Once Upon a Time . . .
Like many parents, I’ve navigated the balance between motherhood & mental health. As my daughter began discovering emotions & language, I searched for a way to explain my own struggles in a way she could understand. When I couldn’t find a story that truly resonated, I decided to create one.
Mom’s Cloud and the Beach Adventure began as a bedtime story—using a gentle cloud metaphor to explore sadness & other big feelings, while teaching her, she wasn’t responsible for my cloudy days, but she can still love & support me.
Creating this story deepened the way my family talked about emotions. Through our nightly conversations, my daughter not only began to understand my feelings, but also started adding her own lines—many of which are now part of the book.
Ziggleoafing Books
*disclaimer: I’m not a licensed therapist- just a mom sharing a story about clouds & feelings. My hope is these pages resonate & encourage others to seek support if they need it, without guilt or shame.
I created Ziggleoafing Books, because children’s stories do so much more than “just entertain”. They help little hearts & minds explore, imagine, & feel.
I wanted to create a world of whimsical adventures, gentle lessons, & capture the magic moments that spark curiosity, empathy, & connection. While also encouraging pausing & emotional honesty.
Cloudy Day Chronicles
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Stuck Under a Cloud
I understand that people have limits. I don’t expect anyone to carry everything for me. What I don’t know how to reconcile is what repeated abandonment has taught me about myself: that when someone leaves, I don’t just lose them. I start questioning myself, too. I’m stuck under clouds. One cloud is whispering to me…
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How Depression Created Our Bedtime Routine | Motherhood & Mental Health
Depression didn’t just affect how I felt—it quietly shaped our family routines. Now, years later, I’m realizing that some of the boundaries I created to survive a difficult season became traditions I never expected to miss.
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Conversations I Can’t Have
There are conversations I can’t always have out loud. The ones that sit in my mind, take up space, and create clouds. But even the heaviest clouds don’t erase the sunshine. They remind me to pause, reflect, and find my way back.
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Left on Read: Learning to Let Go of One-Sided Relationships
As the extrovert, I genuinely like checking in on people, hearing what’s new, rotating the groups, and maintaining relationships. For years, I had this habit of scrolling through my contacts and thinking, “Wow, we haven’t seen them in a while.” Then I’d send a text: “Hey, it’s been a while, what’s your schedule look like?”
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“Lots of Women…”: Why We Need to Talk Honestly About Miscarriage
A bit of time ago, someone close to me went through an unwanted pregnancy. They navigated it with care & intention, making the best decision they could for themselves. During the process, they reached out to me to talk about how hard it all felt. I asked them, “Would you like me to just listen…
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Send a Little Sunshine
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