Last summer we started a tradition in our family that anytime we see a Little Free Library® we leave a signed copy of our children's book, You Are a Gardener®. We always keep a stash of books in the car, as we never know when/where these adorable structures will pop up! A couple of weeks ago we came across 2 Little Free Libraries in the same week! One in Madison, NJ and one in New Rochelle, NY. We love how every Little Free Library is different and embodies the look and feel of the community. We have also left a copies in in Sag Harbor, NY, Nantucket, MA, Harbor Springs, MI, Petoskey, MI and Charlevoix, MI. Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization based in Hudson, Wisconsin. Their mission is to be a catalyst for building community, inspiring readers, and expanding book access for all through a global network of volunteer-led Little Free Libraries. Lol...I was so excited when I saw a Little Free Library in front of the Kings Road School after my #PullYourWeeds® Workshop that I inscribed the book incorrectly!!! Can you spot it? So gardeners...what Little Free Library should we visit next? Send us an email to flowers@youareagardener.com.

Did you know that birds burn more calories in the winter to stay warm? They store fat during the short days to keep themselves warm during the cold nights. Even though most birds are well equipped to survive the chilliest of days, providing a food source for birds during the winter can be very helpful to help keep their energy sources replenished. Feeding winter birds can be a fun and educational activity for gardeners of all ages. That's why today on the #PullYourWeeds® Blog we are showing you how to make your own kid-friendly Winter Bird Feeders. The social and emotional benefit to teaching young children how to feed birds is an easy and enjoyable way to help them develop an appreciation for nature and their surrounding wildlife. It also creates an opportunity to pause and take in the beauty of your own backyard. Scroll down to learn how to make these easy & adorable Winter Bird Feeders Option 1 - Wire & Cheerios (for older gardeners) Option 2- Pipe Cleaners & Cheerios (for younger gardeners) Did you make our winter brrrrrrd feeder? If you did...CONGRATULATIONS!!! You just earned our Winter Bird Feeder 'Gardening Tool' Badge!!! How many 'gardening tool badges' have you earned so far? We would love to hear from you! Send us an email to flowers@youareagardener.com.

Cue the drum roll, grab your headphones and put your feet up! Today I am sharing with you an episode from the Stress Nanny's podcast that I was featured on last month. 🎧 PRESS PLAY TO LISTEN NOW 🎧 I am always so honored when I am asked to do a podcast or a speaking engagement, especially when I am asked back for a second episode! It was so inspiring to reconnect with Lindsay Miller, the host of the show and a fellow SEL advocate (I will put the link below for the 1st episode I was on). On this featured episode of the Stress Nanny Podcast, Lindsay and I dig into fun & easy tools for children, families and teachers to use to help kids manage stress, as well as discuss how the last couple of years has affected our children and what we can do to help! 🎧<< Click Here to listen to my first episode on the Stress Nanny Podcast >> 🎧 Lindsay Miller wants to make your life easier. She's spent several decades navigating really hard things like infertility, marital conflict, loss, moving, starting businesses, parenting, and managing a chronic illness just to name a few. Her secret to making it through those experiences with her health and sanity intact is managing her physical, mental and emotional stress levels. She's passionate about sharing practical tools for reducing stress so that you can use your precious energy to live your best life. Lindsay hosts The Stress Nanny Podcast and teaches yoga and mindfulness courses to kids and adults to make regular stress reduction a way of life. You can find out more about Lindsay on her website. #sel #socialemotionallearning #emotionalempowerment #pullyourweeds #youareagardener

Have you ever heard the expression emotional toolkit? These are the tools we use throughout our lives to help us manage stress and keep our emotions in check. As gardeners we needs lots of 'gardening tools' to keep our emotions rooted in a calm and confident state. At You Are a Gardener® we are always looking for new skills to help us communicate, re-focus and stay on a positive path. And we are always wanting to share these tools/skills with our community! Last year we added a new element to our program where young gardeners can earn their Gardening Tool Badges. These level appropriate activities & exercises open young gardeners minds to new skills/tools, that with practice can stay with them for life when they encounter stress and big emotions! There are lots of ways gardeners can earn their Gardening Tool Badges: #1 Book a #PullYourWeeds® Workshop for your school, family or group. Every workshop introduces children to 2-3 new gardening tools! Contact Us Here! #2 Watch our Hello Gardeners® and Camp Hello Gardeners® Video Series-Click Here! #3 Read our #PullYourWeeds® Blog- Click Here! #4 Let us put together a custom program just for you-Contact Us Now! Start adding some new 'gardening tools to your emotional toolkit today!

