Hands down the best thing about Summer is getting outdoors, soaking up the sunshine, playing by the water and exploring everything your city has to offer. 

Lily was born right in the middle of Summer, so technically I've had two Summers while on mat leave meaning we were outdoors A-LOT. It didn't hurt that we lived downtown so everyday you could find us walking along the sea wall, hitting up Robson street shops or strolling the quiet streets of the West End with our Bugaboo Cameleon. If only I could collect 'baby miles' on all the kilometres I've covered. I'd easily be at platinum status by now!

So knowing that I've covered so many miles through every sort of weather (sun, rain, snow - you name it), I thought it would be a great idea to share some tips I've learnt along the way - to make your stroll as easy as possible!

Starting with the foundation, get yourself a good stroller/pram.

I know.. they're not cheap. But if you know you're going to be the type of mama that is outdoors a ton, then it's worth the investment. My Mum & Dad purchased the Bugaboo Cameleon3 for us as a pre-baby present as my Mum was adamant that we had to have a quality stroller/pram. Lily is almost two and the stroller is still going strong. Then the opportunity arose to partner with Bugaboo and try out the Bee5, and in hindsight I probably would have chose this model before Lily was born. Why? It's so compact, light-weight, packs down to one-piece in a breeze and is great for urban strolls. The under carriage storage is big enough for the essentials but not too big that you'll get into the trap of storing half your life under there haha. Also it's a nice little feature that you can custom design and pick your colours - or better yet - swap the colours if a baby brother or sister comes along.

Keep it stocked with essentials.

Try not to carry more than what's necessary. Because let's be real, the little ones are around 10kg by their first birthday + the weight of the stroller + all the other things needed = exhaustion.

Here's my go to list for stroller essentials (Summer edit):

• Water (one bottle for you, one for the little one)
• Diapers, wipes & small change mat (duh!)
• Spare change of clothes for the little one (tee, pants, socks)
• Lightweight Turkish towel - doubles as picnic rug or stroller blanket on cool evenings
• Hat (one for you, one for the little one)
• Sunscreen (I use Aveeno Baby)
• Sunglasses (for both you & the little one)
• Small container of snacks - fruit (watermelon, grapes, berries etc) or veggies (carrots, tomatoes, celery, cucumbers etc). 
• 2 x Love Child Organics pouches
• Last but not least: Coffee for mama - the Bee5 has a cup holder in the most convenient position. I've found it doesn't knock into doorways compared to when it's on the side.

These essentials should keep you pretty well stocked to deal with any kind of situation (toddler tantrums not included) and fingers crossed make your stroll super easy & fun! Happy Summer!

Photos: Avner

Special thank you to Bugaboo for partnering on this post.