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: "Every child’s path to adulthood—reaching developmental and emotional milestones, learning healthy social skills, and dealing with problems—is different and difficult. Many face added challenges along the way, often beyond their control. There’s no map, and the road is never straight. But the challenges today’s generation of young people face are unprecedented and uniquely hard to navigate. And the effect these challenges have had on their mental health is devastating." ~Vivek H. Murthy, M.D., M.B.A. -Vice Admiral, U.S. Public Health Service Surgeon General of the United States Change starts with small steps...acknowledgement, acceptance, desire, knowledge and perseverance. Now is the time to empower kids with tools to help them navigate stress and big emotions. Now is the time to help children open their lines of communication and help them find trusted sources to navigate their stress and uncomfortable encounters. Now is the time to look past our own struggles and see that our children need our help. Now is the time to raise our voices and our awareness to the mental health crisis that our children are facing. The younger we can connect with kids and empower them with skills to help them feel confident and calm, the brighter their futures (and ours) will be. Our children's book, SEL Programs, videos and social media are all rooted in being a part of this solution. Please reach out to us today and let's start planting some seeds together! Now is the time!

Setting goals is a wonderful life skill for gardeners of all ages. It helps us set the tone and create paths that bring us closer to our dreams. Today we are sharing with you our Top 10 Gardening Goals for 2022...Notice a pattern?!? You Are a Gardener's Top 10 Gardening Goals For 2022 1. Reach more kids. 2. Connect with more kids. 3. Empower more kids with tools to communicate their feelings. 4. Teach more kids how to ‘pull your weeds’. 5. Help more kids learn how to positively manage stress. 6. Share our message with more kids. 7. For more kids to plant healthy seeds. 8. Give more kids tools for their gardens to grow healthy & strong. 9. For more kids to ‘pull their weeds’. 10.For more kids to have more flowers & less weeds. We want to make digging into the You Are a Gardener® mindset easy and seamless for your teachers, family and organization! Take us up on our 'done for you' SEL workshops & programs. Schedule a demo today by emailing us at flowers@youareagardener.com....Let's Grow! We can't wait to see where this year grows!

Hello Gardeners! What better way to welcome Fall than with a handmade wreath to decorate your door or walls?! This autumn paper wreath is ideal for gardeners ages 6 and up but younger gardeners are definitely capable with some assistance! Scroll down for materials/instructions and see why this is a #PullYourWeeds approved fall craft for kids! Here is what you will need: ☐ A paper plate ☐ Tissue paper and construction paper in red, orange, yellow, or brown ☐ A stapler (glue will work too!) ☐ Scissors ☐ A small piece of string First, you will want to prepare your paper scraps. Feel free to get detailed and cut out leaf shapes, but simple shapes will work well too! It's all about color! Once you have your paper ready, cut out the center of your paper plate, leaving just the ring. Then start decorating - layer tissue paper with construction paper, trying to add volume and variety until your wreath looks full and ready to hang! Don't forget to staple a loop at the top so you can display your wreath for all to see! This activity is #PullYourWeedsApproved because it: ✓ Promotes positive sensory exposure! So many textures, shapes, and colors : ) ✓ Encourages resourcefulness - no special materials required for this craft! ✓ Celebrates individuality! Every wreath will turn out differently based on individual decision-making and creativity. Gardeners Note: With the start of a new season comes new intentions, new flowers, and sometimes new weeds. Be sure to check in with yourself or your kids when those ‘weeds’ pops up and find someone you trust to talk through it! Remember, the best way to ‘pull your weeds‘ is talking about it! Thanks for helping us welcome Fall! We can't wait to see your wreaths! Send us your photos to flowers@youareagardener.com & we will post them on our pages! . . . @youareagardener | flowers@youareagardener.com | You Are A Gardener™

𝚃𝚘𝚙 10 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝙾𝚠𝚗 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝙰𝚛𝚎 𝙰 𝙶𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚛® 1. It opens up the line of communication for young kids to talk about their feelings. 2. Our book uses gardening vocabulary as emotional metaphors that young children can easily relate to. 3. It encourages empathy and responsible decision making. 4. The message promotes a safe and trusting environment. 5. The more tools children have to help manage their stress and uncomfortable emotions, the better. 6. It teaches positive problem solving skills. 7. The illustrations are beautiful watercolors on paper. 8. You’re supporting a local, self-published author. 9. The message is ageless. 10. The more books we sell, the more kids we can reach. Click Here To Purchase Your Signed Copy of You Are a Gardener® written by Shanna Truffini No tricks, just treats 🎃 Enjoy 10% Off and a Free You Are a Gardener®️Activity Kit, now through 10/31. Enter code BOOTACULAR20 at checkout 👻 Shanna Truffini’s children’s book You Are a Gardener™ uses gardening vocabulary to help kids identify strong emotions and turn them into empowering and positive solutions. The book is recommended for children ages 4-12 but the message is truly ageless.  The beautiful illustrations in the book are timeless watercolors that all ages enjoy. Since the book was publsihed in 2017 it made such a positive impact on the community that it rapidly flourished into a social and emotional learning (SEL) program created by the author that is used in elementary classrooms across the country!

