Lighten Up for Summer
As I have mentioned (again and again) it is too hot to live in Montana right now. It’s been 100+ degrees every day (that’s 38+ for my international friends) and hard to make it through a workday, much less get a good night’s sleep. It can get stuffy and hard to fall asleep at night, making those hot days at work even harder to get through. Here are my sure-fire tips to help cool:
• Get out the air conditioner!
This is the first thing that happens when summer starts up. The air is hot and stuffy, and while I hate giving up half a window to the air conditioner each summer, it has to be done.
• Cool humidifier!
The air in Montana is bone dry. Something about climate and altitude and all that jazz. I find that my air conditioner doesn’t always help this either. The magic of the cool humidifier was something I found over the winter, but was a godsend during the summer as well. It puts moisture into the air, but it isn’t hot humidity, its cool steam. I don’t know how it works, but it has made the air in my room a million times more breathable.
• Deep clean!
Treat yo’self to a house cleaning service. It’s easy to find one in your area, you will be glad you did. Beyond the usual cleaning, get them to clean out your air returns and vents in your house after a long winter of running the heat. Don’t forget the tops of ceiling fans too! If you’re on a budget, you can do this yourself, but there’s something wonderful about coming home and it just being done.
• Fresh bedding!
Once October hits, I am the queen of flannel, but that has to go away as soon as the freezing temperatures do. Swap out heavy fabrics for light ones. I especially love these sheets from Parachute, which are a fraction of the price you’d usually pay for the quality. They also help support Nothing but Nets, which supplies mosquito netting to people in need to stop malaria. There’s something wonderful about sliding into crisp white sheets at night after a hot July day, especially when it's for a good cause.
• Change out candles and scents!
I love cinnamon and spicy scents for the cooler months, so switching them out makes me feel more like its summer immediately. I like to choose relaxing scents like lavender because it’s already hard to turn off at night, and any little bit helps. I also find that it’s useful to look at the scents that you’re using on your bedding or clothes such as in laundry detergents or fabric softeners and swap them out too.
• Add in plants!
Summer is the time for green and growing. Many of my houseplants didn’t make it through the winter, but bringing lush succulents into my room makes the air feel cleaner, and brings all of the best things about summer inside.
Those are the tips I have for making the transition to hot July and August a little more bearable.
What do you do to make your home summer-ready?
• Get out the air conditioner!
This is the first thing that happens when summer starts up. The air is hot and stuffy, and while I hate giving up half a window to the air conditioner each summer, it has to be done.
• Cool humidifier!
The air in Montana is bone dry. Something about climate and altitude and all that jazz. I find that my air conditioner doesn’t always help this either. The magic of the cool humidifier was something I found over the winter, but was a godsend during the summer as well. It puts moisture into the air, but it isn’t hot humidity, its cool steam. I don’t know how it works, but it has made the air in my room a million times more breathable.
• Deep clean!
Treat yo’self to a house cleaning service. It’s easy to find one in your area, you will be glad you did. Beyond the usual cleaning, get them to clean out your air returns and vents in your house after a long winter of running the heat. Don’t forget the tops of ceiling fans too! If you’re on a budget, you can do this yourself, but there’s something wonderful about coming home and it just being done.
• Fresh bedding!
Once October hits, I am the queen of flannel, but that has to go away as soon as the freezing temperatures do. Swap out heavy fabrics for light ones. I especially love these sheets from Parachute, which are a fraction of the price you’d usually pay for the quality. They also help support Nothing but Nets, which supplies mosquito netting to people in need to stop malaria. There’s something wonderful about sliding into crisp white sheets at night after a hot July day, especially when it's for a good cause.
• Change out candles and scents!
I love cinnamon and spicy scents for the cooler months, so switching them out makes me feel more like its summer immediately. I like to choose relaxing scents like lavender because it’s already hard to turn off at night, and any little bit helps. I also find that it’s useful to look at the scents that you’re using on your bedding or clothes such as in laundry detergents or fabric softeners and swap them out too.
• Add in plants!
Summer is the time for green and growing. Many of my houseplants didn’t make it through the winter, but bringing lush succulents into my room makes the air feel cleaner, and brings all of the best things about summer inside.
Those are the tips I have for making the transition to hot July and August a little more bearable.
What do you do to make your home summer-ready?