The days following Halloween mark a celebration of skeletal proportions: Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead

Celebrated throughout the Americas, Dia de los Muertos originated in Mexico, and kids will recognize the iconic sugar skull as a symbol. Your town or neighborhood may host a celebration, but not everyone knows the meaning behind it. Teach your kids about this uplifting celebration of life with these Day of the Dead facts.

Days & Day of the Dead Facts

day of the dead facts
Amber Guetebier

The Day of the Dead holiday is actually two days, held consecutively: Nov. 1 is marked as a day to honor lost children, as well as any lost or forgotten souls. Nov. 2, Day of the Dead official, honors all lost ancestors and loved ones. The week preceding (and sometimes longer) is spent in preparation for the big night which often culminates in a procession to the town cemetery or a central place where altars have been erected. Families gather together and spend hours making floral arrangements, baking food and sweets for the dead, and decorating. Altars are built at home, on graves, and in many community parks and schoolyards. It's no accident that this all takes place during the time of year when nights grow longer. It is believed that during these two days, the veil between the world of the living and dead is thinner and so it's easier for the dead to arrive. Not unlike the original story behind Halloween.

Day of the Dead Facts: A Dead Man’s Party

day of the dead facts

The idea is not as somber as it may at first sound: in fact, many believe the dead would be insulted by sadness! The tradition of celebrating the life of those who have died is invoked with colorful costumes and masks, parades, parties, and more. At the center of it all is the ofrenda, or offering to the dead. The altars can be simple or elaborate (usually more elaborate) but almost always contain flowers, favorite foods of the dead, including the traditional pan de muerto, photographs, and small relics or objects of the dead (a favorite necklace or pen, for example), sugar skulls and candles.

Here's an interesting Day of the Dead fact: Sugar skulls, in spite of how delicious they look, are generally not consumed (more than one toddler has tried them). Made from a mixture of meringue/powdered egg whites, white sugar, and a little bit of water, they are formed into the shapes of skulls by hand. You can also buy awesome molds (and all the supplies you need, plus great tutorials) here.

How to Make an Ofrenda for Dia de los Muertos

day of the dead facts

You can make your own family altar with the kids. Gather up a picture or pictures of someone you have lost, and place them on a table or shelf. Have the kids help you arrange some flowers, or head out into the yard or a park to find a few things for the offering: acorns, beautiful leaves, and a pretty stone. Make some cookies and leave one for your loved one. Light a candle. It's an easy and beautiful way to remember someone and teach your kids the story behind Day of the Dead.

All photos by the author were taken during Day of the Dead in Michoacán, Mexico. 

Because sometimes nothing hits the spot like a fresh-from-the-oven donut, we’ve scoured the city to find the best donuts in Seattle and came up with a list that is guaranteed to satisfy even the pickiest doughnut aficionado. Powdered, cream-filled, crispy or totally out-of-the-box, this list has it all. Trust us, you “donut” want to miss out on this round-up.

Raised Doughnuts & Cakes

best donuts in seattle
Kathryn Mueller

Mi Kim loved doughnuts, and that infatuation inspired her journey to open Raised Doughnuts and Cakes. They don’t use preservatives, fillers or artificial coloring, and the quality shines through in the taste. They offer a menu of original donuts that are tried and true as well as rotating flavors that mix it up. In April, you can try flavors like Strawberry Balsamic or Chocolate Chip Cookie.

Good to know: This sweet spot is moving to a new location in Midtown Square mid-April (2301 E. Union St., Suite L). Swing by for their grand re-opening on April 23.

Hours: Mon., Tue., Thu. & Fri., 7 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sat. & Sun., 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Closed Wed.

1101 23rd Ave.
Seattle, WA
Online: raiseddoughnuts.com

Top Pot Doughnuts

best donuts in seattle
Kathryn Mueller

Top Pot Doughnuts began in 2002 in Capitol Hill. Since then this indispensable Seattle-based doughnut shop has grown substantially. Today, you can find locations all over the Seattle area and beyond. We love their classic doughnuts, but they also offer fancy and seasonal flavors. With more than 40 different options, there is sure to be a doughnut for everyone.  

