Tips for Surviving Summer Heat

It's hot here in the midwest....and humid, extremely humid!  In light of this, I thought I would share a few of my tips for surviving the summer heat with little ones.

1)  Plan outdoor activities for the morning or evening. Generally speaking, the heat here reaches its peak mid afternoon. We try to go outside to play early in the day (before 11am) or later in the evening (after 6-7pm) to avoid the heat as much as possible.

2)  Dress in cool, "heat wear" clothes. You can purchase "heat wear" shirts for children just about every where now days. Shirts with UPF (similar to SPF sun protection) and shirts that wick the moisture away will help maintain body temperature and keep you or your child cooler.  If you don't want to spend the money on "heat wear", wear cotton clothes. Polyester and non "natural" fibers hold the heat in more than cotton and natural fibers will.

3) Have water play.  Let's face it, what kid wouldn't love to play in the sprinkler, or splash in a kiddie pool? Combining a child's love for playing with a way to cool their little bodies down is a double win in my book! Remember to keep these things in the shade when possible to avoid sunburn.

4) Keep blinds and curtains closed.  While in the house, keeping the blinds and curtains closed will help eliminate some of the heat produced by the sun shining through your windows.

5) Stay hyrdated. The biggest thing you can do to help survive the heat is to drink plenty of non-caffeinated fluids. Water, juice, decaf tea are all good options.  A good general rule of thumb is to drink one glass of water for every 20 minutes of heat exposure.

Have fun and enjoy your summer, but be smart in your heat exposure.

It's Hot, Bob!

Ok we are on day number "I-don't-even-know-I've-lost-track" of temps over 90 degrees. We haven't had a good, measurable rain in 3 weeks, and the last one before that was...well, I can't even remember when!

Our state is in a terrible drought. Crops are dying. Leaves are falling off trees as if it were Autumn. In fact, 98 of 102 counties in the state were declared "disaster areas" this week. Temps at or above 85-90 degrees nearly every day since May, little to no rain (less than 1 inch since May/June), and no end in sight.

It's not pretty! Our yard is brown and hasn't needed mowed in almost 2 months! I really think the AC has ran non stop at our house since Memorial Day.

In the words of the local car dealership commercial....It's Hot, Bob!