Hot hot hot

What made me happy today? It's hot hot hot!
Oh my, it's 35°C in the sun outside. In the shade it's around 28°C-29°C, and in my apartment it's about 26°C.
I'm lucky enough to work in an office with air conditioning and indoor parking. That's got me covered for most of the day!
But what do you do when you don't have these luxuries? Well, here's a few tips and tricks I've learned over the years:

- if you have blinds or curtains where you live, make sure to close them when the sun is shining on that side of your residence.
- keep the windows closed during the day, open them during the night.
- drink plenty of water.
- anything with mint in it will make you feel refreshed in an instant.
- dress light, and keep what you wear to a bare minimum. If this is possible of course, I have a dress code at work, so I wear more than I'd like.
- take a shower. Or get a cheap spray bottle, fill with water and mist yourself with it.
- eat less, but more frequently. Instead of hot foods, try lighter summer fare including frequent small meals or snacks containing cold fruit or low fat dairy products. As an added benefit, you won't have to cook next to a hot stove.
- spicy foods and warm drinks. I know this seems counter-intuitive, but they'll make you sweat. And when your sweat evaporates, you'll feel cooler.
- think cool thoughts. Focusing on how hot it is will only make you feel warmer.
- avoid any strenuous activities, if possible.
- stay in the shade if you can. If not, make sure to wear sunscreen, and regularly re-apply it.
- still too hot? Go see a movie! Most movie theaters have air conditioning. So do lots of shops!
- store lotions or cosmetic toners in the refrigerator.
- keep plastic bottles of water in the freezer; grab one when you're ready to go outside. As the ice melts, you'll have a supply of cold water with you.
- avoid caffeine and alcohol as these will promote dehydration.
- use your common sense!

Hope this helps you stay cool :-)

Frozen treat

What made me happy today? A frozen treat!
Yup, summer seems to have arrived! It's warm and sunny, which means it's also time for frozen treats.
I love ice cream as much as the next person, but from time to time I find myself reaching for those childhood classic summer treats. Like an orange juice popsicle (home-made), or...
A frozen Petit Gervais! They even sell them along with plastic popsicle sticks now. Just stick one through the lid, pop in the freezer for a few hours and hey presto: frozen treat! Ideal to cool down on a hot day like this :-)

These are the days

What made me happy today? Having an awesome day!
Yes, I know, it's Monday. So how can that possibly be an awesome day?
Let me tell you how. I only have to work four more days before going to Porta Nigra, which features some of my favorite bands. After that I'll be enjoying some hard earned vacation time! The sun was shining this morning. So when I got to the hospital this morning, I was glad I got to spend my day in a room with a window. The window was cracked open a bit, so I could hear birds whistling, and the view over the city was very enjoyable as well. And work went well today, I got a lot done. On the way home from work the radio played some great songs. All that's left for me to do today is go sit outside and enjoy some sun :-)
I hope your Monday was awesome too!

Spring!

What made me happy today? It seems like spring has finally arrived.
And it looks like it's here to stay too :-)
So head on our today and soak up the sunlight and warmth, because it has been a long, cold winter!
Have a nice Sunday :-)