Insider tip: If you ask us, the Edmonds shop is tops. It’s steps from the ferry terminal at Edmonds, and the beach is right across the train tracks. This location also has a cozy library upstairs; the kids section is located to the far right. Grab a chair and a book, and snuggle up in the reading nook. If you’re looking for a family day trip, starting out at Top Pot is the perfect way to start a day.

Locations in Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Edmonds, Issaquah, Redmond, Renton, Mill Creek & Tacoma. 

Online: toppotdoughnuts.com

The Flour Box

best donuts in seattle
Kristopher S via Yelp

The Flour Box is a woman-owned and family-run small bakery cafe in Hillman City. They serve hand-crafted, filled brioche doughnuts from scratch. Everything is made in the bakery in small batches with one special ingredient—love. Pamela Vuong said she picked up baking in college and quickly felt like she had found her calling. Since then, her passion for creating scrumptiously delectable doughnuts has taken off. Her flavors change often, so be sure to check in for what’s new on the menu. Flavors like lemon lime curd, crème brulee or everything bagel donut are as good as they sound.

Insider tip: These doughnuts go fast, so head out early. They generally sell out within a couple hours of opening their doors. They are that good!

Hours: Thu.-Sun., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (or until sold out)

5520 Rainier Ave. S.
Seattle, WA
Online: theflourboxseattle.com

Dochi

best donuts in Seattle
Emily J via Yelp

Soft, chewy, airy and shareable—that’s what you’ll get at Dochi. Their unique bubble ring-shaped donuts are a delightful cross between a Japanese rice cake (mochi) and an American-style fried donut. The flavors are as distinctive as their appearance, from red velvet cake to matcha pistachio and cosmic crunch. Although these doughnuts are designed to share, they are so good you might want them all to yourself. Like the box says, you definitely deserve to treat yourself.

Hours: Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; & Sat. & Sun., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

515 Weller St. (inside the Uwajimaya Supermarket)
Seattle, WA
206-887-4426
Online: dochicompany.com

Zuri’s Gourmet Donutz

Marie B via Yelp

Davis Vincent is the mastermind behind Zuri’s Gourmet Donutz, and we love his vision. “If it’s boring, you won’t find it here,” he says. All his flavors—as wild as they are—are 100% organic and natural in color. This black-owned family doughnut shop is truly unique. You can find pretty much any doughnut you could dream up, and that’s how Vincent likes it. His eclectic doughnuts come in flavors you’ve probably never seen before, like “Ubae Me Better” or “Just Like Butter.” He also has lots of gluten-free options and even some 21 and older doughnuts. You truly have to see them to believe them!

Hours: Fri.-Sun., 6 a.m.-2 p.m.

7600 196th St. S.W., #850
Lynnwood, WA
425-582-8803
Online: zurisgourmet.com

General Porpoise

best donuts in Seattle
Kathryn Mueller

General Porpoise offers truly exquisite treats crafted by pastry chef Clare Gordon. They specialize in fried donuts filled with jams, creams, custards and curds (made with fresh eggs). Three locations across Seattle make it easy to satiate your doughnut craving. Shops are conveniently located in Capitol Hill, Laurelhurst and Pioneer Square. All their locations are beautiful and bright, like stepping into a Pinterest page. General Porpoise also has a variety of delicious coffee options to start your day off right. Whether you need an espresso, pour over, drip or draft cold brew, the world is your oyster at General Porpoise.

Hours: Mon.-Sun., 7 a.m.-3 p.m.

Pioneer Square
401 1st Ave. S.
Seattle, WA

Capitol Hill
1020 E. Union St.
Seattle, WA

Laurelhurst
4520 Union Bay Pl. N.E.
Seattle, WA

206-900-8770
Online: gpdoughnuts.com

Daily Dozen Doughnut Co.

best donuts in seattle
Mishan G via Yelp

Just a stone’s throw from the famous fish flingers at Pike Place Market, you’ll find a small donut stall known to locals and tourists alike as a market staple. You can’t miss it. The smell of fresh, hot donuts will lure you in the right direction. Their piping hot mini donuts are a crowd pleaser, especially with flavors like scrumptious maple bacon, sprinkles and powdered sugar. Our suggestion? You will definitely want to opt for at least a dozen.

