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You are here: Home / Archives for Small Things: World

January 22, 2018 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Reverse Osmosis Water System from Costco

I have never purchased more throw away water bottles in my whole life! If you know how I feel about throw away plastic, you know how this is KILLING me.
But we drink water.
A lot of water.
Really… only water. (And this mama love La Croix too… but that’s basically water too.)

The water here is metallic tasting so as soon as we got the kitchen up and running we started to look for a reverse osmosis set. We found reverse osmosis system from Costco for $250. Not cheap, but a small price to pay for crystal clear H2O. And a small price to pay to keep all those water bottles out of the ocean and landfills. (My fave stainless steel water bottle.)

Everyday we make progress and this was some major progress today.

Here’s what went down:

 

September 3, 2017 by: Kara Noel Lawson

How to Help Hurricane Harvey Relief

Quite a few friends have asked how to help Hurricane Harvey Relief.
(I have the best friends!)
Here are just a few fun, reputable, and easy ways to get involved with the relief effort.
In reality, it will take years for the clean-up to happen. YEARS!

We have already purchased this awesome trucker hat from Texas Humor.

texas humor hat

I love these tee shirt options. I’m getting one for sure… I might get all three!

Hurricane Harvey Relief Hurricane Harvey Relief Hurricane Harvey Relief

Texas Tough Harvey Relief Tee from Texas Humor (100% of profits toward relief)We Are Texas – Come Hell or High Water Tee from Junk Gypsy (100% toward relief)
Love for Texas Tee from Tacos and Tees (100% profits toward relief starting with Samaritan’s Purse

And finally (for now) is a great charity called Undies for Everyone. This one is so easy you can do it right now! Go ahead and pop on over to Amazon and have underwear sent to people affected by Harvey.

October 20, 2015 by: Kara Noel Lawson

etnies Kids shoes on Amazon- #etniesStyle

We’ve been fans of etnies Kids shoes for a long time. (See!).
They have the most durable (and non-baby looking) toddler shoes with velcro closure.
(Can I get a “what-what” for not having to tie laces before getting out of the house?!?!)

etnies kids shoes on amazon now!!
Prime, people!!
(Please tell me you are on prime. If not, we need to have a hear
t to heart!)
We are loving the Scout, Marana and Jameson collections.

etnies-on-amazon

Many years ago we got to visit the etnies headquarters right here in Orange County and I learned they were founded in 1986 and are the first skateboarder-owned and operated global action sports footwear and apparel company. (That’s fancy for a skateboarder designed the shoes and clothing especially for his craft!) My kids say etnies are comfortable and I know they are of quality because they last forever (so durable)! I should know… Eli got hand-me-down etnies from a friend and he wore them for over a year, THEN Cyrus wore them for a year.
I mean really?!?!
That’s insane. (They don’t make the brown anymore… it has been 7 years… but these are similar)
Below is a picture of Eli on his first day of preschool… in his etnies, then one of him a few weeks ago. I’m going to go cry in a corner now because he’s  basically a man child…

old-school-etnies man-child

The latest collection of etnies Kids had skate style and is made to last, and you can save big-time if you get etnies on amazon with the checkout code SKATESHOES (code good till 11/5/15).
Hello Christmas gifts!!

Because I just can’t even… here is a pic of Cora Jane in her etnies when she was a toddler and her now. I LOVED those purple toddler etnies!! They don’t carry them anymore but these are pretty similar.

toddler-etnies CJ grown up

I think the thing I love most about etnies is their sense of responsibility for our planet.
It’s a big deal. (And they’ve always been like that!)
They say, “We skate, surf, snowboard and ride BMX all on our ONE planet. It’s all we have and we want to keep it healthy so we can continue doing what we love.”
Doesn’t that make so much sense.
It really is that simple.
When you buy a pair of etnies, they plant a tree with the Trees for The Future Foundation. Small things, like buying a pair of shoes can add up to something BIG: To date, etnies has planed well over a million trees!
LOVE IT!

Now I can’t talk up etnies without giving you a chance to win some etnies, can I?

Enter the contest below and one winner will get $500 worth of etnies stuff. (I wish I could win this for my boys so so so bad!!!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit amazon.com right now, use the code SKATESHOES (till November 5, 2015) for 20% off!

