Whether it is called a lunch box, bento box, or a tiffin – each of these lunch systems is used around the world to transport food from one place to another for a meal on the go.  In India, tiffins are a part of daily life, with fresh hot meals delivered for lunch and dinner.  The major benefit being that the bento and tiffin are compartmentalized, so each food item stays in the original form and flavors won’t mix with each other.  In one box, you can separate your veggies from your sweets and maintain the integrity of the food, and no more mess!    Not only that, but using one of these systems reduces waste, bringing us one step closer towards leading a greener lifestyle.  It also allows Mama Sahelis to exercise portion control in an effort to battle childhood obesity.  

CitySaheli has  spotted a stunning new interpretation of the typical tiffin, made by Vivo Direct.  These colorful melamine tiffins come in multiple sizes, which can not only be used by your child, but by the rest of the family for their meals on-the-go.  CitySaheli LOVES the bright pink/orange/yellow/red tiffins – perfect for a stylish Saheli or mini-Saheli who likes to stand apart from the cafeteria crowd! 

Just in time to get your family organized for back-to-school, CitySaheli readers will receive a 10% discount off their orders at www.vivodirect.com by entering the coupon code vivodirect member at checkout.   Happy Munching!

Sama Baby head designer, Neha Gupta, picked out this summer’s essential Sama Baby pieces. Check’em out!

Bring out the rock star in your baby. 

 All glammed up!

The newest and greatest addition to the Sama Baby line, organic DENIM!!

Go green!

 Aside from the cute clothing, you might ask – why dress my child in organic clothing? 

There has been an emphasis on the food we ingest and the relevance of consuming organic fruits and vegetables, but often we overlook the many harmful pesticides and fertilizers that are used on cotton.  Since it isn’t a food crop, the use of chemicals on the plant is not regulated.  Believe it or not – 25% of the world’s pesticides are used when growing cotton!  Since an infant’s skin is very thin and porous, she is very susceptible to ingesting some of these chemicals. Studies have shown that organic cotton can benefit children who show symptoms of asthma, eczema and allergies.

Remember, taking small steps – such as buying organic – helps create a pure clean environment for your little ones and for future little ones to come.

Sama Baby is proud to offer CitySaheli readers a 10% discount!  Simply enter the code SAHELI during check out. 

Satya and Beth decided to pursue their dream of designing their own line while on separate soul-searching journeys. “I was in Thailand immersed in Buddhist culture while Satya was in the Bahamas at the Sivananda Yoga Ashram engaged in a month long teacher training course,” explains Beth. Satya adds, “At the end of my training, I was given the spiritual name Satya, meaning “truth”. We were both excited to use the name for our collection and create jewelry with beauty, truth and meaning.” 

Each Satya jewelry piece is tagged with an explanation, so the owner knows the meaning behind the different components of the piece.  Satya designs have been worn by Courteney Cox, Susan Sarandon, Scarlett Johansen and Rachel Bilson.

Looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift? Satya Jewelry has just launched a fabulous mother daughter line.  The collection  is in silver and carries lovely charm bracelets, and necklaces that can match mom. 

CitySaheli got a chance to speak to the founders of Satya jewelry to find out more about their their jewelry line.  Read below to find out what they had to say. 

CitySaheli: What are five words used to describe Satya Jewelry?
Satya & Beth: Delicate, unique, inspiring, meaningful, playful 

CitySaheli: What inspired you to start your own company?
Satya & Beth: Taking a thrilling leap with my best friend (business partner) to be truer to myself.  

CitySaheli: Now that the company has grown so rapidly, has your role changed in the company?
Satya & Beth: I am not packing the boxes anymore but the essence of being hands on is the same.    

CitySaheli: Much of the jewelry carries symbolic meaning, how have you seen your customers react to this feature of the jewelry?
Satya & Beth:  Very often customers write or tell me how the jewelry has become a part of their life (they imbue it with an intention or use it as a reminder of an event, person, desire), I feel very humble and honored.  The jewelry can be a vehicle for people to embrace themselves and potential.

