Pin It Weekly #159

With the summer heat that we're getting here in Louisiana, there's only one place to be--inside with the air conditioning on full blast. Even then it's possible that you won't be completely comfortable: with temperatures at almost 100 and an heat index of  110, it's difficult to cool down homes and buildings, especially when there are many people inside.

I've been looking for ways to help Richard and the kids keep cool. They insist on going outside--sometimes to work, but also to play--and have found that there are a few really good ideas on Pinterest. Here are a few of the better ones and my take on how to make them even more helpful.

Provide lots of water, including water flavored with tea, lemons, cucumber, melon, and so on. I make sure to keep their favorites ice cold and to have extras in the afternoon. 

These stacked kiddie pools show a smart way to keep drinks from water to beer cold during a family get together. Tubs or buckets make a great base for the pools.  

Keep the ice clean by putting a small pan with a handle in the ice so that people don't have to grab ice with their hands. Use tongs  to grab the bottles and cans. Children love to eat ice, which provides fluids, but you want the ice to be clean. Of course, sodas and beer are not as good as water, so I keep much more water available. 

Another way to use your ice pools is to cool watermelon and other summer fruit: cantaloupe, cucumber, citrus, apples, etc. Wipe the fruit with a clean, wet cloth, and place in the pool then cover with ice. I sometimes cut the fruit into large chunks and put in a zipper bag before chilling so there's no work when we're ready to snack. 

We love fruit salad, salsas, and drinks made with the fruit. My family members are all big enough to handle seeds, but you can definitely remove the seed as you go.

I like the idea of chilling insect spray...add sunblock to the bucket and applying either will help cool off the kiddos. 

Don't forget your pets, including bunnies, chickens and so on. They need lots of fresh water to drink and cool water to walk or roll in when they get too hot. I add 1-2 ice cubes to our puppies' water. They like to lick the ice when they drink. Add a fan to pet coops and pens to provide a breeze that will keep them cooler.

And finally, if you have access to a shade tree, use it! Tree shade is generally cooler than shade from buildings. Of course, use what you have. Put games, tables, and drinks in the shade to encourage children to stay where it's cool. 

After 25 years in this home, we can finally walk outdoors and find shade right away. That shade helps to cool our home, but we have taken other steps to help keep our cooling bills down. We've added a vent in the attic to pull some of the heat out. We try to avoid using the stove top and oven, especially during the day. 

We turn off all electrical appliances that are not in use, keep the doors and windows closed, and turn off lights. Every small step helps. With Louisiana temperatures in the high 90's for about two months, we must do everything we can to lower our bills and keep cool.

How do you keep cool when the weather tops 100?