Planting A Masterpiece And "Raising Good Apples" Lunchbox Notes (+ GIVEAWAY)

“This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Tree Top, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #TreeTopInc #raisinggoodapples http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV”

My daughter helped me plant some pretty flowers for my front porch last week and it made me think about all the lessons I learned from gardening as a kid. My Dad always had quite a large garden, about a quarter-acre. We learned a lot about success and hard work while working in that garden, and we also learned that even in the midst of completing a chore there is fun to be had together as a family! That garden was one of the ways my Dad made sure he was “raising good apples” in us kids. I think the satisfaction of gardening is a lot like creating an art masterpiece. You first have to prep for your masterpiece and gather all of the supplies you will need…

Then comes the hard work of getting your ground ready for the plants. The prep work often takes the longest and you might feel like it’s a daunting task at first to till the ground or fill your bucket with top soil, but somehow you know that all this hard work is going to pay off in the end. [Note: Wearing rain boots and using a plastic sand shovel often makes this step just a little bit more fun. wink. ]

As you near the end of the prepping stage your face will clearly show that it’s hard to control your excitement over being able to move on to the planting phase. This is the point that my Dad always encouraged my siblings and I by coming up with funny songs to keep us motivated. In my head I can still hear my Dad singing the words “My daughter is a farm girl….Rachel is her name!”

When you start planting you are already feeling a huge sense of accomplishment. You did it! You helped to put this beautiful plant into the ground where it can now thrive and grow. You helped to create this beautiful garden that will bring you and your family a whole lot of happiness.

After you are finished, you give your plants the nourishment of water and you take time to smile and admire what you accomplished. It’s a beautiful masterpiece! I love including my children in gardening projects for the same reason my Dad did…It helps to develop hard work ethics and a sense of accomplishment in children.

Now sit down and relax, enjoy the fruits of your labor and enjoy a good, wholesome snack! My daughter chose one of her favorites, a Tree Top Apple Sauce Pouch. We always buy them at our local Smith’s Grocery Store. They come in a variety of different flavors like Strawberry, Mixed Berry and Mango to name a few. My daughter’s personal favorite is the Cinnamon. I love how they are made with 100% USA grown apples and local ingredients and you can’t beat the convenience of how a fun pouch helps to add fruit into your diet.

Located in the heart of Washington’s apple country, Tree Top is a grower-owned co-op, deeply rooted in the communities where we work and live. For more than 50 years, Tree Top has been a trusted brand dedicated to delivering top-quality products and premium ingredients such as juices, smoothies and sauces.

In an effort to bring awareness to “Raising Good Apples”, Tree Top is partnering with the National Gardening Association’s KidsGardening.org to help educate kids on gardening. For every Tree Top Apple Sauce Pouches purchased through May 31st Tree Top will donate $1 to KidsGardening.org to help build and grow youth gardens.

Tree Top Apple Sauce Pouches are super convenient not only for family outings, but also for school lunch since they are mess-free and don’t require a spoon. I stocked up on several boxes of them for all of our fun family adventures and also because one way I love to show my kids that I think they’re “good apples” is by surprising them with fun notes in their lunchboxes. Grab your copy of these Tree Top Apple Sauce Tags and all you have to do is cut them out, punch a hole in them and tie them to your Tree Top Apple Sauce Pouches. I added some googly eyes to the apple tag to make it extra fun. I also included a version of the tags that are perfect for giving out to kids after a sports game to make them feel super special.

KID’S GARDENING KIT GIVEAWAY

Tree Top is giving away one Kid’s Gardening Kit to one of my readers. YAY!! The kit consists of “My Gardening Journal”, Red Tubrug pail, kids gardening gloves, watering can, soft touch hand tool set, favorite five sprouting seeds and Tree Top Apple Sauce Pouches. How fun!