Hello Gardeners! Recently, our author #GardenerShanna and our illustrator #GardenerKelsey had the pleasure of attending the New Jersey Montessori Association Corporation (#NJMAC) Conference. Many of you might not know that alongside selling the book, we have lots of different programs that you can bring to your school. Whether you are looking for in-service hours for your educators, book readings for your students, or workshops for parents - we have you covered! It was so wonderful #SpreadingSeedsOfPositivity and showing the Montessori family how to incorporate the gardener mentality into their classroom. We loved hearing keynote speaker #AlfieKohn speak about the importance of addressing the deeper meaning behind actions and behavior through communication - or what we would call pulling a weed! This visit to the NJMAC Conference reminded us of Episode 5 of #HelloGardeners - where #GardenerAnna and #GardenerAidan visit their school, Long Hill Montessori, and spread seeds to their classmates! Gardener Shanna came to their classroom and read the book, demonstrated some conflict resolution scenarios, and every student went home with a Certified Gardener seed packet! We are so thankful to the Montessori Community for being so supportive of You Are A Gardener™ and for embracing the gardener lifestyle! Check out some photos from the NJMAC Conference and if you are interested in bringing #YouAreAGardener to your school, be sure to email events@youareagardener.com. Thanks for joining us today, and remember to #PullYourWeeds!

Hey there Gardeners! This week, the entire Pull Your Weeds™ team is craving some sun, so we thought we would revisit Episode 6 of Hello Gardeners, when #GardenerAnna and #GardenerAidan went to the beach and learned that animals can have weeds too. The gardeners’ grandfather, Dr. Stanley Truffini, is a veterinarian and he taught us about recognizing fearful behavior in animals when they are stressed (dogs in particular) so that we can stay safe! We see dogs everywhere - at our friends’ houses, at the park, in our neighborhoods. Most of the time, our four-legged friends just enjoy the everyday flowers, but sometimes 'weeds' come up when humans, other animals, and loud noises, scare them. When dogs get scared or stressed they can respond by growling, lunging at us, or biting us. Here are some signs that a dog is stressed: 1. Ears are back 2. Dog is showing its teeth in an aggressive way and growling 3. Tail is tucked under its body 4. Dog is hiding or looking to escape the situation When we see these signs, it’s very important to back up, give the dog it’s space, to not lock eyes, and to not interact with the dog. The best thing to do when meeting a new, non-fearful dog is to get down to their level, put the back of your hand out in front of you, and let the dog come to you. Remember, most of the time, our furry friends just want to sit with us and show us love, but it’s important to remember their boundaries and to keep ourselves and our dogs safe. As a thank you to our dogs for always providing us with flowers and love, here is a quick and easy dog treat recipe that they are sure to love! Ingredients: 1 ripe banana 1 cup of uncooked oats 1 heaping spoon of peanut butter (substitute canned pumpkin if you have a nut allergy) Start by preheating oven to 300º Let them cool, then place in a food safe container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks! Thanks for checking in this week and send some pictures of your pets to flowers@youareagardener.com or tag @youareagardener! We would love to see the animals that fill your gardens with flowers. Have a great week and don't forget to #PullYourWeeds!

In many of our #HelloGardeners episodes, a common piece of advice is to find a parent, teacher, or a trusted adult and tell them what’s going on. Children come to us for security and support - we need to be prepared to listen and respond appropriately. When a child approaches you, and wants to talk in private or seems nervous even about asking you to talk, that should be a sign that THIS IS IMPORTANT! Even if it doesn’t seem important, the fact that he or she is bringing it up means it’s important to him or her. LISTEN. Listen with more than just your ears - pay attention to body language and facial expression. Try to read between the lines in case something bigger is happening. RESPOND. If you see something concerning, such as a fearful child, re-establish their safety. If you see a child is anxious, re-establish the calm - take deep breaths, remind them that everything is going to be okay, tell them they are safe. ACT. Offer some sort of solution. You might not have all of the answers, but you can provide a next step. Maybe this is a meeting with the other child involved in the conflict, maybe this is offering a safe space for the child to calm down, maybe this is a hug. Offer something. CHECK-IN. If the conflict warrants it, repeatedly check in with the child. Make sure they feel heard, supported, and loved. When we encourage gardeners (of any age!) to open up to us and be vulnerable, we need to be there. A weed can’t fully be pulled until there is some closure, and a seed can’t be planted until a solution is offered. So, be there, listen, respond, act, check-in. Sometimes all a child might need is a minute to breathe and a few mantras to repeat. So below we have a Mantra Card craft - this can be done in your classroom, around the kitchen table, at a friend’s house - wherever! Here's what you’ll need: A sturdy piece of card stock (any size you like) or an index card A permanent marker Colored pencils or markers for decorating Ask your gardeners to write down some mantras that might help them feel better during tough times. Here are some examples: I am calm and peaceful You are okay I love myself I am safe Take a deep breath Be brave I can do it! Write the mantras in permanent marker, and decorate your card with pictures that make you feel good - flowers, hearts, kittens, your family, your skateboard, etc. Kids can keep this card in their backpacks or teachers can tape it to the students' desks. Sometimes all we need is a little reassurance and when we can look at a card like this, that is made 100% for us, we hear exactly what we need to hear in those overwhelming moments. Thank you for being the trusted adults you are and don't hesitate to send us some pictures of your mantra cards! We would love to see them. You can watch Episode 6 and all of the other #HelloGardener episodes here - and give us a big thumbs up if you like what you see! Remind your kids, your students, your nieces & nephews, and yourself that the future is BRIGHT!

