Little Gypsies moves to Byron Bay!

Little Gypsies has a new home near Byron Bay, in the Northern Rivers of NSW. Casey (above left) moved her family and head office north from Sydney for the lifestyle and the natural beauty the region is famous for. I have been living in the area for more than five years and am beyond excited to have my best friend living five minutes down the road! It's the perfect environment to grow our business and we already have some exciting things percolating...

The Carni comes to town!

Hi and happy new year from Little Gypsies! We hope you are having a happy start to the year. In between setting up our new office in Northern NSW, we have been spending our days swimming in the river, soaking up the sun and going to the local carnival.

This cute little carni has been coming to Brunswick Heads for more than 40 years. It sets itself up on the banks of the the river to entertain kids and adults for about three weeks over summer.

No animals. No pricey rides. Just good old-fashioned fun :)

Mmmmm... fairy floss...

Little Gypsies wanders through Sydney markets

Like Casey, I LOVE strolling through a good market so when I was down in Sydney last weekend, I couldn't resist visiting my friend Madeleine who had stalls at both Bondi and Surry Hills markets.

How cute is this vintage board game?! In case you can't read it, it says "The Game of Flower Lotto. Educational Amusing Entertaining For Young Folk."

This is Madeleine checking out the gorgeous old clothes at Surry Hills. She also owns two very cool vintage shops on Crown Street in Sydney (a couple of doors down from each other) called Puf'n'stuff. Check them out if you're ever in the area.

This is taken at Madeleine's stall at the Bondi markets, which happen every Sunday on the grounds at the local primary school. I always get some great bargains, especially shoes and bags, which a gal can never have too much off :)

A day in Bruns

This is Brunswick Heads, a little fishing village just north of Byron Bay. I moved here a couple of years ago and am so glad I discovered this piece of paradise. I have lived in some incredible places all over Australia but this is the first one that I've been "in love" with... Veda

Colour and Sun rays :)

I found these pictures today of Sequoia and I, that were taken in our home April last year. It was published in the great Aussie magazine Australian Parents, quite a good magazine with stories, and advice that is delivered in a engaging way. As per usual we are both wearing our Mexican dresses and skirts, yes here the ladies love the colours :). I loved that day, I was 3 mths pregnant, past the morning sickness stage and the warm sunshine was filling the living room with life.

Time for travel?

In the process of packing, sorting, then more packing to move home and business soon!

I have come across many travel documents, photos and these passport pics used years ago for a press release. Ah, feels like a long time since my last trip, think some planning for a new adventure should start about now.. destination ideas?

I loved these times traveling with Sequoia, it was amazing to see her grow with each adventure. Hopefully Gypsy can come along next time in the not so distant future?

Some of our favourite things

Hand-knitted rattles from Bangladesh, art and craft smocks from Australia, pretty party dresses from Ecuador, ruffle skirts and denim shorts inspired by the 70s and 80s – these are a few of our favourite things.

The Gypsy Caravan

It's Casey here... thought I would share with you a few snapshots of the bedroom my two young daughters share – the colourful and eclectic Gypsy Caravan!

Yes there is a lot of Little Gypsies pieces in the girls room, along with an array of collected bits and pieces from vintage markets and travels abroad. I adore their room, it's warm, fun and playful, a sweet little sanctuary. This gives you a good idea of what can be done for an alternative children's bedroom.

The girls love their Little Gypsies tepee, we are lucky enough to have the space in the room to have it set up permanently, but on cool days we fold it up and move it to the backyard for tea parties.

Old-school toys for our kids

Sorry it's been a while since I logged on – juggling a five year old and a 12-month old is very consuming! I have also been doing some research into what kind of toys to feature on my website, Little Gypsies, especially those that have a strong educational component.

You see, I tend to steer away from computer-based toys and instead opt for classic, old-school alternatives for my kids. Aside from the fact that they tend to last longer, I have also found that they stimulate the kind of foundation skills that develop into more complex learning skills.

A friend of mine, Samantha Daley*, who just happens to be a Paediatric Occupational Therapist, believes that an overuse of technological-based toys like Game Boy and Nintendo, can delay a child’s developmental skills and even contribute to conditions such as ADD and ADHD.

“Old-school toys like yoyos and lacing toys help integrate our sensory systems, refine motor skills, and develop eye-hand coordination,” Samantha explains. “These are really important tools that help kids with self-maintenance skills such as tying up their own shoelaces and doing the zippers on their jackets and jeans,” she says.

“For example, Little Gypsies’ lacing games not only help kids develop fine motor and hand-eye coordination skills but also help improve their sequencing skills. These are really important in pre-literacy and pre-numeracy tasks such as seeing patterns in words when learning to spell, copying from blackboards, and understanding the multiplication table.”

In fact, none of the toys or educational games featured on Little Gypsies require batteries and they are all made to last so you can hand them down to younger brother, sisters and cousins. To see the full collection, check out the Play and Learn sections at www.littlegypsies.com


* For more information about Samantha Daley's work, visit www.spot4kids.com.au

Gifts that keep on giving on...

My other little baby, Little Gypsies, actively supports organisations that have a public mission to help communities and their local environment. We’re particularly interested in grass-roots neighbourhood projects that help create a better life for underprivileged people in areas such as Vietnam, Laos and Australia.

The Green Gecko Project, a Cambodian-based orphanage that aims to improve the lives of street children living in Siem Reap, is one of the charitable organisations we are proud to work with. In fact, every time you purchase something from the Little Gypsies Shop, 3% goes straight to this inspiring project.

Launched in 2005 by an Australian woman with a big heart and a determined spirit, The Green Gecko Project started with a simple mission to feed malnourished, abandoned kids has now evolved into a thriving community scheme.

