Slow food has been one of the buzzwords of the past few years, and now slow fashion can join it. I-DID, a pop-up store in Utrecht's Twijnstraat neighborhood, is a fascinating shop combining fashion with a conscience. What they're offering is clothing made by hand by women in need of a job, those unable to find a job, or those who don't have the best qualifications to make it on their own. We're not talking simple home-ec outfits, though. These are quality pieces made from quality materials, and include everything from sweaters and dresses to skirts, accessories and more.

The pop-up store, located next to the Albert Heijn on Twijnstraat, is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:00 to 18:00. Tomorrow, because of the impending holiday, they're open until 16:00. For koopzondag, they're open Sunday, January 8, from 12:00 to 17:00. They also offer free alterations if an item you buy at the shop needs hemming or lengthening. Check out their website for more information about their modern business model and how they're making a difference.

In the northeast corner of Utrecht, just a block north of the Stadsschouwburg, is Biltstraat, a charming street offering a great mix of restaurants, shopping and culture. There are a number of restaurants up and down the street, offering everything from sushi to shoarma. There are places such as Bouffe and Het Licht, which offer something a bit fancier if you want, although Het Licht also offers a special lunch deal these days. Then there are cafés such as the quirky Te Koop, where you can buy some of the interior decorations, as well as food. There are also a number of new bars and restaurants that have opened up, offering trendy and stylish options, such as Inspired. Of course, there are also typical Chinese and Indonesian options, as well as Grillroom Sphinx, which has some of the best late-night shoarma and mixed-grill options in town.

If you prefer to cook your own food, there's a selection of grocery options, including the newly opened Kippersluis grocery store, which has taken the place of Super de Boer. Next door, there's the organic butcher, Groeneweg and next door is the organic grocer, Estafette, which also offers gluten-free cakes and assorted items.

If you're looking for a bicycle shop, there are multiple options, such as Het Stalen Paard, for both new and used bikes, as well as the accompanying accessories.

If you're looking for games and athletics, there's the Fitness Factory for your regular workout. For something a bit different, check out Laser Quest and Snookercentrum Ozebi. If dancing is more your speed, there's the dance school Club El Brillante.

If you want a bit of beauty in your life, check out Aya Living for a beautiful selection of home goods and furniture. Their changing window displays are always a pleasure to look at. If it's yourself that you want to beautify, there's Descansa Beauty Center across the street, offering personal styling, as well as massage and other beauty treatments.

Finally, there's even a museum for your enjoyment and education. The Museum Maluku documents the culture of the Moluccan community in the Netherlands.

Biltstraat offers an array of shops and services to suit your needs and the street even has an active presence on Twitter, keeping you up to date on the latest news and openings. If you're in this part of town, it's definitely worth checking out.

Beginning today, Rotterdam is now the home to one of the more fascinating shops to open anywhere, particularly if you're a music lover with a fondness for ukuleles, handmade items and folk art. The Jumping Flea Market, Mostly Musical Wonders and Curiosities, is a shop specializing in ukuleles, with a selection of instruments for the beginner to the seasoned musician. The owners of the shop are also the driving force behind the regular Ukulele Jamboree held in Rotterdam throughout the year. As well as the ukuleles, you will find handmade cigar-box instruments and amps, miniature accordions, novelties, gadgets and fun stuff, plus original folk- and low-brow art by local artists and crafts people.

The shop is the first part of the space to open, but in the meantime, they'll also be putting the finishing touches on The Parlour, which will be an intimate place to learn, listen, play, teach, and cook, with an emphasis on low-tech, do-it-yourself fun. They hope to throw open the doors to the Parlour in February.

The Jumping Flea Market is located at Zaagmolenstraat 125a, 3036HH Rotterdam, and they'll be open every day until Christmas eve if you're looking for a special gift. Best of all, they offer a free lesson for every ukulele sold and the lesson can be passed along if you're buying the uke as a gift for someone. For more information on what they offer, check out their website (in English).

It would make sense that the American Book Center would celebrate Thanksgiving in some way. But they're really going all out! This Thursday, just for one day, they're offering 10% off everything. Absolutely everything. There will also be balloons and candy. And, if you're visiting the Amsterdam location, free popcorn!

If you buy something on Thanksgiving, not only do you save 10%, but you're also provided with a free raffle ticket. If you win, you'll get to pick even more books - and these books are free.

The discount applies to only what's in stock, but that still leaves plenty of great books to pick from. Oh, and if you're also interested in a Thanksgiving meal, they're putting on a dinner from 6-8pm at the Treehouse across the street from the Spui location in Amsterdam. Make a reservation: it's first come, first served!

