Hello Gardeners! It's been a minute since we've shared a #WeedsToSeeds story. Today's story was found via BBC News and is about a teenager who started reading to a former librarian who stopped reading due to vision problems onset by Lupus. When we dug a little further, we found the organization that this teenager volunteered for called Reading Friends which is part of the Reading Agency. Reading Friends is based in the UK and their mission is to "tackle life’s big challenges through the proven power of reading." Simply put, they provide readers to people who are no longer able to read. The impact of this simple mission has far bigger benefits than anyone could have imagined. Many of the people who require readers suffer from dementia or diseases that have compromised their vision and in turn experience depression and loneliness. The beauty of this organization is that it addresses multiple issues simultaneously: it re-introduces literature and reading to those who can no longer read, it provides connection and communication to those who are deprived of it, and it benefits the readers' in countless ways socially and emotionally. The Reading Agency has developed their programming to include not just older people, but kids, teens, adults with dementia, and inmates, and have created a fun sense of community around reading again! We love that such a simple mission has spread seeds of positivity and joy to over a million people! It doesn't matter how old you are, where you come from, what your life experience has been - we can all enjoy a good book. And what better way to enjoy a good book, than to enjoy it with good company? This #WeedsToSeeds story just goes to show you that it doesn't matter who you are, we all have weeds - and it takes talking with those who will listen and support us to help pull them out! Please go check out Reading Friends & the Reading Agency to see the amazing seeds they've spread in the UK. Here's a little gardening task for you - consider reading You Are A Gardener to someone you love this weekend! Always remember gardeners, no matter your age, your ability, or your background, #TheFutureIsBright!

For Booking & Pricing Info CLICK HERE Calling all Educators 📢 Shanna Truffini, is now booking her #PullYourWeeds Program for students in grades K-5 for all distance learning classrooms. The program includes a book reading of the You Are a Gardener™️ children’s book, an interactive SEL workshop and fun (downloadable) prizes for students upon completion. The workshop runs about 30-35 minutes and Shanna can join your virtual classroom or provide you with a zoom link. To book now and get a quote for your class/school please send an email to flowers@youareagardener.com This workshop is also available for children's organizations and private groups such as libraries, children's book stores, kids crafting groups, non-profit organizations and friends who want to connect their kids with positive screen time. The #PullYourWeeds™️ Program is rooted in empowering kids with tools to identify and communicate negative feelings and emotions and turn them into positive solutions (weeds to seeds). For the last few years, Shanna Truffini has currently been presenting her programs to children, teachers and parents in her home state of New Jersey and is now available to spread her seeds on a national level. Book a workshop today! 🌸🌱🌻 To watch a quick introduction video to the You Are a Gardener™ Programs and #PullYourWeeds Workshop CLICK HERE! FOR PRICING & BOOKING INFO SEND AN EMAIL TO FLOWERS@YOUAREAGARDENER.COM

For Booking & Pricing Info CLICK HERE In this quick 2 minute video, Shanna Truffini highlights the roots and foundation of her You Are a Gardener™️ children’s book and her #PullYourWeeds Program for children ages 4-11. Truffini is now offering virtual workshops for her programs for students in grades K-5 for all distance learning classrooms. This workshop is also available for children's organizations and private groups such as libraries, children's book stores, kids crafting groups, non-profit organizations and friends who want to connect their kids with positive screen time. The program includes a book reading of the You Are a Gardener™️ children’s book, an interactive SEL workshop and fun (downloadable) prizes for students upon completion. The workshop runs about 30-35 minutes and she can join your virtual classroom or provide you with a link via zoo. To book now and get a quote for your class/school/organization please send an email to flowers@youareagardener.com The #PullYourWeeds™️ Program is rooted in empowering kids with the tools to identify and communicate negative feelings and emotions and turn them into positive solutions (weeds to seeds). For the last few years, Shanna Truffini has currently been presenting her programs to children, teachers and parents in her home state of New Jersey and is now available to spread her seeds on a national level. Book a workshop today! 🌸🌱🌻 CLICK HERE FOR BOOKING & PRICING CLICK HERE TO SEND US AN EMAIL FLOWERS@YOUAREAGARDENER.COM

