Top Ten Thursday - Keep cool

Welcome back to Top Ten Thursday!

School is out, it's sticky hot, your A/C broke, your kids are like "Mom, I'm bored" and you wish it was Wine O'Clock yet? 

Say no more, here are my Top Ten Tips on how to keep cool (or calm) this summer. In no particular order...

1. Go for Cooling Foods like avocado, cucumber, water melon, peaches or (pine)apple
2. Keep yourself hydrated! Never is it more crucial to replenish your body's water supply than now! Get yourself a pretty water bottle, take it everywhere and refill often! Tired of plain water? Have a Ginger Lime Mocktail! Ginger has tons of health benefits, and unlike wine you may have it an any given time of the day!
3. Early in the morning open all your windows and let the cool-ish air circulate through your house or apartment. Then close everything shut to prevent the heat from creeping in. Don't open those windows until later in the evening. Beware of mosquitos, though!
4. Peppermint! Mosquitos supposedly hate it. (Not sure our local mosquitos have read that memo, though.) Its ingredient menthol has cooling effects because it increases the blood flow and soothes the skin, plus it induces sweating which lowers your body temperature. Apply some essential oil or drink peppermint tea.  
5. Aloe Vera, all the way! Apply some of the cooling gel even if you aren't sunburnt - just for the wonderful feeling. There are also Aloe Vera beverages that are supposed to hydrate you from inside out.
6. Wear black clothes. Yes, really, opposite to common "knowledge" black keeps you cooler than white. There is a scientific explanation for it: White clothing reflects the sun's rays back - but heat is also coming off your body. Your body's source of heat is much closer than the sun, agreed? This heat is reflected right back towards your body, meaning you cook yourself. Black, on the other hand, absorbs everything coming from the sun as well as the energy from your body instead of reflecting it back. 
7. Rinse the pressure points on your wrists with cold water to cool the arteries right under your skin: immediate relief! 
8. Washing your hands doesn't quite cut it? Look for a body of water to jump in: a pool, lake, sprinkler, anything! Have a water balloon fight!
9. Create a Mom, I'm bored Jar. What's that? Exactly what it says: a jar containing activities (and chores!) to do when bored. Stephanie at Somewhat Simple is showing you how. You can find more ideas for summer activities here.
10. Breathe. This, too, shall pass!

Those were my Top Ten tips on how to beat the heat! Did any of them make sense to you? What are your tips to keep cool this summer? Let me know in the comments below or link up your own post!

Looking into our Top Ten schedule ahead:

June 21: there's a Food and a Place for everything, and we're talking about them! My FB friend Judy came up with this thought:

June 29, I'm celebrating my blog's 5th anniversary - join me and list the top ten things you have learned, experienced and achieved (or wish you had) on your blogging journey! Sign up here.