Small Things Are Big Things

June 8, 2010 by: Kara Noel Lawson

MOMday Morning at Blessed Nest!

Wanna win this??

Along with $75 cash AND a Nesting Pillow from Blessed Nest??

Head on over to by MOMday Morning over at Blessed Nest and leave a comment!
Another winner will get a “We Are Nashville Tote!” These Bags are 100% organic cotton green fabric that has been generously donated by fabric designer, Harmony Art Organic Design.

AND if you don’t win just head on over to Joshua Sierk‘s site and commission your own!

Reminder!! We are moving to a new url! I’ll be double posting here and our new home for a couple more weeks. Head on over to www.elislids.com/blog and get added to that RSS feed.

June 8, 2010 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Art by Joshua Sierk

This is a custom commissioned piece of art created by Joshua Sierk of my friend Donna’s daughters.

Don’t you love his work???

How about this lil’ beauty?

I think it’s just beautiful and will fit perfect in any room of the house (it would go on my mantel). Win it at MOMday Morning over at Blessed Nest.

Along with…

$75 cash AND
A Nesting Pillow from Blessed Nest

Another winner will get a “We Are Nashville Tote!” These Bags are 100% organic cotton green fabric that has been generously donated by fabric designer, Harmony Art Organic Design.

AND if you don’t win just head on over to Joshua Sierk‘s site and commission your own!

What are you waiting for? Go enter now: MOMday Morning

June 7, 2010 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Potty Time!! { potty training }

(Don’t forget to head on over to MOMday Morning for your chance to win $75, an original piece of art by Joshua Sierk and a Nesting Pillow from Blessed Nest!!!)

Who loves potty training???
(silence fills the room)

I have a “trained” 3-year-old boy and an almost “trained” 2 year-old girl.
I’m the first to admit that I have just winged this whole potty thing. And to be totally honest I didn’t really care when they were trained. I remember when Eli was trained last summer Hot Hubby and I were super bummed because beach days would be much more difficult having to find bathrooms instead of just changing a diaper.
I’m hoping you’ll link up tips, tricks, products, methods, musings and support about your potty training journeys!
I’m about to unveil my “method” – keep in mind that I haven’t written any books, I’m not an expert, I don’t have a Child Development degree, all kiddos learn differently AND I have only completely trained one kiddo in my whole life!!
Here it goes…
The Lazy Mom’s (Slow) Potty Training Method
First off, a confession: I’m LAZY! If I’m cleaning up more than is going in the potty, then I’m not doing it. Judge me as you will… I’m just being transparent.
Phase 1: Everybody goes potty
We put a kids’ potty in the bathroom per the suggestion of my friend’s doctor so the kiddos would be used to it around the house. We have an open-door house so the kiddos would imitate us on their potty. The doctor had told my friend that children would just start going on their own… ha! Though they weren’t instantly potty trained I think that having the potty around and the pretend play was beneficial.

Phase 2: Q – Are they ready?
When I thought my kiddos were ready (Eli was 2.5 and Cora Jane was 2) I had them go bare buns around the house and tried a sticker potty chart. There were TONS of accidents and I was cleaning up tinkle and poop all day long.
A – Not ready
It was gross (and remember, I’m lazy) I was over it! So I put diapers back on those sweet little bottoms.
Phase 3: Q – Are they ready now?
Then about a month later I tried again sans the fuss of a sticker chart. I just let those cute lil’ bare buns free around the house and did diapers during naps, nighttime and out and about.
A – Yes, ready!!
There were hardly any accidents and it took about 3-4 weeks before they were solid at home during awake time. They got one M&M for tinkle and 4 for poo poo.

Phase 4: Underwear (don’t call them panties for boys because your hubby will have a hissy)
Then we did big boy/girl underwear at home during awake time (still doing diapers during naps and nighttime). It took about two weeks for them to be accident free in underwear at home.
Phase 5: Out and About
We bought a travel potty from One Step Ahead (per the suggestion from my friend Aimee) and went for it. There were a few accidents but nothing too crazy. We love this travel potty and Eli still uses it if we are at a park with no bathroom! (This is where we are with Cora Jane and she seems to only have accidents at church… of all places!! We are 0-3 at church…LOL!) We ask a lot if they have to go and go potty right when we get somewhere and before we leave. We still do diapers during naps and nighttime. I know there is a huge controversy about confusing the kiddos by switching from diapers to undies in a day. I haven’t found that to be the case with my kiddos. In the morning the first thing they did was take off their diaper to go in the potty and at night if they had to go potty they would get up and take off their diaper and go. I just had to help put it back on at night.

Eli had issues going poo in the potty so we did bribes incentives from the Poo Poo Present Store (my favorite store ever!) and once from the dollar section at TARGET.

Phase 6: Sleep… Zzzzzzzzzzz
We ousted sippys at nap time. When there were consistent dry diapers after naps, we started doing undies. Sheets make a lot of extra laundry (and remember, I’m lazy) so I really did wait a long time before the nap/night underwear transition. Slowly we cut down liquids in the evening. Eli would go down at his bedtime, then when we were ready to turn in (around 10pm) we would carry him out of bed and set him on the potty half asleep (thanks for this suggestions Sarah). He would stay dry for the rest of the night.

Tip: Always have antibacterial cleaning wipes available for quick clean-ups.

Question: I’m noticing with little girls the tinkle shoots every-which-way. How do I prevent that?

Today is MOMday morning!! Remember all the fun we had the last time??? This Month Blessed Nest is hosting and the prizes are AMAZING!! Aside from the $75 cash-o-la and the amazing Nesting Pillow from Blessed Nest, the winner will get custom commissioned art by Joshua Sierk!

