During the heat waves that we get in Canada during the summer, we need to come up with strategies to keep ourselves cool and comfortable. Here's 10 top ways to cool down this summer, in no particular order. (#8, though.. ahhh.)
Fan Fix
When you have a fan going, stick the fan fairly close to you, and place a bowl of ice directly in front of it. It makes a person feel more cool; we've tried it on the hottest of days. (Tip - you can eat the ice out of the bowl, too.)
Spray Away
Invest in one of those cheap spray fan bottles from dollarama, etc. for around $3. Just make sure that you're using waterproof sunscreen if outdoors and that you reapply it as often as needed.
Cool It
Chill out with an ErgodyneChill-Its Cooling Towel. It holds moisture for longer than a regular cloth and when draped around your neck or better yet, tied around your forehead, it makes a HUGE difference with how much cooler you feel!
Step Away From The Dark Side
Darkness no more! Wearing light white clothes are so much better than darker coloured fabrics. It's true, what your Mom said all those years. The dark colours don't reflect the heat off of you as well. She knew what she was talking about.
Peter Cottontail
Cotton. If you see the words 10o% rayon, run, run away. Cotton or bamboo clothing keeps you cooler than anything else. Wearing tank tops will make you feel cooler than Tees. Sandals instead of shoes. Shorts, not pants.
Bunch O Water
Water balloon fights/sprinkler - tried and trued surefire ways to cool down with water from the hose. Bunch O Balloons are a popular choice for water balloon fights, they auto fill and tie!
Be The Last One On Your Block To Finish Your Popsicle
Make your own slow melt popsicles. It's easy, you just have to add a package of jello powder into the juice you're using to make the popsicles. Now you can come up with some really great popsicle flavours. Don't forget to check out the Zoku Duo Quick Pop Maker to freeze them up fast.
100 Bottles Of Beer On The Wall
Cold beer trick for the adults. This is the best! Wrap a can of room temp beer in several layers of paper towel that have been thoroughly dampened with water. Place in the freezer and within 15 min. you have a nicely chilled beer. Probably the same can be done with pop cans. Just don't forget they're in the freezer, you can't leave those to freeze or you'd have a huge mess on your hands.
A Chilled Dog Is A Chilly Dog
Don't laugh at this next idea, it's a good one. You should look into these All For Paws Chill Out Mats - we have one for our dog, and she loves it. We do, too! Often we will go sit with our dog on her water mat. It's definitely the coolest place in the house to sit. She's happy we're spending time with her, we're happy to stay cool.
Too Hot To Go To Timmy's Or Starbucks
Iced Coffee - It's hard to make your own iced coffee if you have to start from scratch while the coffee is hot, but not if you have a Zoku Iced Coffee Maker. You do have to make sure you chilled the inside liner for several hours in the freezer first but it will create perfectly iced coffee in a matter of minutes, directly from hot freshly brewed coffee.
What are your special tips and tricks for keeping cool this summer?
I was given one of the Ergodyne Chill-Its Cooling Towels as a gift, and it's amazing. It works for menopausal hot flashes, too!