Bedtime Books for Kids

The Kids' Favorite books for bedtime changes depending on their mood and how sleepy they are. Most nights, we read a maximum of three books in our bedtime routine. We've found that it's a good length of time before the kids get sleepy. On an ideal night, during the third book, they actually fall asleep!! But that doesn't always happen these days.

"The Berenstain Bears' Nursery Tales" by Stan and Jan Berenstain has been a favorite for long time. This book contains 3 stories, The Three Bears, The Littel Red Hen and The Gingerbread Man. 

"When I'm Sleepy" by Jane R. Howard, is a great book about falling asleep and what it feels like to sleep with different animals in different places.

We also have a few interactive books that the toddler loves us to read to and "read" by themselves.
"Are you there little fox?" and "Peek-a-boo-house" (A book in Swedish that I read in English)

"The Ear Book" and "Hand Hand Finger Thumb", is a bit more upbeat for bedtime, so if they want us to read it, it's usually one of the first books we read for bedtime.

If we think they need a longer story then we choose a slightly longer book.

Where do we find our English books in Sweden?

• The kids also love to read the 'new' library books after we borrow new ones. We love to borrow books from the library through the Book bus that visits our neighbourhood twice a week. It''s always exciting to see which books we will find that week.
• We have also ordered new books online at Amazon.se and Bookdepository (although I think there may be an extra fee now that the UK is not part of the EU)
• And of course we have also found some Second Hand books online or at Second Hand stores. 

Enjoy the reading and good luck with bedtime! And remember, don't forget your snacks (but none right before bed, of course)!

Celebrate Cinnamon Bun Day Oct 4th!

Monday, October 4th is when Swedes celebrate "Cinnamon Bun Day" or  Kanelbullens dag in Swedish ! 

Yes, Sweden has a more than a few "Food holidays" and one of them is coming up! Cinnamon bun or Kanelbulle in Swedish, is a tradtional pastry eaten during a Coffee Break or "Fika". Although it has the same name, the Swedish Cinnamon bun is different from the North American one and not everyone likes them!

A Swedish cinnamon bun is made with a popular spice called, Cardamon. The cardamom flavor is pretty strong, so if Cardamom is not your thing, than this is one pastry you wouldn't enjoy.

Another difference between the Swedish Cinnamon bun and the North American Cinnamon bun is, a Swedish Cinnamon bun does not have any icing or glaze on top. Instead, they sprinkle it with hard sugar bits similar to pretzels and how pretzels are topped with hard salt. So, unfortunately, they aren't as gooey or soft. However, these Swedish pastries are still delicious for those that enjoy the flavors of Cinnamon and Cardamon. And there's no denying that they are one of the most popular traditional Swedish pastry to enjoy! 

A tip, for those who enjoy a Swedish cinnamon bun or kannelbulle, if you heat it up for 10 seconds it'll be even better. If you are ordering this in a cafe, you can even ask them to heat it up for you (My MIL did this when she ordered a Cardamom bun, which is a similar pastry but minus the sugar on top and uses more cardamom).

These were delicious buns from Alvar & Ivar, a local bakery in Gothenburg where we often buy Fika bread from.

In Stockholm, there are many cafes and bakeries to get a good Swedish Cinnamon bun!

Bröd & Salt, Fabrique, Magnus Johansson Bageri & Konditori, and Skeppsbro bageri are just a few to choose from! 

Looking for a Vegan alternative? 

Kanelbullar can also be made Vegan! And actually, Vegan Cinnamon buns are even available at convenience stores like Pressbyrån and 7-eleven!! 

The Swedish 7-eleven has many fresh cookies, pastries and snacks to choose from. 

If you're in Stockholm, Vete-katten and Hagabageri also do some good Vegan cinnamon buns!

Check out my Vete-Katten post!

And if you are in Gothenburg, don't forget about the Extra Large Cinnamon bun in Haga!

The Hagabullen is available in Haga from Cafe Husaren. Check out my blog post about The Hagabullen! They are also Vegan!

So don't forget to enjoy a Cinnamon bun on Oct 4th. Whether it be the Swedish version or the North American version, enjoy your treat! They make great snacks. Happy Cinnamon Bun Day!

Don't forget your snacks!

Blog post on Bröd & Salt

Blog post on Fabrique 

Blog post on Magnus Johansson Bageri & Konditori 

Blog post on Skeppsbro Bageri 

My Favorite Vegan Ice Cream

 

When I started being Dairy-free, I made sure to keep my eye out for snacks that I could eat. Pastries, cookies, ice cream - I missed being able to eat them. It was more difficult at the very beginning when I had to give up some of my favorite snacks. So, I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were more Dairy-free or Vegan snacks popping up in stores and cafes in the city. More and more people were interested in non-Dairy options and of course, I had to try them all :)

Vegan Ice Cream!

