Southern Suggestions: Playing in the Heat

This could be subtitled: How to survive a picnic in the South without a heat-stroke.

I love the weather that we get to experience in the southeast. The heat of the summer with it's velvety-warm breezes cooling you at night while you're sitting on the porch swing, the Indian summers in the fall with warm days and chilly nights while the leaves change, the occasional snow and ice storm in the winter and the renewal and pleasantness of spring that begins in March.

And part of loving living in the South is figuring out not to just survive the heat, but how to enjoy life in the heat. One of my favorite summer traditions is eating outside. And other than the mosquitoes, the heat is a much a guest at any summer picnic as the people eating the hot dogs. Here are a few items that will help keep things cool and comfortable for your culinary outing in the great wild outdoors...or just Piedmont Park.

1. Thermos-brand Intak® Steel Hydration Bottle This water bottle will keep liquids cold for up to 12 hours(!), doesn't "sweat," is made of un-breakable stainless-steel, and you are able to lock the lid to prevent spills! I've had it poolside for hours and my drinks are still frosty, and it passed the afternoon-heat test one day while I was running errands and leaving it in my car. I was hot and melting, the ice in my bottle was not.
   
   
2. Vacu Vin Rapid Ice Silver Can Chillers Forget to bring the super-duper thermos water bottle to keep your drink chilly? Slap one of these bad boys on your Coke can and it will be a delightfully icy beverage quite quickly. Or, if it is a blazing 90+ degrees and you know your Coke will be a lovely lukewarm temp within 5 minutes of taking it out of the cooler, use a can chiller and it will stay cold until you finish it. They come in other shapes and sizes that will fit beer, wine and champagne bottles as well.
   
   
3. OFF! Family Care Smooth & Dry Insect Repellent A must for outdoor anything in the summer. I could be in a mass of people and still be the only one munched on by flying bloodsuckers. In fact, I'm sitting at my desk and just spotted a mosquito. I can't even escape them indoors! What makes this repellent so great is that you don't feel like you're wearing bug spray. It drys with a powdery feel and doesn't cause you to wonder how long it will be before you can wash it off without becoming the meal for your neighborhood malaria brigade.

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Listening to: Bebo Norman - Into the Day
via FoxyTunes