Top Ten Thursday: Keep Cool it's Summer

Yes, despite the very changeable weather here in the Scottish Highlands, it is summer and this weekend we're meant to get up to 23 degrees so that will be fabulous. Tamara, at Part-time Working Hockey Mom has asked us to come up with our top ten tips for keeping cool in summer - this one is an easy one as I love summer though I'm not a sun worshipper.

1. Move!! That's right, it may be for lots of other reasons that we moved from London to Scotland, but it's nice to be out of the very oppressive heat of London and having to travel on the underground every day amongst very sweaty people. We do have lovely sunny days in the highlands but they're not stiflingly hot and I much prefer that.

2. Drink!! When it's hot it's really important to keep yourself hydrated and it's a perfect excuse to find a nice little cafe to have a drink in.

Freshly made lemonade in Krakow 2015

3. Toenails. Summer and warm weather means a chance to wear pretty sandals and flip flops (thongs for the Aussies amongst you) so it's the perfect excuse to get a pedicure and toenails painted in pretty colours.

4. Icecream. What better way to cope with hot weather than to have a scrummy ice cream or frozen yogurt.

5. Mint. I'm sure there are lots of herbs and complementary therapies that can help keep us cool but mint is a definite one. Using foot creams, hand creams, body washes with mint in them is a really refreshing way to cool down. What's even nicer if you live in a really hot area, keep your hand and foot creams in the fridge for a lovely cooling treat.

6. Paddle. On a hot summers day finding some water to go for a paddle in is a perfect way to cool down. Yes you could go swimming, but sometimes all you need to do is get your feet wet and you'll feel so much better.

Tasmania 2004

7. Fans. Having desk fans around the place is great but also carrying the hand held battery operated fans with you can be a lifesaver. When I used to travel on the underground in London the handheld fans were very important as it was so hot, especially if the train stopped in a tunnel for ages.

8. Picnic. Summer is the time for picnics, so pack some nibbles and drinks and head for a forest, field, or beach and set yourself up for the day.

Outer Hebrides 

9. Salads. Summer is the perfect time to experiment with new and varied forms of salad. My beloved makes fabulous salads with lots of different things in them. One of my favourite cooling salads is watermelon and feta cheese together - scrummy.

10. Enjoy. Take the time to just lie back and enjoy the warmth of the sun. Yes we need to protect ourselves from those UV rays, but we also need to make sure we top up our vitamin D, so spend some quality time in the great outdoors.

How do you keep cool in summer? Why don't you pop over to Tamara's blog and see what my fellow bloggers have come up with - click here to visit.

Until next time, be good, stay safe, and be kind to yourself this week.

Pamela & Ken
xxxxxxxxxxxx