Aidan was learning about fragments the other day and read this description out loud, “Fragments are pieces of sentences that have become disconnected from the main clause.” This is how I am feeling about our current state of affairs with families, colleagues and neighbors in such a state of divide...we are so to speak, totally fragmented. We have become so rooted in our own experiences we are having a hard time seeing things from another’s perspective. One thing that connects us all as human beings is the universal desire to want and feel good’...not feel scared, not feel stressed, not feel sick, not feel bad...just to feel good. What we are doing in our own lives today is having major impact on all of our futures. This energy we are creating now will be felt for future generations. We are all part of this great big, beautiful sentence that needs one another to come together in a cohesive manner to effectively communicate our ‘main clause’ and right now that is to ‘feel good’, and not bad-no matter what your beliefs are. So as we stand on the brink of the entire world feeling vulnerable, scared, and stressed, I find myself searching for solutions on what I can do as one individual to help us come together, reconnect and feel good. I will continue to write/post positive, hopeful, and honest content that is rooted in empowering our children and ourselves with positive conflict resolution skills. I will put extra effort into spreading the word about my social and emotional learning programs that help unite children, families and educators with tools and skills to positively identify, communicate and navigate big emotions. When I am with my family, friends and colleagues I will try my best to ‘respond’ to uncomfortable encounters when they occur instead of ‘reacting’, knowing that the energy I create effects all of those around me. I will be accepting of others opinions even if we see things differently. I will continue to teach my children to be accepting and including of all human beings, no matter what...because the truth is, at the end of the day, if we all use what we learned from today, together we can make tomorrow a brighter place. ~Shanna Truffini Click Here to learn more about Shanna Truffini and the seeds she is planting for children, families and educators!

Forward and growing is a motto I say a lot around here and is very much rooted in the evolution of the #PullYourWeeds® Blog. When I started this blog in February of 2019 my intention was to create a virtual destination for families and educators to learn more about the value of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) skills and tools for children and while this is still at the root of the platform, the direction of the blog continues to grow. Anna and Aidan were only 6 and 8 years old when the You Are a Gardener® seeds were planted and as they grow, so does our content. By our own definition 'pull your weeds' means to talk about your negative feelings and emotions with someone you trust to come up with positive solutions to help you move forward. What #PullYourWeeds stood for when we started has now blossomed into an entire way of being for our family. Talking about your feelings is at the root of it all, while adding skills and tools to our 'emotional toolbox' is where it is also growing. Our family is consistently trying new recipes, crafts, mindfulness exercises, meeting new 'gardener' friends and responding to 'real life' encounters that we are experiencing on a day to day basis. We are happy you are here with us on our journey and look forward to seeing where it all 'grows'! Thank you to all our 'gardener' friends who continue to help us grow and spread some seeds! We love to hear from our fellow 'gardeners', if you have any fun crafts, kid-friendly recipes or 'tools' to add to our toolbox, please send us an email to flowers@youareagardener.com. You Are a Gardener® | #PullYourWeeds®

This week I had the pleasure of being the guest speaker for the Believe Inspire Grow (B.I.G.) Morristown Pod. B.I.G. is a women's empowerment organization that offers women the inspiration, community and tools they need to move their lives forward both personally & professionally. Using the power of positive peer support coupled with trend-setting information on topics you need to move your goals forward, they provide never-ending opportunities to explore, develop and embrace the person you want to be.  Click Here to learn more about their amazing organization! It was an honor to present to such a welcoming and supportive community! Stress and anxiety in young children is on the rise and my You Are a Gardener® Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs are all rooted in empowering children and families with positive tools to help them navigate their emotions. Conversations and discussions like these are needed now more than ever. Click Here to connect with me about booking future events for your group or send an email to flowers@youareagardener.com. I owe a big thank you to Julia Hickman of The Petite Fastinista for making this connection and helping me spread some seeds. Check out "Gardener Julia" in our videos below: Click Here To Watch Now Press Play

Hello Gardeners! We love to share activities that evoke creativity and making things by hand, because when you make something from nothing it builds your confidence. Just like your muscles, creativity and imagination are skills that can be improved and strengthened the more you exercise them. Arts and crafts are all about having fun and can be stress relieving too, but you also are also figuring out how materials work, problem solving, strengthening fine motor skills and transforming ideas to physical things. The social and emotional learning (SEL) benefits are endless! The more you create the more you will find yourself taking on more challenging projects.! In honor of that, today we have just that - a more challenging craft! This one requires lots of cutting, multiple steps, and a bit of patience, so if you're up for it keep reading to see what you'll need 👇(Adult Supervision Recommended) M A T E R I A L S: Cardboard Scissors Newspaper (cut into strips) Masking tape Glue + Water mixture (mix 1 tbsp of water with every 3 tbsp of glue) Decorations (strips of paper, pom-poms, paint, glitter, fabric, etc.) Watch our #HowTo video to see how to create your perfect letter! Cardboard letters are one of those things that we see so often, but don't always think to make ourselves. Have fun problem solving creating the letters you wish to make, exercise creative decision-making when choosing how to decorate, and practicing patience when working through each and every step! Let us know what you think of this #PullYourWeedsApproved craft in the comments below or on our social media pages! Thanks for reading along and happy crafting ✂️🖍️

