Deb Schwarz

Anyone who knows me, is well aware that I move a mile a minute (with two jobs, and four kids) and although I love the cultural exchange aspect of the au pair program, given the pace of my life, I personally need au pairs that have excellent English (plus our kids have homework that they need help with).  So - given this, I have developed a good relationship with our staff in South Africa, and I get first dibs on the best native English speaking au pairs from that country from one of the best recruiters I have had the pleasure to work with (thanks Cara!).  I have personally hosted 7 au pairs from South Africa over the years (Done, Carli, Wilme, Taryn, Sian, Done2, Amy) and appreciate their directness, hardworking nature, and organization.  In fact, I have a South African male au pair, Greyson, arriving next month!)  I have five South African au pairs placed with families in Mill Valley right now from South Africa and their host families LOVE them!!!

Here are three South African au pairs that have not hit the general database yet….so spread the word as I will only get to hold onto them for a few days and they are gems….(not to mention that the Back to School special of $550 off ends tomorrow at midnight).

-  Liesbet, 24, from South Africa, has perfect English and is described as a natural with kids.  She is from Belguim, and moved to Cape Town when she was 9.  Liesbet is very artistic and is currently has her own jewelry making business.  She also helps her family with their guesthouse so she is used to household duties and loves to cook!  She drives daily and loves pets.  She is the eldest of three so she is used to watching over children as both her parents work and she was responsible for them.  She has also looked after infants and has even done overnights with babies.  She is a competitive swimmer.  She is described as creative, energetic, responsible, caring, a great cook, flexible and calm.
-  Emily, 19, also from South African is available NOW - she is currently in Las Vegas, NV. Emily is a bit on the reserved side, but is very friendly, loves the outdoors and would like to go snowboarding and skiing.  She played hockey back home and while she lived right by the beach,  she never learned to surf so that is something that she would also like to learn to do while in the US. She has a happy bubbly personality and get along with people of all ages really well.  She spent the last four months with 16 month old twins, and tends to bond better with girls than boys.

-  Karen Otto (I’ll get her application details tomorrow but Cara in South Africa says she is a gem!) - call me for her details and application and I’ll post them here as soon as I see her application.

Every so often, I come across au pairs that I would hire myself (and I’m very picky).  I just came across three that fit that category.  These au pairs are top notch and safe bets since they all come with stellar recommendations from their current host family, whom they have spent a successful year.

Cherie, originally from Sweden, spent the last year with a single, busy father and two girls in PA.  She would like to spend her second year in CA, beginning Aug. 24 (right around the corner!).  I have met Cherie, and I can tell you, she’s a real gem!   She is a trained chef, having spent a year in Italy perfecting her cooking skills.  She is the eldest of four children and helped with her younger siblings, so she can multi-task.  She is a very competent au pair, having held down the fort in her first year since her host father (surgeon) worked long hours - she even trained their new puppy!  She is mature beyond her years, and drove every day in PA - so she can hit the ground running.  She would prefer school aged children, but can work with children 2 years of age and older.   Her current employer/host father says this about her:  “Cherie is an all star and will make any family happy.  She is wonderfully resourceful and upbeat.  She is excellent at keeping the house in order…her personality is easy going yet is very attentive to details.  She is responsible and is a true self starter.  I could not imagine a better au pair candidate to recommend.”.   In a word - Cherie is a extraordinary au pair!

Marina, spent the last year with a family with two girls in New York.  She is a gem!  .  She is older than most au pairs (26) and her host family thinks the world of her: “Marina is the most amazing au pair…I am sad to see her go…she is dedicated to caring for my two girls.  She loves them….she is mature, responsible, organized, and loving….she is warm, friendly and kind.  It has been a wonderful experience having her in our home”.  Marina is very talented at arts and crafts, is a driver and would like to work with girls over the age of 2.  Marina is available Oct. 4 for a year.  She would like to spend the next year in the Bay Area so that she can take a specific class (only meets once a week from 6pm to 9pm at the CA Professional School of Fabric Design in Berkeley).

