Tuesday Tips: the toothbrush ABCs

This is a little tip/trick I learned from Courtney when we were still living in London. Easton and Sara were both tiny little toddlers, playing so sweetly together (if they weren’t pulling each other’s hair out). We would meet up for dinner ever so often, feed our babies their purees, give them their baths together and put them down in each other’s houses so we could continue the party. When Courtney was brushing Easton’s teeth on those evenings, I noticed she would always sing the ABC song. She told me this was a habit she copied from her mum, who would sing this song when brushing her teeth and those of her siblings.

I took over her habit of singing the ABCs when brushing, and Tamar did too. And still, we sing when we brush: the Dutch ABCs for the top teeth and the English ABCs for the bottom ones. Sara and Pim, who are now brushing their own teeth, still hum their ABCs when they are brushing! It is a sweet little tradition, which makes brushing always a bit more fun, and has the advantage that my kids have known their ABCs since a young age, and also, that brushing always takes the minimum time of twice the ABC song.

Do you have any teeth brushing traditions in your family?

xxx Esther

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Weekend Getaway: Byron Bay, Australia

We discovered Byron Bay during our first campervan journey up the east coast of Australia back in 2010. It rained every day during that visit, which kept us from spending time on Bryon’s beautiful beaches, but forced us inland to discover its ‘hinterland’ — a verdant countryside of rolling hills, secret swimming holes and charming towns. While Byron’s beaches and surf scene are its biggest draw, the fact that there are so many beautiful surrounding towns with their own events, markets, shops and restaurants — all within 20 minutes of Byron — gives this happening little town even more appeal. I remember driving along those winding country roads in our camper van in 2010, telling Michael that this would be my dream spot if I could live anywhere in the world.

We arrived to Byron a little over three months ago now, and not a day goes by that I don’t pinch myself, knowing just how lucky we are to be here. While we are awaiting a decision on our visa applications we are soaking up every magical moment in this most special place — discovering new gems each week. For a little town (population of just 9,000 — or 30,000 if you count all of Byron Shire), it is bursting with wonderful things to do, see, eat, shop, etc. Here are some of my favourites:

EAT

• The Top Shop: A Byron Bay institution, and rightfully so! The coffee and food is easy to like, and its location makes it the perfect place to stop before or after a surf.
• Harvest Café in Newrybar: One of the best restaurants in the area, Harvest is a great place for a special lunch or dinner. On weekend mornings they open up their gorgeous bakery and sell delicious treats from a big farmhouse table. The perfect way to kick off the weekend!
• The Roadhouse in Byron: Apparently this is the hipster hang out, but they have always welcomed our boisterous gang of beach rats with open arms. Great food and amazing coffee are on offer in a lovely patio space. Dinner is great too, but kids aren’t allowed in the evenings.
• Woods Café in Bangalow: Just a 5-minute walk from our house, this is our favourite local café. The staff is super friendly and the plant-based food is divine. There’s also a pretty courtyard where kids can run around while you wait for your food or enjoy a second coffee.
• The Farm: Located just outside of Byron Bay, this working farm/restaurant/café/shop/play-space is a wonderful, family friendly spot to hang out, meet friends, and enjoy a delicious meal. We love their donuts, breads and sandwiches from their take-away counter, and the food from the Three Blue Ducks restaurant is outstanding.
• The Treehouse: Best for the beachy atmosphere and drinks, we have enjoyed this relaxed place for a couple impromptu dinners with large groups. You can come straight from the beach as you won’t feel a bit out of place here with sandy feet or wet clothes.
• Miss Margarita: A small Mexican restaurant in the centre of town with a happening vibe and good food. Be prepared to queue though.
• Doma Café in Federal: This Japanese-Australian restaurant is one of our favourites for their delicious food and pretty outside dining area. Definitely worth the drive to Federal just for this gem of a restaurant!
• The Belle General in Lennox Head: We discovered this café/restaurant when we camped in Lennox Head before arriving to Byron Bay last year and loved it so much, we went back a few times over the course of the next month. They have really delicious food and coffee — definitely worth the drive out of town.
• Mullumbimby Farmers Market on Friday mornings: we love this market for the great organic food stalls, friendly people and laid-back vibe. There’s also a Farmers Market in Bangalow on Saturday mornings, and one in Byron on Thursday mornings.
• Punch & Daisy in Mullumbimby: Owned by sweet friends of ours, this charming little cafe serves delicious, healthy foods all made to order, and great coffee too. Perfect for lunch with the kids with plenty of casual seating both inside and out in their courtyard.
• Yami in Brunswick Heads: This little vegetarian restaurant serves delicious mediterranean food and has a nice outdoor seating area. We love to stop here for falafel before or after a swim in the Brunswick area.
• Basiloco: Good wood-fired pizzas and a relaxed, family friendly vibe can be found in this Sardinian owned Italian restaurant just minutes from The Pass.

