Hello Gardeners! Welcome back to the #PullYourWeeds blog, we are so happy you are here! Shanna Truffini, author of You Are A Gardener, often says, "Choose joy." In these unusual and unprecedented times, we find that to be both a challenge and a necessity. If this time at home has taught us anything, it's that the world is unpredictable and while it's easy to get busy with routine, it is essential to have the ability to slow down, be present with the ones you love, and find gratitude with what you have. We often think of this quote by the one and only JK Rowling, On the blog today we have a super simple craft -great for gardeners of any age - and the results are beautiful! We are making Watercolor Window Hangers, and in honor of #EarthDay this week, we are using recycled materials to help us make them. We really love this craft because it's great for those young gardeners working on their fine motor skills, colors, and shapes! Here is what you will need: Basic watercolor set (if you don't have watercolors, use colored pencils!) Sturdy paper Toilet paper tube Recyclables in various shapes-such as bottle caps Scissors Feel free to create whatever image you'd like! We chose a simple flower to demonstrate, but make an entire scene, make something abstract, go with your own flow! What we did was cut and bend our toilet paper roll into various shapes and used a small plastic circle as outlines, then filled in with watercolor. **Note, if you are trying to teach your gardener about primary and secondary colors, this is a great craft because as you overlap primary colors, they form secondary colors** Now proudly display in your window! The watercolor has this stained glass effect when the sunlight hits that is so beautiful and these little window hangers serve as another reminder to remember the flowers! Did you make this craft? Send us your photos by tagging @youareagardener or emailing them to flowers@youareagardener.com. We truly hope you are finding a way to #ChooseJoy right now! We are here for you and are in this together! And of course, please do not forget to #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! We all experience those moments when we feel worked up, overwhelmed, antsy, and a little all over the place. Previously on the blog, we've talked about grounding techniques, breathing techniques, and ways to wind down - but today we are going to look at some activities and crafts that make settling down simple and satisfying! Have your students make #FlowerBreathers! Any time you see a student get worked up, have them pull out their flower breather and ask them to take 10 slow, deep breaths. Using a tool like this helps kids focus on the breath because they can visualize it and it's a great way for them to practice self-regulation! Here's what you'll need: First, cut out and glue squares of tissue paper to cover the toilet paper tube - if you don't have time for this step, feel free to just leave them their natural color or use markers instead! Then, trace the outline of your tube on a piece of construction paper. Draw 3 small rectangles around the inside of your circle - these will act as tabs to attach to the tube. Draw flower petals around that circle, and then cut out the shape of the flower. Next, cut out the circle - be sure to leave your tabs! Repeat this step with at least one other piece of colored paper and experiment with different flower shapes. Attach your flower petals to your tube using glue or tape. Then, cut out strips of tissue paper and glue or tape them to the other side of the tube. Let your glue dry, then have your students take deep breaths through the tube and watch the tissue paper move with their breath! Print out #WordSearches and #ColoringPages. Activities likes this require focus and help gardeners go from all over the place to present in a short amount of time. You can find free, downloadable word searches here and free coloring pages here. Create a calming sensory station in your classroom. Fill small canvas bags with calming scents like lavender, jasmine, rosemary, rose petal and allow students to explore the various smells. Provide some stress balls, silly putty, and moon sand for some unique textures. Maybe even provide a set of headphones or an eye mask to help block out the audible and visual distraction. Play a game like Telephone! Telephone is a great activity to do if your students need a change of pace! If your students respond to being overwhelmed by using loud voices, this is sure to quiet everyone down. Also - it's fun! Students get to work together and laugh, which is a great way to hit the reset button. When in doubt, you can alway pull out a grounding technique or a breathing technique to do with your whole class! 🌾 🌾 🌾 How do you help your students settle down? We would love to hear your tips and share your activities with gardeners everywhere! Thanks for reading along, gardeners and don't forget to #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! With the speed in which days, weeks, and months fly by, we can one minute be on top of our gardening and the next minute, come back to an overgrown mess! It's natural to lose track of time - we live busy lives! But in these moments where you are standing at the edge of a weed-y, overgrown garden, remember that your maintaining your mental health is a process. Growth and progress are not linear - in other words, sometimes we take 1 step forward and 2 steps back. That may feel like regression, but really it's experiencing the fall back that helps your grow! It's easy to feel frustrated and disappointed. A huge hurdle with being mentally healthy is being gentle with yourself - treating yourself like a friend. Think about it this way - gardeners who weed today know full well that tomorrow a bunch of new weeds are going to poke their heads out of the soil. It's like our author, Shanna, says, "Weeds happen. It's just a natural fact." When the weeds happen, we've found the the best way to pull those weeds are to talk about them! Find a person you trust and tell them what you are going through. Opening up and talking about the your struggles or the things that make you feel small prevents those things from taking root and dominating your garden. With Valentine's Day coming up, treat yourself to something sweet! Here is a quick and delicious treat sure to put a smile on your face :) *Replace peanut butter with marshmallow or sun butter for allergies! If you ever feel like you don't have someone to talk to, remember that we are here! We want to hear about your weeds, seeds, and flowers and help you keep your garden looking colorful and bright! Email flowers@youareagardener.com. So go ahead, gardeners - #PullYourWeeds!

