Don’t Lose Your Cool

Summer is sizzling and scorching everywhere but here are five easy ways to keep your cool, in your home and your temper, as the energy bills skyrocket and you need a “green day and a green way” to feel the breeze.

Shut The Window

No, I am not crazy but on really hot, unbearable days, opening the windows just increases a build up of heat in the house. In the morning, close your windows and roll down those blinds and shades before the sun starts beating down, creating a sun free zone. In the evening, if the air is cooler outside than inside, then throw open the windows to pull in the breeze to flow through the house.

Unplug

Turn of all the lights as more heat is produced from light bulbs than you think. Even your electronics emit heat and all that humming and glowing increases the heat index in your home. Yes, you need some down time yourself to unplug and chill out your mind, too. Your whole state of mind just might ease into calmness and peace.

Be Solarific

For super-duper sun protection, solar shades or solar screens, either mounted on the inside of your windows or mounted outside those sun-gathering patio doors, offer the ultimate in UV protection, reduce heat and glare, yet still let you enjoy the outside light. Solars let you keep your cool and your view. Beautiful fabrics with modern styling in varying degrees of “openness” make even the hottest day bearable. You can choose Romans, Rollers, or Panel Tracks. Solar Shades are sure sun comfort.

Fan For a Day

Fans are an ancient invention but are still workhorses on hot, humid days. We have been using fans for millennia in all cultures, from the Egyptians who used large lotus leaves as fans to the intricate hand-painted fans in China. However, the electric fan, developed in the late 1800’s, in all its modern iterations from teeny desktop fan to huge “Big Ass Fan” is an essential item for easy summer living. Stand alone fans work best on a sultry day, placed directly in front of you. To up the coolness factor, lay a wet cloth over the fan or fill up a spritz bottle with ice water and mist yourself as you feel the cool waft of air. When the night cools down, a fan placed in the window will enhance the airflow. You can also make your own “wind tunnel” with one fan facing the side of your home receiving the wind and another fan placed on the opposite side of the house. Or, if you don’t mind an occasional critter stopping by for a cool drink, raise your garage door a couple of feet, open the door from the garage to the house and open the windows at the far end of the house. Voila! Breeze galore.

Make Popsicles

Cold food absolutely reduces body temperature on hot days. What a great excuse to whip up some inventive and delicious treats. Why not have a popsicle party. You really don’t even need a fancy mold. I just use a muffin pan and some sticks and I blend anything that can be crushed, whipped and blended together to make an icy cold concoction. Popsicles are simply summer on a stick.

Here are a few fave popsicle combos:

Lime pomegranate,