Buy Local and Support Switzerland
Buy Local
Buy Local
Support Switzerland
The Pinch
So, by now all of us are starting to come to terms with social distancing, and “lockdown has become a part of our everyday vernacular. We read news about the human impact of the disease and how our healthcare workers are doing excellent work. But when lockdown finally gets lifted, how are things going to look? The economy is being decimated and job losses are going to be huge. It is the local/ regional independent companies that would have felt the pinch the most, since these businesses pretty much operate on a month to month basis-what they earn in revenue this month is used to pay costs for the month, and as such 2 or 3 months of not earning any revenue can be catastrophic.
So what can we do?
Expat Parents CH
We at Expat Parents have always espoused the need to support local business, from local goods and services to local gyms, local events and beauty spots. By local we mean independent businesses that are in Switzerland (although Swiss chain stores would also make sense as well). These can be local restaurants, coffee shops, farms, retail outlets etc. It may even be spending holidays in Switzerland. When you buy local, the money stays in the community and effectively creates wealth in the community. This additional demand can help boost employment, which in turn increases tax revenue in the region.
Local Shops & Services
I’m sure we’ve all had that sinking feeling when one of our favourite local coffee shops or book stores closes down. It gradually erodes the community feel of the area. One of the biggest issues is that the smaller independent stores are unable to compete with big advertising campaigns that larger international chains have. They are therefore unable to reach more people to let them know of their existence.
Produce at your local independent shops also may be a little pricier than a the global megastore. But putting price aside for a moment, we could argue that the quality of produce is going to be better from a local grocer or deli since the produce often come from local farms, there is greater traceability between the farm and the final product. It may mean that produce is always seasonal and not imported. Your local coffee shop may even be cosier than the Starbucks.
Support Your Local Independent Businesses
Small Changes with Big Impact
However, money is going to be tight for everybody and we are all going to be price sensitive for a while. It is going to take a conscious effort to make small adjustments to our shopping trends. It may be something as small as reallocating some of your usual spending to a small business near you. For instance, you may do the bulk of your weekly shop at Migros/Coop, but you make sure that you buy fruit and veg from your local farm. You may choose to designate a % of your monthly shopping budget to local stores. But these need to be conscious, habitual changes that we make so that it soon becomes ingrained in our psyche. Just as we have all learned how to wash our hands and/ sanitise after contact with anything outside of our homes this behaviour will become the norm even after all this blows over, we can expect the buying local behaviour to do the same.
It is going to take a conscious effort to make small adjustments to our shopping trends to buy local.
〰
Do you own a business in Switzerland? Join the directory on Expat Parents CH. Want to support your local business in Switzerland? Check out what's around you on the Expat Parents Directory. Want to discuss more about ways we can help Switzerland? Chat with the community on Facebook and Instagram.
Stay Updated
Get the latest creative news about activites, events and culture.
Superhero Mums Save Yourselves
Superhero Mums
Save Yourselves!
Life just isn’t fair! Do you ever get the feeling that mums and mum duties are taken for granted? A typical day for a mother with kids will start like this. Wake the kids, run the baths, make sure they have brushed their teeth, make sure they are getting dressed, herd them out the front door making sure they haven’t forgotten homework assignments, PE kits or lunch boxes… and breathe! All this before 8am. Some of you working mums will then go out and do a full day in the workplace. For the most part it will have been the mother’s number that is left as the first point of contact at the school, so if your little one has an upset stomach during the day, it is mum who has to rush to the school to pick him up and arrange very short term childcare or take the afternoon off work to look after them.
〰
It is incredibly exhausting, but most mothers undertake their duties without complaint. The real problem is that society sees these duties as normal and actually expects a mother to perform them perfectly without mention, because “this is what mothers are supposed to do”.
What we described above is nothing short of incredible! How one person can spread themselves so thinly that it appears they are in several different places at once is rather like Superman’s ability to fly around different parts of the world saving people. Even Superman gets praised for his efforts, and he has ‘Super’ in his title! Hell, if there was anyone who didn’t deserve praise because saving people was just part of his job description, it would be Superman!