<> Thank you Kings Road School for the opportunity to present my #PullYourWeeds® Program to your incredible students! A huge part of my SEL program is to provide educators with a ton of tools & resources to implement the You Are a Gardener® mindset into your classroom. Scroll down for Free Resources, Visual Aids, Activity Sheets & More-All EXCLUSIVE to KRS I look forward to working with you again over the next few months! Please feel free to contact me at anytime at flowers@youareagardener.com ~Shanna Truffini My Flowers Are Activity Sheet: This is a wonderful introductory activity sheet for gardeners in grades K-5. Have your students write down their 'flowers' (the things that make you feel happy & joyful) on each of the petals. This is a wonderful tool to use as a positive distraction when a gardener is frustrated or visibly upset. It can open up a positive conversation. <> <> <> <> CLICK THIS LINK TO SEE HOW OUR 'WEEDS TO SEEDS' GARDENING POT CAN BE A POWERFUL TOOL IN THE CLASSROOM: https://www.youareagardener.com/post/communication-is-key You Are a Gardener® is not responsible for any and all claims, injuries, damages, losses or suits including attorney fees, arising out of or resulting from the acts, errors, misuse or omissions while participating in any of our programs and activities including the #PullYourWeeds Blog, Hello Gardeners®, Camp Hello Gardeners and educational services.

Meet author Shanna Truffini and learn about how the seed that blossomed into the You Are a Gardener® Social & Emotional Learning Platform was planted! PRESS PLAY TO WATCH OUR VERY FIRST VIDEO FOR YOU ARE A GARDENER (This video was filmed in August of 2017 before we even had a copy of our book!) Shanna Truffini’s children’s book You Are a Gardener™ (find the book here) uses gardening vocabulary as ‘emotional metaphors’ to teach young children the importance of identifying the ‘flowers’ and ‘weeds’ in their everyday life. (The flowers are our joyful, positive feelings & emotions and the weeds are our negative/uncomfortable feelings, thoughts and emotions.) The book was born out of Truffini's determination to find a positive solution to help her family overcome obstacles put in their path. Through embracing the gardener’s lifestyle and using the child friendly vocabulary of this book, Shanna Truffini’s young family was able to communicate and problem solve life’s everyday challenges. This new path that opened up for her family has empowered her children with the gift of knowing what it takes to care for and maintain a healthy and happy garden.  She encourages families, teachers and anyone who interacts with young children on a daily basis to embrace this system with the hope it will raise a new generation of gardeners. The You Are a Gardener® children's book came out in January of 2018 and since then Truffini and her young family are on a mission to get out in their community and plant the ‘seeds’ for emotional well-being in children and adults alike. “A few years ago my family encountered an unforeseen event that caused my daughter who was 5 at the time to have post traumatic stress. As much as we did to stay ahead of it with regular therapy, her stress started taking root and manifested into to anxiety. As a Mom on a mission I was determined to help my family find a positive solution to help our daughter overcome her struggles.” We hope you'll join us on our #PullYourWeeds journey towards empowering children with the vocabulary, tools and skills it takes to know they have the power to control the way they feel.

Welcome to the Pull Your Weeds™ blog! This blog is a place where we can turn #WeedsToSeeds, show gratitude for flowers, and help spread the word about the importance of pulling weeds. Sometimes we might share a seasonal craft or fun activity, maybe identify a gardener’s weed and come up with solutions to turn it into a seed, or look back on a visit where we spread some seeds to fellow gardeners! You might be wondering why it’s important to #PullYourWeeds? Let’s think about this in terms of our garden - weeds make it difficult for flowers and plants to grow. In other words, it’s hard to feel happy if something is making you angry or scared at the same time. And if we don’t pull those weeds, they just keep growing and spreading making it harder to feel happy! So, when weeds pop up, like our friends #GardenerAnna and #GardenerAidan say, we need to “pull ‘em out!” Let’s start off this week with a fun winter craft. We are going to spread some seeds to our feathered friends out in this chilly weather by making some bird feeders! You will need: A piece of wire or a pipe cleaner Cheerios 1. First, grab your wire and start stringing on the Cheerios (you might want to make a loop at the end so they don’t fall off!). 2. Then, bring the two ends of wire together and twist them into a loop. 3. Next, bend the wire into any shape you’d like! Gardener Anna chose a heart, and Gardener Aidan chose a zig zag. 4. Hang you feeder on a branch - you can bend the wire a bit to secure it to the tree if needed. 5. The only thing left to do is wait and watch for the birds! Feel free to watch our tutorial below, starting at about 2 minutes! If you haven’t already, go watch Season 1 of Hello Gardeners! You can meet Gardener Anna and Gardener Aidan, learn more about the book You Are A Gardener™, and see fellow gardeners turning weeds into seeds! Have fun and remember the future is BRIGHT!