Bring Your Baby to Yoga with MiniYogiGBG

I never did a Mama and Baby Yoga class with my first baby, so I thought I'd try it with the second baby. I signed up for "Mamma och Bebis" (In Swedish) yoga classes with Maeve from MiniYogiGBG and I was really glad I did. In addition to being a Doula, Maeve also teaches a few kids yoga classes. Such a great activity for them to learn balance and focus while having fun being animals. I actually took my daughter to a few of her yoga classes a couple years ago, which is how I first discovered MiniYogiGBG.

The Mama and Baby Yoga classes took place once a week and were so easy to get to since it was right in my neighborhood. My son was around 4 months old when we started the class. The class description says as long as the babies aren't crawling they could join. My baby couldn't even roll over at that time and he really liked just being on his back watching and observing everything. Sometimes we would put them on their tummies as well so they could get a different perspective.

The Yoga class was very intimate with just a few students. We would introduce ourselves and our babies at the beginning of each class before starting our exercises.

There would be exercises/stretches for just the Mama and then, a few where you would hold the baby too. Holding the baby while doing Yoga can be quite the workout! 

There was always at least one baby who needed to feed, so one of the Moms would be busy doing that. I liked that it was perfectly ok to sit out the exercise if you needed to be with the baby, feeding, changing or even just comforting them.

I really appreciated having such a friendly,  casual and relaxing environment. The class was a really welcome break and and a nice activity to bond with the baby. Thank you to Maeve for providing such great, relaxing yoga classes for Mamas and babies! I would highly recommend a Mama and Baby yoga class if you have ever thought about it!

If you're in Gothenburg, Sweden and interested in a fun activity while you're on Parental leave, check out MiniYogiGBG. Have fun and remember, don't forget your snacks!

MiniYogiGBG

Note: During the Pandemic, due to strict rules at Yoga studios, there are no group classes available this term. Only private classes included in birth and postpartum doula packages are offered by Maeve. However, this may change in the summer, so be sure to Check out her website !

Happy Swedish Mother's Day!

           ("World's Best Mom" - Awesum Cakes cupcakes!)

North American Mother's Day usually occurs a few weeks earlier in May.  Swedish Mother's Day or "Morsdag" (in Swedish)! It's a day to celebrate and honor Moms, whether or not they are still with us.

Being Canadian, we already celebrated Mother's Day at the beginning of May, but Swedish Mother's Day just means we get to celebrate Mother's Day twice ;) and why not? Haha! Moms work so hard and deserve a little recognition. Am I right? But like most moms, it's not like Mother's Day means we get a day off ;)

For Swedish Mother's Day, I got some sweet gifts - chocolates, time to myself and lots of hugs and kisses from my little family. So blessed to have them and it's nice to be appreciated. There were originally four chocolate lips in this package below but one was eaten before the photo haha! My daughter loves surprises and sharing the surprise ;)

Happy Swedish Mother's Day to all the Mamas. Remember to show your moms you appreciate them not just today but everyday.

If you're in Gothenburg, or visiting in the future, check out the bakeries below for some unique snacks and treats. 

Mr. Cake 

The Chocolate lips were from Mr. Cake!

Check out their website for more delicious snacks/treats!

Read my blog post on Mr. Cake Semla.

Awesum Cakes

Check out their website to some beautiful cupcakes and cakes!
Read my blog post on Awesum Cakes.

Don't forget your snacks!

A Visit to Marstrand, Sweden!

.

Just an hour drive away from Gothenburg, Sweden, is the picturesque island of Marstrand. Marstrand is located in an area called Kungälv and we made it our first stop on our family roadtrip a few weekends ago. It was actually our second visit to Marstrand (our first was years ago when our first was just a newborn and we had family visiting)

Other than walking around checking out the ocean views, and the Swedish architecture. There's an old fortress right on the island called Karlsten Fortress. Be sure to check the hours before you visit, especially during low season (Winter-Spring months).