Hello Gardeners! November is somewhat of a transitional month. It's that time right before the holiday season where we stop and reflect on what we have, show gratitude, and pay forward some of our good fortune. The cornucopia, also known as the 'horn of plenty', is a symbol that is often associated with this time of year because of its representation of the harvest, abundance, and good fortune. Rachel Ruysch, "Fruit, a nest, a lizard and insects in a wood", oil on canvas During this time of year, we look for ways to encourage 'gardeners' of all ages to show gratitude for their 'flowers' and appreciate their gardens. This year in particular given our recent shift in perspectives, we find ourselves grateful for the opportunity to 'safely' see family and friends, we are grateful for our health, we honor those who are working tirelessly to protect us - the list goes on and on. So today, we have the perfect goodie for you to share with loved ones for this special time of year. Keep reading to see what's in these sweet & salty cornucopias! What you'll need: Brown paper (you can also use a waffle cone if you have this!) Tape Scissors Filling: nuts, seeds, snacks (pretzels, sesame sticks, Chex, granola), candy (M&Ms, milk duds, chocolate covered raisins, etc.) F I R S T T H I N G S F I R S T Making your horn. Find some brown paper and cut out roughly the shape shown below. The easiest way to do this is to cut a square, trim the bottom two corners, and round off the top. Once you get the shape you like, tape the paper from the inside. Trim the top of the horn if you need to! M A K E Y O U R F I L L I N G Next you will need to make your cornucopia filling. Whether you want this to be savory, sweet, or salty. Mix together at least 4 different ingredients and overfill your horns. We went with almonds, walnuts, M&Ms, chocolate covered ginger, and milk duds for a nutty and chocolatey treat! R E A D Y T O D E L I V E R If you are planning on handing these out to classmates, neighbors, or family members, grab a cellophane bag. Place your horn in the bottom corner of the bag and wrap the excess bag around the point of the horn and tape so the horn stays in place. Overfill your horn with your filling, and twist the bag and tie with a decorative string or ribbon. Now you are ready to share! What did you include in your cornucopias? Let us know in the comments below, tag us @youareagardener, or email flower@youareagardener.com. Thanks for reading along gardeners and don't forget to #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! In our last post, we talked about Small Celebrations and how we were going to keep traditions alive by making Thanksgiving place cards and sending them to those with whom we normally celebrate. Well - that gave us another idea! For those of us hoping to connect virtually with family over the Thanksgiving holiday, why not send them a Thanksgiving package so we can all celebrate together? You can fill your package with anything meaningful to your family - recipes, games, decorations. We've got some ideas to make this Thanksgiving feel just as, if not more, special thank any before! First, lets start with a craft that can serve as a napkin ring OR a place card holder. Check out this gobble-stopping, turkey-tastic craft! Here is what you'll need: 1 paper towel / toilet paper tube cute into a 3" long piece Red and orange construction paper Googly eyes Scissors Stapler Glue First, cut your tube so it is roughly 3 inches in length and cut small strips of the red and orange paper. Take one strip of paper at a time and bend each in half so it creates a tear drop shape. After you make a few of these shapes, staple them to one side of your tube's openings. Once you have all of the "feathers" in place, glue your googly eyes to the front of the tube. Cut a small triangle from the orange paper to make the beak and glue beneath the eyes. If you are making this into a place card holder, take your scissors and make a small cut on opposite sites of the tube opening to hold your place card. If you are just using as a napkin holder, you can skip this last step! Then you are ready to set your Thanksgiving table! These Turkey Place Card Holders / Napkin Rings would make a wonderful addition to our Thanksgiving packages, don't you think? To make your Thanksgiving package, gather notes, handwritten recipes, turkey place cards, physical video chat invitations, our Sweet & Salty Cornucopias, thankful cards, and holiday games and place them in a padded mailer. Address to each of your family members and instruct them to open on Thanksgiving day. This way, everyone can feel like they are a part of the same table! How are you keeping your holiday traditions alive this year? Let us know in the comments below and remember gardeners, #TheFutureIsBright! . . . @youareagardener | flowers@youareagardener.com | You Are A Gardener™

