Photo by Toni Cuenca on Unsplash

It's the Dog Days of Summer. From July 04–August 11, this saying is used to describe those ridiculously hot and humid days that we all know and love. With another heat advisory looming upon us today, I thought of this phrase and ways that we can stay cool, like our pups!

First up, the dog days of summer actually comes from a Latin phrase used to describe when the star, Sirius, was at its peak during ancient Roman times when stars and astrology were used to dictate seasons. Over the years, language changed the translation to just meaning "dog days."

So, how do you keep yourself, your kiddos, and your dogs cool? 

Chachi and I still have to go for walks, but I do limit his outside time during certain hours. We often go on more shorter walks than longer ones, which he doesn't like, but he gets over when he realizes how tired he gets from the humidity!

Anyway, here they are:

1) Keep the water and electrolyte powders handy if you plan on spending anytime outdoors.

2) Popsicles are your friend. My favorites have been Outshine Strawberry. Outshine is a fruit bar that is gluten free, non GMO, plant-based, fat-free bar that is made with real fruit juice and no added sugar. All the kids at daycamp loved them this year, so I bet yours will too!  

3) Make friends with a pool owning neighbor or purchase inflatable pools/ slip n' slides. I'm lucky to have a community pool in our apartment complex, even if I don't use it enough! 

Yes, I do live at the beach, but its still tourist season and difficult to get parking on weekends, and like y'all, I got things to do when I get home from work. Its amazing how many times i get asked if I go to the beach all the time.. I still have to work, clean, cook, dog walk, and more, like the rest of people who don't live near the beach! 

4) In my home, using appliances like the oven, the dishwasher, and sometimes even the dryer generates heat. I try to wait until later in the evening to run these, and generally don't cook in the oven that much during these days. 

The George Foreman has become my friend since I'm not allowed an individual grill and I'm too lazy to grab all my stuff and go up to the pool to use the grill there. 

5) As much as i dislike them in the mornings, a cool shower after a hot sticky walk, especially if I feel a headache coming on, is another method of staying cool. 

Most people might be tempted to lower the AC but that gets expensive fast, and messing with your thermostat causes more energy consumption than keeping it steady. I do turn mine done at night though because otherwise I get too warm and won't sleep! I also keep the blinds drawn during the day to ward out the heat too!

Finding indoor activities is important too. I'm on yet another One Tree Hill run, which means I am tired of all movies and shows on my streaming stations. I read, I clean, I do work projects, but I am not a big hobbyist, gamer, or crafter, so it does get difficult. Baking requires oven usage as well as most cooking, and I get hot too easily messing with all that.. so I'm still working on this area! Mostly I \social media scroll and read the comments for entertainment, and plan my next vacations and adventures even though fall chaos is quickly descending upon me! 

How do you stay cool and beat the dog days of summer?