Hours: Mon.-Sun., 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Pike Place Market
93 Pike St.
Seattle, WA
206-467-7769
Online: pikeplacemarket.org

9th & Hennepin Donuts

best donuts in Seattle
Kathryn Mueller

Is there anything better than a hot, made-to-order doughnut? The owner of 9th & Hennepin Donuts knows the right answer to that question. No. There is nothing better, and that’s how he serves them. The flavors of the doughnuts change based on the season and what the chef can find locally. Most of the ingredients are sourced right here in Washington. Flavors change every week, but there are always four kinds of doughnut offerings—a raised/filled brioche, a fruit fritter, a cake donut and a fourth "something else." Doughnuts are takeout-only, and pre-orders are encouraged, but walkups are welcome. You won’t want to miss these truly spectacular doughnuts.

Insider tip: Alki Beach is just a short drive away (about 10 minutes). After grabbing a box of delicious doughnuts, head down to take in the sights. Be sure to pack your beach toys!

Good to know: The doughnut shop is part of a shared kitchen and will be transforming into something super cool this summer. Be sure to follow their Instagram or Facebook page for more details.

Hours: Fri.-Sun., 8 a.m.-noon

5604 Delridge Way S.W.
Seattle, WA
Online: 9thandhennepin.com

Donut Factory Inc

best donuts in Seattle
Kathryn Mueller

You’ll find both classics and fancy doughnuts here. All their doughnuts are made on-site and their motto is as sweet as their treats: Good Donuts. Good Service. Good Vibes. They offer lots of unique flavors and have a welcoming family-friendly atmosphere. And while their doughnuts are infamous, if you have a real sweet tooth, you've got to indulge and add ice cream to your order. An ice cream doughnut sandwich is only $5, and it’s worth it.

University District
4336 Roosevelt Way N.E.
Seattle, WA
206-547-1633

Hours: Mon.-Fri., 5 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sat. & Sun., 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

Lynnwood
20815 67th Ave. W., #202
Lynnwood, WA
425-361-7923

Hours: Mon.-Fri., 5:30 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat. & Sun., 6:30 a.m.-7 p.m.

Online: donutfactoryinc.com

Legendary Doughnuts

best donuts in Seattle
Lina L via Yelp

Legendary Doughnuts has seven locations around the greater Seattle area, from Tacoma to Federal Way. Their handmade doughnuts are delicious and made in-house every day. When it comes to intriguing flavors—you name it, they have it. Whether you want gummy bears on top of your doughnut, cereal or bacon, you can find just about whatever you can dream up. Flavors sound more like desserts here, and that’s probably because these sweets are just that. The size of some of their doughnuts are also unmatched. They seriously have one that's the size of your face. When you visit, don’t forget to bring your furry friends with you. They have doughnuts for them, too.

Good to know: You don't have to leave the comfort of your home to enjoy Legendary donuts. Get them delivered fresh to your door with Doordash.

Hours: Sun.-Thu., 5 a.m.-6 p.m.; Fri. & Sat., 5 a.m.-7 p.m.

Locations in Issaquah, Federal Way, Puyallup, Auburn, Covington, Tacoma & Orting.

Online: legendarydoughnuts.com

Mighty-O Donuts

A toddler peeks at a case of donuts
Lily F via Yelp

Mighty-O Donuts has reimagined the doughnut game. Healthy donuts? That’s the promise of Mighty-O Donuts, and they’re as good as their word. All Mighty-O's are organic, 100% vegan and made from scratch. You can enjoy their doughnuts from four locations around the Seattle area. It's hard to miss with a French Toast donut, a spiced cake with maple glaze. And kids will flip for the Mini O’s, a bite-sized remix of their larger doughnuts that are perfect for smaller appetites and little bellies.

Locations in Green Lake, Ballard, Capitol Hill & Denny Triangle. The Downtown location is currently closed.

Online: mightyo.com

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Why celebrate National Donut Day with a boring ole glaze or powdered treat, when you can sink your teeth into something with sustenance? That’s where the DiGiornut comes in.

