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Lessons learnt since my last birthday

Every year, we celebrate our own birthdays – and what a good opportunity this is to look back and see what has been experienced, discovered and learnt about ourselves in the last year. A birthday is a milestone… an anniversary date…
Rachel Smetsroyalty free (author's own pic)
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Overcome self-doubt and stop your inner critic

How to stop the negative self-talk. Learn how to stop your inner critic. Your thoughts create your reality. We need to stop telling ourselves: I'm not good enough. I will never succeed. Self-doubt and self-talk will hold you…
cyclingroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
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Get on Your Bike for Rondje Haarlem: The Most Stunning Cycle Route

Hey you! Are you, like me, feeling the wanderlust growing as days pass by? Have you, too, reached that uncomfortable point, where you really need to get out and about for some kind of adventure, even if just for an afternoon, but don’t quite…
News: Swimming in Spaarne dangerous & forbidden
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Police warns against swimming in the Spaarne: fine €140

With such a good weather, the police has seen people swimming in the Spaarne. This is dangerous and forbidden. The following days will still be nice and warm and the Haarlem police announced that they will constantly patrol the Spaarne with…
arrivalsroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
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Revelations of repatriation: 3-step-model to help you prepare

If you live overseas and are considering heading back home after months or years abroad, then this article is vital reading for you. Repatriation can be tough, so read on if you are curious as to why this is, what you can do to prepare and what…
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Following Your Intuition: It Can Lead You to Surprising Places

We often drawn to a place, somewhere that you just feel that spark and you don’t know why. Did you ever land up somewhere on a whim or by accident, only to find it’s the perfect fit for you? Maybe it was an old photo that led you there,…
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Everyday eco ideas that put the planet first

Taking steps to save the planet can save you money and cost you little effort. You can go about your everyday life and start becoming more eco-focused from today. Going green is not so hard to do – you can change your life by simply making…
power of the mindroyalty free (author's own image)
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Control your thoughts with this one-minute experiment

Control your mind – your thoughts create your reality. Grab a string and a small object, or a necklace. Get ready for a mind-blowing magical experience. This mind-blowing experiment to show you the power of your thoughts. You can change…
which way
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Expat life: which way next?

Recent events have probably been causing us to ponder a true expat dilemma more than ever: where to next? (Not that we are taking journeys anywhere just yet.) As expats, most of us will be faced at some point with the issue of moving to another…
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10 intriguing ways to stay connected with loved ones abroad

As expats, we are accustomed to finding ways to stay in touch with our friends and family abroad. Here, we share 10 creative and unique ways to stay connected with your loved ones – virtually (online) as well as emotionally (offline). Whoever…
marlou montageroyalty free (interviewee's own pic)
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Creative chats: Q&A with Marlou on seeing the beauty in everyday things

Welcome to our new series of informal chats with creative types! Seeking inspiration and a pop of vibrancy? Then, look no further. Today, we chat to writer, translator and all-round documenter Marlou about how she’s coping during lockdown. It…
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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…
rachel smets, life hacksroyalty free (author's own pic)
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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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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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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…
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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…