Alice is English and married to a Dutchman who was brought up all over Europe, so they can cherry-pick as they please from several countries' attitudes. She has four children aged three to nine, and works three days a week as a hydrogen and future energies technologist for Shell. At work she enjoys the peace and adult conversation, and at home the semi-controlled chaos is a refreshing contrast. In her spare time Alice goes rowing, makes complex constructions out of Kapla, potters about in the garden and spends a lot of time mending small bikes and dealing with muddy Wellies.

She loves to cook (and thus, of course, to eat, especially cakes and biscuits) and to play with words and languages, and hates being inactive.
You can contact Alice through alice@homeinleiden.nl.

Jessica has her finger on the pulse of Leiden, and keeps us all updated via What's On This Week, as well as researching and writing other material for the website. Jessica, who recently attained her PhD from Leiden University, is from the US and lives in Leiden with her Dutch husband and their son Darius. Apart from writing learned papers on Jewish trade networks and generally being a Busy and Important Academic, Jessica likes to spend her time inventing nerdy quizzes, tasting wine (although she refuses to spit so I say that's just called drinking), being a foodie and trying to feed her friends to death. She loves goat cheese and fighting injustice, and hates stingy hospitality and olives.
You can contact Jessica through jessica@homeinleiden.nl .

Nicole Zwarts is a re-pat; after twelve years in Japan , England , Australia and Germany , she is now back in her native Holland . This isn't as easy as you might think; as all her children were born abroad she has many of the same questions as we do, but is expected to know all the answers already! She is married with four children (seven to fifteen) at four (yes, four) different schools, a dog and a cat. Nicole is a professional coach and counsellor, specialising in a programme for personal cultural integration and culture shock ( www.zwartscoachingandcounseling.com ).

Harriet is responsible for most of the content of the website. She is 34, British, married to a Dutch man, and mum to Quentin and Evelyn. She has lived in Leiden for nearly 11 years, and frankly refuses to leave. She started an international parent and baby group when she was pregnant with Quentin, and is passionate about getting people in touch with each other, and creating support networks for people with small children. She loves having a house full, and hates people taking themselves too seriously

Harriet is an artist and translator when she has time, but in fact spends the majority of her time pretending to be a dragon and trying to hide vegetables in macaroni cheese.

Tanneke is responsible for all the real hard work behind the website. She is Dutch, 35 and works as an assistant data manager at the LUMC. She grew up in Alphen aan den Rijn but has lived in Leiden for 14 years. She is studying to be a webpage designer and makes websites in her spare time. She is quadriplegic, is ranked as seriously cool by all children, given her wheelchair with lights, buttons and beeping noises, and is very tolerant about it being used as a climbing frame.

She loves doing things with friends and hates cold, rainy weather.

Esther Blair (39) is a Californian who has lived in Frascati, Italy (near Rome) and travelled in South America for eight months with my super lovely British husband in 2006 before moving to England to have her first child, Avalon. The family moved to Holland last November 2009 heavily pregnant (Rhys was born at the LUMC in March 2010) and they are really enjoying their new "home" country, partly thanks to starting straight in at Marie's Vogelwijk playgroup when they came! 

Esther met this website before she even arrived, through her American/Dutch landlords, and has found it invaluable as an English language resource. Avalon attends Ot and Sien peuterspeelzaal in the city centre, as well as the Steiner group at the Vrije School on Maresingel which is really wonderful. Esther is looking forward to many more happy mornings at Vogelwijk over the next few years. She can be reached via esther@homeinleiden.nl.

Elisabeth Caquelin is French, and has spent the last twenty years or so living and working internationally, the last eight of which have been in Leiden . She is married to a Dutchman, meaning that they are bringing up their two daughters (Mila, eight and Eva, seven) in three languages - which has been and is proving interesting! Then when Mila went through the denial phase (' ik ben geen française, ik wil niet frans praten! ') Elisabeth thought Something Must Be Done . so she set up a whole range of French classes and activities both for bilingual and non-French-speaking children in late 2008. You can read more at www.petitsetgrands.nl .

Elisabeth is working together with Jessica on the new 'Services' section; please send details of all your friendly hairdressers, plumbers etc. (especially if they speak extra languages) to elisabeth@homeinleiden.nl.

Ruth Dixon moved to Leiden with her British husband Simon and two boys (12 and 10) three years ago, after a prolonged courtship with Holland through many holidays here. Both she and Simon work part-time; Ruth has a background in financial admin but is a postbezorger for TNT Post at the moment, and Simon works three days for a chemicals company, spending two days a week in community/church activities in Leiden. Hats off to Ruth for completing The Official Inburgering Course, as well as working hard on her Dutch since arrival. Ruth's older son has special needs and attends a special basisonderwijs (SBO) school; the family has found wonderful help and support here in the Netherlands and would be happy to share their experiences (ruthd@homeinleiden.nl).

Jill Bowe is 34; has recently moved with her husband from Ireland to Leiden and is loving life here! She is studying Dutch as a Second Language at Leiden University, leads a scouting group and is working as a teaching assistant in a Dutch primary school (thanks to Harriet) - although some of the children are a little bewildered by her Dutch/Irish accent. She is determined to get to grips with the language and to laugh at herself along the way.

Although Jill is not a mum, she is very much part of the group; her brief is organising pub nights and clothes swaps (aka "Swishing parties"). She likes the openness of Home In Leiden and the chance of meeting a great bunch of girls; whatever is happening, you're guaranteed a giggle and a bit of bad manners to boot!

Jill dislikes people who complain and fast food. She likes The Killers & Kings of Leon , seventies inspired fashion, the outdoors and Shane Horgan (an Irish rugby player).

Laura de Francisco wrote the Greener Living in Leiden section, and she is very happy to hear any ideas about how to live in a more sustainable way. She is Spanish, married to a Dutchman and has two children called Anna and Paul (who insist in having blue eyes - not a very common characteristic in half-Spanish kids!). Four days a week she is busy with her job as a supply chain consultant at Deloitte, and on Thursdays and at the weekend she spends as much time as possible with her family and friends.

Nicolette Helder is a real Dutch girl; she is 46 and has lived for four years in the States followed by one year in Belgium , and has two boys aged eleven and fifteen. As a recent import, she's working on the new 'Re-pat' area of the site, so is ready to help you with any questions you may have settling (back) in (email welcome@homeinleiden.nl). She has also just completed a course in home decorating and design, so she is available for advice on your (new) home. Nicolette is working at River Woods on the Harlemmerstraat, so do drop in for new clothes!

Aanchal Taneja is from India - the land of diversity and culture - and she came to the Netherlands almost two years ago. My husband is pursuing his PhD at the University of Leiden . They have a son aged 4, who loves the Netherlands ' cold rainy weather, and refuses to go back to India . Aanchal has also taken a liking to this rather charming place. What she really likes here is cycling, and the family often grabs their bikes and heads off somewhere in the weekends. Aanchal is a Marketing and Finance professional, and is currently working as a vrijwilliger (voluntary worker) in a couple of places. Her hobbies include learning new languages, teaching communication skills, cooking, handicrafts, yoga, singing, western and classical dancing and travelling. She would love to learn to play the guitar some day, and she hates cold rainy weather!

You can contact Aanchal at aanchal@homeinleiden.nl.