Beat the Heat: Use the Crockpot!!

It only took a couple of times cooking in the hot kitchen to convince us to give the crockpot a try!  Last night we enjoyed Italian Chicken in the crockpot (SO tasty and easy). 

What are your favorite summer crockpot meals?  Please share your recipes!!

Beat the Heat: Buy a Kiddie Pool

Costs less than $5 and well worth the cost!  Put some cool water in it, let the kids play, put your feet in, whatever it takes to cool down!

Looking for more ways to stay cool this summer? Check out the entire Beat the Heat series!

Cooking with Kiddos: Strawberry Popsicles

What You Need:

2 cups of whole strawberries (a little less than one container)

1 cup of milk

sugar to taste

blender or food processor

popsicle molds

Mix all of the ingredients together in the food processor

Taste test - add more sugar if needed

Pour the mixture into the popsicle molds.  I bought the Tovolo 80-8002G Green Star Ice Pop Molds, Set of 6 on Amazon!

I picked this recipe because these were the ingredients we had in our house.  You might want to give these Homemade Smoothie Pops as well!!

Be sure to check out the Cooking with Kiddos series for more ideas!!

Beat the Heat: Library Time!!

Too hot in the house?  Head to the library for storytime and books.  Take a trip to the mall or even the grocery store.  Find a place with air conditioning and spend some time cooling down!

Looking for more ways to stay cool this summer? Check out the entire Beat the Heat series!

Beat the Heat: Put Your Lotion in the Fridge

Your lotion, your moisturizer, your foundation.  Put it in the fridge and imagine how it will feel on a hot day!  Looking for more ways to stay cool this summer? Check out the entire Beat the Heat series!

Beat the Heat: Ice Cream Jello!!

Somehow I completely overlooked this yummy treat for this series until I made it for Father's Day yesterday!  Very, very simple!  Follow the directions on the back of the Jell-O box with one small change.  Substitute the cup of cold water for a cup of vanilla ice cream! 

Looking for more ways to stay cool this summer? Check out the entire Beat the Heat series!

Beat the Heat: Don't Cook!

Way too hot!!  We tried it and quickly regretted it!  In fact, the next day we ran to the store and bought lunchmeat and tortillas shells to have a "cool" meal.  So now I'm on the search for recipes that don't require the heat of the stove or oven!  Any suggestions?

If you do have you cook, choose the coolest time of the day!  Want tacos for dinner?  Cook the meat in the morning and put it in the fridge for dinner.  Take advantage of the cooler temperatures and do some extra cooking and baking.

Use alternatives to the stove and oven.  Do some grilling or use the microwave.

Looking for more ways to stay cool this summer? Check out the entire Beat the Heat series!

Beat the Heat: Homemade Smoothie Pops!!

Guest Post from Amber of SiMoneySavers.

It is hot outside and we have been on the quest to find a healthy treat to keep us cool. Since we love Smoothies I decided to make my own version of smoothie pops. The best part about making your Smoothie Pops at home is that you get to control what ingredients go in them. It is also fun for the kids to get to choose what to add to the blender.

I found the plastic Popsicle molds at Dollar General for $1.50 a piece. I am sure they are probably sold at most retailers during this time of the year.

Here is what you will need to make your own smoothie pops. Milk, yogurt, fresh or frozen fruit, Popsicle molds and a blender.

I used:

1/2 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Vanilla Yogurt
1 Cup Frozen Fruit (Mango, Strawberry Pineapple)
1/2 banana

Put the wet ingredients in the blender first the added the fruit. Blend until it is starting to get smooth. (I like having some small fruit chunks in there). Pour the smoothies in to the popsicle molds and freeze.

The smoothie pops with the blue lids are for my daughter with a milk allergy. I simply used 1 cup coconut milk, 1 cup frozen fruit and 1/2 banana. I prepared them as I did the first smoothie pops.

Once the Smoothie Pops are frozen they are ready to enjoy!

Important tip! When trying to remove the pop from the mold it really helps if you run the bottom section of the mold under hot water for a couple minutes. This will loosen up the pop and it will slide right out.


Amber is a Christian, Wife of 17 years and Mother of 2 girls. She loves to take of her family and to help others. She blogs at SiMoneySavers where you can find tips on saving money, using coupons, healthy recipes and helping others.

Beat the Heat: Wash the Car!!

Put on your swimsuits, get out your buckets, rags and the hose, and start washing the car!! Not only will you get to check something off your to-do list, but you'll also be able to spray that hose at your kiddos or your spouse (or yourself) and cool down!!

Looking for more ways to stay cool this summer? Check out the entire Beat the Heat series!

Beat the Heat: The Coolest Place in the House!

