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We're Moving, again

2010-04-03T19:17:00.000+02:00

Hi everyone,

Just a quick note to let all of you know that we have moved, again. We really enjoyed our office / warehouse for the past 2 years, but we have outgrown it! Also, I had to commute 2 hours a day to get there, which started to become rather unpleasant.

We have moved into a beautiful, new, large warehouse. I will upload some pictures shortly. We'll officially move in next week.

Want to keep up with what I do throughout the week? Then follow me on Twitter

Before I forget, Happy Easter to all of you!

Important TNT Update

2010-03-05T10:14:00.000+01:00

Hi everybody,

I was informed today by TNT that they are no longer offering STANDARD shipping. Unfortunately, this means that all packages will have to be shipped with their PRIORITY service. I find this a very strange decision, but I can't change the rules here.

We have made a deal with UPS and can offer you very low rates. Packages that are shipped with UPS arrive within 2 business days (depending on your location) and one of the most important things: you know where your package is at all times due to their tracking system.

Our system should be updated with the new TNT rates after the weekend.

Bikes & Accessories

2010-02-18T15:13:00.000+01:00

We have noticed a demand for typically Dutch folding bikes lately. You ask, we deliver! We have added a selection of beautiful, sturdy folding bikes at affordable prices.

While you're at it, why not upgrade your bike with our accessories? Perhaps a Delfts Blue Bike Cap, Bicycle Basket, or custom Bicycle Bell is something for you?

Giro 555 Donations

2010-01-21T22:05:00.000+01:00

We deeply feel for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Therefore, we will be donating €5.55 for every order placed during January, 2010 to Giro 555.

A new year..new plans

2010-01-13T15:53:00.000+01:00

Hi guys,

I can't believe it's 2010 already. Where did 2009 go? I do remember that the final quarter of 2009 was very, very busy. But that's a good thing. I like it best when it's busy.

The year 2009 has been a year of new ventures for us. We started shippping frozen Dutch food and Dutch vla, as well as fresh Dutch ready-made meals. This has been a very exciting process and we're happy that we took that plunge into the unknown. We can finally satisfy your urges for Kroketten, Bitterballen, and Frikandellen.

We also did our very first fair in the fall of 2009, the Expatica Fair, which was a very useful experience. We met loads of interesting people and learned a lot.

2009 was also a year of new business relationships. We started a partnership with Sunflowerjewels, who have created a unique line of Delfts Blue jewelry exclusively for us. We're selling unique, handmade in Holland, leather baby slippers from Baby Dutch.

We have more plans for 2010! Keep your eyes open for a whole new website design of Typical Dutch Stuff and a line of unique and original products.

I want to end this post with a picture I took just before we left Holland for a short Christmas vacation to Tenerife, Spain.

Holiday ordering schedule

2009-12-11T10:27:00.002+01:00

We're in the middle of the fabulous holiday season. We want your typically Dutch holiday food and gifts to arrive in time. Since all of our products are shipped from the Netherlands, please take the following order deadlines into consideration to ensure delivery by Christmas:

Europe (TNT): Order by December 14
Europe (UPS): Order by December 17

International (TNT): Order by December 9
International (UPS): Order by December 14

We recommend using UPS for your holiday orders, because the regular postal services are often delayed during the holidays.

It's official..

2009-10-19T22:38:00.000+02:00

We're now officially an exhibitor on the annual 'i am not a tourist' lifestyle fair for internationals (October 25, 2009 in the Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam). Look, we're listed under Dutch Culture!

Feel free to drop by and say 'hi'! We have lots of goodies to give away, you can win prizes, and we'll have typically Dutch snacks for you to sample!

We hope to see you there!

(PS: tickets are free when ordered online: click here)

Expatica Lifestyle Fair for Internationals 2009

2009-10-02T15:03:00.001+02:00

Come and visit us at the Expatica Lifestyle Fair on October 25th, 2009 in the Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam! You can find Lian and myself in stand 68. Hope to see you there!

