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

  • Seeing My Story in Color: A Vibrant Reaction

    Mom’s Cloud at the Beach was born from collaboration, imagination, and a touch of vulnerability. As she waited for the sketches to arrive, she carried the weight of expectation—wondering if the illustrations would capture the emotions she had poured into the story. When the PDF finally appeared, it wasn’t exactly what she had envisioned. The…

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  • A Conversation Had: Unlocking Some Insights

    This author wanted the identity of Mom to be her whole world. She created a chosen family, she created her own family, and in doing so, she could leave the old self behind and fully embrace someone she was ready to share. She comes with clouds, yes, but on other days she brings fierce sunshine—a…

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  • Breaking Cycles: A Weekend of Parenting, Joy, & Mental Health Awareness

    This Mom faced a long weekend solo with both kids, anxiety in tow, and chose to do things differently. Instead of spiraling, she filled their days with joy: a cozy game night, movie time, a bubble parade, and an AFSP walk—dressed in beads, carrying love, and supporting causes close to her heart. Even the harder…

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  • Facing Rejection in Publishing: Why I’m Still Writing About Mental Health for Kids

    ’m still here. Still writing. Still querying—because I carry this stubborn hope that someone, somewhere, will see value in parenting with depression. That they’ll understand it matters to be the parent willing to talk about this, with more words, deeper emotion, and a touch of whimsical truth.

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  • “You’re Going to Figure It Out Like You Always Do”: Parenting Through Chronic Illness

    I want to believe I’ll be okay—I have to. More honesty. . . my health (& my body) weighs heavily—pun intended—on my emotional well-being. When I talk about depressive episodes, my deepest clouds, I’m talking about days where I woke up with a chronic illness flare-up. These morning begin with self-doubt questions: Did my body…

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