Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Vacation Bible School 2022

 


Vacation Bible School is happening this summer! This is what I have found online so far. All ages are the ages children will be in this fall. If your church plans to do VBS this summer, forward me the info so I can add it!

June
June 13-17 9am-12pm Calvary Chapel SB at 1 N Calle Cesar Chavez #21
Phone: 805-730-1400 Ages: Kinder to 6th grade Price: $100 for the week Register at:
https://calvarysb.churchcenter.com/unproxy/registrations/events/1231058

June 6-10 8:30-12 CEF Adventure Club at various trails in Santa Barbara
Ages: 10-12 Price: Free Register at:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080c4ca8a92ba7f49-cefadventure7 More Info: http://cefsantabarbara.org/programs/5-day-clubs/ (FULL)

June 13-17 8:15-3 Christian Leadership Camp for 5th-8th grade students led by GracePoint Church at Anthem Price $50/$100 Register at: https://ucsb.acts2fellowship.org/anchor-youth-leadership-camp


 "We are trying to gather all the Christian students who are in between 5th and 8th grade, help them to grow in their faith, leadership skills, and make friendships along the way."

June 20-June 24 9am-12pm CEF Lego Camp Location: TBD Ages: 1st-6th grade Price: Free Register at:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080c4ca8a92ba7f49-ceflego6 More Info: http://cefsantabarbara.org/programs/5-day-clubs/ (FULL)

June 27-July 1 8:45-12 Montecito Covenant Church 671 Cold Spring Rd, Montecito
Phone: (805) 969-0373 Ages: K -8th grade Price: $55 per child Register at:
http://www.mcchurch.org/noahs/

July

July 27-July 1 9am-12pm Surf Camp with Victory Sessions at Santa Claus Beach (Calvary Chapel SB at 1 N Calle Cesar Chavez #21 Phone: 805-730-1400) Games, Crafts, Bible Study and Worship Ages: K-6th grade Price: $50    https://calvarysb.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/1201067 (Alternate dates all FULL)

July 11-15 CEF Soccer Camp 9am-12pm CEF Soccer Camp at location TBD
Ages: 1st-6th grade Price: Free Register at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080c4ca8a92ba7f49-cefsoccer11 
More Info: http://cefsantabarbara.org/programs/5-day-clubs/ (FULL)

July 11-15 Okids Beach Camp 9m-12:30pm Ocean Hills at East Beach
Ages: 1st-6th grade Price: $100 until April 30 Register at: https://oceanhills.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/401/responses/new

August
August 1-5   Trinity Lutheran Garden Song Camp  9:00-12:00 (at TLC 909 N La Cumbre)
Ages: 1st-6th grade Price: $55 or $65/child, $120/Family Register at: youth@telcsb.org

I am sure I missed something so feel free to comment below or message me through Facebook at www.facebook.com/goletamom.
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Andamar Park


Andamar Park got a face lift and it got two thumbs up from my kids. The old park had toddler and 2 regular swings as well as a slide over sand. The new park has large play structure with a wide variety of features over rubber mat. There is a big kid (5-12) play structure and a toddler (2-5) play structure. The big structure has 3 climbing areas, monkey rings, 2 slides and a three story tower. The little structure has 2 slides, 2 climbing places and a tunnel. There is also a merry-go-round and a unique set of 4 swings where kids can swing together or you can swing with your toddler.

 Favorites: The three story tower (11 year old's favorite), merry-go-round (8 year old) and shaded benches (mom)  

Quote: "Mom, you should add this to your list of parks for big kids!" (11 year old) 

This one is tricky to find because it is set back from the road. The entrances are located off Cathedral Oaks (near 5761) and Arundel Rd (near 670).

Pros
There is a large variety of things that could entertain for a long time.
The tower is unique and loved by a large range of ages.
The merry-go-round is a true one and goes faster than most around here.
There are shaded places for the parents to sit.
The swings are unique too. One is a tetter-totter type and one has a spot for mom/sibling to swing with a toddler!

Cons
There are no bathrooms, not even a port-a-potty.
There are no water fountains.
Be aware: This is definitely a dog park where people let their dogs roam off leash. 

