New ideas for keeping cool
 

It's been hideously hot in the sacramento region. Unfortunately it's getting hotter this week. Any helpful hints for keeping cool? Doesn't necessarily have to include drinking. ;)

We're getting pretty tired of the inside of our house though we were on vacation at the end of July it's been too hot to leave it since we returned!!! The air conditioning is only 1 year old so we expect it to continue working during teh expected 105 + coming up this week. I know it's a dry heat but so is the heat in my oven and I wouldn't live there!!!!

Can you string up some water lines that are misters?

Fill the tub with water and read?

I can always recommend a good R/E agent for you in the Sac/Loomis/Elk Grove area... SELL!

You said you wouldn't live in your oven, but you compare it to your house.

How about your own personal cooling system, lol. You can buy one at Sharper Image.

http://www.sharperimage.com/us/en/ca...p;pid=26728300

It only feels like a lead weight around you neck, but at least you will be nice and cool :D

One of my bosses wore something from Sharper image on his neck too. SeeTheWorld, thank you for letting me know it felt like lead, I didn't like him!

Suzie, you can just put ice in a zipper, wrap in towel, and wear around your neck.

Oh Faina! You have me laughing out loud for pete's sake :))

Faina,

While we were in Mammoth a couple of weeks ago we put our bottles of water in the freezer the night before so we'd have cold water for our hike. Unfortunately, though it was hot, it was not hot enough to melt the ice as quicky as we needed it. Turned out kinda funny as we all stuck our parched tongues into the water bottle trying to get the last drop out. I finally put the bottle in the back neck band of my t shirt. It kept me cool hiking and melted the water a bit faster. Would thqat be much like the bag of ice hanging around my neck? Later at lunch we had just ice left in the bottle but it worked great with our sodas that had warmed up in the day pack. We poured our sodas into the bottle of ice and had a really refereshing drink!

TSD,

The dry heat joke is pretty standard around here. Most people say it may be hot but it's a dry heat. My response has always been that my oven has dry heat. The Sacto valley is currently like an oven. If I sold now I'd miss the ever so wonderful fall season, one of my faves. ;)

Ok this one might sound weird but it really does cool you off for a bit. Mist your clothes lightly, including underwear, with a water bottle and put them in the freezer for a half hour before putting them on. It really keeps you cool for little while anyway. Also keep your lotions and sunscreen in the fridge.

Oh, Suzie, why I didn't think of it myself? Freese a can of Cola, tie it to (insert any body part of your choice here) and you hit 2 birds in 1 shot: stay cool and have a drink!

I know you are joking Faina, but just in case...don't put a can of soda in the freezer, it will explode! How do I know that, you ask? Well, I sometimes get forgetful :D

What was that movie called "Body Heat" or something when they were in the bathtub with ice cubes??? Made me blush.

SeeTheWorld, not necessary! See, you are not the only one to be forgetful :) One of my sons forgot a can of coke in the freezer and had to wait, he thought forever, for it to defrost.

He ignored my suggestion to put it in the microvawe :-D

Keeping cool? In the other forum is " Found amazing everyday silk underwear" (
http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...p;tid=34650577 )

disclaimer: didn't read it. Anytime I see "amazing" in a title I figure it to be an advertisement. Not just underwear, or silk underwear, but "amazing" everyday silk underwear!

Hi Suzie, I am in the Sacramento Valley too, the southern end, so I can sure relate to how you are feeling. Not fun being outside.

I was suppose to go to SF in a couple of days (ah cooler weather) but now fighting a terrible virus/flu. The only good thing I can say about that is it keeps me from complaining about being indoors, LOL.

I don't know about you but I am so tired of living with a/c air.

Take care! PS. Never thought of dry heat being like the oven heat, too funny.

Back in the day, when I was working on the "talkies" on location 18 hours a day in bitter heat, we'd fill dishpans with ice, water and Seabreeze - an astringent that has a great cooling effect, found at your local drug store. We'd soak bandanas or disposable kitchen towelletes to cool and refresh! No really, try it! Working on location, it was the best refresher!

Well, there it is again.
The cooling effect of that astringent is the isopropyl alcohol. At room temperature, it is a bit cooler than anything else.
Same with natural stone kitchen and bath material, such as marble and granite. I often suggest that people touch shower walls or countertops to determine if the "stone" is real or man-made.