Meet Christina Knight of Mama with Grace in Santa Clarita

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Knight.

Christina, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Mama with Grace originally started out as a blog about my journey into motherhood as I honestly did not know what’s to expect as a first-time mom with little to no experience being around kids.

I began writing while I was still pregnant and it was a great outlet and way to connect with other mama’s that were experiencing the same ups and downs that I was feeling throughout my pregnancy.

Once my daughter was born in November of 2018, I decided to continue with it and turn it into a regular blog that recorded my personal journey through motherhood and how I was doing my best to navigate it with grace! I am a believer of Jesus Christ and trust in the power of His Grace so it has always been important to me to run a faith-based business. I chose Mama with Grace because I’m mama, and my daughter is Lily Grace, so that is my version of a play on words for my company name!

Anyway, as time went on, my following grew, so did my daughter of course, and so did my own inspiration.

I’m a creative person by nature and have always wanted to have my own business, so I decided to take the leap of faith and open up shop! Prior, I had been working in the automotive insurance industry for over 15 years! My desire to leave the cubicle farm combined with my daughter’s inability to take a bottle and only breastfeed, I finally decided that it was time to take the leap of faith, quit my job, and become a work at home mom!

I opened up shop in July 2019. The idea of making teethers came about in kind of a funny way. My daughter was going through a really bad teething phase around five months old. She would constantly bite and suck on my arms to the point where she would cause bruises all over! I literally looked like I was living with a baby vampire!

I knew teethers were a thing and I had bought a few different teething toys, but none of them kept her attention long enough. It was always back to mama’s arm!

I read about nursing necklaces in a mommy group online and at first, I was a little wary but then I quickly realized that mom wears the necklace, not the baby, so I felt more comfortable and in control.

My daughter was also (and still is) going through the phase where she twiddles and pulls on my hair, mouth, among other things when she nurses! So I thought let’s try this nursing necklace thing out!

I searched through all the baby stores and nothing. Out of stock. I also didn’t want to buy just any kind because I wanted to make sure it had safe ingredients like being truly BPA-free, non-toxic, and eco-friendly! I know that many products made in China specifically don’t have as strict regulations when it comes to keep chemicals out of products so I wanted to make sure I could find the best quality silicone on the market!

I decided I would make my own. I found a Canadian based supplier and ordered a small supply just to test the waters of if my daughter would like it and then see if maybe some of my mama friends would too!

I made my first one and it was a huge hit with my daughter! No more arm bruises or hair pulling! Mom win!!

I had friends test it out on their babies and they loved it too!

So that’s where it all started. Now we are helping mama’s and babies all over the world by creating not so average teethers that are handmade with love by Mama (me, of course) and inspired by Lily Grace.

We have grown exponentially in the last three months, even making a few for widely known celebrities and having our products stocked at Earth Baby Boutique in Sherman Oaks and Newhall.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I don’t think any journey is ever smooth, and if it is then it’s probably too good to be true.

I did face some struggles along the way, mainly the challenges of dealing with my postpartum depression. Some days were hard because I lacked motivation to even get out of bed. I constantly struggled with feelings of inadequacy, like I wasn’t doing enough for my daughter or that I simply wasn’t a good enough mother.

Of course, I’ve learned over time with the help that these were not truths and in fact caused by a mental health disorder. But I have since found ways to cope and even find healing through better nutrition, support, and a positive mindset! But to any mama’s that do feel this way, I encourage them to speak up! Find help, go to someone you feel comfortable talking to and remember that you are enough and an amazing mama!

The other thing I did struggle with and sometimes still do is finding balance! Being a full-time stay at home mom and a full-time small business owner is tough because you are trying to balance being a mom, getting dinner on the table, and also taking down orders and answering emails all day long.

I had gotten to the point where I felt like I was constantly telling my daughter to just hold on one second because mommy is almost done talking to this customer! I started to feel massive mom guilt and knew I had to change something!

Even though customer service is a priority to me, I knew that my family had to come first. So I decided to adjust my processing times and made sure that people understood that I was a one-woman show and had a daughter to take care of and my customers understood! In fact, they were very supportive and said that I could take as long as I needed to make their orders because it was worth the wait!

It made me feel good to know that my customers valued my family time as well and still valued my business!

We’d love to hear more about your business.
I’ve earned the title of being known for my not so average teethers. Let’s face it, you hear teethers and you think of all the obnoxious colors and shapes they have to keep little one’s attention. Don’t even get me started on the nursing necklaces they have for moms to wear! PS, not trying to knock any other company here!

I wanted to create teethers that were unique. Something you wouldn’t find in your everyday big box store. Something that you knew was made with love and unique to each child’s (and mama’s) personality and style.

My style is one of a kind. I can’t even explain it really so you’ll just have to see for yourself.

I specialize in making nursing jewelry for moms to wear, as well as teether rings for babies to play with, paci clip teethers, teether clips that can be used on strollers or high chairs, and most recently started diving into the world of sensory jewelry for older children with sensory issues.

I also take special requests. Sometimes a customer will come to me and she doesn’t have any kids but just wants a pretty necklace because she loves my designs! Sometimes I’ll get a request for a necklace for dad to wear! The possibilities aren’t endless and I’m always open to trying to serve my customers the best way I can and making their wishes come true!

What truly sets my company apart from others is the way I truly care about my customers from giving them the best service to making sure I am sourcing materials that are truly BPA free and non-toxic from Canada! Living a non-toxic lifestyle is super important for my family so I make sure to carry that over into my business! I wouldn’t want my own child chewing on something that may have lead or PVC in it, so why would you? Yes, it may be a bit more expensive, but I would rather pay a little more to know I am getting something quality.

What were you like growing up?
Honestly, I was always the odd duckling. I didn’t really have many friends growing up, partially because my childhood was so rough with my parent’s difficult divorce. I learned to keep to myself and often used my imagination to stay busy!

I was always into learning so I taught myself how to play piano by ear, draw, sew, paint, make crafts, you name it! I was always reading and writing and doing as much as I could to keep my mind growing!

I do have two young siblings, however our age difference is five and nine years apart so we weren’t very close as children but now they are a very important part of my life!

I’ve always been introverted, but bring me around the right group and I’ll open up like a flower!

I’m a super ambitious, artsy, and motivated person! I’ve always excelled at anything I do, but I also am an over-thinker so it does get the best of me at times! We all have a flaw somewhere I guess!

Pricing:

• Prices of teethers range from $18-35.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shopmamawithgrace.etsy.com
• Email: shopmamawithgrace@gmail.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/mama_with_grace
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/mamawithgrace

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