Katrina Ohl

Hi Everyone,

I hope you are keeping warm and despite the cold, getting outside with the kids.  They need to get some exercise and especially love to play in the snow.  I have some fun events scheduled for the next few months.  Please remember to let me know if you are coming (email is best) and please recall that you need to attend 10 events during the year.

Get outside and have some fun!

February- Snow Tubing - Note new time- We will start an hour earlier- at 3:45 p.m.(so you can get home in time for the SuperBowl)

Sunday, February 5, 3:45 to 6:00 p.m. Nashoba Valley Tubing Park, 179 Great Road (Rt. 2A), Littleton, MA  01460(about 25 to 30 minutes away- make sure your host parents are ok with you taking the car).  Make sure you let me know if you are coming and please try to pay me ahead of time if possible as I have to give them a list of names BEFORE the date.

Do not take a right into the Nashoba Valley ski area entrance, continue on Great Road, Rt. 2A and the tubing entrance will in on you right after you enter Littleon.  $23 for 2 hours of tubing fun.  Please be prepared to pay me at the January meeting if possible.

If you have never tried Snow tubing  before, you are in for a wonderful surprise! It’s the best way to enjoy this cold weather and is a favorite meeting for many au pairs who never thought they’d like it- so come and join in!  Come dressed in a warm coat, snow boots, hat, mittens and snow pants if you have them or can borrow them.  If you don’t have snow pants, then wear long underwear or warm tights under your pants.  There are lifts that take you up the hill and then the ride down is like a fast amusement park ride.  Kids welcome but they should be at least 7 yrs old.

Ice Skate Rentals included!

March- Au Pair Ice Skating at Babson College Rink

Sunday, March 25, 7:15 to 9:90 p.m. Babson College Skating Rink, 150 Great Plain Avenue, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02482.  For information on the skating location, see www.babsonskatingcenter.com.  This is a special au pair event where we will join a few other LCC groups in the area and have rented the Babson College Indoor Ice Rink just for Cultural Care and your guests.  Cost for ice time and ice skate rentals together is $10.  Come even if you have never skated before- it will be fun!  Please bring me cash or send me a check for $10 before March 5th.  Guests are welcome but please have them sign-up and pay by March 5th as well.

Happy New Year! I hope you are keeping warm.  The next two au pair meetings are coming up.  Please send me an email to let me know if you are attending.  The January meeting is important as it includes the required Fall and Winter Fire and Poison Prevention Safety information.

join us for some fun!

January- Safety Meeting and Bowling

Sunday, January 8, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.  Lanes and Games, 195 Concord Turnpike, Rte 2E, Cambridge, MA 02140.  It is off Rt. 2 East just before you take the exit to the Alewife T Station on your right.  Meet upstairs in the far corner by the last few lanes.  You can pay me the $8 there. Please be on-time or you will miss the required safety meeting from 3:30 to 4:00.  Fire and Poison Prevention are essential in keeping your host kids safe.  Bowling will take place afterwards from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m.  Cost is $8 for the group rate for shoe and lane rental.  Please send me an email to let me know if you will be attending.

Au pair snow tubing event

February- Snow Tubing

Sunday, February 5, 4:45 to 7:00 p.m.  Nashoba Valley Tubing Park, 179 Great Road (Rt. 2A), Littleton, MA  01460(about 25 to 30 minutes away- make sure your host parents are ok with you taking the car).  Do not take a right into the Nashoba Valley ski area entrance, continue on Great Road, Rt. 2A and the tubing entrance will in on you right after you enter Littleon.  $23 for 2 hours of tubing fun.  Please be prepared to pay me at the January meeting if possible.

If you have never tried Snow tubing  before, you are in for a wonderful surprise! It’s the best way to enjoy this cold weather and is a favorite meeting for many au pairs who never thought they’d like it- so come and join in!  Come dressed in a warm coat, snow boots, hat, mittens and snow pants if you have them or can borrow them.  If you don’t have snow pants, then wear long underwear or warm tights under your pants.  There are lifts that take you up the hill and then the ride down is like a fast amusement park ride.  Kids welcome but they should be at least 7 yrs old.

