Your name: Erica Knecht
Your blog: expatriababy.com
Your City: Fukuoka, Japan
+ What best describes summer for you?
Hot and lazy. For me, summer is sitting by the lake with a good book and a cool drink. It's long afternoon naps, and days spent living in a bathing suit. It's barbecues, friends, mosquitos, boat rides, and sunburns. Summer is, hands down, my favorite time of the year.
+ What is your preferred holiday destination?
My parents have a tiny cottage on a tiny island in Northern Ontario, and I've spent every single summer of my life up there, and to me, summer isn't summer without a trip up to the bay. We spend the days building docks or hunting wild blueberries and evenings are passed hanging out with friends and cousins on my uncle's dock, taking saunas and jumping in the lake. It's nothing special, but I look forward to it all year.
+ Preferred Summer food and drink?
It may be cliche American, but I love a good burger (extra pickles please!), cooked over charcoal, with a cold craft beer. Oh yum.
+ What is your favorite summer outfit for your kids this season?
My favorite summer outfit for my girl is a light sundress or romper and floppy hat. Cool, breezy, and easy. I'm in love with this
Nico Nico dress, this
Little Lief romper, oh and
this one too. And I die for this Anthem of the Ants skipper dress. Swoon to the moon.
+ Top baby / kids sun cream?
My little red headed girl needs all the sun protection we can offer, so I load her up with Neutrogena Pure and Free Baby in SPF 60+.
+ What do you recommend us to do in your city in the summer with kids?
It's incredibly hot and humid where we live, so hot that being outside during the day is more than little ones can handle. In the heat of the day, we often visit various jidokan (indoor play centers) for some sweet sweet A/C, but the best thing to do is take an evening bike ride out to the beach at Odo park and enjoy a dip in the ocean and a seaside barbecue.
+ Your all time summer hit?
I love everything about the summer, I'll even take the mosquitos and the humidity if it means that I can wear pretty sundresses and not worry about being cold. Still, my girl's first summer at my parent's summer cottage was pretty special for me, and it will be a long held happy memory.
{Thank you Erica}