Guest Post: Beat the Heat

Hi! My name is Karen and I'm excited to be guest posting on Winey Mommy today! To tell you a little about myself - I'm a professional photographer from South Florida, and my husband and I have an 18 month old baby boy and a little dog. I have a blog over at Bright Autumn Sun where I write about pretty much all of these things. Our signature "Sunshine State" summer started a couple of weeks ago and I'm always looking for ways to have fun with my little guy and beat the heat, so I thought I'd give you all some tips in today's post!

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I can't believe how hot it's gotten here in South Florida. I know writing/talking about the weather is sooo cliche, but when you live this far south, it's just a part of life. And when it's this hot, it's a BIG part of life.

People are always asking on the baby boards I follow how you can beat the heat during the summer when it's so hot, especially when you have little ones with you all day who are tired of sitting around at home. Here are some ideas I've come up with. These are things I'd actually do, so if you are a typical busy and tired mom like me, this is a helpful and easy list to follow! Read on:

1. Go play outside! "But it's hot!" Yes, it is, but if you get outside early enough, it's not as hot, especially in the early summer. My son wakes up at 7:30 am, so if I can get him fed and get myself caffeinated quick enough, we can be on our way to the park by the time it opens at 9am. It's a great opportunity to have some dedicated fun with your child and get some Vitamin D, which is important for both of you! Just make sure you apply sunscreen!

2. Play inside… for free! No, I'm not talking about your house - your little one is probably sick and tired of being cooped up, anyway. One of my favorite places to take my 18 month old son is Barnes & Noble. Each time we go, I get a coffee for myself, plunk a sippy of milk in his hands, and use my time wisely to check out the new books. By the time he starts to get antsy, he's finished his sippy, so we go to the kids section. I let him out of the stroller so he can run around. They have a stage in the kids area where the children can play, look at books, climb, run around, etc. It is a safe place for him to play and if I invite a friend or another mom along with me it's even better since our kids can interact and so can we.

3. Alternatively, you could go to an indoor play place, like Monkey Joes, which has play areas for children of varying ages, but there's an entrance fee -- which can get pretty high if you have multiple children. However, all the exercise your kids will get at a place like this will knock them out for an early bedtime or naptime later! :)

4. Get some exercise in a cool place with another mom and bring your child. My son is not a big fan of shopping with me (I always remember clothes shopping with my mom being incredibly boring, so I don't blame him), but he is curious and enjoys people-watching in busy areas, like the mall. Here's another chance to get together with a friend - meet up with another mom at a big mall and go strolling. You'll all enjoy the air conditioning and it will keep you and your kids busy for at least an hour before one of you gets bored. ;) Of course, before you step foot in your mall, make a pact with your friend to stop each other from buying something that either of you does not need!

5. Swim in the kiddie pool (or a real pool if you have one)! If you wait until the late afternoon, the sun is lower in the sky and not so brutal. We have a pretty big kiddie pool that's big enough for me, my husband, and our little boy. Our son enjoys playing with all of his toys and frolicking in the water. This is a fantastic activity to really get your child relaxed and satisfied from a full day - my son always sleeps very well after having some time in the pool. Again, don't forget the sunscreen - even if the sun is low in the sky or behind clouds, you can still get burned.

6. Get some frozen yogurt, smoothies, etc. Better yet, make your own. You can put some flavored yogurt into a popsicle mold in the freezer for your little ones, or whip up your own crazy concoction with different fruits and plain yogurt in the blender (I once made popsicles with mango, lychees, and vanilla greek yogurt -- YUM!). Then sit outside in the shade and enjoy your creations.

Hope you enjoyed my list! I definitely plan on taking advantage of some of these with my son this summer, and hope to think up more fun things to do so for next year!