Our family always makes a big deal over miniature things! We love it when life sized items shrink down to smaller versions. Every fall we scoop up tons of those teeny-tiny pumpkins that are so small they fit in the palm of your hand, also known as 'Jack Be Little' pumpkins. Given how much we love these adorable gourds, we thought it would be fun to put a gardener spin on this autumnal decoration and turn them into foxes! Scroll down to see how we magically turned our 'jack be little' pumpkins into foxes! This crafts is fun for gardeners of all ages because it only requires construction paper, glue, tape, scissors and simple cuts. -For the ears we cut out rounded triangles on orange construction paper and then glued on smaller triangular cuts from white paper. -For the tail we cut a dramatic tear drop shape on orange construction paper and made small white pointed cuts on white paper and glued it to the tail. -For the face we cut a small white heart shape and drew the eyes and nose with a marker. -We then taped all the cutouts to the pumpkin from behind. (see cutouts in photo below) This is a fun, fall craft to do at home or in the classroom. It uses simple materials and takes about 15-20 minutes. Arts & Crafts are wonderful 'gardening tools' for kids emotional toolkit. They encourage creativity, help develop fine motor skills, and fosters a positive sense of attention to detail. If you would like to do some more fun kids DIY projects and crafts, Click Here!

Whether or not you have your costume picked out, today we are getting you in the Halloween spirit! Our gardening team has complied all our favorite #PullYourWeeds® Posts highlighting the tricks and treats to for a frightfully fun Hallows' Eve! From BOOtiful breakfast ideas, cider donut french toast, to paper mache pumpkins, whatever you love about Halloween... we've got you covered! >> Click Here If You Dare << Click the flashing photo for some Spooktacular Halloween Inspo 🎃 #PullYourWeeds®

It's almost turkey time so today on the #PullYourWeeds® Blog we've got some gobble-stopping, turkey-tastic crafts to decorate your Thanksgiving table! Arts & crafts are wonderful activities when it come to children's emotional health and well-being. They encourage independence, creativity and are a positive distraction with rewarding and tangible results. We love these Turkey Table Toppers that make for adorable place settings or napkin holders. Click Here for step-by-step instructions! Make a big impression with these joyful, little Thumbprint Turkey Place Pettings that can also be sent out as holiday cards! Click Here to see how to make this turkey-tastic craft! We're spilling over with gratitude for this sweet little cornucopia of snacks. These make for pretty place settings or as a Thanksgiving goodie bag! Click Here to learn how to make this sweet and salty snack! Happy Thanksgiving Gardeners! We are grateful for all love your and support and helping us spread some seeds!

When the first snowflake falls so does the longing for cozying into a cup of hot chocolate. There is something so nostalgic about holding that warm mug of creamy, sweet goodness in your hands after playing outside in the snow. When made from scratch, drinking hot cocoa can be beneficial to your health. According to treehugger.com there are several benefits to drinking a cup of Hot Cocoa: The flavonoids in hot chocolate help your body process nitric oxide, which is why hot cocoa can improve blood flow, help lower your blood pressure and improve heart health. That's why today on the #PullYourWeeds Blog we are sharing with you our very own Homemade Hot Cocoa recipe made with simple ingredients you most likely have in your kitchen. To put an even sweeter spin on this recipe we started ours with a brown sugar base. Scroll down for the full recipe. ❅ Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipe ❅ 1/8 Cup of Unsweetened Cocoa 1/4 Cup of Brown Sugar 2 Cups of Milk 1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla 1/2 to 1 Tbsp of Sugar (if needed) Mix all ingredients in a saucepan on the stove over low to medium heat. Once all ingredients have melted and blended together, give it a taste to see if needs a little more sugar. This recipes serves 2. We hope you and your family enjoy our hot cocoa recipe. The warm memories that are made when drinking hot chocolate together can be extra sweet for gardeners of all ages! P.S.-CHECK OUT PALM HARBOR BOUTIQUE FOR THESE ADORABLE SNOWMEN MARSHMALLOWS! CLICK HERE ❅❅❅ Send us some of your favorite cozy, cold weather recipes to flowers@youareagardener.com

