Things to do in So Cal Archives - Page 2 of 4

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!

November 19, 2015 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Discovery Cube’s Pumpkin Launch – Science is a Blast!

Who Knew Science Could be Such a Blast!
Discovery Cube’s Pumpkin Launch
Guest post by Sharron Jackson

Perfect temperatures, music pumping, and giant pumpkins falling from the clear, blue sky. Now THAT’S what my family calls a perfect fall day! This was the scene today at Cal State Fullerton where the Discovery Cube’s Annual Pumpkin Launch took place.

Arriving early with our camping chairs and lunch cooler, we weren’t sure what to expect. We just moved to So Cal this summer, and this was our first time attending what has become quite the popular (and FREE!) family event. We set our chairs up along the ropes to reserve a front-row view for the main event—the Pumpkin Launch—and set out to discover what the Discovery Cube and its partners had cooked up.

The grassy field before us was a STEM wonderland! So much to blast and catapult, slide down and build! From building their own craft-stick catapults and launching mini-marshmallows to creating reaction rockets and watching their film can caps burst high into the air, my kids had a blast (literally)!

We returned to our camp chairs just in time to watch a live science stage show as we ate lunch. My kids watched wide-eyed as a gentleman from the Discovery Cube treated the audience to all kinds of liquid nitrogen hijinks (the “don’t try this at home” type of fun).

At last the main event began, and like the rest of the day, it did not disappoint. 15 teams participated, from college engineering clubs to a middle school tech team and a local family. Each had built trebuchets and used them to catapult pumpkins towards various targets spread out in a large field. There is nothing like watching an orange gourd soar through the air and crash to the ground, smashing dramatically. Several teams successfully hit targets, and each time the crowd went wild, including my little family! Too fun!

The Pumpkin Launch fun has only just begun for our homeschooling family. We brought home the craft-stick trebuchets the kids made today and plan on using them to test which objects catapult the farthest and how mass impacts the flight distance (think jelly beans, craft pom-poms, marshmallows, Lego pieces, etc.). If you didn’t make it to the Pumpkin Launch this year, check out the Nov. 4 post “How to Make a Catapult with Craft Sticks – Homeschool Science!” to make catapults using items you probably already have laying around.

After today, I have a feeling the Discovery Cube’s Annual Pumpkin Launch is going to become an annual tradition for our family!

{A big THANK YOU to Sharron for doing this guest post for the Discovery Cube’s Pumpkin Launch! This is a tradition we have been trying to do in our family for the last three years, but it always feels like something comes up. (This year we were serving at a deaf school in Mexico… and that was pretty epic. I’ll be sharing about that here soon!) If you want to read more from Sharron here is her blog: Such as These. ~KN}

The next event at The Discovery Science Cube is the Science of Gingerbread! Which I have been to before! It runs from November 27th thru January 3rd.

This exhibit is all about science at work in the kitchen. The Cube has hands-on activities that will bring your family together. AND you’ll get to see their award winning Gingerbread Competition entries displayed through out the Cube! That is so much fun!

What to expect at the Science of Gingerbread: Santa (hello, awesome!!), decorate and eat, holiday cookies (hello, sugar!!), build and race your own candy car (hello, activities!!), then you can go home with worn out kids (hello, naps!!!).

I can’t wait. Meet me there!

~KN

November 17, 2015 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Christmas is in 39 Days! Panic. Then hit the Outlets {$500 Giveaway}

This is a sponsored post! I was given a tour of the Outlets at San Clemente (which you can get too!) and compensation for writing about their fun upcoming events. But all the opinions are my own. I have never recommended any product or place my family doesn’t use or go to. Ever!

39 days people!

Gift giving stresses me out a bit. I love and prefer the whole homemade thing but 39 days!?!? I should have started making things 2 months ago! For the gifts I can’t “hand-make with love” I’m going to get a steal on at Outlets of San Clemente!

I got to visit the #OutletsSC last week and they are beautiful! They feel homey and the views of the ocean are beautiful. AND because they are outlets, prices are 30%-70% off regular prices.

Yes please.

{Don’t miss the $500 giveaway at the end of this post!}

outlets at san clemente

The Outlets at San Clemente also have some great family-friendly events throughout the holiday season.

We were super bummed to miss the tree lighting on November 14th. (Concert with American Authors, Nick Fradiani & John Lindahl. Plus a fresh-cut Christmas tree from Mt. Shasta decorated with 3,000 twinkling lights and SANTA!)

