Small Things: Family Archives - Small Things Are Big Things

July 26, 2016 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Opening your home with Wente Wine #LoveOfTheJourney

MSG for 21+… well the wine part is… the rest is for anyone… ha!

Opening our home has been quite a journey and Wente Wine helps make it happen!
Every Monday we invite people over for dinner.
Yep, every Monday!
We have kept this tradition going for over two years.
(The way the whole thing started is a story in itself, and deserves it’s own blog post.)
Anyhoo, because of our Monday dinners, acquaintance become friends.
And friends become people you start doing life with.
It’s quite nice, really.

Opening you home can look like hosting neighborhood dinner or having a birthday party or… well… anytime you have people who don’t sleep in your house, in your house!
What opening your home SHOULDN’T look like, is the pressure to have the perfect entree or best home decor or tidy linen closet or… you get the idea.

I think that’s what I love most about our Monday dinners… the “yep, my kids spilled Cheez-Its in the hall and I haven’t had a chance to sweep yet,” type of atmosphere. And I think that’s why our guests have so much fun at our house, AND why we can cultivate genuine friendships. What you see is what you get… Cheez-It crumbs and all.

It’s refreshing for guests. And it’s freedom for us… to be us.
Then when you go to your new friends’ house (bottle of Wente wine in hand) you don’t feel bad putting the kids in front of another episode of Ninjago while you enjoy a game of uno, and laughing for two hours straight.

We tried the Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon and it was AMAZING.
And I’m in love with the Wente Family story: C.H. Wente came to America in 1883 to create a better life. Five generations later Wente Vineyards is the oldest family-run winery in the country. Their wine is 100% estate grown, and sustainably farmed in the Livermore Valley… doesn’t that give you all the warm fuzzies!?! (Almost as many smiles as the picture below.) You can read the whole history here… warning if you love supporting family owned, you’ll be even more hooked!

Wente Vineyards is encouraging everyone to share their journey with the hashtag: #LoveOfTheJourney
Because isn’t life about more than just the destination?
Life is about the small moments in our journey.
At least that’s what I think!

Connect with Wente Wine all over the inter webs:
Find Wente on Facebook, Twitter, and read about their journey on their history page.
Visit a tasting room if you are in the bay area. We hope to on our next road trip!

May 28, 2016 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Pirate Coast Paddle Company – Epic Summer Camp!

Last weekend we had the most wonderful family day with Pirate Coast Paddle Company. Pirate Coast invited us to their little slice of paradise at Newport Dunes in Back Bay.
It was magical!
I’ve never been paddle boarding before, and I was able to do it right away on my knees, and I could stand up by the end of the day.

Pirate Coast Paddle Company

(above photo credit Marcie Taylor… I love it!)

We arrived and Tess was wearing her flamenco shoes. (A gift from our old foreign exchange student, Maria, aka one of our Spanish daughters.) Because mismatched socks and heals are proper beach wear.

beach shoes at pirate coast no one beats tessa's style

All the kids were able to experience a typical day of Kids Pirate Paddle Camp. First, they had a beginning paddle boarding class. My kids were giddy. And they picked it up so quickly!

Pirate Coast Paddle Company

learning to paddle at pirate coast

Then they went out on a HUGE paddle board. It was epic.
(Check out my Facebook Live video here to see the kids launch!)

kids on biggest paddle board on the west coast

I can’t even… look at those smiles…

biggest paddle board on the west coast

It’s been hitting me hard this year that we only have 8 summers left before Eli is 18 years old… and even less time where I get to pick his summer activities. I feel like paddle board camp will create the most special memories. Don’t you?

team work at Pirate Coast Paddle Coast Paddle Company on your knees at pirate coast

About Pirate Coast Paddle Company Kids Summer Camp:

When: Summer months- One week (M-F) increments June 20th- August 15
Times: 9am-12:30pm (Guaranteed to tire out the most active kids!)
Cost: $279 for the week. (Use coupon code 10OFFCAMP for 10% off!)
Who: Boys and Girls ages 7-12 years old who love adventure.
What will the kids actually be doing? Fun activities everyday! Including a visit to the Back Bay Science Center, visit to all the fun activities at Newport Dunes, scavenger hunt, exploring the bay, learning paddle board tricks any kayaking. And more memories than you can ever count.

