A list because I'm still jet-lagged and the idea of paragraphs is daunting

Somehow, I feel like Belgium and I will be great friends, and here's why.

1.  Belgium is very central.  We can easily get to so many different countries in Europe, and that's something I haven't done before.

2.  The Belgians don't knock back tiny espressos and hit the road like Italians do.  They sit, with a human-sized mug of coffee, and a croissant, or something to that effect.  I very much appreciate this.  (Not to mention, Brussels has two Starbucks, and that makes this little addict quite happy.)

3.  Streets and sidewalks in this city are wide.  This may seem like small potatoes, but once you've been nearly hit by itty bitty dumb smart cars on extraordinarily narrow, cobblestone streets, it becomes a big deal.

4.  There are flowers everywhere, and everything is so green.  My mom and I love this particular aspect.

5.  Though there's a little bit of spray paint action, the graffiti-to-wall ratio is significantly smaller in Brussels than it is in Rome.

6.  The style!  I know this is so girlish of me, and I apologize, but the girls here know clothes and elegance.

7.  French.  I've always wanted to learn it, and now I get the chance.  It's a beautiful language.  But I am having trouble remembering to say "Merci" instead of "Grazie" and "Oui" instead of "Si."

8.  The diversity of food.  In Rome, you really only eat either Italian food or Chinese/Japanese fusion.  And that's really just unacceptable.  Here, they have excellent pub food, they have Mexican food, they have all sorts of Asian cuisine, they have Italian, they have French cafes.... it's all good.

9.  I'll get to learn to drive, I'll get to act, I may take a few classes at an international school, I'm going to try to get my first real job, and I'm going to go through my last year of high school here.  It's pretty monumental.

10.  The houses are so cute.  Suburbs aren't a bunch of matchy-matchy buildings... it's a bunch of different townhouses in either the French or Dutch style, and it is just so quaint, and charming, and full of soul and character.

These are my top ten reasons for enjoying Belgium so much.  It's just a place that... suits me.

Have a great day!

Babysitting Tips, Part 1

Hello.  It's been a while.  I'm Caroline, if you forgot.

I'm not probably going to get back on the daily blogging wagon for a few days, because finals are this week.  But I promise, I will do better soon!  Here's a little nibble while you wait.
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Although I'm technically of the age to have a real job, it's a little tricky.  I wouldn't be very good at a job in Europe because I only speak English, and I don't know if they allow American teens to work here.  So for now, I rely on babysitting!

I've been babysitting since I was eleven years old, and before that I was a "mother's helper" a few times. I've definitely gotten to the point where I'm comfortable taking care of children in any age group, from itty bitty infants to ten year olds.

I've definitely learned a lot about babysitting in all the time I've been doing it.  These are a list of tips that I thought I would share, since most of my readers are teens!

When clients (I just like to say client because it's fancy) ask how much you charge, do not hem and haw.  No mumbling, "Well... you know... whatever you think is best."  This is not a good plan because they truly want to know!  I've never had a problem where I got paid less than what I thought was acceptable, but it could happen to you. What I say is something like this:  "Usually when I babysit __insert number of children here__ kids, I usually charge from _dollar amount_ to _dollar amount."  

Money is tricky.  I can't give you an appropriate per hour charge because I don't know your situation.  I'm beginning to think in euros, but in dollars, my minimum is $5 mostly, and the highest I've ever been paid was I think $10 an hour.  My average (at the client's choice) is usually about $7 or $8, but it all depends.  

Here's a great tip; it's one of my favorites.  When you babysit, make a point to clean up the kitchen and the toys after the kids go to sleep.  Of course, if they're old enough, you can have them help you, but usually I just have them pick up the toys and I take care of the kitchen.  I always try to leave it cleaner than the parents left it, if I can.  I remember once, I cleaned up everything and washed some dirty dishes in the sink, and the mother thanked me profusely when she got home.  And the kicker?  They hired me again!  If you go above and beyond, it's always noticed.

