At this time of year, receiving and shipping international parcels by post can be surprisingly stressful, especially if you live in Switzerland. Whilst we all take great pleasure out of sending a carefully chosen gift through the post to family and friends, and yet more pleasure when we receive one, the experience becomes infinitely less enjoyable if you also receive an unexpected bill for VAT and "handling" to pay at the same time!
However, when you know what to expect and why, then you can start to plan your purchases more prudently, and avoiding unnecessary costs.
Meta Djojosubroto of local blog, Lausanne Mom, has just written an excellent article explaining the whole process in detail and providing some great tips on how to avoid heavy costs when receiving or shipping parcels within Switzerland.
Click here to find out more and read the full article on her popular blog, Lausanne Mom.
10% discount on website orders placed before end January 2016!
How many times have you planned to make the perfect cake for a special occasion and found, at the last minute, that you are missing something essential? Even when you have had plenty of time to prepare, it can be frustrating trying to find the right cooking implements in the shops, not to mention special ingredients and accessories.
Unless, of course, you have heard of Genevacakes! Established in December 2012 by expat mom, Ana Moraleda, and taken over a year and a half later by long-time customer, Elena Burau, Genevacakes sells a huge range of cake supplies, from licensed Disney fondant discs to technical tools for flower modeling. With more than 1,800 products available, including fondants, colors, aromas, cake pans, and silicon molds, this popular local cake business distributes well-known brands such as Wilton, Renshaw, CK, Culpitt and Rainbow Dust.
Asked how she got into the business of selling cake supplies, Elena told knowitall.ch, "When I learned that Ana was looking for someone to help her continue the Genevacakes' adventure, I was really interested. As a regular customer of the shop, I soon learnt about Ana's plans to sell her business, so we discussed and agreed on a transition, which finished in August 2014."
It's that year of again when we compile a list of Christmas markets for you, and add a few of our own recommendations as well. If you have a favorite fair that you would like us to add, please send us an email with the details, including any flyers for us to post on our Events Calendar.
Christmas markets are a great place to go to get a flavor of the local customs and traditions of this region - and of course to buy unique, hand-crafted products to send as presents to your folks back home. Most of the markets provide food stalls offering local delicacies, including of course a welcome glass of mulled wine (otherwise known as vin chaud or glühwein). For the children, there are often many activities organized - and if they're lucky, Santa Claus may make a surprise visit!
Click on the name of the event to see more information on each listing. Since some of the information has been sourced from other websites, we recommend that you verify the time and location of any events that interest you before you set out – just in case the dates have changed.
Meet the author at Living in Nyon’s special book launch on Tuesday 10 November 2015.
If you’ve lived in or near to Switzerland for any period of time, you will have probably traveled through the country by many different means: by car; on foot; by boat, by train; and maybe even plane. Each kind of journey provides a different insight into this fascinating country and it is with this in mind that local English author, Diccon Bewes, has created a new kind of journey through Switzerland, one conducted via maps!
In his new book, Around Switzerland in 80 Maps, Diccon offers readers a magical history tour, which illuminates the past and present using maps as a guide. Diccon told knowitall.ch, “Maps can be decorative or informative, revealing geography or history, or indeed all of those things – in fact they are the perfect pictorial way to explain and entertain!”
Following the huge success of their Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign, announced recently on knowitall.ch, local entrepreneurs Barbara Traulsen and Selene Folkesson are offering knowitall.ch readers the chance to win free “neon” versions of their popular multi-functional straps, called Brappz.
The straps will make the perfect fashion accessory for any one attending Paleo this week, not just as colorful, designer bra-straps but also as stylish additions to your hair, designer bracelets around your wrist, or even trendy laces in your shoes!
The sets, which will include both luminous, silicone-based straps and 2-way detachable hooks, will be given to the first 5 knowitall.ch readers who send an email with their full name and address to Brappz at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., including “Know-it-all passport & Brappz” in the subject line.