If you post about etnies be sure you use the hashtag #etniesStyle
Keep up with etnies on the etnies site, twitter, Facebook, pinterest and etnies on amazon!

etnies-on-amazon

November 28, 2014 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Grey Water –it’s a thing and I want a system

My grandfather was a farmer here in Orange County.
He grew oranges, go figure!
He would save plastic containers to put at the bottom of his shower. After his shower the containers would be full of water, and he would go out and water his garden.
I’d like to call this genius, and the easiest/cheapest grey water system you could ever install.
Brad thinks I’m crazy.

grey water class at the ecology center

You guys! I’m only getting more extreme with all my ecology interests.
Really.
Maybe it’s my grandpa’s genes coming though, but now I’m seeing our rain barrel was just the beginning.
I swear, one day you are going to come on my blog and we are going to be building a bomb shelter and making our own soap!
Anyhoo…
I took a grey water class at The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano and I loved it!

The class was taught by Brooke from H2OME and I want her to come to our house and install stuff! Brooke does home consultations for water capturing landscape and water systems and she gave us so much great information.

grey water class at the ecology center

What is “Grey water?”
Thanks for asking! Grey water is the water leftover from showers, bathroom sinks and your washer. You can use this water for landscaping instead of city water. (I really liked this FAQs page about grey water)

Why does it matter if we save grey water?
Well, in California the drought is pretty bad. Really bad. Really really bad. And if we reroute our grey water back into the ground we won’t have to use city water, and we will be replenishing local aquifers and the existing water levels, instead of sending the water back to a treatment plant.
After taking the class, I really want to install a 1,000 gallon rain barrel, redo our landscaping to “catch” any rain water we actually do get and install a grey water system to our washer. I would love love love to do one in our upstairs shower… but I’m not really sure if we can afford it right now.
I’ll break it all down for ya!
(I told you guys… I’m getting crazy. Just stop me before I start putting plastic containers in my shower… though I may not tell you if I do!)

Cora Jane and I took the class together. I can’t even express how much fun I have with my kids. And how fun it is to have one-on-one time with them. My kids are rad.
Your kids are rad too.
Stop reading this post now and go tell them. Then come back and finish the post.

at the ecology center at the ecology center

A 1,000 gallon rain barrel seems huge… but it really isn’t (see pic below) and it is SHOCKING how much water your roof can catch. (Read my rain barrel post for more details and a video!) The logic behind the bigger barrel is to use it as much as possible in the “rainy” season and hopefully get about a month of use in the summer. Of course you are turning off your sprinklers during this time. How awesome if you had a drip system and didn’t even have to worry about sprinklers at all!

1,000 rain barrel, yo!

Redoing our landscaping – It is so important for us to keep our rain water on the land and not running down the street into the ocean. Our yard doesn’t really have any crazy landscaping. It’s a blank canvas and I would love to use our landscaping in a better way. This would even prevent your average and sprinkler runoff. And it would be easy and cheap (“just the cost of the shovel”). I love this simple video about runoff and landscaping. 8 minutes, but It’s worth a watch!

For loads of info visit his site too: http://www.harvestingrainwater.com/

grey water books

Now for installing a grey water system! The easiest system to install is in your washer and dryer. It would cost about $300 to have done by a professional and if you do a laundry load everyday (who doesn’t??) it would supply all the water you need for a small area of your garden. I’m hoping we can install one and it would keep my rose bushes watered and we could turn off the sprinklers permanently in that area. Buuuuut a shower system… now that would really put a dent in the water bill. We are a family of 6… wait 7… wait 8, people (shoot!), and we all take showers. Each 10 minute shower uses about 20 gallons of water (roughly 2 gallons per minute). That is 160 gallons of water A DAY that can be put back into the ground. We could install a drip system for our vegetable garden and whole yard. Squeeee! But this system can cost around $1,200 per shower. Ouch! Buuuuut it would save us about $400 a year. I want it.

I hope to share this whole journey with you! It’s small things like changing up your landscaping a bit, that can make a big impact in the world!
If you are local, check out The Ecology Center’s calendar of events here!

I love these wooden planters

(I love these wooden planters. I’m going to have Brad build me some with some scrap wood we have! Details soon.)

November 21, 2014 by: Kara Noel Lawson

7 Ways Small Children Can Save the World {Green Kids Book Giveaway}

Kids can make a big impact on the environment in a positive way.
Even small children.
And to make a big impact, you don’t have to do big things.
So here are 7 ways small children can save the world!

7 ways small children can save the world

I’m only becoming more and more of an ecologist.
(I blame my obsessed-with-recycling-mom and my farmer-grandfather.)
I’m not brainwashing my kids to save the world, but I am teaching them, their actions will affect the environment – in both good and bad ways. And I’m starting conversations with them about their impact.
I hope you like these small things… that are actually BIG!

