Category Archives: Uncategorized

Happy Easter/Passover!!

April 1, 2015 – 1:27 pm

We wish all of you who celebrate Easter and/or Passover a very happy holiday weekend! Here is a little information:

Celebrating Easter

Easter Sunday is this Sunday, April 5^th. It is celebrated throughout the world by the followers of Christian community. It is believed that this was the day when Christ resurrected after crucifixion. This day is of great significance in the Christian community.

Church services and festive celebrations blend together during the Easter weekend. On Easter Sunday in New York and other cities, large Easter parades are held. The popular trend of Easter symbols such as the Easter bunny and egg tree were introduced to the American folklore by the German settlers who arrived in the Pennsylvania Dutch country during the 1700s. Gradually, American people took to crafts such as egg and Easter tree decoration. Easter in the United States is also a time to enjoy special Easter foods such as baked ham, potatoes, and vegetables. Several special recipes are made at each home. Easter parties are also organized where traditional Easter delicacies are served and people enjoy Easter games and music.

Check out Easter crafts and Activities on the Au Pair in America Pinterest page
https://www.pinterest.com/aupairinamerica/hop-into-easter/

Observing Passover

Passover begins at sundown Friday April 3^rd. Passover is an eight day celebration observed each year in the Jewish religion. It commemorates the freedom of Jewish slaves from Egypt during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II. Families celebrate Passover by having a seder. With special foods, songs, and customs, the Seder is the focal point of the Passover celebration. Seder means order, and the Passover story is read in order from a book called a haggadah. Click here to read the Passover story
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/passover/kids-stories/the-story-of-moses.html

Tips to Feeling Happy

February 20, 2015 – 5:36 pm

1. Get Dressed Up! “When you look good, you feel good,” is actually true. If you wake up feeling kind of down for no particular reason, putting on your favorite outfit can help you walk out the door feeling a lot more confident. You will get lots of compliments, too!

2. Stretch and Breathe! Anytime you want to calm your nerves and get a boost of endorphins, all you have to do is take a moment to stretch and breathe deeply for at least 5 minutes. You will feel calmer, centered, and ready to take on the world. It definitely works!

3. Make a Gratitude List! When you start feeling overwhelmed, stressed out, and overcome with the feeling that your life is completely unfair, an easy way to regain perspective is to make a list of everything you’re grateful for now! The list can include basic freedoms, small luxuries, and of course, the people who matter most to you.

4. Call Someone You Love! Chose the most supportive person you can think of. It could be your mom or a close friend. Know in advance who you can turn to in a crisis.

5. Get Some Sun! When sunlight hits your skin, it triggers the production of Vitamin D. Scientific studies have shown that a deficient amount of Vitamin D is directly related to a dip in mood for certain people. Put on some sunscreen and go outside, even on a winter day!

6. Exercise! Take a walk, ride a bike, go to the gym. You’ve probably heard of “runner’s high,” caused by the mood-boosting endorphins (aka “feel good hormones”) your brain naturally releases when you exert yourself.

7. Listen to Your Favorite Song! Have a go-to song that you listen to when you need a quick burst of energy is a great asset to your happy vault. Putting on your favorite song can trigger the brain to release large amounts of dopamine, a chemical that sends “feel good” signals to the rest of the body and plays a role in both motivation and addiction.

8. Do Something for Someone Else! When you give yourself to others you will feel the reward. Studies have reported more people participated in meaningful activities, the happier they were and the more purposeful their lives felt.

Sometimes the best way to BE HAPPY is to SMILE and go for it!

Win a Trek America tour for free!!

February 14, 2015 – 8:23 pm

Learn how a lucky Au Pair can win a free trip with Trek America!!

Global Awareness is developing a new section on its site: Learning about the U.S. This will highlight different areas and cultures in our country. You (Au Pairs) will be asked to write about your travels for the site.

For a fantastic kick-off, Trek America has designed a scavenger hunt on their website and the winner will receive a free trip!!

Please visit the Global Awareness website (http://www.globalawareness.com/ ) to learn more about this opportunity and to participate in the scavenger hunt!

Child Passenger Safety Laws

January 2, 2015 – 1:42 am

Child passenger restraint requirements vary based on age, weight and height. Often, this happens in three stages: infants use rear-facing infant seats; toddlers use forward-facing child safety seats; and older children use booster seats.

Many laws require all children to ride in the rear seat whenever possible, and most states permit children over a particular age, height or weight to use an adult safety belt.

