Lilla Miss Bows

I discovered Lilla Miss Bows handmade super cute accessories from a Facebook group a few months ago. Actually, if I remember correctly, it was the Christmas season and I thought accessories would liven up the office zoom Christmas parties!

The turn around time after I ordered was really quick and it came straight to my door. There are many different fabrics to choose from and holiday themed ones too. The woman who makes them, Philippa Davies, is a busy mom herself. But even so, she sends prompt replies to questions about her products and she even helped suggest different shapes/fabric for the custom earrings I ordered.

Different sizes for bows as well and fabrics come in so many cute designs.

Inspired by a friend in England who makes bows and clothes, Philippa started making bows to keep her daughter's hair away from her face. She said there weren't many nice options in shops and most were overpriced. She loved the range of fabrics she was able to purchase, ordered a couple of starter bits and tried some different designs. After getting some good feedback when her daughter started wearing them around town, she decided to create more bows and that's how it all started!

As a busy mom, how does she find time to create bows? Philippa takes care of the kids in the mornings and then works in the afternoons. "I do have a great partner that is very helpful and understands I don't do this to make money but just because I enjoy doing it."When she has a spare hour during the week, or over the weekend, she works on the bows :)

So many beautiful fabrics to choose from!

For the bows, we have ordered bows with crocodile clips and a few with hair ties. My daughter loves them and uses different clips at home and when we are out.

Kid friendly! Mama approved. Perfect to hold back wavy curls.

Aside from bows, Philippa also makes earrings using the same fabric. There are a few different shapes from loops to stars. I like that these earrings feel so light on my ear. 

I'd definitely recommend Lilla Miss Bows if you love accessories and want to add a few more bows and earrings to your collection. The bows also make really cute gifts. Enjoy shopping and remember, don't forget your snacks! 

Be sure to check out Lilla Miss Bows on

Instagram and Facebook !

What is Swedish Fika?

Before I moved to Sweden, I didn't know the Swedish term, Fika. It was only after I arrived in Sweden, that I learned about it from SFI class (Free Swedish language lessons offered to immigrants) and from friends. 

Fika (pronounced fee-ka) is a Swedish tradition and can be seen simply as a coffee break but with a sweet treat. Everyone understands and needs coffee breaks. We often go for coffee/tea with friends in North America too.

Some sweet treats that accompany Fika are called "Fikabröd". 

A specific day for a fika can be called by the name of the day followed by "Fika" like for example, "Fredagsfika" or "Friday fika". You can also use it like a verb, for example,  You can fika with friends at a cafe or someone's home. One can say, "Ska vi fika?" or "Shall we fika?" 

What's nice about sitting in a cafe or restaurant in Sweden and in other parts of Europe is, they don't rush you out of the place. You can sit as long as you like. I feel like in North America, there's always a time limit or servers in restaurants constantly need to "check" on you. They may be trying to get a better tip, but it makes the restaurant experience less relaxing. 

Ok back to Fika. A Work Fika is a common thing here in Sweden. It could be a daily occurrence or a once a week event when there is Fika at the office. You aren't required to join, but if you don't join the Fika, it might seem a bit disrespectful. The same as eating lunch at your computer screen - this doesn't happen often here.

Fika is a part of Swedish culture and Swedes also enjoy coffee and drink a lot of it. 

So whether you are living in Sweden or just visiting, make sure you take the time to Fika at least once a day. There are plenty of cafes to try!

Don't forget the snacks!

Here are some cafes to try in Stockholm

Vegan and Non-Vegan Snack Ideas for Kids

Allergies :(

My little one unfortunately has a few allergies. We found this out when he was just a few months old and his poor little cheeks got so red, dry and full of eczema. Big sister used to have an allergy to egg and she had the same reaction which is how we guessed.

Baby's poor little cheeks, red and sore. Had to keep gloves on so they wouldn't scratch!

After a referral to the specialist, they took some blood tests and determined he was indeed allergic to egg and milk. They said I should stop eating egg and dairy since I was breastfeeding him and after a few weeks, his face cleared up. Yup, it sometimes takes a couple of weeks for dairy to be completely out of your system. His skin looked so much better after that. The doctor said he looked like a different baby!

 

Since then, we found out he is also sensitive to soy and fish. Despite his soy allergy, he loved seaweed when he first tried it and snack seaweed is a great snack idea for kids!