Don’t miss the “i am not a tourist” Fair on Sunday, 25 October. It’s all an expat needs to make the most of life in the Netherlands.

Whether you have lived here for 10 days or 10 years, make sure you keep Sunday the 25 October free on your calendars for this once-a-year opportunity.

“i am not a tourist” 2009 will be an interactive extravaganza of experts and companies specialising in expatriate life, workshops, networking, and entertainment.

We’ve invited 90 exhibitors to offer you a helping hand. Have a chat with a recruitment agent, get a word of advice on house hunting, compare universities for your master’s degree, join a group or club and mix with thousands of other internationals.

Get invaluable information about surviving abroad, attend seminars on meditation, landing that perfect job or pubic speaking, and enjoy superb entertainment and networking opportunities. The programme includes workshops on whiskey tasting, salsa, improv comedy, and chocolate and sushi making as well as on-stage performances by standup comedians and salsa dancers. Bring the family along, as we have a dedicated kids corner!

Tickets are FREE when ordered online at: www.expatica.com/iamnotatourist.

Reduced Shipping Costs

2009-09-25T13:06:00.002+02:00

Yes, I've managed to negotiate even lower shipping rates for packages within Europe. For example, for a package to the UK, France, Sweden, or Germany that weighs around 10kg, you now pay €10.00 less than you would with the regular TNT rates! If you order a package that weighs around 20kg, the difference increases to €20.00 less!

And, what's even better: the packages will be shipped by UPS, who will deliver the package within 2 business days to most countries. They have a very advanced tracking system, so it's very easy to locate your package.

All in all, I am really happy about this. You pay much less for shipping, but get far better and faster service!

Here's an overview of the costs:

BE,LU
Up to 20kg: €8.25 (TNT rate: €34.10 )

AT,FR,DE
Up to 10kg: €8.75 (TNT rate: €25.20 )
Up to 20kg: €10.75 (TNT rate: €34.10 )
Up to 30kg: €17.75 (TNT rate: €40.58)

GB,SE,PT,FI,ES,IE,IT,DK
Up to 5kg: €12.75 (TNT rate: €24.50)
Up to 20kg: €15.00 (TNT rate: €39.80)

We have also added UPS as a shipping method to the United States and Canada. It is not always cheaper to select UPS, but it is much, much faster. Shipping with TNT can take up to 2 weeks, while UPS will deliver the package within 2 days!

United States & Canada
Up to 10kg: €81.50(TNT rate: €57.10)
Up to 15kg: €95.00 (TNT rate: €106.60)
Up to 20kg: €110.00 (TNT rate: €106.60)

*Listed prices exclude VAT

VISA / MasterCard

2009-09-22T22:34:00.001+02:00

I'm really happy to announce that we're able to process credit cards again! We now use the services of the Rabobank and Paysquare to safely process your VISA and MasterCard payments. We have been accepted by Verified by VISA and MasterCard SecureCode, which ensures the highest level of protection possible.

Our Dutch customers (or those who have a Dutch bank account) can also use iDeal, which is a safe way to pay with your bank account.

We no longer need the services of Paypal. Paypal's business practices clash with ours and I do no longer want to be associated with this company. I really think it's a big step forward to be able to process credit cards this way.

Hope to see you soon!

Hi guys!

2009-09-15T20:25:00.005+02:00

Hi guys!

Long time no see! Well, that's not entirely true: although the blog has not been updated in a while, I have been active on Twitter and Linkedin.

The reason why I am updating the blog is simply because I felt bad for neglecting it. I also feel it's a great way to let everybody know what exactly is going on behind the scenes of TDS.

First things first. I have a big announcement to make: we are no longer accepting Paypal payments. We have been a customer for over six years with them. Although I heard the horror stories about them, I never really encountered any serious problems. Until this week. The way they treated me, convinced me to simply STOP using them. I do not want to be associated with their business practices anymore. Luckily for all of us, I will be able to accept credit cards directly within a week (fingers crossed). The contracts have been signed, sealed, and delivered. In the meantime, you can pay for your order with Moneybookers, iDeal, or a bank transfer.