I was amazed by all of the different Vegan Ice Creams available! There are a few different brands that you can even get at the regular grocery store (3 Vänners, Lily & Hanna's, and even a GB Glace). I like a couple more than what is featured in the photo above... like Ben & Jerry's chocolate brownie. 

Also, Oatly brand Vanilla, toddler likes this one, although I found it a bit too sweet.

Dairy-free Sorbets are great too! 

My Favorite Ice Cream Bars:

• Magnum Vegan Almond
• 3 Vänners Mint bar

Those are definitely in my freezer snack area these days. The Magnum Vegan Almond actually doesn't taste Vegan!! I always enjoyed a regular Magnum ice cream, so this was a nice surprise to find.

The 3 Vänners Mint bar is also pretty tasty but maybe its because I love mint chocolate? 

There are a few milk-free Sorbet that we have found like:
Triumf Glass brand Mango Passionfruit, and
Strawberry Sorbet from Picard. 

The kids have enjoyed these flavors during the summer. It's nice to be able to have ice cream on a summer day or an after dinner treat any season.

While visiting Canada, we found some dairy-free, nut-free and soy-free ice cream sandwiches. They're small so great for a little dessert.

Hope this gave you some ideas for Vegan Ice creams to try! Thanks for reading and remember, don't forget your snacks!

Car Ride Tips Part 2

 

In the Summertime, we went on a 6 day roadtrip with our two little ones. I previously wrote a blog with some Car Ride tips for kids and this is an updated version. The Kids are older and this was the longest roadtrip we have done with them.

Of course the kids are 3 years apart so what works for the oldest won't necessarily work for the toddler.

The longest period of time we drove with them was 2 hours. After that, everyone needed a break.

They have really improved so much since our first shorter Road Trip earlier this year. One of the biggest changes aside from them being a bit older is, we now have two front facing carseats so both can look forward instead of sitting backwards. 

Here are some General Tips that worked for both Kids.

• We are using Front Facing Brio carseats for both. 
• One parent in the back and actually, one kid in the front. The older one might be easier because the younger one kept trying to grab the water bottle and drop it and even though it's a nice view upfront for them, they are fine in the back too.
• Kids animal songs were a huge hit!!
• Snacks

Tips for the Preschooler

• Audio books: Fun fables and fairy tales on Spotify!
• Games like "I spy" and "20 questions".

Tips for the Toddler

• Something for teething - dried mango, cookies, oranges
• Toys to play with in the car
• Stickers
• Pez toy minus the Pez

The toddler gets car sick if roads are windy or there are too many bumps.. it's always hard to predict what the route will be like. We ordered some throw-up bags to be prepared. And actually have had to use them a few times already. They are just like the paper bags they have in the seat pocket infront of you on the plane. Hopefully, the toddler will outgrow being so sensitive to windy/bumpy roads (but I am a little sensitive to that too)!

Enjoy your road trips with kids and remember don't forget your snacks!

What is Dagenslunch?

Dagenslunch in English simply means "Daily lunch". In Sweden, specifically in Gothenburg and Stockholm, this lunch is available only on weekdays. 

On weekends, they switch to something they call a 'Shopping lunch' which is a bit more expensive than a Daily lunch and has fewer options or just "a la carte" dishes.

The traditional Dagenslunch comes with a serve yourself salad bar, coffee/tea and sometimes a cookie or something sweet for dessert. 

Eatery Lunch offers "Something Sweet" on Tuesdays like apple crumble and vanilla sauce.

For the main meal, there are usually three meal options: Meat (Kött), Fish (Fisk) or Vegetarian (Vegetarisk). Drinks are often included and can be low alcohol beer, soda, or still or sparkling water. Not all restaurants offer drinks, however, sometimes it's just water.

Delicious steak lunch is an option at Le Pain Francais! 

I remember when I first moved to Sweden and started working, whenever we went for lunch, I would go for a place that offered a Dagenslunch. At the beginning, I used to take one plate of salad and then if I wanted more, I went back. Later, I realized that NOONE else did this. They would just take one plate of salad and that's it! So it's not really an All-U-Can-Eat salad, just a serve yourself once kind of salad.

Roast beef at Villa Belparc restaurant in Slottsskogen park, Gothenburg

The traditional self-serve salad is not offered at many restaurants since the Pandemic and has been replaced with a small plate of salad instead that has been prepared and put onto plates already.

During the last few months (while working from home) we have started to enjoy Dagenslunch outdoors on a patio, as Corona-friendly as possible.

There is usually Hand sanitizer by the salad or coffee and cookies area and at the entrance of the restaurants. I've seen that many people are good about using that before they handle the serving tongs.

Räkmacka or shrimp sandwich!