There is a small ferry that takes you across, most go on foot and park their cars at the parking lots on the main land before the ferry terminal. There are some vehicles on the island but I think those probably belong to the restaurants, residents or maintenance vehicles.

A Marstrand Kitty, that got lots of attention. 

Walking to the ferry lineup to catch our ferry to take us back to the other side with our rental car.

If you're in the Gothenburg area or visiting (post-pandemic), Marstrand is a nice place to stop for a few hours or a even a day. Check out the fortress, have lunch by the water or have fika or an ice cream! 

Can I get some ice cream with the Sprinkles? Hahaha..

Have a great Swedish Mother's Day weekend And remember, don't forget your snacks!

Read more about Marstrand from the official guide.

Our First Weekend Getaway In a Year!

There was a public holiday or "Red Day" as they refer to it in Sweden last week on Thursday, May 13th. We took the Friday, "Squeeze day"or Klämdag in Swedish, off as well so it was a four day weekend! During the Pandemic, we haven't traveled outside of our city in over a year. We decided we would do a weekend getaway to a small Swedish town and stay at a cabin. 

The cabin made it possible for us to avoid being indoors with other people like when you're in a hotel and going through hallways. Each cabin had a private bathroom and separate entrance as well. Our weekend getaway was a much appreciated change of scenary and a change of routine from the usual Covid weekends. 

Sure, the kids got carsick on the way there and it was pouring rain on the drive, but other than that, on our way to the cabin we stopped at Marstrand (blog post on Marstrand) and everyone was happy to arrive at our home for the weekend.

The weather was perfect on the first day and it was a beautful first night (no rain until morning). On our second day, we ventured out to check out the seaside town of Smögen. And on Sunday although it was a 5:30am wake up for me with the toddler, the weather was clear and I took the toddler out for a walk and to play by the water before breakfast.

Breakfast with a magnificent view!

We were really impressed with the place the family-run resort we chose called, Anfasteröd Gårdsvik. (Separate blog post for more details on the accmmaodations). The cabins were right by the water with amazing views! Fortunately, it is currently low season, so it wasn't crowded at all. and we didn't have to meet anyone except the reception.

Small sandy beach and shallow water right by the cabins.

The kids loved the adventure and we appreciated this little break from our daily routine. It was our first roadtrip in over a year with the kids so we made sure to check over our car ride tips (see my Car Ride tips blog). Looking forward to our next weekend getaway and hopefully, we can travel more soon.

Don't forget your snacks! 

10 tips for Flying with Kids!

(Note: this blog was originally posted during the Pandemic)

One of our very first trips was with a kid to Rome, Italy for a long weekend. Baby was just 4 months old.

Fast forward to Feb 2020, we took our first long haul flight Sweden to San Francisco with 2 kids - a 5 month old and 3 years old. With everything that's happened since then, the trip feels so long ago but it was just last year!

I really miss traveling. We haven't been on a plane in over a year and even if it can be a bit stressful, I miss having a destination to go to! Playing "Going to a hotel", "airport" or "vacation" is a common pretend play game at our house these days! And even I enjoy imagining what it would be like to travel again :)

Soon those vaccinated will be able to travel again. What a feeling it will be to be checking into a flight and looking forward to a Vacation!

We were able to take a road trip last weekend, and that was absolute bliss - even if the kiddos both got car sick on the way (I was prepared with a vomit bag!). 

On flights in Europe, Baby gets a seatbelt that attaches to yours.

Here are 10 tips for traveling on a flight with kids.

(Note: these are all Pre-Pandemic, if you are traveling during the Pandemic, you most likely need masks, and should call the airlines to see what else you need to prepare before flying.)

• Give yourself extra time. You might not be able to check in online if you are traveling with a baby, so give yourself that extra time to check in at the desk.

• You can often go in the Priority lines for families at security and usually depends on the airport, but you may have the option to board the plane first with those in First class.

• Don't be afraid to ask for help on the plane. That's what they're there for, especially if you are traveling by yourself, and struggling to put bags in the overhead while holding a baby.

