Our Divali party this weekend was a roaring success, thanks to all the hard work by Marie, Sanjay, Jill and Elizabeth (and everyone else who helped): the VKC was packed! It was a delight to see so many new faces, and to see everyone making beautiful things, learning about Divali and chatting away. Not to mention some great bhangra dancing, particularly from Leo (and some truly appalling dancing from me). Quentin has gone to school with a very beautiful decoration on his forehead, and thinks he looks very smart: which is lucky, given that going by my fruitless attempts to remove it this morning, it may be a permanent fixture.
Seriously though: it highlighted the real purpose of all this: to get people from all backgrounds, cultures and countries together, help them find their way and create social networks, and to give our children the advantage of growing up surrounded by a celebration of cultural diversity. If you would like to get involved in running further activities/events and/or writing stuff for the website, please do get in touch: harriet@homeinleiden.nl
Don't miss the Swishing event this Friday, ladies, and everyone please do sign up for our Parents' Question Time event on the 19 th , which is a wonderful opportunity to get answers to all those questions you've never dared ask.
We will be taking a delivery of decorated shoeboxes filled with toys/toiletries/school supplies to Haarlem this Friday for Edukans: please do get yours finished and to me by Friday (email me on
harriet@homeinleiden.nl ) The knitting group has been making glove puppets, and ours is otherwise mostly filled with a couple of precious new-looking toys that the children have chosen to give and otherwise good old Hema school supplies and toys (as you can see!).
'Swishing' aka Swop, don't shop!
Here's the chance for green fashionistas to pick a new outfit for free !
Yip! You've read it right, the first ever HomeinLeiden Swishing event takes place from 7.45pm on Friday 13 th November at the Vrouw Kind Centrum, Langegracht 57, (between Aldi and Digros) in Leiden. The clothes won't cost you a penny but you do need to bring good items of clothing to take part in the swish. That's what it's all about - ' Swop, don't shop' !
Of course, at all passionate shoppers know, shopping can be thirsty business. So, naturally refreshments will be served. However, it would be greatly appreciated if you could bring a bottle or some nibbles to help us enjoy the evening.
This new HomeinLeiden 3x yearly event will be organized by Jill Bowe and her team.
Any questions? Contact jill@homeinleiden.nl
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Parents' Question Time
Register now! HomeinLeiden and Dream-Angus are organizing a Parents'Question Time event at 8pm on 19 th November at the Vrouw Kind Centrum, Langegracht 57, (between Aldi and Digros) in Leiden. This is a chance for parents to get one-to-one time with experts to ask all those burning questions!
Three English-speaking experts will personally answer your questions on:
- Bilingual/multilingual development (Eowyn Crisfield, BA TESL, MA Applied Linguistics);
- Sleep issues, child development, fussy eaters ( Deirdre Budd (R.G.N. H.V. Dip. R.)
- Pregnancy, birth, breast feeding and first aid ( Tina Keogh of Great Expectations.nl).
Register now at info@dream-angus.com and get a specially reduced rate of € 12 per couple or € 8 individual ( € 15 and € 12 on the door). It will be a relaxed, social event with lots of relevant information stalls and coffee/tea/wine and light refreshments included.
