Do you ever find yourself watching something on TV that makes you feel so uncomfortable you change the channel? With just one click of a button you can find yourself in a calmer, more relaxed state. What if I were to tell you, you have the same power to do this with your own thoughts! An exercise our family likes to practice is called "Change the Channel". Whenever we find ourselves watering our weeds, (thinking/focusing on negative thoughts and emotions) it's time to change the channel and tune into a calmer state. Our bodies come with a built in sensor to help notify us when we are experiencing these negative thoughts/emotions and those sensors are called feelings. Some feelings that alert us are: tight stomach, tense shoulders, short breathing, overall body tension, clenched fists, headache...the list goes on. The next time you experience any of these negative feelings, pay attention to your thoughts and change the channel. Find a positive thought, mantra or prayer to focus on to help you get to a calmer frequency. According to the National Science Foundation, "an average person has about 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day. Of those, 80% are negative and 95% are repetitive thoughts. If we repeat those negative thoughts, we think negative way more than we think positive thoughts." Given how many thoughts we have in a day it may seem impossible to change the channel every time we are on a negative one. Finding that positive frequency is just like exercising, the more consistent you are, the more it becomes part of your daily routine. Consider this particular exercise as another 'gardening tool' we can use to help our gardens grow healthy and strong. As gardeners, the more tools we have to pull our weeds and plant new seeds, the brighter our flowers will be! If you are literally looking to change the channel and put on some #PositivieScreenTime for your kids...watch a few episodes of Camp Hello Gardeners® and Hello Gardeners®-Click Here To Watch Now! #PullYourWeeds | #PlantNewSeeds | #YouAreAGardener

Hello Gardeners! We are just on the cusp of Spring and with that comes a chance to restart and refresh. Spring has always been a symbol for new beginnings - we are just about to see the bare and brown environment explode into bright greens and yellows and pinks right before our very eyes. For us gardeners the Spring can be a great time to set new goals and intentions and there's no better time to plant seeds to help those ideas blossom into reality. To get us in the sunny, Spring spirit, we thought today would be a great day for a gardening craft! Get out your seed packets, find some seed starting containers, and let's get planting! If you need some seed starting containers, you can always reuse K-cups, egg cartons, toilet paper rolls, etc. Today we are making Garden Markers so that you can keep track of where you planted specific seeds. We've got three ways to make your markers - ranging from simple to advanced, so get ready to challenge yourself! Feel free to get creative and make your markers your own! Enjoy the beautiful weather and let's get ready for a brand new season! CLICK HERE TO GET A COPY OF YOU ARE A GARDENER TODAY! We love seeing your creations! Share your creations with us by tagging us in your photos or sending them right to our inbox! #PullYourWeeds | #PlantNewSeeds | #YouAreAGardener

Are you ready to introduce the You Are a Gardener® vocabulary and mindset into your home or classroom? Check out our 5 Easy Ways you and your kids can start gardening today! #1-Get The Book The You Are a Gardener® children's book is a wonderful way to introduce the 'gardening' vocabulary and mindset into your home, group or classroom. The book features beautiful illustrations done with watercolors on paper. The fox, aka Foxie seen throughout the book and all our branding was inspired by the Truffini's family cat named Mr. Fox. Get a Signed Copy of You Are a Gardener® Today...Click Here #2-Download The Garden Cycle Just like all plants have a life cycle, so does the foundation of You Are a Gardener™ . The roots of all our programs encourage children to identify, communicate and manage uncomfortable emotions, feelings and thoughts, through a positive and empowering process. Introduce the vocabulary and mindset to your kids today! Click Here to Read More & Download a free PDF version of the Garden Cycle for your home or classroom. #3-Read The #PullYourWeeds® Blog Every week we create 3-5 new posts all rooted in empowering children, families and educators with 'gardening tools' and free resources to help their gardens grow healthy and strong! Featuring crafts, kid-friendly recipes, inspirational stories, mindfulness activities and more! Click Here to See What We Just Posted On The #PullYourWeeds®Blog! #4-Sign Up For Our Weeds to Seeds Newsletter Every week we send out one newsletter to your inbox- full of helpful, hopeful and joyful content all rooted in empowering children, families and educators with tools, resources and information to keep the You Are a Gardener® mindset thriving! Click Here to Sign Up For Our Weeds to Seeds Newsletter Today! #5-Watch Our Hello Gardeners® & Camp Hello Gardeners® Videos Kids will love our Hello Gardeners® and Camp Hello Gardeners® video series! These fun filled video sessions show 'gardeners' of all ages using the vocabulary and gardening tools in real life. If you or your child has a special skill, talent or inspirational story and would like to be featured in an upcoming video please email flowers@youareagardener.com. Click Here To Watch Our Videos Now! For more information about any of our programs, virtual SEL workshops or to join our gardening team please send an email to flowers@youareagardener.com!

