Hi folks, Sara here. Survivor of 36 summers, including (but not limited to) Tennessee’s Allergy Basin, New Orleans’ Hazy Streets, Southwest China’s rural steam-heat, Thailand’s sizzling streets, and Arizona’s blast-of-oven “dry heat.”
I’ve known all sorts of mid-summer misery and I’ve learned a thing or two about enduring the warmest of weather when you can’t jet away to a lovey beach cabana complete with lounge chairs and tiki drinks. We must persevere; we must find ways to lift the oppression of mid-90’s temps and shockingly thick humidity. Autumn is coming, but until then, here’s a few summer hacks to help you survive summer.
These hair ties are my current fav, although followed closely behind by the infamous SCRUNCHIE. Nobody wants to fix their hair when it’s 98 degrees outside and 80% humidity– in fact, it would literally be a waste of time the second you stepped outside and everything goes flat/frizz. Therefore, we ponytail. I like the Invisibobble because it’s strong enough to hold heavy hair without giving you a headache. It also doesn’t leave behind a wave in your hair, should you decide to change your style half way through the day. Be mindful of the size when you order– there are smaller styles for thinner/more fine hair. As for the scrunchie, just go select one from the stash that you left in your mom’s closet back in the 80’s, like I did.
Okay, maybe I’m behind on this, but I am LOVING the Marco Polo app this summer. It’s the perfect way to stay in contact with friends and family during the school break and while everyone is traveling. It’s video chat, which is nice for personal connection, but without all the dumb ads and “content” that Snapchat forces you to see (and that I gladly cut ties with last year!) It also doesn’t hog up a bunch of storage on your phone for videos of your face with a unicorn filter or whatever. The best feature is that you can create group chats and talk out your feelings (or complain about the heat/politics/your kids) with your friends or siblings with ease.
I know this might seem counter-intuitive, but a good, spicy Indian Curry (or Chicken Tikka Masala) followed up by Aldi’s mango paletas (above) might just be what you need for dinner and dessert tonight! (We had it last night after a super-hectic day and man, did it hit the spot!) There’s just something about the harmony of spices, the white pillow of Basmati rice, and the cool, sweet note of the paletas that ring perfect.
Bonus tip: top the curry with a bit of chopped cilantro for color and freshness AND toast up these mini-naan breads for scooping the sauce.
If you’ve never made Indian food before, here is a slow cooker recipe to get you started!
Okay, that should spark your interest on a few things that’ll help ya make it through the dog days of summer. I know its hot y’all, but we’ll be wearing sweatshirts and flocking to starbucks for PSL’s before you know it. And if all else fails, just put a movie on for the kids, crank up the AC, and go take a nap.
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