News

December 4th Weekly Newsletter

I’m sure I need no introduction but just in case we haven’t met, I am Butters, the most social barn cat in the whole Midwest. I know absolutely everything that’s going on around the Double J Riding Camp, so much so that they made me the CEO (Cat Executive Officer). I’m the purrfect feline to keep you humans up to date with what’s going on around here.

Last week was Thanksgiving and this cat is thankful for the good times spent with my friend Meru, who passed away last week. She will be missed by many riders, especially Allison and Olivia, who she loved so much. 

In much better Butters news, we had a bustling week filled with campers during Thanksgiving break. We run 2 kinds of camp here, horse camp and animal adventures camp. The kids were here from 10-3 (with available before and after care) and it seemed to me that they were having a blast! Those kids were non-stop; grooming and tacking, riding, making cool crafts, learning farm science, playing silly games and everyone met LOTS of animals (including me, when I felt like playing along).

We will have horse and animal adventure camp here during winter break, too. A really good idea for kids that get cabin fever! You can learn more about it here. 

Next week things get back to normal, it’s Barn Cat & Farm Dog week for Tiny Animal Adventures (18 months to 4 years) and Junior Farmers (3 years to 6 years). The kids are making pumpkin dog treats, playing herding dog games, going on scavenger hunts for mice ( I approve!) and meeting Sully, an Australian Shepherd, who also lives on the farm. I may or may not show my face so that the kids can learn about how hard I work around here.

I heard there is going to be a wreath workshop on Saturday morning, at 9 AM where humans can come and learn how to make their own wreath out of fresh greens. It sounds like exactly the kind of thing I’d like to get my paws in the middle of. 

Parents Night Out is coming up this Friday night. Human children are dropped off at the farmhouse at 6 pm, where they eat dinner, learn about animals, play games, run around and get very silly (and VERY LOUD) until their parents pick them up at at 9pm.

Kids love it. Barn cats? Not so much. I think I’ve got some mice to catch that night. 

Last thing- Santa is coming to the farm and I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to get some of my fur on that suit for anything! Meet Santa, hear a story, do a craft and meet some of my animal friends on December 13th or 15th. I don’t want to miss it and I bet you won’t either. 

That’s everything happening at Double J this week. 

This is Butters, signing off!

Head to our shop today to find some Double J wear and experience bundles perfect for your animal lover!

Shop Now!

The weather may have cooled off but activities on the farm are heating up! 🔥

🐴Do your age 4-13 kids need a place to hang out during holiday breaks? We have Thanksgiving and Winter Camp while the kids are out of school, from 10-3 (with available before and after care).

🐷🐰Tiny Animal Adventures is for tots aged 18 months to 4 years, featuring a ton of sensory activities, animal encounters and messy play, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10-11 AM.

Come join Double J Riding Club for a day of crafting. Our holiday craft workshops are perfect for adults and children and all participants will leave with a beautiful creation that will for sure become a front and center piece for the holidays. 

Sign Up Here! 

Holiday Workshops:

December 7th- Holiday Wreath Workshop- Find out more here!

December 14th- Holiday Gift Wrap Workshop- Find out more here!

December 21st- Holiday Winter Table Centerpiece- Find out more here!

Details:

When? Offered on select Saturdays from 9am-12pm

Where? Double J Riding Club- 10545 W 74th Street, Countryside IL 60525, Upstairs Clubhouse

How Much? Price differs per craft

Cant Make One of These Events? Ask us how you can schedule a private event with 5 or more of your friends.

Perfect for birthday parties, friends night out and girl scouts!

Meet the Instructor, Amanda!

Amanda Thomsen is an avid gardener, cooker and crafter. She is also the author of Kiss My Aster, Backyard Adventure and writes for Green Profit Magazine, as well as a brownie troop leader and overall nature lover. With her experience working in landscape design and being a mom herself she is an expert at teaching moms how fun do it yourself projects can really be!

She lives with her husband, daughter, Husky, dachshund/pug mix and cat in Palos Park. Amanda cant wait to teach you how to make your own dryer sheets, start up a backyard chicken coop, create winter wreaths that will hang on your door all season long and so much more!

Read more about Amanda and catch up on her blog at:

https://www.kissmyaster.com/about-me

Come out next Tuesday and Friday to learn all about BEES with our bee keeper Wally!

During this 1 hour demonstration you will learn what it takes to be a bee keeper, see part of a real hive with live bees, extract honey from the honeycombs, learn about honey wax, churn honey and sample honey from Double J’s hive.

Offered on:

Tuesday, October 8th: 10 – 11 am

Friday, October 11th: 10:30-11:30 am

$10 per person, Adults and Children Welcomed

Sign up for the class here: https://campscui.active.com/orgs/DoubleJRidingClub?season=2718216

Tiny Animal Adventure and Junior Farmers Bee Week: This week during our Tiny Animal Adventure and Junior Farmer’s program, our little ones will be busy bees will read a story about the life cycle of a bee, learn fun bee facts, met our bee keepers with their bees, watched the bee keepers extract honey from the hives, play a fun pollination game collecting “pollen” and bringing it back to the hive, sample honey, made an exciting bee craft, and play some bee games. Junior Farmers also have the option of adding on a riding and grooming lesson to the end of their class. Does this sound like an exciting activity for your little one? Find out more about our Tiny Animal Adventure and Junior Farmer program and other farm programs at Double J below! It’s a great week to be a Tiny Animal, no matter what the weather forecast! 