I am also very proud to say that we are accepting frozen goods orders! This means that we are able to ship kroketten, frikandellen, bitterballen and more to selected countries* However, I did encounter a few bumps along the road, but I hope to be able to have everything sorted this week, so we can finally send out all the pending orders!

I think a user-friendly website is extremely important. I try to keep the site as simple as possible: prices are now displayed with and without VAT and in both Euros and US$. Nevertheless, if you do want help with the site, check out our newly created 'How to Use Our Site' page.

Does Something Look Different?

2009-03-16T15:41:00.009+01:00

Did you do something with your hair? Not quite. In fact, we redid our entire website! So, what do you think? We really think it is an improvement. This new design boasts some great new features in addition to its new look. You will find it much easier to find what you are looking for. You are now able to create an account, keep track of all your orders and download them in .pdf format. We have improved the search function on the site and we have also streamlined the account and checkout processes to make your shopping experience even more pleasant.

So tell us, what do you think of the new design?

New Products

We have added a whole bunch of new products to our selection over the past few months. We now have an extensive selection of Delfts Blue goodies; Ingrid of Sunflowerjewels has added new designs to her exclusive Jewelry line.

We now also offer various brands of Baby Milk Powder, such as Nutrilon, Friso, and Bambix.. These are high quality Dutch milk powders. We have tested and finetuned the shipping process of these products over the past months. We also have Organic Baby Milk Powder available.

Our selection of Dutch books has been expanded as well. We now also offer Bulk Packages of many of our most popular products. Buying in bulk often saves you quite a lot of money: not only on the products themselves, but also on the shipping costs!

Moreover, we have reduced the price of our gift-wrapping service and added a touch of Dutch as well!

Dutch Biking Style

Opting for your bike instead of your car is not only a healthy choice, but also an environmental one. In a hectic time like ours, when most people have to cut back on expenses, the bike is THE perfect form of transportation, as it does not slurp up liters of expensive gas, speeding tickets belong to the past, no need to pay road tax, plus the exercise is good for you!

We have added loads of stylish accessories to add that touch of Dutch to your bike! Want to give someone else a bike upgrade? We have created several kits that suit your (or their) bicycle needs: from the 'Essentials' to the 'Supreme'.

Important updates!

2009-02-03T14:01:00.008+01:00

Aha! You have made it to the blog! And as mentioned on the home page, it's time for a change! What is this change you may wonder? Well, read on and you'll find out. As a 'thank-you-for-reading-this-blog' you will receive a discount code of €5.00; easy deal eh? You will find the voucher code at the bottom of this blog entry.

I have not been giving this blog the attention it deserves, but it is time for a change! I have been working hard on a new version of Typical Dutch Stuff. The new website will hold over 1500 of the best typically Dutch products and next to all the well-known products such as stroopwaffles, licorice, and coffee, I want to focus more on unique products as well. So, the new site will contain much more special and unique products, such as Delfts Blue and jewellery.

Also, the new site will allow you to create an account, log in, and follow the progress of your order. You will also be able to view your order history. I personally think this is a great improvement, and it was something that I have wanted for a long time.

Another change will be the payment method. Next to Paypal and bank transfers, you will also be able to use your credit card directly and the payment solution Ideal will also be available. If you have a Dutch bank account, you can easily pay for your order using this method.

One thing, TNT Post NL has changed (raised) their shipping rates. This means that we also have had to increase our prices, unfortunately. Moreover, (and I really, really dislike this change) they have decided to 'eliminate' Economy shipping. This means that orders that are shipped outside Europe and weigh more than 2kg can ONLY be shipped Priority. I am looking for alternatives though..

I almost forgot: here's the special voucher code: 5EUROFF. Enjoy!

(if you are familiar with Hyves, then feel free to join ours!)

