Bowling

We had a lot of fun bowling! Pam, Gaby, and Vero came, so it was our whole cluster this month! We played two games and Pam was the best bowler of us all. I took last place both times but I'm going to blame it on the baby growing in my belly. This was a great activity for our monthly meeting because we had lots of time to chit-chat while one person was bowling. Although it would seem like there would be a lot of downtime for each person to wait her turn, the waiting went very quickly because we were having so much fun! This is definitely an activity I'll include in our list of suggestions.

March 2011 Newsletter

Welcome to March!

I bet the kids are looking forward to Spring Break this month - does anyone have vacation plans for that week?

Earlier this month we celebrated Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), which ushered in the Lenten season for many. On the 17th is Saint Patrick's Day, which is marked by the color green and often celebrated with corned beef and cabbage. For a fun dessert, try the rainbow cupcake recipe below.

Growing AuPairCare in North Alabama

This month we're focusing on creating and growing relationships with local area businesses to help spread the word about AuPairCare. Do you know someone who is a small business owner? Would they be interested in partnering with AuPairCare? Contact me for more information!

March Au Pair Activity

Ready for some bowling? Sunday, March 20th, 2:00pm, at Plamore Lanes of Huntsville. 2404 Leeman Ferry Rd, Huntsville, AL 35801; 256-539-2785.

Costs: $2.25 per person per game, plus $3.50 for shoe rental. You may also want to bring some money for concessions. Remember to bring socks!

Save These Dates

March 13th, April 17th, May 15th.
Note: dates are subject to change if there's something fun we'd like to do that doesn't correspond with the dates I've chosen. Just let me know what you want to do!

Au Pair Birthdays

There are no Au Pair birthdays this month.

Arrivals/Departures

There are no Au Pair arrivals or departures this month.

Just For Fun

Here's what little leprechauns look forward to on St. Patrick's Day: a magical snack that can add color to the grayest March afternoon. Pot of gold not included.

Ingredients

• White cake mix
• Food coloring (red, blue, green, and yellow)
• Baking cups
• Whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

Prepare your favorite white cake mix, then divide the batter evenly among six small bowls. Following the chart below, dye each bowl of batter a rainbow color.

RAINBOW COLOR	DROPS OF FOOD COLORING
Purple	9 red and 6 blue drops
Blue	12 drops
Green	12 drops
Yellow	12 drops
Orange	12 yellow and 4 red drops
Red	18 drops

Line 16 muffin pan wells with baking cups. Evenly distribute the purple batter among the cups, then the blue, and so on, following the order shown. As you go, gently spread each layer of batter with the back of a spoon to cover the color underneath.

Bake the cupcakes according to your recipe directions.

Before serving, remove the paper wrapping, and if you like, top each cupcake with a whipped-cream cloud.

Youth Programs Showcase 2011

For our February meeting we again had a joint meeting with the Birmingham Au Pairs. Because I had asked everyone to save Sunday, Feb. 13th for our meeting I found myself rather limited in choices of things to do. Fortunately I stumbled across information about a "Youth Programs Showcase" with tickets just within my price range: $20. So that's where we went.

Let me tell you, I am so, so glad we did. The performance was absolutely fantastic. Okay, so maybe I wouldn't have picked certain songs, or maybe I didn't like their interpretation of some of the numbers, but the incredible talent of these young people on stage was so amazing, that it didn't matter if some of it wasn't to my taste. There were approximately 90 performers, ranging in ages from 5 to 18. The performed over 20 songs, from Broadway, movies, and pop culture, complete with costumes and choreography. I was in 7th heaven. (Have I mentioned that I'm a big fan of musicals and live performances?)

I was disappointed that fewer than half of the Au Pairs were able to come. I won't see most of the Birmingham Au Pairs again because they'll have their new Area Director next month, and I also missed seeing some of my own Au Pairs - one of whom is leaving this month and I probably won't see her again either. Once the performance began I was sad so many hadn't come for another reason: I was sad they missed this incredible event. Next month I think we're going to go bowling, but I plan on scheduling another live performance outing before too long!

February 2011 Newsletter

Welcome to February!

I have to admit that February is my favorite

month because it includes my birthday :-) It's also a month full of

holidays (which sometimes mean a day off from school) and we

start looking forward to warmer weather and spring.