CitySaheli: What is the most glamorous part of owning your own company?
Satya & Beth: Getting to travel to yoga conferences and exotic places for work!

CitySaheli: What goals do you have for your business in the future?
Satya & Beth: To touch more people and raise more money for great causes.

CitySaheli: We know that you have travelled to India and the Far East quite a bit, what were your favorite spots? 
Satya & Beth: The most memorable moments of our trips are always the time we spend with people: seeing a rural culture with the hill tribes in northern Thailand, hearing Thich Nhat Hanhs speak at his root monastery in Vietnam during his first trip back since his 40 year exile and visiting the schools we sponsor.  Most relaxing were secluded beaches on Thai islands Ko Chang or Ko Samui. 

CitySaheli: Can you tell us what your must have pieces are for the Summer?
Satya & Beth: Layered turquoise necklaces with layered stretch bracelets from our new “stone of health” collection.   

Here are some of CitySaheli’s picks…

Events & Promotions

Satya stores are popping up everywhere, with the newest opening in Short Hills Mall in New Jersey. Foundrs Satya and Beth will be at the Satya Shop in NJ on Thursday April 29^th between 6 and 8 pm.  Wine, Cheese, and author Dani Shapiro will be reading from her new memoir, Devotion!

Also if you purchase more than $150 in store or online, receive a complimentary Bliss gift bag!! While supplies last!
 

For more info or to shop online visit: http://satyajewelry.com

If you’re looking to order some of these incredibly adorable and chic outfits for your little Masala boy or Masala girl,  Masala Baby is offering CitySaheli readers a special discount until April 30th .  Receive 20% off your purchase (code: citysaheli) and free shipping on online orders over $75 (code: freeship). 

Want to learn more about Masala Baby and its founder? CitySaheli Baby had the chance to speak with owner and president, Dipali Patwa, to learn more about the company and how it came to fruition.  Check out what she had to say.

What inspiredthe different  styles Masala Baby offers and how often is the  line updated?

The styles and colors are inspired by my roots in India, mixed with the urban influence of New York, as well as my travels. Delicious curries, authentic spices, colors of the chaotic bazaars, bollywood movies, beautiful marigold flowers, traditional Indian tunics, ghummar skirts, are all blended together to create a unique eclectic, bohemian, mod relaxed style. I realized that kids respond to color instinctively. The Indian love of color is celebrated in every facet of daily life – the rhapsodic use of color in India in brightly painted streets, mosaics of the palaces, the vivid hues of the women’s sarees, the variety of spices used in Indian cooking and the exuberance of Indian festivals.  When I simplified the silhouettes and introduced in the urban influence, it just seemed to work. 
 
The line gets updated twice a year. There is a Spring- Summer and Fall-Winter collection.
 
Who is your target audience?

Masala baby has a universal appeal. Our customers appreciate stylish comfortable clothes with bold colors that have global influences- whether it is India, Africa, Morocco, East Asia, Latin America. Masala baby is bought by moms and dads, grandmoms, aunts and sisters alike who are well traveled, or aspire to travel, and appreciate the worldly influences.
 
Where can Masala Baby clothing be purchased in NYC?

In NYC, Masala baby is available at:

Apple Seeds
10 West 25th Street
New York, NY 10010-2703
(212) 792-7590

Half Pint Citizens
55 Washington Street

Brooklyn (Dumbo), NY 11201

What are future projects and partnerships that you are working on?

For 2010 our key focus will be to enhance the Masala Baby brand by introducing two new collections: 

The first is called ‘Mela Masala’, inspired by the Indian village fairs.  Mela is the Hindi word for gathering or village fair.  The line is inspired by wandering gypsies, fortune tellers, colorful caravans, medallions and peacock feathers which set the mood for our patterns and colors.  The cuts and designs are earthy, comfortable yet chic, catering to the new age young traveler that appreciates the simplicity and wonder of life.

The second collection called ‘Mod Masala’ is urban, modern and casual using our signature prints and unique appliqué techniques. We are introducing ‘khadi’ which is Indian homespun, hand-woven fabric, within this collection. Its natural properties keep this fabric cool in the summer and warm in the winter. In fact, Mahatma Gandhi promoted the production of khadi in his movement to revive India’s domestic weaving industry.  This fabric is close to my heart, both for its aesthetic appeal as well as the small scale industry that it supports in India. 

