Hello gardeners! Are you looking to create a homemade gift from the heart this Mother's Day? If so, then you will love today's new "Gardening Tool' where we are making DIY Felt Flowers. The wonderful thing about this craft is your beautiful bouquet will be everlasting and very minimal materials are required. Felt flowers are great introductory craft for young gardeners but are enjoyable for gardeners of all ages. These sweet DIY bouquets add a nice pop of color to your home or classroom with no sewing required. Scroll down to read more about the physical, social and emotional benefits to felt crafts. And scroll all the way down to collect your Gardening Tool Badge for this exercise! << PRESS PLAY TO WATCH GARDENER KELSEY SHOW US HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN FELT FLOWERS>> *Gardener Kelsey's Tip: Have younger gardeners cut out the shapes and an experienced gardener use the glue gun. Felt Flowers Have Gardener Roots In 🌺 Gardeners of all ages love making things with their hands 🌺 Felt is extremely soft and helpful with sensory skills 🌺 Felt is easy to work with-good for self-confidence 🌺 Felt comes in bright & beautiful colors which very pleasing to the eye 🌺 Felt is inexpensive & does not fray like yarn or wool-more durable 🌺 Crafting helps develop fine motor skills 🌺 Felt flowers can be made at home or in school 🌺 A screen free activity Hey gardeners, did you make our Felt Flowers? If so, congratulations, you just earned yourself the 'Felt Flowers' Gardening Tool Badge'! --> Click the badge to download a pdf sticker for your Gardening Tool Badge Collector Sheet. We would love to see pictures of your DIY Felt Flowers...email us at flowers@youareagardener.com You Are a Gardener® and the #PullYourWeeds® Blog are rooted in empowering children, teachers and families with a variety of 'gardening tools' to help manage stress/big emotions and encouraging gardeners to feel confident & calm. Most featured exercises and activities can be done in school and at home and are appropriate for gardeners of all ages. To earn more Gardening Tool Badges & download your FREE Collectors Sheet...Click Here!

Hello gardeners! As gardeners when we are feeling stressed, worried or anxious our thoughts tend to be rooted in things we can not control. Like thinking about stressful things that occurred in the past, or worrying about things that could happen in the future. But did you know, one of the most powerful 'Gardening Tools' we can use when we are stuck in the weeds is Gratitude. Redirecting our thoughts from negative to positive can sometimes be challenging. Activities and exercises that are rooted in feeling grateful/thankful help us to take our minds off our stress and our worries (weeds) and bring us back to the present moment. Today's new Gratitude Scavenger Hunt 'Gardening Tool' is a fun way for gardeners of all ages to look for and explore feelings of gratitude and help us to stay rooted in a positive, present moment. This activity is great to do at home or in school. Scroll down for our Free Printable Gratitude Scavenger Hunt Activity sheet, learn more about how gratitude exercises are beneficial for our social and emotional health.. and scroll all the way down to download your Gardening Tool Badge for this activity! << CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD A FREE GRATITUDE SCAVENGER HUNT PRINTABLE PDF >> Gratitude Activities & Exercises Has Gardener Roots In: 🍃 Improves mood 🍃 Increases optimism 🍃 Encourages calm feelings 🍃 Positive redirection tool 🍃 Reduces Stress 🍃 Helps us be more resilient 🍃 Can be done anytime, anywhere 🍃Improves self-esteem Consistency is key when it comes to practicing gratitude. The more often you use this 'Gardening Tool' the more powerful it can be. Gratitude exercises can be very helpful at night before falling asleep, before or after taking a test, when you feel scared, when you need to take your mind off your weeds, or when you just need to unwind and relax. Hey gardeners, did you do the Gratitude Scavenger Hunt? If so, congratulations, you just earned yourself the 'Gratitude Scavenger Hunt Gardening Tool Badge'! --> Click the badge to download a pdf sticker for your Gardening Tool Badge Collector Sheet How many gardening tool badges have you earned so far? Send us an email to flowers@youareagardener.com You Are a Gardener® and the #PullYourweeds® Blog are rooted in empowering kids with a shared emotional language to use at home and in school through the use of our book, blog, videos, school programs, teacher services and more! Let's dig into raising a new generation of emotionally empowered kids!