Since You Are a Gardener® children's book was published in December of 2017, Shanna Truffini has developed several new social and emotional (SEL) programs to help empower children with tools and skills to help their gardens grow healthy and strong. 1. Hello Gardeners® & Camp Hello Gardeners Videos 📽 One of the first programs to sprout was the video series, Hello Gardeners®. This idea came from Shanna Truffini's daughter, Anna when she was only 8 years old. She had the idea to create a show where every episode Anna and her brother Aidan would help other children pull their weeds and turn them into seeds, plus feature a fun craft or mindfulness activity. They filmed their fist episode in their grandparent's greenhouse in the fall of 2018 along with the talents of videographer Kelsey DeLaney, who is also the illustrator of You Are a Gardener®. Since then they have filmed over 20 episodes and also created a spin off series this summer called Camp Hello Gardeners® CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE 2. The You Are a Gardener® SEL Program for Educators 📝 As Shanna Truffini's family embraced the vocabulary and tools of the You Are a Gardener® mindset, her young children (then 6 and 8) asked Truffini to tell their teachers about 'flowers, weeds and seeds". This is what planted the idea to create a You Are a Gardener social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum for educators. Truffini consulted with her 'panel of experts' including a cognitive behavioral therapist, 4th grade teacher, student counselor, mindfulness instructor, wellness coach and a few others to help her create a powerful program that establishes a bright and positive classroom environment. Truffini will present her curriculum for teachers in-person or via zoom. The curriculum provides access to activities, exercises and materials for educators to use all year round. For more information and pricing send an email to flowers@youareagardener.com 3. The #PullYourWeeds® SEL Workshops for Children Ages 4-11 📚 Connecting with children and spreading the You Are a Gardener seeds is something that Truffini is extremely passionate about. This particular program includes a reading of her You Are a Gardener™️ children’s book, an interactive SEL workshop and fun (downloadable) prizes for students. The workshop runs about 30-35 minutes and Shanna can attend in-person or virtually join a classroom or organization. Click here for a quick video highlighting this program for your school, family or group. To book now and get a quote for your class/school please send an email to flowers@youareagardener.com 4. The #PullYourWeeds® Blog 💻 The evolution of the #PullYourWeeds® Blog started in February of 2019. Truffini's intention was to create a virtual destination for families and educators to learn more about the values of adapting positive Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) skills and tools for children. The blog features 2-3 new posts a week all rooted in empowering children with tools to hep their gardens grow healthy and strong-it features crafts, healthy recipes, inspirational stories, free resources, mindfulness activities, videos and more! Click here to Read More. 6. Weeds to Seeds Newsletter 🌱 In the fall of 2020 Truffini created a weekly "Weeds to Seeds' e-newsletter that is delivered to your inbox every Friday. Each week the email features hopeful and helpful content all rooted in empowering teachers, families and children with gardening tools to help manage stress and big emotions through an empowering process. To get on our list, please contact us at flowers@youareagardener.com 7. Spreading Seeds 🎙 To learn more about Shanna Truffini and the You Are a Gardener® + #PullYourWeeds® Programs- Click Here to listen to her featured on podcasts, iheart radio and local tv interviews. To book Shanna Truffini as a speaker for your next event please email all inquiries to flowers@youareagardener.com For booking information please email flowers@youareagardener.com. #PullYourWeeds | #FutureIsBright | #YouAreAGardener

Meet author Shanna Truffini and learn about how the seed that blossomed into the You Are a Gardener® Social & Emotional Learning Platform was planted! PRESS PLAY TO WATCH OUR VERY FIRST VIDEO FOR YOU ARE A GARDENER (This video was filmed in August of 2017 before we even had a copy of our book!) Shanna Truffini’s children’s book You Are a Gardener™ (find the book here) uses gardening vocabulary as ‘emotional metaphors’ to teach young children the importance of identifying the ‘flowers’ and ‘weeds’ in their everyday life. (The flowers are our joyful, positive feelings & emotions and the weeds are our negative/uncomfortable feelings, thoughts and emotions.) The book was born out of Truffini's determination to find a positive solution to help her family overcome obstacles put in their path. Through embracing the gardener’s lifestyle and using the child friendly vocabulary of this book, Shanna Truffini’s young family was able to communicate and problem solve life’s everyday challenges. This new path that opened up for her family has empowered her children with the gift of knowing what it takes to care for and maintain a healthy and happy garden.  She encourages families, teachers and anyone who interacts with young children on a daily basis to embrace this system with the hope it will raise a new generation of gardeners. The You Are a Gardener® children's book came out in January of 2018 and since then Truffini and her young family are on a mission to get out in their community and plant the ‘seeds’ for emotional well-being in children and adults alike. “A few years ago my family encountered an unforeseen event that caused my daughter who was 5 at the time to have post traumatic stress. As much as we did to stay ahead of it with regular therapy, her stress started taking root and manifested into to anxiety. As a Mom on a mission I was determined to help my family find a positive solution to help our daughter overcome her struggles.” We hope you'll join us on our #PullYourWeeds journey towards empowering children with the vocabulary, tools and skills it takes to know they have the power to control the way they feel.