Family Paddle Board time

And the beach.
Oh how we love the warm sand and ocean breezes…

beach side at pirate coast paddle life vest at Pirate Coast Paddle Coast Paddle Company

If Summer camp isn’t your cup of tea then you can try one of Pirate Coast’s SUP Night Tours on a Friday or Saturday evening. We want to do a night tour this summer with our Life Group!
Or you can rent a paddle board any day for just $20 an hour!

my favorite view We love Pirate Coast Paddle Company

All my kids loved the paddle camp experience, but Cora Jane was in her element! Isn’t it wonderful when you see what amazing humans your children are growing into?
I think so.
And Cora Jane was on cloud nine.

Pirate Coast Paddle Coast Paddle Company

We left the camp with that beach afterglow and my kids were content and exhausted.
Happy campers all around the Lawson house.
Thanks you for the special day Pirate Coast Paddle Company!1

beach afterglow

May 22, 2016 by: Kara Noel Lawson

How a Dollar Store Puzzle Rocked our Homeschool Day

Learning how to homeschool has been a… well, it’s been… um… a journey. I’m learning just as much as the kids. And would you believe that something as simple as a dollar store puzzle has rocked our homeschool day.

There are times when all my kids need some sort of instruction at the same time and, as I remind them often, I can only do one thing at a time. If I send one (or two) on a break while I help another, the kids on “break” have a difficult time starting back up again. It’s like they have to be motivated to start their day all over again. And I most definitely didn’t do this whole homeschool thing to battle with my kids more often.

The puzzles at The Dollar Tree have always intrigued me…
So may puzzles.
Does anyone even do puzzles anymore?
Will all the pieces be in the box?
How can a 300 piece puzzle be a dollar?

So I got one… actually I got three.
I mean… they are only a dollar.
I opened up the box and put the puzzle in the homeschool area. I though for sure it would take a few days for us to complete, but we ended up sucked into the dollar store puzzle abyss and finished the 300 piece puzzle in 30 minutes.
We were addicted.
The following day I put the next puzzle out. Whenever I needed to give instruction to one child, without the other kids fully checking out of the homeschool day, I would send them over to the puzzle. They loved it!
And when I had to call them back for more school fun, they were raring to go.
That might be a bit of an exaggeration.
But you get the idea.
I didn’t have to reel them back to school… just redirect to the next activity.

How to use a dollar store puzzle to rock your homeschool day:

Go to the dollar store. (Duh!) Buy 10 puzzles.
Place puzzle on a low table. It’s best if you have a place the puzzle can always stay out. That way the kids can work on in for just a few minutes at a time.
It helps to give the younger kids ideas about what to look for during their break. i.e. “Look for the pieces that have clouds” or “find all the edge pieces.
Take your time and limit time. It’s easy to get sucked into a puzzle! Don’t be afraid to pull them away when you need to.
Use the puzzle area if your child happens to get “bored” during the day too! Even if it isn’t their first choice for fun, they will get sucked in. At least mine do!

November 30, 2015 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Hiking with Irvine Ranch Conservancy {& The Discovery Cube}

I really love living in California. From top to bottom, the whole state is filled with beauty. But I’m always a little surprised when I discover some of the most beautiful places are right here in Orange County!

This happened on our last visit to the Discovery Cube when we went on the Helicopter Tour. In this exhibit, you soar over Orange County in a virtual helicopter and fly from the mountains to the sea, over the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. The whole tour, I was thinking how I wanted to visit and hike the featured locations. And what do you know, there is a whole page on Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks’ site which shows the “flight path” and dates when you can visit the locations!

We went on a hike in Round Canyon which is an OC Parks proper and part of the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks – on the flight path, it’s between Orchard Hills and Limestone Canyon. It’s a state and national natural landmark!

We chose a sunset family friendly hike. I can’t even begin to tell you how many amazing programs the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks offer for the community. There is literally something everyday! You can see the full schedule on Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks’ Let’s Go Outside site. (Click here.)

You can search by date or area and each activity has all the information you need to plan your day. I recommend clicking the “Family Friendly” box in the search as well. And always check the minimum age for the hike (sometimes it’s 12 y/o and it would stink to get there with your 7 y/o and have to leave). The example below is for a Wilderness Access Day on December 5th. I’ve pointed out the important bits for the family thing.

This hike was completely led by Irvine Ranch Conservancy volunteer naturalists.

Volunteers people!!

And they were amazing!
We started our Round Canyon hike with a little safety lesson and our guide handed out a fun scavenger hunt so the kids could look for plants and animals along the way.
(Print your own here!)

We found 36 stink bugs…

And there was so much beauty…

Especially watching the sunset and walking in the twilight. It felt like we were miles away from a city.

