As some of you know, Jackie and I are closing our business, Hello Strategies, at the end of 2020. Why, you ask? Let me explain....
Why we are closing our business - Hello Strategies
Gift Guide - Jen's Favorites
Y'all, this pandemic, I've been one consistent user and wearer of certain items. Here are my favorites in case you need last minute gifts for others or yourself.
Favorite joggers. The fabric is so darn soft and they run true to size. I love the camo print. Bonus: Miss O loves their leggings. Both look like Lulu knock-offs for ¼ of the price.
Be Hippy beanie. I'm obsessed with this hat. It's so cheerful and warm.
Leopard printed slippers. I am on my third pair of these for the pandemic. My feet love them.
Faux bun. Because sometimes on Zoom you need a quick, last minute up-do! And for $8, why not?
Winter jacket. This REI quilted jacket is my absolute go-to. It packs up super small, so post-pandemic we can all bring it on trips with us.
Running shoes. Are you like me and walking (and jogging) a ton? Brooks are my fav. This model is my favorite, too.
Charcoal bags. Being at home all the time, I find myself wanting our place to smell fresh and clean. These bags help. I hang 'em in all of our closets. You are supposed to be able to recharge the bags in the sun every 1-2 months.
Coaching cards. I use these powerful question cards to coach others and self-coach. Right now, everything on Hello Strategies is half-off with free shipping!
Happy shopping, friends!
Jen
Sale Ends Tomorrow on Taco Tuesday
Is this graphic gigantic or what?! Go shop if you need a fun gift for a great educator or coach. 25% off shop-wide (no coupon code necessary) through Taco Tuesday at our new Etsy shop.
It's just fun to say Taco Tuesday, isn't it?
Laughing,
Jen
Black Friday Through Taco Tuesday Sale
Etsy Shop Launch - Yay!
There are so many fun, useful teaching and coaching products ready to gift to your favorite educator and/or coach.Celebrate Those Teachers and Amazon, say what?!
Go to Hello, Strategies and use the code: MYTEACHERSROCK2017 to get 25% off of all products sitewide. Why not shower your favorite teachers with thank you gifts they can use with their current and future students - like our Question Cards, Wooden Nickels or our ebook?
And....Jackie and I are totally psyched to announce.....our ebook is now available in softback/paperback on Amazon!
Get your copy of Hello, Teaching Strategies on Amazon (and while you are there, be sure to review the book once you purchase it).
Yay for awesome teachers and another great academic year!
Jen
Plus, minus, equal
Are you like me? When I read non-fiction library books, I take notes. I then type up my notes (which is normally not more than two typed pages max) and refer back to them from time-to-time.
I was just re-reading my book notes from Ryan Holiday's, The Ego is the Enemy over Thanksgiving weekend. I love the plus, minus, equal concept he shares.
Ryan* suggests to have a plus in your life - someone who is better than you are so you can learn from them. A minus - someone who is currently lesser than you are (in skills, experience, etc.) whom you can teach. And someone equal, so that you can challenge yourself against (or challenge yourself with) that person.
What hit me was my equal person. Jackie, my friend, colleague and business partner in Hello, Strategies is soooo my equal person. She challenges me in the best ways possible in my teaching, in our business, and just being a thoughtful human being. I have some ideas who are my plus people and my minus people, too.
Who are your plus, minus and equal people?
Speaking of people, today is the last day to buy any of your people our Hello, Strategies products - our ebook, Question cards, wooden nickels, etc. - at a 25% off discount. Just use the code: CYBERSALE2016 at checkout.

Off I go to read more of my book notes; I'm excited about taking notes on this book next....
Jen
*I believe, by the way, the original idea for plus, minus and equal came from Frank Shamrock (a martial arts pioneer) who Ryan writes about in the book.
Cybersale!
Here's what you need to know...
Go to www.hellostrategies.com
Shop your heart out! For teachers, consider our ebook, Question Cards, and wooden nickels. For coaches, how about our Coaching Cards and a bundle of nickels? For leaders, our Leadership Cards make a swell gift and you guessed it, a pack of nickels. Why the nickels so much? Because each nickel says YOU ARE AWESOME and when gift-giving, everyone likes to hear they are awesome.
Once your cart is full, use the code CYBERSALE2016 for 25% off your entire order. Sale ends on November 29th, so get to it, what are you waiting for? Go, now :)
All the best, you superstar gift-giver -
Cheers,
Jen
Reality and Giveaway
Every single August for at least a decade I feel the same way. Bummed the summer is ending. Wishing I could live amongst big mountains. And excited about returning to school. Talk about bittersweet. Man, I feel like I'm living a tug-o-war.
Hence, my bad attitude lately. I'm a curmudgeon - a word a didn't even know how to spell until right now. Like one second ago now.
Part of the problem is I spent my summer living like this photo below in Western North Carolina, chasing waterfalls, and swimming in that state's exhilarating rivers. Miss O agreed; western NC is delightful.