• Don't bring anything you dont want to lose. It's not that you intend to lose things, but it may happen and it has happened a couple of times to us.

• Bring lots of snacks (for you and for the kids!) and a few small books/toys. Bring a lollipop or candy for an older child (this can help with their ears on landing and takeoff!) Smoothie Pouches are ok, but depending on the airport, they might open and test these to see the contents.

• Bring your own water bottle but don't fill it until after Security.

• It's better to have one bag and not many small bags, less chance of leaving one behind.

• Use a baby carrier if traveling with a younger baby or toddler it helps to put them to sleep and free up your hands when you need to hold the other toddler's hands or documents. We have always been big fans of the Ergo Baby Carrier Original.

• This is airport dependent, but you might be able to bring your stroller all the way to the gate. Then you need to be prepared to close it up before you board. Smaller umbrella strollers or a travel stroller is best and easiest if they are  quick to close up. Note: Some airports have umbrella strollers to use in the terminal (Arlanda in Stockholm and Landvetter in Gothenburg airports have this).

• If it's a long haul flight, call the airlines ahead of time to see what the baggage allowance is, and if you want, to get a crib for the baby and sit in the front row so you can be by the crib (We have done this with British Airways).

• And one bonus tip... Select a special meal online a few days before you check-in for international flights. You can order kids meals and that also means you eat ahead of the others (in Economy Class). 
• One additional bonus tip, if there is a Kids area, let them crawl or walk around before the flight so they will be tired and can sleep on the way!

Safe travels!

Don't forget your snacks!

Ice Cream Season is Year-Round in Sweden!

Ice cream in Swedish is called "Glass" and it is eaten all year round. It doesn't matter if there's snow on the ground or not, Swedish kids are eating it ;) It takes longer to melt when it's freezing outdoors.

There are a few different options when you have an ice cream craving. There are of course ice cream bars at the grocery stores or convenience stores like 7Eleven in Sweden. 

But there are also ice cream stands all around the city and at the parks. There's ice cream at the cafes and there is even an ice cream truck that goes around to different neighbourhoods in the evening time.. it was a rainy day yesterday, and we still heard the ice cream song.

There are surprisingly a few Vegan Ice Cream bars around too, like the the Solero Mango ice cream bar. Really tasty!

The majority of ice cream options are of course, Non-Vegan. Here are a few that we have tried recently.

• Olaf, the snowman character from Frozen has his own Ice Cream!

Olaf ice cream! 

"He's getting smaller, and smaller and he's gone..."

• Vanilla ice cream with Chocolate Linser

There's King brand ice cream that is a push-up ice cream with Linser 

(similar to Smarties but mini) you can eat at the end.

• Ice Cream Scoops or "Kula", add toppings if so desired.

There's ice cream scoops you can have in a cup or cone and even add toppings. Here's a Strawberry ice cream topped with Candy Cane or "Polka" flavored sprinkles.

• Mjukglass or Soft serve Ice cream in a cup!

There's also Mjukglass, which is essentially soft serve ice cream, similar to what's at Mcdonald's. You can often serve yourself and top it with Chocolate or Strawberry sauce.

• Gelato or ice cream scoops!

Small box ice cream from Grocery store.

Gelato is available at a few different places around the city. 

The photo above is from Björngårdsvillan (Café Björngårdsvillan) in Slottsskogen city park.
*Update, they are now selling Gelato from a Gelato stand at the stairs before you go up to the cafe! There are many more different flavors available including more Vegan options :)

Don't forget your snacks! If you're in Gothenburg or Stockholm or plan to visit in the future (Post-Pandemic), you will have many choices for a delicious ice cream. 

Here are a few places offering Gelato around the city:

Note: At least one Vegan flavor was available at all of the places listed below!

(Linnegatan area)

Råda Gelato
Landsvägsgatan 38, Gothenburg, Sweden

They change flavors so you can be sure to try something unique here

Check out their Facebook for more info

Next Level Gelato & Juice Bar

Linnégatan 40, 413 08 Gothenburg, Sweden

They also offer juices, ginger shots in addition to Gelato.

