Monthly Archives: March 2013

Happy Easter

Great idea for an Easter basket treat, with no candy!

Easter is upon us! Easter Week began this past weekend with Palm Sunday and culminates in weekend commemorations of Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, and in some countries Easter Monday. Around the world, different cultures, countries, communities, and sects have their own traditions to celebrate the Easter holiday.

As Catholics and Protestants gather in churches across the globe to commemorate the resurrection of Christ, people everywhere are celebrating in their own ways by eating chocolate bunnies, going on Easter egg hunts and flying kites.

Fun things to do with kids:

http://pinterest.com/aupairinamerica/hop-into-easter/

These look fun ;) Googly Eye Easter Eggs!

Handling Expenses

Miscellaneous Expenses

There are different ways to handle the little day to day expenses that come up.  Things like when an au pair takes the kids out for ice cream or picks up a gallon of milk.  Some families keep a cookie jar fund, a little cash that they set aside weekly or monthly for this kind of expenses.  Here are some suggestions for avoiding problems with expenses.8226519319_b5c169a2bb

Host Families

  • It’s important to be clear about how long this money should last and what types of expenses are approved.
  • Let the au pair know whether or not you expect receipts.

    • Au Pairs

  • Only spend the money on approved expenses.
  • If it is something you are not sure about, ask first.
  • Put your receipts in the cookie jar in place of the money to avoid any confusion.

    • Gas and Fare Cards

    Host families are responsible for the au pair’s transportation costs:

  • to and from classes and cluster meetings
  • driving the kids

    • It is a good idea to figure out how much gas an au pair will use for these trips and either put gas in the car or give a gas allowance.   If your au pair is riding to classes or cluster meetings with another au pair, you should offer to share the cost of gas.

    Au pairs are responsible for their own transportation at all other times.  You should replace the amount of gas used for personal use.

    Community Service award winner in our cluster: Jia Gao from China

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    I can proudly announce that we have Jia Gao (Gloria)  from China in our cluster who won the 2’nd prize at our nationwide community service competition. She volunteers in her free time in a food pantry to serve food to the people who live in her area and helps the food pantry with her computer skills as well.

    Lynn, Jana and Linda were present when Jia got her award

    Today we celebrated this  together with some aupairs who could join our coffee meeting this morning. Lynn, Jana and Linda were present when Jia got her award.

    St. Patricks Day is coming up

    imagesCAL2BJ2MMarch 17th: St. Patrick’s Day. This Irish holiday has been celebrated in the USA since 1737.  Traditional icons that mark the holiday:  Leprechauns, Pots of Gold, Rainbows, Shamrocks and the Color Green!  There will be local parades in many of our towns…Boston,(!!!) Stamford, Danbury and of course in NYC.  It might be fun to go and experience this tradition.

    Info of the Boston St.Patrick’s Day Parade you will find here:

    http://www.bostoncentral.com/events/boston_st_patricks_day_parade/p1130.php

    Have you done any St. Patrick's Day crafting yet? Try this simple St Patrick Craft for the kids: a fun and colorful Shamrock Crown made with pipe cleaners and beads.

    Activities on fun things to do with the kids for St. Patricks Day you will find here:


    http://pinterest.com/aupairinamerica/st-patrick-s-day-shenanigans/

    International Women’s Day

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    International Women’s Day (8 March) is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.
    Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women’s craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more.
    The United States even designates the whole month of March as ‘Women’s History Month’.

    Make way for Spring

    make-way-for-ducklings-barbara-mcdevitt - Copy

    clock-forward

    March 10th: Daylight Savings Time. Be sure to set your clocks forward before going to sleep.  The kids maybe groggy this week as they adjust to the time change.  Please be sensitive to that as you go through the week.


    March 25: Passover begins. Passover, also known as Pesach or Pesah, is a Holy Day, observed by several religions, began March 1 and lasts seven or eight days, depending on your beliefs.  It commemorates the exodus and freedom of the Israelites from Egypt.

    March 31: Easter is an annual festival commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It is always celebrated on a Sunday

    Prudential center skywalk March cluster meeting

    For our March cluster meeting we met with two other cluster of the greater Boston area at the Prudential center skywalk to enjoy the view over the whole city of Boston.

    We welcomed a new aupair Marie from France to our cluster who just arrived last week in Boston South end.

    Charlotte, Marie and Marine from France

    Charlotte, Marie and Marine from France

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    Gloria and Joyce from China with Sammi from South Korea

    Gloria and Joyce from China with Sammi from South Korea

    Beatriz and Lu from Brazil

    Beatriz and Lu from Brazil

    Jana from Germany

    Jana from Germany

    To view all pix please go to Prudential center skywalk 2013