An update* he had some Hazelnut cake during the holidays and he had the worst reaction he's had - his eye got swollen and remained like that for over 24 hours! We haven't had another test for him yet but plan to in the New Year. And in the meantime will be avoiding Nuts!

He unfortunately tested positive for nuts :/

Vegan Friendly Snack Ideas

1) Homemade banana muffins (I've been using a 5 ingredient recipe - flour, banana, oil, salt and baking soda - and I often freeze them soon afterwards.)

2) Bagel, or a favourite Vegan bread - my kids like Swedish Polarbröd or sliced bread AND Flora brand vegan butter (cut into little sandwiches to make it easy for them to hold) 

3) Ritz crackers are vegan! (just put them in a containter to take with you). The North American Ritz Crackers do contain soy though so check the ingredient list. 

4) Avocado (cut and bring a spoon for them to scoop out or cut a few pieces for them to use a fork) 

5) Cucumbers/carrots (put a few of each in a small container) 

6) Corn puffs

7) Snack seaweed

8) Plain Noodles - penne, fusili or something easy for them to grab. My daughter used to eat this a lot on trips.

9) Chips - my kids like salt & vinegar chips like Mama. But be sure to check the ingredients!

10) Fries (could bake these from frozen at home and pack)

For Sweet Treats 

* Fruit like blueberries or grapes (cut in quarters) are easy to put in a container or banana (no need for a container) or Watermelon either with the skin or chopped up and bring a fork to eat. Kids also like Clementines, especially peeling them by themselves haha 😄 

* Mini kanelbullar (Dairy free Swedish cinnamon buns) or any Dairy free Pastries

* Fig bars like the brand Nature's Bakery (used to be popular at our home)

* Dried mango 

* Smoothie pouches (the ones with no yogurt) for example, any smoothie pouches with Mango are a favorite at our house.

Non-Vegan Snack ideas

* Hard boiled eggs

* Cheese - cheese strings would be great but we don't get any here in Sweden,  so I often cut up cheese or we bring babybel cheese (the kids love to unwrap these too)

* Sandwiches with cheese or deli meat

* Dumplings

* Chicken nuggets

* Meatballs 

A Few Other Tips...

* Put the snack bag by the door, so you are reminded to bring it.

* For non-perishable items, keep a few in the diaper bag or snack bag.

* Replenish it right after an outing unless it's with items that need to be in the fridge, otherwise, I forget to do it.

* Invest in some good containers of various sizes.

* Pack a few extras - a non-disposable straw (we use metal at our house for drinks), tissue packs, and a couple of utensils.

Kids (AND their parents) need their snacks, when they are out on adventures during the day. It's nice to have a variety of snacks on hand and to change the snacks once in awhile to encourage the kids to eat them!

These dumplings, we got takeaway from a place nearby and the kids love them. They also enjoy the avocado sushi.

Have fun on your adventures and remember, don't forget your snacks!

The Book Bus Göteborg

We have been fortunate to have The Book Bus ("Bokbussen" in Swedish) visit our neighborhood, in Göteborg, Sweden, twice a week! Every few weeks, we look forward to borrowing books and returning them without having to worry about going to the library - which remains closed during Covid.

The books on The Book Bus are mainly for kids (toddlers to teens) but parents/adults can even reserve books and pick them up in the book bus.

Each book bus has different designs. This one had space theme art on the outside. 

This week, I was late returning the books we borrowed. The book bus didn't come to our neighborhood two weekends ago, so I waited till the following weekend to return them. I was pleasantly suprised to find out that there are no late fees ever for kids books and no late fees during Covid time.

Only one family is allowed on the bus at a time and the door is opened/closed each time 

(depending on your preference).

Note: The book bus took a break during the summer months but are now back to it's regular schedule! We visited recently and picked up some great books in English. They have a few other languages available as well!

If you're in Göteborg, be sure to check out The Book Bus schedule to find out when it'll be in your area. Stay safe and remember, don't forget your snacks! 

Bokbussen Göteborg

Checkout their Instagram and website for more info.

Gothia Towers Gothenburg Staycation Review

Here's a look back at our Staycation at Gothia Towers in Gothenburg, Sweden in October 2020.
We had been self -isolating pretty much since Spring 2020. We kept the kids home from daycare until it started again after summer. And in October, we thought since the number of COVID cases were much much lower, it was ok to do a staycation in Göteborg.

Prices for hotels were down all over the city and I've always wanted to stay at Gothia Towers. I love staying at hotels so I was pretty excited. We were all feeling healthy as well. So we decided we would treat ourselves to a two night stay and get a break from daily home life. 

