Let's face it, we all have weeds...that's just a natural fact. As gardeners we need to be prepared when these weeds pops up. That's why we need gardening tools, lots and lots of gardening tools. Educating and empowering young kids with tools and skills to help them proceed confidently and calmly when they encounter stress is what our programs are all about. Knowing you have the abilty to control, calm and choose your own emotions by using the right tools is an empowering process for gardeners of all ages! Click here for more information about the #PullYourWeeds® Program. Let's say a young gardener (like Gardener Anna here) encounters a situation at school that makes them feel left out and embarrassed. A common response is being hard on yourself and replaying the situation over and over (we call that watering your weeds). But, instead of choosing to focus on their negative thoughts, this gardener chooses to sit quietly at their desk and do 3-5 deep breathing exercises, or pull out their pocket journal and read some of their favorite mini mantras, they may even choose to discreetly alert their teacher or counselor about their encounter. Helping young kids find the right gardening tools when the need them the most is at the very root of the You Are a Gardener® mindset. Click here for some of our favorite gardening tools! What are some of your favorite gardening tools? Send us an email to flowers@youareagardener.com

This month wraps up the fourth #PullYourWeeds® Workshops with the 4th graders from the Riverview School in Denville, NJ. Interacting and connecting with the students and teachers has been extremely rewarding and incredibly inspiring. Each month a new Social Emotional Learning (SEL) workshop for the students was created and presented in a google slide show. All media and designs were branded with our signature fox, fun elements and colors! In this 4th workshop at the Riverview School the students were presented with a fun recap of the You Are a Gardener® mindset, a 'Weeds to Seeds' story from a 12 year old who felt left out by her classmates at school, they learned 3 kid-friendly deep breathing exercises and were delighted with a pre-recorded guided drawing with our Illustrator. All students received a You Are a Gardener® Certificate of Completion as well as some fun resources for the classroom! The Virtual 30 Minute #PullYourWeeds® Presentations Include: -A "Gardener Recap" to encourage the students to feel confident with the vocabulary and mindset of the program. Consistency is key! -A 'Weeds to Seeds' story from a 'Peer Gardener". This interactive process builds conflict/resolution skills, encourages empathy and creates an open communication with a cognitive thinking process. -Introduce students to 2-3 new 'Gardening Tools'. These life skills/tools are rooted in self-compassion, mindfulness, growth mindset, confidence building, positive thinking and self-control. Introducing the #PullYourWeeds® Program to your students on a monthly basis is where the real benefits of the program take root! Classroom resources are provided to teachers to keep the program running all month long until the next workshop. Get your school on our schedule today. we only have a few spaces left for live workshops! Here are some of the Gardening Tool Badges The Students at Riverview School Earned! If you would like to learn more about planting some positive SEL roots at your school with our #PullYourWeeds® Program please email us at flowers@youareagardener.com. Let's get your students to start earning some You Are a Gardener® Badges!

This week on the radio we heard that Ritz crackers were trending on TikTok. In honor of all the buzz we are sharing a mini clip of Camp Hello Gardeners® where Gardener Aidan shows us multiple ways to make a basic Ritz® cracker not so basic. Getting young kids involved with meal preparations is wonderful for their social and emotional development. Taking responsibility for healthy and fun food choices helps boost their self-confidence, self-awareness and teaches life skills. Empowering young kids with skills and tools to help their 'gardens' grow healthy and strong is what our programs are all about. If you have a fun, kid-friendly recipe and would like to share it with our audience please email us at flowers@youareagardener.com Here are some of Gardeners Aidan's favorite ways to get creative with his Ritz® crackers: -Pizza Sauce & Mozzarella Cheese -Peanut Butter & Jelly -Cucumbers & Cream Cheese -Icing & Sprinkles -Ham & Cheese What creations will you make with your crackers? #RitzCrackers #KidsCooking #FunWithFood #YouAreAGardener