Today we are flashing back to the sweetest episode of Hello Gardeners® that aired in February of 2020. In this episode Gardener Anna & Gardener Aidan help 8 year old Max with his fear of public speaking, they meet up with Gardener Anne from @rebeldaughtercookies and have some extra sweet surprises along the way 🍪 Watch Now! Hello Gardeners® is a grass roots, self-funded video series created to help empower kids with tools to help their gardens grow healthy and strong. Social and emotional development for children is needed now more than ever. Our Hello Gardeners® video series is a beautiful introduction for kids to start learning how to identify, communicate and manage their emotions in a positive and productive way! >>Watch more episodes here: https://www.youareagardener.com/hello-gardeners<< To learn more about Anne Grossman of Rebel Daughter Cookies® CLICK HERE! #HelloGardeners​ #SweetEpisode​ #LifeIsSweet​

Shanna Truffini, author of You Are a Gardener® along with her Illustrator Kelsey Jordan, are now performing virtual assemblies for the #PullYourWeeds® Program in elementary schools nationwide. This live virtual, 45 minute program is rooted in social emotional learning (SEL) skills, growth mindset tools, self-empowerment, confidence building, conflict resolution skills and mindfulness activities. Live Assembly Breakdown: -Book reading of You Are a Gardener® by the author -Book discussion on the power of flowers, weeds and seeds and why it’s so important to #pullyourweeds (with visual aids/media) -Introduce students to a mindfulness activity (aka a gardening tool) -A guided drawing of our signature fox with the illustrator -Personalized Q & A -All students will receive a You Are a Gardener® certificate of completion along with a digital activity kit with games and coloring sheets Requirements: -Zoom link for the assembly -Students to have a piece of paper and something to draw with during the assembly -5 questions (3 for the author 2 for the illustrator) for the Q&A portion of the assembly from students or faculty along with their photo (submitted 2 weeks prior & photo permission must be approved) -School logo, colors, mascot and any special information about your school provided 3-4 weeks prior -An appointed contact from your school to work directly with Shanna Truffini prior to the assembly and for a follow up call 2 weeks post assembly Book Sales: If your school/PTO would like to promote selling personalized copies of You Are a Gardener®️ to the students’ families, Shanna Truffini will donate 10% back from all sales to your school/group. A pre-order book form will be provided. For booking and pricing information please send an email to flowers@youareagardener.com. To share this information with your family, friends, PTO or your school click on the flyer to download the PDF version. Click the flyer to download the PDF version! Children across the country are in great need of bright, hopeful, uplifting and empowering content. The #PullYourWeeds® Virtual Assembly was created to do just that! Plant some seeds at your school today and contact us at flowers@youareagardener.com!

It's that time of year when the snow melts away and patches of green grass start to show promise of Springtime ahead. While we wait for the flowers to push their way up to warmer days, we thought we would share some of our favorite flower crafts we have featured on the #PullYourWeeds Blog. Springtime Terrariums- Add a little brightness to your week and your windowsills with these adorable spring inspired terrariums! Click Here for step-by-step directions. 2. Helpful Hands Bouquets-Here is an uplifting craft to help remind you to be thankful for the friends and family in your life! Click Here for materials needed and directions. 3. Flower Power Paper Chains-This fun and festive craft helps re-frame your space and brightens up any room! Think springy thoughts gardeners! Brighter days are just around the corner! If you have a fun flower craft that you would like to share, send us an email to flowers@youareagardener.com!

