Top 5 things to know about Moving to Sweden

Moving to a new country is definitely an adventure. Moving halfway across the world to Sweden, trying to learn a new language and learn about a new culture can be a challenge. 

Here are the Top 5 things to know about moving to Sweden...

* Your apartment insurance can cover things like your travel insurance and not just personal belongings like your mobile phone. 

I have had to use the insurance when my phone got stolen. Yes, there is still theft in Sweden. It's not a paradise, free from crime, as some people seem to think. I feel like many people including myself tend to let their guard down here. We expect less incidents of crime like theft to happen but, it does unfortunately. Phone theft has actually happened to a couple of friends as well, and one of the incidents happened was in a gated playground. I was told they target moms or seniors - people otherwise busy and easy targets. Thanks...  :/

* Taxes in Sweden are higher. It depends on your salary of course, but don't be surprised to see how much is taken off on your paystub.

* There's no need to tip at restaurants. You never see anyone tipping during lunch. During dinner, you can tip if you feel like you got some really great customer service.

* Finding an apartment is not easy. This is the case in Gothenburg and in other cities in Sweden. The queue for renting an apartment is long. Many friends have had to move away when their rental contract was up because they couldnt find a place. We bought a place to avoid the stress of renting again and worrying about only being able to rent for a specific period of time.

* Finding a job can be tough! This is dependent on which industry you work in, of course and whether you can use English or need to learn Swedish first. 

For parents, it's also good to know what the childcare situation is in Sweden. There are plenty of daycares and it's affordable. Daycare usually starts from when the child is 1 years old. For more info check out my blog on daycare in Sweden

If you're planning a move to Sweden, just like when visiting other countries it's nice to learn a few words/phrases in that language or take a free Government course, SFI. Most Swedes also speak good English and like to practice it with English-speakers. 

Good luck and enjoy your adventure :)

Dont forget your snacks!

Check out some of my other blog posts on Sweden!

• Giving birth in Sweden
• What is Swedish fika?
• Dagenslunch 
• Must try Swedish foods
• Crayfish season 
• Semla in Stockholm 

Söderhallarna Closing for Renovations

The Saluhallen or Söderhallarna, located in the neighborhood of Södermalm, in Stockholm, Sweden plans to close down for rebuilding at the end of the year.

The Food Hall's website says it will be a 2 year project until 2026 and start the renovation in 2024. Unfortunately, there will be no temporary set-up until the new Food Hall is complete.

Check out Söderhallarna and all the food vendors, before it closes!

**Update, the Market Hall is pretty empty these days,with most vendors closed.

 

We only saw a fish vendor and a crowded bakery cafe, Cafe Söder Espresso, open on a weekend in November. 

Check out my Previous blog post on The Södermalm Food Hall to see how the Saluhall used to be.

 

Hopefully, it'll be nicely renovated after all the upgrades!

Don't forget your snacks!

Söderhallarna

Medborgarplatsen 3, 118 26 Stockholm, Sweden

Pumpkin Spice Season

Summer has ended and the Fall season has arrived. With the shorter days, cooler weather, and Fall colors, there's nothing like some cozy Fika with some Fall flavors. The Pumpkin Spice season is here!

Wondering where you can find some Pumpkin Spice flavored hot (and cold drinks) in Stockholm? (Here are a few cafes, will add to list as we discover new places!)

Waynes Coffee

Drottninggatan 33, 111 51 Stockholm

Starbucks Stockholm 

Centralplan 15, 111 20 Stockholm

Cafe Cloud 

Babordsgatan 25, 120 64 Stockholm

Bröd & Salt

Humlegårdsgatan 7, 114 46 Stockholm

Espresso House

Drottninggatan 33-35, 111 51 Stockholm

Sometimes you just need a coffee break to get you through the day. Warm up with some Pumpkin Spice latte at a cafe or grab one to go!

Check out my blog on Swedish Fika

Don't forget your snacks!