To get over my bad self, Jackie and I are going bananas and giving away our ebook for free. Yep, you heard me. F-R-E-E. Why? Because it was her idea and she's crazy. I'm a curmudgeon (which I just had to look up again to spell correctly). And, it is the beginning of the school year. If there is one thing we educators need to transition from summer to back-to-school, it is good ideas and some ease. Our ebook is full of good ideas and ease (Oh, my! Now, I am an arrogant curmudgeon). But really, our ebook is full of 50+ teaching strategies to easily use with kids, teens and adults.
Please go download our ebook for free. It would decrease my bad attitude and would make the school year for you (or an educator you know) less bad attitude-y and more awesome. To do so, go to www.hellostrategies.com and add an ebook to your cart. Then, use this code to score it for free:
LETTHEFUNBEGIN2016 (expires August 21st, 2016)
If you don't teach, but know someone who does, please share this blog post with them. We need less curmudgeons in the world - especially curmudgeons who work as educators. Can you think of a worse combination - a curmudgeon who teaches?!
Oh, my -
Jen
Graduates, This is For You!
Jackie and I feel the same way......
To celebrate all of the graduates in teacher education across the world, we are giving away 100 ebooks for free! Yep. You heard us correctly. Giving em' away!
If you are a graduate in teacher education or you know a graduate who will be working with students (of any age - we don't age-discriminate here), go to www.hellostrategies.com and download your free Hello, Teaching Strategies ebook using the code: yourockgraduate2016. Our ebook is full of 50+, ready-to-go teaching strategies ideal for grades K-16 students. Half of the strategies are classics we've adapted; the other half are all new!
To claim your ebook, very simply, add our ebook to your shopping cart and when it is time to check-out, type in the discount code: yourockgraduate2016. Your ebook will be totally free! The code expires June 30th, 2016, so don't delay, ok? Plus, we are giving away just 100 copies, so go now, so you can claim yours and be part of the 100 ebook graduation giveaway celebration!
Once you claim your free ebook, you'll be prompted for your name and email address. The ebook download is automatically sent to you via the email address you entered.
Graduates, we are so excited you are embarking on the next leg of your teaching journey. We know you have so much promise and will have a fantastically positive impact on your future students.
We adore you,
Jen and Jackie
One year older
But, why not have a sale on Hello, Strategies today to #1: celebrate my birthday this week, and #2: make me work harder because it is my turn to ship products this month and next!?
Use the code: Jengetswiser for 20% off everything on Hello, Strategies for this weekend only! Offer expires on May 1st (at midnight).
Here's to growing older and wiser!
I can't believe I am 32!
Jen
Sale ends Monday 4/25 - 25% sitewide
Teacher Appreciation Sale ends tomorrow. 25% of everything sitewide at Hello, Strategies with code 2016YES.
Time to say YES to our fabulous educators!
What will you order for them? So many lovely choices!
Shop now,
Jen - who is lead shipper this month and next - Yay!
Only a few days left!
It's time to show our teachers and educator allies how much we appreciate and adore them.
Smiling,
Jen
Teacher Appreciation Sale!
Get ready to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week - May 2nd-6th!
Order now to receive your teacher gifts in time and use code: 2016YES for 25% off everything on Hello, Strategies! Yep, it is our biggest sale to date!
What might you purchase to say Teacher, I adore you?....How about....
- Our Hello, Teaching Strategies ebook - filled with over 50+ ready-to-use teaching strategies appropriate for K-16. This item comes as an ebook that you can easily email the link to your favorite teacher or print the ebook (at Fedex Kinkos or Staples) and secure it in a three-ring binder.
- Question Cards - This deck of cards is a must-have for any classroom teacher (or home schooler). Each card has a critical thinking question on it and can be used to debrief learning in the classroom for any topic. Yes, any topic! This item pair handsomely with the ebook above and would make a great gift together that doesn't break the bank.
- For educators who like to grow students' leadership skills, our brand new Hello, Leadership Cards are fantastic and make great discussion, writing, and reflective prompts. You can read more about those fabulous new cards here.
- Why not let your favorite educators or even your entire teaching staff know how awesome they are with our YOU ARE AWESOME wooden nickels?! Seriously, these are just too fun and such a lovely token of appreciation to give to teachers, support staff, office managers, and school leaders. You can purchase a bundle of 25 nickels here.
Leadership Cards, Yes!
Leadership cards!
Because if there is one thing this world needs, it is more awesome, thoughtful leaders. Sadly, most K-12 schools do not explicitly teach leadership skills. How are kids and teens supposed to learn those skills then? By observing our current leaders?! Yikes.
Side note: The majority of independent schools in Maryland and DC do teach leadership skills to their students. Can I hear an amen? If you want to learn more about that network of thoughtful schools, go here. I wish public schools made it a priority to teach their students leadership skills, too (and yes, I realize some thoughtful public schools do, but the majority do not, sadly).
Back to the Leadership Cards....
