Tag Archives: au pairs

Au Pairs Celebrate Valentine's Day

This week my au pair group met at my house for a Valentine’s Day celebration.  We made heart-shaped pizzas and also enjoyed heart-shaped fruit and cookies as well as Valentine’s candy.

We said good-bye to Lena who is moving to another cluster and to Wi who will be going home to Thailand.   We welcomed new arrivals Janice, Malin and Luisa.

We also had a discussion about taxes.   Au pairs that are here for more than 18 weeks for the tax year need to file taxes.  That can be confusing.  Our agency is very helpful in providing the necessary information, but it was helpful to go over it again and get questions answered.

For more photos of our meeting go to Valentine 2013

Boston Au Pairs Go Snowtubing!

As the temperatures were falling toward the single digits, my au pairs braved the weather last Wednesday night and headed West to the Nashoba Valley Snowtubing Park.  We met five other Boston area au pair groups and were able to take advantage of the group rate.  Always a good thing for my au pairs to save money!

We gathered at the cottage, which was was nice and warm, and au pairs kept coming in to warm up with hot chocolate and cookies.

We welcomed Malin and Luisa, who arrived this month, into our group.  They easily made connections to other au pairs and already know some from their first three days of orientation in Connecticut.

Bringing the World Together

Please take a moment to read this wonderful story about a very special young woman, Winnie Ledwaba, who was awarded a scholarship from Au Pair in America in 2003.  It truly is heartwarming to  hear from our former au pairs and how the program impacts their lives.

Winnie says “I can’t believe it’s been almost 7 years since I returned from the US, it feels like yesterday. I still miss the food, people I met, friends, the snow, shopping, hanging out sports but mostly my host family”…click on the link below to read more…

http://www.globalawareness.com/2012/11/au-pair-in-america-a-life-changing-program/

An Important Holiday Message

As we approach the holiday season, I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you of the laws regarding alcohol consumption in the United States.  At this time of year you may be invited to holiday parties and events where alcohol is served.

It is illegal for anyone under 21 to drink alcohol.  Even if you are over 21 please be mindful if you are with other au pairs who are under 21 and the risk they take if they break the law.  Using fake id’s is also illegal.  Of course, drinking and driving is extremely dangerous and puts lives at risk.  You should never drink and drive and getting arrested for drinking and driving has very serious consequences in this country.   Also, be a good friend and don’t let your friends drink and drive.  You have invested a lot to be here to enjoy your experience in the United States and I want all of you to be successful.  Be safe and don’t take unnecessary risks.

Always put safety first and enjoy the holidays!

Au Pair Meeting at Bowling Alley

Last week, our au pair group met for flatbread pizza and bowling at Sacco’s Bowl Haven in Davis Square, Somerville.   We had a few new arrivals: Magda, Estelle, Bee and Asia, who were formally introduced to the group.  They enjoyed meeting and connecting with our more seasoned au pairs.

The flatbread pizza was amazing, and we shared many laughs while candlepin bowling.  Again, it was nice to observe the comraderie among a group of young women who are going through the same experience.

During dinner, I handed out information about winter driving which we discussed.    The most important job of an au pair is to keep the children and herself safe.  That is why we have these quarterly discussions regarding safety.   I encouraged au pairs to go home and talk with their host families about the handout.

For more photos of our bowling adventure go to Bowling.

The Holiday Season

It’s November which brings us into the holiday season.

We’re starting with Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 22  which dates back to the first European settlers in North America. After hardship, illness and hard work the Pilgrims celebrated a successful harvest that they shared with their Native American friends. This national holiday is a day to feast and give thanks.  Check out the recipe below for a nice Thanksgiving dessert.

I hope you can use the Holiday Season to truly experience cultural exchange.  Try to learn and participate as much as possible and also offer to share traditions from your home country.

As the Holiday Season gets into full swing, there is a lot of potential to overeat and gain weight.  Three tips experts agree on are 1. do not skip meals, 2. select small portions, and 3. stop eating when you are full.

Cranberry Apple Pie

Ingredients

PIE

  • 1 refrigerated pie pastry
  • 2 cups apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
  • 2 cups fresh cranberries (thawed if frozen)
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons flour

CRUMB TOPPING

  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Instructions

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9-inch standard (not deep-dish) pie pan with the pastry, fluting the edge.

Thinly slice the apples crosswise and combine them in a large bowl with the cranberries. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and flour, mixing well. Transfer the filling to the pie shell, smoothing the top of the fruit. Bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and cinnamon for the topping. Add the butter, rubbing it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

After 30 minutes, remove the pie from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Spread the topping over the pie and bake it for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden and the fruit thickens and bubbles around the edges. Allow the pie to cool for 2 hours before serving. Serves 8.

Pumpkin Carving and Halloween Cluster Meeting

Ah, what a nice day we had on Sunday  to be outside for pumpkin carving!  As you can see above, my au pairs were very creative in carving patterns into their pumpkins.   While they carved, they happily chatted about their lives and seemed to enjoy each other’s company.

Most au pairs know about Halloween but do not celebrate it in their countries.   They are usually very excited to experience this American holiday and at Au Pair in America we promote this kind of cultural exchange.    On Sunday they got the Halloween treatment which included a noise-sensitive howling ghost, bats, spiders, snakes, cockroaches as well as food offerings that might creep the faint at heart out:  a witches brew that contained a bloody hand, bloody (hot dog) fingers, crawling cracker/pretzel stick critters, chicken eyeballs, bat wings, as well as Halloween cut out cookies and a creepy critter cake.

We said good-bye to Adisah and Emma who are leaving us in November.   They received their education certificate, a small good-bye gift and an acknowledgement for their achievements.    They shared their experience with and gave advice to the other au pairs.  We welcomed Juliette, Alice, and Natalie whose first meeting this was.

For more photos of our meeting please visit Pumpkin Carving.

Au Pair in America Annual Host Family Picnic

This year, 8 Boston area counselors organized the annual host family picnic at Carver Hill Orchard in Stow, MA.   This event gives host families and au pairs the opportunity to meet other families and au pairs in the program.  It also satisfies the State Department requirement to offer a host family workshop at least once per year.    We offered handouts and discussions about topics related to the host family-au pair relationship, such as the adaptation process.

On a beautiful fall day, host families and au pairs enjoyed apple and pumpkin picking, mingling with each other as well as freshly baked cider donuts, apple cider and hayrides provided by Au Pair in America.  The children had a choice of different art tables, which included fall coloring sheets and stencils, wood cut fall stamps as well as apple prints.

Not only do events like these bring people together, but it also provides an opportunity for our host families to share this New England tradition of going out into the apple orchard in the fall with their au pairs, many of who just arrived over the summer.

For more photos of the picnic, go to Host Family Picnic 2012 and Host Family Picnic – 2012

For a slideshow of the event, please visit Host Family Picnic slideshow