1) Pick up trash at the park or on a walk. I keep a few old plastic grocery bags in our stroller and before we leave the park each child picks up as many pieces of trash as their age. Even just one “trash walk” around the neighborhood a week will help keep your area clean and give your kids a sense of ownership for their neighborhood. Conversation questions: What would the the park be like if no one threw away their trash? Why do you think this person threw their trash on the ground when there is a trash can right next to the playground?

2) Turn off the water while you brush your teeth. I’m sure you have heard this water saving tip a thousand times. So why do you still leave the water on? You’ll waste about 2 gallons of water if you leave the water on while you brush your teeth! That would be enough water to fully hydrate my family of 6 for a whole day. Do this Experiment with your small children: Plug up the sink, brush your teeth with the water on, and watch sink fill up. Then take your cup and dip it into the water and scoop out the amount of water your child will use to rinse out their mouth. Compare the amount of water and ask if they should waste all the water in the sink, when they just need the water in the cup. Practice turning on and off the water together.

3) Visit the Farmer’s Market once a month. It might seem silly, but in this age of prepackaged/pre-prepared everything, so many kids don’t understand where their food comes from. As you walk the isles let your little ones touch the different fruits and veggies (with the vendor’s permission). Pick up ones they are interested in, to talk about the colors, textures, and taste. Let your kids ask the farmers about the food too! Buying your weekly fruits and veggies from the farmers market, even just once a month, will make a big impact on the environment: Supporting local farms, less fossil fuel than grocery store stock, and the knowledge your kids get about food and where it comes from will last a lifetime!

4) Use both sides of the paper when coloring or doing art projects. If your kids are anything like mine, they will create an art masterpiece on one side of the paper without ever being aware of the valuable paper-real-estate on the back. Or after a piece of paper has one line of color, it’s tossed in the trash. Talk with your kids about using the backside of their construction paper for drawing. This would cut paper waste in half… well… kids art paper waste! Here is a great exercise to help them understand a paper with a bit of doodling from a former owner is still usable. Take a piece of paper and make a few simple doodles. i.e. a line or a circle or a scribble. Then guide your child to use their imagination and add to the picture. This is a really fun game. You take turns adding to the picture until the paper is full. Then the next time your child comes across a “used” paper in the paper pile, they be ready to play a fun game, instead of throwing the paper away.

5) Turn off lights in a room. Electricity is generated from fossil fuels, such as coal, natural gas, and oil. If we use less electricity we reduce pollution from all of the above. This is a bigger concept for small children to understand. But they will be able to understand, the lights should be off in a room, if the room is empty, or if it’s light outside. Play a game by turning on all the lights in an area of your home then letting your child race to turn them off. Do this a few times, all the while cheering them on as they try to beat their time. Give your littles the job of turning off all the lights before you leave the house.

6) Use reusable bags. Plastic grocery bags are the worst. WORST. They don’t biodegrade, it takes 12 million barrels of oil to make the Unites States’ plastic bags a year (so it can raise fuel prices), and plastic bags kill like eleventybillion animals every year because animals can’t digest the bags they eat. (See this list for so many more reasons too!) Instead opt for good reusable cotton, canvas or denim bags. (I read somewhere polypropylene can leach toxins. Polypropylene bags are that thin bumpy material, used for a lot of the reusable bags… I searched for some more info about that but didn’t find anything conclusive about the bags, but it sill freaks me out.) Let your small children be in charge of packing the reusable bags before a shopping trip! I give my kids a penny every time they remember to pack our reusable bags. They think that is so fun!

7) Recycle and use reusable water bottles! You can just ‘copy and paste’ most of the reasons not to use plastic bags, for not using plastic water bottles as well. Instead, use a good reusable glass or stainless steal bottle (these and these are great!) But if you have to use a plastic bottle, recycle it! I know families that let their kids keep all the recycling money and that really motivates the kids to take ownership of the recycling chores. (Our city has separate cans for the recyclables and that makes it very easy to recycle. We do miss out on a payout from our recyclables, but I also don’t have to store things, or make an extra trip out to the Recycling Plant.) Consider getting a trash can/recycler combo or recycling can! It’s pretty shocking how many things can actually be recycled! Small children love to guess what things go in the recycling and what things go in the trash.

I hope you enjoyed my 7 ways small children can save the world!
Just to add to the ecology fun, I’m giving away these adorable Green Kids books.
5 paperback books that share the “going green” lifestyle with kids who can talk to animals. Now that’s something to smile about!

Green kids book giveaway

The illustrations are bright and beautiful, and each book’s theme is topped off with a related science section in the back.

green kids book illustrations green kids book science section

Follow the instruction in the box below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!