Finding the right au pair gift

Top 10 Gifts for Au Pairs

It’s such a busy time of year and it’s not easy to find the right gifts for everyone.  And finding  the right gift for your au pair can be even more challenging.  You may not know the right clothing sizes and be unsure of her taste and you worry that she may be comparing what she gets with what her friends get from their host parents.   There’s no right or wrong decision about what to buy and how much to spend, but in general a good guideline is to spend about 1 week’s stipend ( $196) but only you know what you can afford and shouldn’t feel badly if you you spend less than that.  if you need some suggestions, The Buzz, Cultural Care’s Online Newsletter, has polled host families and come up with the Top 10 Au Pair Holiday Gifts. Click the link to read the full post, but a few of my favorites are:

1. Mall Gift Certificates or if you know her favorite store (Urban Outfitters and Forever 21 are generally good bets) or stores like TJMaxx.  She can pick out what she wants.  What should the dollar amount be? It could be anything from $25 to $100 depending on whether you are giving them any other gifts)

2. If she likes sports or the theater- Tickets to a show or sporting event - Broadway Across America has good pricing and there are so many great sports teams in Boston.  Figuring out a date that will work can be tricky and keep in mind you’ll have to get her 2 tickets so she doesn’t have to go alone.   A cheaper alternative as a stocking stuffer can be games and shows at local universities.

3. If she likes to travel- then a certificate (which you can make yourself or present as a visa gift card) towards travel on East Coast Edventures or SunTrek Tours- or even a round-trip Megabus ticket and hotel or youth hostel booking to New York or Jetblue gift card.

4. Warm winter clothing- such as hats, gloves or snow pants/boots.  If you want them to get outside with your kids this winter- they will need to have the right equipment!

In any case, they love to open gifts, and particularly love receiving a card with thanks for their hard work.  a combination of a gift card and small things they can unwrap are always a hit.  My own au pair’s favorite gifts were always from the kids- a picture frame, a hand-painted coffee mug, beaded jewelry, etc.  They love stockings too as they don’t have that in their home country!

You au pair is likely to be a bit homesick at this time of year and you are probably stressed. That’s not always a great combination, but if you stop and think about how hard it is for them to be away from home and really make them feel included in your holiday celebrations, they will really appreciate it and you will reap the benefits of their gratitude all year!

Au Pair Movie Night!

November Au Pair Meeting- Movie Night

Come join the rest of my au pair group for an evening of conversation, popcorn, snacks and a fun movie.  A host family has kindly offered to host the meeting at their house in Waltham.  Please respond to let me know if you will be attending and try to be on-time!  There is no cost for this meeting.  I will provide snacks and beverages.             When:  Sunday, November 20, 7:00 p.m sharp.     Where: The Andreu Family- 35 Barbara Road Waltham, MA

December Au Pair Gathering-        Commonwealth Ballet’s Nutcracker

In New England, many people celebrate the Holiday Season by going to a performance of The Nutcracker Ballet.  Commonwealth Ballet Co. puts on a wonderful performance at the Regis College Eleanor Welch Casey Theatre, 235 Wellesley Street,Weston, MA 02493.  We will attend at the 1:00 p.m. performance on Sunday, December 11th but must arrive by 12:30. To purchase a $20 ticket, please email Katrina.ohl@ lcc.culturalcare.com by November 8th to reserve a ticket and make payment by November 15th by sending a check to Katrina Ohl, 4 Meadowbrook Road, Lincoln, MA 01773 or bring cash to Katrina’s house.

Get into the holiday spirit with baking!

Holiday Cookie Baking Event -       Tuesday, December 20, 7:30 p.m. 4 Meadowbrook Road, Lincoln

Come to my house and we’ll celebrate the holidays by making Christmas Cookies from my home country and yours.  Join with some friends and make some cookie dough to bring with you.  We’ll roll and stamp them and cook them in my oven or decorate some that we have already made.  Make sure you ask your host parents if you would like to use flour, sugar, etc from their household and buy any extra ingredients you need yourselves.

