Yikes the heat has arrived. Hopefully, it is not long lived but, while it is here I thought it a good time to share some tips on Keeping Cool. Relax by the pool and read a book…not your laptop which generates heat but a nice book. Another good thing about books: you don’t have to worry about them getting wet, so don’t take your fav…just take a good paperback.

By Noon: Keep the blinds and curtains closed, you can reduce the heat by 45%!  Not using your AC, here is a desert tip: When the air outside is dry and cooler than the air inside, hang a damp sheet in an open window. Incoming breezes are cooled by the evaporating water. Put a shallow bowl of ice in front of a fan & have a seat … ahhhhh refreshing. I personally love this one: Keep a spray bottle in the refrigerator, and when the going gets hot, give yourself a good squirt. This is a great one to take down by the pool, to the lake, or to the beach too.  Put a wet wash cloth in the freezer, once cold put it on the back of your neck…WoW does that cool your body down. Let your computer take a nap. Set it to go into low-power “sleep” mode if you are away from it for more than 10 minutes and it will give off less heat. When you’re finished for the day, shut the machine down completely. Despite what some IT guy may have told you years ago, properly shutting down and restarting modern-day computers won’t put undue strain on the hardware.

Eat lightly and Swig often: To replace the moisture that you lose as you perspire, be sure to drink. As you lose water to dehydration, your body temperature rises, so replacing fluids is essential to keeping cool. Avoid beverages that contain alcohol, caffeine, or lots of sugar, which are dehydrating. If you know you are going out in the heat, put a bottle of water in the freezer half full the night before, then you can keep cold water with you for your outing the next day.  “Also opt for hydrating foods,” says Deena Kastor, a marathon runner and an Olympic bronze medalist. “Try a smoothie for lunch, and add more fruits and vegetables to all your meals. Watermelon has the greatest water content of any food out there.”

Oh, and if you are a plant and/or pet lover, don’t hibernate indoors forgetting to keep your plates/pets hydrated too.

Well, that’s it for me, I have to go load my little lunch bag with my frozen water and some cold plums so I can go enjoy some good music in the park.  Have a great day!