Newsletter February 2011
Welcome to our February newsletter. We’ve lots to tell you about as usual including news that we are now expanding MumAbroad to include Italy, so if any of you have any friends living in Italy who might be interested in helping us out, please let us know. We are also continuing to build our France and MumAbroad Property sites and we also really appreciate any feedback or comments you may have here too.
LATEST RECOMMENDATIONS
Milena is our new researcher in Valencia and she has given us lots of fabulous recommendations for the region including parks & beaches, children’s swimming classes, a couple of great family restaurants and two toddler groups.
In Andalucia, Fiona has recommended the American Women’s Society in Seville for networking events and also for its family activities whilst Liz in Malaga has told us about her favourite family restaurant, Los Curros.
Among the new recommendations for Catalunya are a child-friendly café in Cubelles, BRS Relocation Services, Pilates for adults, Piano lessons and cooking classes all of which are in Barcelona whilst Emma has given us a ringing endorsement for Jo Kemp Yoga in Sitges. Finally in Mallorca, Jo recommends the Kip Mcrath Education Centre
Don´t forget you can easily access all the latest recommendations from the regional boxes on our homepage.
LATEST INTERVIEWS & MUMS IN BUSINESS
Buying or renting a new home can be a daunting process. Our latest interviews with Beatriz Crawford-Carse from BCC Properties in Marbella and Beatriz Carro de Prada from BRS Relocation in Barcelona & Madrid could help you avoid some of the pitfalls that many people come across when searching for Property in Spain.
Elsewhere we have chatted to Fiona a Mum-of-two and freelance journalist based in Seville. Nutritionist Carolina Harboe has given us her expert advice on what to eat and what to avoid when trying for a baby, whilst pregnant and when breastfeeding as well as dietary advice for young babies & toddlers.
Carolina, Fiona and both Beatrices are new additions to our Mums in Business section as is Brandyce, owner of Sorbo, a child-friendly café in Cubelles, Barcelona.
Don’t forget if you would like to featured in either our interview with local Mums or Mums in Business section please let us know.
SPOTLIGHT ON VALENCIA
Valencia has around a million inhabitants, predominantly from the city itself and from the close-lying villages and towns and is home to a large number of Spaniards from other parts of Spain as well as a fair amount of expats, attracted by (in the good times) a booming economy and available employment. Home to the world famous City of Arts and Sciences Museum, Moto GP Circuits and America´s Cup, Valencia offers culture, beautiful beaches, world renowned paella and beautiful landscaped parks to its inhabitants. We are currently developing this area of Spain so please do send us your recommendations for activities for kids, day-trips, parks & play-areas and schools in and around Valencia.
FEATURED EVENTS
There are more great workshops for kids in Madrid over the next few weeks including the history of cooking in the Middle Ages and the Cupboard of Curiosities at the Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas. Carnaval soon hits Spain`s major cities so keep an eye on our events section to see what is going on in your area.
Other Events:
WHAT´S HOT ON THE FORUM
Our latest forum posts can now be viewed on the homepage, and you can choose to view the most popular threads and also all the posts we have placed.
Fancy a house swap this summer? Maybe Dublin is where you want to be. If so, then take a look at Clio’s post on our forum. Pixie is after advice on nurseries for her two year old in Alhaurin el Grande, Niki needs a helping hand with her two children in the Costa Blanca, and up for sale this week are a generator, a coffee table, a bean bag, 2 children’s beds and a rabbit pen, all of which are in Barcelona. Other threads on the forum include a huge house sale in Madrid comments on commuting to schools in Barcelona's Zona Alta area and information on voting in the Spanish elections May 2011.
READ ALL ABOUT IT - NEWS ROUND UP
Dieting whilst pregnant could affect your baby’s intelligence according to a recent study. Although the study was carried out on animals, researchers say the same findings are likely to be true for women - and highlight the lifelong dangers to babies if their mothers don't eat healthily. Read more.
New research has challenged the widely held view that we are conditioned to fear spiders and snakes and instead suggests we learn to be scared of them in the first years of life. Scientists now believe that people are not born with an innate fear of creepy crawlies - but we learn how to be scared of them in the first years of life. Read more
And
A UK study has found that drinking caffeinated coffee boosts a woman’s performance in stressful situations but has the opposite effect on men. Men apparently become less confident and take longer to complete tasks once they have downed several cups of coffee, whilst the reverse can be said for women. Read more
That´s it for now - have a great week and don´t forgot to contact us with your recommendations, thoughts and feedback!
Love Carrie & Rebecca
