Category Archives: Fun Things We Do

Social Distancing: 5 Apps to Plan Your Future Trips

Being spontaneous and just traveling to a place and deciding what to do as you go along can be fun. But, there are benefits to doing research and planning before your trips. These ideas are to help you make general plans. You shouldn’t book any tickets or make any financial commitments until you know when travel will safely resume.

Planning can help you:

  • Save money
  • Make the best use of your time
  • Fit in more adventures
  • Visit places you might not have heard of before

It also extends the joy of the travel time. Planning all the thing you will do, gives you something to look forward to. We can all use things to look forward to right now.

If you are looking for travel inspiration and ideas or a place to keep your travel ideas organized, Pinterest is a great place to start. You can browse other people’s travel and bucket list pinboards. You can create your own pinboards for places you want to go and ones you have already visited.

These three apps are all trip planners and offer the ability to research places and create your own itinerary. Each one has its own look and feel and slightly different features. Download them and see which one is the best fit for you.

Road trips can be the ultimate adventure. You set your own pace and stop to see what you want. The journey can be as much fun as your destination.

  • Road Trippers is an app that helps you plan the ultimate road trip. It helps you determine your route and find interesting stops along the way.

We won’t be stuck inside forever. Once travel resumes, be ready with your plans!

Photo: Natacha R. from France

Social Distancing: 5 Online Adventures for Kids

Reading, playing, and doing art projects are always great ways to entertain children and keep them physically active and learning. It’s a good idea to limit screen time. But, in this time of social distancing, technology can play an important role in allowing kids to see and connect with the world outside of their homes. Many online resources are popping up to create those opportunities.

Here are five to get you started:

And if kids have questions about the coronavirus, Live Science has created an ultimate kids’ guide to the new coronavirus that has lots of information and is appropriate for school-aged kids.

Social Distancing: 10 Things You CAN Do Right Now

Social distancing is important right now to help slow the spread of coronavirus. This means avoiding places where you come in contact with lots of people (schools, movies, restaurants, museums, concerts, parties, etc.)  I am sure you keep hearing a lot about the things you should not do.

It’s also important to have ideas of things you can do. There are plenty of activities you can do at home and away from crowds.

While we can’t control many things going on right now in the world, we can choose how we deal with it.

“She turned her can’ts into cans
and her dreams into plans.” – Kobi Yamada

 

Here are 10 things you CAN do right now:

  • Stay connected with your friends and family via social media, texting, and Skype.
  • Go for a walk or run on your own. As long as you don’t go to a populated place, it’s fine to go out for some exercise.
  • Enjoy nature. That could be sitting outside in your backyard on a nice day or walking on a nature trail.
  • Read a book or listen to an audiobook or podcast. Getting lost in a story is a great way to take your mind off of things. Or if you pick a non-fiction book or podcast you may learn something new. You could even create an online book club or podcast discussion group with friends.
  • Do yoga. Yoga can be a great way to relieve stress and maintain your fitness. There are many free yoga videos on Youtube. Sign up here to receive daily emails for 30 Days of Yoga.
  • Take virtual tours of museums online.*
  • Make memories in the kitchen.* Cooking recipes from your home country is a great way to share your culture with your host family and give yourself a taste of home. Cooking classic American recipes is a way to continue your cultural exchange. You can find lots of recipes online. Also, you will be able to share that taste of America with your own family by cooking some of these recipes after you return home at the end of your program.
  • Have an online watch party with friends. When you watch a movie alone do you miss talking to a friend about what’s happening? Pick a time and a movie and from your individual homes you each stream the movie on Netflix at the same time. You can text or do a group chat during the movie.
  • Make top 10 lists of your favorite things like movies, foods, songs and more. Share and compare lists with your friends. You may find out some things you didn’t know about each other and get some ideas for new things to try.
  • Research and plan trips to places you want to visit while in the U.S.* This time of social distancing won’t last forever. Use this time to do some research online and make plans. This will help you make the most of those trips when you get to take them a few months from now. It will also give you something to look forward to.