Hello Gardeners! On our brand new video segment 8 year old Gardener Aidan gets in the kitchen and shares his tips on how young gardeners can help out in the kitchen and make their own lunch. Cooking is a great way to keep kids focused, active and is an excellent confidence builder! Please share this video with your kids and send us your pizza party pics 📷🍕👨‍🍳 #KidsInTheKitchen . Recipe For An Easy Pizza Lunch 1. Base for your pizza (mini naan, english muffin, bagel, make your own dough) 2. Pizza sauce (substitute with a tomato, pesto or oil & salt) 3. Cheese (whatever flavor you like) 4. Have fun with the toppings, Gardener Aidan likes olives! Other suggestions, pepperoni, ham, peppers. 5. Pop in the toaster oven or over 5-7 minutes at 350 degrees. Enjoy! Hey gardeners....what do you like to make in the kitchen? Send us some of your favorite, kid-friendly recipes to flowers@youareagardener.com and a chance to be featured on The #PullYourWeeds Blog.

A Public Service Announcement from Gardener Anna 🌱 This is for all the gardeners out there who need to know they are not alone in how they might be feeling during such uncertain times. Please show this video to your kids and let them know how important it is to keep asking questions and talk about what they are feeling. As Gardener Anna says “we got this gardeners” 💚 #TalkToYourKids #PSA If you are looking for some positive tools on how to keep your kids active and engaged, browse around on our #PullYourWeeds blog. We have tons of activities, crafts and exercises all rooted in empowering kids with positive social and emotional skills 💻 Looking for a kid positive show to entertain your kids? Watch Gardener Anna and her brother Gardener Aidan on their hit kid show Hello Gardeners 🎥 Every episode features kid friendly conversations on turning negative situations into positive solutions. The show also features fun crafts and mindfulness activities. Your kids will LOVE it 🌸🌸

Hello Gardeners! Science experiments are a wonderful way to show cause and effect and how our actions change outcomes. With this the kids stuck at home, there is no better time to do some at-home experiments with your gardeners! Have any candy laying around? Try this #RacingRainbowExperiment! Colorful candies - Skittles, Sweet Tarts, M&Ms, Smarties, etc. Paper plates Water And something to track time (stopwatch, phone, clock) Separate the candy so each kind has its own plate and place the candy around the edge of the plate. Gently pour water in the center of the candy circle and time how quickly the rainbow forms! Make Ice Cream in a bag! It's perfect! Complete the experiment and enjoy a sweet treat 🍦 Here's what you'll need: whole milk vanilla sugar salt ice large and small Ziplock bags Click here for the full instructions courtesy of Laura Candler!

Hello Gardeners! About a week ago, we released our sixth episode of Season 2 of #HelloGardeners! The gardeners got to participate in the sweetest episode yet! If you haven't already watched it, head over to our YouTube page to catch up. In this episode we received a weed from Gardener Max in Connecticut who said, Public speaking can be nerve-wracking for gardeners of all ages and can cause weeds of anxiety and fear to pop up. We start to think of the what ifs - "what if everybody laughs at me?", "what if I can't remember my lines?" - and our confidence plummets and we prepare ourselves for failure. What successful public speaking really comes down to is practice and confidence. Put in the time to practice - like #GardenerAnna suggested, practice in front of your stuffed animals and your family members. Set small goals for yourself - for example, if you are trying to remember lines for a play, start early and set goals to memorize 1 page per day. If it's more like a presentation, ask your teacher for some extra help, they will appreciate that you are taking initiative to practice and improve. Although it may sound a little silly, take a minute to remind yourself of the realities of the situation. It's usually minutes before it's your turn to speak when the fear and nerves catch up with us. Take 3 deep breaths - in through the nose, out through the mouth, and remind yourself that there is no immediate threat to your well being. You are just a person, standing in a classroom, talking about a book or your science project. Put your situation in perspective. Often times when you say out loud what is really happening, you realize how small the act really is. We just saw this adorable video from Sesame Street featuring Common and Colbie Caillat reminding us to belly breathe in times of anger, fear, and sadness! We love it!! And finally, like author, #ShannaTruffini says, see if you can redirect the energy that is fueling your fear into fueling excitement! We've talked a little about this in previous posts, but this is a great way to start building confidence around public speaking! So Gardener Max, I hope that we have helped you #PullYourWeed and thank you for being so brave in sharing it with us! If you have a weed that you are struggling to pull alone, you can always reach out to us @youareagardener or at flowers@youareagardener.com. See you next time, gardeners!

