13 Ways to Beat Summer Heat
Rebecca, my blogging buddy, just posted about her weather frustrations and how the heat in hampering her summer activities and endangering her children's well-being. She's got me thinking about ideas of how to beat the heat.
Oklahoma is well known for its heat and humidity. I once had relatives visiting from Hawaii, where it's cool and tropical. They came to OK and were not OK! They were miserable and couldn't stand the heat. This over 15 years ago and they've sworn never to come back.
This week it's hit 100 plus every day. Today my car read 108 degrees, although I'm sure it was reading the concrete temp. The air temp was more around 100. This added to the heat index which can make it feel 112 or higher.
Norman, Oklahoma is home to the National Weather Service. We Okie's are bombarded with weather every day. It's a huge deal around here.
So how do you beat the heat?
Here are a few things we do:
*Water Sprinklers in the shade (when not on water rationing).
*Indoor Swimming Pools! Try the YMCA or any other local gym.
*Water Parks are a must. Most major cities have them. Ours is called White Water Bay.
*Use some cooling bandanas when doing yard work or any outside activity.
*Drink lots of water!! This is a must. Make it a tall glass of ICE water. Even better:
Use those old metal cups your grandmother had. They get so cold it's hard to keep your hands on the surface. Not only is it a refreshing drink, but it's a great tool to press against your neck and face to cool you down. You can usually find these at any antique store.
*Set your AC as low as you can stand it and use fans in the house. This way your AC isn't laboring and draining energy. Replace your filters monthly to make sure they're running efficiently. Then at night, you'll have cooler air to sleep.
*Close your curtains! Get a dark screen to place over the outside of your windows. This will block the sun and beat the heat!! Plant a tree on the side of your home that gets the most direct sun to help with future summers to come. I planted a Chinese Pistach, a hardy tree that's grown rapidly. It's helped my summer woes on the West side of my home. Plus in the fall, they don't drop leaves. It's the perfect tree!!!
*Use a spray bottle as a spritzer and set your hot self down in front of your fan. Spritz your neck and wrists first.
*Get rid of humidity from the shower. My bathroom doesn't have a vent, so I shut my bathroom door and crack my window.
*Shut down as much electricity as possible. Lights generate a lot of heat. Ever notice when you're in a mall and those bright lights get really hot to stand underneath as you're shopping in your favorite store? That's because they're basically heat lamps!! Turn everything off that isn't necessary! In fact, grill outdoors instead of cooking inside.
*Something I've started doing this week...drying my clothes outside. Not only is it cooler in my house, but my fabrics smell better! Plus the sun helps bleach out stains! It's a win-win!
*Wear loose fitted light clothing. Dark clothing doesn't just attract mosquito's....it draws the sun's heat and zero's it in right on your body.
*Wear sandals. The more your feet breathe the cooler you'll feel!
Rebecca, hope you got to read this and it helped some. Any of you out there that want to add any suggestions...please leave a comment with how you beat the heat!!!
Oklahoma is well known for its heat and humidity. I once had relatives visiting from Hawaii, where it's cool and tropical. They came to OK and were not OK! They were miserable and couldn't stand the heat. This over 15 years ago and they've sworn never to come back.
This week it's hit 100 plus every day. Today my car read 108 degrees, although I'm sure it was reading the concrete temp. The air temp was more around 100. This added to the heat index which can make it feel 112 or higher.
Norman, Oklahoma is home to the National Weather Service. We Okie's are bombarded with weather every day. It's a huge deal around here.
So how do you beat the heat?
Here are a few things we do:
*Water Sprinklers in the shade (when not on water rationing).
*Indoor Swimming Pools! Try the YMCA or any other local gym.
*Water Parks are a must. Most major cities have them. Ours is called White Water Bay.
*Use some cooling bandanas when doing yard work or any outside activity.
*Drink lots of water!! This is a must. Make it a tall glass of ICE water. Even better:
Use those old metal cups your grandmother had. They get so cold it's hard to keep your hands on the surface. Not only is it a refreshing drink, but it's a great tool to press against your neck and face to cool you down. You can usually find these at any antique store.
*Set your AC as low as you can stand it and use fans in the house. This way your AC isn't laboring and draining energy. Replace your filters monthly to make sure they're running efficiently. Then at night, you'll have cooler air to sleep.
*Close your curtains! Get a dark screen to place over the outside of your windows. This will block the sun and beat the heat!! Plant a tree on the side of your home that gets the most direct sun to help with future summers to come. I planted a Chinese Pistach, a hardy tree that's grown rapidly. It's helped my summer woes on the West side of my home. Plus in the fall, they don't drop leaves. It's the perfect tree!!!
*Use a spray bottle as a spritzer and set your hot self down in front of your fan. Spritz your neck and wrists first.
*Get rid of humidity from the shower. My bathroom doesn't have a vent, so I shut my bathroom door and crack my window.
*Shut down as much electricity as possible. Lights generate a lot of heat. Ever notice when you're in a mall and those bright lights get really hot to stand underneath as you're shopping in your favorite store? That's because they're basically heat lamps!! Turn everything off that isn't necessary! In fact, grill outdoors instead of cooking inside.
*Something I've started doing this week...drying my clothes outside. Not only is it cooler in my house, but my fabrics smell better! Plus the sun helps bleach out stains! It's a win-win!
*Wear loose fitted light clothing. Dark clothing doesn't just attract mosquito's....it draws the sun's heat and zero's it in right on your body.
*Wear sandals. The more your feet breathe the cooler you'll feel!
Rebecca, hope you got to read this and it helped some. Any of you out there that want to add any suggestions...please leave a comment with how you beat the heat!!!
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