The next big community event is Moonlight Madness on Thanksgiving. It runs from 8pm November 26th till 10pm on November 27th!

I love the idea of shopping with friends and family right after my Thanksgiving meal rather than sleeping for a few hours then getting up at 3 am in the cold to fight the crowds. The Outlets at San Clemente will host family friendly entertainment will be in the outdoor courtyard.

The Outlets will have nearly 70 stores! I’m most looking forward to H&M, Tilly’s, Nike, Converse and Levi’s! And to keep up the energy I’ll be popping over to Starbucks or to Ruby’s for one of their yummy shakes! New stores will be opening through 2016.

(I have no clue what is happening in this picture! Cora Jane has a bag of cheeze-its and Tess is in all her socks-with-ballet-flats-red-lipstick-sunglasses glory!)

Their Charity Christmas event is the ‘Shopping Extravaganza’ on December 5th.
The $35 ticket includes private catered lunch, wine and craft beer tasting, entertainment and a $25 donation to your choice of one of 18 deserving non-profit organizations. (See flyer for details and buy tickets here.)

This is right up my alley but we have my husband’s company Christmas party that night. Boo.
I might try to figure out something and go that morning!

Keep updated with the Outlets at San Clemente on twitter (@outletsSC), Facebook (OutletsAtSanClemente) and Instagram (@OutletsSC). When you post or visit, remember to use the hashtag: #OutletsSC
a Rafflecopter giveaway

October 21, 2015 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Hot Wheels Exhibit at the Cube… because kids like cars

I love being one of the #DiscoveryCubeMoms!

About 3 weeks ago I got to take over The Cube’s social media for a day! And only got harassed by one troll! I would say that’s a win. (September 28th… see if you can find it!)

We just got to visit the new Hot Wheels exhibit and my we loved it.

Someone fell asleep on the way there and woke up on the wrong side of the car seat.
Guess who…

Just like most of the fun at the Cube, the Hot Wheels exhibit is a great mix of electronic and hand-on fun! The Hot Wheels area is sectioned off and you can easily do it in an afternoon. If you have a pass (if you are local, it’s worth it), go in the afternoon. No crowds and you can take your time at each interactive computer station.

We spent almost an hour at the Pit Stop Challenge. It was so much fun to try to change the tires and fill the gas tank in under 2 minutes! When we were all working we got 36 seconds. Try to beat that!

This is my favorite picture from the exhibit. They were so into this little station!
(Side Note: See that life sized poster in the background? There are tons of those explaining different aspects of the exhibit. Out of the corner of my eye, I would suddenly think, “why is that creeper watching my kids!?!?!… oh never mind.”

The signs were helpful, though. And we read every single one… or else how could I count it as a homeschool day?

When you enter the Hot Wheels area there are little boxes by the sign with hot wheels in them, pick up a few and you can use them throughout the exhibit.

And a trip to The Discovery Cube would not be complete without our favorite tried and true exhibits.

This trip my kids discovered the stop motion station and they owned it! I took the little kids to all the downstairs exhibits while the big kids worked on the stop motion. I didn’t expect much because they had never done anything like this before. I know I’m biased because they are my kids, but I couldn’t be more impressed with the outcome. (Side note: It’s things like this I wish my mom could see. She would say they are geniuses and would be totally serious! Love it!)

We had such a wonderful day!

And one of the best parts about making memories with the kids and playing all day long is the quiet car ride home…

September 2, 2015 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Sherlock Holmes Exhibit at The Cube After Dark {free lunch note printables!}

The rumors are true.

I love going on unique dates with my sweetie.
I mean, we do enjoy a good movie from time to time, but more often we like going to live events… you know, so you can interact with each other.

The Discovery Cube had the first (of many, we hope) “after dark” events for their Sherlock Holmes exhibit. It was awesome.

Like so awesome!!!

The Sherlock Holmes exhibit runs till September 7th. Try to go if you can!

I would say this exhibit is for older kids (Middle School – adult), or your budding CSI investigator.
Guests start with a passport-like booklet in the exhibit entry. As you learn basic crime solving skills you get to punch strategic holes in your passport and it reveals a secret message!
(I love this kind of stuff!!)
Then you are sent to Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes’ apartment. At Cube After Dark, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson were actually there.
Epic.
The Cube had a bunch of Sherlockians (it’s a thing) there all dressed up in Sherlock era clothing and completely in character.
Also epic.

