flowers and healthy skinroyalty free (reuse without attribution)
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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…
Rachel Smets: be limitlessroyalty free (author's own pic; no credit required)
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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…
Earth Hourroyalty free (reuse without attribution)
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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)
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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)
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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…
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…
peace offering yellow flowerroyalty free (reuse without attribution)
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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,…
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…
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…
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…
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How To Change Yourself Completely with ONE Simple Neurolinguistic Trick

How to change yourself completely You are not who you think you are. Or are you? Can you change your thoughts to change yourself? Since I learned this simple trick, my life shifted completely. You can change just about anything about…
David Stegenga ©
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KLM Urban Trail Haarlem

On Sunday, November 10, KLM Urban Trail participants will once again have the opportunity to explore extraordinary buildings in Haarlem city. The second KLM Urban Trail will offer participants an opportunity to see many of Haarlem's…
healthhttps://pixabay.com/users/rawpixel-4283981/
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My first experiences with Dutch healthcare

Dutch healthcare: Perfectly practical or a painstaking quest all for a few paracetamol? Moving to the Netherlands, I was prepared for the Dutch weather, but not as prepared for the Dutch super germs. While our neighbors are enjoying the great…
caterpillars
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Danger poisonous caterpillars in the Netherlands

A plague of poisonous caterpillars explodes throughout the country. It is an annual summer problem in the Netherlands, but the number of complaints about the Oak Processionary moth caterpillars have soared this year, according to the…
dogs
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Hot dogs: a guide to summer with your four-legged friend.

As a dog trainer who often works outside, I feel it’s essential that all my fellow dog lovers and owners are aware of certain dangers. Whilst the Summer months are indeed delightful, they are accompanied with seasonal…
Housing Event
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Review Haarlem & Haarlemmermeer Housing & Education Event 2019

The ‘Haarlem and Haarlemmermeer Housing and Education Event’ on Saturday may 18th was an excellent way to find out why Haarlem and Haarlemmermeer are great places to live and to learn all about finding a home and education in these areas.…
european-elections
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European elections: 23-26 May 2019

The European elections take place between 23 to 26 May 2019. Voting day in the Netherlands is on 23 May. Will you vote as well? Here's how to vote. Anyone aged 18 or over can vote. It is also possible to vote by proxy, in another municipality…
connecting or NetworkingRachel Smets
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Connecting or Networking.

If you want to create a lifestyle doing what you really love, do you practice networking? If you are connecting with people, how is it helping you? As I was speaking for the Women Economic Forum in Portugal (WEF, Tomar) last week, I gained…
expat languagehttps://pixabay.com/photos/man-squad-group-woman-success-3365371/
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“Expat Language”: What do YOU call yourself?

Expat, third culture kid, trailing spouse, international, what language do you use to describe yourself or your situation? Do you identify with any of these terms? Do you choose not to? Or perhaps you’ve struggled to find a term that describes…
dental carehttps://www.pexels.com/@fr3nks
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What You Need To Know About Dental Care For Expats In Haarlem.

Roughly 25.7% of the Haarlem population are foreign expats. There's many important aspects to take care of when you move to a new country and dental care is no exception. Looking after your teeth is important and, fortunately,…
healthhttps://pixabay.com/users/rawpixel-4283981/
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MANAGING A HEALTH CONDITION ABROAD.

It can be extremely stressful when we or someone we love becomes ill abroad. As well as the (very normal) physical and mental turmoil of illness, we often find ourselves dealing with additional challenges that are unique to international life. At…
change your lifehttps://pixabay.com/users/alexas_fotos-686414/
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How you can change your life for the better.

Are you waiting for great things to happen to you, or are you CREATING great things? I believe in creating your life and achieving your dreams, and not waiting for life to just happen to you. Instead of having excuses ''I'm too old, I'm…
friendshipshttps://pixabay.com/en/users/rawpixel-4283981/
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Maintaining friendships as an expat.

To give full meaning to our life, we all need to connect with other people. Certain relationships accompany us through life; others enter and exit as each chapter opens and closes. No matter the type of friendship and who it involves…
Jet Laghttps://pixabay.com/en/users/geralt-9301/
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5 Ways to Recover from Jet Lag easily.

After a 24 hour journey including 3 flights, long layovers, a ferry, a train, a bus and a car ride, I arrived on the Sunshine Coast, Canada. With a 9 hour time difference, I experienced the well known and expected Jet Lag. If you’re a…
stop doinghttps://pixabay.com/en/users/picjumbo_com-2130229/
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WHAT WILL YOU STOP DOING IN 2019? TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH

It’s that time when many of us are thinking or talking about our New Year’s resolutions… how we will make up for our ‘mistakes’ or ‘flaws’ in the previous year. But there’s a risk, especially when we put too much pressure…
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Plastic pollution – ignoring doesn’t mean solving.

When I was a kid, I found a pigeon on the street. It couldn’t walk properly as one of his legs was atrophied, and another one – clamped off with a fishing line. I caught the bird and brought it home, we released it from the trap, cleaned…
living abroad
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14 Ways to Survive the Holidays when you’re Living Abroad

December begins and that means the holiday season arrives. If you’re living abroad, spending Christmas away from your family and friends can be a difficult time. For some people, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, and for…
travelling alone
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17+ Important Things you need to know when travelling alone.

Wherever you are in the world, some questions always come back: How to meet people? What can I do when I’m alone? What kind of food is common? How can you adjust easily? How can I relax when I’m stressed? The answers are in this post, just…