Do you visit the library often? Do you have a 4 or 5 year old child? If you answered yes to both of those questions, you may enjoy trying this sample.

These are the first four books on the “My Book Boost” list, which is a list of library books for kids to read. The list starts with the easiest and the books get increasingly more difficult as you move up the levels. It is ideal for kids entering K next year or kids who are currently in Kindergarten. I am a former teacher who leveled these books with a leveling system I created myself to use with the students I tutor.

The first four books on the list (and comprehension questions) are:

Ball by Mary Sullivan

Hug by Jez Alborough

25 Mammals Every Child Should Know by Jim Arnosky

Picture This…  by Alison Jay

The sample is also available in a printable form in my TpT store here.

If you and your child enjoyed these books, feel free to check out the complete list with levels 1-15. It will help them build confidence as a reader!

~Carrie

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Are you looking for a fresh way to store crayons and markers in your house or classroom?

Wash basins are great for this kind of thing. You can fit lots of crayons, markers, or other art supplies inside. Also, the container is a great size and shape for finding the color you may be looking for.

I bought these particular basins at a drug store 14 years ago. They’re sturdy and they seem like they have at least another 14 years in them. So, look for the sturdy kind if you can.

~Carrie

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www.happyandblessedhome.com

Meet our dachshund, Kirby. He didn’t have a good place to look out the window of the apartment we lived in at the time. My hubby came to the rescue and built him this ramp. Ramps are especially good for dachshunds, who are more prone to back issues.

When we first introduced the ramp to Kirby, we put dog treats on it to lead him up to the top. He got the hang of going up and down right away. He sat there for hours daily. Spoiled? Yes. Can you tell he was our first “child”?

~Carrie

In honor of Earth Day, I’m sharing 5 of the easiest ways I can think of to be eco-friendly:

1. Use the stairs instead of the elevator 

This saves electricity from the elevator not having to run unnecessarily, especially if you’re the only one who would be in the elevator.

2. Park in your driveway instead of the garage if you’re going to be leaving again that same day

This saves the electricity of the garage door being opened.

3. Use cloth napkins

This saves trees from less paper napkins being used.

4. Turn old t-shirts into rags

This saves on paper towels. It’s especially useful if the t-shirt is stained since no one would be able to wear it again anyway.

5. Choose no receipt at the gas station, ATM, or other places

This is an easy way to save trees, especially if you don’t need to keep the receipt for any reason.

These small actions can have a significant impact over time. One napkin at a time. As an added bonus, #2, #3, and #4 are also ways to save some cash. Please share your own easy tips for helping the earth!

~Carrie

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Even though I’m an eco-friendly mom, I try not to be the “Paper Police”. Access to paper is an important part of life for kids.

Top Reasons to Make Paper Available to Kids:

1. They get to be creative with crayons, markers, paints, pencils, pens, etc.

2. It gives them fine motor practice. Even if they draw the same thing over and over, it’s good fine motor practice.

3. It keeps them busy in a screen-free way. They may not always be at an age where a stack of paper is such a fun thing for them. Take advantage of this unique time in their lives.

4. It’s fairly inexpensive if you buy a ream of paper instead of the paper pads they sell for kids that may have thicker paper, but not as many sheets. White is my favorite because it’s usually less expensive. But, a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors of paper is also good.

Giving kids somewhat free access to paper is usually not eco-friendly. But, I try to do other eco-friendly things to make up for it. One way to save trees in general is to cut up stained t-shirts into reusable rags to lessen paper towel use. Also, using cloth napkins sometimes instead of paper napkins is helpful.

One last tip: Pick a spot in your home and put a stack of about 25 sheets of paper. When that’s gone, refresh it with another pile of 25 so they don’t get too wasteful. The kids will always know where to go if they need to write a list or if they feel like drawing a picture.

Agree or disagree? I’d love to hear your experiences with paper and kids.

~Carrie

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