Learn More About Occupant Protection
Adult Seat Belt Laws: http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/seatbelt_laws.html
Occupant Protection: http://www.ghsa.org/html/issues/occprotection/index.html
Best Practices for Children: http://www.ghsa.org/html/publications/opc.html

First offense fines for not complying with a state’s child passenger safety laws vary from $10 to $500. Some states also use driver’s license points as an additional penalty for noncompliance.

* All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands require child safety seats for infants and children fitting specific criteria.
* 48 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico require booster seats or other appropriate devices for children who have outgrown their child safety seats but are still too small to use an adult seat belt safely.
* The only states lacking booster seat laws are Florida and South Dakota.
* 5 states (California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey and New York) have seat belt requirements for school buses. Texas requires them on buses purchased after September 2010.

Texas:
Child restraint required for children age: <7 and <57″
Adult safety belt: not permissible for children!
Maximum fine 1st offense: $25 minimum

Happy Hanukkah

December 17, 2014 – 11:35 am

Happy Hanukkah

Hanukkah began at sundown last night. Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated for eight days and nights. It starts on the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev, which coincides with late November-late December on the secular calendar. In Hebrew, the word “hanukkah” means “dedication.” The name reminds us that this holiday commemorates the re-dedication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks in 165 B.C.E. Hanukkah commemorates the Jewish people’s successful rebellion against the Greeks in the Maccabean War in 162 BCE. A ritual re-dedication of the Temple occurred after the Jewish people’s victory. It is believed that there was only enough oil to keep the lamps burning for one day but the small bottle of oil miraculously lasted for eight days. Hanukkah, also known as Chanukah, is referred as the Feast of Lights or Festival of Lights for this reason.

For fun and educational activities for children go to http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/hanukkah/

Directions to play the Dreidel game. Play for Hershey kisses, a great way to have fun with the kids when they are home from school! http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/hanukkah/dreidel-game.html

Wishing all of our Jewish friends, host families and au pairs a very Happy Hanukkah!

Pistachio Pudding and Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie

November 27, 2014 – 9:03 am

Pistachio Pudding

20 oz. can crushed pineapple
¼ cup pineapple juice
3.5 oz. package pistachio pudding and pie filling
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup chopped pecans – toasted
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
2 cups frozen whipped topping (such as Cool Whip), thawed (8 oz)

Preparation:
1. Drain the pineapple, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice.
2. Place the pineapple and reserved juice in a large bowl.
3. Add the pudding mixes, miniature marshmallows, pecans and coconut. Stir well.
4. Gently fold in the whipped topping until the mixture is well-combined, but not soupy. Refrigerate until ready

Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie

Crust:
1 refrigerated pie crust
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons sugar
1 egg, beaten

Pie:
7 – 8 cups apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (I used Granny Smith and Honeycrisp.)
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Crumb topping:
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated (or coarse) sugar

Icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon good vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2-3 teaspoons milk

Begin by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

Unroll your crust on a lightly floured surface. Then, brush the crust with melted butter and evenly sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Roll the crust up tightly and slice into 1/2-inch rounds.
Press these rounds, cut side down, into a clear glass 9-inch pie plate. Press until flat, covering the entire pan. Make sure there are no spaces between the rolls; then brush lightly with the beaten egg.

In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with the cinnamon and sugar until evenly coated. Then, pour the apples into the crust. It will mound up and almost seem to be overflowing. This is good.

Then, in a medium bowl, combine the butter, flour, and brown sugar with your fingers or a pastry blender until crumbly. Sprinkle the crumble over the heaped apples. Finally, sprinkle the whole pie with the sugar.

Bake the pie until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly (about 50 – 60 minutes). (My oven tends to brown things easily, so I very lightly covered the top of my pie with tin foil for most of the baking process.) Once baked, remove form the oven and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.

When the pie is cool, you can prepare the icing. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and milk. If your mixture seems too thick, add a bit more milk. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar. Transfer the icing to a pastry bag or a plastic bag with the corner cut off. Then, pipe the icing in a swirl (to resemble a cinnamon roll) on top of the crumble.

For more instructions with pictures, see http://www.inspiredbycharm.com/2014/11/year-pie-cinnamon-roll-apple-pie.html

Thanksgiving!!

November 25, 2014 – 8:16 am

Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 27^th. So what’s it all about? Thanksgiving can be traced back to 1863 when Lincoln became the first president to proclaim Thanksgiving Day. The holiday has been a fixture of late November ever since. The Pilgrims who sailed to this country aboard the Mayflower were originally members of the English Separatist Church. They had earlier fled their home in England and sailed to Holland (The Netherlands) to escape religious persecution. Seeking a better life, the Separatists negotiated with a London stock company to finance a pilgrimage to America.

