Annie and I have created two gratitude journals for you. One is designed to help adults and young adults. The other is geared more toward children. This project came about for a few reasons:

1. I have a deeply held belief that one very important skill we do not teach our children enough about is creating income - using your talents and gifts to create abundance in life. Geometry and geography are cool, but one of the few things Annie (and your children) will be forced to do for the rest of her life is produce income. Are we teaching our children how?

2. Annie and I started working together on this practice of gratitude when she started sharing life with me a little over a year ago. I quickly noticed that she was very egocentric and, frankly, just acting like a typical 5 year old (she was 5 at the time, lol, so that wasn’t so odd). I began to speak life into her and talk to her about excellence - that there is a more excellent way to live your life and you don’t have to be like everyone else. Gratitude has been a central theme in these discussions. The point is that kids are far more brilliant and capable of so much more than what we give them credit for. In the time I have had the honor of helping raise Annie, I have gotten to put the gratitude theory into practice…and now you can too.

Melissa’s Story

I have been a mother in many forms. I have adopted, been a step-mother, given birth, fostered, and been a bonus mama and “friend” mom. Over the years each child has taught me something about mothering. I have progressively come to learn that most of us do not give our children nearly enough credit for what they are capable of. We set their standards so low and don’t teach them to be excellent. When Annie and her sister Izzy came into my life I knew I was again going to start another mothering journey. I was determined to look at all of the things I did right and all of the things I did wrong. For this, my last episode in Mom life, I would put it all together into a masterpiece. I am determined to raise champions, who understand their worth - children who are good, kind humans and who know they can live abundant rich lives and also be humble servants. Everything I do with both Annie and Izzy is on purpose and intentional, including this project. I am honored you are going to be a big part of it! Without community we are nothing. I am grateful you are willing to hear our stories and use the tools we are creating for you and your family.

I spend my adult (career) life helping other adults heal from childhood and life trauma. I help adults untrain everything that they were taught about how to earn income, how to be happy, how to create a life they love…I certainly am not going to raise children I have to untrain as adults. I will leave you with this. Someone is going to brainwash and program your children. You can do it or you can let society do it. Feed your child’s brain with as much healthy nutrition as you feed their body. They need it, they crave it, and you will be amazed at what happens when you start to focus on gratitude with them daily.

Annie’s Story

When Melissa first started talking to me about gratitude I was going through a really weird time. I was sad about a lot of changes going on in my life. I had just spent a whole year going through some big family changes. I think a lot of kids go through hard things and when they do, it is sometimes really hard to find things to feel happy about. Sometimes, at night, I would just be filled with worry and fear. Then, during the day those feelings came out of me. I got in trouble for throwing fits and whining and I found it really hard to be happy even though I was doing happy things. I was really focused on everything I thought I lost and what was happening TO me. I was missing all the great things that were happening FOR me. I wanted to write this book for other kids so I could share what I learned about being grateful and show them how much it has helped me. So to all the kids out there who see my book: practice doing this, I think it will help you.

Side Note (From Melissa): Annie’s story is hers. We will not publicly answer questions about her experiences. One day she will be able to articulate her story in her own unique way. For now, just know that she experienced trauma and was healing from it when she started spending 50% or more of her life with me. She needed tools in place to improve behaviors that came from that trauma and she needed to access her big emotions in healthy ways. Every child needs these tools, trauma or not. What is so amazing about Annie’s story is how fast she transitioned through her trauma and through major life changes using these tools. She adapted and overcame and she continues to overcome challenges in her life. She’s a hero! Annie, like many children, lives between two homes. She has to transition between two totally different lifestyles, life views, and schedules weekly. Having the tools within her to access her emotions, speak clearly and focus on the good parts of what’s happening in the present has helped her tremendously.

We have 3 options for YOU

Gratitude - Adult Version - This is what Melissa does daily for herself.

Bloom Where You Are Planted - Youth Gratitude Journal - This is what Melissa and Annie do together.

Donate - Youth Gratitutde - Choose this option to provide a book for a local foster child. Annie brings the books to kids who need this practice so much during their time of transition.

Discounts - The following discounts apply to any mix of books you add to your cart. *includes donation books

Buy 2 books, get 10% off - use code FAMILY1 at checkout

Buy 4 books, get 15% off - use code FAMILY4 at checkout

Buy 6 books or more, get 20% off - use code Family6 at checkout

We know that some of you want to give as gifts so we let you choose what combination you want. We also know there are people who just want to support this effort and value the opportunity to gift a child a book (no ship -donate book) Wherever you fall in those categories, we are grateful for you being a part of our story.

** look for Annies books soon in local Nashville stores**