Not all restaurants in the city offer a Dagenslunch, however, some just offer a regular menu. So if you are interested in a particular restaurant, make sure to check their website before heading over. If they do offer a Dagenslunch the menu will say  "Lunch Week 35" (for example) and it will list the available options on that lunch page.
Pro-tip: Depending on the restaurant, it may get busy, so making a table reservation is a good idea and saves you from getting disappointed due to no tables available.

Note: Sweden uses week numbers to refer to specific weeks!

What are some things you can eat at a Dagenslunch?

Why, traditional Swedish dishes of course!

The fish option came with shrimp salad or "Skagenröra" and of course potatoes :)

I've had breaded fish and mashed potatoes, meatballs and mash, a plate of bacon and mash, and of course the Pea soup and pancakes that they offer when the weather starts cooling off (in the Fall). 

Fiskgryta or fish stew (with shrimp, fish and potatoes) lunch at Fanny Udde.

Dagenslunch is a great opportunity to sample some traditional Swedish dishes or Husmanskost ("homecooking"). Lunch prices are really reasonable especially compared to the price of dinner. Dagenslunch prices can vary from 99kr to 130kr. Remember this already includes tax, and there is usually no tipping required at lunch. 

Delicious fish with mash potatoes

If you're in Sweden or plan to visit, try to enjoy a Dagenslunch on a weekday for a great lunch deal!

Don't forget your snacks!

Top 5 Facts About Being a Parent in Sweden

When we first moved to Sweden, I wasn't a parent. I was newly married and it was the first time we lived together. But living in Sweden with kids versus without kids is a very different experience. We enjoyed many years of traveling from Gothenburg to other countries all over Europe during our "Double Income No Kids" period of our lives.

After we became pregnant and had our first child, we started to understand why people kept telling us that Sweden is such a great place to raise a young family. This is actually one of the reasons why we are still living in Sweden today.

Here are 5 Interesting Facts about being a Parent in Sweden:

1. Generous amount of Parental Leave and you are allowed to work 75% if you choose, when you go back to work.
2. So many playgrounds (even rain playgrounds)!
3. Daycare widely available
4. Benefits for Kids
5. VAB days or days off to take care of a sick child.

Parental Leave

Maternity and Paternity leave (or Mammaledig and Pappaledig) is very generous in Sweden. You get 1.5 years to share. And the partner needs to take at least 3 months for you to get the full amount. Those days can also be saved until kids are older. Note: There are high pay and low pay days though. And navigating Försakringskassan (Swedish Social Insurance Agency) as new parents isn't easy but it is manageable! 

Playgrounds 

Nature and the outdoors is plentiful here in Sweden. The saying, "There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing." is an old Scandinavian saying and something we have learned since being here. You can be sure to find a number of playgrounds around as well. Sweden also has many daycares and those daycares usually have outdoor play areas. During the weekends, we have visited different daycare playgrounds in our neighbourhood. 

Daycare or 'Förskola'

Usually, your child can start from when they turn 1, but some choose to keep kids home until later (our kids started at 16 months and the other, at 1 year).

As mentioned above, Sweden has plenty of daycares available. For example, in our little section of our neighbourhood, there are actually 4 different daycares all nearby each other. It's amazing how close your daycare can be to your home too. It makes it so convenient for drop-off and pickup. Our daycare is just a 5 minute walk from our house. 

With the monthly child benefit from the Government, the cost of daycare is practically free. 

Depending on the daycare, kids get a wide array of meals provided by the daycare. Some even use vegetables grown in the school's garden! Our daycare even has a daily alternative meal for my son who has allergies. 

In the summer, the daycare closes for 4 weeks, but if you need to work, there are Summer daycares as well. Most people take time off in the summer. Most companies give employees 6 weeks vacation per year and if you want to take 4 weeks in the summer, they are not allowed to refuse!!

Benefits for Kids 

There are a few different benefits for kids in Sweden. Dental care is free until Age 25 (check-ups and X-Rays). If they need prescibed medicine, like for example, my son has allergies and can have really bad ezcema, all the cortisone cream and anti-histamines for him are free. Parents also receive a monthly child benefit which is enough to cover the cost of the monthly daycare fee. 

VAB or "Vård av barn" 

These are basically Government paid days when you "take care of sick kids" or if the place that takes care of your kids is closed. During Covid, this happened to a few schools, but not our daycare (even though there were cases:/)

Parents are entitled to paid days off when a child gets sick (up to 120 days in a Calendar year) from when the child is 8 months to 12 years old. But for the last 60 days this is only if the child is sick and not the person (caregiver) who usually takes care of them. Unlike in Canada, where you use your own sick days if you need to be off with a sick kid. 

Sweden has been really great for our little family. Where else can you get 6 weeks vacation and actually get paid more when you take vacation days? We have found many benefits and advantages living here and we feel really lucky to have this opportunity. Of course, there are always things that we have found that haven't been good, but that's for another blog!

Thanks for reading, and remember don't forget your snacks!