The Pilgrims set ground at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. Their first winter was devastating. They lost 46 of the original 102 who sailed on the Mayflower. But the harvest of 1621 was a bountiful one. And the remaining colonists decided to celebrate with a feast – including 91 native Americans who had helped the Pilgrims survive their first year. It is believed that the Pilgrims would not have made it through the year without the help of the native Americans. The feast was more of a traditional English harvest festival and lasted three days.

It was Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor, whose efforts eventually led to what we recognize as Thanksgiving today. Hale wrote many editorials championing her cause in her Boston Ladies’ Magazine, and later, in Godey’s Lady’s Book. Finally, after a 40-year campaign of writing editorials and letters to governors and presidents, Hale’s obsession became a reality when, in 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving.

In 1941, Thanksgiving was finally sanctioned by Congress as a legal holiday, as the fourth Thursday in November.

To Learn more about the history and traditions of this holiday go to:
http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/videos#history-of-the-thanksgiving-holiday

Find fun activities to do with the children here:
http://www.pinterest.com/aupairinamerica/fall-halloween-thanksgiving/

Texas State Bobcats Football Game

November 14, 2014 – 5:41 pm

Last Saturday we went to the Texas State Football Game (Bobcats vs. Georgia Southern Eagles), and, although the Bobcats did end up losing (final score 28-25), we still managed to have a great time 🙂

Left to right: Annerien from South Africa, Johanna from Colombia, and Elena from Costa Rica.

This was Elena’s first football game.

Countries represented: France, Germany, UK, Colombia, South Africa, Costa Rica, and Brazil 🙂

After the game, we all drove back to San Antonio together (and then decided to order pizza for dinner as we weren’t done catching up yet). All in all, a very successful day 🙂

Academic Year in America

November 5, 2014 – 4:50 pm

Welcome an International Exchange Student to Your Family

Caring volunteer host families across the U.S. are rewarded with an amazing experience for the entire family.

Families that Host a Student with AYA Feel Comfortable Knowing:

You can host for just a semester, full school term, or welcome period.
You are able to choose the student that you will host.
Students come to the U.S. with their own health insurance & spending money.
Each student has a Local Coordinator near his or her new American family for support.
Our team is dedicated and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Students come from over 40 countries.

Why Should You Host?

Hosting a student from a foreign country will enrich your life! Every year hundreds of American families choose to host a teenager from a foreign country. Why do they do it?

To build memories and friendships that will last a lifetime
To bring the world into their home and to enrich the lives of family members
To share the culture of America with a student from another country
To make a difference in the world by showing your student how we live and our customs and values
To learn about another culture from your new ‘son’ or ‘daughter’

Our AYA student are young embassadors from their countries. Your family can host a student from:

Armenia
Albania
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Brazil
Brunei
Bulgaria
Cameroon
Chile
China
Egypt
Gaza
Germany

Ghana
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Italy
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Lebanon
Liberia
Libya
Macedonia
Malaysia

Luxembourg
Mali
Moldova
Morocco
Mozambique
Nigeria
Oman
Pakistan
Philippines
Poland
Qatar
Republic of Georgia
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Sierra Leone

South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Suriname
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
Vietnam
West Bank
Yemen

Visit http://www.academicyear.org/ for more information!

Summer Institute for the Gifted

November 3, 2014 – 4:49 pm

(Programs for gifted and talented youth ages 5-17).

The mission of the Summer Institute for the Gifted is to provide the highest quality educational and social opportunities for academically gifted and talented students through programs designed to meet their abilities and needs.

Through 30 Years of experience & resources in gifted education, SIG provides a unique environment for gifted and talented students to connect with peers in a community of like-minded learners from all over the world who share common interests, abilities & goals.

Students will benefit from unique programming, which combines academics with social, cultural and recreational opportunities for a truly engaging summer. Courses are led by qualified instructors who have expertise in their disciplines and represent an array of professional backgrounds.

These 3-week summer sessions will allow your child to mature and develop in every element of life, develop long-lasting and meaningful relationships, increase self-confidence and think in divergent ways,all within a safe and secure environment at a prestigious campus. No matter which program option you choose, you can rest assured that the overall atmosphere of SIG will uncover, nurture & grow your child’s gifts.

Read more at: http://www.giftedstudy.org/