How to beat the heat with a 1-year-old

I know I have mentioned this a lot lately but it is HOT in Scotland. We're talking HOT. I always yearned for the hot Seattle summers of (my) yesteryear but have settled for warmish weather in Edinburgh and getting my much-needed sun on my holidays home every summer. This year is different. It had been hot numerous days in a row (lost count how many!) and I have to keep washing my one pair of shorts.

Here are some of the ways Freddie's been staying cool in this heavenly heat wave.

1. Hit the beach

We've been getting the bus to Portobello beach to feel the cool sea water on our toes and play in the wet sand. Freddie loves digging up rocks stuck in the sand and bringing the bucket to the water's edge for me to fill up. Every now and then he has to taste the sand to double-check it's not something delicious he's missing out on and then we drink a lot of water to wash it down. There are usually a lot of dogs at the beach too and Freddie loves meeting them and seeing them splash in the water.

2. Play with water

Is water a running theme here? Yes! If we are home in the afternoons, as opposed to the beach, playground or "wading pool" outside the Parliament building, we fill up Freddie's red tub (usually full of toys) with water and head to the back garden. We bring out tupperwares, his duck watering can and splash each other and water the flowers and/or our toes.  

3. Make juice popsicles

This one makes me feel not only like a real mom but like my mom in particular! It was a real treat for my siblings and I to slurp down a homemade juice popsicle on those hot August days in Kenmore. The days so hot you could "fry an egg on the sidewalk" (this guy actually did it! Not in K-town but still). So, I bought a popsicle tray, filled it up with apple and orange juice and popped it in the freezer yesterday morning. Unfortunately, it was not completely frozen when I let Freddie at it in the afternoon so we ended up eating them out of a bowl and spooning it into the popsicle holder. Still nice to suck down the cool juice through the popsicle straw though!

  
4. Wear as few clothes as possible

Keeping Freddie cool means letting him kick it in his diaper or less whenever possible. He loves running around in just a nappy or his birthday suit. It gives him access to his belly, which he loves patting, and you don't have to do as much laundry because no clothes are getting dirty! Only problem is you go through a LOT of sunscreen.

Hope you are all enjoying the summer! It really is the best season.