Ways to keep cool this summer

Surviving the heat this summer

In many parts of the world the summer days can seem torturous, we wait all year for the summer and then we have days we can't even go outside. So what can we do to keep our minds and bodies cool: well there is the obvious, go swimming, sit in an air-conditioned room, cool off with an ice cream. So those are just a few but what else can we do to keep our selves from melting away.

First of all I don't recommend running your air-conditioner all the time, yes it will keep you cool but it will also send your hydro bills souring. Some tips for keeping your house cool are basically simple, during the day keep your windows and curtains closed, if there is a nice breeze at night open them back up. Drinking lots of cold ice water is also very important especially for those who get headaches and migraines, water actually help easy the pressure from headaches.

One of my favourite ways to keep cool is having some ice cream as I mentioned before, but instead of buying it we like to make it, we have an ice cream maker but the old fashioned way is fun and keeps you cool while making it. If you do a lot of swimming try to avoid swimming between noon and three that is the hottest time of day and the most dangerous.

My family and I have a family picnic every year and we always get to the park early and find the shadiest spot, it makes the day no matter how hot seem just a bit cooler. Try to avoid dark clothes as they attract the sun. Taking a shower in the morning and leaving your hair wet will also help for a few hours. Another neat trick is to keep your feet in a bucket of cool water or in a kiddie pool, it is important to keep your feet and head as cool as possible because those are the temperature gages for your body. Avoiding alcohol can also be helpful because alcohol can make you dehydrated, if you do drink regularly make sure to mix lots of water in between drinks, it will help.

So basically stay in the shade, swim when you can make some ice cream, shower in a sprinkler and have fun. If your stuck in an office all day this summer keep a few ice packs with you and every now and then touch or rub what ever to get a cool fix. I know most of you know all this stuff but I thought it couldn't do any harm in reminding you that it will get hot and we should all be prepared....Please leave a comment telling me how else you keep cool in the summer.

Here is a recipe for making your own ice cream....Courtesy of http://crafts.kaboose.com/ice-cream-in-a-bag.html

Milk can become ice cream in five minutes! This homemade ice cream in a bag is a summertime delight for kids and adults alike.

What you'll need:

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup milk or half & half
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 tablespoons rock salt
• 1 pint-size Ziploc plastic bag
• 1 gallon-size Ziploc plastic bag
• Ice cubes

How to make it:

• 1. Fill the large bag half full of ice, and add the rock salt. Seal the bag.
• 2. Put milk, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag, and seal it.
• 3. Place the small bag inside the large one and seal again carefully.
• 4. Shake until mixture is ice cream, about 5 minutes.
• 5. Wipe off top of small bag, then open carefully and enjoy!

Tips:

To make a larger amount, try doubling the recipe. Anything larger might be too big for kids to pick-up, because the ice itself is quite heavy.

Here's an improvised version from another parent:

• 1/4 tsp butternut flavored imitation vanilla
• 1 tbs. sugar
• 1/2 cup 1% milk
• Ziploc sandwich bag
• 12 water softener pellets
• 1 tray of ice (Mine breaks it into small pieces and it is really only about half tray)
• Large plastic bag (I didn't have a ziploc.)

Put the ice cream ingredients in the small bag and then put it, salt and ice in the big bag. Hold the bag shut and sort of stir it around on the floor for about 5 minutes. Although the salt pellets hardly dissolved , I got ice cream. It was not as smooth as ice cream, probably because of the low-fat milk -- it was a little like sherbet. I think if I had more ice in the bag I could have shaken it better. I'd recommend wearing gloves. It is incredible that it is ready in 5 minutes (not counting assembling the ingredients.)

Next, I changed the recipe. A tablespoon of cocoa, a tablespoon of sugar, and a cup of milk. I really wanted to use carob but we didn't have any. It was a tad too chocolate, but good! My daughter has milk allergies, so I suggested she try this with fruit juice. She used straight pineapple juice and got terrific fruit sorbed.