Next time you and your family want to cozy into a cup of hot cocoa, try swapping it for a delicious cup of Golden Milk aka Turmeric Tea! This delicious, healing and soothing beverage is loaded with health benefits! Turmeric Tea is known to be an immune boosting, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, world-known remedy for cold, anti-allergic, memory improving, all thanks to curcumin, one of the main compounds of turmeric. (Scroll Down For The Recipe & Our Official Golden Milk Gardening Tool Badge) Golden Milk aka Turmeric Tea 1 Cup Milk Of Choice (we used almond) 1/2 TSP Of Turmeric 1 Dash of Cinnamon 1 Dash of Vanilla 1 Dash of Black Pepper* 1 Splash of Maple Syrup (or honey) Heat milk until almost boiling, pour into blender, add all ingredients and blend for about 30-45 seconds. Pour into a cup & enjoy! *The combination of pepper & turmeric increases the absorption of the key compound curcumin in your blood by up to 2,000%. Gardener Aidan's Tip: To make Tumeric Tea more kid-friendly you can always try adding 1/2 tsp of cocoa or cacao powder & top it of with whip cream & sprinkles! Did you and your family try our Golden Milk recipe? If so, then you just earned the Golden Milk Gardening Tool Badge!!! To learn more about earning more gardening tool badges send us an email to flowers@youareagardener.com Fun Gardening Fact: Cooking, baking and creating in the kitchen with kids is one of our favorite 'gardening tools'! It is wonderful for their social and emotional development as it helps keep kids focused, engaged and is also an excellent confidence builder!

It's time for some You Are a Gardener® trivia! Today we are sharing fun facts & interesting insight on our #PullYourWeeds® SEL Program for schools, families and children's groups! If you are looking to brighten up your Social Emotional Learning strategy then scroll down & dig in! KEEP SCROLLING FOR MORE FUN FACTS ABOUT OUR SEL PROGRAM FOR KIDS AGES 5-12 KEEP SCROLLING FOR MORE FUN FACTS ABOUT OUR SEL PROGRAM FOR KIDS AGES 5-12 KEEP SCROLLING FOR MORE FUN FACTS ABOUT OUR SEL PROGRAM FOR KIDS AGES 5-12 KEEP SCROLLING FOR MORE FUN FACTS ABOUT OUR SEL PROGRAM FOR KIDS AGES 5-12 GET ON OUR SCHEDULE TODAY! EMAIL FLOWERS@YOUARAEGARDENER.COM #1 Did you know? The #PullYourWeeds® SEL Program was created by Shanna Truffini, Author/Creator of the children's book and platform You Are a Gardener® In 2018 & is ever evolving with new elements a activities. For Schools, families and children's groups. #2 Did you know? The #PullYourWeeds® SEL Program consists of a series of 30 minute workshops (performed in-person, virtually or pre-recorded videos) For 'gardeners' ages 5-12. #3 Did you know? Each #PullYourWeeds® Workshop Features: - An overview of the vocabulary & mindset of the program (confidence building, consistency is key) -A 'Weeds to Seeds' story from a peer gardener (builds conflict/resolution skills, encourages empathy) -2-3 new 'gardening tools' to help kids manage stress (deep breathing, journaling, arts & crafts, self-compassion exercises, guided meditations) #4 Did you know? All workshops end with a fun craft/activity/mindful exercise (origami, guided drawing, diy crafts, meditations) All 'gardeners will' receive a You Are a Gardener® Certificate, gardening tool badges to collect as they go, fun activity sheets & prizes along the way! #5 Did you know? Anyone, anywhere, can book our #PullYourWeeds® workshops at anytime! Get on our schedule today! We work with all budgets! get a quote for your school, family or group! Email us at flowers@youareagardener.com

