-kids-recipes/quick-and-easy-snack-jicama-fries.php

Jicama slaw is a fast side dish packed full of nutrition.

Food Network: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/jicama-slaw-recipe/index.html

These recipes taste delicious and are fun, quick and easy to make, which is perfect with our hectic schedules. To get started, ask your parent for help or supervision, and get cooking! Learning to create tasty and nutritious meals means that you are taking initiative to become an even more responsible and independent individual. Plus, by following a few of these recipes you are completing a step in earning the My Best Self (Brownie), Staying Fit (Junior), and Eating for Beauty (Cadette) badges.  Have fun creating these recipes and beginning your quest for a healthier lifestyle.

---

 [mg1]Jen, I’m assuming you’ll just hyperlink these.

Lynze’s Agricultural Adventures

Hey girls! My name is Lynze and I am a writer for Hear&Now teen magazine. I’ve been a Girl Scout since 2000. Through Girl Scouts, I have gained invaluable skills while creating many memories and friendships. I am also an active member of the Future Farmers of America organization. If you are unfamiliar with this organization, its purpose is to teach students about the importance of agriculture while developing their leadership skills. Both Girl Scouts and Future Farmers of America take pride in helping cultivate responsible and independent leaders like me. As a member of both organizations, I have noticed that much of what I have learned in Girl Scouts can be applied to the Future Farmers of America, and vice versa.

On that note, I would like to introduce you to my new series of blog posts that you can read right here on GSHCC’s blog, “Lynze’s Agricultural Adventures.” Agriculture is a vast industry and covers a wide variety of exciting subjects. I plan to post an assortment of topics that show how you can pursue your interests in the agriculture industry while being a Girl Scout. I’m excited to begin; stay tuned.

GOT MILK? ®-Girl Scouts Photo Contest Finalists

The finalists of the statewide GOT MILK? ®-Girl Scouts Photo Contest have been chosen!

Girls from GSHCC submitted their photos with captions answering the prompt: How have Girl Scouts and milk helped me become strong, healthy and confident?

Here are the three finalists from GSHCC. Each received a $350 camp scholarship, funded by the California Milk Processor Board.

Elyssa G: “How have Girl Scouts and milk helped me become strong, healthy and confident? By providing me strength to achieve new heights!”

 

Julianna L: “Girl Scouts are confident and milk is healthy!”

Anna R: "Milk feeds my body, Girl Scouts feeds my soul."

 

Everyone who knows me knows that I love change.  I think sometimes it is a curse but life is always interesting and, hey—changing.  I should have started this blog when I started at Girl Scouts but it seems fitting to start it at the end and work backwards.

I leave an organization I love – one that helped me as a girl and that still inspires me today.  I have been able to accomplish so much with the help and support of a lot of people.  We have a new Program Center, new office in Modesto, and best of all an almost new Camp Menzies.  If you believe things can happen – they do.  All of these steps, supported by generous donors, have resulted in a refreshed look and feel for GSHCC. While we have consistently remained committed to one mission—to build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place—we have made it a priority to remain innovative and relevant. And this is reflected in our new Program Center. Our digs are very industrial and cool; we just look like a place where amazing girls would want to go.

One of the nice things about retiring is the kind words from many of the volunteer.  I guess I was a breath of fresh air when I arrived and I of course didn’t know that until now.  I remember driving around in a golf cart at camp and just yelling to the heavens, “I love my job!”  Who wouldn’t after leaving a 25-year career in the insurance industry? 

 

-Pam Saltenberger