SkiStar Hammarbybacken - Summer Activities

A ski hill just a short commute from Stockholm city, SkiStar Hammarbybacken, has opened for Summer activities!

If you're looking for a great family activity, why not try a tube ride, trampoline or maybe the downhill Mountain Coaster! Note: Only kids ages 3 and up can go on these rides.

For the Mountain Coaster, Kids 3-7 must ride with an adult. You can buy single ticket or a 3 or 5 pack of tickets. Parents need their own ticket even when riding with a child. 

The tube ride ticket gives you 30min of tubing fun on 3 different tracks! A parent can ride with a child and there is no charge for the parent. 

Buy your tickets on the SkiStar app or onsite! We found it easier to use the app because then you don't need to worry about losing the paper ticket with your QR code.

You can also buy a 3 hour pass and ride as much as you want during those 3 hours!

Note: The physical cars cost an extra 55kr.

There is also an obstacle climbing park and "Summer ski" area at Hammarbybacken. 

We've tried both the Mountain Coaster and the tubing, and they were awesome! It's such a cool idea, a lot of fun and so close to the city. Definitely fun for kids over 3 years old, especially since the kids are now off for Summer vacation!

The Mountain coaster and tubing area are located at the bottom of the ski hill. For the climbing area, you need to hike up the hill to get to it.

In need of snacks? There's a cafe at the bottom of the ski hill where you can find food like hot dogs or Swedish pastries and hot and cold drinks. There's also indoor seating. Of course, you can bring your own snacks to have in-between rides. 

Rock-climbing and trampoline are new additions to Hammarbybacken!

They've also added their mascot, Valle and some small playgrounds as you walk up the ski hill. It's especially exciting for the kids!

If you're looking for some outdoor summer activities for your family, check out Hammarbybacken in Stockholm!

Don't forget your snacks! 

SkiStar Hammarbybacken 

Hammarby Fabriksväg 111, 120 66

Stockholm, Sweden 

Check out their website for prices and booking information!

Clarion Hotel Post Gothenburg

 

We recently stayed at the Clarion Hotel Post in Gothenburg, Sweden. Located in Gothenburg centre, the hotel used to be an old post office, hence the name. We had a great night and enjoyed our stay - including the Swedish hotel breakfast!

The Clarion Hotel Post's breakfast is served on the main floor of the hotel. Check with the front desk on the breakfast hours. During our stay in May 2022, we had to book a breakfast time to avoid crowding... although it was pretty crowded anyways.

The delicious breakfast included a variety of cold and warm dishes. They even had a tasty dessert section with little brownies and cakes! 

The breakfast area had multiple tables for the main food. For the hot dishes you could choose from items like sausages, thin pancakes, and eggs. The cold dishes included deli meats, cheeses, and smoked salmon (both warm and cold smoked).

There were also a few different drink stations to get tea/coffee, and juice but it seemed like everyone wanted to lineup at the closer coffee station, so it was slow getting your drinks.

One station offered some dairy free, gluten free and Egg free alternatives which included, yogurt, milk, bread, cheese, and even a couple of desserts. With a few allergies in our family, it's always nice when a hotel breakfast has some great alternatives. 

The Clarion Hotel Post is a very popular hotel located next to Gothenburg Central Station. We loved the location, the service, and of course the hotel breakfast. The room was spacious and had a fantastic view of the square outside.

A few things to know when staying with family...

- the pool at the hotel isn't included but can be booked. Kids can swim before 3pm.

- front desk replies to emails if you need to ask any questions before your stay.

- the sofa in the room can be made into the extra bed, however, there's an extra charge if you want bedding/pillows. 

- the hotel suite had a small fridge but it was full of drinks and snacks.

- There was also a kettle and coffee maker.

If you're visiting Gothenburg and looking to treat yourself to a nice hotel experience, check out the Clarion Hotel Post!

Don't forget your snacks! 

Clarion Hotel Post

Drottningtorget 10, 411 03 Göteborg

Check out their website for more information.

Dairy-free Food Alternatives for Toddlers

 

It's not easy when one child has allergies and the other doesn't. The toddler has a long list of food allergies - including dairy.  We try our best to give them an substitute for things their sibling can eat but they can't. 

Here are some of the dairy-free alternatives we use:

Milk

Oatly

Note: We are in Sweden, so Oatly brand may not be available where you are.

Cream cheese

Oatly

Hard cheese

Violife - toddler prefers "Mature Cheddar Flavor" 

Butter

Flora

Porridge

Enago Milk free 

Of course, whenever his older sibling gets dessert, we need to give him something or he tries to take her food.

Swedish Cinnamon buns - Findus brand frozen cinnamon buns are vegan!

Whip cream

Ice cream

Sorbet or Choice brand dairy, soy, nut free ice cream (made with rice).

For a Vegan pancake mix we used to use Vantastic brand.

For chocolates, we have tried MooFree and Purdy's Chocolatier. We have seen Vegan Lindt and Kit Kat too, but Toddler surprisingly prefers candy over chocolate. 

These are the brands that are available to us at the regular grocery store in Sweden.

While visiting Canada, we found other brands for alternatives like Daiyo (cheese), Earth's Own Oat milk, and Earth's balance dairy free spread. 

Hopefully, you can find some Dairy-free alternatives where you are! Don't be discouraged if there's nothing at a grocery store, try a local Vegan store!

Don't forget your snacks (especially the allergy safe ones for your little ones with allergies)!