Then you get to observe a Sherlock-esque crime scene.
(Maybe it’s actually from one of the books… not sure on that one… it was all new to me.)
The rest of the exhibit you test different theories and make your guess about different aspects of the the crime and record them in your passport book.
You can walk back to the crime scene anytime to compare the data you learn in the experiments.

I never solved the crime because I ended up chatting with my friends more… but I can now recognize whether a bust statue was broken by a gunshot or by falling off a pedestal. I’m not saying that information is useful… but I am saying I can do it.
Like a boss.

Since this was a Cube After Dark they did the science of making cocktails – Mixology.
Yes folks, there is some science when you are mixing cocktails… you are making a solution!
And just to be clear, I don’t mean cocktails are a solution to your problems… strictly talking chemistry.
The Mixologists made two signature cocktails.
One was sweet and one was strong. That’s all I remember.

After ~~hanging with your honey~~ ~~talking with your friends~~ solving the crime, you get to see all sorts of Sherlock Holmes stuff – from the movies and the show.

Sherlock Holmes at The Cube

Brad and I had the best time! Even though you don’t get to go to The Cube After Dark (it sold out!), the Sherlock Holmes exhibit is worth a trip.
If you can get there before the 7th, tickets are only $5! (On top of the general admission price. Details here.) And just for funnies The Cube is giving away an Apple iPad Mini every 14 days through 9/7/2015. Find more about that here.

Be on the lookout for more After Dark events! We really do love The Cube, so it was awesome to try all the regular exhibits without my kids. I mean, I love my kids but sometimes Mommy and Daddy want have a turn making smokestacks and going in the wind tunnel.
It was so cool to walk around The Cube and watch adults experience all the hands-on exhibits!

And in case you are wondering… Yes, Brad and I did make out in the giant cube. (wink)

Do you have a Sherlockian in your life??
How about some amazing Sherlock Holmes quotes you can slip in their lunch bag? These are great to let your older child know you care without embarrassing them… I mean, what high schooler wouldn’t love a little Sherlock Holmes quote tucked in their lunch sack. Ha ha ha ha!
Well, I would have thought it was cool. #NerdAlert
Click here or on the image below to download the pdf.
It was tough to pick my favorite Sherlock Holmes quotes because he has quite a few zingers.
But it was easy to pick my favorite! (It’s the last quote in the yellow box.)
I wholeheartedly agree with you Mr Holmes!

P.S.
Can you believe I finally figured out how to blog on my mac!?!? Yay! One thing though: If you are reading this on your phone some of the pictures are sideways. This is very flustering and I’m looking for a solution that isn’t super time consuming. Hang tight!

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!)

June 15, 2015 by: Kara Noel Lawson

The Cube Beats Summer Brain Drain {#newatthecube}

Has your summer started yet?
Ours has, and we are already clicking through our Summer Bucket List!
{Some of the new things we added this year: eat at every restaurant in our small city and build a backyard fire pit!}
One of the biggies every year is a visit to The Discovery Cube.
This year’s visit was full of surprises… like The Cube has 7 new exhibits AND has doubled in size.
I’ve kinda taken The Cube for granted in the past. It’s been here since I was in high school and it’s just part of life here in Orange County. But now that I have kids I get to discover the whole thing all over again through their eyes.
Parenting is the best!

I got to interview Dan, one of The Cube’s spokespeople and here is what I discovered…
{Also a BIG giveaway for locals at the bottom of the post!}

My opinion of the new exhibits along with some pictures and such…

Sherlock Holmes – This is AMAZING! For older kids or adults. Brad and I are going back next week on a date night to enjoy this one at it’s fullest.
Helicopter Tour – You fly around OC inside a virtual helicopter. Great for all ages. I really wish there was a list you could pick up about each of the stops so we can actually visit them in real life. Wowza! Do we live in a beautiful place!
Inspector Training Course – Kids get to find and eliminate invading vectors with their own touch-screen tablet. Kids need to be able to read or have an adult walking them through the activities.
Petersonville Healthy Kitchen – The Cube is the first to have their own interactive kitchen! Keep posted on their site for cooking classes you can do with your kids. I hate strongly dislike cooking but doing something like this as a child could have helped.
Maybe.
Water Gallery – We are in an epic drought here in CA. And you know how I feel about that! My kids loved learning things hands-on with this exhibit.
Eat Well. Play Well. Sleep Well. – This one doesn’t open until later in 2015 but it’s all about keeping healthy with through nutrition, play and sleep. May I suggest a room that brainwashes kids to sleep in past 6am? (Tell me I’m not the only one with early rising kids!?!?)
New Launch Pad Science Store – The store has tripled in size and there are some really cute things for sale (read succulents) and great science activities!
The Rocket Lab – I’m actually not sure if this is new, but it has been totally redone since last year! The kids loved making their own satellite then watching it orbit on a giant screen.
Bean Sprouts – Yummy!! And I met one of the founders and she is super sweet! I’m lucky to get out the door with all my kids wearing shoes, so not having to pack a lunch is like music to my ears!

