IT IS SUMMER TIME!

I don't think there are quite many who disagree with me - summer is absolutely the best! Nature is alive, it is green, sun is shining, people feel happier (and actually friendlier), nights are brighter, you can spend so much more time outside, ice cream tastes better (and there is always new tastes), there is so much more to do - and oh so many more things! I think it is quite clear that I absolutely love summer and could not be happier now that it is around!

For many au pairs, summertime means also that your host kids no longer are at school during the daytime, so this might also mean that you will be working more during the daytime - I know it might sound discouraging and something you are not looking forward to, but do not worry - we're here to give few tips. These proved to be successful during my time as an au pair! Please make sure to double-check always with your host parents that they are okay with these activities! 

- Pool (as long as your host kids can swim and you feel like you can be responsible for all of the children at once). I am sure most of the children love swimming, and this is a great way to cool off on a sunny day!
- Picnic in a park. Pack some water and snacks, and remember to stay in shade! Any au pairs in the area who have kids in the same age? Invite them and make it a play date!
- Outdoor games. We all have games that we have played outdoors back at home - how about some mölkky or kubb for example? A great way to once again - share your culture, that's what the program is all about! 
- Library. Sometimes it is nice to escape the sun and warmth and have a story-moment at the library! Gather some favorite books and cuddle up in the corner. Many libraries often also organize different story time activities. Maybe you can find the book that you loved as a child and can share it with your host children?
- Museums. Find out about different museums in the area - I am sure there is a good selection and you can definitely find something that is both of interest for you and your host kids!
- Road trip. If you have a car you can use during your work time, why not try to explore what is around you and take a tiny road-trip with your children? Find some of your favorite music, blast it out and sing along and see what your neighborhood has to offer! 
- Water battle. Is it hot? Is it sunny? Bring out some water guns, water balloons, you name it and cool off on a hot day! 
- Bring indoors outdoors. Who says you cannot play board games or read books outside? Exactly, no one! Bring indoors outdoors and enjoy summer weather!

Remember, use sunscreen and drink lots of water and stay in shade! Happy summer days!

Best,
Mari

My new hobby

It recently turned out my co-worker Mari and I had made the same New  Year’s resolution this year. We both made a promise to ourselves to invest some more time in a hobby. Something you do only to get energized. Some me-time.

So, we decided to join a choir. Once a week we go straight from the office to our choir practice. I have always enjoyed singing, and it’s a pop/gospel choir, so the music is fun and mostly upbeat and gets you in a good mood.

Being an au pair means living at work, so finding things outside of work that gets you energized is more important than you would think. I encourage you all to find something to do outside of work. Some me-time outside of the au pair job.

Here are a few suggestions:

Take a dance class at your local gym or dance school

Scrapbooking

Try a new sport

Volunteer (pets, children, elderly people – there are lots of different places you could volunteer)

Learn a new language

Learn to play chess/bridge/other board or card games

Design and sew clothes

Join an amateur theatre group

Buy a guitar and learn to play it

Write a novel

Start an amateur podcast with your friends

Learn floral arrangements

Learn nail art

Take a self-defense class

Start making your own make-up

If you have any other suggestions, please comment on Facebook.

Cheers,

Victoria

Make fall a memorable season as an au pair!

 

Camilla is one of our managers for Cultural Care Au Pair here at the Stockholm office and the one and only former host child! Her family hosted a total of 8 au pairs through Cultural Care Au Pair during her childhood, whilst growing up outside of Boston, Massachusets.

When the weather starts getting cooler, the leaves start falling, and the rain starts pouring… you know fall is in full force. But this doesn’t mean that the fun has to stop! Growing up in the United States as a host child with au pairs, I want to share some of my favorite fall activities from when I was younger.
One “chore’ my siblings and I were always excited to help with was raking the leaves. We would have a competition about who could gather together the largest pile and then, at the end, we would rake them all together into one massive pile and then spend a good hour jumping into them. One year our au pair actually found garbage bags that looked like pumpkins… filling those with leaves formed great garden decorations!

On the rainy days we would usually be found inside doing fun projects. My favorite was making caramel apples.  We would find a recipe for caramel online, usually a healthier version, and our au pair would make it on the stove, with us watching avidly of course. Once it cooled a bit we would get to cover our apples on a stick in nice gooey caramel and then roll it in some treats. We had everything from coconut shavings, to raisins, to gummy bears. Then our au pair would get a little down time while we started the sticky and time consuming task of trying to eat our creations. Putting down some newspaper on the table is highly HIGHLY recommened!

Lastly, my siblings and I were huge arts and crafts fans! We loved anything artsy. We would often go on leaf walks with our au pair and pick up the prettiest and biggest leaves we could find and bring them home. After waiting for them to dry, we would use them to make leaf rubbings with crayons. We made our own cards out of these, which we would send to friends, relatives, and even home to the au pair’s family!

So even though it’s sad that summer is over, make sure you and your host kids appreciate fall to the utmost extent! It’s a wonderful time of year and you better hurry and enjoy… before the snow comes!

Happy Days!

Camilla

The sweetness of life

I have to say that in general I do believe that we in the Nordic countries are better than the US Aat one thing: that to me is baking goods. When you first go to the USA there are so many new exciting tastes and dishes that you might not think about the lack of true cinnamon rolls, cookies and cakes.

After one year in the USA I did notice and took it into my own hands of solving my cravings. The rest of my year I made a habit of weekly baking with the children. A great activity they love and also an activity I would bribe them with to behave when being to rowdy.

I brought some of my favorite recipes home and try to do them as often as I can when missing my au pair time.

Here is one great recipe I did this weekend!  

 

Ingredients

• 200 grams hazelnuts
• 150 grams unsalted butter
• 75 grams caster sugar
• 75 grams dark brown muscovado sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 150 grams plain flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• salt
• 150 grams dark chocolate chips roughly chopped

Here's how you do it!

1. Toast the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan on a medium heat. Let them cool a little.
2. Take half of the toasted hazelnuts, skins and all, and whizz them to a fine crumb in a food processor.
3. Remove the skins from the remaining hazelnuts by rubbing a handful at a time into your palms. The skins will simply slip off and can be discarded.
4. Put the skinned hazelnuts into a food bag and give them a quick bash to break them up into big chunks (or chop them roughly if you prefer; personally I find the bashing cathartic).
5. Cream the butter and sugars together until soft and coffee-coloured.
6. Beat in the egg and vanilla essence.
7. Sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and ground hazelnuts and combine to form a lovely soft dough.
8. Mix in the smashed hazelnut pieces and chocolate chunks.
9. Tip the dough onto a wide, long sheet of clingfilm and form it into a log shape, wrapping as you go. Once the log is completely wrapped, pop it in the freezer.
10. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Take the log out of the freezer and set it on a chopping board for 5 minutes – just enough time to make it possible for a knife to be pushed through it but not so long that the whole log defrosts unless you are making the full batch at once.
11. Carefully, because the dough will be very stiff, and with a thick, sharp knife, cut 1cm slices from the log and lay them on a non-stick or lined baking sheet. Leave plenty of space between the cookies as they will spread in the oven.
12. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are just –and no more – starting to darken and the centre still looks soft. Leave the cookies on the hot tray for another 5 minutes and then slide a palette knife under them and move them onto a cooling rack.
13. And give yourself a pat on the back for every cookie that you don’t eat directly off the baking sheet.

Hope you have a wonderful start of the week!

Best,

Amanda