Guest Post: In Hot Pursuit of Being a "Hipster".

Jennifer blogs at "A Penne for Your Thoughts" and is a married mom of two sons born 15 years apart (yes, you read that right) living in Hamilton, Ontario. A lover of cupcakes, reading good (and not-so-good) books and cooking, she also spends her days working in marketing for a well-known franchise restaurant corporation. You can follow Jennifer on Twitter @pennesthoughts.

See what Jennifer had to say about "Being a Hipster", or not... Please let her know that you're reading by leaving a comment.

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My 16-year-old son recently went back-to-school shopping for clothes (without me, *sniff*) and came back with a lot of really great finds. His typical "uniform" of jeans and tees seems to be a thing of the past. When I commented on how great he looked, he defined his new style as a hipster.

Urban Dictionary defines "hipsters" as: "a subculture of men and women typically in their 20's and 30's that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativity, intelligence, and witty banter."

Hmmm... that sounds a lot like ME! Woman in her 30's: check. Value independent thinking and progressive politics: check. (I'm not sure about counter-culture, I think I need a more hip hipster to define that further for me). An appreciation of art: check (I've been to the MOMA). Indie-rock: check (I love a good local band). Creativity: check (who doesn't?). Intelligence: check (duh, that's a no-brainer… uh… wait...). And, I love me some witty banter! Conclusion, I must be a hipster.


Me at a recent 80's rock band concert trying to recapture how cool I was in Grade 8.

I Am Hip?

"Uh, no, Mom, you're not," is the response I got from my son. Sad face :(.

When did I become an old Mom and no longer "cool"? When did I go from being the cute, young one in my office to the Mom figure on my team? When did I stop knowing what was on the Top 40 list and preferring to listen to 80’s and 90’s hits that are now 20 and 30 years old!? I suppose it was a gradual transition that I didn’t really notice was happening.

Although I am staring 40 down the nose (514 days to go...), I still feel the same way I did in high school. I really do. I didn't understand that feeling before I got here and in hindsight I realize that when I was a nasty teen, this is probably how my Mom felt. Huh. Interesting. Sorry, Mom, for all those times I said things like, "you don't understand me," or, "how would you know, you’re old!?". Oops.

Watching my teen son grow and change is really quite fascinating. The teen years are hard. They suck, really. I wouldn't want to go back there, although I did have a blast in high school. I like to think that he and I have a lot in common and that he thinks of me as a pretty young, cool mom. After all, I was just 21 when he was born, so I had barely left the teen years myself. In reality though, I'm 21 years older than he is and I'm his mom. I'm not young and cool. Boo hoo. But I also know that this is the way it should be. I’m not meant to be his friend who goes to parties and hangs out with him (remember the kids who had those parents and what you really thought of them and what you think of them now? I don’t want to be that mom).

I worry though, that if I'm nowhere near being what my eldest son defines as a hipster and sees as cool, how will my younger son (who just turned one) see me when he’s a teenager? I’ll be really old then! I hope that in another 15 years I will still remember what it was like to be in high school and how it feels to be young, invincible and on top of the world one minute and down in the dumps the next.

Sometimes it's painful to watch my son struggle through life and figure out where he's going and who he's becoming, but I have to remember that we've all been there and he will make it through. All I can do is guide him to make the right decisions, support the decisions he does make and be there to catch him when he falls.

In the meantime, I know my teen loves and respects me, but he definitely doesn't think I'm a hipster, and that's OK.

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Interested in Guest Posting?

No matter the topic, I'd love to have you. In fact, I'm specifically looking for people to post about things that I know nothing about such as crafts, recipes, tips and tricks, humour, kids. Just send an email to journeysofthezoo at hotmail dot com

Besos, The Zoo

Get Organized with PRK Products $60 #babygifts US/CAN, 09/23

Journeys of The Zoo wants to help you and your family get organized with a PRK™ Products Giveaway.

Believe it or not but the company owner, Paula, came up with the idea and design for her organizers after she (too) had Triplets. That's around a 1 in 8,700 chance!

The multi-functional design makes finding things and storing them really easy and the unit is compatible with over 30 name brands. I can see this organizer coming in really handy for those 2am feeds as it:

• Stores up to 12 bottles or sippy cups
• Loads horizontally and uses gravity to dispense bottles one at a time,
• Takes up less of a footprint in your kitchen cabinet,
• Compatible with over 30 brands of bottles and sippy cups,
• Adjustable, so you won't have to buy a new product when your baby outgrows a bottle,
• Dishwasher Safe,
• Can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer,
• Comes with basket to hold accessories,
• Unit expands to three different sizes, accommodating bottles up to 7.25 inches tall,
• Unit stands 10 inches tall and is 11 inches deep,

Baby food jars are difficult to stack and you wouldn't want to drop them! Here are some facts about their Universal Baby Food Jar Organizer:

• Stores up to 16 jars of baby food
• Stackable to maximize vertical space
• Can be adjusted to accommodate all three stages of standard baby food jars (also holds square baby food containers)
• Four different rows allow you to sort by type
• Slight incline uses gravity to automatically brings the next jar forward
• Regain your kitchen cabinet and store plates, cups, or bowls on top of the Universal Baby Food Storage & Organizer.
• Dishwasher safe
• Stores homemade food in the freezer

The best part, PRK™ Products are dishwasher safe, BPA and phthalate free and can be stored in the pantry, fridge or freezer (great for store bought or homemade baby food).

