summer is hot enough when you have an air-conditioned home to keep you cool from the blistering heat that awaits outside, but living in a small apartment with no a.c. has at times, for us at least, seemed unbearable. i, for one, can stand the cold mostly because there are always so many things you can easily do to get warm … for example: layering on more clothing, putting a heavier blanket on the bed, drinking a cup of hot cocoa … but when it comes to cooling down, it seems the options are far more limited especially when turning down the thermostat isn’t exactly an option. living through our first hot season with no more than a dinky removable air-conditioning unit to keep cool has been interesting to say the least, but as the heat of the summer has ruthlessly progressed, i’ve picked up tidbits of cooling tricks/ideas along the way that have really worked for us thus far.

– keep a glass of ice cold water or a bowl of ice chips by the bed at night. it’s a great trick when we need something quick to cool down.
– invest in thick curtains or double-up your current ones in rooms that have windows getting direct sunlight during the day. this has helped keep our home (on average) four degrees cooler during the day. it doesn’t sound like much but sometimes four degrees can feel like ten.

– find a decent/quiet fan that can blow air throughout the bedroom during the night. for us (me especially) sleeping has been the hardest part of this hot summer so having a fan that can constantly blow air on us/within our bedroom has made the biggest difference i can’t even tell you. i found this one at target. i really like it because it looks nice, works really well, and as far as fans go is decently quiet.
– stock up on popsicles and watermelon because nothing sounds better during the hottest part of the day than some cold, freshly sliced watermelon or a frozen popsicle.

– request your window unit be placed in the room that will be used most even if your landlord wants to put it elsewhere. our landlord previously had our window unit in our dinning room which is not used nearly as much as our family room. having it moved there helps keep the rooms we do use most (the family room, kitchen, and bedroom) cooler than the ones that don’t get used as often (the dining room and office).
– take a cold shower before bed. camden especially likes to do this. it’s brutal for a few minutes while you cool down but if you can handle it, it helps a ton while trying to go to sleep.

– freeze grapes for snacking … mostly because frozen grapes are delicious!
– keep lights/television off as much as possible during the day to help keep things cooler. for us, doing this during the bulk of the day has helped keep our place a few degrees cooler and hey … every degree counts!  

– make your favorite drink into ice cubes. i have done this with chai tea a few times this summer and i absolutely love it.
– when all else fails grab an ice pack from the freezer and lay on it. works every time …

i would love to hear your tips for keeping cool if you have any good ones!