I can’t even begin to tell you how many amazing programs the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks offer for the community. Check their full schedule here. I think a great New Year’s resolution would be to take a hike every month! Small Things make the biggest difference in our families.

My kids still talk about all the fun they had on this hike. Taking time out of our busy schedules isn’t always easy, but it’s so worth it!
(Blurry photo… don’t care.)

Don’t forget to print out the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks’ Scavenger hunt for your next hike!

August 31, 2015 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Forest Home Family Camp {why & free printable camping banner}

“The days are long. The years are short.”

A woman told me that years ago as we were waiting in line at Costco. I was doing my best to keep my 4 little ones entertained, and I’m sure I looked frazzled… perhaps there was even the smell of a ripe diaper in the air.

When I go out with my brood we can be quite the spectacle and we hear lots of phrases like:

“You have your hands full!” Yes, I do, but my heart is full too.

“Are they all yours.” Yep… we’re fertile.

“You know how that happens, right?” Yep, and we like doing that thing… a lot. (wink)

“Are you done yet?” None of your business!!!

But most of all… and usually from a kind face with greying hair… we hear, “Enjoy this time. It goes so fast!”

Does it?
(I would think.)
Because I was up 4 times last night to nurse my sick newborn, and then had to get up at 6am to feed the older three and now I’m on my 3rd drop-off of the day and if I don’t get naps for the two littles before afternoon pick-ups, our evening family plans will be shot and it’s only 11am!

Now, my oldest is almost 9-years-old. He’s a man-child and I can barely recognize him next to pictures of his pudgy baby face.

My heart aches, I want time to stand still, and for my sweet kids to be just the way they are today, forever.

But do I really?

Nope. I love the people they are becoming. Strong, independent, funny, inquisitive, unique, and so much more.

I don’t want time to stand still. But I do want to savor every small moment we spend together.
Even the difficult ones.
Even the ones that stretch me as a human being.
I want to watch them grow into the plans God has laid for them since the beginning of time.

Just two weeks ago, it felt like time stood still.
We spent 6 days at Forest Home Family Camp.
It was magical.
We created small moments, my family will remember forever.

(Seriously though, Tess in that picture!?!?!!!)

I had been to Forest Home as a student and I remember it being rad (it was the 80s), but I never knew there was a Family Camp. I say “camp,” loosely. There should really be the word “resort” in there somewhere.

I mean, look at this pool? Is that what you think of when you hear the word camp??
P.S.
There is a huge splash pad just out of view on the left. And it’s sectioned off from the pool.
Read: You can read your vacation books and not worry about your child drowning.

I’m going to share our experience in separate posts from each family member’s perspective because the experience was so different for each of us!
Sneak peek…

But for more information now you can find Forest Home on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

To get your camping vibes flowing here is a free printable of a camping banner.. just because.
Click on the images below or here to download for free!

Use a hole punch on the top ends, lace twine through and hang. Easy peasy. Maybe we’ll do a camping theme back to school feast this year! (See 2011 and 2012… I never blogged 2013 or 2014… I must fix that!)

December 20, 2014 by: Kara Noel Lawson

CASHFLOW board game {…even more family arguments than Monopoly!}

{Disclosure: Many thanks to RichDad for sponsoring today’s story and encouraging me and my family to be financially savvy with CASHFLOW! Although this article is sponsored by RichDad, all my opinions are my own. What else can I disclose?… um… I never do posts about something I don’t like… ever. Oh and I cuss at my kids. Hope that covers all my bases. (smiley face)}

You all know that I have been doing some major life reflection since my mom died.
Today actually marks the two year anniversary of her fall… I can’t believe that two years ago I was about to embark on the crazy roller coaster of her coma and death. That sucked.

Something I’ve said over and over again is that I don’t want to be part of the “rat race” of daily life. That was one of the big reasons we started homeschooling this year. I used to be even more extreme – right after my mom died I was completely done with the rat race … I wanted to sell it all, buy an RV, and live off the grid with my family. But that’s crazy… though I still kinda wish we could do that.
True story.

Instead we opted to get our finances in order because things got crazy after we bought our house.
(yay for being debt free!)
And I have dreams of doing so much more.
I’ve always been the kind of person who thinks big. I fall asleep at night allocating the funds and imagining investments I would make if someone gave me 10 million dollars. (Yes, TEN million… that’s how big I think. And, yes, I know I’m crazy.) A clean 10 million would be enough for everything I want to do, with minimal effort. But 5 million would be good too. And 1 million would get me off to a good start. (Just throwing that out there to the universe… because you never know!!)

