Lifestyle: Living, Leisure, Work and Wellness

Liberation
, , , , , , , , ,

Liberation Day 2020

Following directly on from Remembrance Day, 5 May is a national day of celebration known as Liberation Day, celebrating the end of Nazi Germany’s occupation during World War II.  Liberation Day is usually celebrated with festivals and events…
may online eventsroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
,

Online creative pursuits for May

People are dealing with our current episode of dormancy in different ways. Some are trying out new activities at home, others just like to watch those people who are being creative and providing the entertainment. Whichever category you fall…
Remembrance
, , , , , , , , ,

Remembrance Day without an audience in Haarlem live on NH Nieuws

Remembrance Day on 4 May in Haarlem will be this year be held in an adapted form due to the corona crisis, without any members of the public in attendance. The special commemoration ceremony can be seen live at 16:30 on TV news channel NH Nieuws. Mayor…
tools
, , , , , ,

Useful tools for video calls and online meetings

Your customers or colleagues are not together in the same location, but you still want to see each other in an online environment. The solution is to get your team together via video conferencing. There are now many tools to facilitate virtual…
Verwulft
, , , , , ,

New HEMA in former V&D building at Verwulft in Haarlem

In the course of the following month, the department store HEMA will move into the ground and first floors of the former building of V&D / Hudson’s Bay at Verwulft in the centre of Haarlem. There the group starts a Hemarkt. It is…
Ikea
, , , , , ,

Long lines at the reopening of IKEA Haarlem

The Dutch stores of housing giant IKEA opened their doors again this Tuesday, after they closed on 17 March because the safety of customers and staff could no longer be guaranteed due to the crowds. The run-up was also massive on the day of…
natural skincareroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
,

Natural skincare using ingredients found at home

Imagine this scenario, you are at home and about to make your favourite beauty ritual. Finally, the kids went to sleep and you have time to yourself. You go to the bathroom and suddenly realise that you don't have any products left. If it wasn't…
Haarlem historyroyalty free (public domain), no attribution required
, , ,

10 interesting little factoids about Haarlem’s history

Hello, my fellow quarantined friends! Are you looking for something new to do to occupy yourself in these somewhat dull times? How about some fun reading, to brush up on your history of our beautiful city? As an incorrigible trivia addict,…
wine and filmroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
,

Movie tips where wine is the star of the show

Open your favourite bottle of wine, choose a wine movie from our list, press play and relax. In these weird times we are living, self-isolation does not mean you stop enjoying good food or good wine. Parties have been postponed, restaurants…
orange flagsroyalty free (reuse without attribution)
, ,

Celebrating King’s Day from Home

It is officially the day the Netherlands turns orange. Flags fly high and everyone adorns orange items of clothing in preparation to honour the King’s birthday. This year all that will still be possible but without the partying on the streets.…
rachel smets, life hacksroyalty free (author's own pic)
,

Say no to panic – say yes to boosting your immune system

During times of uncertainty, taking steps to protect your mental and physical health can help your body’s natural defenses stay strong. Boost your immune system using these hacks. This global pandemic is real. A lot of people understandably…
kids gamesroyalty free (reuse without attribution)
,

Creative activities for homebound toddlers

While there is no daycare during these weeks, we are spending a lot of time at home with our children. Keeping them entertained can be challenging at the best of times, especially when you have small kids. In case your inspiration is running…
whodunnit booksroyalty free (reuse without attribution)
, ,

Classic locked-room mysteries to read during the lockdown

I have always loved locked-room mysteries and since we all seem to be in a locked-room life these days, I thought it might be timely to recommend a few ‘impossible crime’ reads that might help to pass the time. According to Wikipedia,…
headachesroyalty free (reuse with attribution)
,

Toolkit for managing headaches

Do your headaches affect your happiness? If you experience occasional migraines or suffer from a chronic condition, this article offers some tools to help you cope with headaches. When pain is regularly debilitating, severe migraines can…
empty Haarlemroyalty free
, ,

VIDEO: Empty Haarlem – a moment of gratitude

Beci and Reni of BFF Visuals made this short video as a token of their gratitude to all the frontline workers. https://vimeo.com/401665094 'We are facing a worldwide crisis now. A crisis that we've never experienced before. The whole…
Netflix tipsroyalty free (reuse with no attribution necessary)
,