 

Little Kids Back

Little Kids Front

Big Kids Back

Big Kids Side

Big Kids Front

Toddler Partner Swing

Swings

Shaded Benches

Merry-Go-Round


Related Lists:
Parks for Big Kids
Summer of the Parks
Extensive Parks List

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New STEM Summer Camp


 
Are you still looking for a great camp for your kids this summer? Well, a reader reached out to connect me with Charlie Freund who is a local Carpinteria dad starting a new STEM camp at UCSB this summer. Charlie had 13 years of experience operating tech camps before COVID shut things down and had an opportunity to pause to think about what would make a great camp. He answered all my questions and offered a discount to readers for $75 off a week of camp! (See below)

Goleta Mom: What made you want to start a new camp and specifically a STEM camp?

"I had 13 summers of operating tech camps until COVID came. This gave me the chance to start something new and wanted to provide kids with more hands-on, exploratory STEM camps. I felt that after having my two kids home for remote learning, they would benefit from group projects, challenges, and failure. It feels like the kids lost out on some grit and resilience due to being in the house with parents so much."

Goleta Mom: What kinds of projects will it feature?

"We have a class where the kids will design their own Virtual Reality Escape Room! Lego Education EV3 Robotics to have races, maze escapes, and Sumo Battles! Create your own light up pins and fashion! Develop motion sensor intruder alarms!"

Goleta Mom: Is there something that makes your camp unique?

"It’s a partnership with STEM Center USA, founded by Melissa and Lavanya Jawaharlal! These two sisters are engineers who have built the curriculum and trained the staff to deliver STEM experiences that ignite passion, creativity, and community in each camp. US Sports Camp is the platform I’m using to take registrations and handle camp administration since it is a 47 year veteran in providing amazing summer camps for youth!"

Goleta Mom: What weeks does the camp run?

"July 11 – August 5, Monday to Friday, 9am-4pm (or there are Half-Day options of 9am-12pm or 1pm-4pm)."

Goleta Mom: What ages is the camp for?

"6-17, broken down into classes in different rooms for tighter age groups"




 
Goleta Mom: Where will the camp meet?

"At UCSB! And eat lunch in De la Guerra!" (Note: Full day only)

Goleta Mom: What kind of ratio is there (student to adult)?

"The student to adult ratio will be very amenable to getting attention to each kid, it will vary based on the size of each class, but wouldn’t exceed 10:1."

Goleta Mom: How do we contact you with questions or to sign up?

"To sign up, go to: https://www.ussportscamps.com/academics/stem-camps/stem-camp-uc-santa-barbara. For questions, you can call US Sports Camps at 800-433-6060 or email academics@ussportscamps.com

Goleta Mom: Is there anything else that you would want me to share?

"Readers can use this special discount code for savings through May 30: GETSTEM22 for $75 off Full- and Half-Day Camps.
 
This looks like a super fun new camp option for our kids!

Related links:
Independent Summer Camp Guide 
VBS Post 2022
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Thursday, March 31, 2022

Snapshot Winter 2022

Favorite New Product:  Along with the whole planet, I have been playing Wordle (as well as one on an app). You can do all the previous ones too! 

Life Hack: I have been starting my Monday with a weekly organizer and brain dump. I use this one from Routines and Things. It helps me look at the whole week, dump the random out of my brain onto paper. It is great for an overview and then priority setting.  


Last Book I Finished: Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller

I have never read a book by Keller that I didn't like! He talks through the things we set up as gods in our lives: money, love, power, security, success and more. Using historical writers to set up the things our culture values and sets up as idols, he uses Biblical examples like Abraham, Naamam, Jonah and Nebuchanezzar  to help dismantle these idols, acknowledging that idols must be replaced by God himself. One idea I had not heard before was the concept of deep vs surface idols (sometimes the surface idol of money hides the deeper idol of control for example). Highly recommend.



Life Project: Still working on my Master's of Education in Instructional Design at Western Governor's University At the end of my first term (6 months), I have finished 10 of the 13 classes. I just have 2 more classes and the capstone left! 


