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Best Travel Hacks for Parents with kids
Here is a well-known fact: traveling with kids is never NOT challenging, and that is the whole truth. But that doesn’t mean that it can’t be fun—plus, there are always travel hacks out there, especially for parents with young kids. For myself, one of the most daunting tasks is undoubtedly—packing. Packing for two when you don’t have tiny humans who required multiple outfit change—piece of cake. When packing for a baby came into the picture, gone were the days of just throwing a few essentials into our luggage. Two small kids? Now, we are talking a whole different level here. This is where choosing the right type of luggage becomes…
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Travelling with my Monos bags
From Tanzania to Canada, there is roughly 9,000 miles of land, mountains, and oceans that separate the two countries. Having flown this route many, many times before, I am no stranger to long-haul flights, 7+ hours of transit, and the joys of packing and unpacking for a trip. So when it comes to choosing my luggage and bags, I am always conscientious of what fits my travel style. Not only for the appearance—I can be quite picky—but the practicality of these travel accessories. Traveling before we had kids also vastly differs to how we travel now, with two tiny humans, who are fantastic travelers, but who are always constantly hungry…
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Becoming aware of our differences
When Sam and I first started dating, neither of us really gave our cultural background much thought. We were simply two people attracted to one another, and our main concern at the time was the distance that separated us. I still remember walking on a snowy path near my home in Canada, daydreaming about the day I would fly back to Tanzania, where my view would not be rows of homes with snow-laden roofs, but instead, rows of banana, mango and avocado trees. And I would be promenading next to Sam. I was able to romanticize just everything back then, and I was pretty confident that life was about to…
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The “blackness” comments
A while back, I received a DM on Instagram that almost had me choke on my morning coffee. I know that it’s not uncommon to get weird messages on social media, and some trolls are really just here with the simple goal to offend everyone. This message, however, was just downright ignorant and borderline comical. “Your husband is so black.” First off, I know a scamming account when I see one. Obviously, he wasn’t hoping to strike up a conversation about race. And I’m still not sure what kind of reaction he expected to trigger in me. But let’s just say that I laughed it off and went on with…
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My must-have skin care routine
Back when I was pregnant with Emma in 2015, I was on the quest to find a new skincare line that was natural and ultimately safe to wear around my newborn. I have combination skin and prone to oily T-zone, so I knew that I needed something hydrating but not overly so. At the time, my best friend in Japan who had recently gave birth tried their Champagne Serum (now re-branded as Happy Hour), raved about the amazing scent and the effect it had on her skin, so without a second thought, I gave it a try. It was the best skincare decision of my life. Not only did the…
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Look no further for your new favourite Poké place!
I first tried Poké during my trip to Hawaii, and I instantly became obsessed with the fresh sashimi mixed with pickled vegetables, as well as a variety of sides. I must have ate Poké every day for the week that I was there, and I still find myself craving for it day after after. When I ordered my first bowl of Pokey Okey, I was actually prepared to be underwhelmed. After that first bite, I knew that I had found my go-to Poké restaurant in BC. This has to be our all-time favourite Poké place, with a diverse menu to choose from, along with scrumptious toppings like fresh avocados, torched…
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Fun book for learning Chinese with kids!
Between Sam and I, we have four languages in both our backgrounds combined, and as greedy as we may seem, we want our kids to learn all of them! It has been my longtime mission to teach my kids Mandarin/Chinese, as I am very glad that I was able to build a strong foundation of my mother tongue at a young age. To be honest, I had been searching for a series of Mandarin/Chinese books, not only with great content, but also appealing artwork! When Judy Li from Baby Snack Time offered to send me a copy of her book, I was more than thrilled to say yes. When I…
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Baby-wearing experience made better!
I was so ecstatic when Ashley from Wildbird reached out to me, asking if I would be interested in trying out their slings! I had been following them on Instagram and I truly loved the unique designs and colours they offered, and I didn’t hesitate to say yes. Although Liam was technically no longer a baby at two year-old, he still fit in the sling comfortably, and the whole time I was carrying him, the sling felt secure and Liam was almost lulled to sleep (very rare, as both of my kids are not fans of naps). Wildbird create such beautiful slings with the best materials for a truly comfortable…
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Getting to know Sam all over again
Remember the time when I wrote about how Sam and I struggled in our own way, explaining our long-distance relationship to our families and friends? For Sam, while his family had no serious objections to us being together, most of his friends doubted that I was ever coming back to Tanzania, and some thought I wasn’t even real. But I suppose Sam wasn’t easily swayed by other people’s opinion, because I didn’t turn out to be the “player” some of his friends predicted me to be. Actually, one of the first stops we met the day after I arrived, was to see one of his good friends, Julius. Buckling my…
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Closing that 9,045 mile-long gap
Have you ever been separated from someone you loved for an extended amount of time, and then when you meet again, it was as though it were only a day since you last saw them? While the waiting was long and gruelling, being reunited somehow made everything instantly bearable. I like to compare my long-distance relationship with Sam to coming home. For me, when I go somewhere, especially to a new destination, the journey there would always seem excruciatingly long. But when I take the same route home, essentially going the same distance, the journey then becomes so effortless, and before I know it, I am home again. This was…
