Tag Archives: minneapolis

May Day in Minneapolis

If it’s the first Sunday in May, it’s time to celebrate May Day at Powderhorn Park! This festival has been going on for 44 years. Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre and the communities around Powderhorn Park put on an amazing show to welcome the warm weather.

May Day this year will happen on Sunday, May 6th. The day starts with a parade, beginning at noon, down Bloomington Ave. from 25th Street to 34th Street, and then into the park.

Once the paraders have all gotten there, they have a ceremony to welcome the sun – the HOBT tree of lifemain stage is on the west side of the lake, and boats carry the grand finale across the lake. It ceremony includes puppets as big as 10 feet high!

There is music and dancing for everyone, and vendors selling all kind of foods. The ceremony is free and everyone is welcome.

This celebration is one of the unique things that make the Twin Cities, and Minneapolis in particular, so special.

Come on down to Powderhorn Park and welcome our wonderful summer!

http://hobt.org/mayday/

Father's Day!

Father’s Day is this coming Sunday. It is unfortunate that it falls after school gets out, because most schools help kids (at least little kids) come up with a nice gift for Mother’s Day but Father’s Day is pretty much left for the kids to do on their own.

Father’s Day is important, though, and children should give it as much attention as Mother’s Day. Dads are really important and we all should show our appreciation for all they do.

Depending on the dad and on the ages of the kids, Father’s Day gifts can range from a home-decorated coffee mug to spending the day at a baseball game.

To make a fun coffee mug, follow these simple instructions from Newsweek: Buy a cheap white coffee mug from Target or Walmart. Decorate it using Sharpie permanent markers, or have the kids go nuts themselves. Then put the mug in the oven and turn th heat to 450 degrees and set a times for 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, turn off the oven but leave the mug in until it’s completely cooled. As long as you hand wash the mug, the decorations will be permanent.

For more fun and low-cost ideas, go to http://tinyurl.com/lh2yxzn

Raising Children with Values

Having an au pair is one way families put their values into practice, teaching their children about the value of diversity and acceptance, about how to relate to different cultures in their futures, and about how the meaning of the word ‘family’ can include people who live far away.

There is an organization in the Twin Cities that also helps families raise children who are thoughtful about the world around them. Doing Good Together helps families find opportunites to work together to make the world a better place – everything from helping animals to advocating for social justice, and everything in between. They even give ideas for small random acts of kindness, such as leaving quarters at a vending machine for the next person to use, or writing a note to someone to let them know you care. It’s a wonderful resource for all families!

If you’re looking for something to do on a rainy day, go to http://www.bigheartedfamilies.org/ and pick a project to do. They give you all the information you need, including appropriate ages of children, so it makes it super easy for everyone!

February

February is a great month for kids in Minnesota. It’s Chinese New Year, Black History Month, I Love to Read Month, and of course the month that has Valentine’s Day. It’s also when we have the Olympics!

Our Pinterest page http://www.pinterest.com/aupairinamerica/ has pages that have many activities around these holidays and events. They do a great job of finding activities that suit all ages and interests. You don’t need to be a member of Pinterest to check out the page, so go for it!

When you’re sitting around, staring out the window at all that snow, try to find something for the kids that will engage them in learning about something new.

I will publish individual blogs about each of the February things as they come up, so keep reading!

Au pairs and holiday homesickness

Au pairs are college-aged people who are spending a year in the U.S. learning about our traditions and sharing their own. (Along with childcare and classes!) So is it any wonder that many of them develop a small touch of homesickness around the holidays? So talk about holiday traditions and expectations. She may have some fun ideas about things to add to your family’s celebrations. Putting little gifts in children’s shoes on St. Nicolas Eve can bring a rush of fond memories of all the things happening back home. It gives her a connection to the things she’s used to, and it give your kids a connection to a new way to commemorate a holiday.

State Fair Time

The Great Minnesota Get-Together is coming up fast! Minnesota has the absolute greatest state fair of any state! (That may be subjective…) But we do have 12 days to celebrating everything that’s special about Minnesota, especially our agricultural roots. There is an entire section dedicated to farm machinery! There is also a Midway with rides and games, and an International Bazaar where you can buy jewelry and clothing from all over the world.

The Grandstand hosts major musical acts, as well as a talent show, and this year, the International Cat Video Festival.

The fair is an annual destination for people who like to eat, particularly if they like to eat greasy, deep-fried food and drink beer. Try the Tom Thumb donuts! And there’s the on-going controversy over whether Corn Dogs or Pronto Pups is the better battered, deep-fried hot dog on a stick.

This year the fair runs from 8/22 to 9/2. Go to http://www.mnstatefair.org/ for all the latest fair-related information.

See you at the fair!

International Women's Day

Friday (March 8th) is International Women’s Day! This day helps to jumpstart the month of March, which has now been named National Women’s History Month in the United States . International Women’s Day is celebrated in 176 countries and allows women worldwide to connect, celebrate and honor womens past, present, and future.

