Tag Archives: au pair

Remembering Martin Luther King Jr. Jan 19th

MLK2“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
Martin Luther King, I Have a Dream Quote

Here is a great link about the history of this special day including a biography of Dr. King, a quiz for kids and a junior crossword. Maybe you can do something special with the kids to acknowledge the day: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mlkjrday1.html

To read the full I Have a dream Speech go to:
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

Celebrating Thanksgiving

PilgrimsThanksgiving can be traced back to 1863 when Lincoln became the first president to proclaim Thanksgiving Day. The holiday has been a fixture of late November ever since. The Pilgrims who sailed to this country aboard the Mayflower were originally members of the English Separatist Church. They had earlier fled their home in England and sailed to Holland (The Netherlands) to escape religious persecution. Seeking a better life, the Separatists negotiated with a London stock company to finance a pilgrimage to America.

The Pilgrims set ground at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. Their first winter was devastating. They lost 46 of the original 102 who sailed on the Mayflower. But the harvest of 1621 was a bountiful one. And the remaining colonists decided to celebrate with a feast – including 91 native Americans who had helped the Pilgrims survive their first year. It is believed that the Pilgrims would not have made it through the year without the help of the native Americans. The feast was more of a traditional English harvest festival and lasted three days.

It was Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor, whose efforts eventually led to what we recognize as Thanksgiving today. Hale wrote many editorials championing her cause in her Boston Ladies’ Magazine, and later, in Godey’s Lady’s Book. Finally, after a 40-year campaign of writing editorials and letters to governors and presidents, Hale’s obsession became a reality when, in 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving.

LIncolnIn 1941, Thanksgiving was finally sanctioned by Congress as a legal holiday, as the fourth Thursday in November.

To Learn more about the history and traditions of this holiday go to:
http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/videos#history-of-the-thanksgiving-holiday.  Find fun activities to do with the children here:
http://www.pinterest.com/aupairinamerica/fall-halloween-thanksgiving/

Au Pairs Enjoy a Navy Football Game in Annapolis

DSC_0323DSC_0340This past Saturday, 70 au pairs from around the world from our three clusters (Annapolis, Baltimore and Columbia), braved the cold and went to a Navy Football game in Annapolis.  For some this was a first time experience! While it was cold outside we kept warm by huddling together and enjoying hot chocolate!  Go Navy!

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World Cup Update

world cup

As APIA bring the world together with the work we do, so does world cup soccer!  The World Cup is one of the most followed international sporting events in the world and takes place every 4 years.  Many of our au pairs come from the countries represented and take great pride in supporting their national soccer teams.

The tournament kicks off today when Brazil plays Croatia in Sao Paulo. It will mark the 20th edition of the World Cup, which will culminate with the final on July 13 in Rio de Janeiro. The World Cup will feature 32 nations — placed in groups with four teams apiece — and a total of 64 games. Defending champion Spain will have to contend with the likes of Brazil, Germany, Argentina and Italy if it wants to retain its title. The United States has qualified for its seventh straight World Cup and will be looking to get out of a very tough group that features Germany, Portugal and Ghana.

The host nation has won the World Cup five times (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002) and will be going for a sixth before a home crowd. Anything short of lifting the trophy will be a tough day for Brazil. To my Brazilian au pairs: good luck, I know you love your soccer!

The groups are as follows:

Group A        Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon

Group B        Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia

Group C        Colombia, Greece, Cote d’lvoire. Japan

Group D        Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy

Group E        Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras

Group F         Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria

Group G        Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA

Group H        Belgium, Algeria, Russia, Korea Republic

there is a FIFA world cup app they can download to follow the scores and latest news.

For more news and information go to the official FIFA World Cup website

http://www.fifa.com/

Piney Orchard Street Festival May 17th from 11 am until 7pm

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Come out and join the fun at the 5th Annual Street Festival at Piney Orchard on May 17, 2014 from 11 am to 7pm located at 2400 Stream Valley Drive, Odenton, MD 21113.  There will be lots of food, activities for kids, face painting, children’s entertainment, about 90 local business vendors and outdoor entertainment.  This event is open to the public and is FREE.   Stop by at the Au Pair in America table, the leading provider for intercultural live-in child care in the US, to find out about hosting an au pair in your home!   Affordable and flexible, live-in childcare averaging $361/wk regardless of the number of children.  Au Pairs not only care for children but can do other child-related laundry, meal prep, cleaning!

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Au Pairs will be on hand to answer any questions you may have! Here are some photos from the au pairs at last years event.  It was so much fun!  Enter your name in our raffle basket for the chance to win a $1,200 coupon towards hosting your first au pair!  Last year over 8,000 people came to this event!  So mark your calendars now and come on out to join in on a fun day for the entire family!

Health Insurance app now available

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Cultural Insurance Services International now has a mobile app for the iPhone and Android. The app provides instant access to your CISI insurance coverage information wherever you are. It includes an onscreen display of your CISI insurance ID card, ability to view your travel insurance documents and locate medical providers. If you have not yet downloaded the app, take some time to you never know when you will need this important information at your fingertips!

http://www.culturalinsurance.com/marketplace/#app

Free Workshop for Parents to plan for college tuition for your children

While you still may have young children it is never too early to plan for their college tuition. The cost of a Bachelor’s Degree starts at $80,000, and can rise to over $250,000 for 4 years at some private colleges. This is a major investment, and having expert advice can make an enormous difference financially and emotionally. A  great seminar to educate parents is being held on Tuesday, April 29th from 11:30 am until 1:30 pm at the Ports of Call at the Double Tree Hotel located at 210 Holiday Court Annapolis, MD 21401 .  The event is free and lunch will be provided.  This event is presented by Cori Dykman, Annapolis College Consulting (www.AnnapolisCollegeConsulting.com) and Pablo Alvarado, a financial advisor.  If you are interested please RSVP on this evite link so that the organizers know how to plan accordingly.  http://www.evite.com/event/03D0TWVUZV3YBYNDWEPDX2O4V7JJAU?gid=03D02UBKVR6IDEG44EPDYTIGRVSYLQ

Simple Home Simple Life Expo – April 5th 11AM to 3PM

Interested in finding out more about hosting an au pair?  Come to this expo which will be held at the Holy Grounds Youth Center located at 623 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd in Severna Park.  This expo will provide valuable information related to simplifying the care of the home and family through information-packed exhibits from 27 local businesses whose focus is making your life easier.  Hosting an au pair provides an extra set of loving hands in the care of your children ~ getting them off to school, music lessons and sports practices.   Come and speak to au pairs that are currently placed with their host families.

How to Write a check or Money Order

This question comes up from time to time and with the tax deadline approaching, I thought I would post a link with a great step by step tutorial.  Click on the image of a check below to go to the tutorial on About.com.check

Remember: Use pen and don’t leave extra blank space where someone can make changes.

If you don’t have a checking account and need to make a payment by check, you have two other options: money order or cashier’s check (bank check.) Money orders are available for purchase at your bank, the post office or the customer service desk of some retail stores (CVS, Safeway, WalMart.) You will be charged a small fee, $1.50-$5.  Money orders need to be paid for with cash (not credit cards.) You will fill out the money order similarly to a check and keep your receipt portion for your records.

If you are paying your taxes:

  • Make check or money order payable to “United States Treasury.”
  • Write this info somewhere on the check:
    • Your full name
    • Your address and phone number
    • Your Social Security Number
    • 2013 Form 1040 NR-EZ
  • Mail your tax forms (keep copies for your records) and payment to: Internal Revenue Service
    P.O. Box 1303
    Charlotte, NC 28201–1303
    U.S.A.