Catched Up

2008-05-27T14:55:00.000+02:00

Hi everybody,

I am relieved to be able to report that we have catched up on all outstanding orders by now and that order processing times will be reduced from 10 business days to 3-5 business days!

Also, we are moving again! We have yet again outgrown our current space, so we are moving to a bigger space..which we really need.

We are really excited about the upcoming European Championship and we will be supporting our boys in 'oranje'! Want to join us, then check out our selection of Oranje Goodies!

We are also in the progress of re-vamping the entire site, so much is changing over at the Typical Dutch Stuff HQ.

Groetjes,
Wendy

Dear everybody..

2008-03-19T19:15:00.000+01:00

Dear everybody..

Unfortunately, we have been experiencing some major technical difficulties behind the scenes, which caused quite a delay with regards to answering emails. Luckily, everything is fixed now, and I am desperately trying to catch up.

Also, due to the huge amount of orders that we have received, a small delay has occured here as well. But, I can assure you, Lian and I are working round the clock to ship out all outstanding orders as soon as possible. I am also working on a new system for the website, which will allow you to create an account, see your order history, and track your shipped orders.

I sincerely hope that you will not lose trust in Typical Dutch Stuff; I hope to be back on schedule within a month.

Best wishes,
Wendy

Busy Bees

2007-10-12T22:17:00.000+02:00

It has been quite busy here at the TDS headquarters! The Sinterklaas stock is slowly making its way on to our shelves and into the boxes for shipping.

I am pleased to announce that our blogger, Lian, is now also packing orders and supporting the creative processes behind the scenes as a full staff member!

Moreover, I have added a number of new products, such as the Chocomel Hot Cups (finally a great hot chocolate straight from your Senseo), the puC coffeemaker (which allows you to brew a great cup of cappuccino, wiener melange, cafe cinnamon, or cafe choco), the matching puC Cups, Kinder Surprise Eggs, Kinder Chocolade, and many more. Be on the lookout for our next newsletter, as it will feature all the rest of the new products!

I will be able to make a sizeable donation to the Suzan G. Komen Breastcancer Foundation this month, so keep those orders coming! :)

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2007-10-06T15:34:00.000+02:00

As you may know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, dedicated to promoting awareness and stressing the importance of early detection. Most of us have been touched by cancer in one way or another. One of my family members is now battling breast cancer, so this year I really want to stress the importance of awareness. Therefore, 10% of our total proceeds will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Breastcancer Foundation. Don't forget: Wear Pink this Month!

Free Coffee!

2007-08-28T13:32:00.000+02:00

I'm writing this entry from my brand new office, which feels really good! Hope you all had a great summer; I spent mine moving into our new place, which basically means that I did not have that 'summer feeling'. The weather here also didn't help, because this summer has been one of the coldest and wettest in the history, unfortunately. I am keeping my fingers crossed for what we call a beautiful 'nazomer' (post-summer).

What I wanted to tell you is that because of the move, I have stumbled upon stock that is close to its expiry date (mainly coffee pods). Now, I obviously can't sell this anymore and its too much for me to drink by myself. Therefore I am giving it all away for free!

I will split it up into a few batches and the first few people who email me at info@typicaldutchstuff will receive the goodies for FREE!

We're moving!

2007-05-11T14:33:00.000+02:00

The gorgeous weather of the past month has vanished and has made room for the typically Dutch grey and wet weather. Talking about the weather as an opening line when you do not know what else to say is also so typically Dutch, haha. Anyways, as you might have noticed by looking at our home page, we're moving! Yes, we have found ourselves a new space, because although we still love our old space, it had become time to move on to newer things. So, that's what we're doing; we're moving on! What does this mean for the company? Not so much; we will have the opportunity to re-decorate our office/storage facility, which is something that was desperately needed. I have already painted one wall in soft pink, to match the company colors!

There are a few new additions to the website: Pickwick T-Pods Typically English and Kanis & Gunnink Mok Pods (they're twice the size of a normal coffee pod and are created to brew a single large mug of coffee).