7 ways small children can save the world

July 31, 2014 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Krochet Kids {plus a giveaway}

Krochet Kids

At this time last year we went to an event for Krochet Kids at their office in Costa Mesa.
We were hosting Abby at the time.
Gosh I loved that girl, and often wonder how she is doing.

Krochet Kids family

I can’t believe this picture was taken a year ago!
I really love Krochet Kids. They have empowered women around the world to make a better life for their families.
Women are powerful.
Check out their business model for more information. Job – Education – Mentorship

Krochet Kids girlKrochet Kids girls

I want my daughter to know she is a force to be reckoned with.
A world changer.
An valuable part of our family, and her future family.
And I want her to know it’s the small things she does that can make the most meaningful impact in someone’s life.
Like buying a hat.
#YouthForEmpowerment

Krochet Kids thank you

Thanks Krochet Kids for sharing your story, showing your hats, and changing our lives!

Win this Krochet Kids kids hat… just for funsies!Krochet Kids Margon Jr

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Small Things change the world.
(Also, I should do my hair more.)

July 30, 2014 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Dear All the VBSes…

We love VBS!
I try to do 3 a summer. Is that crazy?
We keep in contact with friends from other churches and my kids get to learn that we are part of something bigger than our crazy family.
I love a lot of things about VBS, but there is one thing I hate.
Like it drives me up the wall and I want to throw up.
I’ve thought about casually mentioning it to the VBS directors. But how jacked up is that!?!? “Hey, I don’t go to your church, but you are totally doing this wrong.” I don’t want to seem like a complainer. I mean they are putting on an awesome camp for pennies. Instead, I’ll write a open letter on my own blog… and if any VBS organizers happen to run across this post, then they will have the power to change this horrid VBS practice.
”What the hay is she talking about?” (You’re thinking)
Well, I’m talking about foam stickers!
Obviously.

photo
I hate those things. All the foam things.
HATE!!!
I get it though – They are pre-cut, cute, and make it so easy to make non-train wreck craft with kids.
But do you actually keep any foam crafts?
Maybe… reluctantly… only if your kid’s picture is on it.
But every single craft for the last VBS we did, went into the trash.
Ultimately the church’s money went into a landfill.
That’s what breaks my heart.
All those non recyclable foam sticker toxins are going to seep into our water system and our great grandkids will have tails.
How about creating an experiences the kids will remember forever?
Games, scavenger hunts, prayer time…
I get crafts are important. They reinforce what kids are learning and give them creative outlets to express… well, anything! I mean really, you know I love crafts!!
But knowing, all the crafts will end up in the trash… is it worth it? Think of the VBS money that could go to real causes, money that could have made a big impact.
If a VBS has 500 kids and they only spend $1 on each craft each day, you’re looking at $2,500.
$2,500 of trash!!!!!!
Blarg.
So I’m sure you are wondering, “What in the world can we do at VBS instead of crafts?
Glad you asked!
Here’s some ideas:

  • A piece of blank white paper and a drawing prompt. Some of my favorite pictures are random ones my kids have made from their own imagination. Cost 1 cent each.
  • Make cards for the troops… or the local retirement community… or fire station… or whatever. Use construction paper or bulk cards. Cost range $.01-.50 each.
  • How about sending everyone home with a family project. Make your own lemonade. Print out a lemonade recipe and send it home in a bag with 5 lemons. Every congregation has at least 4 people who have a lemon tree and can’t use all those suckers. Paper bag, donated lemons (maybe you’ll have to buy them in bulk), and 1/4 slip of paper for the recipe. Cost $.10-1.00 each.
  • Face paining. Hire someone or get the youth group involved for free. Supplies and man power. $20-$300 for the day.
  • The group picture… You have to do one of those! Just have the picture printed then add a magnet to the back. $.50 each.

I just planned your next VBS! A whole week of “crafts” that won’t end up in the trash.
Now I know what you’re thinking… “But we have to keep these kids busy for 3 hours!?!?!?!!
Water balloons. Capture the flag. Candy.
Done!
This Small change would make a BIG impact on the amount of waste we produce and the money could be used to positively impact people’s lives forever.
Clean water wells. Smoke free stoves. Kids aging out of foster care. Buy livestock for a village.
The list can go on forever.
Talk you your church about changing your perspective on VBS crafts.
And for sweet baby Jesus’ sake, don’t ever use those foam stickers again.
Ever.
Small Things can change the world.

Here at Small Things I share how we can all do Small Things to positively impact our families, our neighborhoods, our communities and the world. I also freelance for local and national publications.

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