Come join in the fun!

You are invited to Cultural Care Au Pair’s spookiest party of the year! Join your fellow au pairs for an evening of dancing with a live DJ and tons of fun while celebrating Halloween!

Dress up in your best costume (You don’t have to buy one- you can be creative and make one out of simple materials too) with a chance to win prizes throughout the evening.

Where: Natick Elks Lodge 1425

95 Speen Street, Natick, MA  01760

When: Saturday, October 22nd, 2011
Time: 7:30pm-11:30pm

Cost: $20.00 per person if paid by Oct 12, 2011.

Please RSVP no later than October 19th for this event by registering here. Space is limited so be sure to buy your tickets early!

Additional Information:
Au pairs from all agencies are welcome to join in the fun!
Absolutely no alcohol will be allowed at this event.
We encourage you to carpool as parking is limited. Please be sure to check with your host family if you plan on using a car!

This month’s au pair meeting and Host family Event will be apple picking & hayrides- a Fall favorite activity for many New Englanders.  Pumpkins, decorations, and snacks are also available for purchase at the farm store.

When: Sunday, September 25                   2:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Where: Carver Hill Orchard, Brookside Ave, Stowe, MA (no number-it’s at the end of the road) For Directions go to http://carverhill.com or view your evite invitation you received via email.

Cost: Depends on the number of apples you want to pick!  $7 for small bag, $12 for medium and $20 or $22 for a large bag.

Katrina’s cell phone number is 781-727-1043.  If you didn’t sign up- just come- there’s no limit on the number of attendees.  Look for the picnic Table where Katrina Ohl will be waiting.

German au pairs may obtain a Massachusetts drivers license without having to take the test. Please follow the following instructions (first in German- then in English):

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In Massachusetts benötigen Sie für die Umschreibung Ihren Pass, Social Security Number, den deutschen Führerschein mit Übersetzung und einen Registerauszug des Kraftfahrtbundesamtes.

Anträge für Registerauszüge vom Kraftfahrtbundesamt können unter http://www.kba.de/cln_015/nn_125874/DE/ZentraleRegister/VZR/Auskunft/vzr__auskunft__inhalt.html heruntergeladen werden (wenn der link nicht funktioniert, bitte copy and paste…). Bitte drucken Sie das Formular aus und senden Sie es an die angegebene Adresse, zusammen mit einer Notiz, dass Sie Ihren Registerauszug in Englisch benoetigen und dass er an Ihre amerikanische Adresse geschickt werden soll. Dies kann bis zu zwei Wochen dauern und sollte daher zuerst beantragt werden.

Die Übersetzung Ihres Führerscheins wird im Generalkonsulat (3 Copley Pl # 500; Boston) vorgenommen. Bitten bringen Sie dazu Ihren Führerschein und Ihren deutschen Pass mit. Eine vorherige Terminabsprache ist nicht notwendig; die Gebühr beträgt derzeit 22,- US $.

Umschreibungsstelle in Boston: RMV, 10 Park Plaza (Transportation Building, T-Station Boylston oder China Town),  Tel.: 617-973-8860. Anträge für Umschreibungen deutscher Führerscheine können dort nach vorheriger Terminabsprache erfolgen. Die Gebühr betraegt $100.

Führerscheinübersetzung und Registerauszug dürfen nicht älter als 30 Tage bei Beantragung der Umschreibung sein!

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In order to convert your German license to a Massachusetts license you will need your passport, social security number, German license with the official translation and your driving record from the “Kraftfahrtbundesamt.”