First Family Photo of Princess Ariane

2007-04-23T10:31:00.000+02:00

The RVD has released the first family picture with princess Ariane and her family. The picture was taken in the gardens of Villa Eikenhorst in Wassenaar.

Princess Ariane Wilhelmina Máxima Inez

2007-04-13T19:52:00.000+02:00

We are happy to hear that we have a new princess! She was born on April 10 and her name is Princess Ariane Wilhelmina Máxima Inez. She weighs 4135 grams and is 52 centimeters long.

There are already a few streets named after the little princess, as well as a train; the Princess Ariane Express, which travels from Groningen to Den Haag.

Amsterdam..Dutch Style

2007-04-11T15:05:00.000+02:00

Back in the day, I used to write for a small online magazine and wrote reviews for a consumer website. However, I stopped writing when TDS started to grow, because I just don't have the spare time to sit down and write for fun. However, I was feeling nostalgic a few days ago and decided to read some of my pieces from 3 years ago. I felt that one of them would be nice to share with you; it's a piece on Amsterdam 'through the eyes of a Dutch girl.'

Amsterdam, the city that is so loved. Amsterdam is known worldwide for its open and free culture, you have heard the rumors; you can get weed on every street corner, the people walk on clogs, wear traditional clothing, the red light district, the sex museum, I could go on for ages. Some of those rumors are actually true..we do walk on clogs! No, just kidding, but it is a fact that Amsterdam is very, very open and you can get weed on every street corner. If that is a good thing, is up to you. I personally hate to shop and smell weed everywhere I go. I rarely go to Amsterdam, mainly because it's almost two hours away and our public railroad system basically sucks: the trains are always late, and way too overpriced. But, I do understand the attraction of the city, I mean, many people aren't used to the 'vibe' of Amsterdam. If you decide you want to go to Amsterdam, make sure you book a good hotel, and don't go last minute without booking a hotel, because you will get ripped off. There are creepy people everywhere who will tell you they will show you this 'fabulous' room, but in the meantime, your pockets are being picked, plus you'll end up in this shabby, smelly hotel, but you did pay €100 a night for it. That is not a great way to start of your holiday.

If you want the 'full Dutch' experience, I recommend renting a bike. You could also take the metro to wherever you want to go. I don't recommend taxis, because they are quite expensive, and if you look like a tourist, (come on, you know what I mean; large bags, white socks in open sandals, shorts with white legs, a large camera and a waist bag,) you are probably going to get ripped off. So, be careful.

Amsterdam has 2 famous streets where all the main shops are located; Kalverstraat and Leidsestraat. You will find shops like H&M, Lush, Body Shop, The American Bookstore and many other well known shops. Make sure you grab a sandwich at 'Bakkerij Bart', they are good! Always very busy, but it's worth it! If you want to buy cheap stuff, and do sightseeing at the same time, make you visit Waterlooplein. This is a huge market and they sell everything there; from wooden statues to clothes, you will find it there! There's also another famous (day) market; the Albert Cuyp, you can find all sorts of food, flowers, and so on there. I was walking in Amsterdam a couple of months ago, and me and my friend kind of got lost, and suddenly we found ourselves in a street with red lights behind each window..yep, we reached the Red Light District, or 'De Wallen' as we Dutch people call it. Window prostitution is legal in the Netherlands.

If you want to be in the center of the city, make sure you visit 'De Dam'. Well, you can't really miss it, in the midst of the it stands the 'National Monument', which is dedicated to the Dutch soldiers who died during World War II. If you still can't find it, just look at all the pigeons flying around and sitting on the ground. You can buy special little bags of food, so you can feed them. They will eat out of your hand, and s(h)it on your head, now that's a Kodak moment! There are also mime players, clowns, and many more street artists to entertain you. You will also find Madam Taussaud's Wax Museum there. There a quite a few museums which you really have to visit; the Van Gogh museum, 'Rijksmuseum', 'Stedelijk museum', but I really recommend the Anne Frank museum. I think everybody knows who she was, but if you don't, here's a little history lesson. During World War II, Anne Frank and her family had to hide from the Germans because they were Jewish. They lived with a large family in this little secret room behind a bookcase. Unfortunately, Anne and her family (except for her father) were killed during the war. That room is now a museum, so you can actually see how they lived all those years, everything is in the original state. I really recommend it.