They describe it as urban, hip, cool and original. For the third time, Flavourites is hosting an offline version of what is usually an amazing online shopping experience. From 18-20 November, visitors can see the spectacular contents of 150 online shops, on display, in Amsterdam at De Overkant.

The event runs from 10:00-18:00 all three days, and features products in fashion, interior design, gifts, and kids. There are also plenty of workshops to attend and food and drink.

For more information, just visit the Flavourites Live website. You can also buy tickets online (EUR 10 online, or 12.50 at the door).

With the gift-giving season fast approaching, and with many people choosing to save a few dollars by making gifts, knitting and crocheting is probably seeing an even greater resurgence these days. If you're in Utrecht and looking for somewhere to buy yarn, your best bet is Modilaine. This dedicated yarn store is in the picturesque location of Lijnmarkt 22, with a view out its back window of the Oudegracht. This location means their yarns are a bit pricier, but they do have a decent selection of more inexpensive yarns that are still good quality. The multi-level shop is a lovely space to enjoy the rainbow of colors and the variety of textures, with many finished items on hand to show how the yarns look when worked. And don't forget that once you've bought your yarn, you can always head to Winkel van Sinkel on Tuesday evenings for the weekly Stitch n' Bitch session.

Those visiting Amsterdam often end up wandering the markets, especially Waterlooplein just behind the Rembrandt House. While it is possible to find some gems among the plentiful stock of the market, the real second hand/vintage legend in Amsterdam is called Episode.

You may know it from London, Antwerp, Brussels or Paris, all cities where this shop has a presence. The idea is not a new one, second hand clothes. But what is great is that they've got an extensive collection of every kind of clothing one might wish for. Different era's as well, though lets be honest, the 80's produced alot of surplus clothing that is just waiting around for new owners.

Even if you weren't thinking about buying new clothes, Episode in Amsterdam is a fun place to go to just try things on, have a laugh, maybe even take a picture. Later you can tell people of "that second hand shop we went to."

The store is open everyday, for exact hours and address, check the website.

The American Book Center blog has some great reading tips for anyone "stuck" in the Netherlands this summer. A fine suggestion, if you ask me, with all this rain and coldness.

They recommend five books that "the Lonely Planet missed" (I can particularly recommend Amsterdam Made by Hand from this group). They continue with cooking, grilling, and wine tasting items, and then list a number of books focused on surviving outdoors. Kids books are also listed along with those deliberately addressing rainy day activities. Check the post for all their suggestions, and be sure to stop by the American Book Center (in Amsterdam and the Hague) if the rain is boring you.

If you're looking for something to do tonight, consider heading over to Tivoli (Oudegracht 245, Utrecht). Beginning today and running through July 31, Attitude Holland is opening a pop-up store at Poppodium Tivoli. Fans of goth/rockabilly/punk/burlesque fashion will want to check out the store, set up in conjunction with the upcoming Summer Darkness festival. The store is open from 13:00 - 21:00, and today's special events include DJ X-X-X playing from 16-21, and Featherfantastic, a burlesque show by Lilly Mae Lovett at 16:00. There will also be fire acts and lots of models on hand showing off the wares.

Later in the evening, beginning at 20:45, anyone with a love of music and music trivia may want to check out PopQuiz, presented by Three Imaginary Boys. This monthly quiz features clips, laughs and competition, with prizes as well. Entrance is €5 and teams of three can play. Go, register (doors open at 20:00) and have a good time.

Finish out the night with Pop-O-Matic at 23:00. Afro, Indie, Hiphop, Electro and Pop music will all be spun, with the goal of feeling good. The motto for the night is: Different Styles, Different People, One Love! Tickets are just €4.

In the next few months I plan to write about some of the enchanting bookstores I've found in Leiden. Like all Dutch cities (at least the ones I've visited!) city centers always seem to host the most beautiful, charming little shops. Leiden is, of course, no exception.

Today I want to tell you about the Silvester Jeugdboekhandel. Located at Rapenburg 17, they specialize in children's and young people's books and carry an impressive selection of picture books and fairy tales all the way up to literature for (young) adults. They are managed by a foundation set up in 1991 with an aim to promote reading among children and storytelling. Oh! And I forgot to mention: they have books in many different languages: Dutch, of course, is the most prominent, but they also have English, Spanish, German, and Italian books. Great news for expats!

Even if you don't have kids of your own, this is a great place to visit if you're looking for a gift for a little one.