Just in case I’m not gifted a couple million dollars, I’m learning the basics about investing with a game called CASHFLOW.
It’s an intense game, but super fun!
Think Monopoly on steroids.

I think you’ll really like the game. The basics are simple: you start with a job in the “rat race” (doctor, janitor, teacher, etc.), and along with your job you get an income statement (this includes income, expenses and liabilities), then you are offered deals (big and small) as you move around the board. All in an effort to get out of the rat race and onto the “fast track.” Once you are on the fast track, the game continues with more deals and pitfalls.
Like I’ve said, it’s intense!

(Can we all just pray Cy is on the right side of the law!?!?!)

One of the reasons to play the game is to “learn why investment ‘risks’ aren’t so risky when you know what you’re doing.”
I love that! And the game’s creators should know! Robert T. Kiyosaki is the author of Rich Dad Poor Dad and Kim Kiyosaki is the author of It’s Rising Time. They are pretty amazing, check out his timeline about page. The Kiyosakis knows what they’re doing!

Another thing I love about the game is one requirement in the beginning is to pick, and write down, a dream. Your dream can be financial, (like earn a million dollars) or silly, (like own an alpaca farm). I can’t even begin to tell you how powerful that is to me! Writing down your dreams and claiming them is the first step to making your dreams come true.
We don’t think as big as we should.
And there are things we DON’T have in life because we haven’t asked.
I believe that with my whole heart.
And I want my children to believe it too.

If you think big, and have larger than life dreams (like me), but don’t want to practice with real money just yet, get CASHFLOW (here) at 10% off with the code: CASHFLOW

I feel like this is just one small way we can be teaching our children how to handle money properly!
Small Things are Big.
At least, that’s what I think.

November 3, 2014 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Riley’s Farm – {flashback in time & apple picking}

Every year people in Orange County flock to Oak Glen area for apple picking.
Every year I miss apple season and I tell myself, “we’ll go next year.”
Not this year!
We went, and it was awesome.
Our Homeschool charter does a field trip to Riley’s Farm every year. Woo hoo!!
Someone else got it on the calendar for me… AND they paid for two of my kiddos.
That’s just what I needed.

Also a place where I can wear cowboy boots and not feel like an idiot.

All the guests are divided into Townships, we were in Culpeper… which is still a town today in Virginia. Each township travels to the Colonial Life stations together as a group. We learned about levers, how to loom, about the games Colonial kids played, casting metal for weapons and toys, George Washington’s etiquette, how to churn butter and mill flower. It was epic.
I love history. LOVE!!

FYI: The Kitchen House area has the best light for pictures.
And I know they are my daughters, and I’m totally biased… but they are so so so beautiful!!

After the tour we ate our packed lunch, and paid for a small apple picking bag to go into the orchards to pick apples. That was amazing too!
Taking the time and money out for a family outing like this, sometimes feels like a burden to me. (Just being real.) But it’s not.
If there is something you have been telling yourself you’ll do next year. Stop now, and make the calls/emails you need to schedule that “thing.”
Get it on the calendar.
Small Things like this will be forever memories for your kids… and you!

We even tried to get a Christmas card photo.
We’ll see…

I would still love a farm and some land. Going to places like this only makes me want it more. Nothing as big as Riley’s Farm… just enough to be self sustaining. You know when you just feel like something is meant to be… like the best is yet to come. That’s how I feel everyday.

October 13, 2014 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Hiking Holy Jim Falls with the Family

It’s been awhile since I just posted a good ole’ fashioned lifestyle post.
I think Instagram ate my blog.
This makes me sad.
I will fix that.

One of my most favorite memories of the summer was hiking Holy Jim Falls in the Cleveland National Forest, out in Trabuco Canyon. The hike is doable with kids. We had all 4 of ours (ages 8, 6, 4 & 2) and the boys wore their flip flops with no trouble.

We got out to the trail early, before it was too hot.
It is quite a drive to the trailhead. It’s a rough road and you have to go slow! In fact, one of our friends says their car has never been the same since they drove that road. It took us about half an hour in our minivan to get to the parking lot.

Brad brought his camel back filled with water and a few snacks. It wasn’t easy, and there was quite a bit of complaining every so often on the way to the falls. But all in all the kids had a wonderful time!

On the way up we stopped often in the shade for quick rests and water. We stopped about three quarters from the top for a snack and we should have stopped to eat sooner… and we should have brought more snacks. They were so so so much better after eating!