June 4, 2010 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Surfers Healing – Cowabunga Dude!

Eli’s Lids has always had a heart for charity! We now donate 10% to an amazing Southern California Autism non-profit called Surfers Healing. But I’m not going to tell you about it… my friend Jo from A Sweet Dose of Truth & Autism in the OC over at OC Family will give you her moving first hand experience with Surfers Healing…

Andrew loves water; he always has. He finds temporary respite from the confusion and chaos of autism along the sandy beaches of the California coast, and is happiest when he can linger in the bathtub at the end of a long and grueling day filled with behavioral intervention and taking orders from well-meaning therapists(and parents). The flat screen tv and Wii have got nothing on good old fashioned H20, and we indulge our son as often as we can. I’ve even been known to don a bathing suit at pool parties so that he can enjoy splashing around and I can be reminded that my carb addiction comes with unsightly side effects; a true testament to that little thing we call unconditional love for our children.

A few years ago we were introduced to Surfer’s Healing, a non-profit organization that provides children on the Autism Spectrum the opportunity to surf with a pro at local beaches across the nation. The day camp fills up at lighting speed, but somehow that year we were lucky and made it on the list.

We drove south from Orange County and arrived in San Diego on a blistering hot day in July. Before we even had the car parked, our son caught a glimpse of the ocean waves and began squealing with delight. We made our way towards the crowd gathered along the shore; parents, therapists, and children of all ages who had varying degrees of autism were enjoying the beautiful day sitting under the tents and splashing in the water. Professional surfers were easy to spot in their bright red wet suits, while children were being ushered towards friendly volunteers and buckled into life vests. I saw the giant surfboards laying in the sand, took one look at my then tiny five year old and had a momentary flood of fear come over me. A brief glance at the giant smile plastered across Andrew’s sun drenched face calmed my nerves and reminded me that we were here to give him the experience of a lifetime.

Minutes later it was our turn to approach the young woman who was holding a clipboard and shouting names above the rolling tides behind her. She handed us a bright yellow life vest and after some coaxing we were finally able to secure it onto Andrew. Our professional surfer introduced himself but I wasn’t paying attention; I just wanted my son back safely and in one piece. I gave Andrew one last hug and kiss and bit my lip as he was whisked away, into the wide open sea, the blue-gray water much larger and deeper than our bathtub at home. I focused on taking pictures while silently I prayed for his safe return.

And then it happened.

Andrew, easy to spot in yellow, began riding a wave, his little body standing on the surfboard, supported by the confidant pro; a gentle giant guiding them swiftly across the water. The look of peace and tranquility on Andrew’s face was something I will never forget. Gone was the distant gaze we struggled so hard to break through during therapy, and in its place was a little boy at one with his surroundings, a little boy suspended in time, a little boy given a chance to just live in the moment.

And that is what Surfer’s Healing is all about.

Giving these amazing kids the opportunity to do something they love.

And giving their parents the opportunity to witness a miracle, if even for just a little while.

Thank you Jo!! I’m thinking you’ll need to post here more often…

June 3, 2010 by: Kara Noel Lawson

The latest at the OC Moms Blog

(Reminder – We are moving to a new url! I’ll be double posting here and our new home for a couple more weeks. Head on over to www.elislids.com/blog and get added to that RSS feed.)

My latest posts at the Orange County Moms Blog…

Do you talk about race with your kiddos?

See the very vanilla (and extremely adorable) me below and give me advice on my post “Are Children born colorblind?” about how to talk to my kiddos about this sensitive topic…

Update: Great discussion about how to talk about race with your kiddos! Kristen from Rage Against the Minivan and multicultural mom through adoption has an awesome post called The Myth of the Colorblind Kid. AND recommended some great reads to help:

NurtureShock by Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman (You can find it on Amazon which had the best price!)
I’m Chocolate, You’re Vanilla: Raising Healthy Black and Biracial Children in a Race-Conscious World: A Guide for Parents and Teachers by Marguerite A. Wright (Found it at half.com, prices as low as $.96!)

I have some once a month help… but I’m feeling a bit guilty about it… visit “My house is clean but my conscience isn’t.”

June 3, 2010 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Race and housekeeping…

My latest posts at the Orange County Moms Blog…

Do you talk about race with your kiddos?

See the very vanilla (and extremely adorable) me below and give me advice on my post “Are Children born colorblind?” about how to talk to my kiddos about this sensitive topic…

NurtureShock by Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman (You can find it on Amazon which had the best price!)
I’m Chocolate, You’re Vanilla: Raising Healthy Black and Biracial Children in a Race-Conscious World: A Guide for Parents and Teachers by Marguerite A. Wright (Found it at half.com, prices as low as $.96!)

I have some once a month help… but I’m feeling a bit guilty about it… visit “My house is clean but my conscience isn’t.”

June 2, 2010 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Best seat in the house

Have tips, tricks, musings or hysterical stories about potty training?? I have a blog carnival coming soon. Leave a comment and I’ll let you know when it’s up and you can add to the fun!

More Wordless Wednesday check out Angry Julie Monday and here and here.

June 1, 2010 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Beat June Gloom…

It’s June… and there’s gloom. We’ve been there before.

The natives are restless so we ran to the park.

You know we roll backwards…

Be sure to stop and look at EVERYTHING!!! We enjoy watching ants A LOT…

Your shoe will come off at least 5 times… because they are on the wrong feet.

Happy June Gloom!!