Gothia Towers is really great for families. Each kid gets a gift upon check-in, there's a kids area right in Tower 3 and doing a late check-out isn't an issue. They even upgraded us so our room had space for the extra bed plus a bathtub. And our room had amazing views! 

For dinner on our first night, we didn't try the hotel restaurants because we wanted to keep our distance from others. Instead, we ordered food delivery from a nearby restaurant. On the second night, tired from our day walking at the lake (Delsjön), we decided to relax in our room. 

Keep Distance or "Hålla Avstånd" in the elevators!

I've heard so much about the King Size Shrimp sandwich that I had to try it. Ordering Room Service was such a treat for us! Room service was happy to make some modifications to the Shrimp sandwich I ordered. And they are quite generous with the shrimp, which was piled high.

We mentioned before we checked in for our hotel stay, that it was my daughter's birthday weekend and they said they would prepare a small gift for her. When we returned to our room that day, we saw that they gave her a really nice birthday bag with some treats for us all! There were chocolates, chips, mints, a Toblerone package that looked like one of the Gothia towers, the green stuffy that's one of the Gothia Towers, some drinks for each of us - even champagne for us parents ;)

The birthday surprise was left in our room! 

Floor 20, which is the spa/gym/pool, has the skybridge that connects all 3 towers and offers incredible views of the city! Unfortunately, the pool isn't for younger kids so we didn't get to try it. 

View of Liseberg from Floor 20, skybridge at Gothia Towers

                    

During the Pandemic, the breakfast buffet was separated into several different areas and moved into the Convention Hall to provide lots of space for everyone to keep their distance. I'd say the selection for the breakfast was just OK (limited hot options, no salmon (like other Scandinavian hotel breakfasts) no waffle or pancake makers (but most likely due to trying to keep guests safe).  Maybe pre-pandemic they had more to choose from and they wanted to keep it simple during Covid.

If you're visting Göteborg in the future or even just thinking about a staycation (after the Covid cases go down again), consider a stay at Gothia Towers. It's actually a perfect location, if you're visiting the amusement park across the street, Liseberg (unfortunately closed during the pandemic). It's also right across from Universium, home of the big indoor rainforest and a tram ride or walk away from Delsjön (the huge lakes are really nice place for exploring- blog to come!). Thanks for reading, stay safe and remember, don't forget your snacks!

Gothia Towers

Mässans gata 24, 412 51 Göteborg, Sweden

* Around 1100kr per night includes breakfast buffet.

Check out their website for more information - they have had a few deals during this slow period.

Le Pain Francais lunch in Göteborg

Dagenslunch or "Daily lunch" in Swedish is more of a thing in Göteborg (Gothenburg) than Stockholm from what I've seen. Most of Gothenburg's restaurants offer a daily lunch menu on weekdays where you can choose between fish, meat or a vegetarian option. The lunch price can be as low as 100kr, which makes trying new restaurants quite affordable at lunch. 

Unfortunately during Covid, many restaurants have stopped including salad buffet or any type of buffet for that matter. And some of the restaurants that used to offer a daily buffet lunch are closed. One restaurant that still offers a daily lunch, however, that includes a salad buffet and dessert is Le Pain Francais.

While we work from home, this lunch has been a favorite. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to visit in a few months due to having kids home from school. So it's nice to reminisce about one of my favorite lunches. Don't get me wrong, Le Pain Francais is pretty family friendly as well. We have taken both kids for lunch there a couple of times and had a nice meal out, but these days, since we are walking everywhere, it's a bit of a trek to take them out for lunch. Sitting outside isn't easy either since they are more sensitive to the cold. 

Dagenslunch Meat option that day was delicious duck

Even if Le Pain Francais offers a daily lunch, we find ourselves ordering the entrecote often. Grilled Entrecote for 155sek which comes with Fries and Salad. You can ask to just have salad if you don't want the fries as well.

Le Pain Francais lunch also includes a salad buffet, coffee/tea and desserts at the end of the meal. There is outdoor seating with heaters, so when we have visited for lunch, we have been eating outside. Service has been pretty good, short wait times and reasonable prices. Plenty of table space outdoors but could get crowded indoors.

