Lifestyle: Living, Leisure, Work and Wellness

breatheroyalty free (reuse without attribution)
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Taking time for yourself on this global journey

This article outlines tips for keeping the stress levels down for whenever you next get the chance to go globetrotting. Though, even if your upcoming travel plans have been curtailed at this time, many of these tips are also relevant in today’s…
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What it means to be Irish

For the day that’s in it – the day being St Patrick’s Day (17 March), the day when Irish people across the globe celebrate their deep-rooted identity – how about we do some reminiscing to pre-coronavirus St Patrick’s Days? Fair Éire,…
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Update on new Dutch measures as prime minister addresses the nation

The Dutch prime minister has given a historic live address to the nation to explain the ongoing measures the government is taking. The first new regulations were issued last week in response to the continued rapid spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19),…
coronavirus
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Netherlands closes schools, bars, cafes and restaurants in coronavirus fight

All schools and daycare centres in the Netherlands will be shut from Monday 16 March until at least Monday 6 April in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus. In addition, bars, cafes, restaurants, sex clubs, cannabis cafes, saunas and…
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Tips for tackling infidelity and taking steps to heal

Forgiveness in the face of infidelity is a tough call, but it may be your one saving grace as you begin the process of healing and take steps to moving on with your life, whether that will be in or out of the relationship. Cheating, infidelity,…
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Five books with a feminist focus for International Women’s Day

International Women's Day (Sunday 8 March) is a global day of celebration of the social and political achievements of women and marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. This list contains some of the books that have helped me educate…
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A Day Trip to the Children’s Book Museum

The Children’s Book Museum, a museum dedicated to Dutch language children’s books, delights the young and old with beautiful design and creative exhibitions. What could be better that finding a weekend activity for your children that…
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Quick and easy job interview prep tips

Once you’ve made it past the application into the interview phase, your excitement may quickly turn to nerves. Instead of letting your anxiety take over, follow these quick and easy job tips for preparing for an interview so you can walk in…
March eventsRoyalty free (re-use with no attribution)
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Things to do in Haarlem this March

The March agenda offers many and varied opportunities to get out and about. There are practical activities offering help with taxes, choosing schools and improving your Dutch, social events including theatre, comedy and our first monthly drink…
Hand washingRoyalty free with no accreditation required
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Will Dutch hand washing habits improve in order to combat coronavirus?

With the announcement today of the second case of coronavirus in the Netherlands, the advice from authorities is to stay hygienic and keep on top of hand washing habits. The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment…
Housing pricesRoyalty free (re-use without accreditation)
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Housing crisis: Bloemendaal officially branded the most expensive place to buy a house in the Netherlands

Do you remember those golden days, when buying a house didn’t require you to sell an arm, two kidneys, your soul and your first-born child? Yeah, us neither. Due to steady immigration, limited space for new builds, banks’ speculative behaviours…
comedy nights
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Comedy double this March in Haarlem

Get a double dose of laughs during March at the English spoken comedy nights: Haarlem Comedy Cafe (7 March) and Comedy on Top of Haarlem (13 March). Get your tickets soon before they sell out! If you joined us for the comedy night in February,…
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March expatsHaarlem monthly drink

Our next monthly event for expats and Dutchies to get together for a social drink is happening on Saturday 7 March at Cafe de Zwaan. It has been a while since we had our official monthly drink event. Good news: we are back! On the first…
Tackling lonelinessRoyalty free (photo is author's own)
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Stop feeling lonely: two hacks to cure loneliness

How to stop feeling lonely. Good morning! I feel lost, disoriented, invisible, weird, uncertain, new, strange. Today I woke up in a new country alone. I don’t know anything here, I don’t know the area, I don’t know where to…
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Dutch wine: take a tour to discover your new favourite tipple

I know what you are thinking: the Netherlands is famous for its beer and its jenever, but surely not for its wine? Well, we are here to tell you that Dutch wine does exist, and it is a delight to the taste buds. Not only that, in recent years…
code yellow
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Again code yellow in province for strong gusts of wind

