Summer fun & switching into mummy mode
Summer is here and the heat is on! At eight months pregnant I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve got a little person inside me raising my body temperature, or if it really is hotter out there, but I’m certainly feeling the heat. Some mornings, when I leave the house for my walk, it’s so muggy I worry I won’t be able to get back up the hill to make it home. My husband has finally convinced me to wear my iPhone strapped to my upper arm, so I can call him if it all proves too hard. Add my iPod with its Nike pace-counter and I’m a walking, talking techno-geek ripe for a sponsorship deal.
Growing up in Australia, my longer school break was at the end of the calendar year. But summer’s easy-going vibe and the wonderful feeling of two months of freedom stretching ahead, remains constant wherever you are. My parents would pack me off for a few weeks of camp, we’d then reunite for an extended family vacation and I’d spend the remainder of this blissful time riding my BMX bike around the neighbourhood, “building” clubhouses in local nature reserves and enjoying spontaneous sleepovers. And this was back in the day when a play date didn’t have to be scheduled and planned to the nth degree! With long daylight hours and no timetable, our time was our own. Mum and dad would head off to work each morning, leaving a list of chores and waving goodbye with the call of “stay safe”. And our house and the homes of our friends would practise an open-door policy. We all came and went as we pleased, everyone watched out for each other and somehow we all managed to stay out of serious trouble, while still enjoying serious mischief.
Times may have changed, but that “summer freedom” feeling can remain part of your life – no matter your age. Some friends are in a fix as to what they’re possibly going to do with their children for so long. Others can’t wait to trade the morning stress of preparing for each school day for sleep-ins and lazy family breakfasts. Whatever your time and safety constraints, we’ve uncovered ways to help you get the most out of the upcoming summer season. Try the great kids’ camps and fun family activities in Diary, beat the heat by cooling off at the museums highlighted in Singapore Secrets and take advantage of the travel deals and relaxed staycation options in Going Places. As always, you can also fill your days with the fabulous shopping specials, pampering services and delicious dining ideas showcased on the following pages.
This month’s issue of The Finder - out now - also features an exclusive interview with the stars of The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, on at Marina Bay Sands until July 17. There’s also inspiring advice for mums looking to get into shape and pointers from two entrepreneurs who turned their love of travel into successful businesses. Add a Russian taste test and a special section on River Valley finds and there’s definitely no time to be bored these holidays.
As for me, I’ll be wallowing in my pool and lying prone under the fan in preparation for the impending birth of my baby boy. If one more person says, “ooh you just wait, life’s going to get much harder”, I’ll throttle them! After six years of preparation I’m super-excited about this next phase of my life. And I know I have a limited idea of what I’m really in for. But all I can do is take it day-by-day and enjoy my new “job” and 12 months of maternity leave while it lasts. At this stage, I’m looking forward to every challenge and when I feel overwhelmed will just have to remember “tomorrow is another day”. Should the going get tough, I only hope the whizz-bang baby monitor I’ve bought can be heard at pool-distance!
To look after you all in my absence, The Finder recently welcomed Acting Managing Editor John Gordon on board. But if you’d like to keep up with all my news, I’ll be continuing to post regular updates right here on my blog.
