The Homebody Chronicles
Cool ideas for when the temperature rises

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Illustration by Greg Taylor The Honolulu Advertiser

Standing on the lanai, walking to Starbucks, waiting at the bus stop.

Heat. But not that delicious sunshine you see gently kissing the supple skin of perfect bodies on postcards. It's that disgusting, body-writhing, persistent beating down of UV rays that you just can't escape.

The kind of heat that could ruin a picnic at the beach. The kind of heat that sucks all your energy, makes you tired in the middle of the day. But you can't sleep because it's too hot and no amount of electric fans could really, truly make you feel comfortable.

How anyone survived without air conditioning is beyond imagination.

Sure, we're not experiencing the torrid headline-worthy heat wave that has ravaged the Northeast and Midwest this summer. And yeah, heat has become synonymous with Hawai'i, with our year-round sunshine and consistent humidity that has even the sun-seeking tourists complaining about the weather.

But that doesn't mean we have to sit there and take it.

Take some of our proactive advice on how you can beat the heat:

Sit still, don't move. Find the coolest spot in your house, preferably directly in front of your air conditioner or Vornado fan, and just be. And if you're not living in one of the 80 percent of households with a/c in the United States, then get yourself somewhere cool. Have a zen moment in a movie theater or people-watch in an enclosed mall. Or be creative: Find a relaxing spot in an air-conditioned hotel lobby and spend the afternoon feeling like you're on vacation. Without paying for it.

Smoothie down. Cool off from the inside out with a homemade smoothie. Bust out the blender and head to the grocery story — ah, more air conditioning! — to pick up the following ingredients for a quickie smoothie from MarthaStewart.com:

• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) plain fat-free yogurt
• 3 to 4 bananas, peeled and cut into chunks
• 14 ounces strawberries (or any ripe fruit, such as peaches), stems removed and roughly chopped to equal 3 cups
• 1/4 cup skim milk or soy milk
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 cup ice

Gradually add all ingredients to the jar of a blender; purée until smooth. Serve and sink into smoothie bliss.

Visualize cold. If you can't bring some cool into your home, try renting it. Here are some video titles sure to bring some sort of cold feeling into your living room:

"Mystery, Alaska," the David-and-Goliath story about a small-town hockey team taking on the sleek NFL professionals is sure to remind you how lucky you are to be living this close to the equator.

"Fargo" may not be a heart-warming flick, but the Minnesota-bound dark comedy has all the elements of chill, from scenery to scenario.

"While You Were Sleeping" may have nothing to do with climate, but the scenes in wintery Chicago can make anyone who has experienced the meaning of wind-chill factor shudder in hindsight — and appreciate the heat.

"Alive" may ruin your appetite, but it's definitely one cold film.

"Miracle on 34th Street" is a classic Christmas film guaranteed to warm your heart and cool down your senses.

"The Shining," the mesmerizing horror epic that takes place during a long, deep winter is sure to send chills down your spine.

Honorable mentions: "Reindeer Games," "Snow Falling on Cedars," "Vertical Limit," "Avalanche," "With Honors" and "Wonderboys," all set in some wintery landscape.

Blend into cotton. Don't feel like stripping down to skin on the weekend? Be sure to wear breathable cotton or linen clothing. Go for light-weight and light-colored garb. Avoid rayon and silk, or anything that clings to your body. You don't need that.

Scream for ice cream: Let's hear it for 31 flavors! Load up on your favorite dairy delight, and make a date with the couch and a spoon. Feeling creative? Make yourself an orange Boston cooler:

• 1 cup ginger syrup (recipe follows)
• 16 ounces cold seltzer
• 4 scoops (about à pint) vanilla ice cream
• 8 scoops (about 1 pint) orange sherbet

Place ginger syrup (2 cups sugar and 1 6-inch piece of ginger, boiled in 2 cups of water and reduced to a simmer for an hour) in a large pitcher; stir in seltzer. Place 1 scoop vanilla ice cream in the bottom of each of four glasses. Top each with 2 scoops orange sherbet; pour ginger ale to fill glasses. Serve it up with a smile.

Fight the heat. Enlist your buddies in a hardcore, epic water battle, with Super Soakers, water balloons, even garden hoses. Take over the back yard. Turn sheds into forts. Teach those neighborhood kids a few things about water warfare. Heat up the battle and cool off at the same time.

Lotion up. It's something every Glamour-reading gal knows: If you want to cool down quick, stick a bottle of lotion — try Origins' new Smoothing Souffle whipped body cream infused with peppermint and orange — in the fridge until chilled. Then slather all over. If the cold rush doesn't cool you down, it'll definitely wake you up.

Advertiser staff writer Catherine E. Toth prefers to bask in the sun during the dog days. Her philosophy: If you can't beat it, join it.