What we are eating today: Chickpea Curry in a Hurry from the Anti-Inflammatory Diet Cookbook by Madeline Given

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Sunday, February 20, 2022

Berkeley Park Update

Some open spaces in Goleta are getting a face lift and some new equipment. First up was Berkeley Park. In the past, there was a toddler and kid swing as well as a teeter-totter as well as a spring riding toy.  We love this one when my kids were little for the teeter-totter. There are also tennis courts here and it is a popular dog park. This park is located in the Kellogg neighborhood and can be access from Kellogg School, Berkeley Rd or Arundel Rd. 

Pros
There are a lot of climbing areas packed into a small structure.
We love the cute butterfly and have seen littles enjoy it. 
The spinning tower is a favorite. 
The teeter-totter is still fun although for smaller kids. 

Cons
This isn't going to hold kids attention for too long. 
There are no bathrooms, but there is a port-a-potty. 


Front View Big Kid Area

Side View Big Kid Area

Back View Big Kid Area 


Toddler Area

Cute Butterfly

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Saturday, January 1, 2022

Yearly Reading Challenge


I have been following the Modern Mrs. Darcy the past few years and historically she has a yearly reading challenge. This year (and last year) she did a choose-your-own-adventure style challenge. Many other bloggers create their own version and Goodreads has a plethora too. I had a list of types of books I would try to read every year, but never had success reading all of them until I streamlined it and tied each type to a month of the year. In 2020 and 2021, I hit all the categories! I also reviewed every book I read in 2021 which hasn't happened before. I didn't quite make it in 2022 because of school in the spring (master's degree) and work in the fall. I have shared the reading list on my personal FB page, but here it is for wider perusal. In 2023, I did it (within  12 hours). In 2024, I missed it but finished within 10 days! 

Note: this list has categories that reflect my Christian worldview, especially March and July, as well as choices in each category that are Christian books. I share to inspire you to think of categories that would fit you and to share my reading life too. 


January Social Justice for Martin Luther King Day: 

February Marriage for Valentine's Day:

March Christian Living for Lent: 

April Environment for Earth Day: 
2022: Remember Creation (Finished this on January 3, 2023 :)



May Biography: 
2021: Tolkien (Devin Brown)
2023: Surrender

June Parenting for Children's Day: 
2022: Raising Worry Free Girls finished in 2023 

July Christian Fiction for summer: 
2024: Christy



August Children's for summer: 
 
September Classics for Back to School: 
2024: Our Town


October Food for Harvest: 

November Science: 
2022: Range 
2024: Breath

Related Posts: 


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Friday, December 17, 2021

Snapshot Fall 2021


 

Favorite New Product:  Pura D'Or Apple Cider Vinegar Thin2Thick Clarifying & Detoxing Shampoo & Conditioner I switched to this in January for my scalp health since it has been getting drier as I get older. When I had my hair cut months later, the stylist asked, "What have you been DOING with your hair? It looks amazing!"  My scalp is healthier, I go longer between hair cuts and I have more good hair days (and y'all, I have curly hair....sometimes it has a mind of its own).  As a side note, I have a wheat allergy and this year is the first time it occurred to me that the wheat additives in shampoo/conditioner could impact me topically.  




Life Hack: The Pomodoro Technique is a method of time blocking where you focus on one task for 25-30 minutes, then break for 2-5 minutes. I can set my time tracking app Toggl to do it automatically through the mobile app (but not the web interface). 



Last Book I Finished: Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker (This link is to his Ted Talk)

Walker presents a compelling case for sleep as a the misunderstood aspect of our health, both physical and mental. With lots of data, he manages to make sleep studies and effects interesting. He covers most aspects of human health and how sleep is crucial to health in all areas. Most Americans are shortening their lives from disease or accident by getting too little sleep. I particularly enjoyed the sections on Alzheimer’s, hormones, cancer and aging.

This is a dense book and it took me awhile to get through it. (I checked in out of my library twice before buying it on Audible.) But I am glad I read it and it has made me prioritize sleep more.

Life Project: Still working on my Master's of Education in Instructional Design at Western Governor's University. I love the flexibility of working at my own pace and demonstrating my competence in an area to move on. I have finished about 2 classes a month of a 13 class program and am half way through my program! 

What we are eating today: Cauliflower Corn Chowder  I make it with GF flour and roast the cauliflower ahead. Yum. 
 
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