The pizza and donut combo is everything you want in a mashup: mozzarella cheese stuffed and topped with DiGiorno sauce, cheese and toppings. Now you don’t have to pick savory or sweet to satisfy that craving!

photo: Courtesy of DiGiorno

Kimberly Holowiak, DiGiorno Brand Manager at Nestlé, “At DiGiorno we like to push the boundaries of what’s possible for pizza, and the DiGiornut is something we’ve been dreaming about for a while. At the same time, we’ve seen out of the box thinking from our fans on social media – connecting pizza with donuts. So we thought, why not have some fun and make this mashup a reality to celebrate National Donut Day.”

If your tastebuds are firing on all cylinders, then you’ll want to keep reading. The only way to get the DiGiornut will be through a Twitter sweepstakes on National Donut Day which is this Fri., Jun. 4. To enter, just reply to @DiGiorno’s tweet with #sweepstakes for a chance to score a half-dozen box!

––Karly Wood

 

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It’s almost Memorial Day weekend, and Dunkin’ is here for the hot weather! The brand is celebrating the end of the school year with brand new lemonade refreshers, donuts and MUNCHKINS that will get you in the summer spirit.

The new menu items will be available for a limited time, and DD Perks members will get extra goodies, too. From May 26 through Jun. 8 members will earn points toward a free beverage reward three times as fast with 3X points on all Dunkin’ Lemonade Refresher purchases. That’s 15 points per dollar!

There are three new options to choose from when it comes to Dunkin’ Lemonade Refreshers: Strawberry flavored lemonade, Peach flavored lemonade and Blueberry flavored lemonade. Each one is made with lemonade, B vitamins and flavored fruit concentrate which means a bright and cheery drink.

Be sure to pick up a few Berry Powdered Donuts and MUNCHKINS donut hole treats! The items feature a new berry powder that packs a sweet berry punch, not to mention a sweet pink look.

Dunkin’ is also getting ready for National Donut Day––with a free donut. Head to your local shop on Fri. Jun. 4 to snag a free classic donut with the purchase of your drink.

Don’t forget to deck out for the big day with the #NationalDonutDay collection that is rife with limited-edition customizable donut-themed fashions! The special line officially drops at 12:00 p.m. EST on Thur., Jun. 3, only at shopdunkin.com.

––Karly Wood

All photos: Courtesy of Dunkin’

 

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Dunkin’ and DoorDash are delivering some sweet news just in time for the start of fall. To help even more Americans run on Dunkin’ without leaving home, the brands today announced they are teaming up to make delivery through DoorDash available at approximately 3,500 Dunkin’ restaurants across the country, with further expansion planned over the coming months. To help make the exciting announcement, the brands turned to actress and Boston native Mindy Kaling, who delivered the sweet news with a special Instagram post this morning.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

I’m from Boston (wicked cool!) and nothing feels more like home than Dunkin’. And now, with the help of DoorDash, I can get it delivered right to my door (wicked convenient!). With so many of us still working remotely, DoorDash is giving you a chance to make Dunkin’ a part of your at-home office for free! From now until September 25, you can enter the DoorDash Dunkin’ Desk Takeover Sweepstakes. Just share an image of yourself cheesin’ with Dunkin’ at your desk on Instagram or Twitter with #DoorDashDunkinMatch and #sweepstakes, and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a week’s worth of free @dunkin food and beverages through DoorDash! #Sponsored No purchase necessary. U.S. residents age 18+ only. Sorry kids. Ends at 9/25/2020 11:59PM PT. Void where prohibited. Rules: Link in @doordash’s bio.

A post shared by Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) on

 

To officially kick off the relationship, DoorDash is treating everyone who runs on Dunkin’ with a special offer, sure to help sweeten the last official week of summer. Beginning today, Sept. 15, and continuing through Sept. 21, anyone who spends $10 or more on Dunkin’ through DoorDash will be eligible for a free 25-count box of Dunkin’s delicious Munchkins Donut Hole Treats and a $0 delivery fee.

According to Brandy Blackwell, Director of New Business, Delivery & Catering, for Dunkin’ U.S., “Dunkin’ guests know they can count on us to offer the most convenient ways to enjoy their favorite coffee and food items. We are excited to kick off the fall season by continuing to expand our delivery footprint, teaming up with DoorDash for yet another way to keep Americans running by delivering their daily Dunkin’ order right to their doorstep.”