Yasuragi Stockholm

A peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of the busy week? Yasuragi in Stockholm, Sweden is an amazing getaway for some quiet, peaceful, screenfree time to just relax.

"Disconnect and relax" signs are seen in the spa area which is a mobile phone free zone.

Stay at the spa for a few hours or overnight. You can even choose from a Japanese style room to a regular hotel room or, for those who really want to disconnect, there's even a TV free hotel room option.

According to the hotel's description, "Yasuragi" is the sound one makes when they step into the Japanese hot springs and exhale. 

After traditional Japanese bathing to clean one's self before heading to the baths, it is recommended to start with a foot bath to warm up.

After that, you can explore the various places to relax around the spa, like a Carbon dioxide bubble pool with light bubbles, both a dry sauna and salt steam sauna as well as a Sleep sauna where you can lie down!

Indoor pools are nice and relaxing as well! They are warm but not too hot so it's a nice place to get adjusted to the temperature. The main pool area is big enough to swim around in if you feel like it.

Our favorite, however, were the outdoor baths which are 39C. This is as close to Japanese onsen as one can get. There are several outdoor baths under a covered area so you can spread out if there are other people. 

The spa hotel is surrounded by pine trees and beautiful views of the water. You feel so far from the city at Yasuragi even if it's just a short boat ride, bus ride or taxi ride away. 

Remember to stay hydrated! When you first arrive at the spa reception, you can pick up an empty water bottle to fill, and your towels. You also get a bathing suit to take home and a robe and slippers to borrow. The robe is available to purchase if interested for 175kr.

Of course, there is a fruit and tea buffet included in the spa time. If you want more snacks or food, get some snacks at the hotel reception or check out one of the restaurants.

Aside from the spa, there are Nature walks and activities you can do during your visit to Yasuragi. Activities take place in the Dojo or outside and include some morning stretches, yoga classes, and even some quiet meditation classes! 

The sound journey mediation activity was very relaxing and a nice way to start your stay. Check the digital screens around the hotel for the activity schedule. 

The morning sessions were really nice, just be sure not to eat too much at the breakfast buffet, which features both Swedish and Japanese breakfast items like Miso soup and pastries.

This was such a relaxing escape and a lovely experience! Everyone needs a break every once in awhile. If you're in Stockholm and enjoy the spa, or curious about a Japanese bath experience, check out Yasuragi for various spa packages - even one with a 3-course dinner after spa time 😌 

It's even a great place to celebrate a birthday complete with snacks and some bubbly. Thank you Yasuragi! 

Don't forget your snacks!

Yasuragi

Hamndalsvägen 8, 132 81 Saltsjö-boo

Check out their website for more info

Fancy Fox Stockholm

 

Kids leggings are one of the first items of clothing that need to be replaced...they get a lot of use especially when they are running around, sliding down stairs and using them daily. 

I'm always on tbe hunt for some good quality leggings - kids are not interested in jeans right now.

Fancy Fox Stockholm makes handmade leggings that you can customize with cool patterns and prints for the little ones. Inspired by her own children, the durability  is tested by them daily! 

Quality is super important to Fancy Fox and the leggings come in various thicknesses and many of the fabrics used are made with organic cotton.

We are looking forward to trying them out!

Cute foil dino fabric for a little guy who likes dinos!

Ordering from Fancy Fox, was an easy, smooth experience. You can contact them to ask for any prints you don't see on the website and any other questions!

If you're in Stockholm, you can choose to pickup your order otherwise, you can have it sent by mail, you just pay the postage. 

Aside from leggings, Fancy Fox also makes scrunchies and dresses with the same cute patterns! 

If you're looking for some unique leggings for your little ones or gifts for friends, check out Fancy Fox Stockholm! It's always great to support small businesses :)

Don't forget your snacks!

Fancy Fox Stockholm 

Check out their website to see what's available!

Blue Parrot Coffee Vancouver

Located at the end of the Granville Island Public Market right by the main outdoor eating area, Blue Parrot Coffee is a family owned and operated business.