Signed, Sealed & Delivered 🖊️📦 We just wrapped another successful ‘Keep It Growing’ Book Campaign for the Riverview School in Denville, NJ. Thank you to Gardener Fiorella for making our extra special delivery. Keep It Growing Boom Campaign Info: Dig into a fun and EASY way to raise money for your school or organization! If you would like to do a You Are a Gardener® book fair for your families/group to order signed copies of our book via a private web link, 10% of all sales will be donated back to your school,group or Parent Association. All flyers and marketing materials with book fair details are provided. This is a wonderful way to keep the You Are a Gardener mindset growing at home! Learn more about the many educational services and programs we offer...Click Here! Please email us flowers@youareagardener.com to dig into this fun fundraiser!

Hello gardeners it's time to 'Seize the Clay"! Working with clay can be a very calming activity for gardeners of all ages and can be a very helpful 'Gardening Tool'. Introducing clay projects can provide multiple benefits for our individual ideas, feelings, and developmental skills. Today our Illustrator, Gardener Kelsey is going to show us how to make a bright and cheerful DIY Clay Wall Hangings inspired by the characters in our You Are a Gardener® children's book. Scroll down to read why this DIY Clay Wall hangings project is beneficial for our social and emotional health.. and scroll all the way down to download your Gardening Tool Badge for this activity! Our DIY Clay Wall Hangings Has Gardener Roots In: 🌼Supports Sensory Development 🌼Builds Self-Esteem 🌼Explores Creativity 🌼Encourages Self-Expression 🌼Develops Problem Solving Skills 🌼Can Be Done At Home or In School 🌼Develops Fine Motor Skills 🌼Can Be Very Relaxing For Kids & Adults 🌼Screen Free Activity Materials Needed For DIY Clay Wall Hangings: Oven Bake Clay Pencil Yarn Scissors Cheese Knife or Clay Knife (X-Acto Knife For Adults) Watch the full video above for step-by-step directions. Clay provides an opportunity for gardeners to explore their creativity and strengthen their motor skills while they are enjoying themselves. Our colorful characters in our book are a wonderful decoration for your bedroom, office or classroom. Hey gardeners, do you want to learn how to draw a charachter from our book? Click Here for a guided drawing with our Illustrator, Gardener Kelsey! Grab a signed copy of our book to use as a reference for this craft! Hey gardeners, did you do you make our DIY Clay Wall Coverings with Gardener Kelsey? If so, congratulations, you just earned yourself the 'Clay Wall Coverings' Gardening Tool Badge'! --> Click the badge to download a pdf sticker for your Gardening Tool Badge Collector Sheet How many gardening tool badges have you earned so far? Send us an email to flowers@youareagardener.com You Are a Gardener® and the #PullYourWeeds® Blog are rooted in empowering children, teachers and families with a variety of 'gardening tools' to help manage stress/big emotions and encouraging gardeners to feel confident & calm. Most featured exercises and activities can be done in school and at home and are appropriate for gardeners of all ages. To earn more Gardening Tool Badges & download your FREE Collectors Sheet...Click Here!

Hey gardeners, are you looking to introduce some positive screen time into your home or classroom? Subscribe to @youareagardener on YouTube and join the fun! Our YouTube channel features some of our favorite how to 'Gardening Tools' : crafts, recipes, guided drawings, DIY projects, mindfulness activities, grounding techniques and more! By subscribing to our channel you are helping us dig into raising a new generation of emotionally empowered kids... Subscribe to our channel Give our videos a thumbs up Share your favorite videos with your family & friends CLICK THE SUBSCRIBE BUTTON & LET'S GROW! Now is the time to raise our voices and awareness to helping kids feel more confident and calm and introduce positive and healthy outlets. Make screen time positive, active and engaged.