DO

• Surf at The Pass: The Pass is the perfect place for surfers of all abilities. The point break and gentle waves are ideal for every surfer in our family and it’s a gorgeous place to watch the sunset.
• Beach day at Wategos: Wategos Beach is just another of Byron’s gorgeous beaches – with good surf, lots of sand, and public BBQs for evening dinners with friends.
• Walk up to the lighthouse for stunning views up and down the coast (and dolphin spotting too, if you’re lucky!).
• Snorkel and swim with sea turtles at Julian Rocks: last year we booked a snorkel tour with the Byron Bay Dive Centre. The minimum age is 6, so Marlow was too young – but Michael took the three bigger kids and they loved it! They saw sea turtles, leopard sharks, and all sorts of fish and other sea life.
• Swim in the river at Brunswick Heads: Just a 15-minute drive from Byron, Brunswick Heads offers charming beaches as well as the river for swimming or paddle-boarding. (We’ve also seen dolphins swimming up and down the river!)
• The Crystal Castle: botanical gardens filled with extraordinary crystals, sub-tropical plant life and mystical statues. It’s hard to define the appeal of this place – something to see and experience for yourself.
• Killen Falls: There are several creeks and waterfalls in the gorgeous hinterland surrounding Byron Bay. We love swimming at the base of Killen Falls (though the large, jagged rocks make it slightly tricky to get into the water). We’ve even seen some baby turtles swimming next to us — a highlight for the kids.
• Tea Tree lakes: There are a few different tea tree lakes scattered around the Byron Bay region. The lakes are warm thanks to their dark colour, and are believed to have healing properties due to the tea-tree oil infused waters. This is a good option on a windy day as these lakes tend to be more protected from the wind.

SHOP

• Newrybar Merchants: This gorgeous shop is a collective of creative local artisans and shops and offers a variety of beautiful homewares, gifts, clothes and accessories.
• Our Corner Store in Bangalow: They have a beautiful selection of homewares and fashion, and they even have a small corner with a well-curated selection of children’s products. Great for gifts!
• Yoli & Otis in Byron Bay: this local children’s brand recently set up a gorgeous shop in the Byron industrial estate and everything about it is inspiring and beautiful. They have a collection of clothing for babies, children and women as well as a small but well curated collection of homewares and accessories.
• Tiny People in Byron Bay: a great children’s shop with lots of my favourite brands from all over the world.
• Mary Ryan’s Bookstore in Byron Bay: a charming bookstore with a good children’s section.
• The Bangalow Market: held on the 4th Sunday of every month, we love this big market full of gorgeous, locally-made products and crafts. A wonderful place to pick up unique gifts from the area.
• The Finders Club in Bangalow: a great shop for trendy menswear and accessories. I stopped in here to pick up Michael’s christmas presents this year and they did not disappoint.
• Channel Island: A notch above the rest when it comes to style and sophistication in surf products. Beautiful boards, stylish board bags and a great selection of clothes.
• Sunshine Trader in Brunswick Heads: this small but well-curated little boutique has a great selection of books, gifts and home accessories. They also have a small selection of mens and womenswear, stocking many of Byron’s best local designers.

