Finding Time With Routines And Schedules

I know how busy life gets and we all… ok, most us… feel like we need more time every now and then, right? Well, there are only 24 hours in a day and we can’t make more time no matter how hard we try so that means we just need to find ways to use our time more wisely.

First things first…

First, we need to get our priorities straight and make sure we are getting the things are done that need to get done like feeding everyone and making sure they have clean clothes to wear. We should probably make sure we clean the house from time to time and if you homeschool you gotta have time for that too. Not to mention that there are so many other things like appointments, grocery shopping, and other obligations that happen every day.

Click here to read about our Google Home Hub has helped this busy Momma keep our routines and schedules organized.

Sometimes it seems like there is no time left for the fun stuff but I promise that routines can help. I have written many a post about our routines here. Our routines help keep us running smoothly most of the time. The routines work when we follow them and sometimes we don’t but we quickly realize how much we need them. As soon as we get back on routine our lives get less chaotic.

I have included some pics and screenshots of our different routines and schedules below but please don’t think this is complicated. Ours are far more complicated than most as we have a lot of things going on here and I need these to keep myself and my household organized. Every family is different and every set of routines will be different What works for us may not work for you but feel free to use these as a guideline for setting up your own routines and/or schedules.

Continue reading “Finding Time With Routines And Schedules”

A New School Routine For The New Year

Continue reading “A New School Routine For The New Year”

Easy As Pie Blackberry Dumplings with Caramel Sauce

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We did and we ate so much good food and will be eating some delicious leftovers for a few days. One of the best desserts was the Blackberry Dumplings I made in the crockpot (they can be made in the oven too). This recipe is similar to the Blackberry Pig in a Poke recipe but so much easier!

The caramel sauce and nutmeg are optional but they make it so much better. I think this would go nicely with some vanilla ice cream on the side too! You could also experiment with other fruits/berries as well as maybe changing the soda to Sprite or Mountain Dew. Add in your favorite nuts, raisins, or maybe some white chocolate chips too… whatever you and your family like. Just have fun and enjoy experimenting as I know we do here. Continue reading “Easy As Pie Blackberry Dumplings with Caramel Sauce”

Little House On The Prairie Adventure: Week by Week Music, Arts, and Crafts Lessons

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Here are our Lesson Plans For Music, Arts & Crafts

Please note that YouTube has been removing some content from its site so you may need to search for another video on the topics listed.

These lessons were made to go along with ‘The Little House On The Prairie‘ written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. We are planning to go through the whole series and I am keeping track of the different topics we are learning about here on my blog. We hope you enjoy these as much as we have!

On weeks where there are several activities listed just choose a couple that interest you the most to work on.

Tip: If you want to go to a certain week/chapter or subject simply push the ‘ctrl’ and the ‘F’ button down together and a small bar will pop up. Type in the week number or chapter number you want and it will take you to it.

You can check out my Pinterest page Little House on the Prairie Crafts for even more crafts and activities.

Many of the songs come from this book:

Laura Ingalls Wilder Songbook


You can find more Native American crafts and activities HERE, HERE, HERE, and a FREE printable coloring book HERE.

Week 1: Chapters 1, 2 & 3

Crafts:

  1. Try one of these campfire crafts:

2.  Horse Crafts

3. You could start making a Pioneer Life Diorama to depict the book scenes.

Art:**

  1. Draw a picture of Pet and Patty on their lines.
  2. Wagons on a raft coloring page.

Music:

  1. Listen to the sounds of nature on the prairie:

2. Listen to the sounds of nature at night:


Week 2: Chapters 4, 5 & 6

Crafts:**

  1. Try making some origami animals.

Art:

  1. Prairie Dog Coloring Page
  2. How to draw a Prairie Dog
  3. or Free Choice

Music:


Week 3: Chapters 7, 8 & 9

Crafts:

  1. Build a log cabin with Lincoln Logs
  2. Make a Log Cabin Photo Frame p. 36 Pioneer Crafts for Kids
  3. Use My Book of Little House Paper Dolls: The Big Woods Collection to reenact and retell the story to someone.
  4. Make a Flower Mask p. 16 Pioneer Crafts for Kids
  5. Build a Pretzel Log Cabin

Art: 

