Use Your Words: Writing Guide for Moms {#Giveaway}, US/CAN 5/24

I've always been a bit envious of the "artsy" types.

I figured that painting, dance, and writing skills came naturally...

To Others.

Now I know better.

There are others out there willing and able to guide us on our journey to creativity.

Kate Hopper is one of these people, and I am happy to have discovered her!

A Resource to Help you Document Your Experiences.

Kate Hopper is an award-winning writer, teacher, editor, and mother, among other things. She writes primarily about the many sides of motherhood, and when she began in this direction found that some people did not take her writing seriously because of the subject matter. Her solution was to create a place in the world for women to give creative expression to their own motherhood experiences.

In her book "Use Your Words: A Writing Guide for Mothers" Kate teaches some great techniques to help us document our journeys in ways that will capture the moments and give depth to the subject at hand.

Use Your Words is a book for both beginning mother writers and more advanced writers who want to improve their writing ability as they process the gritty, mundane, often-funny, and sometimes heartbreaking nature of parenthood.

The book layout is ideal for me. I really enjoyed reading the excerpts in each chapter, which were followed by specific exercises for the reader to follow. The writing exercises were easy to understand and although some of them were difficult for me personally to complete, others were really valuable. The chapters ranged from 10-20 pages, a perfect length for a busy Mother with little "me" time.

Turn the phrase on yourself - "Use Your Words!"

I am not yet ready to share the pieces I have written (perhaps in a future post?) but I am excited to continue on with the exploration and expression of my own journey. This book will continue to be a resource for me as I document the ever-changing landscape that is parenthood.

If you like what you read, Kate has kindly offered to giveaway a copy to one of you! But wait, there's more. Kate is working on another book "Ready for Air" about prematurity due out October 1. Stay tuned to Journeys of The Zoo for more information.

You can order Kate's book "Use Your Words" off her Website (it's also available as an audiobook) and connect with her via Her Blog, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Win a Copy of "Use Your Words" below!

The Zoo Receives a Bunch of Generous Gifts!

The Zoo is home from summer vacation however, things are not yet back to normal.

Uncle Andrew has been visiting since Wednesday, Marcella arrives on Tuesday and then Nanna on Sunday. Before you know it, we'll be leaving for Mexico.

While I get caught up, I thought that I'd thank a few companies that have kindly sent items to The Zoo.

"The Smart Mother's Guide to a Better Pregnancy" from Dr. Linda Burke-Galloway is a great resource for any pregnancy. I could personally relate to the high-risk problems chapter and really appreciated her appendix on High Order Multiple Support. I was pleased to see the "Triplet Connection" mentioned as it was and has been a great resource and place of support. While the groups were all based out of the USA, these topics know no borders and support is only an email away. Linda even wrote me a little personalized note. A nice touch. Once I'm done reading the book, I will be donating it to our local library.

Dr. Linda can be reached on her website (http://www.smartmothersguide.com/) or via Twitter (https://twitter.com/YourObGyn).

Crystal from Krafters Korner sent me this beautiful picture of daisies on embossed card stock. In case I've never told you, I LOVE Daisies. White ones with yellow centres are my favourite by far. In corresponding with Crystal, I might have mentioned that I wanted to put the card up on my craft wall. In turn, she sent an extra photo for just that purpose. Talk about kind.




The Zoo received three beautiful Princess Parables hardcover books from Zondervan. The titles are; Princess Faith's Mysterious Garden, Princess Charity's Courageous Heart, and Princess Hope and the Hidden Treasure. The illustrations are beautiful and so are the stories. The kids loved touching the embossed pictures on the cover leaflets.

Zondervan can be reached on their website (http://zondervan.com/) or via Twitter (https://twitter.com/zondervan).

Thank You for your Generosity!

Don't forget, only two days left to enter the Empire Reel Babies Movie Tickets Giveaway! Be sure to check back often this month as we have a bunch of great giveaways for you to enter and WIN!

  Besos, The Zoo