Monday, June 9, 2008

hot, Hot, HOT!

I love summertime and its accompanying warmth, but this heat wave we're in right now is intense and it came on pretty quickly. Today I've been fighting off a headache because of it. The heat has prompted me to make a list. As you may know, I love lists. So, here is:

My Summer Survival List
1. Water, lemonade, and various juices--I drink gallons upon gallons of this stuff during the summer, but still probably not as much as I should. I'd literally die without these drinks!

2. Air conditioning. Our house doesn't have central air, but we do have three good window units that are lifesavers. We put one in the living room, one in John's room, and one in our room. I love the people who invented air conditioning. They should have gotten the Nobel Peace Prize.

3. Sunblock. If I don't use it then my skin burns quickly and easily. I've been a pretty good everyday user of sunblock since my teens. No sunburns, skin cancer, or premature wrinkles and age spots for me! (Knock on wood.)

4. Lightweight skirts and t-shirts. I wear an outfit of these two things almost every day during the summer. So light and comfortable!

5. Sandals and flip-flops, because I've gotta let my feet breathe. Otherwise they'll stink. I'm pretty sure that 90% of the sweat glands in my body are on the soles of my feet.

6. Books, books, and more books. I love to read year-round, but I especially enjoy it during the summer, when everything is more relaxed and I tend to read a lot more "fun" books.

7. Lip gloss, another year-round staple. I need the moisture and the SPF it gives. Blistex Silk & Shine has SPF 15 and a light fruity scent and it's my favorite. My lips always have a nice healthy sheen to them when I use it.

8. Since I use sunblock and don't even try to get a tan, in order not to look totally like my very fair-skinned self I use a lotion with subtle self-tanners every morning. It gives my skin some color in a safe, easy, inexpensive way. I like Dove Energy Glow Body Lotion.

9. Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater. A few spritzes of this on my face, neck, arms, legs, and feet feels so good when it's hot out. And I love the light rosy scent too. http://mariobadescu.com/productDetail.asp?ProductID=152&CatId=1

10. Red Sox baseball games. It's good to be back in New England so that we can watch all of their games on TV again. I just love having a good ball game on in the background on a warm summer night. Baseball is definitely a summer staple in my life and has been ever since I started playing softball in 4th grade.

11. For some reason, when the warm weather hits, I start speaking in Spanish more often. I don't know what it is. Maybe I feel like I'm in South America because of the weather. I like it because it helps me to use the language that I spent years of my education trying to master instead of losing it. But I do need my trusty Spanish Dictionary sometimes for help.

12. Regular pedicures, because what winter does to my hands, summer does to my poor feet, in the form of calluses and rough heels. Yuck! Neo Nail Spa in Granby gives very good pedicures (including a nice calf and ankle massage) for a good price. It's been helping my feet to look and feel better than they otherwise would ever since I stopped wearing socks for the season a little while ago. The other good thing about a pedicure is it's nice to have your toenails painted when you see them all the time during the warm weather months.

13. My sunglasses. It took years, but a few months ago I finally found a pair that I love and that don't make me look bad. I got them for under $20 at New York & Co. They also have UV protection and are thicker on the sides to protect my eyes from the sun. I wear them almost every day and I love 'em!

Without these things, summertime would suck the life out of me. But it doesn't, and summer is my favorite time of the year. Of course, right now I'm writing this in air-conditioned comfort with a mug of icy lemonade at my side, which makes it easier to love the season even in the middle of a searing heat wave. Wait, it's not even officially summer yet. Yikes!