Callie Gartner, Local Childcare Consultant - Cultural Care Au Pair

Where in Boulder am I?
This one is hard because it's new. But I really wanted share it

Where in Boulder am I?
If you know me, you know I'm a coffeeshop ju**ie. There's so many good places for coffee, but for me, this is home. Do you recognize this place?

It's Trident Booksellers and Cafe! This employee-owned Boulder icon celebrated 45 years in business last summer. Not just the coolest coffee shop in town, The Trident has a great selection of books, plus events on the patio. My au pairs love Language Exchange night, every Monday night from 7-9pm. They also host authors, poets, musicians and other performers.

I have to good fortune to have a job I love! I work with families to help them find childcare that fits their needs. I represent an au pair agency, Cultural Care Au Pair, and I like happy families and happy au pairs. That means supporting both au pair and family during their term together and making sure everyone understands the program, feels it's a good fit for their lifestyle and knows what to expect. Hosting an au pair gives you more flexibility and the chance to develop a real relationship with the person caring for your kids. If you or someone you know is looking for childcare as we approach summer, I'd love to share more about what hosting an au pair could mean for your family. Contact me at [email protected] or visit my website at https://www.culturalcare.com/lcc/cgartner/

Photo: We do lots of fun things together, too! This is a meeting at the local firestation Boulder Rural Fire Rescue.

We had a potluck at the local fire station :) Boulder Rural Fire Rescue shared a meal with our au pairs, then gave us an awesome tour. It was so fun! We asked everyone to share a dish from their country, and our au pairs did not disappoint.

When you think of American Food, you might think pizza and cheeseburgers. But the US has a rich culinary history that brings together flavors from all the cultures that populate our country. I hear the word fusion in cooking, and I think that's just what American food is - start with the recipes from your home country, incorporate what is available locally and evolve when you're inspired by flavors from other cultures.

For the potluck, I made Cajun Shrimp and also Fried Plantains in Blackbeans, both recipes from my Cook, Eat, Cha Cha Cha cookbook from the famous San Francisco restaurant Cha Cha Cha. In the south eastern US, cooking is influenced by the flavors of the Carribbean, Cuba and Puerto Rico.

Here's the photographic evidence of activities.

Today I am one of those sad roller bag people. Saturday mornings are quiet, you can't hardly get a latte before 8am. It's a good time to leave. Goodbye London! Sorry I said those mean things about you. You know I love you, right? Here's some pictures of my 'hood.
1 Our flat, 3rd floor walk up, 50 steps. The 4 windows at the top were ours.
2. Neighbor restaurants we visited.
3. Best place for...pasta?! Never had coffee there. Too many other choices. In my neighborhood, there were 4 coffee places I visited regularly.

And the rest of the story. I can't wait to get home and after that I can't wait for my next adventure. It's been super cool pretending to be a Londoner - having a flat to go back to every night, learning to use public transportation, popping by the pub for dinner, or after dinner. I've been exploring this city on foot like it's my job - my step counter shows 8-10 miles of walking everyday for a month. The architecture is amazing - impossibly old structures, re-imagined to serve a modern purpose, and stitched together with glass and steel. The food has been outstanding, almost without exception. And did I mention espresso, never more than a few steps away. Things they get right - pretty dresses for women of all ages and body types, breathtaking flower shops, stunning food markets, amazing bookstore. I've read 3 books, followed a bit of news from home (ahem), and was gobsmacked by a few museums.

I've been in London for a month, today is my last day. Tomorrow morning I meet Talia at the airport and we fly home. Today, I'm not sure whether to revisit the things I loved or look at one last new thing. It's been an amazing trip, but there's a lot I've had enough of. The crowds, baby carriages, roller bags, huge groups of school kids on tour, the smell of sewage, constant sirens, so much smoking, so much va**ng. The cars and busses seem to know how to not hit pedestrians, even those looking the wrong way as they step off the curb. But there are so many motorcycle/moped food felivery drivers, and those guys will run you over, people on bikes will, too. Public restrooms are not a human right here, like at home, you often have to pay. And when I tried ordering iced tea, you'd think I asked to borrow the queen's undergarments. Brewed coffee isn't really a thing here, but any sort of espresso drink is always within 50 paces and it's always outstanding. OK, here's some random things I've seen.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend, everyone!

Welcome, Winter, snow, skiing, s'mores by the fire!

Thanks to the Boulder Circus Center for letting us use your space for our Halloween party! So much fun to see the costume ideas and connect with au pairs from 7 groups across Boulder County.