Hello Gardeners! With little glimpses of warm weather on the horizon, we are reminded that Spring is just around the corner. Spring is the season of rebirth and new beginnings - therefore the perfect time to plant some new seeds and reflect on the Winter's weeds and flowers. Winter can be tough on our gardens - the days are shorter, we spend less time in the sun, and have the tendency to hibernate a little. Looking back on how you dealt with the darkness and how you tried to shine light on your flowers can be a wonderful exercise of gratitude and self-regulation. One way that Devin from the Gardening Team, deals with the winter is with her indoor garden! She really enjoys starting seeds early so that by spring she is ahead of the game. Need seed starter cups? Use old K-cups! They are the perfect size and it's a great way to reuse single-use plastic! Another gardener told us he enjoys taking long, hot baths in the winter. It helps keep him warm and relaxed! Want to make your own luxurious #BathBombs, check out this Hello Gardeners episode featuring Leah from Homemade Happiness by Leah! For us, a sign that Spring is around the corner is seeing little whispers of green start sprouting all over the place. We thought this would be the perfect time to share our easy #SeedBombCraft, so you can help spread seeds of Spring! Here's what you'll need: A few sheets of paper A packet of seeds Water First, tear up your paper into small pieces - the smaller the pieces the easier for the paper to break down into pulp! Place all of your small pieces into a bowl of water and let them soak for a few hours. **Teachers: you may want to break this craft up into two halves of the day so your paper can soak!** Using wire mesh or a colander, strain your paper pulp. Take a small handful and create a little pit for the seeds. Once your seeds are secured in the middle, squeeze your hand letting all the excess water out. THAT'S IT! You have your seed bombs! Plant these in a window garden to watch them grow from your classroom or take a walk with your students and let them throw their seed bombs wherever they'd like to see flowers! ***UPDATE*** Our seed bombs are starting to sprout! No matter how you stay sunny during the cold months, you can always find helpful and fund activities to keep you feeling BRIGHT! That's all for today, gardeners - and don't forget to #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! We strive to make this blog a resource for families & educators to learn practical applications in emotional management for kids, but we can't forget the importance of making time for the #FlowerMoments. Sometimes the best way to remind your gardener of his or her flowers, is to turn a normal Sunday morning or weeknight into a special memory. To help you make your flower moment, here is an easy, no-stress recipe for #FlowerPancakes! No squeeze bottles or special tools required! For this recipe, we relied on the classic Bisquick™ pancake mix to make our batter. Next, separate the mix into 4 bowls and add about 6 drops of food coloring to each bowl. Feel free to adjust the amount of food coloring to suit your preference, but remember the color will slightly brown when cooked! Use a small spoon to create the different shapes - for the inner circle, a small dollop seems to work best and for the petals, use a bit more batter and kind of smear it to create more of a petal shape. For the stems, make as thin a line as you can! Now for the fun part - assemble! Mix and match your colors, create entire gardens, have fun, and enjoy your delicious flowers. We can often get wrapped up in the little stuff, especially when trying to incorporate equal parts fun, learning, and creativity all into one perfect activity. The most important thing to remember is to just show up and be there - it doesn't always matter what your are doing, just that you are doing something together! Send us your #FlowerMoments by tagging us @youareagardener or emailing flowers@youareagardener.com! We can't wait to hear from you! And as always, don't forget to #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! Welcome back to the #PullYourWeeds blog! As you know the #SELatHome segment of the blog is dedicated to providing parents, guardians, babysitters, nannies, after school care professionals, and the like, SEL activities to do in the home! Today, we are talking #SensoryPlay, why it's beneficial, and how to incorporate it into life at home! Our senses help us explore the world - that why you see babies grabbing things, putting things in their mouths, experimenting with the different sounds their mouths make. And while sensory play can be extremely beneficial for gardeners who are easily overwhelmed and have trouble navigating stimuli that comes at them, sensory play can benefit gardeners of all ages and backgrounds. Bath time is the perfect time to incorporate some sensory play into your day. Allow your gardener to play with toys with different textures and colors - think sponges, rings, figurines, etc. Add a bath fizzer or essential oils to create a calming aroma. Invest in an essential oil diffuser and some essential oils. Not only are diffusers a great way to keep your home smelling fresh, but can make movie time or a simple craft, a multi-sensory experience. Try calming scents like eucalyptus and lavender before bed, to help your gardener settle down, and use scents like grapefruit and orange in the morning to help energize for the day! Sensory bottles can be a lot of different things - but typically include water and oil or water and glue. The point of sensory bottles for kids to visually explore the contents of the bottle by shaking and turning it. These bottles usually include glitter, color, sometimes beads, and work best