When Aidan asks about the day he was born I always tell him it was like finding the missing piece to the puzzle. It was as if our family was waiting for him to complete the picture. So, it comes as no surprise that this kid LOVES doing puzzles! Did you know that puzzles are one of the best educational toys you can give a child? The benefits that puzzles provide, support a child's cognitive, physical, mental and emotional development. Benefits of Puzzles For Kids ✔︎ Improves Memory ✔︎ Builds Self-Confidence ✔︎ Encourages Patience ✔︎ Uses Left & Right Brain ✔︎ Develops Fine Motor Skills ✔︎ Do Independently Or With a Group ✔︎ Develops Problem Solving Skills ✔︎ Encourages Cognitive Thinking ✔︎ Acheive Small Goals ✔︎ Uses Critical Thinking Skills Gardener Aidan would love to see pictures of the puzzles you and your family has completed. Send us your pictures to flowers@youareagardener.com. #PullYourWeeds | #MissingPiece #YouAreAGardener

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of being the 100th guest on Gill Donnell's Successful Women Podcast Show in England. On the Successful Women Podcast Show, Gill Donnell, author, speaker & personal development expert, interviews successful women who reveal the secrets of their success; how they have overcome challenges and grabbed at opportunities to accomplish their goals. Each episode will give tips and advice that you can take away and implement in your own life, including how to overcome the Impostor Syndrome and how to maintain a healthy work/life balance. Find out more about Gill and the Successful Women in Business Tribe at www.swibtribe.com To learn more about the roots of our programs and to hear where it's all 'growing'...LISTEN NOW! SCROLL DOWN TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST NOW! PRESS PLAY TO LISTEN IN ON iTunes > PRESS PLAY TO LISTEN IN ON SPOTIFY > PRESS PLAY TO LISTEN IN ON SUCCESSFUL WOMEN PODCAST > THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN & THANK YOU TO GILL FOR SPREADING SOME SEEDS IN THE U.K.!

Let’s face it...as cute as they are, Brussel sprouts don't always get an adoring response from kids! That's why today on the #PullYourWeeds Blog we are sharing a kid-approved, sheet pan sprout recipe. The secret to this tasty, easy side dish is tahini which is the main ingredient in hummus. The added bonus to this recipe is Brussel sprouts are loaded in fiber, vitamin k and vitamin c which is wonderful for the immune system and tahini is packed with healthy fats, vitamin b and vitamin E. Roasted Sprouts ✔︎ 2 Pounds Brussel Sprouts Halved2 Tbsp Olive Oil ✔︎ Salt & Pepper To Taste Tahini Drizzle ✔︎ 1/3 Cup Tahini ✔︎ 1 Large Clove Garlic-Minced ✔︎ 2 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice ✔︎ Salt To Taste (1-2 Tbsp Water If Needed) -Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut Brussel sprouts in half and put on a sheet pan. Drizzle and toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes flipping half way until browned and crispy. -While Brussel sprouts are roasting, combine tahini drizzle ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy-you may need to add a little water until you reach desired thickness. Drizzle over Brussel sprouts and serve. For a fun twist you could also add to your sheet pan-bacon or pancetta, black olives, lemon slices, chopped almonds and more! We would love to hear some of your favorite family favorite sheet pan recipes! Send us an email to flowers@youareagardener.com for a chance to be featured in an upcoming post. #PullYourWeeds | #FutureIsFlowers | #WeedsToSeeds

I received this beautiful message from my darling Aunt Bunny and was so moved by her words that I wanted to share it with all of you. "Hi My Darling, Just listened to your wonderful presentation with the charming lady from England. Simply amazing what you, Anna Fay, Aidan, and your artistic friends have created! I thought about a beautiful happening with Joshua many years ago. We were visiting wonderful friends. Joshua knew a few of the people, but this one young lady approached him and they had a great time visiting. When we left, Joshua said that the young lady, Leanne, was so filled with color. I had never heard anyone say such a thing. After that, when shopping in a most unique store in Aurora NY, I found beautiful little wooden spoons that had flowers printed on them. I purchased many, and when Joshua and I met giving, caring, and sharing beautiful people over the years, we knew they were filled with color, thus each was given their special spoon. Well honey , your great presentation brought this little story to mind. All my love to you and your outstanding gorgeous family. Huge kisses to Anna Fay and Aidan. Biggest hugs, Bunny and doggy boy Laddie" When I think of all the bright and joyful people I have encountered in my life, My Aunt Bunny is a shining example of someone who is so 'filled with color' that every time she is in our presence we feel complete and pure joy. Her love and support through the years has certainly helped us to keep moving forward and share our colors with everyone we meet. <> Sending a letter or a heartfelt email is the next best thing to showing up at someone's door. The emotional health benefits of sharing your authentic thoughts and appreciation for someone is an incredibly rewarding process for both yourself and the recipient. Let somebody know how you are feeling today!