Anyone else feeling a little upside down these days? On days when I find that I just can't seem to make heads or tails of a situation I love to flip through my poetry books I had when I was younger. As a child I loved poems, especially ones that were written by Shel Silverstein. His silly subjects, playful words and joyful rhythm of his writing was (and still is) like music to my ears. I recently flipped through my copy of 'Falling Up" and came across a beautiful inscription written by my mother that got me thinking....Even though the last few months we may have felt like we were falling down, maybe we were actually 'falling up'. (Click Here For More Info About You Are a Gardener®) Getting back on your feet and looking up can often be harder than the actual fall itself. Sometimes it takes getting turned upside down to learn which way you see is the right side up. It is in the 'fall' that moments of greatness and strength can really shine. Falling down can be scary, but 'falling up' might just get us moving forward in the direction we were meant to go and help us to look at things from a different perspective. Looking at uncomfortable situations from different points of view helps us to better see the roots of where the problem is stemming from. Shining light on new perspectives can lead to positive and beneficial solutions. And that gardeners is what turning 'weeds into seeds' is all about. Keep your feet on the ground, your head to the sky and if you have to look down, don't worry...you just might fall up! Onward and Upward,, Shanna "When I was a little kid I used to think the dedication page in A Light In The Attic was for me because I had never met anyone else with my name. ~Shanna For more information about Shel Silverstein or to download free and fun resources for your classroom visit: http://www.shelsilverstein.com/learning/ Pull your weeds, plant your seeds and enjoy the flowers along the way...You are a gardener.

Hello Gardeners! Today, our very own Gardener Anna gives us a quick into/refresher on what it means to be a 'gardener'! Getting young kids to talk about big feelings/emotions and turn them into positive solutions is what our programs are all about (turning weeds into seeds). Scroll down to watch the video and read some facts about Gardener Anna! FUN FACTS ABOUT GARDENER ANNA: She came up the idea to make the Hello Gardeners® video series when she was only 8 years old! She always wears a headband with a flower on it in every episode (except for 2-see if you can guess which episodes). Anna is extremely passionate about spreading seeds. One of her biggest dreams is to go on an official Gardening Tour and connect with kids across the country. Helping kids feel comfortable to talk about big emotions and feelings is something Anna can appreciate on a personal level. She loves animals, baking, singing and acting! #PullYourWeeds

Hello Gardeners! Being able to recognize what you are feeling and why you are feeling it can be sometimes be a challenge. Having the ability to stop and figure out what you need in a particular moment is something that takes being honest with yourself, patience and trial & error. To find out what works best for you, is to try out various coping strategies. For example, when you find yourself stressed and have some 'weeds' popping up, try taking a walk, doing a quick breathing technique, or playing a game with a friend or family member. Keep track of what works to help you take your mind off your 'weeds' (your negative thoughts) and focus on your 'flowers' (your positive thoughts) but also take note of what doesn't help! Sometimes, we just need some alternate activities to disrupt those weeds from growing. That's why today in this #PullYourWeeds Blog post we are making "Self-Regulation Flower Pinwheels" which is 'positive distraction' tool to help you get out of the weeds and focus on your flowers! This flower themed pinwheel can help when you or your children are feeling sad, scared overwhelmed, or mad. Just spin the wheel and see what calming or relieving action you can take to help you try and redirect your thoughts. It's also a wonderful way to introduce new coping strategies at home or in the classroom! What you'll need: Cut a small circle out of one of the paper plates, a slightly larger circle from the second, and cut flower petals from the third. From the scraps cut out a very small circle, poke two holes in the center, and thread through your twist tie. Poke one hole in the center of each of your paper plates. Paint the plate with the petals like you would a flower and the two other plates colors of your choice. Attach all three layers - small circle, larger circle, circle with petals - by poking the twist tie strands through and securing. Then, cut out a square on the small circle and write "I feel..." above the cut out. On the second layer, write some of the difficult feelings you experience - stress, anxiety, sadness, frustration, impatience, etc. Then on the outer layer, write some enjoyable activities or techniques that help disrupt negative feelings and emotions - take a walk, read a book, listen to music, drink cold water, do a craft, talk to someone you trust, 5 minutes of deep breathing, take a bath, play a game... When you feel some of those difficult feelings coming on, spin your wheel of petals and give that coping strategy a try! Did you do this activity with you students or with you kids? Send us pictures of your pinwheels! This craft is a wonderful example of how to incorporate SEL art projects into your classroom and at home. Thanks for reading along and remember gardeners.... #PullYourWeeds!

