Author: Roisin Astell

The Au Pair Series, Emily in Paris

The Au Pair Series: Emily in Paris

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Becoming an Au Pair Tell us about yourself! I had recently graduated from University of Northern Colorado when I decided to live abroad as an au pair before starting my life in the “real world”. Now, I am back in Denver working and missing Paris dearly! Where and when were you an au pair? I was an au pair in Paris, France from August, 2014-July 2015 (age 22). Why did you choose to go au pairing in that particular country? I had studied French throughout college. I had done a short study abroad trip to the south of France over the summer in 2012. I love getting to practice my French and learning about French culture! I have always wanted to live in a big city, and Paris is the perfect place for au pairs. What was the ‘aim’ of your year as an au pair? My goal was to learn everything to know about life in France. What I never realized is I would learn so much about many other countries as well through …

The Orangerie, Parc de Bagetelle, Paris, Promenades, Park Paris

Parc de Bagatelle, Paris

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The Bois de Boulogne has a little secret, one that many people do not know about. It’s the Parc de Bagatelle, located to the left of the park near the River Seine. This fantastic park is one of the city’s four botanical gardens, and should definitely be on your list of places to visit in Paris. Within the park, there are numerous things to see and you could easily pass a few hours exploring all the different parts of the park. The expansive landscape of the Parc de Bagatelle is predominately designed in a mix of Anglo-Chinese style. As you wander around the park, you will also stumble upon some hidden gems; including several artificial caves and cascades to look from, grottoes to explore and ponds with water lilies. Oh, and you’ll also notice the beautiful Peacocks who roam freely around the park. If you don’t see them in person, I’m sure you’ll come across one or two of their feathers lying around! The Parc de Bagatelle is also home to a small neoclassical Château …

The Au Pair Series - tips & advice from Au Pairs throughout the world

Launch of my new ‘The Au Pair Series’

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Being an au pair can be one of the most rewarding experiences. As you join a family for the year, you get to enjoy immersing yourself in a new culture whilst living in a different city, and learn all about the language and life there. As a previous au pair, I found that there wasn’t much information about the life of an au pair. Therefore, I am launching my new ‘The Au Pair Series’, which will showcase a wide variety of former/current au pair experiences in different countries throughout the world –  which will allow you to understand and see into the interesting lifestyle that so many of us have taken. I hope that this new blog series will help those thinking of of becoming an au pair learn more about this amazing experience. If you were an au pair or are currently one, I would love for you to get in touch and for the world to hear about your very own unique au pairing experience! I’m really excited to hear all the different stories of various …

How to display postcards in home, home decor, ways to decorate

5 Ways to display Postcards at home

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I seem to have an endless supply of Postcards. When ever I go travelling or to a Museum, I always end up buying what feels like thousands of postcards. However, the majority of them end up in a draw somewhere awaiting for me to find the time to take them and go through them. If this scenario sounds familiar, then fear not! As I have been going through the magical world of Pinterest to find the most creative and chic ways to display these souvenirs, and here are my top 5 favourite ways to showcase your postcard collection around your home! Photo from House of Jade Interiors This is a simple display is incredibly effortless, and even though it is minimalistic its’s a fantastic way to display those postcards without having to spend lots of money. One way to complete this look could be done easily using string along with small clips to attach the postcards to. Simple, yet effective. Photo from Frenchy Fancy This postcard chandelier from French Fancy is so stylish! I love the fact …

Making New Friends as an Au Pair

Ways to make new friends as an Au Pair

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Moving to a new country where you do not necessarily speak the language and know no one can be incredibly daunting. Having experienced that just this year, it can be difficult at first, but there are lots of ways of meeting and making new friends. It’s only after a year of living away in another country has the amazing amount of possibilities of doing just this become apparent to me, and I wish I had known sooner! Hence why I am writing this blog post – to help all those becoming Au Pairs to meet new people when moving to a new country. Just because this blog post is aimed primarily at Au Pairs, does not mean that International Students or anyone in general cannot follow these tips – they’re made for everyone! Language Classes One of the best places to meet other Au Pairs is at you language classes. Most Au Pairs will attend a language school of some kind, and depending on the school most of the other students will be Au Pairs. In fact, my school …