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Expat Life

How to rent one-of-a-kind accessories for feria this year

April 13, 20252 Comments

After years of attending feria in Andalusia I’ve accumulated quite the collection of accessories and mantoncillos. I love wearing the traditional outfits and sharing my tips on what to wear. I thought it would be fun to let people experience some of the custom looks I’ve created while earning extra cash to continue funding my obsession….

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Filed Under: Expat Life, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Travel in Spain Tagged With: Feria, feria accessories, flamenco, rent feria look, what to wear to feria

10 Things to know before moving to Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain

March 10, 20255 Comments

Living in Spain is an exciting prospect, but adjusting to life in a different country can be challenging at first. Over the years I’ve come to love all the quirky characteristics of pueblo life in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, but there are definitely some things I wish I’d known before moving here. Below are some quick tips…

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Filed Under: Expat Life, Kid Friendly Travel, Sanlúcar de Barrameda Tagged With: living in sanlucar, renting in spain, Spanish supermarkets, Spanish taxis, things to know living abroad

Feria in Andalusia 2025: What to know before buying your first flamenco dress

March 26, 20234 Comments

tips for buying first flamenco dress

How much do flamenco dresses cost? What accessories do you need? 🤔 Before we dive into the details of how to create your look for feria, there are some things to know upfront. First, shops normally start gettingt new flamenco dress inventory starting in mid-February, and will continue to get new dresses weekly until the…

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Filed Under: Expat Life, Travel in Spain Tagged With: Feria, feria dress, flamenca, flamenco, Sanlucar fair, Sanlucar feria, seville fair, what to wear to feria

Hosting the twins’ “Wild One” safari-themed birthday in Spain

September 11, 2021Leave a Comment

DIY baby first birthday safari

This August we celebrated Leo and Noa’s first birthday. I was excited to host a “Wild One” party for the twins—complete with safari-themed dishes, decor and of course a smash cake inspired by photos I’d seen on Pinterest. However, things like highchair garland are not easily attainable in Spain…so there were a few DIY (do it…

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Filed Under: Expat Life Tagged With: baby birthday, baby birthday ideas, birthday spain, DIY balloon garland, DIY highchair garland, first birthday, twin birthday party, wild one birthday

Living in Spain: 20 baby products every parent should know about

July 19, 2021Leave a Comment

As we near the twin’s first birthday I wanted to take a moment to look back on the products that helped Javi and I maintain our sanity these past 12 months. 😆 Living in Spain means I don’t have easy-access to the familiar U.S. baby brands I’m accustomed to, but fear not—there are lots of great…

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Filed Under: Expat Life Tagged With: Amazon prime spain, Amazon Spain, baby gifts spain, baby products, baby spain, expat parents

10 Things I wish I’d known before having a baby in Spain (during COVID-19)

December 19, 2020Leave a Comment

birth in spain covid

Bringing life into the world is a beautiful experience…but it’s also slightly terrifying, especially for first-time moms. Dealing with a high-risk pregnancy in a foreign country, without my family, and during a global pandemic was stressful to say the least.  Despite my fears I never doubted the quality of Spain’s healthcare system and public hospitals….

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Filed Under: Expat Life Tagged With: birth, birth in spain, new mom, public healthcare, spanish hospitals

How to register a birth abroad (and get your child’s U.S. passport) in Spain

November 5, 2020Leave a Comment

This past August I gave birth to twins (Leo and Noa) in Spain. Because I’m American and Javi is Spanish our babies get to enjoy the benefits of dual citizenship. 🙌 To make their American nationality official I needed to submit a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) before the twins’ 18th birthday. This required…

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Filed Under: Expat Life Tagged With: birth abroad, citizenship, consular report of birth, CRBA, dual citizenship, dual nationality, u.s. citizen, u.s. passport

How to travel to Spain as a U.S. citizen during COVID-19

August 25, 2020Leave a Comment

People traveling for duly accredited family reasons

With the Spanish border currently closed to the United States, Americans must meet certain criteria to travel to Spain. At 32 weeks pregnant with twins, I was determined to get my parents (who live in Florida) into Spanish territory for the birth of their grandchildren. Because my pregnancy was considered high risk, they could apply…

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Filed Under: Expat Life Tagged With: flying during covid-19, flying to spain, getting travel permit spain, pandemic, travel to spain, traveling during covid-19

10 rules you need to know to be the perfect wedding guest in Spain (2020)

December 15, 20194 Comments

what to wear wedding in Spain

Are you attending a wedding in Spain and not sure what to expect? Don’t worry, I’ve got the tips to help you be the perfect wedding guest! After attending numerous weddings over the years (including my own), I’ve collected a list of the top 10 rules that every guest should know before attending their first…

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Filed Under: Expat Life Tagged With: spanish wedding, spanish wedding guest attire, spanish wedding protocol, wedding, what to wear, what to wear spanish wedding

What you need to know before getting a mortgage in Spain

March 9, 20192 Comments

mortgage in spain

In 2015 Javi and I bought land in his hometown, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, with a plan to build our dream home there one day. This year we’re ready to take the plunge! We’ve designed the house, chosen a builder, and secured a self build mortgage (hipoteca autopromotor). It’s an exciting (and slightly terrifying) time in…

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Filed Under: Expat Life Tagged With: building in spain, expat spain, interest rates, mortgage spain, moving to spain, retiring in spain, spanish mortgage

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Hola, I’m Kate

Originally from Florida's Forgotten Coast, I moved to Sanlúcar to teach for 'six months' in 2011 and never left! Follow my blog for global travel tips, expat life, and insider knowledge on local events and customs. Get the full story →

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