Binge-worthy Netflix shows to discover

During your time of social distancing, why not escape with some of our top picks of binge-worthy Netflix shows? In this time of social distancing, I will also admit that my grand plans of organising the house, learning Dutch and catching…
Taalthuis How to learn Dutch online
, , , , , , ,

Learn Dutch in the time of corona

In these weird coronavirus-times we are going through, we all have to self-isolate in order to help ourselves and our community. Staying at home might be a good opportunity to brush up your Dutch. Nowadays, there is an increased demand for Dutch…
flowers and healthy skinroyalty free (reuse without attribution)
,

Don’t forget to be kind to your skin

Even though we are staying indoors and not getting as much fresh air as usual, we can still take steps to make sure our skin is cared for. After all, it is the first thing people notice about you. Here are ten golden rules for how you can highlight…
tv wallroyalty free (reuse without attribution)
,

Online excursions for April

Yes, we are staying at home for the foreseeable future. Though, we can still remain in touch with the outside world via various channels and take some digital tours thanks to the latest technology. During April, why not schedule time for some…
, , , , , ,

Online Income Tax Return Seminars April 2020

Two free Online Income Tax Return Seminars will take place on Saturday 18 April. During the seminars, our business partner Vincent Van Wijgerden of GVN Adviseurs/Expat Taxes will present information about how to file your taxes in the Netherlands,…
Van Gogh
, , , , , ,

Vincent van Gogh painting stolen from Singer Laren museum

A Van Gogh masterpiece was stolen during a break-in at the Singer Laren museum, in Laren near Hilversum, said museum officials this Monday afternoon. The Singer Laren museum located to the east of Amsterdam had closed its doors earlier in March…
Singer Laren
, , , ,

Burglary in Singer Laren museum

There was a break-in last night at the Dutch art museum Singer Laren, that is currently closed because of restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. The police cannot say whether the burglars have stolen anything. It…
,

Does our mood change the taste of wine?

When we are emotionally tired, we are drawn to tastes that cheer us up. Though, don’t be surprised if that bottle you brought back from your last holiday doesn’t quite taste the same at home. Yes, emotions affect the taste of wine and choosing…
Rachel Smets: be limitlessroyalty free (author's own pic; no credit required)
,

You are limitless: start creating opportunities

You are confined only by the walls you build yourself. We are born limitless. That's a fact. So why are you limiting yourself? Why are you not living the life you dream of? Stop creating limitations During our lives, years pass by, things…
Corona business
, , , , , , , , , , ,

The coronavirus and your company: government measures to help businesses

This information is provided by Netherlands Chamber of Commerce, KVK | Government.nl | Netherlands Enterprise Agency, RVO. The coronavirus COVID-19, and the measures taken to restrict the spreading of the coronavirus in the Netherlands, have…
Corona
, , , , , , , , , , ,

Dutch museums closed until 1 June

From the Van Gogh Museum to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, from Frans Hals and Teylers Museum in Haarlem and Kunstmuseum and Louwman Museum in the Hague: as a result of the stricter measures taken by the government on 23 March the major museums…
coronaPhoto by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash
, , , , ,

Dutch crisis committee announces tougher coronavirus measures

The government’s crisis committee met again on Monday afternoon and decided that extra measures are needed to halt the spread of coronavirus in the Netherlands. The Dutch government now bans gatherings until 1 June 2020, gives mayors more…
Earth Hourroyalty free (reuse without attribution)
, , ,

Earth Hour 2020: because every little helps, let’s spread the love!

Save the date! It’s happening on Saturday 28 March 2020 at 8:30 pm local time. For one hour, people all over the world will be switching the lights off in their houses, as a show of support for our beautiful, but tired planet. Will you be…
pink flower fieldroyalty free (reuse without attribution)
, , ,

Around Haarlem during the coronavirus crisis

It is advisable to stay indoors at this time of social distancing. We can still go outside so long as we follow the government’s current guidelines to stay at least 1.5 metres away from other people – this holds true whether you are in the…
carrots vegan foodroyalty free (reuse without attribution)
, ,

Would you consider moving to a meat- and dairy-free diet?

An EU subsidy for meat-related advertising has been making headlines recently. It is claimed that such a subsidy is contrary to the Dutch government’s policy of supporting initiatives that encourage the consumer to choose alternatives to meat…