'Beat the Heat' Survival Kit

It's been another scorcher today.  At 3:30pm it was 41.5°c!  Well, maybe a tad more, but still bloody hot ;-D

After yesterday's hot temperature, when the mercury started to climb today I retreated to the bedroom where my little 'Beat the Heat' supplies have come in handy.

First, make sure that you have a good cross ventilation system going.  I simply opened the windows.  Then put a small desk fan at the bottom of the bed.  To make sure it's wasn't going anywhere, I put it on a hardcover book.  Lie down and spritz your bare legs with the water bottle - set on mist - and the result will make you feel so much cooler!

I, personally, made sure there was a supply of cold water, and books to read, so that I didn't have to get up very often.  Its a cheap way to keep cool - especially if you don't have air conditioning.

Just remember to spritz yourself regularly for best results.

PS, put an old sheet under yourself otherwise your bedspread might get a little damp!

So hot!

It's just after 3:30pm, and when I went to the kitchen to get an icy cold glass of water - which I forgot - the thermometer was reading 39°c!

It's too hot!

It's heatwave time again in Australia.  I'm sitting on the couch finishing up my cup of tea (toast went ages ago), so that I can have most of my chores and errands done before 10am, when it really starts to heat up.  Queensland is being fried as the temperatures this week have his 48°c in some places, like Birdsville and Bedourie.  I'm frazzled just dealing with 38°c!  I don't know how they're surviving out there...industrial air-conditioning I suppose?

The heat has meant that a lot of self imposed New Year's projects have been put on hiatus until the weather behaves.  I was planning to get give the balcony a right royal scrubbing - and de-spidering - but I nearly melted when I spent 20 minutes out there yesterday hanging the clothes on the line!  I was also planning on starting a bigger quilt (about twice the size of the one I did for mum), but there is no way I'm going to sit at the sewing machine for hours in this heat.  Perhaps it's time I seriously considered getting some air-conditioning... or move to Tasmania? ;-D

My cats seem to be handling the heat.  Evie Nyx has a thing about lying in the bathroom's sink, when possible, while my old Titchy just settles down on her armchair which I've tucked beside a large bookshelf.  She's happy enough to just snooze the day away.  The weatherman has said that this extreme heat is supposed to hang around until at least the middle of next week (ugh!), but I'm hoping that we're not going to go straight from a heatwave into flooding.  For the past two summers here, it's flooded each January.  

I hope your New Year is getting off to a better start than mine.  I'm off to the store to stock up on some cooling ice cream ;-D

Happy reading!

First Quilting Project for 2014

Saw this material at Big W and couldn't resist.  It just screams MUG RUG, doesn't it?  The navy material will make up the centre of the mug rug, and the red & white material will make a beautifully contrasting binding.

Evie Nyx turns 1

I didn't realize it until after I'd woken up somewhat with a hot cup of tea this morning, but my troublemaker cat turns 1 today!  It's hard to believe I've had her for 7 months (and 27 days - but who's counting).  Looks like I'll be feeding her something a little special.  It's not everyday you turn 1 now is it ;-D

Happy 2014

After spending a quiet - and early - NYE by myself, I'm now so hot it isn't funny.  The weatherman says we're likely to have another thunderstorm this afternoon - but I'll believe it when I hear the rain on my roof.

2013 departed with barely a whimper in town.  I have a vague recollection if a few fireworks going off around 10:30pm, but if there were any big display at midnight then I slept through it ;-D

So I hope you all celebrated the New Year, whether solo or amongst a cast of thousands, and don't have to big of a hang over - for those of you who indulged.

Happy Reading in 2014!