On this day women will “Celebrate, Commit, and Connect.” They’ll celebrate like never before ~ connect as only women do ~ and commit to improve in 3 areas of their lives:
1. Personal ~ improve their personal health and well being, and their businesses as employees, business owners, entrepreneurs.
2. Family ~ help their families be healthier and prepare for the future right now.
3. Country ~ let their voices be heard: to speak up, to make positive changes in their communities/countries.

Au Pair in America is an organization fully commited to enriching the lives and minds of young women and this day is highly regarded within the organization.

Young women from all over the globe, ages 18 -26, come to America to live with an American family and learn about American culture. The Au Pair in America cultural exchange program provides a platform to really the change lives of the young women that participate. Fanny Carvajal-Delgado, one of our former au pairs from Costa Rica, has said “Working as an aupair with Au Pair in America is a life changing experience. It has changed my life, the way I value my family and friends, the way I see the world and the way I think about myself, in a positive way. I will never be the same person ! When I finished the program I was more mature, Independent and responsible.”

In recognition of International Women’s Day, below are some ways you can celebrate this day as well as National Women’s History month in your lcoal community:

Register to vote
Attend an event promoting women’s health, equality or safety
Thank a woman who has been a positive influence in your life
Support a program that provides business training for women in developing countries
Make a doantion that provides education for girls
To find for an International Women’s Day event in your area, go to www.internationalwomensday.com!

Winter Weight Control

Many au pairs (probably most!) put on some extra weight over the winter. Americans eat more than most au pairs are used to eating, and it’s way to easy to stay inside instead of going out for exercise. Luckily, we live in the Twin Cities, where there are all kinds of awesome things to do in the winter. Here are a few ideas of indoor things to do to keep you in shape:

Roller skating at the Metrodome http://www.roller-dome.com/ $6 admission plus skate rental
Como Zoo Conservatory http://www.comozooconservatory.org/ Free and full of tropical plants so you can almost forget about the snow outside.
Mall walking at shopping malls around the area – free, and a good place to push a stroller if you’re with a little one during the day. Check with the mall you live near to find out hours. Mall of America is popular mall-walking destination: it’s roughly 1/2 mile around the mall once, so if you go around each floor twice that’s 3 miles.
Midwest Mountaineering has a ‘Bouldering Cave” in the basement that’s free, although you may want to rent climbing shoes for $3. Go to the main desk to sign the waiver and they will help you from there! www.midwestmtn.com for more information
There are several trampoline parks in the area where you and your host kids (assuming they are old enough) can jump around and burn amazing amounts of calories. minneapolis.skyzonesports.com/ for hours and cost information.
Grand Slam has laser tag. batting cages, a trampoline area, and Dance Dance Revolution. Visit www.grandslam.com for more info.

There are several places to go roller skating indoors, and also several ice arenas where you can learn to skate indoors as well.

Finally, meetup.com has ways to find people who are interested in the same things you are. It’s a great place to find a volleyball team, or a dodgeball tournament, or almost anything else, all near you.

I’ll post another list of fun things to do to stay active outdoors as well.

Camp Au Pair

We have a great set of ideas for au pair ‘day camp’ suitable for all ages. They are organized around various themes, such as “Under the Sea,” “Cars and Trucks,” and “Dinosaurs.” The most current one is “London Olympics,” which is a great way for families to use the cultural exchange aspect of the au pair program to see the Olympics in a whole new way. Go to http://pinterest.com/aupairinamerica to see all of the great ideas! You don’t need to be a member of Pinterest to use this link.

Beat the winter blues!

This was originally posted by Cindy Garruba, the Long Island CC

After the decorations are put away, the celebrations are over, the New Year has begun: and the post holiday winter blues are starting to hit you and your host family. What can you do to get through the long cold winter months happily?

1. Get outside every day with the kids, bundle up and play outside. Go to the park, take a walk, ride bikes; we have been having an unusually warm winter, so enjoy it! If it snows, build a snowman, go sledding, have fun outside!
2. Stay on routine with the kids; get up on time, have breakfast, get to the bus stop on time. Make sure homework is done and everyone gets to their activities on time. Bedtime routines are important, make sure everyone gets enough sleep and that includes YOU!
3. Register for your classes, and get ready to start learning something new.
4. Call a friend and meet for coffee and conversation if you feel housebound.
5. Set up a play date with another au pair and her host children (similar ages) and enjoy a day together.
6. Join a gym with another au pair.
7. Use the library in your town. Sign the kids up for free programs (talk to host parents about the programs.) Join the English conversation group, improve your English and meet people.
8. Prepare a Global Awareness presentation for one of your host kids’ classes. Talk to your counselor for ideas.
9. Volunteer at a local hospital, school, animal shelter, food bank if you have extra time on your hands and need to do something. Doing for others is always an answer for the blues!
10. (From Jennifer) Go to the Conservatory at Como Zoo for a brief visit to warm weather, flowers, and other growing things.