Stefanie, from Germany, is an experienced au pair and excellent driver.  The only reason she is looking for a new family is because she moved with her host family to Chico, CA which does not have a local childcare coordinator (a State Dept. requirement), so sadly, Stefanie has to find a new host family for the remainder of her year.  Her host mom Amy asked us to help find a nice family for Stefanie who is great with school-aged children and balancing lots of activities.  Stefanie is available through November, but this could be a great opportunity to try out what it’s like having an au pair without committing for a year.  Stefanie is friendly and kids take to her right away.

If you’d like to talk to or view the applications of these au pairs - call or email me on 415-990-7571, DebSchwarz@mac.com.  They won’t last long!  The cost of an au pair is only $7.30 an hour, or $330 a week (for 45 hours) and includes their pay, medical insurance, agency fee, local support (everything except food and car insurance, if you need them to drive).  Their schedule can change every week, and split shifts are fine.

Please share here what classes you are signing up for so others can join you. College of Marin sign ups are coming up next week so if you want to take classes for the Fall - either the less expensive, non-credit (for hours) ones (Community Ed) or the more serious regular credit ones, time to sign up (you can do it on…line)…you can use Au Pairs in Marin Facebook page to see what others are taking and to arrange carpools, etc.

And the website with a full list of classes can be found at: http://www.marin.edu/schedule/Fall2010/index.htm

And then there is Carmel, who is knocking off all 6 credits in a week!  Check out “Au Pairs in Marin” Facebook page to see how she’s doing that and join her in her quest.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/group.php?gid=279916137013

I’ve discovered some pretty great and interesting places to get discounted or FREE tickets to events and places to eat.  (my two favorite things to do in life).  I started out with Groupon.com, moved onto Goldstar.com, and now I’m going to check out:  www.funcheapSF.com (FREE stuff).  I know that $$ is tight for au pairs - so enjoy!  So far, I’ve discovered indoor skydiving and I’m itching to try out the inflatable rafting thingy in the Russian River (goldstar.com - photo), that is, if the sun ever comes out!  And I’m reminiscing about Beach Blanket Babylon (all au pairs should go there - it’s very San Francisco!).  Please share here what places you’ve tried out!

There are still 3 more baseball tickets left for the July meeting….see details on this website to order (next post).  Did you hear that the Cheesecake Factory on Wed. evening is the new au pair place to meet up?  (no more Barnes and Noble) - it’s the place to go to meet other au pairs, new and old, so head there next Wed.

Please welcome five new au pairs this summer into Mill Valley and Tiburon.

Chrissy from Germany

Chrissy A, 18, from Germany (was in Colorado) arrived on June 9.

Kevin - 2nd year from France

Kevin M, 26, 2nd year from France (spent his 1st year in New Jersey ) will arrive on July 19.

Julia, 2nd year from Germany

Julia G., 23, 2nd year from Germany (1st year in Conneticut) will arrive on Aug. 9.

Bernhard, 2nd year from Austria

Bernhard H., 22, 2nd year from Austria (1st year in Pennsylvania) will arrive on Aug. 24

Patricia from Venezuela

Patricia M., 23, from Venezuela, will arrive on Aug. 27.

You asked - and we listened!  Our July meeting will be a SF Giant’s game on Monday, July 26 at 7:15pm.

Reserve your tickets by this Friday, June 25. If we don’t have 25 spots filled by Friday (to get the lower group price), then we will have to cancel….so sign up!! - it will be fun and a real American experience.  Bring your friends, your host family, or anyone you’d like.
Tickets are $17.  Opponents are the Florida Marlins.  www.sfgiants.com

To reserve your ticket, you’ll need to pay via paypal:
1.  go to www.paypal.com
2.  log in (or create an account if you don’t have one)
3. Click Send Money
4.  Enter LCC Paula’s email address paula.hamann@yahoo.com
5.  Send the money ($17) dollars per ticket.  MAKE SURE IT SHOWS YOUR NAME AND THE WORDS “BASEBALL GAME”.
6. Log Out

There are a number of ways to get to the Giants baseball including a ferry from Larkspur.  http://goldengateferry.org/events/ATTParkSched.php ($8 each way).

……..Play Ball!!!

If you can’t attend, then I’ll be at the Strawberry Village La Boulange Bakery to sign autographs (I mean, to have you sign in), on Tuesday, July 13 from 10am to 11am (I’ll even buy you a coffee!).