Hello gardeners, today's new 'Gardening Tool' is fun, fast and super flowery! All you have to do is go outside pick some flowers (or dandelions), grab a hammer, a piece of paper and let's make some Hammered Flower Prints. This craft is easy enough for toddlers but fun for gardeners of all ages. The best part is you can frame your art or turn them into heartfelt greeting cards. Step-by-step instructions for this fun flower craft are below! Scroll down to read why this DIY project is beneficial for our social and emotional health.. and scroll all the way down to download your Gardening Tool Badge for this activity! Materials Needed: Thick paper Scissors Flowers (dandelions work too) Hammer Marker Hammered Flower Prints Has Gardener Roots In: 🌼Inside & Outside Craft 🌼Appreciation For Nature 🌼Encourages Present & Positive Thinking 🌼Stimulates Creativity 🌼Requires Minimal Materials 🌼Can Be Done At Home or In School 🌼Develops Fine Motor Skills 🌼Encourages Self-Confidence 🌼Screen Free Activity Hey gardeners, this "Gardening Tool' also ties in perfectly with last week's Some Bunny Loves You Gardening Tool... Check It Out Here! Hey gardeners, did you make our Hammered Flower Prints Craft? If so, congratulations, you just earned yourself the 'Hammered Flower Prints' Gardening Tool Badge'! --> Click the badge to download a pdf sticker for your Gardening Tool Badge Collector Sheet. We would love to see pictures of your flower prints...email us at flowers@youareagardener.com You Are a Gardener® and the #PullYourWeeds® Blog are rooted in empowering children, teachers and families with a variety of 'gardening tools' to help manage stress/big emotions and encouraging gardeners to feel confident & calm. Most featured exercises and activities can be done in school and at home and are appropriate for gardeners of all ages. To earn more Gardening Tool Badges & download your FREE Collectors Sheet...Click Here!

The seeds for the Riverview School were planted many years ago when I met Kimberly Corvino long before You Are a Gardener® was even a seed. We have collaborated on multiple projects over the years in our careers and needless to say, our paths have always intertwined and still continue to blossom. Ms. Corvino is a 4th Grade Teacher at the Riverview School in Denville, NJ and has always been rooting for us. It is people like her that have helped us get to where we are now and where we are growing. It was so exciting to present the #PullYourWeeds® Program to the entire student body at the Riverview Elementary School with two back to back assemblies last week. There was such a strong sense of community, respect and appreciation among the staff and students. The programs were kicked off with a warm and welcoming introduction from Riverview's Principal, Ms. Theodoropoulos. Her beautiful remarks to the children are wonderful insight to how deeply connected their school is. "Most of you know that I have 3 kids at home, but what you may not know is that I actually have 463 kids. I go home every night and think about each and everyone of you and want nothing more than you all to have a positive and happy life." ~Ms. Theodoropoulos, It is always so encouraging to see the strong bonds between a school's administration and the students. It sets an overall tone for the success of their community and the Riverview School is a shining example of this! Both assemblies were an incredible success and all 463 students were extremely enthusiastic, excellent participants and are all now Official, Certified Gardeners! "I am beyond impressed with the book, your children's videos, and the overall "You are a Gardener" metaphor! I love thinking about the negative things that affect us as weeds and all of the positives as flowers. Thank you again for sharing your amazing presentation with all of us at Riverview!" ~Ms. Larissa Smith Grade 4 Resource Room Teacher We also want to send out a HUGE thank you to Vanessa Espinosa, a parent at Riverview who advocated to get our programs in the school...You are a gardener Vanessa, thank you for helping us plant some seeds! The school's Librarian, Ms. Jamison & the students created this beautiful Gardener Mural that created a lovely backdrop for the assembly. She had all the students in the school sign the flowers, which also represents their incredibly strong sense of community and connectedness! There are also some other exciting seeds sprouting at the Riverview School thanks to their school's Librarian, Rachel Jamison...but you will have to stay tuned to next week's #PullYourWeeds® posts to learn more! Is your school ready to dig into the #PullYourWeeds® Programs for your students and staff? Email us today for a quote/demo at flowers@youareagardner.com All Our programs are rooted in (but not limited to): SEL, Empathy, Mindfulness, Inclusivity, Self-Confidence, Mental Health/Wellness, Emotional Literacy, Coping Strategies, Conflict/Resolution Skills, Self-Compassion, Kindness, Growth Mindset, Self-Respect

