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August 2017

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I remember when I was pregnant, people used to tell me to enjoy the newborn stage. TIme flies and things will only get harder as kids enter toddler years. Enjoying the sleepless nights, baby’s colic; a feeling of loneliness and isolation? Not an easy task for a new mum. When my little one was a newborn, and she would cry for hours in the afternoon, I just couldn’t figure out what to do to stop her from screaming her lungs out. I remember how desperate I was sometimes, wishing she would just hurry up and grow. Fast. And boy, hasn’t she grown fast? We’ve experienced all these long awaited firsts and milestones that babies go through in the early stage of their life. From the very first smile while she was still a newborn to the very first baby steps just recently. Now, we have almost a fifteen-month-old lively and spirited…

Having your family nearby when you become a parent is invaluable. Unfortunately, that’s not always possible. There are many parents around the globe, who are doing all this parenting gig solo, without the support of grandparents or other family members. When I moved to the UK all those years ago, I loved my new found independence. After some troubles at the beginning, it was good. Of course, I was missing my home, but I eventually adapted to the life in my new destination and enjoyed it, for the most part. Things changed when I became a mum. I realised how different my baby’s childhood would be to my own childhood. I come from a large family and every holiday, and many weekends we spent visiting cousins, uncles, aunties or grandparents. Or they would come over to our house. My daughter will sadly not experience these family gatherings very often as both…

Before you become a mum, you have at least some idea of what type of parent you want to be. You know, all the things you envisioned during your pregnancy. You’ll start to think about the things you want to do, but also about everything you don’t want to do once you have a child. And then you foolishly expect that everything will go according to a plan. How silly when I think about it now. How many times have I shaken my head at some of the habits and behaviour of other kids and parents I witnessed? Why don’t they just get a grip? Well, now that I’m a parent I know why. Because all parents do what they have to do in those not-so-easy-to-handle situations. Here are some of the things I thought I wouldn’t do as a mum before I had my baby. But then I changed my mind.…

What’s the truth about living abroad? After spending more than a third of my life abroad, I’ve learned a thing or two about what it’s really like to live internationally. Here are my thoughts, from A – Z, in case you are about to make that leap. A is for Adventure – because life abroad is one big adventure. Ha. Don’t get fooled. Reality couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s not quite the fairytale many people think it is. Yes, you get a lot out of it, probably some adventures along the way too, but more often than not, it’s also a struggle, a sacrifice and a constant learning curve. B is for being Bilingual – because when you move abroad, you are likely to become bilingual. Speaking another language will be a huge part of your new life. If you don’t speak the language of your new destination, make it…

It’s the middle of August, and I think It’s fair to say that the British summer is well and truly over. I could be wrong here, but I do not have high hopes. But hey, we had a couple of weeks of glorious sunshine in June with some record-breaking temperatures. Can’t complain, right? Still, talking to my family in Slovakia and hearing about their heat waves of 30°C+, lasting more than just a few days, in fact throughout all July, I can’t help it but feel a bit jealous. After these much talked about British heat waves, loved and hated at the same time, we are lucky if we get over 20°C for the rest of the summer. But even when it rains and it’s cloudy quite often during summer months, the great summer in Britain also has some unexpected perks. Here’s what you need to know about the great British…

We live in a global world where travel, relocation and multicultural families are common occurrences. People generally adapt to new environments, new cultures, a new way of life but they should not forget where they come from. When you become a parent and raise your children abroad, teaching them about your country of origin should be part of their upbringing and education. There are three different nationalities in our household, Slovak, Albanian and the little one is British. Each of these three cultures has their own traditions, values, food, language, celebrations and more. Although our little one is only a year old, it’s never too early to start connecting her to her roots. Why is it important to encourage your child to learn about your family history and how can you do it? The WHY Growing up in the UK, there is no doubt in my mind that our baby…

Summer is the ideal time for outdoor play with a toddler. I try to take our one-year-old out every day at least for a couple of hours. She enjoys outdoors, as she gets the much-needed space and freedom to walk around and explore, which she doesn’t get indoors. Playgrounds have become almost like our second home. During these early years, children are naturally curious, so I think it’s the best time to create a daily habit of going out and let your child play outside. When the weather is nice, we like to visit local parks, woods, playgrounds. Even when the weather isn’t ideal, which isn’t uncommon in the UK, we get out most days, even if it’s just for a short walk around the neighbourhood. We love spending time outdoors and here are the reasons. Good for kid, good for mama It’s amazing, what a bit of fresh air…

Few people who decide to move abroad can really anticipate what a huge transition lies ahead of them. You leave the comfort of your home and suddenly you are on your own and in a foreign country. That’s when the reality kicks in. Your idealised new home isn’t so idyllic after all. So, a little bit of planning and preparation can go a long way to make sure your move isn’t too stressful. Something I wish I gave more thought before coming to the UK. I made my fair share of mistakes when moving abroad (totally avoidable), so hopefully, you can learn a lesson or two from my missteps. When I decided to move abroad, working as an au pair seemed to be the best option. You can easily find an au pair position abroad through lots of different agencies. Everything is arranged for you before you go. Starting with…

I’ve been calling Yorkshire my home for over a decade now. It’s the largest traditional county of England with lots of beautiful greenery, tourist attractions, national parks and historic sites. And because summer holiday is in full swing I thought it would be an appropriate and good idea to inspire you to some fun things to do in Yorkshire with kids. I’ve come up with a round up of some of the best places Yorkshire has to offer. Some of them we have visited, while others are still on our list. Hit the beach on Yorkshire coast What a better place to spend a day out with the kids than at the seaside. Yorkshire has some great seaside resorts. I’ve visited most of them in my time here. Even though it’s not Mediterranean, the scenery and coastline are beautiful. Coming from a landlocked country, I love the fact that I can…