Check out their website

(In City Centre)

Gelaterian Göteborg
Grönsakstorget 1, 411 17 Göteborg, Sweden

Many different flavors to choose from and nice outdoor seating area
Check out their menu on their website 

Gelateria Positano

Kungsportsavenyen 22, 411 36 Göteborg, Sweden

There are several locations of this Gelato place.

Note: At one point the servers wore masks and shields but we visited this place again a couple weeks ago and they weren't wearing anything.

They've expanded their outdoor seating at the Avenyn location since the Spring weather has arrived.

Check out what else they have to offer on their website

In Stockholm, there are many ice cream options too!

Omnomnomn Chocolaterie

Hammarby allé 50, 120 61 Stockholm

Snö Gelato

Mjölnarvägen 26, 131 31 Nacka

Kenny's Gelato

Marcusplatsen, 131 54 Nacka

Check out my blog post

Just Your Kid-friendly Neighbourhood Diner, Egg & Milk!

An American-style diner that's been around in Gothenburg, Sweden for 15 years, Egg & Milk, is a great place for breakfast or brunch. Sit on the Patio or pickup a Takeaway (especially during the Pandemic), our favorite items to order are the American-style Pancakes and Mushroom & Cheese omelette. They offer Vegan Pancakes too!!

Not Canadian Maple Syrup but the Pancakes are still pretty delish!

Egg & Milk has a pretty great Patio to sit in the sunshine and let the sleeping baby sleep.

On nice, sunny days, we have sat on the Egg & Milk patio for lunch. It's a perfect spot to get some sun but if it's chilly, there are no outdoor heaters.

In addition to pancakes and omelettes, there are also bagels, sandwiches, yogurts, waffles, juices, smoothies and milkshakes. My kids enjoy the toasted bagels with cream cheese (it's possible to get Vegan cream cheese or regular) and we often buy a bunch of bagels to take home for later. Egg & Milk also sells Pancake mix, syrup and Marshmallows. 

Note: During the Pandemic, you must line-up outside until it's your turn to order. Once the cashier is empty, you can go inside.

On Thursdays, Egg & Milk offers All-U-Can-Eat Pancakes! You can top them with syrup, hershey's chocolate or caramel sauce. Butter is an extra charge. You can see who the current record holder is and how many pancakes they managed to eat, at the cashier counter. 

There are blueberry pancakes and chocolate chip pancakes too!

During a hot day, the inside of Egg & Milk can feel like a sauna, on really popular days we found a table inside but there was no ventilation. This was Pre-Pandemic, since we don't sit indoors at any restaurants these days. So try to find a patio table if it's a sunny day!

Pancake Takeway for a Picnic at the Park.

If you are in Gothenburg or visiting the city in the future (Post-Pandemic), be sure to stop by Egg & Milk for some delicious breakfast, brunch or lunch! 

Vegan Pancakes!

Enjoy your Thursday (or Ascension Day off if you're in Sweden) and remember, don't forget your snacks! 

Egg & Milk

Övre Husargatan 23, 413 19 Göteborg, Sweden

Check out their website for their full menu.
* Prices are pretty reasonable for the portion sizes!

Egg & Milk is also available for Food delivery on Foodora!

Celebrate Chocolate Ball Day on May 11th!

Sweden is all about celebrating different dessert holidays. May 11th, is the day to celebrate the Chocolate Ball or "Chokladbollen" in Swedish. The Chokladboll is a traditional Swedish dessert that can be made Vegan and Non-Vegan.

Steinbrenner och Nyberg in Gothenburg is just one of the bakeries offering a deal on chocolate balls.

A deal on Chocolate Balls from Steinbrenner & Nyberg. Buy 4 and only pay for 3! 

The traditional Chocolate ball is covered in coconut, but there are also ones covered in hard Sugar too. 

This one is Vegan and covered in hard sugar pieces (like salt on pretzel).

How will you celebrate Chokladbollens Dag? Will you make some at home or pick some up at a bakery or cafe? Whatever you do, enjoy your treats! 