STAY

• When we visited Byron Bay six years ago on our first campervan journey, wet weather kept us from doing the usual beachy things. Instead we drove inland and discovered the gorgeous little town of Bangalow. With cute shops, great cafes and a friendly community of residents, we knew we wanted to base ourselves there if ever we returned. Luckily, we discovered the Granuaille Residence on the Kid & Coe site last year when we started planning our trip, and we immediately booked it. The house is cosy, kid-friendly and stylish. It’s also perfectly located within a short walk of town. As fate would have it, we ended up becoming good friends with the owners, who returned from an extended trip to California in time to meet up while we were still in town. Poppy is a film director and Andy is a musician who will soon be releasing a rock album for kids.
• Aibnb is a really common way for locals to rent out their homes and make a bit of extra money. For this reason, there are loads of options for places to stay in the area.
• The Atlantic is a charming boutique hotel in the centre of Byron with stylish, individually decorated guest houses. Unfortunately, kids are not allowed here — so it’s one for an adults-only holiday.
• Elements of Byron: what this hotel lacks in charm and character, it makes up for in amenities and the location right on the beach in Belongil. We’ve had friends stay here who were very happy with the customer service.

Photos above are from our visit to Byron last April. (My camera has been at the repair shop for the past couple months, so I’ve not been able to photograph our time here as well as I would have liked. Hoping to make this a priority now that my camera is fixed!)

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High Street on Hudson

For those up and ready to hit the city early on a weekend morning, finding a good pastry and cup of coffee isn’t a terribly tall order, but finding an excellent full breakfast can be a more difficult task than you might expect. Brunch at many of our favorite restaurants doesn’t begin until 10:00 or 11:00am, which is a bit of a stretch if you’ve been up for several hours by then and are feeling peckish. Thank goodness, then, for restaurants like High Street on Hudson, where the doors open promptly at 8:00am and you’ll be spoiled for choice with a menu that practically demands over-ordering.

Nestled in the West Village, High Street on Hudson is a versatile and multifaceted gem: in the front there’s a small counter for picking up coffee, pastries and cookies, or loaves of excellent bread to go; cozy farmhouse tables fill the middle of the room for those staying to eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner; and the kitchen stretches across across the rear of the space, with three giant ovens that turn out all of the restaurant’s baked goods. The bagels here are some of the city’s best — dense and chewy, served toasted with cream cheese (this morning we opted for smoked onion cream cheese — so good!), tomatoes, dill, and crispy fried capers. More hearty are the egg sandwiches, with fillings like king oyster mushrooms, sautéed kale, swiss cheese, and house-made mushroom mayonnaise. On the lighter end of the spectrum, I adore their house-made ginger yogurt, served with fruit, toasted pistachios, and cardamom honey. Add an order of granola to sprinkle over the top and you will not regret the decision.

While we’ve not yet eaten there for a meal besides breakfast, the lunch and dinner menus look equally appealing and I’m certain that a meal later in the day would be every bit as good as their breakfast. The front counter also makes it a great choice for breads, pastries, or cookies to go, which can fortify you for a visit to the playground across the street (a must for us after a meal).

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Craft Tutorial: Peg dolls with hair!

I’m so glad we picked so many treasures in the forest throughout the autumn because there’s not much more outside to see (or pick) as everything here in the southern part of Germany is now covered in snow!

Do you also do that? Pick different types and shapes of sticks, leaves, acorn hats, cones etc. and than make different kinds of crafts with them in the winter? I made these super darling acorn people a while ago and Tila played with them a lot. And then I found some left over mohair wool the other day and came up with an idea of giving them hair! Different hairstyles even. And they turned out so much better than I have ever expected that I knew I had to share. Of course, like all of my crafts, they are super simple to create, don’t worry!

So the things you need are:

-Little peg dolls
-Acorn hats
-Glue
-Paint
-Sealer
-Cardboard
-Brushes (I use two: super fine detail brush for face and edges and a flat one to paint the rest of the body)
-Mohair wool (or any other really thin one I guess)

Note: please don’t be confused by my the photos because I made these dolls twice and the first time I glued their hair and hats first which was a mistake because when I painted their bodies their hair got in the way and even stuck to the paint. It was a small mess. So, on the photo where the hat and hair is glued on, the body and face should already be painted!