*Future blog posts in this series will have more detailed information on these topics.

 

Dealing with Social Distancing

The coronavirus has caused lots of temporary changes to our daily routines. Right now, we are being asked to practice “social distancing” to reduce the spread of the virus.

What is social distancing?
Social distancing is a way to keep people from interacting as closely or frequently enough to spread the virus. Schools, sporting events and concerts are being canceled. People are being asked to stay at home more to avoid being in contact with a large number of people.

What are some ways to take care of yourself?
Some people may feel anxious, lonely or frustrated and that is totally normal. It can be very helpful to talk with friends and family about those feelings. It helps to know that others are going through these same emotions. Reach out to your community counselor if you need support during this time.

It is very important to practice good self-care. Connect with people you love via Skype and text, maintain a healthy diet, stay active, make plans for things you want to do once things get back to normal. Staying out of crowds doesn’t have to mean just staying in the home. You can go for walks and enjoy nature. Both exercise and spending time in nature are beneficial for your mental health.

Where can you get practical tips for dealing with social distancing?
We recognize that some of these changes will require patience and resourcefulness. During this time, we will be doing a series of blog posts with resources to assist you with two specific aspects of this situation:

  • Ideas for keeping the kids occupied (while they are home from school)
  • Ways to continue your cultural exchange from home

Photo: Meg Willis  

2020 Challenge: Collect Moments, Not Things

Common problem: “It’s the end of my au pair year and I have sooooo much stuff! It’s going to cost me a fortune in extra baggage fees.”

This post is about one way to prevent that problem.

I know it can be tempting. There are so many beautiful things and great sales out there. But in 2020, I challenge you to take a moment before each purchase and ask yourself:

  • Do I really need this?
  • Do I want it enough to pay extra baggage fees to get it home later?
  • What experience could I have with this money instead? For example, you might ask yourself, “Would I rather have these designer shoes or a ticket to a concert?”

Being an au pair can be an amazing time in your life where you have the opportunity to try new things and see new places. The more money you save for travel, the more of those unforgettable moments you will have to carry home with you.

Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.

Photo: Canva.com

Making Thanksgiving Memories Together

Thanksgiving is a public holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November every year in the United States. It started as a harvest festival and has been celebrated nationally on and off since 1789.  The most important part of Thanksgiving for American families is to spend family time together.

Martin Cathrae

 “My favorite holiday was Thanksgiving. Firstly, it was my first holiday with the whole family in America. Secondly, the whole family came together. All aunts and uncles and their kids came to grandma’s. We played football with all of them, including grandma and grandpa. It was the first time I played it and it was so much fun for all. We had a great dinner with all the typical things you can imagine … it was deeeelicious! It was so great to be with such a big family and I really enjoyed that day. I will remember it my whole life, I hope.” – Swantje from Germany

Here are a few tips to help you have a terrific Thanksgiving experience.

Host Parents
Please plan to include your au pair in your Thanksgiving celebration, if at all possible. If you are traveling or will not be able to invite your au pair to join you for Thanksgiving, give her plenty of notice and help her make alternate plans. You don’t want to leave your au pair alone over the holiday.

Au Pairs
If you are invited to attend dinner, please let your family know within 5 days of the invitation, whether you are planning to attend, so they may make plans. If your host family is unable to include you in their Thanksgiving plans, please let me know if you have trouble making other plans, so I can assist.

Make sure to discuss time off during this holiday weekend. Many host families work the Friday after Thanksgiving so do not assume you have this day off or the entire weekend. Talk to your host family, BEFORE you make any plans.

Bonus Tip for the Kids
If you are looking for a fun recipe to make with your au pair, check out these turkey cookies. Find more fun activities and recipes on the Au Pair in America Fall Holidays pinboard.