Learn More and Sign Up Here: https://doublejriding.wpengine.com/early-childhood-enrichment/

** Meeting bee keeper and extracting honey from hives will only take place in the Tuesday Junior Farmer and Friday Tiny Animal Adventure class

                                                 

Adult Classes!

Sign Up Here!

Click Here for the Weekly Theme Flyer

Stop letting your kids have all the fun and join us each week for a class you’ll never forget!

Meet the Instructor, Amanda!

Amanda Thomsen is an avid gardener, cooker and crafter. She is also the author of Kiss My Aster, Backyard Adventure and writes for Green Profit Magazine, as well as a brownie troop leader and overall nature lover. With her experience working in landscape design and being a mom herself she is an expert at teaching moms how fun do it yourself projects can really be!

She lives with her husband, daughter, Husky, dachshund/pug mix and cat in Palos Park. Amanda cant wait to teach you how to make your own dryer sheets, start up a backyard chicken coop, create winter wreaths that will hang on your door all season long and so much more!

Read more about Amanda and catch up on her blog at:

https://www.kissmyaster.com/about-me

Class Schedule:

Sept 18-Composting 101 6-7pm $10 learn the basics so you can compost at home using a variety of methods. Learn how and what you can compost and what to do with it once you’ve made it. 

Sept 25- How to Keep Your Houseplants Alive 6-7pm $10 Keeping houseplants alive can be a struggle, learn how to choose plants that will thrive for you, learn how to care for them and how to troubleshoot any problems you may encounter. 

Oct 2- Make Your Own Detergent and Reusable Dryer Sheets 6-7pm $20 DIY your own laundry detergent and dryer sheets that are non-toxic, custom-scented and get the job done. Participants will bring home their creations. 

Oct 9- Terrarium Studio 6-7pm $30 Come and plant up a terrarium in a vintage, upcycled vessel! Everything is provided for you to make & take your terrarium, including a lesson on how to keep it alive. 

Oct 16- Backyard Chickens 6-7pm $10 Learn the basics on adding chickens to your backyard. From zoning to overwintering to eggs, learn everything you need to know before you buy that custom coop!

Oct 23- Homemade Soap 6-7pm $20 Learn how soap is made, with additions such as essential oils, oatmeal or goats milk. Pick up your soap once it has dried and cured (in time for the holidays). 

Oct 30- Make Creepy Candles 6-7pm $20 Make Halloween themed (or everyday) candles using everyday items from around the house. Participants will bring home at least one candle. 

Nov 6- Making Bread 101 6-7pm $15 Learn a foolproof bread recipe and taste all the variations you can make with it. From cinnamon raisin bread to garlic and cheese loaf, if you’ve always failed at homemade bread in the past, this class is for you. 

Nov 13th- Bring Home an Amaryllis 6-7pm $20 Learn all about amaryllis bulbs then pot one up that will bloom in 6 to 8 weeks, just in time for Christmas. Participants will bring home their creations. 

Nov 20th- Making Household Cleansers 6-7pm $20 Make an all-purpose cleaner, a shower cleaner and reusable cleaning wipes in this fun class. Participants get to bring home their creations along with the recipes to make refills with. 

Nov 27th- No class

Dec 4th- Wreath making class 6-7pm $40 Make a custom winter wreath from fresh greens. Learn how to design and create your own wreath from pine, fir and cedar. Each participant brings home their fragrant creation. 

Dec 11th- DIY Dog Treats 6-7pm $15 Participants will make a few kinds of dog treats to take home. Perfect for filling your fur baby’s stocking this Christmas. 

Dec 18th- Make a Centerpiece From Fresh Greens 6-7pm $25 Create a centerpiece for your holiday dinners in this fun class. Greens, cinnamon sticks, ribbons and other materials will be available for you to use. 

Sign Up Here!

Click Here for the Weekly Theme Flyer

Join us for our beloved Early Childhood Classes this Fall starting August 30th! We’ve got Tiny Animal Adventures for 18 months and up and Junior Farmers for ages 3-6! Each week has a different theme so the fun can carry on all year long!! Click the link to read more and sign up!

Student Horse Show

Double J Riding Club’s Annual Student Horse Show is September 29th,  2019 from 8 am – 5 pm. This show is open to Double J students of all levels. Students receive encouraging feedback on their riding skills from professional horse show judges.

Every student receives a medal!

Double J encourages family and friends to come out and cheer on the rider. The $80 entry fee includes one flat and one course class. The fee for our Tiny Riders is $40 (ages 3-5 only), which includes a flat and course class combination.

A few things to keep in mind:

-Please make sure you give us 4 separate horses it is very important for our horse selection process.

-We will assign ride times and horses 1 week prior to the horse show.

-Please sign in at least 30 minutes prior to your ride time. Your specific riding portion of the show will last around 30 minutes.

-Friends and families are allowed and encouraged to come cheer you on.

-There is no fee to come watch. You are also allowed and encouraged to stay and watch other classes anytime throughout the day as well as walk around to the different tables and activities going on at the show.

-There will be a concession stand for food and beverages.

-We will be selling our Double J apparel and other fun horse items at the horse show. Perfect way to jump start gift shopping for the holidays coming up!

-Double Js IEA team will be holding their annual bake sale

-This is a casual student horse show so there is no required apparel for the show.

-Closing date for the horse show is September 12th.

-To enter please sign up on our website under the lesson tab and then click on horse show. Or use the link below. We can NOT save any spots without registration and payment completed.

Sign up Here! 

*Please remember you must be in ongoing weekly riding lessons with Double J to sign up for our Student Horse Show