If you're visiting Göteborg and looking for a great lunch option, Le Pain Francais is definitely a place to try. There are a few different locations of this restaurant but not all of them serve the same sort of lunch. Here are two of the locations that we know serve the steak and salad/dessert buffet:

Le Pain Francais Bistro

Kungsportsavenyn 7, Göteborg, Sweden

Le Pain Francais Braisserie 

Östra Larmgatan 20, 411 07 Göteborg, Sweden

Kungsportsplatsen

Check out the Le Pain Francais website for more information on different locations and to see what the weekly menu is as it changes each week. Thanks for reading and don't forget your snacks!

My Top 3 Cafes in Haga, Göteborg, Sweden

If you've ever been to Göteborg (Gothenburg), Sweden, you know it's a cafe city with many different cafes all over town. There are some chain cafes (like Espresso House, which I also like) but there are also many independent ones, each offering different drinks and delicious snacks.

What I want and like in a cafe has definitely changed after kids. Pre-kids, I cared mostly about whether the "good" barista was in that day, the location, customer service and if they stayed open late. 

Post-kids, I still care about the drinks but I also think about other things related to kids. For example, do they have space for a stroller (either inside or outside), do they have high chairs, and kid friendly (including Vegan) options?

Haga is a cute neighborhood with a lot of character. There's one main Street, Haga Nygata, where most of the cafes/shops are located. This area is just outside city centre, so a brisk 15-20min walk or a quick tram ride over.

Note: These days, we don't go and sit in any cafes/restaurants. We have sat outside a couple of times or taken food to go instead. No Fika (Coffee break) with friends either ;(

Here are my top 3 recommended cafes in Haga. Each of them are great to visit with kids or without and all offer different Fika snacks - Cafe Husaren, Nöller, and  Jacob's cafe

Cafe Husaren

Home of the Hagabullen - an XL version of the Swedish Cinnamon bun or "Kanelbulle". Don't make the mistake of going to Cafe Hebbe down the street for the Huge Cinnamon buns since they cost 50sek more.

This cafe used to allow strollers inside pre-pandemic. Now strollers need to be parked outside which makes sense since they need more space inside for spacing out the tables. This isn't an issue (unless it's raining) because they have outdoor seating. There are high chairs also available.

They have a list with all their Vegan options and have a great variety of both Vegan and Non-Vegan items. Aside from the sweet treats, they also offer sandwiches and salads. Cafe Husaren is also mentioned on Happy Cow's list of best Vegan bakeries in Gothenburg. 

These little treats are called Dammsugare translated to Vaccum cleaner. The original snack looks like an old style Vaccum! This one looks more like a brownie. 

For drinks, they only offer Oat milk as their milk alternative. Takeaway is available.

There are kid friendly food options including pancakes.

Nöller

This cafe is right next door to Cafe Husaren. It has a different atmosphere from Cafe Husaren, but I'd say it's still kid friendly if you sit outside. Although, I've never seen a high chair, the barista has always been friendly with and without kids. 

One of my favorite snacks at Nöller is the Snickerskaka!

There are plenty of Vegan and gluten free options! There are also salads, sandwiches and soups offered on their menu. For milk alternatives, they offer soy and oat milk with beautiful latte art! Takeaway is an option for drinks or food even their Vegan pie slices, which are delicious.

The good barista was in that day ;)

Jacob's Cafe

Jacob's cafe offers some nice lunch options like salads and sandwiches, a few Vegan pastries and many other non-vegan options for a snack with a coffee. This cafe is right in the centre of Haga's main street across from the Haga förskola. They have some outdoor seating as well, but a lot more seating in the summer. Takeaway is an option for drinks or food. And they are even on Foodora!

Note: During the Pandemic, I've noticed that the lineup to order is a bit confusing, as some people were going the wrong way.

            Delicious Tuna salad for lunch with Coffee.                                                              

                                                                                                 

Honorable mention

Le Petit Cafe offered a breakfast buffet or frukost buffè. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if they are still doing buffet during the pandemic. I will look in next time I stroll by and update this post. When we have visited in the past, they have been super friendly about having a kid at the table. And that made the experience a lot more enjoyable for sure.

Haga is definitely a nice area to check out if you are visiting Göteborg, Sweden in the future. Thanks for reading and remember, don't forget your snacks!

Cafe Husaren
Read more about the cafe on their website
Haga Nygata 28,  411 22 Göteborg

Nöller Espressobar
Check out their menu on their website
Haga Nygata 28, 411 22 Göteborg

Jacob's cafe
More about the cafe on their Facebook page
Haga Nygata 10, 413 02 Göteborg

Snowy Day in Göteborg

Chilly temperatures in Göteborg, Sweden made sure the snow has stayed around for a few weeks. Winter this year really feels like the Swedish winter that people think about when they think about Scandinavia. We love to see the beautiful snow and it brightens up the city especially when it's sunny.