<> Thank you Kings Road School for the opportunity to present my #PullYourWeeds® Program to your incredible students! A huge part of my SEL program is to provide educators with a ton of tools & resources to implement the You Are a Gardener® mindset into your classroom. Scroll down for Free Resources, Visual Aids, Activity Sheets & More-All EXCLUSIVE to KRS I look forward to working with you again over the next few months! Please feel free to contact me at anytime at flowers@youareagardener.com ~Shanna Truffini My Flowers Are Activity Sheet: This is a wonderful introductory activity sheet for gardeners in grades K-5. Have your students write down their 'flowers' (the things that make you feel happy & joyful) on each of the petals. This is a wonderful tool to use as a positive distraction when a gardener is frustrated or visibly upset. It can open up a positive conversation. <> <> <> <> CLICK THIS LINK TO SEE HOW OUR 'WEEDS TO SEEDS' GARDENING POT CAN BE A POWERFUL TOOL IN THE CLASSROOM: https://www.youareagardener.com/post/communication-is-key You Are a Gardener® is not responsible for any and all claims, injuries, damages, losses or suits including attorney fees, arising out of or resulting from the acts, errors, misuse or omissions while participating in any of our programs and activities including the #PullYourWeeds Blog, Hello Gardeners®, Camp Hello Gardeners and educational services.

I have been looking forward to this week for months! This Tuesday & Wednesday I had the pleasure to present my #PullYourWeeds® Program to the entire student body of Kings Road School in Madison, NJ! It was so exciting to back in the schools and connecting with kids in-person! All students in grades K-5 got to my experience my brand new presentation for 2022 with lots of new and exciting elements. KINGS ROAD SCHOOL MADISON, NJ JANUARY 18TH & 19TH 2022 I love it when schools like Kings Road School really dig into the #PullYourWeeds® Program and schedules multiple workshops throughout the year! Consistency with the You Are a Gardener® mindset and vocabulary is where the real benefits of the program take root! I can't wait to go back to KRS this March and spread some more seeds with their incredible students! We are already planning something extra special for our June segment. Stay tuned! If you would like to learn more about how your school can benefit from our #PullYourWeeds® SEL Programs, please contact us today at flowers@youareagardener.com. We recognize schools have a lot on their plates right now. We want to help make infusing our programs as easy on you as possible! Contact us today!

Anger and resentment are two very common 'weeds' for gardeners of all ages. These feelings tend to arise when we begin to 'react to a situation vs. 'responding'. These unpredictable feelings can be quite powerful at times and can get in the way of finding a positive solution to an uncomfortable situation. Today we are sharing 3 Easy Steps to Keep You Going When You Feel You're Anger Growing: (Keep Scrolling) 3 Easy Steps to Keep You Going When You Feel You're Anger Growing #1- Identify the situation that is causing you to feel angry and/or resentful. #2. Communicate these feelings by talking to someone you trust or write your encounter and emotions down in a journal. (aka Pull Your Weeds) #3. Manage these feeling & emotions by redirecting your thoughts from a negative to a positive. Use your favorite 'gardening tools' to help you feel more confident & calm (take a walk, listen to music, play a game, do a craft, take deep breaths). Keep your gardens growing healthy & strong by 'growing' through what you go through, gardeners!