To get your German driving record: click on the following link http://www.kba.de/cln_015/nn_125874/DE/ZentraleRegister/VZR/Auskunft/vzr__auskunft__inhalt.html (if link doesn’t work, please copy and paste…), print out the form and send it to the given address. You also need to include note saying that you need the document in English and that they need to send it to your American address. It takes about two weeks so this should be done first…

Where to get your license translated: German Consulate Boston (3 Copley Pl # 500; Boston). Please bring your German passport und license. It is not necessary to make an appointment. The fee is $22.

Where to convert your license: RMV 10 Park Plaza, Boston (Transportation Building, T-Station Boylston or China Town). Call 617-973-8860 to make an appointment. The fee is $100.

Please note that the driving record and translation may not be older than 30 days in order to be able to get your license converted.

Hi Everyone.  This week is likely a welcome change for many of you- the children are back in school or will be soon and your work schedule may be becoming more regular.  Welcome to all of you who have arrived recently.  I’m looking forward to getting know all of you and hope you’ll take these next two weeks to make lots of new friends.  I have rescheduled the August 30th meeting to this coming Sunday, September 11th.  This can count as your August meeting if you missed that and if you came to the Boat Cruise, the Ice Cream Social can count as your September meeting.  There will be a Host Family and Au Pair Apple Picking meeting at the end of September and hopefully a Halloween Party at the end of October.  Stay tuned for more details.

Au Pair Ice Cream Social

New Au Pair Gathering- Ice cream Social- Sunday, September 11th, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Katrina Ohl’s House, 4 Meadowbrook Road, Lincoln.  Come by for some ice cream and to meet lots of other au pairs.  Please email me to let me know you will be attending so I know how many to expect.  If I have assigned you to call a new au pair, please offer to pick her up and drive her to this meeting.  Most of you should have printed directions to my house in your welcome folders.

is July and August, we will be having fun on the water!  The July Au Pair Meeting will be a safety meeting covering the Spring and Summer Safety topics which include water safety.  Afterward, you’ll have a chance to trying kayaking on the Charles River.  In August, the first Au Pair Meeting opportunity is the Disco Dance Cruise for many Boston area au pairs.  The meeting scheduled for August 30th has been rescheduled due to my travel issues.  I will let everyone know Thursday when the next meeting will be.

Kayaking on the Charles River

Sunday, July 31st, Safety Meeting followed by Kayaking on the Charles River

Time:  4:30 p.m to 6:45 p.m.  Safety Meeting 4:30 to 5:00 and kayaking 5:15 to 6:45 p.m.

Cost for kayaking is $12 for 1 1/2 hours.  you can pay me there.

Location is: 2401 Commonwealth Avenue (Route 30), Newton (Auburndale), Massachusetts

Please email me to let me know if you will be attending by July 25 so I can reserve enough kayaks.

Boston Harbor Dance Cruise for Au Pairs

Saturday, August 20 - Au Pair Disco Dance Cruise

The most popular au pair event of the year is right around the corner and you are invited!  The Boston Harbor Boat Cruise will set sail on August 20th.  We hope you will join au pairs from across New England for an evening of beautiful views of Boston from the water as well as dancing, prizes and  fun!

• When: Saturday, August 20th, 2011, 5:00pm-9:00pm
• Where: 1 Long Wharf, Boston, MA 02110
• Ticket Price: $18.00 per au pair. Tickets will not be sold on-site and must be purchased in advance; please note that all tickets are non-refundable.
• Deadline to Register: You must register here and submit payment by July 31st.

Tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis, so don’t wait to register as there will only be a limited amount of tickets available! The cruise sets sail promptly at 6:00pm, and check-in will begin at 5:00pm and close at 5.30pm. Friends from other groups and agencies are welcome. When you have registered, let Katrina Ohl know, so I am aware of who in my group is going.

New Au Pair Gathering- This meeting has been cancelled.  I will contact everyone with a new date (likely next week) in a day our too. at Katrina Ohl’s House, 4 Meadowbrook Road, Lincoln.  Come by for some ice cream and to chat with other au pairs.  This meeting can be in addition to or instead of the Au Pair Disco Boat Cruise.  Please email me to let me know you will be attending so I know how many to expect.