While traveling back on a connecting flight last weekend, I had the pleasure to be seated next to an adorable 4 year old Baylee, and her adoring grandmother. Needless to say, our connection was instant upon buckling into our 2 hour flight. In such busy times, when we are forced to slow down (like being on a plane), it is so refreshing to stop and see the kindness that is always around us. Upon returning home, I kept thinking about this kind and sincere connection I had just encountered, and when an email popped up in my inbox from Baylee's grandmother, you could only imagine my delight. Making genuine connections with new acquaintances helps us to see the world outside ourselves and appreciate the kindness/generosity that is always taking root around us. I would like to think our paths will cross again, but until then...it seems we both left a lasting impression on another.... "I wanted to repay you for your generosity to us in graciously giving Baylee a book & signing it. I have a love for books & enjoy reading. So when you gave us the book I felt so honored for your kindness. It is always so neat to me meeting authors of all books. You had no hesitation in signing your book over to Baylee, and the way you interacted with her in teaching her to make the fox origami was pleasant to witness. I also enjoyed you sharing the reasons for the illustrations. Makes your book very memorable. Maybe we will meet again in your city or mine. Attached hereto please find a photo of your book located in the middle of our book collection. I truly am very proud to have created this book collection for Baylee & I hope my love of books passes on to her. Please let us know if you write anymore more books. We are big fans of your book. Thank you so much my friend." Hey gardeners, scroll down for some quick tips on how to strengthen and build a positive connection. Tips To Strengthen & Build A Positive Connection: Be a good listener Smile 🤗 Stay focused on the present moment🤗 🤗 Be your authentic self 🤗 Ask genuine questions 🤗 Make eye contact 🤗 Offer genuine compliments 🤗 Have a firm handshake 🤗 Avoid interrupting 🤗 Relax

We have had such an incredible response to our #PullYourWeeds® Program at the Riverview School in Denville, NJ. Thank you to all the teachers, students and families for rooting for us. We can't wait to see where it 'grows'! "I am a HUGE fan and advocate of Shanna's book, You are a Gardener, and her SEL programs! Her book appeals to young kids and adults. It's relatable and easy to read. The best thing you can do for your kids is help them learn coping skills, empathy, mindfulness, grit, confidence and kindness ---- her book/ SEL program are one of the most effective tools out there!" ~Vanessa Espinosa -Parent of 4th Grader- Riverview Elementary School "Your assembly was awesome! I love the idea of growing our seeds and pulling our weeds. I have started to do that in my personal life. One of my students made a motivational poster for testing and it was a hand and it said pull the weeds and grow your seeds to show the state what you know. Your assembly was very informative and I enjoyed learning about you as an author as well as your children. Thank you for coming to our school!" ~Mrs. Gudelanis -Special Education Co-Teacher -Riverview Elementary School "I am beyond impressed with the book, your children's videos, and the overall "You are a Gardener" metaphor!I love thinking about the negative things that affect us as weeds and all of the positives as flowers.Thank you again for sharing your amazing presentation with all of us at Riverview!" ~Ms. Larissa Smith, Grade 4 Resource Room Teacher -Riverview Elementary School "Inspiring, empowering and impactful are all words that come to mind when thinking of Shanna’s book and program. Her positive message is one that all of our k-5 students were able to relate to and grasp during her visit to our school. They left her k-5 program at our school feeling empowered to take control of their emotions, and learned several new tools that they can use to help manage their feelings. She was an absolute pleasure to work with - she was able to tailor her program to best fit our school’s vision and build upon our current social and emotional learning initiatives. I know her program left a lasting impact on our students and they will draw upon her positive message not only now, but into their adult lives as well." ~Ms. Kimberly Corvino -4th Grade Teacher, Riverview Elementary School To read more reviews on our book and school programs....Click Here! If you would like to learn more about spreading some seeds at your school or organization email us at flowers@youareagardener.com to request more info or schedule a demo!