To celebrate, DoorDash created a fun new tool, a quiz to help you find your perfect Munchkins  Donut Hole Treats and Dunkin’ drink match. Would you consider yourself “traditional” like a Hot Coffee and an Old Fashioned Munchkins? Or more “adventurous,” like a Matcha Latte and Powdered Munchkins? All you have to do is take the quiz at DoorDashDunkinMatch.com to find out your perfect match.

Those looking for the perfect Dunkin’ drink to pair with their free 25-count box of assorted Munchkins Donut Hole Treats are encouraged to visit DoorDashDunkinMatch.com, where they can answer a few fun, simple questions about their personality and preferences to find their perfect Dunkin’ drink and MUNCHKINS® Donut Hole Treats match. Through the site, customers can then order their drink and assortment of delicious, bite-sized delights or share their match on social media.

Additionally, with so many Americans working remotely, DoorDash is giving people a chance to make Dunkin’ a part of their home office for free. Through DoorDash’s Dunkin’ Desk Takeover Sweepstakes, beginning today, Sept. 15  through Sept. 25, anyone who shares an image on Instagram or Twitter of themselves at their desk enjoying Dunkin’ using #DoorDashDunkinMatch and #sweepstakes will be entered for a chance to win a week’s worth of free Dunkin’ food and beverages through DoorDash. 

“That first sip of coffee is what gets most of us going in the morning, and even though our morning routines look a bit different these days, we’re excited to make it easier for Dunkin’ fans everywhere to enjoy their favorite classics from the comfort of their couches, home desks, or wherever they start their day,” said Toby Espinosa, Vice President of Business Development at DoorDash. “Dunkin’ selected DoorDash for our commitment to operational excellence and ability to further enhance their already strong off-premise offerings at store locations across the country.”

To place a Dunkin’ delivery order on DoorDash, customers can simply download the DoorDash mobile app or go to DoorDash.com, , select their nearest Dunkin’ location, choose their food and beverages, customize them just the way they like, and checkout. Their Dunkin’ order will then be delivered contact-free.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of Dunkin’

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With birthdays, holidays and general “let’s eat a cupcake” days, every baking parent needs a few go-to recipes in their apron pockets. Even if you’re going box cake (not that there’s anything wrong with that) this easy frosting recipe will give your cake or cupcakes the from-scratch feel. It has a creamy texture that rivals any store-bought frosting and kids can lend a hand (it’s really hard to ruin this frosting). Scroll down for the recipe.

cupcakes by amber & henrik
Photo: Amber Guetebier

Ingredients:

1 stick (real!) butter (that’s 1/2 cup for most kinds)
1 8 oz. box cream cheese
1 cup (or less) powdered confectioner’s sugar (less sugar gives it a tarter, cream cheesier flavor)
1-2 tsp. of vanilla (or other extract)
Food coloring (optional)

Method:

1. Let the butter and the cream cheese sit out until they are soft, about room temperature. (This is the part that takes the longest, we swear.)

2. Once they are malleable, put the butter and cream cheese in a bowl. Use a hand or stand mixer on medium speed, whip the butter and cream cheese together. Beat for about 3-5 minutes.

3. Once the cream cheese and butter mixture is sufficiently blended, add the sugar, 1/2 cup at a time until blended, tasting along the way for flavor.

4. Add the vanilla, blend, and then add the food coloring of your choice.

One batch frosts about 6 cupcakes generously or 12 cupcakes lightly.

Tips: To double the recipe (which you probably will) just remember the one to one to one ration. One stick of butter, one box of cream cheese, one cup of sugar.

Add a little less sugar, sub the vanilla for coconut or almond extract and your frosting takes on a whole new personality.

 

—Amber Guetebier

 

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What’s the country’s favorite donut? Offers.com surveyed over 1,000 adults to find out what America is into and it’s time to share the results. Whether you’re into glazed, jelly-filled or sprinkle-topped, get ready!

National Donut Day is Jun.7 and in addition to sharing the who’s who of donuts,  we’ve also got plenty of freebies and delish deals to score. Read on for more info on where to spend this glorious sugar-packed day!