Ok, let’s get started:

First paint their bodies. As mentioned above I use super fine detail brush for parts below the neck in order to make as straight of a line as possible and then a flat brush to paint the rest of the body. Use one or two coats. Let the paint dry completely and finish them with a glossy sealer to avoid chipping and scratches. You can use two coats of sealer as well.

Paint their faces on if you wish — I only drew their eyes.

Now cut a piece of cardboard (about 6 x 10 cm) and wind the wool around one side (for longer hairstyles use the wider side or the narrower one for shorter hairstyles). The more you wind the fuller the hairstyle will be. Cut the end.

Cut a piece of wool about 10 cm long, use a tapestry needle or just bend the cardboard enough to slip the piece of wool between the cardboard and the winded wool. If you wish to do a really long hairstyle wind wool around the longer part of cardboard, tie a knot in the middle, turn the cardboard around and cut through all the wool in the middle.

Depending on how long the hair you wish to be use the suitable site. If you want to do two hairstyles at once tie two knots in the middle on both sides and than cut on one edge and than also in the middle (look at pictures above).

Now put thin layer of glue on top of head, put the hair on and pour a small amount of glue directly in an acorn hat and put it on top of hair. Hold in place for about 5 minutes and leave to dry completely. Best over night. Again – on this photo above the buddy should already have his body and eyes painted.

Now do the most fun part — style their hair!

-Polona

**

You can read more from Polona on her blog Baby Jungle or visit her online boutique Baby Jungle shop!

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Tips from a Local: Hillary in Notting Hill

Hillary Graves is founder of award-winning healthy children’s food brand Little Dish. She lives in Notting Hill with her husband Dean and her sons Monty and Ridley (aged 9 & 7). Here are her local tips:

1. Best date night restaurant: Six Portland Road, run by husband and wife team Oli & Ra Barker. The food is amazing.

2. Favourite family-friendly dinner spot: We love Portobello Pizza for their friendly staff, good food and the fact that you can book a table early.

3. Cosiest local cafe (and/or best place to grab a take-away): Egg Break on Uxbridge Street is a local favourite. For take away coffee, Chegworth Farm Shop on Kensington Church Street.

4. Trusted children’s shop: Now that my children are a bit older (ages 7 and 9), we like to visit book shops whether we are buying books or just browsing. Daunt Books on Holland Park Avenue and Waterstones on Notting Hill Gate both have helpful, knowledgeable staff and good children’s selections. For baby gifts Petit Bateau on Ledbury Road, Bonpoint on Westbourne Grove and Cologne & Cotton on Kensington Church Street.

5. Favourite women’s shop: DVF on Ledbury road

6. Coolest local playground: The adventure play ground in Holland Park

7. Favourite food shop: There are so many, it is difficult to choose just one. We love Kensington Place fish shop, the Greengrocer on Clarendon Road, Speck the Italian delicatessen on Portland Road, Ottolenghi on Ledbury Road and Huntsworth wine shop on Kensington Church Street.

8. Best shop for homewares, fun finds, or special gifts: Summerill & Bishop on Portland Road has a really beautiful selection. It can be pricey, but there are some affordable options in the mix as well. I think flowers always make a great gift and John & Jessie flower shop on Peel Street is the best.

9. Local activity center or museum: We are excited about the Design Museum on Kensington High Street which is finally opening at the end of November.

10. Favourite park or outdoor space: For us, it’s all about where the boys can kick their football so we head to either Kensington Gardens or Holland Park.

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Tips from a Local: Marissa in Williamsburg

Marissa Buick is a mother of two girls and the talented designer/founder of the beautiful children’s brand, Soor Ploom. She and her family live on the Greenpoint/Williamsburg line in Brooklyn and explains that there are so many great spots in her neighbourhood, she rarely ever leaves! Her tips below make me excited for our next trip to Brooklyn:

1. Best date night restaurant: Glasserie, perfect ambience in this former glassworks factory, Mediterranean/ Middle eastern cuisine with a contemporary edge.

2. Favourite family-friendly dinner spot: Enid’s, one of the longest standing restaurants in our neighborhood, comfort food and pinball, and in my former life, my waitressing gig.