There is so much to celebrate and be thankful for, especially our freedom. Freedom to live, love, express, create, include and freedom to be ourselves. As we stand on the brink of one the most nostalgic childhood holidays, may we celebrate and give thanks for our independence and freedom that so many brave individuals stood up for. Land of the free, because of the brave. Freedom lies in being bold. ~Robert Frost Happy 4th of July, Gardeners! #PullYourWeeds #PlantYourSeeds #YouAreAGardener

Today the gardeners are showing you how to beat the heat and make the coolest craft ever...literally! Grab some ice cube trays, water, flour, food coloring and straws and get ready to make your own ice paint. This is a great indoor or outdoor activity for gardeners of all ages! Press Play to learn how to make your own ice paint! Scroll down to watch this full episode of Camp Hello Gardeners® where gardeners will learn how to create art from numbers, make DIY pictures frames, learn all about improv, make a kid-friendly and fun snack and more! Sensory activities like DIY ice paint are extremely beneficial when it comes to the social emotional development of young gardeners. Exploring new activities that encourage children to touch, feel, create and use their senses gives them a positive focus while using problem solving thinking. Plus, it's a fun way to cool down and create on a hot summer day! (you can also use tempura paint instead of food coloring) PRESS PLAY TO WATCH SESSION 4 OF CHG PRESS PLAY TO WATCH ONE OF OUR FAVORITE EPISODES OF CAMP HELLO GARDENERS®

Soooo...this just happened! @youareagardener has officially joined @twitter and by pure coincidence it is #nationalsocialmediaday! Spread some seeds and follow us along on this new adventure-Click Here 🐦 #theskiesthelimit#twitter#birdstheword

Did you know that our #PullYourWeeds® Blog was created for children, families and educators! Every week we share 2-3 new posts that are all rooted in empowering young kids with skills & tools to help their 'gardens' to grow healthy & strong. We love to feature, crafts, activities, mindfulness exercises, inspirational stories, videos, recipes and more that are fun for gardeners of all ages to help them feel confident and calm! Dig into the #PullYourWeeds® Blog....Click Here> If you have something special to share with our community and would like to be featured as a guest gardener on our blog please email us at flowers@youareagardener.com.

After a disconnected school year, the Madison Education Foundation generously provided a grant to sponsor the #PullYourWeeds® Program at the Central Avenue School in Madison, NJ. To help end the school year on a bright and uplifting note, Shanna Truffini and her Illustrator/Videographer, Kelsey Jordan delighted the 3rd, 4th and 5th graders of CAS by creating 'Madison's Longest Hopscotch'. Their incredibly supportive Principal, Mr. Thomas Liss handed out custom #PullYourWeeds® pins as prizes for completing the course! Everyone was jumping for joy...literally! Press Play to Watch Now > The #PullYourWeeds® program created by Shanna Truffini, Author of the children's book, You Are a Gardener® is rooted in empowering kids with positive social and emotional learning skills, mindfulness, growth mindset tools, self-compassion, confidence building, empathy and self-compassion. Some Flowery Feedback from CAS 'After a class discussion, we came up with the following: Olivia included this line in her Memory poem for the promotion ceremony. "I enjoyed The Brain Show and the Pull Your Weeds Program. I enjoyed many things at CAS" "The Hopscotch was really fun!" Harry "I really enjoyed drawing the fox and playing Hopscotch!" Giulia "The assembly was really inspirational!" Connor "The Hopscotch was the longest in Madison and the music went really well with it!" Alexandra "The assembly had a really good message, and I enjoyed the Hopscotch!" Efe You really made a wonderful impact on all of us! Very inspiring.' Pat (Patricia O'Brien Grade 5 Teacher at CAS) "I love the message and it made sense to me" -Student at CAS "We have a garden at home and I could relate to this assembly!" -Student at CAS The #PullYourWeeds® SEL Program embraces the power of the words flowers, weeds and seeds. This universal language helps create a new narrative for children to identify, communicate and manage their emotions through an empowering process. Since 2018, Shanna Truffini has been presenting her programs to children, teachers and parents. Get your school on our schedule and BOOK NOW! Bright, uplifting and positive content for kids is needed now more than ever. The #PullYourWeeds® Program is guaranteed to change the way children manage stress and big emotions with empowering results! Book a demo today! Email flowers@youareagardener.com Do you want to learn how to make You Are a Gardener's Longest Hopscotch? Click Here For a step-by-step tutorial!

