Tag Archives: winter

Farewell to Winter – Snowman Contest *VOTE NOW*

VoteButtonFor many of our au pairs this winter was their first time experiencing snow. I’m guessing it was exciting the first couple times, but eventually it loses it’s novelty and you just feel very chilly. I think we can all agree that winter has been fun, but we are ready to move onto Spring! Let’s take a look back at some of the great snowmen and snow-women that were created.

Please vote for HERE your favorite. You may vote daily through March 19 and share the link with friends and family via email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

The winning au pair will receive a $10 Starbucks gift card.

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Make Your Own Play Dough

Play dough is the perfect modeling material for children. Their small hands can pat, poke, pinch, roll and knead it into many shapes. Keep it in an airtight container to use another day, or let it air dry into favorite shapes.

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Measure 2 cups of flour, one cup of salt and 4 teaspoons of cream of tartar into a bowl. Add 1/4 cup of oil to one cup of water in a separate bowl then add the mixture to the dry ingredients. For colored play dough, squeeze 10-20 drops of food coloring into the water before you add it to the mixture. Cook the dough at low heat in a wide pan, stirring constantly until it becomes rubbery. Remove the dough from the heat and knead it for a few minutes. When it cools the kids can play too!

Photo: Kevin Jarrett (Flickr)

Dressing for Winter Weather

This is a picture from 2010, Sandra and her host family out in the snow.

In our area it will be cold most of the winter and there could be snow, any time from now through March.  If you have not already bought a coat, hat, gloves and boots, you will wish that you had.

It does snow in Maryland and the host parents do expect that you will be outside rolling in the white stuff with the kids. Because we don’t get as much snow as the Alps — we freak out a little here when it does snow. School will be canceled for only one inch of snow. The girls from Germany and Austria will laugh. The kids get soooo excited by this event they will want to stay outside and use every inch of snow in the yard to build a snowman. We also have a cluster snow tubing trip coming up in the new year, you want to be prepared to join in the fun and stay warm.

There are a lot of great sales going on, look for coats and cold weather accessories. Some cheap options are: Ross, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Burlington Coat Factory, WalMart and Kohl’s. An even more affordable option would be to go to a thrift shop. There are many in the area and you can often find a very warm jacket for a small price compared to buying one new.

Dress in Layers – Consider buying sweaters, lightweight jackets and long underwear.  If you wear several layers, you can take off things to be comfortable.  For example when it might be too warm for a heavy jacket, but too cold for just a sweater, you can combine different pieces of clothing.

Set a Good Example – it is the expectation of  most host parents that you set the example for your kids and you wear a coat when it is cold outside. You should have a winter coat, hats, gloves, boots and scarves.  Your kids will fight wearing a coat if you don’t wear one. Think of yourself as a celebrity and everyone wants to look like you — especially your kids.

Check the “Emergency Change of Clothes” – With young children, we often keep an emergency change of clothes in the car, diaper bag or at their school. If you haven’t already switched out the shorts and t-shirt for something warmer, this would be a good idea.


Get yourself some warm winter clothes now. Prepare for the snow!

Driving – Car Safety Kit

62922586_bd9aa19227What should you have in the trunk of your car in case of an emergency? I’ll give you a hint- it’s not a cat. While they are cute, they are not very helpful in a crisis. Below is a list of some more helpful things to keep in the car.

Recommended items to have in the car in case of emergency

  • Cell phone car charger
  • Jumper Cables (be sure you know how to use them)
  • Flashlight and extra batteries
  • Flares & Reflective triangles
  • Bag of sand or kitty litter (to help if stuck in ice, snow)
  • Small shovel, snow brush and ice scraper
  • Extra windshield solvent
  • Blankets and extra clothing
  • Nonperishable food items and water (e.g.. snack bars)
  • List of emergency telephone numbers on a card in the glove compartment
  • Auto club card (AAA or roadside assistance)

Here is another post with a list of what to keep in the car glove box.

It is always a good idea to keep the gas tank at least half full at all times, especially in the winter.

