A Weekend in Montreal with my BFF (and mini BFFs)

Last week my BFF (and E and E) Morgan and her three kiddos came up to Montreal to spend a few days with us. We were all in heaven! Both of our husbands work long hours and couldn't join in for the festivities but neither us of has ever shied away from a solo eight hour drive with kids. Not an easy trip, but worth it to see your dearest friend and her children who are also your God-children. You may remember our twelve hour road trip that she and I (and our combined five kids) took two summers ago to PEI as proof of our craziness.

My kids were in school during the days, so I was able to invest fully in Morgan and the kids, which was a real treat. For the first few years that I had kids, Morgan was an enormous help to me, as she was at the time new to Montreal and only working part time. She would join me for those long parenting days, jump in and wash the dishes or fold the laundry, she would always have one of my kids on her hip, and together she and I (and my babies) explored and fell in love with Montreal. It was complete heartbreak when her husband's work transferred them to Hamilton, Ontario (eight hours away!), and just when they had started their own little family, too. But this friendship is one for the ages, and we don't let eight hours get in our way. And when we are together, now it's not only our relationship that we nurture but our relationship with one another's kids, and the sweet friendships that our kids share. 

Since Morgan's three are much younger than mine (her oldest is a year younger than Clover), I have absolutely zero baby things to lend them when they come. Thankfully Snuggle Bugz, my life-long go-to for all things baby, sent me a few things to help with my house guests, and it was perfect timing too as the weather just started dipping below zero in Montreal the week they arrived! They sent us the warmest (Hottest? Seriously they're that toasty) all-gear foot muffs from 7 AM Enfant for the boys and a Moby wrap for baby Honey. It's always a bit worrisome once the weather gets cold where little ones are concerned. It's hard to know if they're warm enough, but yet I'm also a huge advocate for getting outside every day, especially with kids, which is why I love gear like the 7 AM Enfant foot muff. It fits in almost any stroller or car seat, which is super handy! I can't think of any gear that would have been put to better use for their visit as our absolute favourite thing to do is get out with our kids and explore, no matter the temperatures. Especially in a city like Montreal where there's always a fun park to explore and a warm cafe to tuck into nearby once you need some warming up. It reminded me of Morgan and I's early days exploring Montreal with my three, except this time it was with hers. 

We stopped by Parc Laurier and a new cafe on Laurier Est called Méchants Pinsons that was lovely. The staff were so knowledgeable, heaps of beans to choose from, and delicious food options. A lot of cafes only have croissants to nibble on with your latte, and while I love a croissant sometimes you want something sweet or more substantial. I chose a few sweet treats for us to share - a pumpkin tart, a chocolate ravioli, and a lemon scone (the scone was the winner but they were all delicious), and Morgan grabbed a sandwich and some cookies for Ace and Finn. I kept Honey in the Moby wrap the whole time, just savouring my snuggles with her. I loved babywearing all of my kids and we did so straight through the toddler years. When we were in Iceland, Chloe was three and we were so glad to have a carrier for hiking and cave exploring! But those days are long gone for me, so I loved being able to relive them with Morgan's little babe. 

Of course we didn't manage a single picture of the two of us, but that's to be expected with six kids and wanting to spend our short time together away from our phones! Morgan's visit was such a treat but of course, way too short! We loved having her and her darling children with us for a few days and everyone cried as they drove off, but we're already planning the next trip and of course we keep in touch with audio and video messages on Whatsapp almost daily. Sigh. Friendships like this one don't come along every day. 

(By the way, Honey's bibs that she was wearing all week were also from Snuggle Bugz for those who have asked!)

This post was in collaboration with Snuggle Bugz, 

a company I've supported personally for years.

All opinions are 100% my own. 

To book a collaboration, contact me.