Get Organized with PRK Products!

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Enter for your chance to win a Universal Baby Bottle & Sippy Cup Organizer and a Universal Baby Food Jar Organizer.

Eligibility: US/CANADA.
Duration: The contest will run from Saturday, September 1 until Sunday, September 23, 2012, inclusive.
Shipping: Included in the prize.
Entry Method: Rafflecopter Form. See below.
Disclosure: Journeys of The Zoo did not receive any compensation in exchange for posting about this giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A big thanks to A Hen's Nest for allowing Journeys of The Zoo to participate in this giveaway.

This giveaway was posted to Canadian Free Stuff, I Love Giveaways, Contest Girl and Contest Canada.

Besos, The Zoo

Pura Kiki Bottling System is Impressive $100, US/CAN, 09/23

Journeys of The Zoo is back from vacation and really excited to offer you a chance to win a $100 prize pack of Pura Kiki Stainless Steel bottles!

When I was pregnant with the kids, my doctor recommended that I use a reusable stainless steel bottle for drinking water. Which I did.

What I didn't know was that all stainless steel bottles are NOT created equal. Many are cheap imitations that use inferior grades of stainless steel. Pura bottles are made of safe, food-grade stainless steel with no internal liner and are truly 100% BPA-free. Nor did I know that BPA-free plastic can leach chemicals and petroleum by-products. So much to learn.

I wish that I had known about the Pura Kiki system because I would have taken advantage of the bottling systems three in one functionality:

1. Compatible with a bunch of spouts and nipples,
2. Transformation into a sippy cup,
3. Ability to be used by an adult.

Good for the Life of Your Child.

In addition, using Pura Kiki means less plastic water bottles needlessly entering landfill or energy being used to make them in the first place. We only have one planet and all need to do our part. Using Pura Kiki is one way to help out.

Thankfully, an 11oz bottle with silicone sip spout retails for only $15.99. Considering the cost of baby bottles, sippy cups and water bottles, that's a deal of a lifetime. Besides,

Our Environment and Kids are Worth It.

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Enter for your chance to win a $100 prize pack of Pura Kiki Stainless Steel bottles.

Eligibility: US/CANADA.
Duration: The contest will run from Tuesday, September 3 until Sunday, September 23, 2012, inclusive.
Shipping: Included in the prize.
Entry Method: Rafflecopter Form. See below.
Disclosure: Journeys of The Zoo did not receive any compensation in exchange for posting about this giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A big thanks to A Hen's Nest for allowing Journeys of The Zoo to participate in this giveaway.

This giveaway was posted to Canadian Free Stuff, I Love Giveaways, Contest Girl and Contest Canada.

Besos, The Zoo

Love your Cat? Feed them Feline Greenies SMARTBITES {Review}

When we returned from the first leg of our summer vacation, I was excited to see a box of Feline Greenies SMARTBITES waiting for us. Aries was excited too. She says that we should go away more.

The box included five 60g (2.1oz) packages, each focussing on a different area of care and available in three different flavours to satisfy even the fussiest of cats (salmon, chicken and tuna). I was especially interested in the Hairball Control and Digestive Care as Aries has been having problems for several years.

The back of the package contained tons of useful and important information such as; health benefits, ingredients, feeding guidelines, guaranteed analysis and recommended treats per day (based on weight).

Their press release states that: SMARTBITES Treats feature a variety of naturally derived ingredients that have been researched and developed to deliver a specific benefit. Fibreblend formula, found in the Hairball Control formula, is a combination of plant-based fibers that help to minimize hairball formation and promote healthy digestion.

Each package had an easy to open, tear-away strip and was also resealable. Not that it mattered because if Aries had it her way, there wouldn't be any need. Unfortunately for her, the package contained guidelines on how many to feed per day (based on weight). The treats were the perfect size for little hands and not too big for an elderly cat.

Just Right!

While all of the above is great, it doesn't matter much if your picky cat won't eat them.

Needless to say, I couldn't get any pictures of Aries eating the treats because she ate them too quickly. I'm not kidding. She would have eaten the whole bag if I'd let her. Which is funny because the last time Nanna visited, she brought some "other" cat treats (which in itself is interesting considering she doesn't have any cats of her own) and Aries wouldn't eat any of them.

The bonus is that for only $2.99, you can regularly afford to show your pet how much you love them. That and they can be purchased at tons of stores such as; PetSmart, Petco, Many independent pet stores as well as online.

I've Got Great Taste!

A big thanks to Feline Greenies for allowing The Zoo to be one of the first to sample their SMARTBITES. Want to find out more, Follow them on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/Greenies) and Twitter (@GreeniesBrand).

Besos, The Zoo

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