February's Holidays:

Feb. 2: Groundhog Day - A special day for Punxsutawney Phil

Feb. 12: Lincoln's Birthday - Sixteenth president of the USA

Feb. 14: Valentine's Day - A day of candy, cards, flowers, & hearts

Feb. 15: President's Day - Celebrating our nation's presidents

Feb. 22: Washington's Birthday - First president of the USA

Important Information

This month I am continuing to provide service to both the

Huntsville and Birmingham areas. We expect to have an Area

Director in Birmingham by March 1st. Our combined Au Pair

meeting will again be in Birmingham.

February Au Pair Activity

Youth Programs Showcase 2011 by The Red Mountain Theater Company

Virginia Samford Theatre, 1116 26th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35205

Sunday, Feb. 13th at 2:00pm. Please plan to arrive at 1:40pm.

Admission is $20. More info and to purchase tickets online:

http://redmountaintheatre.org/1011-youth-programs-showcase.html

Save These Dates

March 13th, April 10th, May 15th.

Au Pair Birthdays

There are no Au Pair birthdays this month.

Arrivals/Departures

This month we are sad to say goodbye to Isa. She will begin her extension year on Feb. 22nd and we wish her the best of luck with her new family!

Ice Skating in Birmingham

This month I've had the privilege of covering the Birmingham region for the entire month while we look for a new Area Director for the area. So we had a combined activity in Birmingham with the Birmingham and Huntsville Au Pairs. We met at the Pelham Civic Ice Complex and enjoyed ice skating for about an hour and a half. The Huntsville Au Pairs actually made the two hour drive the day before to meet up with some of the B'ham Au Pairs and spent the night. I was very pleased that almost all of the B'ham Au Pairs were able to come to the Ice Complex, although not everyone was interested in ice skating. I think I did the most ice skating of the group, but I loved seeing how everyone was getting to know each other, making plans for the rest of the day, and just enjoying each other's company. We will definitely have to get together with the B'ham cluster a few more times. Maybe there's a zoo visit in our near future...

January 2011 Newsletter

Happy New Year!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and an enjoyable New Year's celebration. Did you make some resolutions for the new year? Were you able to keep some of your resolutions from last year? And how about that snow?? Who would've thought we would have a White Christmas in Huntsville?! While I'm not a particular fan of cold weather, I must admit that a blanket of white snow is really beautiful.

Remember to stay safe and warm during winter weather. Use extra caution on the roads and don't forget hats and gloves for you and your children if you go outside.

Important Information

The Area Director in Birmingham has left AuPairCare as of December 31st and I've been asked to cover the region until a new Area Director can be found. If you know anyone in the Birmingham/Tuscaloosa area who you feel would be a good fit for the Area Director position, please let me know! We'd like to have the position filled by the start of February. Host Families: beyond recommending likely candidates, this development should not affect you in any way. Au Pairs: what this means for you is that we will be doing a joint monthly meeting with the Birmingham Au Pairs! See below for more information.

January Au Pair Activity

I hope everyone's looking forward to ice skating on Sunday, Jan. 16th! We will be skating at the Pelham Civic Complex Ice Arena just south of Birmingham. Public skating is from 1:00 - 3:00. We will meet in the lobby area (near the ticket counter if it is inside). If you are unable to arrive at 1:00, please come find us inside the skating area. Admission is $7 and skate rental is $2. You will want to wear warm clothes and may even want to wear gloves or mittens. Large purses and other items should probably be left in your car or at home. The address for the Civic Complex is 500 Amphitheater Road, Pelham, AL 35124-4338. Phone: (205) 620-6448. The website is http://www.pelhamciviccomplex.com/

Double Referral Bonus

AuPairCare is pleased to announce that a double referral bonus of $400 is now available to host families and au pairs who share the AuPairCare program with their friends and family! Please contact me if you know someone who may be interested in hosting an au pair.

Save These Dates

February 13th; March 13th

Note: dates are subject to change if there's something fun we'd like to do that doesn't correspond with the dates I've chosen. Just let me know what you want to do!

Au Pair Birthdays

We have no Au Pair Birthdays this month.

Au Pair Arrivals/Departures

We have no Au Pair arrivals or departures this month.

Nutcracker on Ice

For the second year in a row the Huntsville Au Pairs enjoyed a wonderful performance of Nutcracker on Ice performed by The Huntsville Skating School & Training Academy. We thoroughly enjoyed seeing the story of The Nutcracker come to life on the ice.