Things I Learned from the Heat Wave

In my area, we have just gone through a record-setting heatwave. At one point, the thermometer on my back deck hit almost 120 very humid degrees. We are not prepared for that amount of heat here and it shows. In my little town, almost all the restaurants had to close and even grocery stores were struggling with their cooling systems. Everyone had their own method for staying cool with varying degrees of success. Here’s some tips I gathered from friends who had some fun ideas on how to keep cool in summer:

Be prepared! Buy groceries BEFORE the heatwave hits (if you have forewarning). Go out and get those fans and portable AC units early too. You will be so glad you did!
Cover your windows. As a friend said, “I’m pretty sure the neighbors think I’m running a drug house.” But, covering windows with towels, blankets, or cardboard does lower the temperature a bit.
Kiddy pools are awesome. From crazy pool parties to just soaking your feet, small plastic pools go a long way to helping you survive summer.
Don’t cook. A heatwave is not the time to cook a gourmet meal. At our house, we made wraps every day and filled them with meat, cheese and veggies. No one complained.
Have dessert for dinner. I love this idea from Kristina! One night, her family had angel food cake, whipped cream and berries for dinner. What a wonderful way to cool down AND cheer up hot, cranky family members.
Throw rules out the window. This goes with the above, but heat can bring out the worst in some people (me!). So, ditch the rules and wear PJs all day, watch movies, eat ice cream and just generally go a bit nuts. It will make the hot days more fun.
Camp out in one room. Only have a portable AC or a few fans? Put them all in one room and have the whole family camp out there. Haul in a cooler full of ice and drinks, bring in the TV and electronics, set up bedding for everyone in the family. I promise your kids will love it and may even whine less about the heat.
Take naps. Who cares how old the kids are, or how old you are for that matter? Hot, summer days were made for naps. Take a hint from countries who nap during the hottest part of the day.
Make back-up plans. No matter how well you plan, things are bound to go wrong. So, get a list of cooling stations just in case.
Check on your people. Do you have people without ACs in your neighborhood? Invite them over. Know someone with breathing or health issues? Make sure they are okay.

So, there are a few things I learned during this major heatwave. Now, for something fun: GADGETS that help you keep your cool! Some of them may look silly, but if they work? Who cares?!

These can all be found on Amazon.