Out and about with Aarika Lee and TheLionCityBoy
She is a singer-songwriter with street smarts. He is an award winning local rapper with international appeal. Together, they are quintessential, contemporary Singapore. Meet lead singer of SIXX, Aarika Lee and Kevin Lester, TheLionCityBoy, as they talk about parenting in style on the little red dot.
Aarika and Kevin, you both have such great style. We wish we looked so effortless while parenting! How do you do it?
Haha trust us, we’re not always calm & cool – there are great days and NOT-great days! But I do have to say that fashion is something we find fun as a family. Kevin and I love dressing up – even if it’s to run errands – and we let Zola Mae pick out her own clothes too.
Babies are no accessory but little Zola Mae is so achingly cool that we can’t help but get green. What are 3 essentials for hip kids?
Some cool headgear! American Apparel has some awesome kid-friendly headbands for adults that I use on Zola Mae. A cool ride is a must. We love the Bugaboo Bee3 with all its nifty functions – it makes for a happy baby while we’re out and about. And a sassy little attitude helps to carry it all off. Miss Zola Mae has this in spades!
So Zola Mae gets about in her new Bugaboo Bee. Have you pimped her ride?
Not yet. I’m a bit afraid that I’ll get carried away! As it is, I want the bee breezy sun canopy, the parasol, the cup-holder, the bee tray, and the cool Andy Warhol seat liner. I think I’ll start with the bee tray to keep Zola Mae entertained with her books and munchies while I Christmas shop. Yes, that’s a plan!
What are your favourite walks for cruising around Singapore – both urban jungle and off-road 4-wheel drive style?
It’s dictated by whichever ‘hood our favourite hangouts are in:
- Tiong Bahru for Grilled Cheese Sandwiches at 40 Hands and cupcakes and lemonade at Plain Vanilla
- Joo Chiat for Katong Laksa and Kueh
- Orchard Road for tea at TOAST and general window shopping which often turns into bird watching thanks to Zola Mae.
- Robertson Quay for Super Loco on weekends
- Punggol Waterway Park near where we live
- Singapore Botanic Gardens
That’s fairly intrepid. How does the stroller handle things?
The best thing about Bee 3, aside from looking good, is how well it handles Singapore weather. The wide shady canopy keeps Zola Mae protected from the sun and it doubles for playing peek-a-boo! If there’s a downpour, the rain cover is great. Either way, sun or showers, there is still lots of ventilation so Zola Mae doesn’t get too hot and sticky.
Kevin, you’re the THELIONCITYBOY but when you’re not in the Lion City where do you go and what do you take with you?
I’ve been lucky enough to perform previously in Europe, North America and regionally. Most recently, I’ve been partnering with record label BMBX, who also work with The Black Eyed Peas, so I’ve been spending time in LA. It’s an amazing place and up there as a favourite city along with Toronto and New York. It looks like Aarika and Zola Mae could be coming on tour with me in 2015, so we’ll be quite the entourage and the Bee3 should come in handy for that!
Good music, design and travel are all over your Instagram account Aarika (we peeked). How do you look so cool as a stroller-pushing Mum?!
Haha, thanks! I definitely got a lot of help from my mom – she passed on good genes. Having Kevin and Zola Mae as my kaki also plays an important part – they up my cool factor. Ultimately, I think it’s also being happy where I am right now. Cool isn’t a look, it’s an attitude and an energy.
The Bugaboo Bee3 is available at Mothercare, Motherswork and First Few Years from SGD$1,199.
Images courtesy of Aarika Lee Instagram
This post is sponsored by Bugaboo