If the earth is what we all have in common, let’s empower this younger generation with the skills and tools to make our world a brighter place. Onward! 💚 🌎🌸 Teaching young kids how to identify, communicate and manage big feelings and emotions and turn them into positive solutions can help make the future a brighter place for this younger generation. Emotional education is needed now more than ever and raising emotionally empowered kids just might be the change we need! You Are a Gardener®, Hello Gardeners® and the #PullYourWeeds® Blog are here as resources to help keep kids active, engaged and constantly communicating! We would love to hear from you and your thoughts on what we can add to our resources and tools to help keep things joyful and bright . Send us an email to flowers@youareagardener.com #HappyEarthDay#PullYourWeeds#PlantNewSeeds#YouAreAGardener .

On our quest to mix in new and nutritional meals that are both kid and family approved we recently tried some different farro recipes. For those of you who have never tried farro (like us) it is a healthy substitute to rice or pasta with it's chewy and satisfying texture, it is also very filling like a pasta. This ancient grain is packed with tons of nutritional value as it's high in protein, fiber, iron, zinc and magnesium. Eating healthy doesn't just play a key role in your physical health, it can also affect your emotional well-being, too. After a little mixing and matching we came up with a fresh and flavorful Spiced Chickpea Farro Salad...with the added bonus that it is packed with 3 power ingredients that support major heart and brain benefits! Farro-Is exceptionally high in protein for a grain and supplies more than 10 different vitamins and minerals. Chickpeas-Are an excellent protein replacement when you want to skip the meat and they are loaded with vitamins and minerals like iron which plays an important role for boosting metabolism and producing energy. Tahini- Is a healthy fat that contains more protein than milk and most nuts. It is also rich source of B vitamins that boost energy and brain function. Scroll down to see how to make this fresh, filling and flavorful farro salad with spiced chickpeas and a citrus tahini dressing! Here is the recipe for the base of the farro salad: Here is the recipe for the spiced chickpeas to add to the farro salad: Here is the recipe for the Citrus Tahini dressing for the farro dish: Cooking Note: This recipe can be served immediately but the flavor gets deeper if it sits for at least an hour in the fridge. The salad can last up to 2-3 days in the fridge and can be made ahead of time. Getting your kids involved in the kitchen is a fun and hands on way to teach them about nutrition. Most kids know the value of fruits and vegetables and introducing them to new ingredients like farro is a wonderful and tasty way to appreciate healthy foods. Keeping mealtime a fun and engaging experience provides kids with a healthy foundation for future eating habits. Enjoy! Shanna

A seed was planted a couple of years ago all the way across in the pond in England when my mom was visiting some dear friends. She connected with our longtime friend's niece, Caroline and learned that she was a 4th grade teacher. She told her all bout my book and programs I was creating that were helping kids, families and teachers. Needless to say when my mother returned home, we sent Caroline a copy of my book. Just this past Friday I received the most unexpected, wonderful email from Caroline. In her first week back at school with her students, she introduced them to my children's book, You Are a Gardener® and the vocabulary of the program. "When you are a patient with a seed, it will sprout when you least expect it and bloom at just the right time." Shanna Truffini "Hi Shanna, I just wanted to share with you (permission sought from my head teacher) the work our class has done this week on the premise of your book.   We have spent the week using your book in guided readings to discuss emotions and feelings. The children were asked to write poems, here are a selection, I hope you can manage to read them. The children are in year 4, which is 8/9 year olds. Thanks again for gifting me the book, it’s been invaluable this week. Lots of love Caroline xx" The children were asked to write poems, here are a selection, I hope you can manage to read them. The children are in year 4, which is 8/9 year olds. It's encouraging to see that the language of flowers, weeds and seeds is now transcontinental. The application is universal thanks to Caroline and her year 4 class. You are gardeners! Cheers, Shanna If you would like to learn more about introducing the You Are a Gardener® Program into your classroom and expand on your current Social Emotional Learning (SEL) systems, please send an email to flowers@youareagardener.com.

It’s officially fall 🍂 and to celebrate we have just made all episodes of Camp Hello Gardeners® available as a FREE resource for kids, families and educators to enjoy! Camp Hello Gardeners® is a series of pre-recorded 30 minute videos featuring crafts, mindfulness activities, kid-friendly workouts, fun recipes, inspirational stories and so much more! Each video session comes with its own activity sheet for you and your gardeners to follow along with, as well as the materials needed for each session (most are common household items). CLICK THE PHOTO TO WATCH CAMP HELLO GARDENERS NOW The root of Camp Hello Gardeners® stemmed from the hit YouTube series, Hello Gardeners® with Gardener Anna and Gardener Aidan. In efforts to empower kids with tools, skills and vocabulary to identify, manage and navigate big emotions, these video session feature multiple skills and activities for kids to learn how to take control of the way they feel! Watch Now!

I got to spend a morning this summer (at a social distance) with the beautiful and talented Maria Falzo from HipNJ. It was actually their first day back in their Long Productions Studios since March and my second time back for an interview. I was so grateful to be on their lineup and to spread some seeds in my home state of NJ! Press Play to watch the video or Click Here to read the full write up on the HipNJ website. To see my interview I did last fall with Maria and her crew you can Click Here! Thank you Hip NJ for all the #LocalLove #NJLove #YouAreGardeners