Ways To Handle The Heat

I put this together last week in the middle of our 100+ degree days and posted it on Facebook.  The worst of the heat wave might be past us now, but just in case you need to know.....here's my two cents worth on the subject.

Having lived all but 4 years of my life in the south, I’ve become well acquainted with the how-tos of dealing with high temps (and I mean more than keep water available for the critters, here).  So in the heat of the moment (tehehe) I’m going to give you my best recommends for staying cool as a cucumber.  FYI…these are in no particular order …..except that the first item IS most important….the rest are random.  And no, I didn’t google this….this is life learning here….just for you.

1.        Water.  I would say stay hydrated, but some people think sweet tea hydrates.  It does not.  WATER!  And LOTS of it!

2.       Turn the lights out…psychologically it’ll make you feel cooler.

3.       Take your shoes off or at least wear open shoes.

4.       Wear light colored clothes.  Cotton is my favorite too….who cares if it wrinkles, it’s breezy.

5.       Unless you’re body is trained for it, DON”T exercise in the heat of the day and put yourself at risk.  Change it up a little and workout in the mornings or evenings.  And for heaven’s sake…..don’t mow the grass at 2, 3, 4 or 5 pm!!!  Use common sense.

6.       Fill water bottles 4/5 full, cap and freeze them over night.  In the morning before heading out into the heat, top them off with water and carry along.  As you go through the day the ice will melt and give you cooler water.

7.       Eat cold foods.  Using the stove REALLY heats up the house.

8.       Air conditioners can really only cool your house about 20 degrees less than what the outside temps are (unless you have a larger unit than necessary, which I highly recommend!).  That said, be kind to your equipment and reset the thermostats to match the expected heat wave temps.  You’ll be glad you don’t have to call the a/c repairman when he can’t see you for several weeks out.

9.       Chew/suck on crushed ice.  : )  My favorite is ice from Sonic.  It's like a snow cone without all that sugary syrup....crunch, crunch, crunch.

10.   Leave the windows of your car cracked for air to circulate when parked in the heat.  Believe me, if somebody wants to steal your car or break into it, they don’t need that little window crack to do it. 

11.   When opening a car that’s been parked in the heat for a while, be aware!  Open the door and let the heated air seep out for a few minutes before getting into the car.

12.   If you have leather seats in your car, keep a towel or light blanket handy to put on the seat when you’re wearing shorts or have the kiddos along.  I promise, NOT doing this will give you a hair removal treatment on the back of your legs when you get out of the car that will make waxing seem like a trip to the candy store! 

13.   Fans.  Every room.

14.   Swimming may seem like the logical thing to do in a heat wave….but….no, not so much.  Yes you’re more likely to burn and all that, but….that swimming pool gets heated up, too.  And le’me-tell-ya….iIt feels like a warm bath!  So, unless you want a warm bath on a hot day, swim early or late, not in the heat of the day.  And again, DRINK WATER!  Just because you’re soaking in it doesn’t mean you’re hydrated!

15.   Garden early.  Like 6am.  Then you can sit on the porch and snap beans all afternoon, right?  Lol  Well, I did it…..

16.   Store Noxema or aloe in the fridge for sunburns.  It’ll give you a quick cool down as well as heal the skin. 

17.   And finally……….THINK SNOW!    What you think about determines where you go…..so take you body mentally to a cold place!

What do you recommend to stay cool on a hot day in the south?