Chocolate Covered Eggs

Updated on 4/20/19 to include a few new flavor varieties!

This is one of those recipes that I could’ve sworn was posted at one time but I can’t find it anywhere. With the Easter holiday quickly approaching I have been asked a couple of times for the recipe and just now took the time to look for it… hence the reason for this post.

You can cover these with white chocolate or any chocolate that you prefer if you like. I can remember my Mom using the ‘leftover’ chocolate scrapings that my dad would bring home from the Hershey factory when we lived in PA. That was so good! We have also used the candy coating that you can find in the baking aisle but mostly we use chocolate chips now.

While the most popular shape for these candies is the egg shape you can also shape them and decorate them in a variety of different shapes, sizes, and colors for whatever the holiday or occasion. I try to decorate the eggs differently to identify the filling inside because it gets quite confusing when you make several different flavors.

We also like to try out different flavors and variations so there is a base recipe that you can adapt and experiment with. I have also seen some variations with candies like M&Ms and Reese’s pieces mixed into the filling… yum!

Just have fun and let the kids help with this one! I have many fond memories of helping to make these as a child. We also made these in high school for many fundraisers and sold out every time. Continue reading “Chocolate Covered Eggs”

Counting Pumpkins… Yes, I Said Pumpkins

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This is gonna sound crazy but I wanted to take a minute and maybe give everyone a bit of comic relief or at least a chuckle. I also want everyone to see the not so pretty side of our home because I know that many people stress about the way their houses look, especially with so many guests and company right now, and they feel like they are failing.

You aren’t failing anything, trust me, if failure were based on the way our houses look on a day to day basis then I’d be one of the biggest failures there is! Then I also seem to let people down at times because they have a certain image in their heads of how our large homeschooling family life is. This weekend I realized that a lot of people really have different opinions and ideas when it comes to these matters. I promise, we are just ordinary people, doing ordinary things, on a larger scale in a small cabin… lol. Have you noticed the blog name change? Kirby’s Korner will now be dedicated to  square dancing. 

Continue reading “Counting Pumpkins… Yes, I Said Pumpkins”

It’s All About The Fudge!

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Yes! It’s that time of year when I make a lot of FUDGE! I’ll probably be sick of Fudge this time next week but it’s good stuff and everyone loves it so much that they request it every year.

In case you haven’t tried your hand at making Fudge or if you are just needing a couple of good recipes I’m reposting the links to our favorite varieties down below.

I’ve tried a lot of Fudge recipes in the past as we always loved my mom’s Fudge. When we moved to Florida we weren’t as close to my mom as we once were and I had to figure out how to make it for my family… well, it was either that or spend a fortune in gas driving to visit grandma everytime we got a hankering for Fudge!



The kids and I went shopping today for supplies and I’ve ordered a few really cute tins to put the delicious treats in. As soon as the tins get here we will get started in the kitchen.

I promise that these recipes are fairly easy to make and we always have great success with them. I love that the base recipe can be changed for different flavors and this makes it one of my favorite candy recipes ever!

Here are the links to some great Fudge recipes:

My mouth is craving some FUDGE! We hope you enjoy these as much as we do! If you have a favorite Fudge recipe or Christmas Candy recipe please leave a link in the comments below as we’d love to give it a try!

Our Favorite DIY Christmas Decorations For Kids in 2018

Have you been crazy busy this first week of December? How many of you have finished your shopping? How many haven’t bought the first gift yet? Well, I have been busy and my shopping is somewhere in between the two but I have a few ideas here that the kids can help with and they could double as really great gifts for grandparents and family members too!

Some of these links are affiliate links but there is no extra fee if you purchase through these links… it just means we may get a teeny weeny kickback which helps support our blog and our family.

I also have a TON of ideas saved on my Pinterest… my newest board is Christmas Crafts 2018. Here’s a screenshot of just some of the ideas I’ve found:

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I think we are going to get really busy with crafts so be sure to keep an eye out for lots of pics! If you aren’t feeling crafty or just don’t have time to shop for craft supplies then check out the following links for Amazon deals that can be shipped right to your home and most of them include everything you need to start crafting and keep the kids busy while you finish your shopping!

The neatest Christmas crafting idea I found is this Tree Mendous Ornament Decorating Kit:

I’ve got this (and an extra for a gift) in my Amazon cart right now plus a set of extra ornaments to go with it. Continue reading “Our Favorite DIY Christmas Decorations For Kids in 2018”

Little House On The Prairie Adventure Week 6 Lesson Plans

**Although I try to provide as many FREE resources as possible this post may contain affiliate links alt no extra cost to you. We may earn a small commission, if a purchase is made through these links, which helps to support our blog and our family. Thank you!

