Today we’d like to introduce you to Natasha Perez.
Natasha, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
When I found out I was pregnant, I very quickly realized I had no idea what I was doing. I spent hours searching the internet for every little symptom or question I had. There was plenty of info out there about all the joyous parts of pregnancy, but I discovered there were many other parts few people seemed to openly talk about.
So, I decided to start a blog and share my experiences as I stumble through pregnancy and motherhood, one day at a time.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been tricky trying to manage a blog with motherhood. I work full time from home and am the primary caretaker for my son – talk about a balancing act! It was a lot easier when I was pregnant to find the downtime to write a blog post. Now that I am a mom, sometimes, I am so wiped out by the time my son goes to bed that I have little energy or motivation left to write a post and I am guilty of not keeping up with the site as much as I want. Along those lines, a big piece of advice I have found is to prioritize your days and find time to take care of yourself in there. I always make a point of a 20-30 minute workout during my son’s afternoon nap. It is a small amount of time where I get to focus on myself and remember who I am outside of being a mom. Prioritizing your day and keeping a journal to map out your goals can be so beneficial in the long run for your wellbeing – it helps keep me accountable to myself while providing a place where I can see my progress!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Mommy in LA – what should we know?
I am one of the lucky women who can say she is a Work from Home Mom. So, not only am I a mama and a sometimes a blogger, but I also work in project management for an NGO. Being a work at home mom is an absolute gift – every day, I have the opportunity to spend with my son. It is also a challenge to manage my job and manage to be a mother. I have to practice a lot of self-management and stick to my schedule to make sure my job is always done properly. I am so proud of my ability to do just that: manage the day to day while still finding time for self-care or to explore what being a mother really means for me through my writing. I have had quite a few people thank me for my honesty and vulnerability in my blog posts. I think being fully honest, not pulling any punches, and not pretending to be anything but who you are can go a long way.
We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
I feel a big barrier to women today is many don’t have the option to truly balance their family lives with their work lives. Women are natural multitaskers and it’s almost like the minute you have a baby, your multitasking skills go into overdrive. I am fortunate enough to have people who trust me and who know that I am capable of taking care of my work commitments. Having children and wanting to take the best care of them does not mean a woman is not serious about her career or incapable of giving her best self to her coworkers. Women are strong and resourceful and I promise you, they can be an amazing professional and an amazing mother all at the same time!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mommyinla.com
- Email: mommyinla@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/mommy.in.la
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/MommyinLA
Image Credit:
Alberto Escobedo, Mommy in LA
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