I’ve got a special giveaway for Happy Magazine this week, with the prizes from none other than my own amazing Mom!
My mom has been training herself in graphic design over the past few years (smart or what?) and sells her work on Amazon.
She has a selection of cancer journals (she is a breast cancer survivor too) and we both thought that a giveaway especially for those cocooning at the moment might be a nice way we could spread a little joy. She has sent me 5 different journals and I have taken the following photos of them to share with you here.
I know that for me, writing is very therapeutic and helpful for me in difficult times. It helps me to explore my emotions and often reveals solutions to my worries too. I always feel a lot better once all of my thoughts are ‘out’ on paper – almost as if I have released them from my head.
I also always find it so interesting to read back on my journals after a period of time – it can be a great reminder of how far I’ve come since a particular point in my life or of memories that could have just been lost in the mists of time.
If you like to read or write poetry, one of these journals might be perfect for you too. When my mom was designing them, she carefully typed in 50 Rumi quotes for each one, to provide a little extra inspiration or insight to the person writing.
She also included little box designs for any special thoughts or gratitudes worth highlighting.
My mom sells her journals on Amazon for around €6.50 each. It’s important to her that they are affordable no matter what your budget is. She also has many other designs and themes (plenty are nothing to do with cancer too if you’d prefer that). If you’d like to see more of her work or buy a journal for yourself or someone else, you can find her Author page on Amazon here.
How to enter
There are five different cancer journals to be won and as usual, we want to make entering as easy as possible.
If you’d like to win one for yourself, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post or on this post’s social media appearances, and tell us how you are doing during your cocooning/lockdown.
If you’d like one in particular, let us know that too!
We’ll get the journals posted out to the winners before the end of this week.
The white one is my favourite – I love the quote about the universe and the light of the stars and the pretty floral pattern.
…although black never goes out of fashion either! This one is lovely too. Which one is your favourite?
Now I better go and have that cup of tea 🤣 Good luck everyone and mind yourselves.
By Happy Magazine Editor, Holly Kennedy.
Entries close Wednesday 29 April 2020, winners announced on Thursday on social media. Open to residents of Ireland only.
They are lovely Holly. Well done to you and your Mom. Stay safe. x
How gorgeous are these Holly! Well, 18 months into remission and I’m feeling nervous…..a proper spanner in the works this virus isn’t it ?
(an old Manchester saying 🙂)
i would love one for my sister .she is my best friend also ,she is waiting on two big operations to treat her cancer .i have just completed my operations.she is doing her best staying at home and be safe with her family .i miss her but we viber each other daily .this would be a lovely treat for her many thanks .all 5 books covers are amazing and love the quotes 💓
Hi Holly there all lovely I hope your doing good I came across your story other night on breast friends, like you I’m stage 4, I’m her2 positive I found a little 2cm lump got it checked straight away and 10 wks later was stage 4 heartbroken but I will fight this I have a little girl who is the reason I get up every day, I have great faith in prayer so you will be in mine, and I like the white diary lol, xxxx
Hi Holly, thank you and thank you to your mum for this lovely offer. I’m an English teacher and I’d love the journal with poetry and philosophy quotes to inspire me throughout the next few months. I’m recovering from surgery and I’m starting chemotherapy on Wednesday. I know that it would help me to write each day or two about all the new and quite scary things that have happened in my life this year. Lockdown has been good in some ways, it has been a quiet time to heal from surgery but it has been hard without the company of my parents and friends. Take care, Janette.
The journals are lovely and the quotes are inspirational. The highlight of my fortnight is my journey into getting my chemo treatment. It’s when I venture out into the world. Otherwise, I’m busy reading, sitting in my back garden, watching the bees and listening to the birds and thanking God that I’m still alive and will face better days
Love these journals! The grey in particular. Am currently sitting w/ my freezing 🥶 w/ my cold cap on round 2 of chemo for breast cancer. Had horrendous side effects after first one & ended up hospitalised for week. Have had v little downtime w/ family & am perfectly happy cocooning, always remind myself, I’m not missing anything!!
What a lovely idea – I am almost 12 months into my cancer journey having been diagnosed with endometrial cancer which was discovered when a secondary broke a bone in my spine – after scans I also found I had secondaries in my lungs – I had to have emergency spinal surgery as my spinal cord was compromised – which was successful however a few weeks later I developed an infection which spread through to the metal work in my spine but I was lucky after 5 weeks and 4 more operations on my spine and a bout of pneumonia I was home again – walking with a frame hormone treatment kept the cancer at bay until March when I had to start chemo – I have found writing down my worries and fears has really helped deal with and to process all that has happened – I am actually enjoying cocooning if I’m honest – it has given me lots of time with my children ( a leaving cert and a Uni student) and my husband who has been amazing through it all – I’m seeing it as a gift not a punishment – after all to anyone with cancer – time is the most precious gift of all x
Busy – it’s great to have the company of family.
The journals look fab. I would love one to enter daily bits and bobs.
Hope all well with you Holly and stay safe
Clare x
Well, I am 43 and 2019 was dedicated to chemo therapy, operation and this January I received the radiation therapy. Now I only take TMX and receive Herceptin. I will start Jane McLelland’s protocol soon. But all in all, after the initial shock , I think I’m doing well. Just like you, I learned to see the positives in this situation, and I also learned how many people care about me.
All these journals are just lovely, but my favorite is the one with the ‘beauty in me is a reflection of you’
Hi the journals look beautiful, your mum was so thoughtful and kind to donate them. During lock down, I’ve been very grateful to step off the hamster wheel of life, enjoy being with my children, 5 new puppies, making delicious meals from scratch and planting 100s of bulbs in my small front garden.
When I got cancer 3 years ago I always thought it should be a life changing experience but I wasn’t courageous to make those big changes. I would like to hear from people who have that courage.
Best wishes to everyone here for peacefulness and comfort, Karen hamilton
Hello Holly what a generous gift x Congrats to your mom they look beautiful. I understand totally your post on the Journal. Ie. I’ve just driven 20 days alone 4 hours round trips to CUH for radiation and chemo is ongoing in UHK. I’m second time round too. I’d love the journal as I’d make it my gratitude journal. Continued health and happiness to you may all our treatments go well and mostly may we never give up!!!! Thank you for all you do for us survivers💖
Hi Holly,
These diaries look fab congrats to your mum she is very creative and how nice of ye both to share with us. I’d love one Holly (white please), I’m cocooning since mid February I’m living with MBC and finding these days so challenging. I have my good and bad days but I have a six year old boy who is keeping me on toes with homeschool. I do love to write my feelings and thoughts down and finds it helps and just writing them down feels therapeutic. I love practising gratitude as well I think these journals would be perfect. Stay well and safe Holly.
Colette
Hi Holly, sending you lots of love and healing. Give your Mum a virtual hug – Her diaries are beautifully presented. I am on my BRCA journey and awaiting further breast treatments/reconstruction after a 2 Year journey of Stage 3, with 6 months Chemo, Radiation, Herceptin and gynae surgery. I have a wonderful friend called Celine, who is a BRCA gene carrier in 2015 and is in Stage 4, palliative. She has shouldered, comforted and given me lots of strength and positivity. She writes very eloquently. It is a perfect reflection gift – the white one, for her and her daughter..
Does this seem mean but i would love one for myself. Really struggling at the moment. This virus is so scary. 4 years battling but scared. Fear us horrible. Be safe everyone.