By our own definition, "Pull Your Weeds" is when a 'gardener' identifies a negative feeling/emotion and communicates it with someone they trust to help them find positive solutions to feel more confident and calm. Opening the lines of communication between children and trusted adults is a significant factor for overall success and personal growth. The more comfortable a child feels with discussing their feelings and emotions, the more confident they are with seeking positive solutions to negative encounters. By embracing the You Are a Gardener® mindset and vocabulary, children are empowered with an organic and helpful way to identify, communicate and manage their emotions. To help keep these lines of communication open at home and in the classroom, today we are sharing with you one of our favorite 'gardening tools'-A 'Weeds to Seeds" Gardening Pot. This is a wonderful way for young gardeners to communicate when they need help 'pulling a weed'. --> All you need is a pot or pail, a gardening marker or popsicle stick, post it notes or origami paper. Scroll down to watch our video on how to use this incredible 'gardening tool'. As an added bonus, sometimes the act of just writing down what is bothering you can help a gardener feel better. What are some of your favorite tools to use to help open the lines of communication with kids at home or in the classroom? We would love to hear your success stories-send us an email to flowers@youareagrdner.com :)

Top 5 Reasons To Book Our #PullYourWeeds® SEL Program* Today for your school, family or organization #1- Now More Than Ever Kids Need Tools To Manage Stress: On 12/7/21 the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory on a youth mental health crisis that is further exposed by COVID-19 pandemic. Now is the time to empower kids with tools to help them feel confident & calm. #2-Our SEL Program Easily Infuses With All Other Existing Programs: Our organic approach to empowering kids with positive social and emotional learning (SEL) tools/skills grows organically with each individual gardener and compliments all other existing components. #3-We Will Work With Any Budget: Seriously...we are extremely passionate about getting out there and doing our part to help as many kids, families and teachers as we can to navigate these times. Name your budget and let's grow! #4-Anyone, Anywhere Can Sign Up At Anytime: All our programs are made to tailor what is best for your needs. Our 'done for you' SEL program is easy & effective and we can work with anyone, anywhere. We plant the seeds, you watch it grow! #5- We Always Offer A Money Back Guarantee: We are so confident in the effectiveness of our message/mindset, that if you don't see a positive response immediately, we will offer a money back guarantee! What are you waiting for? Let's Grow! Get your school, family, or group on our schedule by emailing us at flowers@youareagardener.com *The #PullYourWeeds® SEL Program was created by Shanna Truffini, Author/Creator of the children's book and platform You Are a Gardener®. The program consists of a series of 30 minute workshops (in-person, virtual or pre-recorded) for 'gardeners' ages 5-12. Each session features: - An overview of the vocabulary /mindset of the program (confidence building, consistency is key) -A 'weeds to seeds' story from a peer gardener (builds conflict/resolution skills, encourages empathy) - Two-Three new gardening tools (tools to manage stress-deep breathing, journaling, art, self-compassion exercises, guided meditations, etc) -All workshops end with a fun craft/activity (origami, guided drawing, diy crafts) All 'gardeners will' receive a You Are a Gardener® Certificate of Accomplishment, gardening tool badges to collect as they go and fun printable activity sheets & prizes along the way! To get a quote contact us at flowers@youareagardener.com

One of the most important tools we all use when learning a new subject or language is a dictionary. The benefits of a dictionary can help one better understand the subject, improve communication skills and build confidence. That's why today on our #PullYourWeeds® Blog we are sharing our own version of the You Are a Gardener® dictionary. For those of you who are new to our platform, we hope this is a helpful and gentle tool to introduce you to our 'gardening' vocabulary & mindset. You Are a Gardener® -Core Gardener Vocabulary Flowers-our joyful feelings, thoughts and emotions(baking cookies, snuggling, dancing, family, friends...) Weeds-our negative/uncomfortable thoughts, feelings and emotions(sad, scared, mad, embarrassed, overwhelmed...) Seeds-what we learn about ourselves and others when we pull our weeds. the positive ways to help us move forward and grow. Pull Your Weeds or #PullYourWeeds®- the most powerful gardening tool we have- talking about our 'weeds' with someone we trust (parent, teacher, guardian, counselor...) Gardening Tools-positive ways to move forward to help us feel confident and calm (breathing techniques, grounding exercises, arts & crafts, DIY activites...) If you and your family or students are ready to dig into the You Are a Gardener® mindset, send us an email to flowers@youareagardener.com for some free resources or to schedule a #PullYourWeeds® SEL workshop with Shanna Truffini.