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?