Mornings:

We Start every morning off with our prayers and the Pledge of Allegiance. Below is a picture of the prayers that we say and a video of the Pledge of Allegiance.

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Not the prettiest example but that’s what we’ve been using for the past few years.

Don’t have a flag? Grab one HEREand print it out to put up somewhere… you could even let the kids make a flag to proudly display. Amazon also has some little ones like this one HERE and HERE.

After this we have our calendar time also where we go over such things as the Days of the Week, the months, and some basic math.

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This one came from Lakeshore Learning.

We also like to use this song during our ‘Morning Time’ to help the kids learn the 50 States. 


Tip: If you want to go to a certain week/chapter or topic 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.


Week 6: Chapters 16, 17& 18 (Fire in the Chimney, Pa Goes To Town, The Tall Indian)

Here is our lesson plan for the week:


Language Arts

Reading:

Read Chapters 16, 17 & 18

Discussion Questions:

Chapter Sixteen:

  • What preparations were they making for the winter?
  • What bad thing happened? What did Ma do?
  • Why did Ma say that Laura was brave?
  • What did Pa bring home? What did he say they could make from the feathers?
  • Why did they need to go to town?

Chapter Seventeen:

  • Where did Pa go?
  • Why did Mr. Edwards come to the house? What did Jack do?
  • Who came to visit Ma the next day? What did she say about their house?
  • What did Ma make for Pa to warm him up?
  • What special thing did Pa bring back from town that made Ma so happy?

Chapter Eighteen:

  • What did they see more and more of?
  • What ran in front of the house?
  • What did the Indian try to take from the house?
  • What did Pa say the government made the Indians do?

Additional Reading:

Each child would complete a reading lesson from our McGuffey Primer Books or other reading materials that we chose for the day.

Younger kids will also be doing one lesson a day from Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.

Vocabulary/Spelling:

Older Kids:

Parents click HERE for the answer key.**see instructions at the top of the page.

Younger Kids:

Handwriting:

Using  Spencerian Penmanship go over the instructions on p. 10

Writing:**

  • Start planning a holiday menu. Include beverages, sides, main dishes, breads, and desserts. Click HERE for worksheets.
  • Design a nice invitation for the meal and send them to people, with your parent’s permission. Click HERE for worksheets.
  • Continue working in your workbook.

Other Activity:

Group:

Older kids:

Younger kids:


Math

Week 6: Chapters 16, 17 & 18

You can work on a lesson in your Ray’s Arithmetic Books or other math workbook. (The lessons below reflect what we worked on.)

Group:

Rotate through these activities:

Older Kids:

 

Younger Kids:


Geography and History

Week 6: Chapters 16, 17 & 18

1. State Study

  • This week we will study Oregon.
  • Complete your notebooking pages.
  • Older kids can write a report about the state.

2. Continue to Research Native American Indian Tribes

  • Learn about tools that the Indians used.
  • Learn about Buffalo hunts and how the Indians used the buffalo.

 

  • Discuss what you have learned.
  • Click HERE to learn about more crafts and tools.
  • Check out this link HERE for a picture showing how each part of the buffalo was used.
  • Complete this Lapbook part HERE.

3. Learn about the Minnesota Massacre

  • Discuss what you learned.

Extra:


Science

Week 6: Chapters 16, 17 & 18

1. Watch this fun video:

  • Discuss what you learned.

2.Why do leaves change color?

  • Watch a video and older kids can do some independent research.
  • Discuss what you learned.

3.Why do birds migrate?

  • Watch a video and older kids can do some independent research.
  • Discuss what you learned.

4. Continue learning about simple machines.

  • We will be using Explore Simple Machines!: With 25 Great Projects for this study.What are inclined planes?
    • Read pages 26-29 of your book.
    • Write down these words and their definitions:
      • lock
      • skeleton
      • switchback
      • ascent
      • descent
    • What are some different ways that inclined planes are used?
    • Do one of the activities on pages 30-33.

    Watch this video for more information:

5. Meet the five dwarfs.

  • Discuss what you learned.

Life Skills

Week 6: Chapters 16, 17 & 18

1. Following Pa’s Example

In this section the family is talking about Thanksgiving and Christmas. Pa went out hunting and found some turkeys. He knew where they would be when the holidays came up so he was thinking ahead and preparing for the holidays in advance.

These events could also benefit from a yearly routine. In our home we keep a Holiday & Party Binder. This helps us prepare for holiday events and party events that we may have coming up.