Explore the Gothenburg Archipelago

One of the activities on our "Moving checklist" from Gothenburg, Sweden, was to visit the Gothenburg Archipelago!  The Archipelago are the southern group of islands about 20-30min ferry ride from the ferry terminal at Saltholmen. These islands are car-free and offer some beautiful views.

We have enjoyed exploring various islands in the Archipelago since we moved to Gothenburg. The Swedish style island homes, beautiful nature, trails, and relative proximity to Gothenburg centre always made it a great day activity. 

The ferry to the islands is on the regular Vastraffik transit line. You can use the tram ticket you bought for getting to Saltholmen as your ticket for the boat. 

In the summer season the city even ran a ferry from the city centre right to the islands! Before your trip, you should check where to take the ferry from.

We've eaten some delicious fish like smoked mackerel and crayfish on the islands and have sat to enjoy fika at the cafes.

Now, with the kids, we find ourselves enjoying the island playgrounds and beaches more!

During our most recent trip to the islands,  we decided to visit Styrsö. It's the biggest and southernmost island in the Archipelago. We were lucky to have sunny weather for our day trip.

As always when traveling with kids, you need to have plenty of snacks! There are a couple of restaurant cafes that open until 9pm on the weekends on Styrsö! There's also two grocery stores to pickup snacks for the day.

The islands are car-free but you will see a few vehicles like this or golf carts.

If youre visiting Gothenburg for a few days, why not a day trip to the Archipelago?

Enjoy the islands and remember, don't forget your snacks (both the kids and parents need some energy to explore)! 

More information about the Archipelago ferry services can be found on the Styrsöbolaget website and plan your journey with Vastraffik.

Steinbrenner och Nyberg Cake Buffet!

It's been literally years since I've been to Steinbrenner & Nyberg for Cake buffet lunch! It's actually soup and cake but everyone knows you just have a small bowl of soup and move on to eating dessert ;)

I've been to the cake buffet maybe 3x in my whole stay in Gothenburg and it has always been enjoyable. I remember reserving a birthday lunch one year and many friends were trying the cake buffet for the first time!

The weekday lunch offers a daily soup along with fresh baked bread, cheeses and a few spreads. Dessert consists of various cakes that Steinbrenner och Nyberg offers. 

The licorice cake wasn't too popular that day which was surprising considering how much Scandinavians love licorice! 

The selection can vary depending on the location. A few cookies and pastries are also included.

This strawberry cake was one of our favorites that day!

The soup and cake lunch is a really great way to sample Steinbrenner & Nyberg's cakes before deciding which one to order for a future celebration! 

A previous blog post of mine featured fikabröd and carrot cake from Steinbrenner & Nyberg but actually carrot cake wasn't included in the cake buffet.

If you're in Gothenburg and looking to treat yourself for a sweet lunch, try Steinbrenner & Nyberg's delicious Soup and Cake buffet! You will definitely leave feeling full and happy from the sugar high :)

Don't forget your snacks!

Steinbrenner & Nyberg

Gothenburg, Sweden

Check out their website for locations around the city that offer the soup & cake buffet!

One of the Best Gifts for a New Mom

I read a post recently about new moms having a hard time getting used to the new baby and getting adjusted to their new selves.

It made me think back on becoming a new mom. I remember how slowly I walked as I was recovering. I was sleep deprived and cranky. I didn't feel myself. I was also hungry all the time due to breastfeeding and constantly made these little oat, peanut butter and flaxmeal "energy balls" to help with milk production. Becoming a first-time mom is a huge change and can be a real challenge to get used to.

Some things that helped me were, walks outdoors, watching my favorite shows late at night when baby was up, seeing friends for fika (much harder during Covid), and of course sleeping when the baby slept.

Clothes or toys for baby, are nice gifts but often people forget the mom. Snacks for the mom are appreciated. Little practical items even, like items to help breastfeeding (a pump or even nipple cream) are also useful. However, I think one of the best gifts as a new mom is a home-cooked meal. 

It takes energy to cook something, or even go to the grocery store to buy items (now there's grocery delivery fortunately). As a new mom, you are often up all night with the baby. 

For friends who have just had babies, I have prepared one of my favorite chicken dishes, with garlic and ginger, and omitted anything that could make the breast-fed baby gassy like onions, broccoli, or mushrooms. 

I've dropped it off for them, listened to how they've been and sometimes even washed dishes or held the baby so they could use the bathroom.

All babies are different and it can be a challenging time for new moms and first-time parents. Helping out or even asking how they are doing means so much more than you think.

Don't forget your snacks!

5 Gift Ideas for Teachers

We have been lucky to enjoy having such great staff at my kids' daycares. It's nice to have many options in the neighbourhood for daycare as well, this is one thing we have really enjoyed in Sweden. 

Teachers work so hard that it's nice to thank them. We have given them gifts just before summer break and during Christmas time. Just small things, a small token of our appreciation.

Here are 5 gift ideas for hardworking teachers:

1) A snack bag with different snacks for all the teachers in the class to share and have during break time. There are usually 3-4 teachers per class. Just make sure there are no nuts if the school has a no nut policy. 

2) Giftcards are always appreciated! Even something small from a coffee shop or store is nice or maybe a giftcard to the movie theater!

3) A small plant to take home. Maybe your child helped plant it? Or you can find something nice at a flower shop :) 

Photo from interflora.se

4) A mug and some coffee, tea or hot cocoa mix. Nice and cozy for "fika" or "coffee time"

5) A thank you card or note, signed or decorated by you and your child. It's nice to know they are appreciated!

Hope you find these ideas helpful! Thanks for reading and remember...

Don't forget your snacks!