The coolest things this summer

It is the hottest that I remember it ever being in a long time.  I’m talking week long temperatures of over 105 degrees.  It’s all anyone can talk about.  Even the dog will run outside for a scant five minutes at a time before he’s begging to be let back into the AC.  To take my mind (and everyone else’s) off of the unbearable heat, here are some of the coolest things about this summer:

Binchotan charcoal face scrub towel


Remember how much crap I gave Bryan’s parents about washing their faces with washcloths?  I’m eating my words now because I found a Japanese face towel that’s been doing wonders for my face this summer.  I’ve always been so lazy about exfoliating, maybe doing it once per calendar quarter.  That is, until I bought this charcoal face towel.  The two sides have different levels of coarseness (usually I’ll use the softer side), and since I’ve been using it, my face has been incredibly clean and clear.  It is much needed with all the sweating that I do during the summer.

Homemade Biscoff ice cream

This is by far the easiest homemade ice cream recipe I’ve ever made.  You don’t need an ice cream maker.  You don’t need eggs (or to separate them).  You do need a mixer (stand or hand, either will do).  The best thing of all is you get to control the cookie to ice cream ratio, which I prefer TONS of cookies in my ice cream.  I’ve only made this ice cream once this summer, which I think exemplifies my extreme level of self control, but I think I’m going to be making another batch this weekend.  The recipe I used is from this link: https://mommyshomecooking.com/how-to-make-eggless-ice-cream/.  Feel free to substitute any kind of cookie that you like.

Shakespeare in the Park

One of the benefits of moving back to a place where you grew up is you can pick up traditions that you had when you were a child.  One of my favourite summertime traditions is Shakespeare in the Park, which is literally a Shakespeare play performed in an outdoor auditorium.  The stage and lights are permanent structures and the audience sits out on the lawn to watch.  I took Bryan for the first time on Bark at the Park night, one of the two nights of the summer when you can bring your dog.  The play that they had put on was The Comedy of Errors, which I wasn’t familiar with but was funny, especially as the production was set in 1970s television land.  We didn’t take Bowie with us but we took a whole bunch of snacks to last us through the play.  However by the end of the night, there were fire ants swarming the beach towel we had brought to sit on.  Since I have an eagle eye for biting insects, we had preemptively rented lawn chairs and sat above the ant melee, saving me a trip to the emergency room, no doubt.  Moral of the story: don't even bother with picnic blankets, just bring chairs.

Drive-In Movie


If you can believe it, this was my first time to a drive-in movie.  We went and saw a double feature of Hotel Transylvania 3 and The Incredibles 2 with what felt / sounded like all of the kids in North Texas.  I’m guessing drive-in movies now are much more advanced than drive-in movies used to be because the concession stand was a full restaurant and bar, with a separate window for sno-cones and cotton candy.  There was a playground, picnic tables, lawn games, and you could even rent a radio and sit outside of your car and watch from the projection house if you wanted.  The movies began at 9 pm, when it got dark, and ended after 1 am.  Since we were watching the kids’ movies, one-third of the cars left after the first movie.  I was pretty much sweating through my clothes at the end of the first feature but we opened the car doors and let the cross breeze cool us down, which is the only way I made it through the second movie.  Bowie fell asleep in the back seat 10 minutes into the first movie, which I’m guessing is how long most of the kids lasted through the movie as well.  I’d really like to go again, maybe when it’s a little cooler and when the sun sets a little earlier.  Have you gone to a drive-in movie before and are there any around where you live?

Selfie Stick

First selfie and the wet spots on my shirt are sweat and dog slobber
When visiting my parents a few weekends ago, my dad surprised me with a selfie stick he ordered off Amazon.  He found it “very useful at the Eagles concert that he and my mom went to” since “his arms are too short to take good selfies.”  Who knew my dad would be the one bringing me up to date on trends, ten years too late?  I’ve used it a few times (inside the house) since then and honestly, I think it works great.  Unless your subject matter keeps wiggling around.  Thanks Dad, I think we'll be taking this one on the road trip with us next month.


Comments

  1. Fun times! Our town does a Shakespeare in the Park too and we go every year. I haven't been to a drive through since I was a kid though. I don't even think there's on near us.

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    1. I always talk about going more frequently to Shakespeare in the Park but never end up making it out more than once a season :/

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  2. That face cloth is so cool! Added it to my Amazon list! I love drive in movies but I haven't been to one in a few years, & never in DFW. I need to!

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    1. We went to the Coyote Drive In - I think there is one in Ft Worth

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  3. Hahaha..your dad's the coolest, Rooth:D And have never been to a drive-in movie...like, EVER. Am so jealous.
    PS Gotta find that Binchotan wash cloth. I've seen a few around in the Asian stores, but they felt too rough!
    PPS I don't know how y'all survive in that heat! Since coming to Florida, I now know an inkling of what you guys experience every summer...yikes!

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    1. They're on Amazon. They are rough but the scrub feels so good afterward. I really love mine

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  4. Shakespeare in the Park!? I'm so jealous...I have something similar to the bark at the park nearby. Except they called it pups at the park. Not as catchy as bark in the park... No Shskespeare though, that's amazing! Has to be a blast especially as a tradition.
    Drive in movies have indeed advanced according to my great aunt. Always wanted to go to one, it's not as advertised. Great vibes within this post, summer lovin!

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  5. You have to find the good things about summer, otherwise it's just hot madness for 3 months here in Texas :) That being said, time to make more ice cream

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  6. We went to the drive-in theater in Muskegon usually once a summer during the time Angel and I lived in Michigan. Fun times! There you could bring in whatever food you wanted and we'd bring in a pizza and all sorts of snacks...I could never stay up till the end of the second movie, though. Muskegon was nearly an hour from where we lived so I'd fall asleep during the movie and not wake up till Angel had driven us all the way home at like 2 in the morning, haha!

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    1. I barely stayed awake through the second feature (fueled by a lot of snacks)!

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  7. I am majorly intrigued by that charcoal cloth. I have been using a charcoal face wash and I feel like my skin has noticeably improved. I wonder what a difference a cloth could make!

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  8. Oh my gosh, I've heard of all the high temperatures you all in Texas are dealing with this summer...I hope you find some relief from all that heat soon! Also that charcoal cloth sounds wonderful...I need to get one! :)

    http://roadesque.com

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    1. We had rain on Monday and it's been so pleasant since then. Hopefully this cooler weather sticks around for a bit

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  9. It's been 100+ here if you count the heat index, so ice cream is all I want these days.

    Your dad is really cute with his self stick!

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