  1. Color some prairie flowers
  2. Draw a rock fireplace as Laura described it.
  3. Draw a log cabin.

Or you can try to draw a wolf:

Music:

Listen to the natural songs made by wolves:


Week 4: Chapters 10, 11 & 12

Crafts:

1. Snakes

2. Water well

Art: 

  1. Snake coloring page

Music:

Listen to some Native American music:


Week 5: Chapters 13, 14 & 15

Crafts:

  1. 9 NATIVE AMERICAN CRAFTS FOR KIDS
  2. Indian Necklace Craft
  3. Make a Fringed Vest p. 13 Pioneer Crafts for Kids

Art:

  1. Longhorn coloring pages
  2. Cattle drive coloring page
  3. Three Wigwams coloring page

Look at these Native American Bead Projects HERE or below:

Music:

Listen to some of these old cowboy songs:


Week 6: Chapters 16, 17 & 18

Crafts:

  1. Turkey Crafts for Kids – Wonderful Art and Craft Ideas for Fall and Thanksgiving
  2. 15 TERRIFIC TURKEY CRAFTS FOR KIDS
  3. Turkey Leaf Lanterns Mason Jar Thanksgiving Craft

DIY Paper Turkey Headdress Turkey Hat Crafts

Art:

  1. Make a Turkey from things found in nature: Nature Made Wild Turkey
  2. Turkey Coloring Page

Music:


Novum Crafts Feather Headdress


Week 7: Chapters 19, 20 & 21

Crafts:

1. Make musical instruments:

2. Christmas

Art:

  1. Santa Claus coloring page
  2. Christmas coloring page

Music:

Some more Plains Indian Music:


Week 8: Chapters 22, 23 & 24

Crafts:**

  1. Choose a Frog Craft

Smiling Wisdom - Jumping Hop Frog Origami Game - Holiday Favors, Classroom - 50 Colorful Origami Frogs - Children's Paper Game - Holiday Party Activity Ideas for Boys & Girls - Multicolored

Smiling Wisdom – Jumping Hop Frog Origami Game

2. Buffalo Crafts

3. Indian Papoose Craft

Art:

  1. Buffalo coloring pages
  2. Native American Hunter coloring page

Music:

  1. The Gum Tree Canoe p. 117Laura Ingalls Wilder Songbook

Week 9: Chapters 25 & 26

Crafts:**

1. Make a Covered Wagon p. 37 Pioneer Crafts for Kids

2. Indian Headdress

Amscan Thanksgiving Make Your Own Headband

Amscan Thanksgiving Make Your Own Headband

Art:

  1. Choose a previous project that you haven’t done yet.
  2. Indian Headdress Coloring Page
  3. Native American Dancing coloring page
  4. Free Choice

Music:

  • Experiment with making music around the house.

Westco Sounds of Nature Kit Musical Instrument Toy

Week 10: Finishing Up

Crafts:**

Make some crafts for your Indian Party. Check out these ideas HERE on Amazon. You can also check out my Pinterest board HERE.

  1. INDIAN CRAFTS FOR KIDS: Ideas to Make Native American Indians with Easy arts and crafts for children, preschoolers, teens
  2. Make a Spoon Doll p. 14 Pioneer Crafts for Kids
  3. Make a Pioneer Doll p. 32 Pioneer Crafts for Kids
  4. Make a Pioneer Life Diorama p. 51 Pioneer Crafts for Kids

Art:

  1. Choose a previous project that you haven’t done yet.
  2. Free Choice

Music:

**BE SURE TO SAVE A FEW SAMPLES OF YOUR WORK FOR YOUR  PORTFOLIO!  TAKE PICTURES OF BIG PROJECTS!

Haystacks aka Noodle Cookies

As promised I will share the recipe for the cookies we made earlier today. These are super easy to make and I had made two batches, or about four dozen cookies, in less than 30 minutes.

I’ve always called them haystacks but Mr. Awesome knows them as Noodle Cookies. You can probably add other ingredients, desired or maybe even swap the butterscotch chips for chocolate ones.

Mr. Awesome likes them without marshmallows but with plenty of peanuts. The kids like them with marshmallows. That’s how I ended up making two batches.

Continue reading “Haystacks aka Noodle Cookies”