A few days after our #PullYourWeeds® Assembly at the Riverview School in Denville, NJ, their school's Librarian, Rachel Jamison hosted a Gratitude Garden Book Walk for the families of the students. This remarkable experience took place in the school's garden (the students planted all the tulips) and was an opportunity to highlight all the SEL seeds sprouting at their school. The walk opened up with the beautiful mural Ms. Jamison and the students created and when you turned the corner, the rainbow of tulips were a beautiful host to the pages of You Are a Gardener® lining the path. As you literally walked through our book, the path opened up to a Garden of 'Gardening Tool Stations' for the students and families. From fox origami to You Are a Gardener activity sheets, our signature flower fortune tellers to #PullYourWeeds® coloring sheets, there was a 'gardening tool' for gardeners of all ages to enjoy! Ms. Jamison even created a gigantic You Are a Gardener® Certificate of Accomplishment for all the students to sign. Again this is such a beautiful example of how connected the Riverview community is. To see children, families and teachers all coming together with our book and programs as the highlight was truly a dream come true...it felt like 'walking on sunshine'. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this event. We are extremely grateful to have been a part of your celebration. PRESS PLAY TO WALK THROUGH THE GRATITUDE GARDEN BOOK WALK CREATED BY THE EXTREMELY CREATIVE & TALENTED RACHEL JAMISON, RIVERVIEW'S SCHOOL LIBRARIAN The school's Librarian, Ms. Jamison & the students created this beautiful Gardener Mural. She had all the students in the school sign the flowers, which also represents their incredibly strong sense of community and connectedness! Thank you Riverview Rockets...you are gardeners!

Say that three times fast! For the last few years we have been making our signature origami tulips with our gardener friends at school events, book signings and even featured them in our very first episode of Hello Gardeners®! Needless to say we LOVE origami. There is something so exciting about turning a square piece of paper into a physical object that you can display or play with. Plus, the colorful stack of paper is like candy to your eyes. The social and emotional benefits of origami for kids (and adults) is so wonderful for your mental health. Scroll down to read why origami is beneficial for our social and emotional health.. and scroll all the way down to download your Gardening Tool Badge for this activity! Benefits of Origami For Kids: ❒ Develops fine motor skills, hand eye coordination and mental focus. ❒ Emotional satisfaction and gratification with the finished product. ❒ Improves spatial visualization skills and encourages hands-on learning. ❒ Valuable for brain and mind as it often requires both hands working together. ❒ It's fun for kids and adults of all ages! Today on the #PullYourWeeds® Blog we are going above the fold and making some adorable origami foxes in honor of our You Are a Gardener mascot, Foxie. We chose two different easy styles that use kid friendly folding and tons of fun! (Tip: If you don’t have origami paper just cut a piece of paper into a perfect square, post-it notes work too for mini origami.) SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE AND TO WATCH OUR ORIGAMI EPISODE OF HELLO GARDENERS® We hope you had fun with your folding! Send us photos of your origami foxes to flowers@youareagardener.com! Hey gardeners, did you make origami foxes? If so, congratulations, you just earned yourself the 'Origami foxes' Gardening Tool Badge'! --> Click the badge to download a pdf sticker for your Gardening Tool Badge Collector Sheet. Now...enjoy watching our very first episode of Hello Gardeners® where Gardener Anna and Gardener Aidan make their first appearance in the greenhouse and show us how to make origami tulips!

Hey gardeners did you know that smiling for just 30 seconds can induce feelings of happiness? Studies have shown that when you use the muscles in your face to smile it triggers familiar pathways in your brain that is associated when you are happy and makes your brain think you are in a joyful state (even if you're not). This means that smiling can be a powerful Gardening Tool that can help you quickly get out of the weeds (negative feelings) and back to appreciating your flowers (good feelings). We encourage you to pick 2-3 times a day to stop and smile even if you have nothing to smile about. So what do you say gardeners...Ready-Set-SMILE! Scroll down to read more about the physical, social and emotional benefits to smiling. And scroll all the way down to collect your Gardening Tool Badge for this exercise! Ready-Set-Smile Has Gardener Roots In: 😃 Like a yawn, a smile can be contagious...pass it on. 😃 It is an instant mood booster. 😃 It can lower your stress. 😃 You can do it anytime, anywhere. 😃 It can boost your immune system. 😃 A fun exercise to do at home or in the classroom. 😃 No material required. Hey gardeners, did you just smile? If so, congratulations, you just earned yourself the 'Ready-Set-Smile' Gardening Tool Badge'! --> Click the badge to download a pdf sticker for your Gardening Tool Badge Collector Sheet. We would love to see pictures of your beautiful smile...email us at flowers@youareagardener.com You Are a Gardener® and the #PullYourWeeds® Blog are rooted in empowering children, teachers and families with a variety of 'gardening tools' to help manage stress/big emotions and encouraging gardeners to feel confident & calm. Most featured exercises and activities can be done in school and at home and are appropriate for gardeners of all ages. To earn more Gardening Tool Badges & download your FREE Collectors Sheet...Click Here!