Cool It

It's hotter than hades outside.

So how do you cool your house down on hot days? A heat index of 108 doesn't exactly make for the happiest of outdoor fun. But, it's great for swimming I suppose! Our house is a little older, and our AC unit is older than that, so go figure that when it's this hot outside in good old Oklahoma, our poor AC unit is like the little engine that couldn't.

There are few things that you can do to keep your AC cooler. I didn't say frigid, but yes, cooler. And no, I'm not an AC gal, I just have some non-professional mom advice.

1. Spray off your AC until with cool water from the hose. It removes dust and gunk that is stuck on your fan and it allows the unit to suck in air more easily, and cools it off in general, making your house cooler. You can spray the outside down, but also make sure to give the middle a good long drink as well (where the fan lives). You may want to turn of your unit when you do this or you'll get a nice little sprinkler bath. :)

2. Replace your filter! You're supposed to do this once a month, not once a summer. Filters can be found at any local hardware store or home improvement store. They range from $1-$10. I suggest getting a higher end filter, because the better it works, the cooler your house. You don't want nasty dust flying in your house anyway, right?

3. Keep your doors and windows closed. You'd think this was obvious, but I've heard of crazier things. If you don't want the hot sunshine in your house, you have to close your blinds to keep it out, silly.

4. Don't run hot appliances in your house like the oven, stove, or even your blow-dryer during the hot hours. Think ahead about these things and do these activities during the cooler hours each morning or evening.


Hopefully this helps you out if you're like me, because I'm praying for fall to arrive early. :)

Tribute to the one and only mom I ever get.

My mom is an amazing person. She loves, laughs, and lives like it's going out of style. It's no wonder that I'm a happy person. She just wears off on people.

And, as always, beautiful as ever...
My mom and I love books. We found this little bookstore in Juneau, Alaska and we had to stop in and look. Wouldn't it be fun to own one of these? My mom, of course, bought a book that she thought that I would enjoy so that she could read it an then give it to me. I mean, who thinks like that? All mothers, or just my own? She's too giving, too caring, and too loving, and I am too lucky!!

She LOOOOVES pine cones, which I think is so cute. At Christmas she always has a stash about the size of a 5 gallon tub full of them and she bakes them (to get the bugs out), spray paints them in all kinds of festive colors, or usually just gold, and decorates with them, gives them away...whatever. But, I think it's cute that she loves them so much. She found these tiny little baby pine cones in the Yukon territory in Canada and she smuggled them back across the border. 

It's funny how some of my favorite pictures aren't the smiling ones, but the ones that capture people in their natural setting and often the little ways I remember things most in the past. This picture immediately takes me back to amazing family vacations and attempting to watch a movie and mom falling asleep after 5 minutes--every time.

Love her smile.
My mom might have a heart attack if she knew I posted this picture, simply because she wouldn't ever want people to think of her as materialistic or vain or anything like that. In fact, this car was a very special birthday gift from my dad and she hardly drives it because she is afraid of what people might think. It was a SUPERHUGE surprise, and she deserves it more than anyone I know. She is so selfless, giving, caring, loving, and never EVER thinks of herself before another person. I can't imagine anyone more deserving of such an generous gift. I'm sooooo happy for her. I think she might still be in shock! She looks dang good in her new BMW!
I know it's a bunch of gush, but sometimes I'm just overly appreciative for certain qualities in my life, and I have to give recognition where thanks is due. Love you mom, even though you may never read this.