when made in clear plastic or clear glass bottles. Here's what you'll need: 1 airtight container (plastic or glass) Vegetable oil or another cheap oil Water Glitter of varying sizes Food coloring or liquid watercolor Super glue First, you'll need equal parts oil and water, so depending on the size of your container you can adjust the amounts as needed. Add your oil, glitter, and a little bit of the coloring to the jar and mix. Then add your water and stir. Before gluing the lid, test your sensory bottle to make sure it looks the way you want it! Then have fun watching the swirling glitter settle and mix! Thanks for stopping by today gardeners, always remember to #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! We know that listening to certain music encourages relaxation and helps us develop close listening skills, while playing music helps us collaborate, communicate, and gain confidence with our peers. Today on the blog, we are taking a deeper dive into some of those benefits and providing you with some easy ways to incorporate music + sound into your classroom! You can learn a lot about a person by listening to their favorite song or hearing a song that makes them sad. For many music lovers, we associate the "big life moments" with songs that take us back to specific moments and emotions - good and bad. Ask your students to pick a favorite song. Encourage them to look up the lyrics (if they don't already know them) and listen to the musical arrangements closely. Create a #ClassroomPlaylist and have each student speak a little about why the song they chose is their favorite. This activity helps: ✓ Practice public speaking ✓ Encourage an emotional response to art ✓ Develop confidence in personal taste Participating in group music is such a great way to get kids collaborating, listening to one another, and practicing impulse control. We have a fun #FlowerTambourine craft that your students can use in our special version of "Red Light, Green Light'! Here's what you'll need: 2 paper plates Paint Paintbrushes Beans, popcorn kernels, beads (anything that makes noise!) A stapler Have your students paint flowers on both of their paper plates - have them decorate the extra space however they like! Once dry, staple the edges of the 2 plates together, leaving about a quarter of the circle unstapled. Place a handful of beans inside and finish stapling the plates together. This is such a great craft if you are running low on supplies and there are so many ways to alter this craft to better fit your students! You can add bells to the edges using a hole punch and some string, you can add a strap to one side of the tambourine for an easy grip - the sky is the limit! Once your students have their #FlowerTambourines, play this special version of #RedLightGreenLight to practice impulse control, while having fun! It's simple, have one of your students stand at the front of the class, when he or she says, "Green Light!" have your students play their instruments as loud as they can, but when the student says, "Red Light!" the room has to immediately come to complete silence. This activity helps: ✓ Practice following directions ✓ Develop impulse control ✓ Encourage self-expression through sound Group drumming helps students find rhythm together, listen, and follow patterns, while feeling a sense of calm & stability through the steady beat. Have your students sit in a circle and start with a simple pattern - such as PAT - PAT - REST. Then, without speaking, have the students send and receive patterns to with their classmates. For example, while the rest of the class continues the PAT - PAT - REST pattern, find a student in the circle, make eye contact with him or her, and once you have his or her attention, demonstrate the pattern you would like them to repeat - PAT - REST - CLAP. After they repeat your pattern, the sender returns to the original pattern and the receiver will find a new person in the circle and come up with their own pattern. You move around the circle until everyone has sent and received a pattern. It may take a few tries for everyone to understand, but this activity is a great way to quiet down the classroom and get everyone focused. This activity helps: ✓ Practice following patterns ✓ Aid focus and observation ✓ Develop non-verbal communication Thanks for tuning in today, gardeners - we hope that your classrooms get musical this week! And as always, remember to #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! Our author, #ShannaTruffini, recently sat down with podcaster and coaching professional Lindsay Miller, a.k.a. The Stress Nanny. The Stress Nanny's aim is simple - to help families stress less. Lindsay explores tools that help modern families manage stress and interviews like-minded people from organizations and businesses who work toward the same goal. We were so excited to speak with her and want to invite you to listen by clicking the image below. Or you can search "The Stress Nanny" in Apple Podcasts! Lindsay Miller has a background in child development, is certified in Yoga Health Coaching and is a Registered Yoga Teacher. She has dedicated her career to helping children and adults stress less using a mindfulness-based approach. Meeting and speaking with people like Lindsay is such a great reminder that there are so many wonderful forces out there working to make this world a friendlier, more supportive place. We at You Are A Gardener™ are motivated now more than ever to continue to spread seeds of positivity as far as we possibly can! Please go check out The Stress Nanny's online programs, blog, and podcast! You can also find her on Instagram 👇 👇 👇 Always remember that there is a whole network of people, organizations, and support to help you #PullYourWeeds!