Photo: Bart Everson

ABC's of Winter Fun

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A is for Art – try drawing, painting or gluing
B is for Baking – bake a dessert together for dinner
C is for Clay – Use non-hardening clay or play dough to shape and mold
D is for Dance – put on a lively tape
E is for Exercise – be sure to get some everyday
F is for Friends – invite some over
G is for Greenhouse – find a local greenhouse to visit to enjoy the sights and smells
H is for House – make a playhouse from a large appliance box
I is for Ice skating – take the children to a local rink
J is for Jigsaw puzzle – be sure to pick one that isn’t too difficult
K is for Kitchen science – try a safe experiment
L is for Library – borrow some new books
M is for Movie – make one with a video camera, or watch one
N is for Necklace – make one out of cereal or macaroni
O is for Origami – learn to make simple paper creations
P is for Puppets – socks make easy and fun puppets – put on a show!
Q is for Quiet Time – everyone needs some of this
R is for Reading aloud – choose a good book and a comfortable place to sit
S is for Seeds and Suet – put out food for the birds and watch them eat
T is for Tent – make one from old blankets and chairs
U is for Unplugged – do a day with no TV
V is for Variety – try something new everyday
W is for Walk – take one in any weather (be sure to dress appropriately)
X is for Xylophone – make your own with glasses, water and a metal spoon
Y is for Year – make a calendar or scrapbook to remember the year
Z is for Zoo – visit the animals

APIA Advantage Course – UCLA Extension Program

gaThe next UCLA APIA Advantage Course will run from February 6 – June 11. Registration is already open at www.uclaextension.edu/aupairs

The cost of the class is $500 and it satisfies the education requirement for au pairs or half the requirement for EduCare companions.

This 19-week course, specifically designed for au pairs who are required to continue their education as a part of their experience in the U.S., is offered in a blended format–partially a media-rich, self-paced online environment and partially an instructor-led, cohort-based model.

The interdisciplinary course of study includes:

  • U.S. History: Eras 1-5 (up to Civil War and Reconstruction), including mini-modules on economics and geography
  • English-language study, including weekly reading and writing exercises
  • Arts in the U.S., including virtual field trips and activities reflective of historical eras studied by participants
  • U.S. literature: the readings which reflect the eras studied in the U.S. history module
  • Career counseling and interest inventories to determine future directions for the participants.

Participants read lessons, write, share resources, network with one another, and collaborate on special projects, as well as explore web links, play games, and take virtual field trips, all designed to further their understanding of U.S. culture.

The Community Involvement segment of the program takes the au pairs into face-to-face contact with the community. Au pairs will relate these experiences to their academic coursework in American Studies Online.

For further information call (310) 206-6671 or email online@uclaextension.edu

Au Pair in America Brings You Olympic News!

Au Pair in America
Olympic Update
from Vancouver!

“we bring the world together”

Greetings!

Au Pair in America brings the world together, so we thought it would be fun to bring the world to you with updates on the Olympic Games in Vancouver. Enjoy!

Inspiring Performances in Ladies Figure Skating

Inspiring Performances in Ladies Figure Skating

Joannie Rochette of Canada skated an inspiring and emotional short program last night, not 48 hours after her mother passing away suddenly of a heart attack. Her score of 71.36, a personal best for the short program, put her in third place going into the ladies long program on Thursday.
In first place, South Korean Kim Yu-Na, a heavy favorite for gold and a marketing icon in her home country, set a new scoring record for short program, with a 78.50. Mao Asada of Japan is in second, with a score of 73.78, a personal best for her as well.
Thursday’s long program is definitely a must see!

Nordic Combined Relay

Nordic Combined Relay

In very snowy conditions, Austria won the gold medal in the Nordic combined relay yesterday with a winning time of 49 minutes 31.6 seconds, beating out the US team by 5.2 seconds. Germany took home bronze, 19.5 seconds behind Austria.

Olympic Giant Slalom

World Champion Carlo Janka of Switzerland took the gold medal in the men’s giant slalom Tuesday, with a combined two-leg time of 2 minutes 37.83 seconds. Kjetil Jansrud and Aksel Lund Svindal, both of Norway, won silver and bronze.

Women’s Ski Cross Makes it’s Debut

Women's Ski Cross Makes it's Debut

Ashleigh Mclvor of Canada made the hosting country proud by taking home gold in the Olympic debut of women’s skicross on Tuesday. Hedda Bernsten of Norway won silver, while Marion Josserand of France won bronze.

Medal Count!

Medal Count!

The top five countries are as follows:

US: 7 Gold, 9 Silver, 10 Bronze, Total: 26

Germany: 7 Gold, 9 Silver, 7 Bronze, Total: 23

Norway: 6 Gold, 5 Silver, 6 Bronze, Total: 17

Russia: 3 Gold, 4 Silver, 6 Bronze, Total: 13

Canada: 6 Gold, 4 Silver, 1 Bronze, Total: 11

For a complete Medal Count list, click here