What advice do you have for entrepreneurs like yourself?

If you believe in something, it is worth giving it a shot. If you have an idea, explore its full potential and keep at it.  It is not rocket science. It is certain level of taste, craftsmanship, and business acumen combined with a whole lot of hard work.

Gnaana’s products are inspired by the Montessori Method. The Montessori Method emphasizes early learning – stressing that a child’s mind is most receptive to learning specific skills and knowledge (such as languages) before the age of 6. The products sold on the site, which range from alphabet blocks in 5 regional Indian languages (Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu), to puzzles, musical CDs, a recipe collection and child-sized aprons available for personalization in Indic fonts, are designed to inspire children to take interest in learning about one of the world’s ancient civilizations. The products are geared towards children from birth to 12 years of age. 

Although the initial launch focused mainly on India, the company plans to soon have items that are relevant to the other South Asian countries (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal) and also the region’s various religions (Islam, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism).

“We believe young children can benefit tremendously from being exposed to elements of the South Asian culture,” says Aruna Hatti, founder of Gnaana. “This is a living culture which is over five thousand years old and infinitely rich in philosophy, science, literature, religion and art. There is a lot of ancient wisdom that’s being lost between generations. I think that’s a shame.”

 Hatti, an attorney who practices in commercial real estate and environmental law, was living in Bangalore, India when she came up with the idea for Gnaana. “I was pregnant with my son, and I looked all over India for toys and material that could help my children learn about and appreciate our Indian heritage. I found a few books and DVDs – but they were geared towards older children, and most were of poor quality. There was nothing that babies, toddlers or young children could relate to. I was very surprised.”

EVENTS

Gnaana is teaming up with Making Books Sing to present a family musical based on the book  Chachaji’s Cup by Uma Krishnaswami.  The musical is directed and choreographed by Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj.  There are performances Saturday January 30^th to Wednesday February 3^rd.   Gnaana is offering a reduced rate admission. 

Please visit http://www.gnaana.com/events/Tea_With_Chachaji.htm for more information. 

PROMOTIONS

Gnaana is proud to present a special offer to CitySaheli readers:  Free CD of choice with any purchase over $15.00.  Just enter “CitySaheli CD” in the Comment Box at checkout and indicate your CD selection (Tagore or Krishnasastry) and it will shipped along with your order.  This offer is valid until February 15th 2009.

 Language inspired gifts-  Nowadays it may be more difficult to teach your child Hindi, Urdu or the native tongue you grew up learning.  Make teaching your language to your child easier with these language books, cds and DVDs.  Select by age and level. 

http://www.languagelizard.com/

Nursery décor-  There are tons of inspirations you can add to a nursery to give it a South Asian touch.  Moms who like South Asian décor may appreciate these gift ideas.

Indian-inspired mobiles:  Bright colored peacocks, elephants and monkeys will brighten up any nursery.  This mobile focuses on the animals that are sacred in India.  Very simple to assemble and super cute!

http://www.landofnod.com/family.aspx?c=370&f=6485

South asian inspired bedding:  South Asian inspired bedding for the baby can give a bohemian and soothing look to any nursery.  Rickshaw design has various hand made block print bedding for the nursery.  CitySaheli loves the taj blanket or the udaipur elephant!  

Fusion wear- You can add a bit of South Asian flare to any baby or toddler’s wardobe by shopping online at these sites. 

 Masala Baby’s  signature collection was created in 2009, and combines a modern and urban feel with the essence of traditional of India.  They provide clothing for kids ages from 6 months to 4 years.  The clothing has many of the vibrant colors and textures of India, but uses the hemlines and cuts of the west, to ensure they can be worn comfortably.   Use of traditional handloom fabrics, hand embroidery and applique in a modern fun playful manner make this collection unique. It combines the idea of handmade with modern point of view.

Now until December 31^st enjoy 40% off the entire website.  While supplies last.