3. Cosiest local cafe (or best place to grab a take-away!): Bakeri, delicious baked goods, farm to table vibe, and all the girls that work there wear blue union suits. : )

4. Trusted children’s shop: Sweet William, beautiful clothes and gifts, lovely woodland vibe.

5. Favourite women’s shop: Pip Squeak Chapeau, linen clothes I live in.

6. Coolest local playground: East River State Park, nature is their playground here.

7. Favourite food shop: The Brooklyn Kitchen, our local butcher and fresh grocer.

8. Best shop for homewares, fun finds, or special gifts: Home of the Brave, curated to perfection, I literally want everything in this shop.

9. Local activity center or museum: Baked, a pottery painting spot.

10. Favourite park or outdoor space: Transmitter Park, a quiet spot with a view of Manhattan.

Thank you Marissa for sharing your favourite spots!

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Tips from a local: Joanna in Haarlemmerbuurt

Joanna is a Brit married to a Dutchman and they live in one of the most beautiful neighbourhoods of Amsterdam together with their two little girls. Their neighbourhood is called the Haarlemmerbuurt and their house is squeezed in between the Brouwersgracht (voted the most beautiful canal in Amsterdam) and The Haarlemmerstraat/dijk (often voted the best shopping street in the Netherlands). Such a perfect place to live!
Joanna is a mama of two girls, and is the representative of micro-step.nl (the Dutch branch of Micro scooters) in the Netherlands. She always knows about the best local hangouts, so we’re super excited to share her list of tips with you!

1. Best date night restaurant: Wolf Atelier  — it’s located in a glass box balanced above the water on an old railway bridge. There are great views over Het IJ and the food is consistently excellent.

2. Favourite family-friendly dinner spot: La Perla in the Jordaan — these pizzas are fantastic, the best I’ve ever had in or out of Italy, they don’t deliver but you can either eat them at the long wooden table in the room next to the wood-fired oven or they’ll carry them over the road to their restaurant, and of course you can also take them home. Stout is another place we often go to, it’s next to the Herenmarkt playground (see below) and you can sit outside on high cushions above the kitchen while the children play.

3. Cosiest local cafe (or best place to grab a take-away!): Vinnie’s Deli is our favourite for breakfast and lunch, sometimes we go on a breakfast date after dropping the children at school. Get your daily quota of vegetables and vitamins with Cropbox‘s vegan lunchbox delivery service – their salads are indescribably delicious.

4. Trusted children’s shop: Hebbes — it’s a tiny toy shop but they have a such a great selection that you’ll always find the perfect gift for whoever you’re looking for. Spikes is our favourite shoe shop for kids.

5. Favourite women’s shop: Sukha — it’s like walking into a lifestyle magazine with a beautifully curated collection of ethically sourced clothes and homewares.

6. Coolest local playground: Herenmarkt — just around the corner from our house and one of the main reasons we wanted to live in this neighbourhood. A few years the neighbours banded together to raise funds to ensure that the wooden climbing frame would be replaced in the same style to safeguard the unique atmosphere on this square under the chesnut trees.

7. Favourite food shop: the Noordermarkt organic market on Saturdays – the largest farmer’s market in the Netherlands, this was the other big pull for me in this neighbourhood. We’re lucky to have a second, smaller, organic market on Wednesdays on the Haarlemmerplein. And for the days in between we have a Marqt supermarket on our doorstep. This stretch of the Haarlemmerstraat next to where we live is also home to several speciality food stores like Petit Gateau, Caulil’s, Stach and Vlaamsch Broodhuys.

8. Best shop for homewares, fun finds, or special gifts: Outras Coisas — my favourite place to head when I’m looking for a gift for a friend (or myself!). For tableware, Vivian Hann has a beautiful selection of interesting and often unique pieces. Klevering is another go-to for simpler presents and stylish Amsterdam souvenirs.

9. Local activity center or museum: Het Grachtenhuis — a fascinating insight into how and why the UNESCO World Heritage Canal Belt was developed and built as it was. It’s great for all generations (we went when our youngest was 5), an interactive multi-media exhibition which is educational and interesting. Never has queues either unlike many Amsterdam attractions!

