Seasonal hints

[sweetpumkinpye]

Not sure where to post this so hope it is OK here.
I am just setting up my household binder for the upcoming Summer and was wondering if you could share any information, hints or hacks on 'surviving' the hot Summer months and then the cold Winter months. I find as I get older the extremes in temperatures are harder for me to endure and maybe there are things that you are doing to make your days more comfortable that I can use here.

 

[Ahorsesoul]

Cold winter means i always wear a cotton camisole under my clothes. Also i wear them sometimes in the summer because of the AC. I do not do well in extremes of the weather.

 

[Holiday_Mom]

For winter months, I've found that wool keeps me warm and I can lower our heat. I have one wool sweater from Ireland that I wear around the house when I'm cold. I have a wool scarf that I will hang around my neck while working at home. I feel warmer wearing it. I bought a pair of wool hiking socks that I wore last summer for hiking at Yosemite National Park. They kept my feet dry and this past winter they kept my feet warm. I like wearing flannel in the winter. I have flannel pajamas and flannel bed sheets.

Years ago I found all weather water proof shoes that keep my feet warm and dry through the fall and into the early spring. Drinking warm water in winter helps me stay hydrated. I bring a water bottle with me in my car year round. I sip on that when I run errands. I drink my fair share of tea and coffee so hydration helps.

In the summer, I try to do the outdoor work in the early morning or after 6:30 pm when things are cooler. We have bandanas that we wet and wear around our neck when we have to get outdoor work done. In the summer, my water bottle has lots of ice. We use cotton bed sheets and I sleep in cotton shorts and a cotton t shirt. I like to eat frozen grapes, frozen strawberries and frozen blue berries to stay cool. Melons and oranges seem to have a lot of juice in it so I like to have them on hot days. When the A/C doesn't work, I've brought ice packs to bed to cool down.

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

Mary, I read that a hot water bottle can be filled with cold water and be used in the bed, I am going to try that this Summer. I like the idea of the bandannas, I will look at those for sure.

I find that the hot weather makes me feel unwell. I have a headache, no energy and I really don't enjoy the heat at all. I am a little better with the Winter.

The things that I am doing for this Summer,

Close the drapes and windows through the heat of the day,
Get work done early,
Have a water bottle with me at all times (I must remember to take one in the car with me so will have a stock in the fridge)
Wear appropriate clothing, natural fibres if possible,
Take a nap or rest in the afternoons when it is hottest,
Eat cold foods or use the microwave to heat foods without heating the kitchen. I am going to prepare some pre-cooked meals in November so that they are ready to go. Meal planning will be a big part of this Summer so that I am on the ball and not dithering about meals. I think we will be having fruit for dinner and fruit smoothies quite often.
Try to get to bed at a reasonable hour so I am well rested,

I need to look at the house and make sure that all gaps are sealed, will add this to my HGP.

Appreciate any suggestions to make the seasons a little more bearable.

 

[rabble]

Some great ideas. I love this thread.

I'm do not do well in summer at all; I've got rosacea and I've always been a, ahem, sweaty person, so summers are a nightmare for me.
I agree with closing over curtains/blinds during the day, doing work early. Freezing a bottle of water overnight to drink the next day is good.
I try and stay in 100% cotton or linen clothing during summer otherwise I overheat, sweat (and stink!)
Sometimes at night I soak a flannel or facecloth and just lay it over my forehead. That can work. We don't have ac in our homes in the UK!

Winter - definitely wool clothing (it also breathes so sweat doesn't trap and cool =making you feel colder). I'm also a flannel fan.
Layering clothes obviously. If you are at home a lot, I'd 100% back investing in a good pair of slippers - something with fleece or suede are very cosy!

 

[DahliaDoll]

When the house gets too hot for comfortable sleeping, we put a window air conditioner in the bedroom and cool the room before bedtime. It's noisy to keep on all night, but if necessary, we do it. Just cooling the room off before going to bed really helps though. We use fans around the house, and I do have a small fan by my bed. An overhead fan can really help, too. We don't have one at home, but we do have one at our lake place.

During the day, a water spray bottle can give you a quick cool off. Also sitting outside in the shade with a mister going is quite refreshing.

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In the winter I sometimes find (depending on what kind of shirt I'm wearing) that my neck will get cold. I'll throw on a scarf, and then if I get too warm, I can easily take it off again. I have a neck gator that is great outdoors. It's easy to pull up over my head and ears if it's really cold.

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

Sometimes at night I soak a flannel or facecloth and just lay it over my forehead. That can work. We don't have ac in our homes in the UK!

Rabble, what a great idea. I will make sure to include that in my binder.

 

[missjane]

My grandmother, who didn't have air conditioning in her house until she was in her 70s, insisted that if you will cover yourself with the sheet, it will cool at night and keep you cooler than sleeping with no covering at all.

 

[Holiday_Mom]

A few other things that I just thought of -

• I like to wear sleeveless button down shirts in the summer.
• Two summers ago, dh installed a ceiling fan in our family room and that made a nice difference in the summer.
• This summer I am drinking "green" smoothies more often. This past week, I realized that I could be using frozen spinach or frozen kale with fresh berries as opposed to fresh spinach with frozen berries which I've been doing all summer.

 

[Ahorsesoul]

Loving these tips.

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

if you will cover yourself with the sheet, it will cool at night and keep you cooler than sleeping with no covering at all.

I actually cannot sleep without a covering so I agree with your Grandmother.

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

This past week, I realized that I could be using frozen spinach or frozen kale with fresh berries as opposed to fresh spinach with frozen berries which I've been doing all summer.

I have some frozen berries in the freezer. I never thought of adding spinach or kale, I will need to look for some recipes. I also would like to get some lemons and freeze some juice to make lemon cordial.