Hello gardeners! Cooking shows are always a hit with our whole family, especially ones that involve a challenge. This Spring break we decided to take a trip through our kitchen and discover ingredients we could use to go head -to- head in a 30 minute bake off. Check it out as Gardener Anna & I use our superb baking talents in our own version of the Spring Baking Championship! The Theme of This Challenge: Miniature pies that represent something special about you. The Challenge Ingredients: Mini graham cracker pie crusts and vanilla pudding. Time on the Clock: 30 minutes to be finished and plated. The Judges: Gardener Aidan and his Dad. The Prize: Having fun with your family. Spring Baking Championship Contestants-Gardener Anna & Gardener Shanna 30 Minutes on The Clock To Complete and Plate The Dessert Anna Chose a Deconstructed Cannoli Pie To Represent Her Love For Italian Pastries She mixed in her pudding- ricotta cheese, cream cheese and folded in whip cream with powdered sugar and a handful of chocolate chips. She then melted chocolate with butter and swirled it in the pudding right before plating. She also chopped up some almonds to use an accent on her final presentation. Shanna Went With an Oat & Apple Pudding Pie In Honor of Her Grandparent's Apple Farm She melted butter, brown sugar and added apples and oats. She layered the mixture on the bottom of the crust then added a layer of pudding dusted with cinnamon and a dollop of the apple mixture on top. With 15 Seconds to Spare Both Desserts Get Plated The Judges (Gardener Aidan & His Dad) Interview the Contestants and Dig In Some feedback from Gardener Aidan, "Mom, your flavor is good it is just a little too oaty at the bottom for me." "Anna your pudding is delicious, I love how creamy it is and chocolate chips are my favorite!" Who will the judges choose...keep scrolling! And the winner of the Spring Baking Championship Is....Gardener Anna! This post highlights baking as a therapeutic and rewarding exercise for the whole family to enjoy. Baking has been found to have therapeutic values which helps to ease stress and anxiety. It is a creative and meditative process that stimulates the senses with rewarding/tasty results 💚 .

Hello Gardeners! We know the sentiment rings true that we are better together than we are as individuals. When we work together, we balance out each other's strengths and weaknesses. Today on the blog, we are looking at why classroom #collaboration is important and provide you with some creative, collaborative activities! Why is collaboration so important? Collaboration urges us to: 1. Communicate 2. Negotiate and problem solve 3. Feel confident in sharing our ideas 4. Gain deeper insight into the subject 5. Enjoy working with others! Collaborative learning is a great way to build social and emotional learning (#SEL) into your lesson plan. Not only are your students developing a deeper understanding into the material (by summarizing and analyzing the material or negotiating differing opinions), but they are developing major communication skills and a confidence and joy in working with people. How do you work collaborative learning into your classroom? We found some amazing activities to give you some ideas! Friendship art We found this fun craft via Play Teach Repeat where 6 or more students create a collaborative piece of art, and then have the option of taking home a piece for themselves.  All you'll need are some basic art materials and you have a colorful & collaborative lesson plan! Nature Weaving What an awesome idea! This collaborative activity not only gets the kids outside, but weaving requires some thinking and communication. You can find lots of examples of this online, but we love this one from Figment Creative Labs. Popsicle Stick Bridges This fun #STEAM challenge is sure to get your students communicating and working together. Give them a roll of tape and 25 popsicle sticks and have them build the strongest, most aesthetically pleasing bridge that crosses the gap between two desks.  Visit The Ardent Teacher for details. Cooperative Obstacle Courses Instead of encouraging competition, try setting up a cooperative obstacle course. Perfect for a rainy day! Pair up your students, blind fold one and have the other guide their partner through the obstacle course. This will help kids practice being the leader, but also being the listener! Head to What Can We Do With Paper and Glue. Create a Mural Murals are such a great way to get every student involved. If your school has a blank and open wall - ask your school's art teacher and your principal. What better way to show students working together than a massive piece of artwork made by all of them? What are some of your favorite #CollaborativeLearning activities? Let us know in the comments, email flowers@youareagardener.com, or tag us @youareagardener - we would love to see how you promote communication and cooperation in your classroom! Don't forget to #PullYourWeeds! We'll see you next time :)

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!