Glad Chokladbollens dag! (Happy Chocolate Ball day!)  

Stockholm Cafes to check out!

Cafe Pascal

Magnus Johansson Bageri & Konditori 

Skeppsbro Bageri

Bröd & Salt 

Don't forget your snacks! 

10+ Rainy Day Indoor Activities for Kids

The rainy weather has come back this week and that means, I need to brainstorm a few indoor activities for the tots to keep busy with while we are indoors. They don't mind repeating the same activity, in fact, when we do pretend play, we often repeat a scene multiple times!! Kids are so creative and hilarious.

Here are a few Indoor activities we have enjoyed doing when we have rainy days and limit our time outdoors.

• Painting with Fruit Puree. They started out eating it, but then decided to paint with it instead ;)

• Pretend play Cinderella, cleaning windows (Give them a spray bottle full of water and a towel! My daughter was busy for awhile on this)
• Counting macaroni, transferring it into cups from a bowl
• Airport, Hotel, Shops - Can you tell we love Pretend Play at our house?
• Water painting on window

• Hide a toy and they find it or traditional Hide and Seek
• "Washing dishes"

• Guess what's missing from a box of toys or on a blanket (we also played this on our recent picnic).
• Making 'Moon Dough' *1 cup conditioner, 2 cups Cornstarch
• More Baking!! Cookies, cakes, breads.. whatever you're in the mood for. 
• Reading our Old and New(we borrow books from the Book bus every few weeks and we rotate between their favourites)
• Puzzles! The toddler has started to enjoy helping me with puzzles:)
• Playdoh!
• Cutting paper and gluing it on paper (supervised if they aren't so confident with scissors)
• Stickers and Sticker books!
• 
• 
  
• Rubberband ball

Enjoy the indoor play and remember, don't forget your snacks!

Explore Delsjön in Gothenburg, Sweden for a nice nature walk!

Another place we like to walk is Delsjön. It's about a 25 min walk from Liseberg amusement park. The lake is a great place for picnics and BBQs during a nice day Spring or Summer day. 

Signs like this are all over the city - at parks, playgrounds, businesses - 

but that doesn't mean people actually read or follow them!

The path towards the Lake is stroller friendly and 

pretty flat except for a few steep sections at the beginning.

We have also walked (and more recently driven) to the far side of the lake and walked from the parking area around the smaller lake, Lilla Delsjön. 

Food and Drink 

There are two cafes at the lakes that we have visited, one is close to the big lake Stora Delsjön, the other near the smaller lake. Also right by the big lake, there is a food stand right before the grassy area, that seems to be open on nicer days.

This is the cozy little cafe by Lilla Delsjön. It even has a nice fireplace.

Both of the cafes we have visited, offer plenty of outdoor seating and are nice places to stop for a hot drink and treat. They also offer some lunch items like wraps and sandwiches. Last time we visited (April 2021) they also had Oat Milk available for Coffee.

Swimming In The Lake!

It doesn't matter how cold it is, we have seen Swedes jump right in for a swim in the lake even when it's 5 celsius out. I've only swam when it's a really warm day and I've been sitting in the sun (over 20 celsius at least).

Getting to Delsjön

You can take the #5 tram from city centre to get to the lakes.

We stopped taking the buses and trams during the Pandemic so the last time we visited the lake, we walked the whole way. It took us about an hour and a half to walk from our place with a few stops. 

It seems like a long way to travel, but we made a day out of it and on our way we stopped to see a few things, grab an ice latte takeaway and even feed the ducks. Of course, we had to pack enough snacks for everyone (hard boiled eggs, nuts -for us adults, bananas, chips, cheese, and more... Check out my blog for more to-go snack ideas)

Our weekend plans always include at least one family walk, so it was really great to make it out to the lakes and get some great warm weather too. 

If you are in Gothenburg, or plan to visit in the future (Post-Pandemic), and like to do some nature walks, be sure to include Delsjön to your list!

Don't forget your snacks!