For the whole of the Noord-Holland The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) issued code yellow for strong gusts of wind. According to the Dutch national weather institute, there is a risk of heavy gusts of wind up to around…
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Record new businesses opened in NL last year

A record number of new businesses opened in the Netherlands last year. A total of 207 thousand companies started operating in 2019. That is 23 thousand more than opened in 2018, which was also a record year, according to figures Statistics Netherlands…
Carnaval
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Carnival parade in Eindhoven cancelled due to high winds

The Carnival parade in Eindhoven has been cancelled this weekend due to forecasted high winds. Carnival organisers made known that other activities would still go ahead in a revised order. But their carnival procession has been cancelled…
Daycare
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Choosing a daycare in Haarlem: 10 things to consider

It can be tough making that decision about which daycare centre to select for your little one. Here we provide some key tips and outline aspects to be taken into consideration, so you can be confident in your decision. Haarlem has a wide…
Gluren bij de BurenRoyalty-free (author's own pic)
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Musical tour of Haarlem with Gluren bij de Buren

On the day that many people stayed holed up behind closed doors due to the fact Storm Ciara was making her presence felt outside, myself and the rest of the 'Gluren gang' took to the streets for a musical tour of Haarlem. What awaited us were…
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My love letter to the Netherlands

Dutch life from the perspective of an expat living in these flat lands for 6 months is the focus of this post. It is an amorous missive – perfectly timed in the run-up to the most romantic of days. Dear Netherlands (or the more affectionate…
Ciara
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Storm Ciara to hit Netherlands on Sunday

The first storm of the year will hit the Netherlands on Sunday, according to Weeronline. Winter storm Ciara will bring strong winds with gusts up to 140 kilometers per hour, rain and lightning with it, the weather service expects. Sunday…
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A day off in Hoofddorp

From water to land, between history and modernity: explore Hoofddorp in the heart of the Haarlemmermeer. It was a little over a year ago, when I arrived in the Netherlands initially, that I first heard about Hoofddorp. “Hawfff-what?”…
Politie
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Boy (18) badly hit at bar in Haarlem

An 18-year-old from Haarlem was seriously injured last night after being mistreated in front of a bar along the Spaarne river in Haarlem. Four men got out of a car in front of the café around 3:50 am and immediately hit the victim. After…
firework
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Firecrackers and sky rockets to be banned this year

The Dutch government has reached a deal to outlaw firecrackers and sky rockets. The prohibition will start before the upcoming New Year's period. Many ornamental fireworks may still be allowed to be sold, like fountains and spinning ground…
Van GoghJan-Kees Steenman
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Van Gogh Museum acquires a unique Degas pastel

In a first for the Netherlands, the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam has acquired a fully worked out pastel by French impressionist Edgar Degas, which will be on show from next Wednesday. The Van Gogh Museum has acquired an important pastel…
February Events
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Things to do in Haarlem this February

Winter may not yet be over, though we can see signs that the change of season is just around the corner. Spring bulbs are sprouting through the soil and daffodils are already for sale at the flower stalls, and we can definitely see the days…
GeluksrouteGeluksroute
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Geluksroute: the road to happiness

Information Geluksroute (Happiness Route) is a relaxed way of sharing happiness, which makes for inspiring meetings and wonderful discoveries. The invitation is simple: What makes you happy and would you like to share this? Come…
Gluren
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Gluren bij de Buren Haarlem

Art event by Gluren bij de Buren on Sunday, February 9, 2020. There is a brand new edition of the "living room festival " Gluren bij the de Buren Haarlem on the doorstep! On Sunday 9 February 2020, living rooms will be transformed by…
Comedy
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Haarlem New Year's Comedy

Start 2020 laughing at the HAARLEM NEW YEAR'S COMEDY on Saturday, January 11th. With GREG SHAPIRO, one of the best comedians in the Netherlands, The voice of Trump in the ‘Netherlands Second’ video with over 50 million views all over the…