Glazed donuts took top honors, with 36 percent of the vote. Second place went to Boston cream, followed by jelly-filled, sprinkles, powdered and twist. When it comes to fave donut chains, forty-two percent of the survey participants chose Krispy Kreme. The rest of the top six sweet eateries include Dunkin’, Tim Hortons, Daylight Donuts, Top Pot Doughnuts and Honey Dew Donuts.

Dunkin’

America’s second favorite donut retailer has a free donut deal for National Donut Day! Buy any beverage and get a tasty treat at no cost.

Duck Donuts

Register on Duck Donuts’ website to get a free bare, cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar donut on Jun. 7!

Entenmann’s

Visit the company’s website to create your own dream donut. And if you have the best idea you could win $5,000 and free donuts!

Krispy Kreme

Based on Offer.com’s stats, everyone loves these sweet treats. On Friday, Jun. 7 customers can score a freebie. And bonus, if Krispy Kreme gives away one million donuts on this special day, everyone gets another free pick (a brand-new donut creation) later in June.

Randy’s Donuts

Customers can get four glazed donut rounds on National Donut Day from 6 a.m. through noon (while supplies last, of course). In celebration of this majot donut-ish holiday, post your fave Randy’s pic with the hashtags #NationalDonutDay and #RandysDonuts on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook by Jun. 7 and you could win a free dozen donuts per week for a year. Runners-up will get donut parties with an up to $100 value and 50 third place winners will get a classic dozen.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Sharon McCutcheon via Pexels

 

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With cooler weather comes the chance for all kinds of kid-friendly coziness–from couch forts to snugly layers of blankets. And then there’s the ultimate get-warm treat: a hearty helping of hot chocolate. Everyone has their go-to recipe, but now’s the time to branch out, nix the packets of powdered stuff, and spice up your kiddo’s mug with some fun variations on the classic drink. Click through the slideshow below and get ready for your kids to go cocoa crazy.

Homemade White Hot Chocolate

Would a hot chocolate of any other color taste as sweet? The answer is a lip-smacking yes, thanks to this recipe from Gimme Some Oven.

For more delicious recipes like this click HERE

Which one will you be trying out? Tell us below!

— Abigail Matsumoto

Whether you’ve already traveled with your child or you’re waiting for the “right” time, you know the stressors of bringing a little munchkin. Matt Coyne, the guy behind Man vs Baby and father of six-month-old son Charlie, wrote a hilarious post about traveling with a his little boy. He gives tips that cover everything from traveling to a place with warm weather to the airlines “baby changing facilities.”

His post reads:

So, we’ve just come back from Charlie’s first holiday.

One or two people were a bit judgey about the idea of taking a 6-month old away. “So, you’re taking him on holiday?” Yeah. “Abroad?” Yeah. “Somewhere hot??” Yeah. “On an aeroplane??” …By which point I was tempted to answer: “No, me and Lyns will be going on the plane, but we thought we’d get Charlie there by driving him to Dover and firing him out of a f*cking cannon”.

What I actually said was: “It’ll be fine”. And you know what? It was.

Here’s some other stuff I learnt holidaying with our tiny human..

– We had a checklist for what to pack, it had just one item on it:.. ‘Everything’

The amount of stuff you need to take for a weekend is comical.. to go away for a whole week its roughly the same amount of stuff that the nazis took to invade Poland.

– Don’t take an expensive pram on a flight.. The moment you check-in and that pushchair disappears behind that rubber curtain it is collected by two WWF wrestlers who smash it against a wall for half an hour.. before it is transferred to the runway, where they reverse the plane over it a couple of times before placing it in the hold.

At your destination.. for some bizarre reason you have to collect whatever is left of your pram (a wheel) from a baggage carousel that’s f*cking miles away.. (I’m sure our stroller ended up closer to the airport we’d just left).

– One of our worries about the flight was that we’d get seated next to someone unhappy about being near a baby.. We hoped to be sat next to a kindly old Angela Lansbury type, with a soft spot for babies.. In the end we got sat next to a woman who had a face like a cats arse being burned at the stake..

