Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Keeping Cool

Even by Gulf Coast standards, it's H-O-T! For the past week, we have seen triple digit heat, and that's without factoring in the heat index. Yesterday's temperature soared to a scorching thermometer busting 101 degrees! And while this record setting heatwave is music to the ears of power companies throughout the South, the rest of us cringe at the the mere thought of our sky rocketing bill.

Our air, both upstairs and down, has run non-stop for days. And what's worse, there's no apparent relief in sight, at least according to our meteorologist's, 50% chance of being right, forecast.

Just the other day my dad shared with me an interesting article from the Wall Street Journal about Americans and their dependency on air conditioning. (You can read the entire WSJ article here.) The article cites a man so extreme in thinking that he blames air-conditioning for just about all of America's flaws and stands by his view that we've grown so accustomed to AC that we couldn't survive without it.

Now while I'm 100% positive that we can live without AC (just ask any coastal resident who's endured weeks without power due to a hurricane), why on Earth would we want to? I like to think that if God didn't want us to have air-conditioning, He wouldn't have made the South so darn toasty!

I am, and always have been, warm natured. Bret likes to say I run hot, and trust me, he's not trying to score brownie points by throwing a little flattery my way. When I was expecting Gillian Grace it only got worse. I was constantly hot and sweating like a you know what, you know where, especially at night. Getting comfortable was a chore and staying that way meant making some changes. We kept the house on a chilly 70 during the day and a frigid 68 at night. Bret would go to bed dressed like an Alaskan ice fisherman, while I laid simmering in shorts and tank top.

Fortunately for us (and our bank account), these days we keep our thermostat set between a more reasonable 72 and 74 during the day and between 70 and 71 at night.

Could our monthly power bill be lower? Sure! Am I willing to be uncomfortable just to save a little? No way!

I'll cut back in other areas, just please don't mess with my AC!

But thankfully, we Southerners do know a thing or two about how to keep cool, especially in the summertime.

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How do y'all keep cool?

Go ahead and grab something cold to sip and come on over. Gillian Grace swears the water's just fine!


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{Click here to check out yesterday's giveaway and don't forget to check back this evening at five for today's giveaway from My Creative Side.}

22 comments:

Andrea @ The Dawley Fam said...

Ahh, it looks like Gillian had a great time in the pool! I live in the south, but not the coastal south (Oklahoma) and it was 105 here yesterday, but my car thermometer said 109! It was miserable! I don't care about my electric bill this month. I can't imagine being very pregnant in this. I'm still in my first tri and my hot flashes are out of control so I can't imagine being in my third tri in this heat! We did have a pool installed a year ago to beat the southern summer heat, but honestly, it's just too hot to go outside and even enjoy the pool! I hope y'all stay cool!

I Do Declare said...

How cute is GG's suit???? Love it!

Southern Living: Preppy Style said...

Ah, little GG has the little Lilly on....so cute!!! We can't live without A/C. Seriously, just walking to the car this morning I worked up a sweat!
Our electric bill unfortunately has suffered....big time.
I love those little pictures! Makes me miss that age!!

Susan R said...

I loved the story about running hot. I kept our room like an artic zone when I was pregnant. I just forgot about trying to get cool, it wasn't going to happen.
I swear I must be hitting menopause early on in life because I'm always convinced I'm having hot flashes. Never mind the fact that the ol' thermometer has hit tripple digits over the past few days.
I have to have the A/C on, it's not a question really. It has to be on and running ALWAYS and I put a fan right in front of the air vent near my bed, so that it's even colder at night.
A fun little treat that I read about on a blog is to get a plastic cup, put a small ammount of vanilla ice cream in the bottom and the fill it 3/4 with root beer. Pop that in the freezer and by noon you have a homomade slushy. This also works well with grape, orange and peach Nehi Pop, as well as colas. We think they're great.

Avery's Mommy said...

She is too cute in that suit. And I am with you on The AC! The heat index was 117 yesterday here! It's just miserable, I don't know how anyone works outside. I am naturally frugal, but w/ the AC I'm willing to go all out!