The scenery on the hike is fantastic! You won’t feel like you are in Orange County.
Doesn’t being in nature just make you crave more time in nature.
Doesn’t it make you want to buy poperty and just live off the land?
Oh, that’s just me?
Ha!

The children named this the “wave of sticks!” I love to see the world through their eyes!
What a privilege it is to be a parent!
Don’t ya think?

We let the kids explore quite a bit off the trail. As much as I wanted to power through the hike and get a workout, I wanted more for them to love this adventure.

There are 4 trail stops on the way and we all had fun learning about the actual man, Jim, the trail is named after. He kept bees in the canyon and I think I want to too!
(I’m only getting more eccentric folks when it comes to ecology type things. Get ready as I start to share more soon!)

Of course, when you take a hike and it gets tough… remember the way back is always easier! I’m so glad we pushed though to the “falls,” because now we can say, we’ve done it!

I know you want to see a picture of the actual falls. But how could I ruin the surprise? You need to discover this with your family on your own.
Spoiler Alert: The “Falls” are just a trickle in the summer. Try to go after the next good rain in So Cal (hahahahahaha).

Things you should know if you go: Holy Jim Falls

From the main road (Live Oak Canyon Rd) you’ll turn onto a dirt road next to Trabuco Creek, then you’ll take the dirt/gravel road about 4.5 miles to the trailhead. Keep an eye on your mileage, because about two miles in there is a rest stop type area with a porta potty and since you are going so darn slow you might think you are at the trailhead already!
Bring more than one snack! We should have done a whole lunch. It would also be fun to bring a short book to read at picnic rock or the falls. What a special memory for the kiddos… reading in the forest!
The way back is much easier than the way up! This is a great time to encourage your kids during a challenging situation. Pushing toward a goal. It would be a lot of fun to claim this verse before the hike, then have a prize at the end. Maybe cookies secretly waiting in the car! “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13b-14

August 8, 2014 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Spa Day with bambuearth and Cora Jane

Last week I had a friend over, it happened to be while Cyrus and I were making banana bread together. A few of her children asked if they could help, I politely told them, “Sorry, this is a special activity for just me and Cyrus.” Cyrus bubbled up with pride!
My friend asked if I had a special one-on-one activity for each of my children.
Ummm… well… we have one-on-one time… but nothing specific. Not like banana bread time. So I started thinking about how I can incorporate some special and specific activities with each of the kids.
I decided to start with the other middle child… because doesn’t it seem like those middle children get the short end of the stick!?!
The activity has to be something special, aka not just play time. And something that isn’t annoying (for me) or difficult to do often.
Cora Jane loves girly things! Shopping?… Our budget wouldn’t allow a weekly Target shopping trip. (Boo!) Make-up?… she’s a bit to young for lessons on how to highlight your cheekbones. Spa day? Mmmmm… we can’t get massages but we can to a fun scrubs and masks! I started looking into skincare items but didn’t feel comfortable putting all those chemicals onto her sweet perfect skin! (Not sure why I don’t care about my skin… mom problems.) I found bambuearth… all organic… phthalate free, paraben free, sulfate free, preservative free, no synthetic fragrances, no synthetic dyes, sustainable palm oil, never tested on animals… AND made just a few towns away. Whew.
So no pandas are dying for this soap? (It’s a big deal!)
Sold.

(bambuearth is having a kickstarter campaign right now for a storefront in Orange County! Consider donating some $$$… even $5 would be rad!)

I got the spa kit and we had spa day! This skincare routine really helped.
Tea Tree Cleanser – Sugar Glow (scrub) – Rosemary Toner – Petitgrain Facial Cream
Cora Jane was in heaven!

So much heaven…

Cora Jane says the Brown Sugar scrub smells like cookies.
I agree.
I think the Petitgrain Cream is the best lotion I have ever used. A little goes a long way.
Cora Jane agrees.

I have easily been able to keep up this time with Cora Jane (I mean, sugar scubs are delightful) and the way she looks forward to our spa day is crazy.
It doesn’t take much, friends. Our bambuearth spa day takes us 15-20 minutes, once a week and you would think I took her to Disneyland.
Small Things are Big Things for your family.
We have so much fun, but truth be told, I really can’t wait till she is older and we get to do real spa days. With facials and massages and highlights and pedicures. (oh my)

Cora Jane even let her cranky-woke-up-too-early-from-her-nap sister use the toner… just this once.