Worse still is that when some dads do a fraction of mum’s duties such as making the kid’s dinner after school (and by making dinner, I mean throwing some fish fingers in the oven), he is lauded as a saint. When he drops the kids off swimming practice one day because he has a training course that starts a little later, the whole world look at him as though he should be a candidate for sainthood. He’ll be dining out on that story for ages! Why is it that when he’s in the supermarket with the screaming toddler that he gets the “bless your heart” looks, whereas a mother in the same situation gets the “shut your damn kid up!” glare?
As I said earlier, life just isn’t fair is it? Motherhood is taken for granted whereas fatherhood is applauded, which is a bit strange since the mans role consists of conception and then he can disappear for 9 months, whereas motherhood begins form conception! From here onwards a mother-to-be is expected to act in a certain way. Dare she even look at a glass of wine and she will be scorned like the anti- Christ!
Whilst I am not for one moment suggesting that a mother-to-be should smoke 20 cigarettes a day and down 2 bottles of Rose a day whilst pregnant, it does highlight that a mother has had to neglect her own wants every single day since she found out she was going to be a mother. It is as though you are forced to lose yourself as a woman when you become a mother. But neglect yourselves no longer super-mums!
〰
Self Care
Self-care is all the rage these days. We are continuously being told to exercise well, and to eat well and to look after our mental health. All of this is important, but we must also find time to pamper our outer selves. Luxury Spa weekends are lovely, but let’s be honest who has the time or the money to visit these places regularly? It is possible to indulge yourself in a home spa set up, and it need not cost a fortune as you will just be using items you already have in your beauty cabinet paired with the occasional purchase over time. A dreary Sunday can be turned into a luxurious experience.
So what will you need to raise your self-pampering routine to the next level?
1. Home Spa
- Set the mood with relaxing music.
- Clean your entire home. I know, pampering yourself shouldn’t require work, but if you truly want to feel relaxed, you should make a point to completely clear your “spa” of clutter and grime.
- Cleanse from the inside. Make a batch of fruit-infused detox water and make a point to finish it over the course of your day. Pick up a gallon of alkaline water from the store along with lemons, cucumbers, and watermelon,
1. Home Spa
- Set the mood with relaxing music.
- Clean your entire home. I know, pampering yourself shouldn’t require work, but if you truly want to feel relaxed, you should make a point to completely clear your “spa” of clutter and grime.
- Cleanse from the inside. Make a batch of fruit-infused detox water and make a point to finish it over the course of your day. Pick up a gallon of alkaline water from the store along with lemons, cucumbers, and watermelon,
2. Soak in Luxurious Bath
Panamy is a Swiss-based florist that delivers all over Switzerland by Swiss Post. Order a bouquet of gorgeous flowers in their signature blue Flowerbox (no vase needed!) Happiness guaranteed.
2. Soak in Luxurious Bath
Panamy is a Swiss-based florist that delivers all over Switzerland by Swiss Post. Order a bouquet of gorgeous flowers in their signature blue Flowerbox (no vase needed!) Happiness guaranteed.
3. Give Yourself an Esthetician-Style Facial
BallonBox Shop has Valentine’s Day-themed balloons for everyone, whether they are a child or an adult. They even have a slow-burning, heart-shaped candle that would be a great surprise on top of any dessert.
3. Give Yourself an Esthetician-Style Facial
BallonBox Shop has Valentine’s Day-themed balloons for everyone, whether they are a child or an adult. They even have a slow-burning, heart-shaped candle that would be a great surprise on top of any dessert.
4. Learn How give your hair a professional Blowdry
For the fun, weird, cheeky, or cool gift, look to Radbag. You can get unique gifts for all your loved ones including personalized sequin pillows and yes, even unicorn tears!
4. Learn How give your hair a professional Blowdry
For the fun, weird, cheeky, or cool gift, look to Radbag. You can get unique gifts for all your loved ones including personalized sequin pillows and yes, even unicorn tears!