 

Three Ways for Au Pairs to Stay Red Cross Ready

Being knowledgeable in basic first aid and CPR is important for au pairs (and anyone else caring for children). Au Pair in America’s commitment to infant/child safety begins before au pairs arrive to the U.S., with pre-arrival training and continue throughout the au pair year.

#1 Training At Orientation

Our orientation includes seminars by American Red Cross instructors who provide hands-on demonstrations in infant/child CPR and safety. Printed materials are provided that reinforce the safety information and can be used to review from time to time.

#2 Enroll in a Red Cross Certification Class

After settling into their host community, all au pairs are encouraged to complete an Infant/Child CPR and First Aid certification program. Au Pair in America will pay for this training through the American Red Cross.

Classes are available through the Red Cross. Au Pair in America will pay for the cost of a class providing an au pair has at least six months left on her visa and is taking one of several approved childcare/child safety-related classes, such as Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED. Au pairs should check with their community counselor and host family before signing up. Au Pair in America will register the au pair directly.

To locate a class, visit www.redcross.org/takeaclass. For step-by-step instructions on how to locate a class and have Au Pair in America complete enrollment, click here.

#3 Stay Current on Safety Information

The Official American Red Cross First Aid app puts expert advice for everyday emergencies in your hand. Available for iPhone and Android devices, this app gives you instant access to the information you need to know to handle the most common first aid emergencies. With videos, interactive quizzes and simple step-by-step advice, it’s never been easier to know first aid. Download the app for free from the American Red Cross website or in your app store.

Photos: Robin Leon

Top 5 Tips for Overcoming Homesickness

Almost everyone experiences culture shock when they come to a completely new environment. Everything is different: the language, the food, and the people.

When everything feels so unfamiliar, it is natural to long for the security of home. However, you don’t want to let that feeling of longing for home, make you too sad or prevent you from finding happiness in your new home.

Here are my Top 5 Tips for Dealing with Homesickness

1. Make Friends – Don’t wait for other au pairs to reach out to you, reach out to them. There are other lots of new au pairs who are feeling the same way you are right now. Set a goal to reach out to a few of them each day. Some will respond and some will not. Don’t let that discourage you. No one will ever be mad at you for sending them a message to say hello or ask if they want to do something together. Make friends from various countries and you will also get a chance to practice your English skills together.

2. Stay in touch with your home country, but not too much. Skyping or talking on the phone every day with your family and/or friends back home often makes homesickness worse. Try texting instead and reduce the Skype and phone calls to once a week, until you feel stronger. It’s much harder seeing the faces and hearing the voices of those you miss.

3. Get out of the house (or your room specifically) – Go to cluster meetings, have coffee or go to movies with other au pairs, join a gym, go to the library, go for a walk, visit the mall, get a manicure, visit a museum. If someone invites you out, say “yes.” Also, don’t be afraid to do the inviting. If your host family invites you to do things with them, say “yes.” This will help you get to know each other and contribute to your overall happiness.

4. Realize that it definitely gets better – All au pairs experience homesickness and nearly all of them stay and have a successful year (some stay for two years). So, it must get better, right? Once you get past the initial homesickness, most au pairs report how quickly the year goes by.

5. Make Plans – Create your own Au Pair Bucket List (places you want to go, new foods to try, new things to experience during your year in the U.S.) and start doing them now. Post on our cluster group to find others who may want to join you on your adventures.

Photo by: Hernán Piñera (Flickr)

Back to School Planning

Back to school time is here. This can mean changes to the au pair schedule and possibly to the duties.  It is very important to communicate these changes to avoid problems.

Here is a list of topics to consider discussing:

  • Au pair’s work schedule
  • The children’s school and activity schedules
  • Where the children get dropped off and picked up and who will be doing this
  • What to do if a child is staying home sick, late to school, does not get off the bus (if they are supposed to)
  • Driving laws regarding stopping for school buses
  • How to tell if school has been canceled or delayed for bad weather
  • Add the au pair to your list of people allowed to pick up the kids from school and explain the process
  • What to pack for lunch
  • The routine after school (do they have free time before starting homework, what to give for a snack, any chores, where do they put their backpacks & lunchboxes)
  • How to communicate about what’s going on at school. Your Kids in Care logbook from Au Pair in America can be a great two-way communication tool for keeping track of schedules, afterschool activities and day to day info that needs to be transferred between host parents and au pair.
  • If your au pair will be the one going through the children’s backpack and helping with homework, consider designating an area for putting things that need to be read and/or signed by parents.