Twins experienced! Lina, 22 from Colombia, is about to complete a successful year in NY caring for 2 year old twins. Her current host family says that she is “loving and caring….Lina has a lot of patience and my kids get along very well with her.  She is able to manage my 2.5 year old b/g twins.  They have different likes and interests and she has been able to manage that also.” Prior to her time in the U.S. Lina studied medicine at university, grew up with 3 siblings, and did a lot of babysitting with ages from 2 months old to 3 years old.  She is described as calm, patient, kind and family oriented.  Lina is available July 26 for a year.  (Note:  she is allergic to dogs and cats).

Summer Multi-Lingual Live-In Nanny available now. Mai, 21 years old, was raised in Germany (born in Vietnam), and is one of five children.  Mai is available from now until Aug. 30.  She took care of two children:  a baby (from 6 months to 2 years) and a pre-schooler at the same time in the East Bay for the past 1.5 years.  She knows many languages including French, English, German, Spanish, Dutch and Vietnamese! She also loves to sing, and did so when she volunteered in a children’s hospital in Germany.  She is very open-minded, willing to help, friendly, mature and warm-hearted.

Email or call me to talk or meet these au pairs (or see their full applications) - they are really great girls and I’d love to find them a new home.

The cost of an au pair is only $340 per week (that’s $7.50 an hour), the au pair can work up to 45 hours a week, help with light housekeeping, can help teach your children a language, and keep them active and happy over the summer months and beyond. There is a special promotion on right now (call or email me for the promo code), that waives the application fee and gives an additional $350 off, and a special twins promotion.

I’ve personally hosted 16 au pairs so I can help you with the au pair selection process and beyond.

Deb Schwarz
Childcare and Multiples Specialist
Cultural Care Au Pair
415-990-7571
www.dschwarz.aupairnews.com
Flexible, affordable childcare with a cultural flair!

As a mom to four children (including triplets), market researcher, realtor, and host mom to 16 au pairs, Deb has a passion for helping families navigate the au pair process and find the right fit for their family.

Read my articles about finding the right au pair for your family.
http://www.marinmommies.com/tips-au-pair-trenches-our-fifteenth-au-pair or
http://www.marinmommies.com/node/1157

Here’s a lovely 2nd year Austrian au pair who would like to come to CA (children over the age of 3).

Dear Potential Host family,

My name is Jasmin, I`m almost 24 years old.
I`m from Austria and I spent my first year in Colorado. It was great.
I learned alot about the American culture.
Personally, being an Au Pair is a great and rewarding experience.
Denver is a magnificent place.

A typicall day includes to waking up the kids, cooking them breakfast and bringing them to school.
Before they come home from school I prepare a healthy snack and dinner for them.
I love cooking healthy food but also like baking cakes for the kids.
After their snack/dinner I help the kids with homework and then I drive the girls to their activities every afternoon,
they all have different activities like soccer, tennis, piano, band ,clarinet, irish dance and volleyball.

I love to drive the car and I can easily say that I`m an excellent and safe driver.
Safety is priority for me.
I have never had any accident in my life.

My spare time is spent going to school, meeting friends, and going to the gym on a daily basis. I love learning new things
I love spending time outside, I try to take the 4 dogs for a walk everyday. I love animals, and enjoy every minute I get to spend with the dogs.My Hostfamily
use these words to describe me: funny, active, energetic, friendly, honest, responsible very organized and always on time.

I had such an amazing experience with my family here in Denver.
They were always honest, understanding and very helpful.
They treated me like I was one of their own.
I took care of three wonderful and beautiful girls, a 14 year old and 12 years old twins..
Over the past year, the most amazing thing for me was to see how the girls grew and how much they learned in one year.
One of the best days, that I will always remember, we were spending the week in the mountains and one day my hostmum and I prepared a BBQ on a boat in the middle of the lake for the kids.
We had a unbelievebal time.
The whole family went on a Roadtrip in March 2010 to California, we had an unforgetable time together. Many memories filled with laughter and fun, it was awesome.

I really enjoyed my first year in America and my Hostfamily would like forme to stay but I would love to spend my second year in another part of the country.  I want to experience all that I can, and live with another family and their kids and get to know them. I love traveling and would love to see more of United States.

I`m looking forward to spending my second year with you.

