Attempting to Beat the Heat

The mercury continues to rise here in Kansas.  In the past week, I think the heat records have been broken at least three times and our city was named the 4th Hottest City in the country -- woo hoo!  Everytime I walk out of my office building I feel like God is sitting outside with a gigantic hair-dryer blasting us in our face.  Some people have commented that it feels like a sauna outside and I must say, I don't disagree with that assessment either.  Needless to say, it is pretty miserable and it is only July.  I can't imagine what August and September are going to be like.  Nevermind...I don't want to even try to imagine.  I've sat through enough scorching early September KSU football games to know what we're in for. 

As you can imagine, it is hard to get motivated to do much of anything when it is so hot outside.  I break a sweat just walking to my car (which might be a sign I need to work out more...).  However, I don't want to just waste our summer by sitting around watching horrible summer TV -- even though I'm known to watch some pretty bad TV, the summer lineup is just bad.  So, I've decided to make a list of things we can do to beat the heat and still enjoy our summer.  I would also welcome any other ideas because I know I have readers down in Texas (Hi Heather!) who battle this heat all the time and I'm sure I'm missing out on some fun activities.

How to Beat the Heat in Kansas

• Go to a matinee movie -- Matinee movie ticket prices are cheaper (which frees up a few extra dollars for movie popcorn!) and the movies play in the afternoon, which is the hottest part of the day.  We met up with a couple of friends for a movie on Sunday afternoon and then picked up Papa Murphy's pizza for an impromptu pizza party afterwards.  It was a great afternoon!
• Take the opportunity to work on indoor house projects that have been neglected -- We have a bathroom that needs repainted and we have a been talking about painting our bedroom for a long time but we have just never gotten around to it.  I also often find fun projects online but never seem to have the "time" to work on them, so now would be the perfect opportunity to get crankin'.
• Go to the Farmers' Market early in the morning and enjoy all the fresh produce all week long without having to spend the time and energy tending to a garden.
• Quit cooking! -- There is nothing worse than coming home to a hot house and turning on the oven or stove to make dinner and then sweating to death just to make dinner.  I've been finding some great cold salad recipes that require little cooking and little time.  I've also thought about spending one day of the week cooking and prepping for meals so we don't have to endure the hot oven every day.
• Take a "cool" tour of your city -- We have always told ourselves we need to be tourists in our own city.  This summer would be the perfect time to explore museums, restaurants and other indoor attractions our city has to offer.  And one of the perks is that some of these places are FREE!
• Find the best scoop in town -- I know my diet might not appreciate this activity, but I've always heard of people who go on a mission to find the best hamburger/pizza/etc. in town so why not take it to another level and find out who serves up the best scoop of ice cream in town? 
• Make gifts -- Every year when Christmas rolls around (or birthdays for that matter) I find myself wishing I would have planned ahead and bought gifts ahead of time.  It is no secret I love Etsy and I'm becoming quite a fan of Pinterest which are two sites that are filled with all kinds of homemade gift ideas (and much much much more).  Now would be the perfect time to work ahead on gifts for the upcoming year.

As I mentioned, I would love to hear how everyone else is beating the heat this summer!  Please feel free to leave a comment or suggestion!