Hello Gardeners! With the end of summer approaching and the beginning of a new and incredibly unique school year ahead of us, we've found that with every day comes new emotions. Somedays we feel hopeful and motivated, others we feel stressed or overwhelmed - whatever you are feeling, don't be afraid to talk to your family members about it! This time has really made us reflect on one of our many mottos, "choose joy." We recently came across a quote from Laura Pedersen of the Choose Joy Foundation. She said, "The most important word in 'choose joy' isn't 'joy' - it is 'choose'." Choice assumes perspective, seeing and understanding your options and picking which way you will go. If this uncertain time has given us anything, it's perspective! CHOOSE to be the brightness on a dull day - help lift those who are having a hard time! We've got a fun and festive activity - perfect for making those video chats, virtual birthday parties, or even the first day of home school EXTRA special! We are making Flower Paper Chains to reframe our space! Here is what you'll need: Colored paper Scissors Tape OR a stapler To make the paper chains, cut your paper into think strips, bend them into a circle, and secure with tape or a staple. Thread the next paper strip through the previous circle before securing to add links to the chain! We like to cut up all of our materials first - be sure to cut out some circles to make your paper chain's flowers! To make the flowers, take 5 strips of paper and bring the two ends together to make a teardrop shape and secure with tape or a staple. Arrange the 5 "petals" around your center circle and staple in place. Use two circles, one on top and one below to cover the ends of your petals! Then just loop through one of the petals to continue your paper chain! Hang your chain around your favorite inspirational saying, in your bedroom, or as a background for your next video chat! Guaranteed to inspire smiles and joy to all! Keep pulling your weeds and enjoying the beauty of your gardens! Shower yourself and others with kindness and care, and make a habit to #ChooseJoy when you can! Take care, gardeners : )

Hello Gardeners! All of us on the Gardening Team hope that you and your families are hanging in there, staying healthy, and staying on the bright side. In the coming weeks, we are going to have ups and downs, we may start feeling lonely, or catch a case of cabin fever, or experience weeds we've never encountered before. WE ARE HERE FOR YOU! Send us your flowers and weeds, send us pictures of the crafts and activities your and your family are doing, send us the recipes of the treats your are making to stay cheery, or just say hey - we love hearing from you! Today we've got a special craft for you - a craft to help remind you to be thankful for the friends and family in your life! We will be making 💐 #HelpingHandFlowers 💐 !! Here's what you'll need: Construction paper (multiple colors) Scissors Tape Pencil Start out by tracing your hand at least four times on construction paper. Cut out your hands and one thin rectangle of a different color of paper. Fold your thin rectangle in half and on the folded side, make thin cuts (about two inches down) to create a sort of fringe. Then, fan out your hands like you would a hand of playing cards, and tape the bottoms together with one long piece of tape. Next, roll up your fringe piece and tape that on one of the palms of the hands. Roll up your taped hands around the orange fringe piece and secure with another piece of tape. Final step: curl the fingers outward by rolling the paper around a pen or pencil. TA-DA!! You have a flower! Feel free to mix and match colors, use different sized hands - make them your own! You can put these #HelpingHands on the back of your pencils, or put them on pipe cleaner stems to make a bouquet, or give them to someone you love! Little gestures can have a BIG impact! For all you #gardeners that are feeling overwhelmed and uncertain, here is a message from #GardenerAnna: Thanks for reading along today, gardeners - stay on the bright side and #PullYourWeeds!