“What started as a token gesture to get the kids off the streets for an hour or two turned out to be more successful than ever imagined,” says co-founder Tania Palmer, who moved from her home in Byron Bay to dedicate her life to this cause.

Some of the initiatives that have been launched from donations from businesses like Little Gypsies include a huge assembly area, two open-air classrooms, solar panels to power the buildings, and much-needed medical care for the kids. (Check out www.greengeckoproject.org for more information if you like.)

Through the ongoing support of Little Gypsies, we are able to continue our work with this valued children’s program.

Casey Arnaud

www.littlegypsies.com

Introducing Gypsy Peru Arnaud-Gower

Here is my gorgeous girl Gypsy
Born on October 11, 2008
along with my other darling,
her big sister Sequoia

Travel bug

I think she inherited her wanderlust from me...

My Little Gypsy

Sequoia's travel album

These are some snapshots from our trips to Laos, Vietnam and California. Sequoia is such a great travelling buddy - we always have a great time exploring new places together!

She loves meeting kids who come from different cultures, and she's always so keen to wear the traditional clothes, especially when we were in Laos and Vietnam.

TOP TEN TRAVEL TIPS

To help educate my daughter, Sequoia, about different cultures and customs, I have taken her to locations like Laos, Vietnam and Bali – not an easy feat considering my partner was working thousands of miles away! So here are my top ten travel tips:

1. Travel DVD player with an assortment of movies and some kids music CD’s (such as Putamayo Kids Latin) for playtime in hotel rooms.

2. A special drawing book and a new pack of pens, pencils, stamps etc. Make it a kit that is special for the trip. The activity packs are good!

3. Their own little backpack for carrying water and their 'travel essentials' Sequoia's essential item in Laos was a baby doll and a pretend medical kit.

4. Health checks - Always good to do a little visit to your GP as son as a trip is booked to check on vaccinations required for that particular country, boosters needed in general, and that the little one is in tip top shape for travel. I always take a good quality multivitamin for kids and a child-friendly bifidus powder to help strengthen her stomach against foreign bugs.

5. A camera for them to use – I gave Sequoia an old digital camera to use on a trip that she loves; an old phone camera is also a cheap option.

6. A fully stocked medical kit containing pain relievers, antiseptic, anti-diarrhoea, thermometer, cough medicine and so on. I also like to have a few natural remedies such as homeopathic for fever, gastro and stress, such as rescue remedy. I tend to go a bit overboard on trips with this medical kit, but I figure if I have it all I will more than likely not need any of it – a theory that has worked so far!

7. Good assortment of clothes for all weather conditions and unforeseen accidents. Especially useful are the light muslin, kaftan style shirts that provide great sun protection and cover arms to deter mosquitoes. They take up virtually no space in a suitcase, and wash and dried easily in your hotel room.

8. Patience - Remember just as you may have jetlag and are tired, so are they. Try and get some early nights sleep in on the first few nights to give you the energy and patience needed for the days to come with your young one.

9. Make a wristband with your child’s name and all the hotel contact details on it. Alternatively, write in permanent marker your child’s name and the hotel’s number, just in case. It is always a great idea to put the hotel’s business card in their bag as a back up measure.

10. Passport and Visa check. Children's passports only last for five years, so ensure there is six months still to go before it expires and all relevant visas are obtained for your child prior to departure.

Happy travelling!

Eco-friendly toys for children

With climate change at the top of global agendas and environmental awareness on the lips of everyday consumers, Little Gypsies is fast becoming known for its range of eco-friendly, globally sourced kids clothes, toys, games, and bedroom accessories.

What is ‘eco-friendly’, you ask? It’s the term that refers to products that have been made with minimal impact on the environment, which often feature natural dyes, plantation timber and recycled materials.

Our promise is that each piece in our collection must meet one or more of the following standards: Eco-friendly, Educational, Charitable, Traditional, Collectible, Ethical and Fair Trade. These seven ‘core values’ are what we here at Little Gypsies see as crucial for the selection process when looking for items to add to each collection.

Like true gypsies, our wanderlust has led us to exotic locations like Laos, Indonesia, India, Mexico, Peru, Spain, Africa, Russia, Vietnam and Australia, all in search of traditional pieces that capture the essence of each culture. Our unique collection includes educational toys and games, decorative room pieces, and hand-made clothes and jewellery.

IT’S EASY BEING GREEN

A growing number of parents are turning to eco-friendly products to ensure their kids don’t come in to contact with chemical hazards like lead-based paints and asbestos tainted toys.

That’s why Little Gypsies’ eco-friendly toys and musical instruments are free from toxic materials. In fact, the majority are hand made using traditional techniques that have been used for generations.

For example, our quality Australian made, Mellow Sounding Drums are made from recycled materials, synthetic skins, plantation timber and 100% cotton. Each drum has a soft, mellow sound and entertains kids for hours on end.

Many of the fabrics used in our clothing and bedding lines employ natural dyes and environmentally friendly production methods, while our conservation-themed notebooks are constructed from 100% recycled paper.

The colours used in our striking Indian Block Prints are derived from nature – indigo, turmeric, madder root, iron and red mud – and then traditionally printed by stamping hand carved blocks on to fabric by a certified, Fair Trade family business.

Little Gypsies likes to encourage its customers to buy intelligently and responsibly by choosing quality products that last for more than one generation. Swapping mass-produced, disposable products for high quality, hand made versions means less landfill and, hopefully, more appreciation between kids and their toys.

To check out our range of eco-friendly kids clothes, toys, musical instruments, and educational games, please visit us at www.littlegypsies.com