Every time we host a party we jot down notes and follow the routine we have written down. There are notes telling us how far in advance we need to order things to make sure we get the items we need. This helps to keep everything going smoothly and easily. It also helps us to enjoy the party when the day comes and to spend time with our family and friends while making great memories.

Does your family have a routine for handling holidays?

  • Make a list of things that you normally do for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
  • Jot down some things that you would like to do but never have time for.
  • Work with a parent to decide when and what you need to work on to get prepared for the big day.
  • Think about things that may need done around the house before the holiday as well like:
    • cleaning
    • decorating
    • yard work

Flylady has a Cruising Through The Holidays section that can help if you need ideas.

2. Ways to help around the house like Laura

Sometimes you may not have a mop or the floor may just need a good cleaning that can only be done by hand scrubbing. This would be using what we might hear as ‘elbow grease’.

How to hand scrub a floor:

  • Sweep the floor well before hand scrubbing.
  • Move anything that can be moved to make the job easier.
  • Gather your supplies:
    • bucket
    • hot water
    • cleaner
    • scrub sponge or scrub brush
    • gloves, optional
    • old towels
  • Measure the cleaner into the bucket.
  • Add hot water until half full.
  • Start in one corner and begin scrubbing in a circular motion, working your way around the room going towards the door.
  • Rinse out your scrubber as needed.
  • You may want to use an old towel to wipe up extra water.
  • Check the floor for any missed spots.
  • Empty the bucket.
  • Rinse the bucket and scrubbers.
  • Put away your supplies.
  • When the floor is dry you can put back any items you moved before you started.

3. Character

We will be focusing on OBEDIENCE this unit. If you don’t have the book we used you can go HERE and download a lesson plan guide to use in your home.

MemorizeChildren, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. – Colossians 3:20

We will be studying obedience during this unit. What is obedience?

Watch this video to learn about Philippians 2:5-11.

  • What do you think this scripture means?
  • If Jesus humbled himself we should too. verse 7
  • Verse 8 says he humbled himself and became obedient. It is humbling to be obedient but Jesus wants us to be humble.
  • Do you know what the opposite of humble is? Pride
  • How was Jesus rewarded for his obedience? He was exalted and honored.
  • Ask God to help you be obedient and humble like Jesus was.

4. Manners

-Finish reading Emily’s Everyday Manners and discuss the manners shown in the pictures.

  • There are different manners for different places.
  • What you say can make others feel good.
  • Always be:
    • Respectful
    • Considerate
    • Honest
    • Courteous

5. Memory Verse

We will be memorizing Psalm 8 during this unit study. Print it HERE.

  • Work on memorizing a verse during the week for a special prize.
    • Verse 6: Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
  • Older kids can copy the memory verse down in their notebook.

6. Fun Activities

7. Bonus Skills — Choose one or two to work on

Practice these until you finish this unit study and then we will move on to another new skill.

Kids Cook Real Food 

  • Work on: Class 8 – Rolls, Browning Beef, Cheese Sauce/Steaming (Beginner)

  • Help to prepare a meal using your new skills.

Skill Trek:

  • Work on at least one task a week.
  • Practice your new skill this week.

Memorize the books of the Bible:

  • Try it now without the teaching:

Learn about camping.

  • There are different types of fires. Learn a little about each of these and write what you learned in your notebook.
    • Log Cabin Fire
    • Teepee Fire
    • Upside Down Fire
    • Lean To Fire
    • Star Fire
  • Here is another type of fire:

Learn about Herbs.

Fennel: The Food-Herb that heals

Here’s a video about Fennel Seeds:

  • Discuss what you learned.
  • Be sure to jot down some notes.
  • Research some herbs that you might use when cooking a holiday meal.

PE, Health & Safety

Week 6: Chapters 16, 17 & 18

1. Fire Safety

  • Ma and Laura acted quickly when there was a fire. Would you know what to do if there was a fire in your home?
  • Watch this fire safety video:
  • Discuss what you learned.
  • Come up with a fire safety plan and practice it.

2. Burn Treatment

  • After the fire was out Ma checked Laura for burns but she wasn’t hurt. This was a good thing.
  • We have learned about fire safety but sometimes we might find that we have accidentally gotten burned. Let’s learn about how to treat a burn:
  • Discuss what you have learned.

3. Games/Outdoor Play

Pa told them about the geese and turkeys he saw while out hunting and brought back some ducks for dinner. Have you ever watched the birds flying south for winter? If not, maybe you can keep an eye out for them in the Fall.


Music, Arts & Crafts

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

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

 


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