Like our other useful decks of cards, the Leadership Cards consist of 40 leadership-focused, critical thinking questions. Designed for ages 11 and above, the deck aims to deepen students' understanding and skills related to the ten leadership attributes identified below.
Who doesn't want a leader who is...?
- Resilient
- Visionary
- Mindful
- Courageous
- Resourceful
- Collaborative
- Advocative (which, by the way, is a new word for me!)
- Curious
- Authentic
- Inclusive
Sale! Yay for Leap Day!
For one day only! Save 25% on your entire shopping cart of awesomeness!
Plan ahead and you'll have your Teacher Appreciation gifts for May :)
Code: leap2016
xo,
Jen
How we designed the logo for Hello, Strategies
I've blogged about my love for PicMonkey for years now - like my favorite fonts on PM, how to prepare photos for engineering prints, and my favorite, cloning out stuff you don't want in photos. I love PicMonkey so much that each year when my $25 paid subscription runs out, I email PM and kindly ask, since I blog so much about PM, would you be willing to offer me a free paid subscription? They have said yes twice now.
You can, by the way, use PM for free. I just like the paid subscription because then I can have access to all of the premium fonts and features.
It was a no-brainer for me, Jackie, and the Hello, Strategies logo. Use PicMonkey!
So, I did. Plus, I used two of my favorite fonts: Amatic Small Caps and Thirsty Script Bold. I could have a love affair with either or both of those fonts.
I also used PicMonkey to layout the colorful card fronts for both decks of cards. I love that the color palette on PM seems endless for designing and yet, I can be so specific about color choice.
I also created the artwork for our thank you postcard on PM. When you purchase one or more decks of cards or a wooden nickel bundle, you'll receive this fun postcard-sized artwork to hang on your bulletin board, fridge or computer. I don't want to give it all away, but there is a message from Jackie and I on the other side of this postcard.
Just when you think I can't make one more thing on PM, voila, all of the website graphics for Hello, Strategies were made on PicMonkey! Yep. Every. single. one. of. them. PicMonkey is that versatile.
Do I sound like a PicMonkey cult member? Yes. Do I think PicMonkey is easier to use than Photoshop, yet just as awesome for my needs? Absolutely. Do I think I will continue to use PicMonkey and evangelize it? Why, sure! That is, if you don't mind hearing more about my PM creations. Ha!
PicMonkey addicted, for sure,
Jen
My word for 2016
I first thought my word would be now. Not now in that things have to happen immediately, but now like live in the present moment. After a coaching session with Sue and discussing my word of the year, a new and better word came to mind. Savor. Savor the now. Savor the moment. Savor all the little and big things happening in my life. Savor the people. Savor my surroundings. Savor the struggles. Savor the opportunities.
Big Announcement!
One of the biggest projects? We have a new ebook. We have a new website. We have a new brand. We have three new products. And by we, I mean me and Dr. G - a good friend of Upcycled Education for years from guest blogging. Dr. G is also a great friend and colleague of mine (and just gave birth to Baby Savannah!).
Say hi to our new brand and website, Hello, Strategies! Like our new logo?
Hello, Strategies is home to our new 98-page ebook, Hello, Teaching Strategies: 50+ strategies to deepen learning & turn up awesome. This ebook is perfect for new teachers, college professors, and veteran teachers who want a fresh assortment of teaching strategies. Homeschool parents, you'll dig this ebook, too, as we've taken all of the prep work out for you to free up your time.
Our sister product for the ebook, Hello, Question Cards, is also available. You are TOTALLY going to want this deck of 40, critical thinking question cards for your classroom or to gift to your favorite educator or homeschool parent. Plus, the cards are color-coded to facilitate easy pair or small group work. This is the product Dr. G and I wished we had when we started teaching. Now, we have it. Hurrah!
We even created a deck of cards to help destress, be more reflective, and push through life's ups and downs. This deck is called, Hello, Coaching Cards. It features a spa palette that is soooo soothing to the eyes and 40 coaching questions to start any day with intention or smooth out a rougher day. I would say this deck of cards is ideal for busy parents, educators, and other adults or young adults; I'm now thinking it would be fantastic to have a coaching deck of cards for young people - like Miss O's age (note to self: Create product #4 in our free time; did you hear that Dr. G?).
If you could be in the same room with me or Dr. G (let's start calling her by her first name, Jackie), you would 100% feel the energy and enthusiasm we have for Hello, Strategies. We both are so excited for you to get your hands on our new products and ebook because we know they will move you forward, deepen learning with your students and turn up awesome in just about all facets of your life. Plus, everything is high quality and priced so reasonably - two of my favorite descriptors for new products.
Please let me know what you think of Hello, Strategies. And since you've made it to the end of this looooooong blog post, here's a code for 25% off your ebook purchase: AWESOME2016.
Let's turn up awesome together, ok? Feel free to forward this blog post to a friend.
With much love and excitement,
Jen

