For us, the coolest place in the house is the basement!!  Up until now, we haven't spent a lot of time in our (unfinished) basement but I have a feeling that will change this summer!  As it gets hotter and hotter in the house, we'll be taking refuge in the basement.  We recently added a few things to keep the girls busy while we're down there - Legos, a play tent, an indoor trampoline, lots of books, and so on. 

Figure out the coolest spot in your house and make it kid friendly (if you have kids, of course).  Plan to spend some time there on those hot, hot days!

Beat the Heat: Strawberry Ice Recipe

When my friend Renae, over at How to Have it All, read about my Beat the Heat series, she shared this delicious Strawberry Ice recipe with me!!  Looking forward to making it with the girls!

Strawberry Ice Recipe
5 Cups Fresh Strawberries
2/3 Cup Sugar
2/3 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice

Wash and hull strawberries. Place strawberries in a blender or use a hand blender to puree them. Add lemon juice to pureed strawberries.

In a saucepan, mix water and sugar over medium heat. Cook until sugar dissolves completely and mixture comes to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and let cool for a couple of minutes. Add sugar syrup to strawberries and mix well. Pour mixture in a shallow pan and freeze.

Helpful Tips:
*Place strawberry mixture into popsicle molds before freezing! Your kids will love these!
*Try this recipe with other fruits. I don’t know the exact calorie content but it sure beats real ice cream!

Stay tuned for more recipes and delicious treats in the weeks to come!!  And check out more ways to stay cool this summer with our Beat the Heat series!!

Renae is the mother of two young boys.  She blogs at How to Have it All where she hopes to encourage you to continue on your savings journey while juggling it all!

Beat the Heat: Sprinklers and Spray Bottles

Guest Post from Traci at I Stink at Couponing.

When I think of beating the heat, my first thought goes to water and its many uses. For my kids, they have two main uses of water in the summer: sprinklers and spray bottles.

When it’s hot outside and my kids have been running around playing, the best way to cool them off is to get out the sprinkler. My oldest likes to place the sprinkler near our swing set. He’ll then get on the swing and go back and forth through the oscillating water. The sprinkler is great for my younger ones, too, because it allows them to decide how wet they want to get if at all.

A few months back I made a $3.00 purchase at Target. I bought spray bottles. My kids loved them. My two boys will squirt each other and my daughter likes to get in on the action, just don’t squirt her back.

Traci from the blog, I Stink at Couponing, loves finding great coupons and deals and putting those to use to spend as little as possible at the stores she frequents!  Check out her shopping trips complete with "The Stink Factor!"

Looking for more ways to stay cool this summer?  Check out the entire Beat the Heat series!

Beat the Heat: Turn off the Lights.....

the computer, and any other appliance that emits heat.  It may not seem like a lot but when you are trying to keep your house cool, every little bit helps!!  And while you're turning things off, be sure to unplug them as well.  The cell phone charger, your television, your laptop charger - pull the plug when they're not in use!

What appliances seem to emit lots of heat in your house (besides the stove/oven, of course)?

Looking for more ways to stay cool with the rising temperatures?  Be sure to check out the entire Beat the Heat series.

Beat the Heat: Where's the Shade?

As our living room began heating up this morning, we headed outside to find some shade!  We don't have a lot of trees around our house, but we do have quite a bit of shade in our front yard in the morning and in our back yard in the evening. And during the middle of the day (with little shade), we rest.

Figure out where the shade is at your house and use it to your advantage!!

With the breeze (and shade) this morning, it was quite a bit cooler than our living room!  We cleaned rocks (for a project), looked for more, played with sidewalk chalk and more! 

The girls are painting the sidewalk with water.

Beat the Heat: Splish Splash

Nothing's worse than trying to fall asleep when you are feeling sticky from the heat.  A great way to cool off before bed (or anytime throughout the day)......take a cool bath or shower.  Add the breeze from a fan or an open window and this will help keep you cool!

Are you trying to cut down on your energy bill this summer?  Every day for the next 3(ish) weeks, I will be highlighting a way to keep cool during the hot, hot summer and hopefully, bring those bills down a bit!  If you are interested in writing a guest post for this series, please email me at spectacularsavingsblog@gmail.com!  I look forward to hearing your ideas!! 

Beat the Heat Summer Series

With the prices of just about everything rising, my husband and I have decided that we would attempt to turn on our air sparingly throughout the summer.  We have always been that family that turned it on the second we started feeling a little uncomfortable.  Why feel uncomfortable when we have air?  Well, this summer is going to be different.

Starting Monday, I will begin a series on frugal ways to "Beat the Heat" this summer.  A tip each day for the next 3(ish) weeks.  And I would LOVE your ideas!!  If you are interested in writing a guest post on how you stay cool during the hot, hot summer months, please send me an email at spectacularsavingsblog@gmail.com!