2,857 Tabs...All. The. Time.

I am not one to share these e cards all the time, but this one struck a chord.

This.....exactly this....

There are times that my husband grabs my laptop before I have had the chance to close down at least 1,424 of the open tabs and he just shakes his head. They say women are the great multi-taskers of the world. That's a nice way to put it.....

When we lie down at night, I swear it takes exactly 17.2 seconds until I hear muffled snores from the other side of the bed. In 17.2 seconds, I managed only to partially prioritize the next 34 things I am going to think about before I am able to shut off my brain for the evening.  Mind you, not all of those 34 to-do items are deep, game-changing, ideas. Ranging from: "Did I close the garage door tonight?" to "What are we going to do when our daughter wants to date the rocker dude next door (she is 3 right now...)?" And other deep thoughts such as: "I wonder if that DIY tutorial on Pinterest on how to convert 3 paper towel rolls and a piece of  moldy plywood into a fabulous Pottery Barn knockoff is really legit." to "How badly do I want to do the whole newborn thing again?"

And that is only the first 47 seconds worth....In yoga, they call it "Chitta Vritti", Sanskrit for "Mind Chatter" and when I practice, I have one hell of a time quieting it. I am the one who is surprisingly bendy, but does not look at all relaxed no matter how long I listed to the sounds of birds singing in the rain forest surrounded by lavender scented candles. A little high strung? Maybe. I admit that. But I think the answer is more along the lines of the fact that I was born with lucky XX chromosome.

Can anyone else relate to this? Is it a blessing or a curse? Has anyone out there figured out a good way to tune out the Chitta Vritti? Do share....lord knows we could use some ideas!

Nurtured Beginnings

Along this journey of small business ownership, I have been fortunate enough to meet some fellow mamas who seem to really have it together when it comes to running a business, making a living out of their passions, and raising healthy, beautiful, families. It is my pleasure today to introduce you to one such mama. A self-proclaimed "birth junkie", Amanda Santana is the owner of Gilbert, Arizona based Nurtured Beginnings. Amanda knows that each and every woman's desired pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience is different....and not always "textbook". She has made it her mission to help women achieve their ideals when it comes to the life changing experience of pregnancy and birth.

The services provided by Nurtured Beginnings include Doula service and Prenatal & Postpartum Fitness classes . A current member of DONA International, CAPPA, La Leche League International, Babywearing International, you can be assured that Amanda is one well-versed mama in her areas of expertise.

Without further ado, it is my pleasure to introduce you to Amanda...

Tell us about your business...

"My business consists of me being a doula, teaching prenatal and postpartum fitness, Dancing For Birth classes which is also a prenatal postpartum and baby-wearing fitness class with a mix of childbirth education and then I also make ring slings which I've been a little dormant in but I'm looking to start that back up in the next month!"

What did you do in your past life...before you launched your business?

"I was working two jobs that I was fortunate enough to like what I was doing and going to school full time for a degree I thought was what I wanted to do."

 

What made you decide to take the leap into being a business owner?

"I wasn't spending as much time as I wanted with the kids and I kept picking up and dropping off with school and the degree I was pursuing. So when I got pregnant and my husband asked me to stay home with the kids I knew I was going to be satisfied spending more time with the kids but I had to do something else I knew something was waiting for me. Then I stumbled upon the doula world and  I was hooked! I knew I had to do it."

What has been your greatest professional success to date?

"Educating my friends and family! No matter what I do I will always view that as my greatest achievement."

 

How about the biggest "lesson learned"?

"It is HARD getting started and you need surround yourself with supportive and uplifting people, take advice when it's given and never give up."

 What is next on the horizon for your business?

"Branching out I'm starting up again with making ring slings maybe to sell but mostly for clients and to have for classes. I'm just going to see where it goes. Also I've been working towards learning placenta encapsulation and starting an official Attachment Parenting International support group to serve valley wide."

Where can we find you when you are not being Super Business Owner Woman??

"At home with my small army of daughters probably crafting something".

If we were to run into you at a cocktail party, what would be your "party trick"?

"I honestly have no idea it's been so long".

When someone asks you to tell a joke, what is your "go-to" one-liner?

"What does a nosey pepper do? Get jalapeno business! I swear I laughed forever when I first heard it myself!"

If you could go back in time, what would you tell your 18 year-old self?

"Be patient, stay focused, fight for what is right and you really want to be a midwife don't waste your time on anything not related to that field."

Inspired? Want to learn more about Nurtured Beginnings? Check them out at: http://www.facebook.com/AZNurturedBeginnings