It’s ONLY gonna get hotter.

It’s HOT, riiiiiiiight? Phew. 

And by stateatrisk.com’s  calculations, it’s only going to get hotter here in the Queen City.

Alright fellow Vermonters, whatcha gonna do about it?

Heads up, to all the infants, children, dogs, cats, pregnant women, and the elderly are all more prone to overheating. Be sure to keep an eye on at-risk members of your family, coworkers, and neighbors.

Here are a few ideas to maintain your cool.

PUP-cicles.

We all want to give our dogs a fun treat from time to time, but many human foods either ‘don’t agree with dogs’ systems or are downright toxic to them.

Luckily, some foods are perfectly safe for dogs, and some of them make great popsicle ingredients. Not only are they fun treats, but they can also help you keep your dog hydrated during warm weather or perhaps when your dog isn’t eating or drinking well.

Help your pooch cool down on hot days with tasty doggie popsicles. They’re not only simple, but easy on the wallet as well.

Below is a link for some DELICIOUS recipes to make any pupper coooool.

Doginton Post Recipes

Make a do-it-yourself air conditioner.

This is SO easy and works like a charm! Put a metal bowl of salted ice in front of a fan, and adjust the fan so that the air is blowing RIGHT over the ice. Or, use 1 or more 2-liter bottles and fill them mostly full of water (70%) and rock salt (10%). Leave 20% of the volume empty for expansion. Freeze the liquid in the bottles, then place them in a large bowl (to catch dripping condensation). Position a fan to blow on them. As the salty ice in the bottles melts, the air around them cools and the fan will blow that air at you. The salt lowers the temperature at which the water freezes, allowing you to make the ice super cold. The water and salt in the bottles can be refrozen every night and used repeatedly. Recycle the CoooOooOoOOL!

Ice Cube Surprises:

Keep them busy and cool! Win-WIN

Freeze little toys in ice to make surprise ice cubes for kiddos n to play with. They last forever and keep them nice and cool as they melt. Have a sandcastle mold? Fill it with water and freeze it. Place it in a pool, already filled with some water, and the melting castle will keep them cool for awhile

Try a sponge lei!

Totally easy peasy to make. It’s a lei made from cut up sponges.  To activate the cool, dip it into cold water, wring out the excess and drape it over their necks.  It might be a bit wet, but kiddos won’t care! All you’ll need is, a colorful package of sponges. (3 sponges to make two youth necklaces.), a bamboo skewer or knitting needle, a sturdy large needle, some yarn, scissors and BOOM! Stay cool, kiddos! *Safe for adults too*

Stock your freezer.

Not just with your favorite frozen treats. Make your own popsicles! My favorite cool treat? I freeze chopped fruit, such as watermelon & pineapple. Don’t forget GRAPES and berries! Cooling down is a tasty experience. YUMMY!

Try a hint of mint. Mint refreshes the skin and leaves a nice cooling sensation. Try it in water with a bit of cucumber. SO refreshing and coooooling! Try a few minty or menthol products to cool your skin. Slather on lotion with peppermint (avoid your face and eyes, of course!), shower with peppermint soap or use a minty foot soak.

Strategic window opening.

Yup, totally serious about this. Growing up in rural Vermont,(What up Wells, VT! WOOT! WOOT!) near water, we were VERY focused on cooling our house the old-fashioned way. Fresh air flowing through your home is good for your plants, your small humans and pets. The most strategic way of keeping your home cool is to only keep your windows open as long as it is cooler outside than it is inside. That is usually in the mid-to late-afternoon. On the hottest/most humid days, we used to close the windows up mid-day, and then open them again in the evening. Depending on the layout of your house, you might have better results by opening only windows on the shady side of your home, or opening windows on the shady side of the lower floor, and the sunny side of your upper floor. You might find that your house would really benefit from shades to keep sunlight out.

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Speaking of shades….close ’em! Lowering your shades/drapery during the day will help block the Sun’s rays and drastically reduce your solar gain. As soon as the Sun hits your home in the morning, close all windows and keep exterior doors and windows closed throughout the hottest part of the day. Do this until night falls and it is cool enough open the windows at night.

Use blackout curtains to keep your house cool. If you think of your house as a greenhouse, when the Sun’s heat pours into your home, it will get trapped inside. Blackout curtains and shades will reduce the amount of heat which is transferred via your windows by as much as 24%. That’s a BIG percentage! Think of all that energy you’ll be saving. If you don’t insulate well in the Summer months as well, your  poor air conditioner will run full blast all day to maintain temperature. That is literally money OUT your window. EcoSmart Insulating shades paired with blackout drapery will help block the Sun’s heat even more effectively.

Window Film:

Heat Reduction + UV Protection+ Glass Breakage Protection are just some of the benefits of window film. We proudly use a large sampling of products from Madico.  Their films block up to 80% of the Sun’s heat, that saves you on air conditioning costs. Majority of their window films rejects up to 99% of UV rays that are slowing fading your furnishings, artwork and flooring.
Should a window ever break, window film protects you and your family from flying glass fragments by holding the glass together.

Schedule time with one of our window decor specialists today. It’s complimentary.

Together we can keep you cool in the Summer and cozy in the *ehem* upcoming Winter.

802.655.7777  [email protected]