Purrfect Cafe in Gothenburg

I was walking by this place the other day and saw some cats in a window. The way the space is decorated with cute pillows and seats and tables set-up, we thought it was a daycare. Then we saw the name on the window, Purrfect Cafe! 

Purrfect Cafe is a Cat Cafe in Gothenburg, Sweden!! Some of the cats who live there are available to adopt and a few just live at the Cafe full-time. I was able to visit the Cat cafe last week and really enjoyed it!

"Relax, socialize & have coffee with adoptable cats. Maybe "the purrfect match" occurs when you get the chance to meet your new family member with us?" 

The excerpt above was taken from their website. Coffee and cats sounds delightful! It's also a great option for finding homes for cats in need. The Cafe provides the cats with some much needed socializing that they might not get otherwise.

Quite a few tables for guests to keep distance.

There are rules about how to behave around the cats so be sure to read them over before your visit. When you first arrive, the staff give you a short introduction about the cats, you can order food/drink and take off jackets and shoes. There is wifi at the Cafe, so you are free to sit and even use your laptop like a regular Cafe. 

I visited around 1pm on a weekday and there were 4 other visitors. The cats were active and enjoyed the company.

All snacks at the Cafe are apparently Vegan! I was full from lunch when I visited, so I didn't try anything but coffee. Next time I'll try a treat;)

I actually love cats and I think it's this is the first Cat Cafe in Gothenburg! 

Unfortunately, only kids from 10 years old and up can visit the cafe which means it's more of a Mama activity than a Family one. The kids do enjoy looking in at the cats as we walk by though :)

If you're in Gothenburg and like cats and sitting at a cafe, a visit to Purrfect Cat Cafe is a great opportunity to combine both. 

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

Purrfect Cafe (Cat Cafe)

Book a time to visit on their website 

The Cat Cafe has introduced a few updates like Yoga, hosting small events and letting kids 6-9 with a course, visit the Cat Cafe!

Sveagatan 6, 413 14 Göteborg

Gothenburg, Sweden

Halloween at Liseberg!

We have been lucky to visit Liseberg for Halloween season. Here's a look at the time we planned a Liseberg visit as a birthday surprise for our little one who loves Liseberg!!

Located in Gothenburg, Sweden, Liseberg is Gothenburg's theme park with rides, games and kids shows. It's really a fun filled day each time we visit.

During the Pandemic, you needed to book your visit before you go.

Pumpkins aplenty all over the park! There was also Halloween spooky music heard throughout the park. The kids complained about it being scary at first but they soon forgot about it, as they were too busy enjoying the games and rides! 

Tried our luck at a few of the wheels in the park. This is one in the Kids area, Kaninlandet (Rabbit land). 

Across the bridge by rollercoaster Valkyria, after 5pm, beware of the zombies! Most of the "zombies" were behind fences but there were a couple of them out scaring people and zombie catchers tried to grab them.

After a busy, fun day at Liseberg, it was nice to sit and relax at the beer garden after the kids fell asleep! We also took turns riding a few more rides before heading home.

So glad we got to enjoy the Halloween season at Liseberg! Happy Halloween!

Don't forget your snacks!

What does it mean to Jobba, Vabba, or Vobba?

Jobba, Vabba, Vobba... What do these common Swedish terms mean? If you're not a parent in Sweden, you may not know but could have heard about it from work.

Jobba is the verb in Swedish 'to work', it's a common phrase that teachers at our daycare told our kids when they cried looking for us.. "Mamma måsta jobba". 

Vabba is a special Swedish verb for when you 'Take care of children'. It's short for "Vård av Barn" or VAB. Every parent in Sweden has taken VAB days. And when you tell your co-workers that you need to VAB today, they completely understand. The Swedish government pays you when you take a VAB day.

Vobba is a special term I heard recently that means you work from home while taking care of sick kids. During this time, you don't apply for a VAB day and therefore don't get any money from the government for taking care of sick kids.

Kids starting daycare or in daycare/preschool now will get sick a few times a month for the first year or so. It can be difficult for parents to adjust to having to take so many VAB days. 

After the Pandemic and an increase in other viruses this Fall, there are special restrictions about when a kid can return to the daycare once they are healthy. The current rule is if they have no sick symptoms for 1 day and no fever they can come back, otherwise you need to wait at least a week before they are allowed to come back.

Need some tips when kids get sick? Check out my past blog. Learning to practice patience while kids are sick can be a challenge but it's doable! Don't forget to take a break yourself. Self-care is so important when kids are sick and especially these days. 

Don't forget your snacks!

Pong Skrapan in Stockholm

Looking for a family friendly restaurant in Stockholm? We Pong Skrapan in Stockholm during our long weekend! There are a few different Pong locations around the city.

The Pong restaurant we tried is located in the Södermalm area of Stockholm in a mall. Since we were only visiting Stockholm and don't live there, it was the first time we had eaten there. It was also the first time eating indoors since pre-Pandemic. We usually sit outdoors on the patio at restaurants, get takeaway or delivery.

Hungry after walking around the city for hours. An Asian buffet really hit the spot!