Here are some Printable Fill-in-the-Blank School Notes for parents. You can print these out and have them ready for times when the kids are absent, late, have an early dismissal or you need to give permission for something.

Check out Au Pair in America’s Pinterest School Tips and Ideas pinboard for things like organization ideas, back to school traditions, printable lunch box notes, and fun lunch recipes.

 

Thrift Shopping

I love thrift shopping!  It’s cheap, green, and far more interesting than shopping in regular stores.  The phrase “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure” is magnified when thrift shopping in a foreign country.  Indeed, I still acutely recall the amazing feeling of shopping at London’s open air Camden Market on a free afternoon alone at the age of 18.  What interesting things I found and what I wished I had the space to bring home!

Not long ago I complimented a friend on her thick wool sweater; it contained a pattern Ive never seen before in a combination of colors I never would have thought of.  I assumed it was a vintage designer find and that she’d paid hundreds for it.  She told me that she had gotten it years ago in Iceland for less than $5.  Apparently, in Iceland these sweaters are so ubiquitus that their value is minimal.  But here in California, it’s a unique and special gem.

Below are some thrift shops in the Pasadena area.  I hope that you are able to find some interesting and special items with a history of great karma!

 

Online Thrift Shops:

Thred Up:  https://www.thredup.com/

GoodWill:  https://www.shopgoodwill.com/

ReStitch (a GoodWill Company):  https://www.restitch.com

Posh Mark: https://poshmark.com

 

Local Thrift Shops

Crossroads Trading Company (a favorite)

104 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena

Store Size: large (privately owned for-profit), “award winning” small chain

Kate says: The place to go if you are young and want designer selections!  There is a ton to dig through, but it’s super easy to find cool stuff.  The more vintage and unique is downstairs, with seasonal on the main floor.  If you can only go to one shop, spend the afternoon here!

Ritz Resale (a favorite)

900 Valley View, Pasadena (go north on Michellinda, on the corner of a tiny side street)

Store Size: small (privately owned for-profit)

Kate says: A wonderful little shop for vintage clothing finds!  Sells only women’s fashion (shoes and accessories).  They are heavy on the smaller sizes, but I have found probably half-a-dozen special items that fit.  This is more of an up-scale reused fashions or vintage shop – not like GoodWill.  

Savers (a favorite)

16 East Live Oak Ave, Arcadia, cross street: Santa Anita

Store Size: very large (privately owned for-profit)

Kate says: Savers is a large generic thrift shop with very large selection of clothes.  They also have well sorted bric-a-brac / “stuff,” furniture, sporting goods and a small fabric / sewing /craft supplies section.  If looking for clothes, expect to dig through a lot to find what you want.

Out of the Closet

1726 East Colorado Blvd, Pasadena (near Pasadena City College)

Store Size: medium (supports free AIDS testing)

Kate says: This used to be the place to find cool, unique items, but selections have gotten more generic now; you can still find good clothes there as well as furniture and bric-a-brac / “stuff”

Does not sell kids’ items

Wistaria Thrift Shop

550 W Sierra Madre Blvd, Sierra Madre

Store Size: tiny (supports the Women’s Club of Sierra Madre)

Store Size: tiny

Kate esays:  Though small, has some interesting items, including craft supplies .  Not open on Wednesdays.

Treasure Fair Thrift Shop

3239 E Foothill Blvd, Pasadena (cross street: Sierra Madre Villa)

Store Size: small (supports Assistance League of Pasadena -programs for the underserved)

Kate says:  A great general-purpose thrift shop with a little bit of everything.  Sometimes I make wonderfully surprising finds there and sometimes they have nothing for me. 