You can’t forget about the tried and true activities at The Cube…

A lot of people don’t know you can actually go inside the cube. Yes, that giant cube from the freeway has a platform and a few fun science activities that are worth checking out. My kids think it’s so cool… and I do too! When you are inside the cube you get to feel just how big it actually is. When you look up it kinda makes your tummy turn. The cube is enormous.

The interactive exhibits… my kids were at the one below for 15 minutes. There is a rocket lab upstairs, but air blowing up handkerchiefs kept them captivated just as long. Hahahahaha… (They loved the Lab too!)

And Dino Quest. Tess thinks this dinosaur is real, because it blinks and moves it’s tail every so often. And if anyone every tells her otherwise, they might just get a punch in the face. Seriously. (Does anyone else overindulge the baby of the family?)

We love The Cube and we’ll be using our annual passes to go every week this summer to help prevent Summer Brain Drain. Wanna join us?
Good!
Then enter the giveaway in the box below.
{If you don’t win, then consider getting the family pass! It’s only $99 for a family of 6 (two adults and 4 kids… yay for non-big-family discrimination! #4KidsIsTheNew2), no blackout days and discounts inside The Cube as well. I’m not sure if you get discounts on the extra exhibits or not. But if my family were to go to The Cube once without an annual pass it would be $87.70… so spending the extra $11.30 was a no brainer for us. For smaller families… just go twice!}

Good luck from my Cube loving family to yours! (Tess’ face above… I can’t even!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And just in case you missed the front page of the OC Register on Thursday… Eli and I were both quoted at the press preview of The Cube. Read the full article here. (Also did you know, you no longer have to pay to read the OC Register online! Whew!)
The kids think we are famous now. Which is pretty hilarious.

April 30, 2015 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Galileo Camps {Rubberband Helicopters Science Experiment}

As a new homeschooling family, I really can’t believe how much my littles can learn!
I know all you teachers out there are like, “duh.”
But, kids are amazing!
And kids are capable of so much more than we think.
Kids are innovators. At least that’s what I think.
And that’s how I came across Galileo camps, their big thing is making innovators.

They say, “We think the world needs innovators. We also think kids who learn to explore and fail without fear—the essence of innovation—are happier, more creative and more confident when faced with life’s challenges. They don’t always get this incredible boost in other settings, but thousands of them have been getting it at Galileo since 2002.”

I love that!
Kids need to fail without fear. So many people today don’t let their kids fail, they pick up the pieces and make things happen for their kids. Or they treat failure with punishment, instead of one step closer to a success.

We had lots of failures and success with this Galileo Camps inspired activity: Rubberband Helicopters, I can only imagine how much educational fun they pack into a week of camp! They have 45 locations in California and have programs for preK – 8th grade! The camps are sure to keep those little brains from turning to mush over the Summer. And can give us homeschool moms a Summer break of our own!

You can do this experiment too!
You’ll need: 6” hook nose propellers (find them here only $.49 each), craft sticks, paperclips, rubberbands, cardstock, tape, scissors.

The kids made their guesses about what kind of helicopter would fly the longest and I let them experiment… probably similar to how Galileo camps lets their kids try and fail.

This was Cora Jane’s first try… a teeny tiny start!

It killed me not to tell her this was a horrible helicopter. (Am I a horrible person for that?)
But she learned after she tried flying it. And she probably will remember better because she learned by doing! Or as Galileo would say, “I recognize setbacks as opportunities to learn.”

I even got in on the action!
Mine was the best.
But the kids got better the more they tested!
Ha!

If you are looking for some pretty amazing Summer Camps, check out Galileo Camps!

If you live in the Los Angeles area click here.
Enter promotional code 2015GALILEOCAMPSLA for $50 off!

If you live in the San Francisco area click here.
Enter promotional code 2015GALILEOCAMPSF for $30 off!

See all their prices here.

And for this amazing free printable click here.
Why this quote?
Well, it’s one of my favorites and I think Lincoln embodies determination.

Be determined!
Thank you Galileo camps for the rad day of determination and getting our science done for homeschool!

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.