To be honest, we didn’t care.. after 6 months we’re developing a thick skin for this sort of crap.. Some people have a problem with babies, whether they’re sat next to them in a restaurant or on a flight.. These people are what my dear old nan used to call ‘arseholes’. (Also, I suspect that if the woman in question had greeted us with a smile, rather than a roll of her eyes, we’d have been more inclined to tell her that she’d come back from the toilet with her skirt stuck in her tights, and was showing everyone her arse).

– When airlines say they have ‘baby changing facilities’ what they actually mean is: ‘a shelf’.

– Changing a baby in a plane toilet is like the hardest round on ‘The Cube’. Basically ..imagine trying to carve a turkey in a phone-box.. now half the size of the f*cking phone box, and arrange for an incontinent dickhead to bang on the door every five seconds.

– If your baby will sit quietly during the flight that’s great , if they will sleep.. even better. If like Charlie, your little one likes to ‘stand’ up all the time.. You can look forward to, what feels like a midget river-dancing on your bollocks for the next four hours.

– Baby Passports are, as I suspected, a rip off.. I’ve said before that all babies look like Ross Kemp, but the idea that any baby is still going to be recognisable on their passport photo 5 years after their birth is insane…. Besides which the immigration people barely even glanced at it.. Charlie could have sailed through passport control with a drawing of Gregg Wallace on the back of a beer-mat (..and it wouldn’t have cost us 50-odd quid).

– As for the heat.. It turns out taking a baby to a hot country is fine.. people in scorching climates have babies quite a lot, so it’s a bit daft for us to think that if we take a baby to a sunny place they will suddenly burst into flames, like someone’s opened the curtains on a vampire. It’s just common sense, ..shade, avoiding midday and applying factor thrumpteen suncream.

(Just a note on suntan lotion.. let it dry off before picking them up or anything, otherwise its like wrestling a seal that’s just left a massage parlour .. Charlie was in less danger from the sun than he was from me juggling him like a bar of soap).

– Even with all precautions there is a threat from the sun. To you. You will burn. You will be so preoccupied with keeping the sun off the baby.. You. will. burn. As I write this my face is a haunting red. (I think I applied suncream to myself once in the whole week). In fairness, I did mention to Lyns, before we went, that I wanted to come back with a bit of colour.. I just didn’t particularly want that colour to be the same as an angry baboon’s penis.

– Sandy beaches are a bad idea. A six month old baby puts everything in reaching distance in their mouth so, in hindsight, sitting them down to play on four acres of powdered glass is a bit dim.

– Unless you’re willing to use gaffer tape and a stapler, it is easier to get a squid to wear a bum-bag than to get a baby to wear sunglasses and a hat.

Finally, what I would say to anyone considering taking their baby on holiday is this: ..Go.

For all its pissy little challenges, to spend time together, away from our newly destroyed home, was incredibly special..

I will always remember Charlie’s face as he curled his toes in the sand for the first time. ..His delight at being pushed around a hotel pool on the back of an inflatable crocodile. ..And, his fascination as we sat on a bench, hand-feeding a sparrow some crisps, overlooking the deep blue of the mediterranean sea.

..Small price to pay that it was the same colour blue as my trampled bollocks after the flight home.

Do you remember your kids first vacation? Tell us in the comments below!

When the blue box of noodles and powdered cheese just doesn’t cut it, satisfy your craving for a bowl of creamy, cheesy goodness at one of these local eateries. Sure, pre-packaged varieties work in a pinch, but if you’re looking for a saucy, Gouda adventure then read on. We’ve compiled the tastiest, kid friendliest, most parent approved mac and cheese in the DMV. Hungry yet?

Mia’s Pizzas

Parents with pizza and mac lovers rejoice. Junior can have his pizza, while Princess daintily inhales her “little mac and cheese.” You, meanwhile, are blessed with smiling, happy, full-bellied kids. The mac and cheese here is saucy, creamy and comes with a hint of smokiness.

4926 Cordell Ave. (Bethesda, Md)
Open: Tue-Thu, 11:30 am-9:30 pm; Fri-Sat, 11:30 am-10:30 pm; Sun, 11:30 am-9 pm
301-718-6427
Online: miaspizzasbethesda.com

Photo: Hue K. via Yelp

Do you have a favorite spot to grab a bowl of mac and cheese? Dish in the Comments section below.

—Hilary Riedemann