ACTS Thrift Store

1311 N Altadena Dr, Pasadena (cross street: Washington)

Store Size: medium (Supports Lake Avenue Community Foundation- programs for the underserved)

Kate says: recently down-sized, they no longer have much in the way of furniture, but bric-a-brac / “stuff” and clothes a-plenty.  If looking for clothes, expect to dig through a lot to find what you want.

Good Will

340 S Fair Oaks Ave Pasadena

Store Size: large (supports Alcoholics Recovery Services & the underserved)

Kate says: This is what I think of as a generic thrift shop.  You won’t find antiques in here.  If looking for clothes, expect to dig through a lot to find what you want.

Good Will

183 Altadena Dr, Pasadena

Store Size: large (supports Alcoholics Recovery Services & the underserved)

Kate says: This is what I think of as a generic thrift shop.  You won’t find antiques in here.  If looking for clothes, expect to dig through a lot to find what you want.

Bargain Box

64 East Live Oak, Arcadia, cross street: Santa Anita

Store Size: medium (supports Assistance League of Pasadena -programs for the underserved)

Kate says: a good place for “stuff,” though the few clothes seem to be conservative and dated.  Try this place if you don’t find what you are looking for at Savers (around the corner).

The Huntington Collection

100 W. California Blvd., Pasadena (cross street: Fair Oaks)

Store Size: large (supports Huntington Hospital)

Kate says: The place to go for furniture or a lovely tea set.  You might also find dressy shoes, a formal gown or designer coat.  This shop is supported by ladies who lunch, and things are not cheap, though you could make a spectacular vintage find. 

Vintage Treasures & Antiques  340 E Foothill Blvd, Arcadia (between Santa Anita and Fifth)

Store Size: tiny

Kate says: More of an antique shop than thrift store, there isn’t much in the way of clothes, but definitely has many unique accessories. I don’t go here very often, but stop if you are driving by anyway.

Valley Thrift

777 W Foothill Blvd, Azusa (take the 210 freeway east, on Route 66)

Store Size: large (supports Vietnam Veterans of America)

Kate says: a large selection of every-day clothes and shoes, some furniture

If looking for clothes, expect to dig through a lot to find what you want.

 Specialty Thrift Shops

Remainders (for fabric and sewing / crafting supplies)

1713 East Walnut Street, Pasadena

626.533.5129

Habitat for Humanity RE-Store (for home repair or building supplies and furniture)

410 S. Irwindale Ave, Azusa

626.387.6900

Pasadena Arcitectural Salvage (for vintage home items)

2600 E. Foothill Blvd, Pasadena

626.535.9655

I’ve not yet tried, but would like to:

The Big Yard Sale Thrift Store 2110 N Fairoaks Ave, Altadena

Full Circle Thrift

2245 Lake Ave, Altadena

High Low Vintage

1031 East Green Street, Pasadena

LA Road

Eagle Rock

Meowmeowz ?

2423 East Colorado Blvd, Pasadena

Uncharted Antiques

27 N. Altadena Dr., Pasadena (cross street: Colorado)

De-Cor Antiques

30 So San Gabriel Blvd., Pasadena (cross street: Colorado)

The Bearded Beagle

5926 N Figueroa Street, Los Angeles

Hotbox Vintage

1127 Mission Street, South Pasadena

Owl Talk

5060B Eagle Rock Blvd., Eagle Rock

More Thrift Shops to the East (of Pasadena):

Vintage Odyssey

201 W Bonita Ave., Claremont, CA 91711

A Lot of Good Thrift

1980 W Foothill Blvd., Upland, CA 91786

ACTS Thrift Store

232 E Foothill Blvd., Pomona, CA 91767

Goodwill

210 East Foothill Blvd., Pomona, CA 91767

2nd Chance Thrift Shop

1028 W 9th St., Upland, CA 91786