While the rest of the Public Market closes at 6pm (except for the nearby Gelato place which also closes around 7pm), this coffee shop is open for dessert and coffee until 7pm! This was a nice surprise to discover recently on our trip to the Granville Island Public Market.

Parents (and grandparents) were happy to find tea and coffee after dinner and before some evening playground time!

The snacks, like the cookies, were delicious as well! Individually wrapped to easily take with you. 

Blue Parrot is a popular spot during the day with beautiful views of Vancouver and False Creek.  They have one more location in the city at Hillcrest Centre.

If you find yourself at Granville Island Public Market for an early dinner and want a hot or cold drink with your meal, or would like something to start your day (they open at 7am), stop by Blue Parrot!

Whether it's for hot water for tea, some coffee or a dessert, Blue Parrot Coffee is a great choice with friendly staff and delicious treats.

Don't forget your snacks!

Blue Parrot Coffee

Public Market, 1689 Johnston St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3R9, Canada

Check out their website for more information.

Glossy Vegan Cakes Stockholm

I was on a hunt for a kid's birthday cake! The bakery I had originally planned to get the cake from, unfortunately, no longer carried that seasonal vegan cake :(

Having a little one with various allergies, we wanted a vegan cake but also one that was nut and soy free and I had about a week to order it. 

We were so happy to find Glossy Vegan Cakes, a bakery that started in January 2023. They specialize in creating custom cakes for peope with various allergies or dietary restrictions!

When I contacted them for questions about a cake, they replied quickly and answered all of my questions. They even sent photos of other Customers' birthday cakes as suggestions to help us decide which design we wanted.

Glossy Vegan Cakes is located in Märsta, about about hour from Stockholm, Sweden. You can pickup your order or get the cake delivered. We chose the delivery option and they even notified me when the cake was on the way!

We were very pleased with the birthday cake! It was a vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream and the cake moist and delicious. The design we chose was so cute and everything was edible. Party guests couldn't believe it was Vegan! It was definitely one of the highlights of our kid's birthday 🎉 

Great service, beautiful custom designs and delicious Vegan cake! If you're in Stockholm and looking for a custom cake, definitely check out Glossy Cakes to add something special to your upcoming celebration. It's always great to support small business as well. 

Glossy Cakes 

Vikingavägen 5, 195 51 Märsta

Check out their website for more info and ordering information. 

Mall of Scandinavia Stockholm Sweden

The Mall of Scandinavia, located in Solna, is Sweden and Scandinavia's largest indoor shopping area. It's next to Friends Arena, which is a popular concert venue and recently where Beyoncé performed during her Renaissance concert tour.

There is plenty is see at this shopping center! With over 230 shops, movie theaters, tons of restaurants and places to grab snacks, you can easily spend an afternoon here! 

If you're with kids, there are a number of kids indoor spaces to run around in and baby lounges if baby needs feeding or changing as well.

We visited for an a few hours and it was surprisingly bigger than we thought so the time just flew by.

Since it was our first visit to the Mall of Scandinavia, we walked around each floor to see what stores we wanted to check out afterwards. 

We found a Uniqlo and Decathlon stores which we have ordered online from and a few other stores to checkout before returning to the hungry kids.

All the playing and shopping makes one hungry, thankfully, there are many different restaurants offering various cuisines and a couple of Buffet places as well. 

Kids and grandparents can sit and rest, have some food while parents can go grab some snacks or dessert or visit that store they just wanted to take a quick look at.

We enjoyed Bubble Tea at Roji Monster!

This shopping center is a great place to visit if it's rainy or too cold out, and you're looking for an indoor activity for the afternoon. Kids and grandparents had a great time at the Mall of Scandinavia! We will definitely visit again.

Don't forget your snacks!

Mall of Scandinavia 

Stjärntorget 13 C, 169 79 Solna

Check out their website for more info and to plan your visit!