Best regards Jasmin 

Call Deb on 415-990-7571 or email:  DebSchwarz@mac.com if you would like to see Jamin’s application or speak with her

Wondering what to do with the kids now that school is winding down?  These great au pairs are available now!  And these are here in Marin if you would like to meet these au pairs in person. Miriam, Lina and Katrine will be at the Marin Multiples Club social from 7 to 9pm on Friday, June 4 at Marin Catholic.  Or call me on 415-990-7571 and I can arrange an in person interview and provide you their application and more info. about them.

Miriam, 21 from Sweden - is recommended by her current host family (they have a 2 year old and a 5 year old in Mill Valley) - she is great with kids!  Her current host family says that she loves their children and really goes the extra mile with them.  Prior to coming to the U.S. she worked in a kindergarten in Oslo, and was a gymnastics trainer for children for 7 years.     She is available from now until January 2011 and would really like to stay in Marin with her friends.  She has been driving in Marin, and would be great with any age child over the age of 2.

Lina, 22, from Colombia, is very active and energetic.  She loves outdoor activities including camping and loves to keep kids active:  she says, she likes making handcrafts for children, teaching them fun and easy cooking recipes watching films, coloring, painting, gardening, telling stories before going to sleep, going camping, swimming, walking, playing in the parks, and many other things. She would like to study marine biology when she returns to her home country.  She writes:  I am very glad, tender, very patient, and a very creative a person and I believe that I have all the necessary qualities to help in the care of the children. Lina would like to take care of children either newborn to 2 years old, or 5+  She is available from now until June 2011, as she would like to extend her year.  She has driven through Marin and across the bridge to SF.

Katrine is 22 years old and is from Brazil.  Katrine would be best with a family with children 5 years of age or older (she was with a family with 3 year old twins and a 5 year old which was too much for her calm and sweet personality). Her current host family recommends her for older children and really would like to see her go to a nice home.  She loves dogs, and has a university degree, and has taught children as a trainee and would like to return to Brazil and become a teacher after her stay here in the U.S.   She is available from now for a year (possibly two).

The cost of an au pair is only $340 per week (that’s $7.50 an hour), the au pair can work up to 45 hours a week, help with light housekeeping, can help teach your children a language, and keep them active and happy over the summer months and beyond.  There is a special promotion going on right now (call me for the promo code), that waives the application fee and gives an additional $350 off.

I’ve personally hosted 16 au pairs so I can help you with the au pair selection process and beyond.

Deb Schwarz
Childcare and Multiples Specialist
Cultural Care Au Pair
415-990-7571
www.dschwarz.aupairnews.com
Flexible, affordable childcare with a cultural flair!

As a mom to four children (including triplets), market researcher, realtor, and host mom to 16 au pairs, Deb has a passion for helping families navigate the au pair process and find the right fit for their family.

Read my articles about finding the right au pair for your family.
http://www.marinmommies.com/tips-au-pair-trenches-our-fifteenth-au-pair or
http://www.marinmommies.com/node/1157

Au pair weekend classes at Silver Bay are educational AND fun!

Looking for affordable classes to fulfill your educational requirement? Wanting to made new friends and learn new things? Eager to explore one of the most beautiful spots in the U.S. in one jam-packed, fun-filled weekend? The College of Saint Rose offers great weekend classes on the Silver Bay YMCA of the Adirondacks campus on Lake George, in Silver Bay, NY. The College of Saint Rose is an accredited U.S. post-secondary educational institution which means these class will count towards fulfillment of your educational component. Each weekend plus required papers and projects are worth the equivalent of three credit hours of class work (half of your required hours).

The cost of the course is $275 and includes the course, lodging, meals, some snacks and beverages. (It does not cover your transportation from your host parents home to and from the campus, but flight are fairly inexpensive into Albany on Southwest Airlines www.southwest.com) Each weekend plus required papers and projects are worth the equivalent of three credit hours of class work.

Classes at Silver Bay are varied and may include: The United States and the World, American Holidays; Cultural Differences, American Criminal Justice System, Creative Journaling, Digital Photography–Equipment and Techniques, American Literature for Kids, Native American Storytelling and many, many more!

The next weekend session is coming up: June 25-27, 2010. Register today!

Click here for a great slideshow of the camp:  http://buzz.culturalcare.com/post/641100187/au-pair-weekend-classes-at-silver-bay-are