renee

11.6.2018 renee

and the countdown begins!

After weeks and weeks of browsing and research, we finally booked our summer holiday for the year! We were pretty late to the game when it came to scouting out the best deals (I know you would probably find the best deals by booking months in advance) and because we are traveling with an almost two year old, we were definitely going for the easiest no-stress options. Last August, we flew to Dubrovnik, Croatia for a week and it was hands down THE best vacation I have ever had in my life. We had booked a package from Aurinkomatkat and so I had set out to look for a similar package for this year.

Because the husband has a little bit more time off than usual this year (yay for paternity leave and the being able to use it up until the child turns two!), we were initially looking for a two-week vacation for July in a place that wouldn’t take forever to fly to, have a wonderfully luxurious hotel (aka BREAKFAST HEAVEN) and also have other sights to see and things to do. However, I basically obsessed over this hotel I found in Alcudia, Spain – but all the best rates on it for July had been sold! I was able to find a great deal for it in August, and thankfully, Sampsa’s two weeks off work lines up with the dates. So we will be flying to Mallorca at the end of August and staying at the Zafiro Palace hotel. I am SO SO excited. ONLY 74 MORE DAYS TO GO…..

And whilst I am here proctrastinating (I have an exam tomorrow, and a handful of cases that I still need to write…), I took a trip down memory lane and checked out our photos from last summer. It is INSANE how much Kenzie has changed since then. We had to bring baby bottles and dishwashing liquid to our hotel and I was washing them every night in the sink! There was no way she could drink from a regular cup, so we had sippy cups and straws with us everywhere… and of course she wasn’t walking OR talking yet! She was definitely still a baby back then, so I am so sure that she is going to enjoy this year’s vacation so much more! This is why I was thrilled to find a hotel with a splash pad and toddler play area! It’s going to be so so much fun!

Sharing pictures from last year’s vacation…

74 days cannot come soon enough… xo, R

Perhe Lapset Matkat Ajattelin tänään

26.5.2018 renee

Food is Fun

If you know my toddler at all, then you know that she LOVES to eat. That might even be an understatement. I think it’s safe to say that she LIVES to eat. Food is definitely one of her favorite things, and if you let her (which I don’t), she could eat all day, every day.

Ask anybody who has kids, or has been around kids- and they’ll all tell you that mealtime is not exactly the tidiest of events. This is especially true when the toddler has recently discovered her independence and wants to do E V E R Y T H I N G all by herself without the help of a doting mother. It can get messy, and you know what? That’s okay! I love being able to make foodtime a happy experience for her, and I hope she continues to eat with such gusto and determination for the rest of her life.

I typically like to present Kenzier her food in a fun way. While I don’t always have the time or energy to cut out fun shapes and pull out all the bento tricks, I find that the Carebears EZPZ mat does the trick nicely! It is definitely a go-to in this household and I cannot speak enough good things about it.

Another fun trick I’ve relied on is to make a batch of mini muffins – they are easy to take along anywhere, can be frozen and are relatively mess-free!

I’m experimenting with a few recipes and will try to share some on the blog sooner rather than later…. at some point! Looking back at these toddler meals, all I can think of is that we’ve come such a looooong way since pureed baby food and frozen fruit binkies!!

xo, R

Perhe Ruoka ja juoma Lapset