Everyday I look out my window from the dining room/now home office and think about how lucky I am to be in San Francisco! I'm a bit tired after a busy weekend at the Potrero Hill Festival and a Mom meet up, but it was well worth it!

I've been a part of the Potrero Hill community for the past 15 years and the 24th annual Potrero Hill Festival was a true representation of what I love about this community--the people. In between greeting and sharing our carrier, I soaked up the sun and watched the new families flutter around me, aspiring to hold on to the values that are important to them.

There's an artistic spirit that is alive and flourishing. Not only did the inhabitants of Potrero Hill find a home for their families, they found a home for their creativity. Beyond these borders, this city still carries a strong alternative pulse, where out-of-the-box thinking has always been a trademark in its history.

The people here are socially responsible, actually gardening in the community, promoting sustainability and are actively dedicated to nurturing each other. I realized this is my little nest. A nest is sheltering, but it doesn't have to be confining. It's there for you when you need it and helps you deal with the outside world.

A nearby business owner approached to ask questions with interest for her expecting daughter-in-law. She wore a piece of the former Bay Bridge lights as a necklace, a rare homage to a staple in San Francisco history. Another one of our new moms came along and agreed to join forces with Nesting Days as a graphic artist, all while she tried on her new carrier for size. As the day pushed on, under a gorgeous Indian summer sky, another woman stopped to inspect Nesting Days. After what seemed like a thorough once-over, we anticipated a million questions about our carrier. She surprised us with only one, "Can I fit my dog in this?". That's San Francisco for you!

NESTING – PART OF A MOVEMENT FOR CHANGE

Amidst all the activity at the Potrero Hill Festival, I realized how often we are over stimulated. Generally this is great, though sometimes a bit overwhelming. While my nest is Potrero Hill, full of an active kind of creative nurturing, we need to provide newborns with a much different kind of nest.

INTEGRATING BABY INTO YOUR DAILY LIFE FROM DAY ONE

The latest evidence has shown that neurologically newborns cannot self soothe or tune out on their own. They need your help to deal with the overstimulation of our world. The nest that Nesting Days creates is a much more intimate, safer space for you to be with your baby and learn the cues that will tell you what they need. I've had some moms approach me for tips on how to use the Nesting Days Newborn Carrier and I am happy to help out--just email me!  I'll also be sharing some  tips in our upcoming newsletter and hosting a workshop on November 9th on The Art of Nesting, were we will really dive into recreating the human nest outside the womb.

Until then, happy nesting!

Julie

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