Yesterday, the snow kept falling and kids kept playing ;) It was great to get some new snow! And building snowmen really is a workout :)

So glad we don't need to worry about commuting anywhere in this wintry weather. All around the neighborhood, strollers were left at home and everyone used their sleds or 'pulkas' in Swedish, to take their kids around. Our own sled, which we ordered just last month, has been getting some good use over the last few weeks!

Sledding!

Parent Tip to stay warm... bring multiple gloves for the little ones (and yourself) as they often get wet, lost, kids want to switch etc. and bring a thermos with a warm drink!

Snack bag and drinks - a must for our daily adventures!

Need to enjoy the snow before the forecasted rainy weather melts it all away (Göteborg is usually rainy during winter). Hope you are enjoying the winter weather if you have some in your city, and remember, don't forget your snacks!

Welcome to my blog!

Hello and Welcome to my blog!!

My wolfpack and I currently live in Sweden 🇸🇪 but we originally moved here from Canada 🇨🇦 years and years ago.

Hangry - state of anger over lack of food, hunger causing irritability.

"Don't forget your snacks", comes from the reminder that I myself need snacks but I've learned the hard way that forgetting snacks for my little ones mean our adventures end in DISASTER! 

It's the end of the world to a toddler when they're tired, hangry or don't get what they want...

Pre-kids... My co-pilot learned this quite quickly during our trip in South East Asia years ago, when I would suddenly be in a bad mood. After that, he never dared to forget the snacks for me :)

I used to blog pretty often but then came the little ones and life just got even busier. Although, I have limited time to myself these days, I've decided to give it a try. I hope to cover some topics related to Mom life, snacks, local places we enjoy and family travels and adventures (in Sweden and beyond!).

Just one of the snack drawers at home (this one was for me). 

Hope you enjoy reading and remember, Don't forget your snacks!

Follow me on YouTube and Instagram: 

https://www.youtube.com/@dontforgetyoursnacks

https://www.instagram.com/dontforgetyoursnacks/

Happy Hearts Day!

Valentine's Day or "Alla Hjärtans dag" in Sweden, is celebrated pretty much the same way as in North America. It's a day to show a little love to a friend, relative or special someone. 

My daughter loves hearts, anything with hearts on it or just drawing hearts. We made some Valentine's cards this week and previously we painted heart magnets. For Valentine's Day breakfast, she had some heart waffles with Swedish Lingonberry jam! 

Heart waffles!

Due to the Pandemic, and having kids at home full-time the last 2 months, I wasn't able to checkout one of my favorite stores, Flying Tiger, for different heart items/crafts. Maybe they'll go on sale next week and I can buy them for some future crafts ;)

Our Valentine's Day is a little different this year versus last year when we were heading on our trip to California. Like most holidays during the Pandemic, today has been pretty low key. Lots of family time is a huge positive. I managed to pickup some new 85% local chocolate from Storm och Bille - a small gift for my co-pilot! I also got some time one-on-one with my daughter while the others went for a walk. 

                             Beautiful flowers for Mama! 

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!! Hope you have a great day whether or not you're doing anything special. 

Don't forget your snacks! 

Björnen och Böken Toy and Bookstore

We had a really pleasant experience at Björnen och Böken ("The Bear and The Book") toy and bookstore the other day. This little shop is on Prinsgatan, the same street as the beautiful Oscar Fredrik church, in Göteborg, Sweden.

The store window is filled with lots of bear stuffies, baby toys and books and so of course, my little one wanted to go in to take a look. The lady who was at the shop was so thankful that we had come to visit! I'm guessing that during the pandemic, she doesn't get as many customers. 

I told her that we had walked by the other day but it was closed, and I had promised my daughter that the next time we passed by, if it was open, we would go in to take a look. Not only was she really friendly but she took time to carefully wrap both items that we bought.

The prices in her shop are already pretty reasonable so I was surprised that she even gave us a discount! I definitely recommend supporting this small toy and bookstore, Björnen och Böken, if you're in the area or coming to Göteborg for a visit. It's great to support local independent businesses, especially these days. Stay safe and remember, don't forget your snacks!

My daughter chose this sweet bunny stuffy as her special surprise from the shop!

Visit Björnen och Böken at:
Prinsgatan 8, 413 05 Göteborg

And checkout their website for what's available!