Little Ones founders Amanda Snedden and Nicky Barker have pioneered a sleep app for babies.
Sleepy app for little dreamers
Little Ones, a company that pioneered sleep help and nutrition for babies, has introduced a baby sleep app called the Sleep-o-Rhythm.
The app, designed and launched by Kerikeri women Amanda Snedden and Nicky Barker, is intended to keep parents and babies on track no matter how unpredictable that might be.
The Little Ones founders say their app isn’t only another option, but rather a guide to help baby sleep soundly night after night.
The company has a community of over 500,000 families. Australian personal trainer and mother Kayla Itsines used the app and endorsed it on her website, which has 15.8 million followers.
That’s considerable given there are other baby sleep apps and websites available such as Huckleberry, Johnson’s Bedtime and, across the Tasman, Snuggle Koala.
The pair say when it comes to baby sleep, tired parents can get stuck in a loop of googling methods and trying various tips and tricks before giving up completely. There is much information available that often gives conflicting messages.
The company’s signature sleep app offers scientifically backed, adaptable schedules and real-time sleep tracking that evolves as babies grow.
Sleep-o-Rhythm is available to all app users with an innovative feature that customises daily schedules automatically based on real-time data that guides parents even when the day doesn’t go as planned.
The functionality of the app ensures babies stay on track and maximises the chance for restorative sleep.
“Our journey started with a personal need to find sustainable sleep solutions and we’ve been committed to helping families worldwide ever since,” Barker said.
Through Little Ones, the women lead a team of certified sleep consultants and provide round-the-clock support to parents. It means parents don’t have to rely on fragmented advice or temporary solutions.
Dancing the year away
A not-for-profit dance group in Kerikeri is celebrating Christmas with, not surprisingly, a dance.
The 60 or so regular members of the Kerikeri Social Dance Group will get together with five-piece Auckland band Steeplechase and expect up to 100 people to attend.
The troupe started in May 2022 and has grown steadily.
They teach rock‘n’roll, social ballroom dancing, line dancing, sequence dancing and Latin ballroom. The group ranges in age from 20-year-olds to those in their 70s.
Classes are held every Tuesday at Kingston House in Hone Heke Rd, from 6.30pm to 9pm, with free entry.
As a group, they travel to dances in Russell, Whangārei, Hokianga and Auckland and at various other events such as Cruz‘n the Bayz, the Kaikohe A&P Show, Kamo and Rāwene.
The group has some experienced dancers and principal organiser Bob Turner said everyone steps up to help the beginners.
If you want to join the group or are keen to learn a bit of dancing, or if you want to attend the Christmas dance party on Saturday from 7pm-11pm contact Bob 0220 200 497.
Making Russell predator-free
The children of Russell School recently learned about the activities of Predator Free Russell and took the time to write letters of thanks and acknowledgment.
The organisation’s Fletcher Sunde said they were “touched” to receive so many letters and drawings.
“They loved seeing the traps in action and discovering rats just don’t roam the ground, but scurry up trees to eat eggs, and learning these fun facts has sparked their curiosity and a passion for conservation.
“These letters are a reminder that we are not only protecting Russell’s biodiversity today, but planting the seeds for a brighter, predator-free tomorrow.”
In October, Predator Free Russell activated a network of traps and bait stations in what is known as the Korarāreka expansion zone. It’s a 118-hectare area that stretches from Wellington St in the north to the transfer station in the south, and bordered by the sea from Tahapuke to Long Beach.
It is a predominantly urban zone, which can make catching predators harder. When food supplies such as compost bins are present, rats can hunker down in one spot. This activation is done during spring when rats are typically on the move, finding new territory and mates, and the strategy is to intercept them on their journey.
In the first two weeks of the Kororāreka knockdown phase, 112 rats were caught, bringing the total caught in the Kororāreka zone, including those caught in the buffer lines to Tapeka, to 206.
No possums or mustelids have been caught except for a few possums caught this year in the Matauwhi Bay Reserve. Predator Free Russell is now pushing the servicing of traps from seven days to 14 days in some areas.
The Russell School children’s letters can be viewed on: Predator Free NZ Trust Predator Free 2050 Limited Northland Regional Council
Vinnie from Taupō walking for Project Island Song
It’s hard enough to raise money locally in the Bay of Islands, but Vinne Klein is determined to fundraise for Project Island Song and she’s doing it in Taupo.
She is running or walking 12km a day for 12 days (the 12 days of Christmas), totalling 144km.
“There are 144 islands in the Bay of Islands, seven of which are pest-free thanks to Project Island Song,” Klein said.
Since 2009, the project has eliminated pests from those seven islands, reintroduced eight vulnerable native species, planted over 40,000 native trees, and engaged thousands of tamariki with the unique natural environment.
Klein is legally blind and doing the walk-and-run effort with her guide dog, a black labrador cross called Jude.
“I will see how she goes and if she doesn’t do the whole 12km a day, I will finish off the distance on the treadmill.”
Vinnie and husband Andrew are regular visitors to the Bay. They have a place in Russell, so get to come up frequently. She decided to raise funds for Project Island Song because she was impressed with what it was doing.
“Since I couldn’t do anything up there in Russell, I am doing it down here in Taupō and I’m involving friends and family.
“Things are a bit slow at the moment, but I think it will pick up when I get going on the walks,” she said.
She is using mainly Facebook to publicise her efforts and she will also “drag a few friends along”.
Her undertaking starts on December 1 and will end on December 12.
Bocky Boo Gelato opened in Whangārei in 2019 and quickly became a local favourite.