When I was thinking about this post the song “Summertime” popped into my mind, resonating a fond childhood memory of my mom belting out the tune, while I played with my toys during warm summer days.  I can hear her singing now and find it funny that this post actually has nothing to do with my mom’s singing or my childhood, but instead it’s about the idiosyncricies of life in the summer.  You know all the small details you forgot about having to deal with when you are shivering and making promises that you won’t complain when the heat finally kicks in.  Well I’m not complaining, I’m just learning how to survive~

This summer I have learned three new tools to help make my life a little bit easier.  I will admit that I don’t actually have any circumstantial proof that what I am suggesting really works, however if the internet says it then it must be true, right?

First, I am famous for leaving (forgetting) the laundry in the washer…sometimes for a couple days.  Yup, and there’s no just washing it again to get “that stink” out.  So one day I sprinkled baking soda on top of my damp mildewy clothes as I readied them  for yet another spin and  guess what- they didn’t stink! Wahoo!  Now I’m not sure if this is going to eventually ruin my really fancy clothes (actually I don’t have any of those o:) but at least you can’t smell me standing next to you or maybe thats what I keep telling myself.

The next hurdle I am finding myself up against is onslaught of sugar ants that are taking hold of my kitchen.  They are driving me insane!  However, I am very thankful that they are neither crunchy (I can’t tell you how many of them I have probably ingested unsuspectingly) and that they don’t bite, or rather I can’t feel them biting me.  So in retaliation I have taken my trusty Dr.Bronner’s Magic Peppermint soap and am now spraying the crap out them.  I’m not quite sure how effective it really is but I certainly feel a lot better and I don’t have to be concerned about what it is getting on. A friend of mine Kathryn actually has a solution which I will also share:

Boric acid works too – it is what is in eye wash, not toxic in the amounts you would use for sugar ants – well maybe a cat licking the hell out of a homemade bait trap you made would get sick. The main thing is getting rid of their trail – Wipe them up with a washcloth that has vinegar on it and go as far back on their trail as you can get, then spray some boric acid or your peppermint soap. If you can follow the trail all the way back to some crack in the wall or break in window caulk, seal the crack/caulk etc. If it’s under a door, you can try one of those door pillow things (no idea what they are called) – they will still get around it, but the harder it is for them to get into your sugary stuff, the more likely they will find another source outside of your house or go to someone else’s house for awhile  If you don’t get the queen with some kind of pesticide they will probably come back which is why I say boric acid trap, but like I said if you make it hard enough they might go on to a neighbors tasty kitchen.  

Hopefully they will find someone sweeter than me soon…

The last tip is actually very practical and I have been using it for some time now that the scorching sun is in her glory. In the bathroom I have a large pitcher, that after much nagging, I have brainwashed my family to fill up while waiting for their shower water to warm up.  It adds a few extra steps to the day but my very thirsty potted plants get watered more frequently and all that precious water is not just going straight down the drain.

So there you go…hope maybe I have made your life a little easier or perhaps just given you a quick chuckle in your day.

Cheers to Summer!