The effects of self pampering go beyond just the immediate pleasure. The next time the kids screaming around the house, you can just fade out and go to your happy place in your mind. Sunday is only a few days away!
〰
Mums, you are all superheroes, save yourselves once in a while.
Will you make a conscious effort to take time alone from your family? Can you recommend another great place in Switzerland to take that much needed time out? Chat with the Expat Parents community in our Faceboook groups or on Instagram.
Outdoor Winter Alternatives
Outdoor Winter Alternatives
5 Outdoor winter activities if you do not ski or snowboard
Lenzerheide. Zermatt. Verbier. St. Moritz. These are some of the most famous mountain resorts in Switzerland. Go to any train station during the winter season and you will see countless people wearing ski boots or carrying snowboards as they head to the slopes. But what if these sports are not your idea of a good time? Luckily, we are spoiled for choice when it comes to outdoor winter activities. Because cold and ice is twice as nice…
01. Winter Kayaking
You may be longing for warm days so you can enjoy Switzerland’s lakes and rivers once again. However, summer does not have a monopoly on water fun. In Interlaken, you can take a winter kayak tour with Hightide Kayak School. Great for swimmers and non-swimmers alike, all you need to do differently is to dress warmly (bring some sun protection, just in case, and a snack too.) Hightide provides everything else, including a drysuit and boots.
Winter Kayaking Tours
Tour duration: 3 hours with 2 hours on the water
Included: Top quality Sea Kayak and Sea Kayak Coach, palm`s top of the range Aleutian dry suits and boots to keep us dry, digital photo package and hard-earned cups of tea to warm us up after our paddle.
What to bring: Warm clothes to be worn under the dry suit: Thick socks, thermal bottom top and a thin jumper. Extra layers if very cold, sunglasses, sunscreen (you never know), change of clothes in case you get sweaty or a bit wet.
Price: CHF 130.-
Minimum age: 15 years old
For swimmers and non swimmers
Winter Kayaking Tours
Tour duration: 3 hours with 2 hours on the water
Included: Top quality Sea Kayak and Sea Kayak Coach, palm`s top of the range Aleutian dry suits and boots to keep us dry, digital photo package and hard-earned cups of tea to warm us up after our paddle.
What to bring: Warm clothes to be worn under the dry suit: Thick socks, thermal bottom top and a thin jumper. Extra layers if very cold, sunglasses, sunscreen (you never know), change of clothes in case you get sweaty or a bit wet.
Price: CHF 130.-
Minimum age: 15 years old
For swimmers and non swimmers
Family Fun Sessions / Half Day and Evening Tours
Season: Available in Summer (May – October)
Tour duration: 3 hours with 2 hours on the water
Included: Top quality Sea Kayak and Sea Kayak Coach, palm`s top of the range Wetsuits, digital photo package and entry to the Strandbad Bönigen with heated pools and aqua park on the lake.
Price: CHF 105.-
Minimum age: 5 years old
For swimmers and non swimmers
02. Thermal Spa
Another way to enjoy the water during the winter season is to visit a thermal spa. At the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, you can luxuriate in a number of outdoor and indoor thermal baths, a variety of saunas and receive massage and beauty treatments. There is also a special family spa where children can splash around, take swimming lessons and host pool parties. If the kids get tired of the water, you can take them to the Children’s Villa for two floors of adventure and childcare.
Ideally located just minutes from the Bad Ragaz train station and only one hour’s drive from Zürich, St. Gallen, and Davos, it’s the perfect way to have a getaway weekend.
03. Fat Biking
Biking may be another thing you may think can only be done in warmer weather. Or, if you really wanted to bike in the winter, you would have to stick to the inside of a fitness center. If you have a fat bike though, you can ride on outdoor trails, through forests, and over rough terrains in wintry conditions. Equipped with tyres much wider than those found on normal bikes, visit the region of Gstaad to partake in your fatbiking adventures. You can participate in the full moon tour in Gsteig bei Gstaad (which comes optionally with bike rental and, at Hotel Bären Gsteig, a delicious fondue dinner you’ll surely be craving after biking away all those calories). In addition, if you’re feeling competitive, enter the Snow Bike Festival, the first snow mountain bike race to receive accreditation from Union Cycliste Internationale, the worldwide governing body for cycling. You can still have fondue at the hotel afterwards; hopefully while celebrating your win!