10. Favourite park or outdoor space: on our boat in the canals in summer! Instant holidays at home. We swim in the canals around Prinseneiland, on the other side of the railway. If you’re visiting you can rent one at http://ift.tt/2jX1fzv The Westerpark has great green spaces and lots of cafes, an arthouse cinema, jazz cafe and other venues including the wonderful Woeste Westen (Wild West) nature playground where city kids can get muddy, ride rafts, build huts, carve arrows and sit round the camp fire.

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Day Trip to Dia:Beacon

Eighty minutes north of New York City sits Dia:Beacon, one of New York’s great destinations for viewing contemporary art. Housed in a former Nabisco box factory, the expansive galleries contain the Dia Art Foundation’s collection of art from the 1960s to the present, and it’s a joy to meander through the the maze of rooms spread over three levels, most of them washed with light from enormous windows overhead and along the perimeter. The space here feels luxurious compared to some New York art museums, and the bit of distance from the city means the crowds are more modest, making the experience more intimate in a way, even given the large scale of many of the works.

The collection is extensive and varied and includes works, like Michael Heizer’s North, South, East, West that were commissioned specifically for the space. We spent the most time with sculptor Richard Serra’s Torqued Ellipses, a series of four massive steel sculptures housed in the building’s former train depot. As I’m an admirer of Richard Serra’s work, it thrilled me to see my daughter explore and experience some of it on her own level, running in and around each piece, especially delighting in threading through the narrow passageways formed by the steel plates on two ellipses, each circuit a new adventure.

Not every work here is as child-friendly as Serra’s Ellipses, so there were rooms where we spent less time simply given the nature of the materials used, the way the work was presented, and the current state of our ongoing efforts to model and instill good museum manners. That said, we saw a number of other families with young children during our visit, and the very nature of contemporary art seems quite appealing to children, making the museum overall a worthy destination for a family day trip.

Beyond the galleries of the museum, there’s a cafe and bookstore, both of which are accommodating for young visitors: you’ll find high chairs and a children’s menu in the first, and an extensive section of children’s books in the latter. There are beautifully-landscaped gardens outside (even more lovely when it’s not winter, I’m sure) that provide an excellent space for quiet contemplation, running off extra energy, or observing the trains that run frequently up and down the tracks alongside the museum. You’ll want to plan to spend at least a couple hours here given the distance from the city, but I suspect you’ll find, as we did, that time seems to pass quickly.

Additional notes:

• We drove to the museum, but it’s easily accessible via Metro-North trains traveling along the Hudson Line from Grand Central to the Beacon train station. A special package includes both train tickets and access to the museum, and you’ll want to sit on the left-hand side of the train as it travels north to enjoy the best Hudson River views.
• Backpacks and other large bags are not allowed in the museum, but can be checked free of charge. Strollers are permitted in the museum but cannot be left at coat check.

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Geometry Kids

Geometry Kids, which opened last fall in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is a lovely children’s boutique carrying a well-curated and edited range of toys, clothing and accessories, decor, and books. Ownership of the store is shared by several local families with small children, and their experiences and beliefs about parenting and children are reflected in the products they carry and the warm and welcoming atmosphere of the store.

When we stopped by last Saturday, Shirley Bryant, one of the owners, manned the shop along with her darling daughter Vega. As my daughter joined Vega and set about testing most of the items on display (completely okay, and even encouraged!), Shirley and I fell into easy conversation about local children’s classes, bakeries, and weekend plans. I looked up at one point to see a tea party arranged in the back corner of the shop with plates, bowls, and cups from the selection of children’s dinnerware set carefully on the floor and then laughed along with Shirley as she explained that no, she really didn’t mind when pint-size customers dismantle the displays!

Shirley and the rest of the owners make excellent use of the cozy space, with items arranged in ways that beckon you to look just a bit longer and notice something new each time you do. The wide range of lines carried includes many familiar ones, such as Vilac, Grimm’s, Janod, and Maileg, but also a few seen less frequently in New York, like the fantastic creations of Donna Wilson and cozy slippers from Collégien, which are a personal favorite. Shirley mentioned they’ve received many requests for more items made in the United States, and that expanding their selection of domestically-made offerings will be a focus in the coming months as they attend trade shows and scout for new products. I look forward to seeing what they’ve discovered on my next visit!