I've before gotten phone calls from people I didn't know.  One good thing about being a reliable babysitter is that you get referrals, but honestly, I don't ever babysit people I don't know.  I don't like the idea of going into someone's house, even the house of a friend's friend, if I don't know the parents and if I don't know the type of child.  I wouldn't suggest it.  I had my father call the person back and explain the situation, and they understood.

I would suggest taking a babysitting course.  Even if you know a lot about children and maybe have siblings of your own, it's great peace of mind.  I like knowing that if a baby was choking on something, I would know how to help them without injuring them further.  I even have a trusty little certified card in my wallet in case anyone ever asks, which they never do.

Always bring something to do.  I find that sometimes families won't have TVs, or the parents stay out late.  I usually bring a book and I often bring homework.  I've never fallen asleep on the job, no matter how late, and I don't intend to.  It doesn't seem very responsible to me; so I always bring plenty to do, and I always ask beforehand how late they are staying out, so that I can bring enough things to last for that amount of time.

Dress comfortably.  I never really wear just a t-shirt and a pair of jeans day-to-day, because I like wearing nice clothes, but I make exceptions for babysitting.  It's ok if you don't look like a glamour-queen!  Long sleeves are a no, because they get in the way of giving baths.  Wear a hoodie over a t-shirt if it's cold, and just take the jacket it off when the sleeves get in the way.  Jeans are best, because they're flexible for stooping down, running around, and playing on the floor with the kiddos.  And wear shoes that are easy to kick off because some families don't like it when people walk around the house with shoes on.

Give hugs and kisses to little ones.  Kids love having an older person to look up to and hang out with, so snuggle 'em to bits.  I always ask if they want to sit in my lap, and I always kiss their heads when I tuck them in.  They appreciate affection, and they act better when they know you like them, no matter how temporary the gig.  And don't be afraid to get a little kid-ish yourself, as long as you're still being responsible!  Have light saber wars in the backyard, try to beat them on Mario Kart wii (and it's not unfair because I NEVER win) and put on a princess tiara every once in a while.  It goes a long way for those little people.

That's all for now!  I'll have a part two as soon as I can.  I hope these tips were helpful to you!

In which I struggle not to say "The Google." It's a bad habit. You can call me Memaw.

Howdy.

Just a bit of business before I go back to my studying....

1. Yesterday's post with all the pictures?  Turns out that was my one hundredth post.  Time flies!  I'm not famous, though, so I don't have any contest-items to give away, unfortunately.  So please, internet companies of the world, email me.  I'd love to give away your products.
2. Oh Google, how you... completely weird me out.  I get the strangest Google searches leading to my blog. There's "stuff people put on waffles" (Gee, I don't know, syrup?), "I know she's sweet but please don't bite your sister" (No joke.  Four people have found my blog using this one.  I mean... what in the world?), and lots of "pasta waffles blog."  The fact that someone just happened to be looking for a pasta waffles blog is just beyond me.
3. Speaking of Google, I get a lot of Google image searches heading to my blog as well.  Which frustrates me because I KNOW people are stealing my pictures, even though I have a polite little sign over on my sidebar.  Oh, people I do not know, please don't take my pictures.
4. I'm currently working on (and by that I mean sort of thinking about) a girl-oriented hair/makeup review series on my reviews blog, and I'll let you know over here on this blog when I get that rolling.  I've already started formulating some thoughts on some products.  (And by that I mean I've tried them out numerous times and might sort of maybe have a relative opinion. Possibly.)
5. I am a little bit sad because I don't think we're doing Thanksgiving this year.  It's hard to get that kind of food here (we'd have to drive two hours) and it would just be Mom, Dad, and I.  Of course, we can still be thankful, but I'm a little down about the fact that we don't have all of our usual fall decorations up.  I'm feeling a little "displaced" today, being so far from what's familiar without our usual decor and tradition and coming up on the holiday season.  Pray for me on this one, please.
6. I can't really be too upset about Thanksgiving, though, because I don't have any online classes the whole week. :)

Have a nice day, everyone!