It is soooooo hot out here in central California ~ we're working on our 8th day of triple digit temps (today was 107, tomorrow's to be 108, possibly 110 ~ aaaaaaahhhhhh!).

One of the really simple and kind of silly ways I temporarily cool myself down is by putting my roll on deodorant in the refrigerator. It feels so good, so refreshing, when rolling that chilly stuff on hot underarms.


What do you do? Besides turn up the AC?
Justine

Hey that is an interesting idea. I keep my cortisone creams in the refrigerator and it feels wonderful when I rub it on my hands, arms and legs or put it on my face.

Southern California is not as bad, here it has been high 80s or low 90s. I never know which weather to follow but since we are closer to downtown I go by those numbers to what we have here.

We have triple digits here in Oklahoma as well. I don't know that there is really any way to beat the heat but I sure love a nice glass of iced tea!

Cream in the fridge is good! I've got a half shelf of different body butters and water based lotions that live in the fridge ~ they feel pretty good sliding across overheated skin, too. Maybe we should all keep our toiletries in the refrigerator ~ so long as no one tries to eat them <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Justine

Mmmmmmm! Good ol' iced tea ~ one glass in my hand and the other dumping over my head!

Justine

Hot tea. My parents used to tell us when we were kids that the tea should be hot to cool us off. We never believed them until we were grown ourselves. It works, same principle probably as eating hot peppers.

Sure feels like triple digits here in NYC the last few days...best way to keep cool here is to walk around with an ice-water filled spray bottle...the mist will keep you cool if you can catch any kind of breeze...Also, <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />keep wet washcloths in the fridge...put them on your neck and wrists when you need 'em -- this also works if you put them in your cooler in zipper bags when travelling...just use one, cool off, when its warm, put it back and use the next (the kids love this too...but they prefer "cool bandanas" over washcloths!)

LOL...I have been busy making pickles and putting up garden produce. In my kitchen you can't run the ceiling fan while using the stove top (it is gas and the fan blows the flame too much) so it is just miserable in the kitchen! I don't know how those pioneer women did all that canning and ect in those long dresses with no ac or fans. They have more umph than I do!!

Y'know, you're right. Every so often I take a hot bath when the temps are really high and the house is cool ~ once you step from the tub that cool air rushes in and chills you right down.

Justine

I've asked myself that before ~ I don't know how those women did it. There are several historic homes in my area that are now museums and when touring them, especially in the summer, and seeing how the kitchens are set up and the kinds of clothing those women had to wear ~ geesh! I imagine there were a lot of folks dropping dead from heat stroke all bundled up in their wool skirts and corsets! Yuck!

Justine

I do not use my stove for several months out of the year, just too hot in the kitchen. I like the idea of the washcloths and/or bandanas - my son calls the bandanas "sweat rags".

I would think though that placing a washcloth in a baggie into a container would have an odor to it. Doesn't it smell bad when you open the baggie?

How do you keep them in the refrig, in a baggie too?

I will have to try this out. Good tips!

Things are really getting bad out there with this heat wave ~ I'm hearing more and more folks are dying of heat related injuries. It's getting scary, so it's important to keep as cool as possible and stay well hydrated. If you're out and about in the heat, drink twice the amount of water you normally would and stay in shady areas as much as possible. Also avoid caffeine and alcohol.

My daughter has found her own way to keep herself cooled down ~ she wets an old towel and wraps it around her head like a turban, then grabs her little hand fan, y'know, the kind made famous by southern belle extraordinaire Scarlet O'Hara in Gone With the Wind, and flutters that thing like crazy on her face. Or she will just toss it all and take a dip in the pool.

Justine

I tried the washcloth in baggie inside refrigerator and it worked great. I used it on my kids and then put in another one.

I also noticed my foundation was very runny so I put that in as well and when I did a touch up late in the afternoon it felt so good!

I only keep the washcloth in the baggie for travelling purposes. Otherwise, I just run it in cold water if I need it in the house. Works great if you keep it in the cooler on trips, too (in the baggie) but not for long term use. I'm sure it would get some kind of odor to it. Of course, wash them regularly!!! Using the cold washcloth on the back of the neck and inside the wrists cool you down quickly (wrist/pulse points!). This also works just by rubbing an ice cube inside your wrist. Spray bottle (or one with the fan attached) are great since evaporation keeps you cool as well! I'm buying them to take on vacation! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

OOh! A few drops of peppermint essential oil in a cool bath helps to cool you down. Also about half a cup of fresh, rubbed basil leaves in a cool bath ~ both together? Why not?!

Justine

>(the kids love this too...but they prefer "cool bandanas" over washcloths!)<
My 17-year-old wears bandanas all the time ~ soaking wet bandanas now that the heat is up. It seems to work for him. He also has the bottom part of his head shaved while the top has long blonde hair ~ it's kind of goofy looking when he pulls his hair up and he's bald underneath! But he says it keeps him cool, so whatever works, right?
Justine

The air conditioner is my best friend when it is hot. I cannot stand hot weather. I have low energy when there's more sun than clouds and it gets worst with the temperature getting hotter. The new house has a huge yard, if the insurance company can give us the money they owe us we could get a pool which is something I always have wanted. We are right in front of water but eventhough it does not look polluted it is not a safe place to swim in (anyway i do not know how to swim ).