Au pairs gathered up in Bellevue to witness the lights of the Bellevue botanical garden. We ended with some flute music, a secret Santa gift exchange and a discussion about wellness and tradition. Nice to be together and look back on the beauty of 2022.
Tag Archives: toddler
Celebrating Exchange Day with Private Pool Parties – July 2022
Check out the pictures from our community gathering of over 60 au pairs in our multi-cluster event. It was a special night with a pool just for us! Celebrating J-Day, the community brought shoes to donate – over 100 pairs! Click here to see more about Exchange Day: https://www.alliance-exchange.org/events/celebrate-exchange-day/.
We played just a few ice breakers before deciding to simply have a dance party with the top US summer hits in the pool with no agenda. And some high diving for fearless women was had!
Play Ball! – June 2022
Well, we are sure playing ball now, metaphorically speaking. Watching a Mariners v Red Sox baseball game with over 110 APIA au pairs was a great kick-off to our first multi-cluster event in over 2 years. We are coming back stronger than ever in our community of interculturalist community counselors, globally-minded host families and adventurous au pairs. We had a seventh-inning stretch with a childcare safety quiz tossed in the mix, since we know full well how to play hard and work hard. A lovely day at the ball park had by all
Here’s to summer and more fun in person together! Go APIA!
Sculpture Park Strolling and IWM Celebrating – March 2022
Au pairs met up for a conversation about child safety, a get to know you, a conversation about what it means to be a woman across cultures for International Women’s Month and a stroll through the sculpture park in downtown Seattle. 
What Made You a Better Person in 2021? & APIA Tops the Charts – January 2022
Au pairs were asked this and many more questions in our zoom reflections of the year. Here were some highlights of what was shared:
What were your good moments and gratitudes? travel, northern lights, snowfall, culture sharing with my host family, learning English…
What did you do right or how did you grow as a person? learned to say goodbye, improved communication, got the courage to speak up and talk about tough moments…
What are your 2022 plans or mottos for the new year? “ask myself, ‘why not?'” “stay safe, live more,” make more friends, say yes not no, volunteer, exercise, use social media less, be more generous,…
And speaking of 2022, we are thrilled to report that APIA again has been named the top au pair agency from VeryWell Family. Proud of our state, regional and national team of dedicated employees!
Taking Tacoma by Storm – September 2021
The weather has turned this September here in WA, but this small but mighty group of au pairs took Tacoma by storm and bid Laura a fond farewell as she heads out to year 2 in another part of the US. We walked the (rain-free) streets, sharing in the journey of exchange and just simply getting to know one another. Back to simple. And to celebrate Peace Day took this shot.
Hiking for a Fall – Snoqualmie Falls
What a day! Au pairs made the journey to bear witness themselves to this iconic WA site. Snoqualmie Falls is gorgeous and powerful and these women fit right into that scenery. In that moment in time, countrywomen representing Poland, Mexico, Colombia, Thailand, Panama and Argentina came together as one.
A Pool of Our Own – July 2021
Our second in-person cluster event was a night pool party – with the pool reserved just for APIA for safety. We relaxed in water and got to know one another a little bit more from a distance, outside. It’s been a long time coming and it was nice to gather young women from around the globe together in one place for a moonlight dip.
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The Crystal Ball for a Year of the Unpredictable – May 2021
We had the au pairs vote on the cluster zoom they would find most entertaining this month and a guided Tarot card reader won with most votes. It was a fascinating night with personal stories and encouragement from a woman who learned these arts from her grandmother growing up in Mexico City. And some others joined to just listen and learn about another way of knowing and seeing the unpredictable world… Open minds, open hearts and forward movement prevailed. 
Earth Day Contest and Spring Celebration – April 2021
Au Pairs celebrated Earth Day this year by purchasing and using earth friendly products, collecting trash, planting seeds, hiking, biking, going to the beach, doing yoga, taking pictures, and of course, visiting the tulips in the Skagit Valley. Our Earth Day winner, earning the title of Earth Mothers of the Cluster and a gift card was Marine from South Africa for her self watering vegetable garden. Congrats to all for their dedication to cleaning up 