Unknown said...

Oh Shannon I could not agree wiht you more! I'm SOOO willing to pay to be comfortable. We keep our air just about the same temp you do. There is nothing worse than laying in bed sweating!!

GG looks like a doll in her green swimsuit...LOVE IT!

Tracey said...

CUTE CUTE CUTE!! Stay cool, sista!
xoxo

Anonymous said...

Glad your little cutie is staying cool! She looks so cute!

Keli said...

oh there is no way I can live without AC!! It is way too hot around here!

Laura@The Oily Cupboard said...

i'd kill to have our temps set so low...i sweat on a daily basis and we run the up and down at 77 day and night...during the day i have all the blinds closed and i hate it...it looks like we live in a cave...we have solar screens..just not radiant barrier in the attic like we'd like! can i come to ur house to sleep? haha..my kids would love it too! my hubs is hot too...in the winter we have to stay bundled up and w/socks in the house...he likes it really cold! well at least our heater bill is low! haha
i am looking forward to being pregnant again in the winter...last time it was nearly 10 yrs ago!

Jennifer said...

All I know is that GG has a bow to match every outfit and even her swimsuits!! I love it :) We are not used to really hot weather in in NY, but these last few weeks have been unbearable!! I don't know how you do it in the South. Remind me to never come visit you in the summer..LOL!

Annie said...

Love GG's suit!!! SO cute..and looks like she is staying cool :)

liz said...

she even has a hairtie to match her suit! too perfect!

Melissa said...

Oh you sound like me - your whole theory about air conditioning and bills sounds like me.

G looks so happy...

New Mommy!!! said...

It has been pretty hot where I live lately too!!

I LOVE these pics of Gillian in her little pool!! Where does everyone find these adorable pools? Ha!! I have looked for these everywhere, and cannot find them! We have a plastic blue pool, which is good, bc the litle pumpkin likes to bite floats/rafts and ends up deflating them. It was only 8$, and i guess it will last, but it is not cute, ha!

I love her suit! It's adorable! We didn't spend money on a suit for Nik this year, got two hand me downs, that I'm not crazy about!

I wanted a really cute one for her, but last year I bought her several late in the season for this year, and it ended up that they were way too small on her, so I couldn't bear to buy anymore!

I didn't see any really cute ones anyway where we live. We are lacking here in the cute baby clothes boutiques unfortunately!

My hubs keeps the house freezing, and I'm always terrified the pumpkin is going to freeze. Plus, I pay the power bills, so how come he gets to keep our house like an igloo, ha! I do like it cool too, just not too cool!

New Mommy!!! said...

BTW! Your little one is just a big bundle of adorable rolls, I LOVE babies like that!! They make the greatest photo ops! NIk's got some too, but she's tall, so it evens out pretty well. I want to bite little Gillian's arms and legs, love those cute chubs, ha!! Just kidding, kind of!;)

Pinot after Playdates said...

it's been pretty unbearable here, too! that ruffly bottom in your header is the cutest thing ever!!

Same Sweet Girl: Memoir of a Southern Belle said...

It HAS been hot hasn't it!!!!! I think it's so funny how you say you kept it on a frigid 68 at night. We keep ours on 68 all summer! LOL Is that weird?! We even turn the ceiling fan on in the bedroom at night. We have been trying to cope with the air on 70 lately because I can't imagine what our bill is going to be like since it's been so darn hot lately.

Love these pictures of little GG!!! :)

Liz said...

Girl, it is SO hot here in Florida! I can't believe it..... I am so ready for our "Fall" and "Winter."

By the way, GG's suit is adorable!! :)

SkinnyMeg said...

Live with no AC, NO THANKS! Why would I want to?? I love Gillians smile and those chubby little arms make me want to eat her up!!

Mungee's Ma said...

It's ridiculously hot here in North FL. Definitely breaking the 100s! We stay indoors most of the time!

Cindy @ This Adventure, Our Life said...

She is just adorable!! Love the suit!!