Långbergets Sporthotell in the Summer

 

This year, we decided to do a Family Staycation for our Summer vacation. We did a road trip North of Gothenburg and one of the main destinations was Långbergets Sporthotell in Värmland, Sweden. Långberget is located in the mountains, in the middle of the North Värmland. We stayed at one of the private cabins for a few days and had a really lovely time!

This was our first visit to the Sporthotell. This Sporthotell was one of summer places suggested by a Swedish friend. When we booked it, Summer had already started and it was proving hard to find availability at other places because of course, almost everyone was doing a Staycation this summer.

 Långbbergets Sporthotell was better than we expected - It's a popular place to stay in the winter for winter sports so we had no idea how busy or quiet it would be in the summer. Luckily, it was the latter, so we were able to keep distance and stay Covid-safe during our trip.

Our private cabin had 2 bedrooms, one with bunk beds, the other with 2 single beds. The kitchen was open to the living room and there was even a small deck to sit out on to watch the sunset (very late sunsets in the summer!). 

Modern renovated kitchen with a stove and oven. It also included basics like Utensils, pans and a kettle. The toaster was broken, but we asked reception for a replacement 

and they actually dropped off another toaster right away.

There were other private cabins along the road and some are located closer to the main hotel reception. For our cabin, you could walk up the ski hill to get to the main reception in about 10min. 

My absolute favorite part of our private cabin had to be the sauna! The sauna was not to be used at the same time as the stove. So I waited until we were done with dinner before I turned the sauna on to heat it up for my sauna evening time. Really great for sore muscles after hiking/carrying kids around.

Our activities at the Långbergets Sporthotell included hiking, swimming at the pool, caneoing and just relaxing in our cabin which surprisingly even had a TV. 

For the canoe ride, we rented a canoe from the hotel and canoed at the nearby lake. 
The staff was very helpful with finding some lifejackets for our 4-year old (we brought one for the 1.5 year old). They also included a dry bag with the canoe rental.
Checkout my blog entry about Canoeing with Kids

Here's our hike to the main hotel building. There is breakfast buffet offered every morning (it wasn't included in our booking but we tried it one morning) and the pool is located right by the hotel reception. 

Beautiful views from the pool at Långbergets Sporthotell. The pool was 'heated' but actually still really cold when the sun wasn't out. Showers are located inside the hotel.

Cabin cleaning isn't included so on our last day we followed the checklist and cleaned up all areas in the cabin. This was a little tricky with kids but manageable. One parent kept both kids outside while the other organized and cleaned. Note: You can also pay to have a cleaning service done for you.

We really enjoyed our stay at Långbergets Sporthotell. If you're looking for a nice family Staycation at a private cabin in the mountains with a few outdoor activities, I would definitely recommend it.

Långbergets Sporthotell AB
Hotellvägen 1, 680 60 Sysslebäck

Check out their website for availability

Alvar & Ivar Surdegsbakeri

My co-pilot actually discovered Alvar & Ivar Surdegsbakeri ('Sourdough bakery' in English) in Gothenburg, Sweden, after a cycling ride. He tried some of the buns and told me of the delicious discovery. I love bread and pastries! We have been buying baked goods from this bakery since that time years ago. This neighborhood bakery specializes in Sourdough bread but they also bake many other types of bread including a few sweet buns Fruit and Nut, Cinnamon buns (kanelbullar) and Cardamom buns (kardamummabullar).

Alvar & Ivar is quite popular and can get busy(especially on the weekend) so we haven't visited as often this year. Even during the Pandemic, on a weekend, we have seen a line around the block the cafe because only 1 customer is allowed inside at a time. There is now an option on their website to order ahead of time to pick-up on Saturdays. So you can go ahead of line at the shop to pick-up your order.

"Endast 1 person i butiken", only 1 person in the shop. Covid restrictions are still in place at different shops around the city (as of Sept 2021)

During certain holidays this Artisan bakery bakes special Breads. During the Easter season, for example, there's Easter or Påsk bread and buns with chocolate and nuts.

Their Cinnamon buns and Cardamom buns are especially delicious. Everything is Baked fresh on site. When you enter the bakery, the wonderful smell of fresh bread and buns just hits you. It gets so warm in there as well, which we noticed the other day when picking up some cinnamon buns. No wonder they were closed for most of the summer - it probably gets too hot to bake in there with it being so warm outside too.

If you are visiting Gothenburg or living in Gothenburg and strolling around the Haga/Linné area, be sure to check out this delicious artisan Bakery! But do note, they can be sold out of some of their popular items! The other day we visited for Cinnamon buns and we bought the last 7 buns! They make such delicious snacks :)

Thanks for reading and remember, don't forget your snacks!

Alvar & Ivar Surdegsbakeri

Kastellgatan 11, 413 07 Göteborg

Check out their website for information on how to order ahead.