Hello Gardeners! Summer is all about the outdoors - taking time to relax in nature and reflect on the day. Being outdoors decreases stress, improves mood, and encourages connection to something bigger than yourself! Today's craft is inspired by all the amazing dad's out there - it's our Upcycled Fish Craft, just in time for Father's Day! Scroll down for step-by-step instructions! Here is what you'll need: Egg carton (cardboard or styrofoam works best) Paint Scissors Googly eyes (if you have them!) Glue First, cut out the individual egg cups - I would suggest cutting 7-8. Then, pain them the color of your choice and let dry. Take one of the cups and fold in half and on the non folded side, cut out a triangle to make a tail fin shape. Next, cut out a bowtie shape from a flat piece of the egg carton. Poke holes in the tops of each egg cup (including the tail fin). Fold the bowtie piece in half and poke holes at the base of the widest part. Then, string on your pieces - start with the bowtie piece, then string on the 6 cups, then add the tail piece and tie a knot so it is hidden on the inside of the tail. Final touch - add a googly eye or drawn one on - and you are ready to hang! This craft is #PullYourWeedsApproved because it: Helps us strengthen our fine motor skills! Upcycles materials that would otherwise be thrown away. Makes a great gift for the outdoors lover in your family! Did you do this craft for Father's Day? Snap a photo and share it with us @youareagardener. Get outside, get some fresh air, and remember to #PullYourWeeds!

From teachers to parents, counselors to kids our seeds are spreading far and wide. We are so grateful for all the positive feedback and support from our loving community! To learn more about our workshops & programs Click Here!f If you have a special message you would like to share about how our book, videos or programs have empowered your kids, your family or yourself please send us an email to flowers@youareagardener.com.

Pins and patches have been making a major comeback these days; that's why we decided to create our very own custom #PullYourWeeds® Pins! Now for a limited time, all purchases of You Are a Gardener® will receive 2 limited edition #PullYourWeeds® pins! Scroll down to see where our pins are popping up! CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A COPY OF YOU ARE A GARDENER® AND GET YOUR FREE PINS TODAY! Thank you to #GardenerBill, owner of Densons Auto Repair in Martinsville, NJ for sending in a picture of how he sports his #PullYourWeeds® Pin...we love it with the patches!!! Send Us Photos of Your #PullYourWeeds Pins to flowers@youareagardener.com

One of the most powerful 'gardening tools' we can use is deep breathing. By taking deep breaths you can lower your heart rate, decrease your stress and increase your calm. The beautiful thing about this particular stress-relieving tool, is that you can do it anywhere at anytime. Today we are sharing with you 3 kid-friendly breathing exercises that can help gardeners of all ages get to a calmer and more confident state of mind. 1. Petal Breathing With your pointer finger on your other hand, point to the base of one petal and slowly trace the petal up towards the tip - inhaling as you go. Pause at the tip of the petal, and then use your pointer finger to trace back down the petal, exhaling until you reach the center of the flower. 2. Flower Breathing Pretend you have a flower in one hand and take a deep breath in & smell your flower. Now pretend you have a dandelion in the other hand, exhale & make a wish. (Repeat 3-5 times) #3. Blowing Bubbles Make your own color scented bubbles: Mix 4 Cups of Water with 1/2 Cup of Blue Dish Soap, 1/2 Cup of Sugar, A few Drops of Food Coloring & A Few Drops of Your Favorite Essential Oil (like lavender, vanilla, or ginger). >>Click Here To Watch This Full Episode of Camp Hello Gardeners®<<