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5 Questions with Julia from Little Indi

Little Indi is just the type of shop we love to support at Babyccino. One that offers a collection of unique products, not only beautiful but functional too and each one created sustainably and fairly. Products you can feel really good about buying. All this – and – this collection of sweet, easy-wear clothing and pretty blankets is the creation of a young mama! We wanted to get to know Julia better and thought you might like to as well. Here are her answers to our five questions.

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself, where you live and about your family.

I’m 28 years old, a mum and a textile designer. I live in a small town near Lucerne in Switzerland with my husband Silvan, our daughter Vida Mathilda and our cat Uno. We totally lucked out with the house we live in. My husband grew up in it and it‘s just 250m away from a little lake in an area of beautiful nature. It is also close to the unique old town of our village where you can find an organic market and our favourite cafe. I work from home in my gorgeous studio with its view of the lake and the Alps. I really enjoy working there — the room generates a nice creative atmosphere.

2. Tell us about your brand and how you came to start your label.

I studied textile design in Basel and knew it would be hard to find a job here in Switzerland. I also knew I wanted to be a mum. In my family almost everybody is self-employed so it was very natural for me to start a business on my own. I also wanted to combine textile design with my desire to become a mum so it was kind of obvious to create something for kids! I also found it more interesting to design for kids than adults. In 2012, after my degree, I started designing leggings for kids and my mum taught me the skill of sewing.

I did everything by myself except for the printing of the fabric, but after I became a mum I realised I can‘t do it all alone. So I spent two years looking for a factory that would meet my high standards, and I’m so happy I found a place in India that does! They make sure that everyone, from the organic cotton farmer to the seamstress, are paid fair wages and are offered excellent working conditions. Each stage in the workflow is done within a radius of 40km reducing the emission of co2.

I only use organic cotton for my products. In the autumn of 2016 I released A Whale Tale, my first collection produced in India.

3. What is important to you when creating your products?

It‘s very important that everybody involved with little indi feels good about my clothes. I want children to be comfortable and to feel free to play in them. It’s also the reason I only use organic cotton – it’s free from pollutants and better for our environment. It‘s important to respect the people who produce our clothes and the materials we use. Everyone involved puts a lot of time and energy into a collection, our clothes have a value and it‘s important to be conscious about that. That‘s also the reason I chose to only do one collection per year. My clothes are long lasting products. For me it‘s not about high profit — it‘s about creating products that are high quality and are fairly made.

The aesthetic part is – of course — very important too and it has to fit my current mood. Sometimes I need chaos and sometimes I need more structure, clear lines in my clothes. I’m always asking myself ‘what would I love to see my daughter in?’. The best compliment I can get is feedback from my customers that their kids always choose my clothes in the morning and that they love wearing them.

4. What is your current favourite product in your collection?

That’s hard to say! It changes all the time! At the moment I have two, the first being the Olga dress. I love to see my daughter in it and it just fits her so well! The second is the Mathilda blanket. It‘s really practical; it has wadding meaning you can use it in many different ways. The pattern is still one of my favourites — even though it‘s been four years since I designed it! At that time I wasn‘t too sure about it, so it stayed in my collection of unused patterns for quite some time!

5. Can you tell us something exciting that you have planned for this year?

I will release a new collection! At the moment I have so many different ideas in my mind, but nothing is fixed yet. I like this phase a lot — everything is still possible — though I’m so curious myself to know how the collection will be in the end!

Creating and producing clothes made fairly from organic cotton is very important to me. I believe it should be possible for everyone to afford clothes like that, in fact, I think all clothes should be organic and fairly made. I intend to include some basic pieces in the new collection that are affordable. Unfortunately, clothes of this standard are likely to cost that bit more. It‘s really difficult to keep the balance between paying fair wages and being able to sell items at an affordable price. This is a goal I would like to achieve. For me it‘s not just about profit, it‘s about people feeling good.

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