If you happen to be in Amsterdam around the annual 'Gay Parade', make sure you stay and watch all the drag queens! It's a huge parade, filled with dance and music, and to make it all even better; it takes place on boats in the canals, you really have see this. It attracts around 300.000 people each year and is one of Amsterdam’s largest festivals. Please note that if you want to see this, don't take your children with you, because people will occasionally get naked and behave in a manner that might be inappropriate for the young ones. At the end of April it's Queen's Day in the Netherlands. It originally started out as a celebration for the Queen's birthday, but it has evolved into much more than a simple birthday party. The streets will be filled with all kinds of orange decoration, people who are decorated, lots of music and lots of beer. Every Dutch person celebrates this, and we don't mind you joining us!

Happy Easter!

2007-04-09T01:14:00.000+02:00

All of us here at Typical Dutch Stuff want to wish you a Happy Easter or "Fijne Paasdagen"!

A Day in the Life of Typical Dutch Stuff

2007-03-21T20:17:00.000+01:00

A typical day of my life can be pretty hectic at times, but also quite fulfilling. I start the day with fresh orange juice or a cup of Pickwick Cinnamon or Honey tea and usually a 'boterham' (=sandwich), always 'volkoren' (=wholeweat) with 'belegen' (=aged) cheese and a slice of ontbijtkoek (=spice cake). I also love De Ruijter Milk Chocolate Flakes and Calve Peanut Butter. Although I love to try foreign dishes, I notice that I do really miss my typically Dutch breakfast items whenever I am on vacation abroad (more about that later).

Then, it's time to get started on all the orders that were placed. First, I sort the boxes (recycling!) and if they pass the quality check (insert me squeezing the boxes to see if they are firm enough), then they will be filled with the most delicious Dutch items :)

Next, all the products will be selected and sorted for each order, which ends up looking something like this (although this is only a small part of our space):

Now it's time to pack all the stuff into the boxes, carefully filling it with bubble wrap and taping them shut; pretty straightforward stuff. However, we also spend a lot of time on our gift baskets, because we want them to be as pretty as possible! We have our in-house gift basket specialist, Lian (who also writes a column for TDS), usually comes up with the most beautiful creations!

I have to admit, I have a major sweet tooth, so whenever someone's helping me during the really busy days (mostly Lian or Mary jane), we tend to eat quite a bunch of licorice and chocolates. However, most of the time I take care of the orders all by myself and then I am way to busy to snack.

Here's a snapshot of the end results of some of our gift baskets (the Dutch Delight Basket, and the Mom's Basket, )

Remember what I told you about me missing my precious Dutch breakfast items whenever I am abroad? My solution for all of you who also miss a typically Dutch breakfast at times: the Begin-Your-Day Basket, which includes all the popular and most common breakfast products in this basket. Beginning your day has never been as Dutch as now! Includes hagelslag, vlokken, peanut butter, ontbijtkoek, roggebrood, cheese, chocomel, jam, and many more delicious products.

Vegetarian/Vegan Dutch Products

2007-02-21T21:55:00.000+01:00

Finally, after many requests and a lot of hard work, we are proud to introduce our new Vegetarian/Vegan section! After designing our own icons to indicate if a product is veggie/vegan friendly, we did a lot of research and combined this into our new page to make shopping as easy as possible.

We will be adding products to this section gradually. This section also depends on the knowledge of our customers, so if you have any product suggestions, comments, or feedback, please contact us at info@typicaldutchstuff.com

Check out our site for Dutch Vegetarian/Vegan products.