Summertime is a delightful time of the year that everyone looks forward to. It’s a welcomed departure from short, dark days and cold winter nights padded in sweaters and coats. With its long sunny days and blue skies, the summer offers tons of outdoor activities with the family like barbecuing, gardening, and bicycle rides. There’s also plenty of fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables to eat. The sunny blue sky brings with it a silent promise of fun and adventure.
As much as the sun’s arrival brings a burst of outdoor activities, there are a few setbacks to the season that can affect your enjoyment of it. Read on to find out how to maximize your enjoyment and fun this summer.
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Hot summer nights
A staggering 60% of us struggle to get enough sleep during hot summer nights. Sometimes we’re just too hot and sweaty to get some good zzz’s, which can cause cranky and sluggish moods in the morning. To avoid this, cool the room before bed time by opening windows to get the air flowing. Before leaving your house to start the day, close the curtains and blinds to keep the heat out when the sun is at peak hours.
It’s also a good idea to ensure that your nightwear and bed set is 100% cotton. This includes pajamas, pillow cases, and your top sheet. If you’re unsure of the material used for the bedding, look for ones with “Oeko-Tex” Certification. Brentwood Home, for example, offers a Sonoma sheet set that is 100% natural cotton with this certification.
Finally, always remember to drink lots of water during the day but especially before bedtime. Don’t wait until you feel thirsty because at that point your body will already be dehydrated.
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Dealing with fruit flies
Even the freshest of summer fruits have a way of attracting fruit flies before you even have a chance to enjoy them. To banish fruit flies, try using unfiltered apple cider vinegar. Remove the cap of the bottle, cover the opening with plastic wrap, and secure it with a rubber band. Then poke a few tiny holes in the plastic wrap with a pin. The flies will fly into the bottle as they love the smell of vinegar. You can also mix apple cider vinegar with a bit of honey in an open container. The flies will be attracted to the vinegar but get stuck in the honey!
One more method is to heat up a pint of milk, 4 ounces of raw sugar, and 2 ounces ground pepper for 10 minutes. Pour it into a shallow bowl and the flies will be drawn inside it. With these three methods for catching fruit flies, your kitchen will be pest-free all summer!
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Oily skin
As summer approaches, people will stay outside longer which makes them prone to sweating. In an effort to keep sweat glands under control, try some fresh aloe gel that is a natural remedy in controlling oily skin. For a scrub, mix dry oats with the gel.
An apple and honey mask is effective in naturally removing excess oil when applied 2-3 times weekly for 20 minutes. Applying egg yolk 1-2 times weekly will help reduce oil while at the same time tighten the skin.
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Coping with mosquitoes
These tiny creatures are a summer killjoy at a family BBQ or picnic by the lake. Citronella candles are quite effective at keeping mosquitoes at bay within a small area as mosquitoes dislike the scent from this particular candle. You can also frequently apply tea tree oil as a repellant on all exposed skin.
According to Dr Cameron Webb, one of the most effective ways to curb a burst of mosquitoes is to remove their breeding grounds such as stagnant water in old pots, containers, buckets, and blocked gutters. Before the BBQ begins, looks around your home and try to find these areas that might be mosquitoes favorite spots.