04. Dog Sledding
You may have a beloved dog who does not like going outdoors during the cold winter months. That’s not the case with the gorgeous Alaskan and Siberian huskies who call the snow their home. The Swiss Mushing Company offers dogsledding rides in cantons Valais and Vaud.
Explore the icy, fairytale-like, alpine landscapes. Dog lovers unite – Mush! Mush!
05. Cliff Walking
Experience the mountains while suspended 3000 meters above sea level and 500 meters off the ground. How? By crossing the highest suspension bridge in Europe on the free Titlis Cliff Walk. Marvel at the astonishing mountains surrounding you and gaze at the treacherous abyss below as you realize you are enveloped in an actual winter wonderland. Of course, that’s not all. Titlis also offers other attractions including Trübsee Snow Park, a glacier cave, and the Titlis Rotair, the world’s first revolving cable car.
Yoga
Take your time.
Moving abroad can be as stressful as it is exciting. Switzerland with its high standard of living and impeccable organization might at first seem a fairly easy location to get used to, but as the months go by and the initial novelty wears off newcomers often find themselves facing a rollercoaster of emotions. In the midst of the everyday annoyances of not understanding how things work, the frustration of being reduced to the communication level of a seven year old in your new language, the many cultural misunderstandings and the inevitable social faux pas, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed and a little lost. Indeed, the severity of culture shock should never be underestimated.
Most of us take our support networks for granted until family, friends and colleagues are no longer physically present
— Expat Parents
Breathe the world.
Most of us take our support networks for granted until family, friends and colleagues are no longer physically present, so much so that we do not even realize how much support they actually give us. Meeting new people and encountering different cultures can be exhilarating but establishing those new networks does not happen overnight. Perhaps it is marriage that brought you to Switzerland in which case your spouse might not know how best to help you adjust to the new language and culture. If you are both new to the country it may also be that your partner’s time is taken up with the new role in a new office and you may feel alone in your struggle to adapt to a new life without the status and routine that a job brings with it. In any case there are as many scenarios as there are Swiss cheeses and each of them comes with their own set of joys and challenges.
Another tried and tested (and scientifically approved) method for de-stressing and taking your mind off negative thoughts is Yoga.
Carl Jung
All of this can sometimes leave you mulling over your life: past (things weren’t so bad after all) and future (where the hell am I going from here), leaving you to neglect a little the present. One of the best ways to overcome this is by reconnecting with yourself in the here and now. Contact with nature can help immensely (and Switzerland is blessed with an abundance of hiking trails to enjoy the glorious countryside). Another tried and tested (and scientifically approved) method for de-stressing and taking your mind off negative thoughts is yoga.
In the 1930s, Switzerland’s very own Carl Jung was one of the first to study Eastern thought and the inner experience and to relate it to Western psychology. Whilst warning against the differences existing between Eastern and Western psyches and the dangers of adopting practices that have evolved in an Eastern context, he nonetheless believed in the importance of the West studying and gaining inspiration from the East whilst pursuing its own form of yoga within a Western historical consciousness. Today, yoga schools abound in the West and the enthusiasm for yoga shows no signs of abating. Little wonder when you consider the health benefits. From improved posture and flexibility to self-awareness and relieving anxiety, yoga is a natural way to alleviate stress and fortify the immune system.
"You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do"
— Carl Jung
Free your mind.
Long gone is the image of the Western hippy practicing yoga in a cult-like fashion, nowadays yoga appeals to people from all walks of life. You don’t have to be a vegan (or even eat organic food) and you most certainly do not need to be a teetotaler. With more than 100 types of yoga – some focusing more on meditation and breathing whilst others provide a more physical workout – there is something for everyone. International Yoga Day is coming up on 21st June – which one will you choose?