We ate at the restaurant for dinner in Sept 2021 and it was 238kr for dinner. There are so many different options, so both kids and parents will be satisfied with what's available. The thing we appreciate about Buffets is that you can take a little of everything and more of what you end up liking. There is also plenty of food kids enjoy like rice, noodles, egg rolls, soup and of course, soft-serve ice cream for dessert!

There was some dim sum items in the steamers including plenty of shrimp items (my favorite!)

And if you are Vegan and wondering if there's anything to eat for you? There's a section with a few Vegan options too, hot and cold items.

Sushi is available in the buffet and the sushi chef is making them fresh to keep up with demand. 

If you want sashimi, it's extra so we didn't try it this time. 

Pong was actually recommended to me as a good place to eat when with family. It's definitely a crowd-pleaser since there's something for everyone. Kids were welcome, and we remembered to bring our own kids utensils and bowls for them. We were also able to park our stroller with one sleeping kid inside the restaurant. 

The restaurant seating area was dimmed and there were plenty of booth tables, so you had your own space and even a place to hang jackets. The staff was really helpful and even gave my child a pen to borrow to practice their 'Big letters'! If you are in Stockholm or visiting, Pong Skrapan is a great place for lunch or dinner, with or without the kids!

Have a great lunch/dinner and when you're exploring the city and remember don't forget your snacks!

Tips for Traveling By Train With Kids

A couple of weekends ago, we traveled by train for the first time in almost 2 years. The last time we took a train trip, we had an infant and a toddler. This time our trip was with a toddler and a preschooler.

Our journey was with SJ trains.

With the express train, you can pre-order food when you book your trip. Class 1 also includes free breakfast on board for morning departures and free coffee / tea and snacks throughout the trip.

We weren't able to book a table in first class this time so we booked a table in second class instead and that was OK for us. One advantage traveling by train versus a car is, you can stand-up, and walk around if you need to stretch!

Here are some Train Ride tips for traveling with kids:

• There are microwaves in the bistro if you want to heat up water or food.

• The fewer bags the better. So you can keep track of bags and don't lose anything.

• Check the train map when booking your ticket to see which way the train is going if you get motion sick and prefer sitting forward.

• Pack some books, something for drawing. We like wipeable book with wipeable markers but also small coloring books and crayons.

The best is when they can keep busy by themselves for even a short time :)

• Water bottle

• Snacks - some snack ideas: hard-boiled eggs, seaweed, bread, cheese, pear, banana, blueberries, olives, nuts (nuts and chocolate for parents).

• Bring some headphones (parents and kids)

• Don't forget phone chargers

• You can pre-order your meals in the food car - Kids meals like pancakes and meatballs (SJ trains).

• Our kids get motion sick, so we packed some vomit packs. It also helped to go stand up in the area by the doors. The air was cooler than in the seating area.
  
  We also bought some "seaband" bracelets from the pharmacy that were suggested by a friend but unfortunately they didn't help much. So I don't recommend them.

• Pack an accessible change of clothes for each child and yourself (just in case!). Ours spilled water all over and we were glad to have the easy to access pants/socks for them.

Have a safe journey and remember don't forget your snacks!

Getting Kids to Brush Their Teeth

In Sweden, they send you a toothbrush and toothpaste in the mail for the baby, even if they don't have their first teeth yet! They want to make it a habit to start brushing teeth/gums from early on. They also want the parents to help with brushing even when the child is a bit older.

A child's first dentist appointment occurs once they turn 1 years old. This is mostly an information meeting though, as they mostly ask the Parent questions about the child's diet and if they are using a soother/pacifier. The dentist might count how many teeth the child has and will also give you a new toothbrush and toothpaste. Of course, parents are welcome to ask whatever questions they are wondering about - from flossing to grinding (this is apparently a normal behavior for kids!)

After that, Kids have a checkup every year, unless they spot something or you are concerned about something with their teeth. For example, my little one complained that her teeth hurt when she would bite down. I asked the dentist about this and they scheduled her for a check-up and did some X-Rays. They said everything looked fine in the X-Rays, but it could have been a few differen things that caused it. She has a tendancy to grind her teeth and bite down really hard, that could cause the pain or she might have accidentally hit her teeth during a fall at school (but the teacher didn't mention anything like that to me). The pain did go away after a week, and I'm glad they were able to look at it right away in case it was something serious.

It can be a challenge getting kids to brush their teeth. They can be too sleepy, or you as a parent might forget since you have a long list of other things to remember to do. 

We've tried so many different toothpaste flavors, from strawberry flavored to mint. Mint has been the current favorite.

We've also tried different toothbrushes. At the beginning she wanted adult size ones to copy us, but then it was baby size ones and then back to kids size.

Recently, we decided to buy an electric toothbrush for our preschooler. The Dentist said it could help encourage her to brush.

Pink and Disney themed. This one from Oral-B comes with different stickers.

The Result: The preschooler was really excisted to have a  new toothbrush! "Mommy, can I brush my teeth" it was music to my ears! Hahaha. I'd definitely recommend an electric toothbrush if it's been a struggle trying to get them to brush teeth.

Thanks for reading and remember don't forget your snacks (But no snacks after brushing teeth!)!

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)!