The Naperville Cluster gathered for one of their monthly cluster meetings to “give back” to a local charity. They exercised their creativity and generosity by putting together beautiful baskets to give to families in need through the Naperville Loaves and Fishes organization. A fun time was had by all.
A popular event for many Au Pairs, Host Families and children is the Annual Chicago Saint Patrick’s Day Parade Downtown on Saturday, March 13th!
The festivities begin with the Chicago River being dyed green at 10:45 am. A good viewing place for this is the east side of the Michigan Avenue. The parade takes off promptly at 12:00 noon at the corner of Balboa and Columbus and heads north on Columbus to Monroe Street. Wear GREEN!
Two counselors in Chicago, Sandee Plescia and Kathy Kressner, took 52 au pairs to Disney World for a fast pace, guaranteed to see all 4 parks in 3 days, trip. This is the 6th annual trip and the au pairs love it!
It was a magical time for all.
Groundhog Day is February 2nd.
Groundhog Day is held on Feb. 2, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania every year, and you might be wondering how a groundhog landed the job of predicting the weather. If you’re unfamiliar with the tradition, it goes like this: If the groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, sees his shadow, we’re stuck with six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, we luck out with an early spring.
The tradition dates back to 1887, and though the origins are unclear, it is said to have originated from ancient Europe. It also has religious origins, as it shares similarities with Candelmas Day, which is also today. There is an old English saying, “If Candlemas be fair and bright,/ Come, Winter, have another flight.
Here are fun facts about Groundhog Day:
1. Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow the overwhelming majority of years
2. The National Climatic Data Center reportedly stated that Phil’s prediction’s have been correct 39 percent of the time. This number is in conflict with Phil’s followers, who claim he’s been correct every year.
3. Following the release of the movie Groundhog Day in 1993, starring Bill Murray, as many as 30,000 made the trip to visit the tiny hill in Punxsutawney where the ceremony takes place.
4. Groundhogs typically live only six to eight years
Au Pairs were among the thousands of people enjoying th
e mild weather to watch the parade and fireworks!
Au Pair in America is thrilled to announce a new exclusive agreement with SUNTREK Active & Adventure travel. SUNTREK has been offering regional tours of the US for young adults for almost 40 years and many of our au pairs have already experienced their fun, rugged, yet comfortable style of travel.
Au pairs with Au Pair in America will receive a 20% discount off the published rate! Visit http://www.suntrek.com/_us/aupairs.php to plan your SUNTREK Adventure
Pizza is easy and fun to make. Buy ready made pizza dough (in the refrigerated or freezer section at the supermarket) or a ready-made crust (in the bread department), shredded mozzarella cheese and a jar of pizza sauce. Follow the directions on the crust package and you’ll have a kid fave ready to go! Add fruit and a vegetable and watch how fast lunch disappears!
Pumpkins rot quickly, so now is the time to carve one, just in time for Halloween.
If you weren’t able to visit one of our recommended Pumpkin Farms, its time to head to the grocery store to choose a pumpkin! Tip! Limit the size the children choose by telling them they have to carry their own.
A "first" for many au pairs-they had never carved a pumpkin in their home country
Have fun and enjoy this unique day. For safety tips, costume ideas and recipes visit http://aupairinamerica.com/resources/calendars/#31
