Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Summer Dilemmas

Three o'clock is the magic hour when I get to sit down with my lovely blue and white china mug and have me time. I mean tea time. But really me time. This is best accomplished when the kids are having rest time. I like to zone out while reading some good blogs or news stories, or maybe a few minutes of something I have on the DVR.

My morning tea is wonderful, but it takes place when the house is in full gear. The purpose is to wake myself up and go, go go! There are lots of times when I get to savor it, but sometimes I get distracted and forget about it until it's almost lukewarm. Then all I can do is gulp it down like some kind of uncivilized brute.

Now that Annabeth is in full out toddlerhood I need my afternoon tea time/me time/zone out time more than ever. Those moments are like an oasis in my day.

Unlike years past, my most pressing summer dilemma has nothing to do with my sunscreen giving me acne or my KP skin treatment removing my tan (whether real or fake). It's worse!

I'm not sure if y'all have noticed, but it's hotter than a mug outside. We are blessed and highly favored to enjoy air conditioning in our home, but it takes a lot of cash flow to keep the air cold in the late afternoons. At least here in southeast Texas. I've been having something akin to a hot flash a few minutes after my afternoon tea. Now I said this to a menopausal woman a few days ago and she said, "No, honey, you are just hot." I am laughing so hard right now. It feels like a hot flash! It's bad enough to send me to the medicine cabinet for some of my husband's Old Spice deodorant.

So do I give up my tea until the weather cools off? Last week I had an afternoon cherry limeade. But as soon as it was gone I heard my tea calling out to me. Then I resorted to a can of Dr. Pepper (the anniversary edition made with real sugar - so, so good!) Again, I couldn't live without my tea and I went right back to it.

Perhaps the answer to my dilemma would be reversing the order of my drinks. I'll let y'all know how it goes.

What is your summer dilemma?

51 comments:

shana said...

the dr. pepper sounds fabulous to me . . . as do the tea and cherry limeade. this pregnancy all my cravings are beverages. i could go without eating, i think, if only i could be drinking yummy stuff all day long!
stay cool {it's pretty hot in minnesota too, but NOTHING like texas, i'm sure. i've only been to texas once. last january. for the smt celebration. it was glorious then -- for a minnesotan, at least!}
blessings,
shana

Kiki said...

Life is rough in America, no?!

I vote cherry Dr. Pepper from Sonic. Or add your cherry grenadine to a Dr. Pepper at home with Sonic ice.

Bobbie said...

Are you not an 'iced'tea drinker? I've never been one to drink hot drinks when it's 97 degrees outside, but I know some people just don't like cold tea.

Summer dilemma would be staying cool in this Texas heat! It's been years since I've lived in this kind of heat. AND being that menopausal woman(!!!)I don't like being hot. Just got a good report on my 'heart' issue and am ready to begin a good exercise program, guess I'll have to get up before the sun comes up!

Molly said...

You are hilarious! What about making Iced tea...Cranberry Cove, or ginger peach with peppermint and black tea mixed. Make hot water in a stew poy (on stove - fill er up) then add three black tea, 2 mint and 1 flavor of something. Put a fresh sprig of mint in it and make it fancy, at least till it cools. Or you can make chai tea and ice it with half /half.

Lauren said...

Oh my word at the hot! I'm right there with you. I don't think I was this hot last summer when I was hugely pregnant! And I don't even think it's the hot, it's the crazy thick humidity! Whew! I have switched from coffee to the cold frappuccino-type drinks that I've found at Target. They are delicious.

Lauren
www.laurenandeddie.blogspot.com

Superchikk said...

I love to have tea in the afternoons while my boy is napping. I too, have been sort of weirded out by drinking it when it's so blazin' hot outside. And like you, I miss it when I try to substitute something else. So I just embrace it. I switch on the ceiling fan and go for it. And it makes me happy, so I figure it's worth it. So I say go for it!

Amber said...

lol. Cherry Limeade sounds good to me! I agree it's SO hot outside! SOOO thankfulf or AC!

Karen said...

I'll have to try the Dr. Pepper. Hubby has sworn off regular coke, so we buy the super expensive (made with real sugar)coke from Costco. Did you know it's actually good to drink hot drinks in the heat? It helps lower your body temp. Also, I had to laugh when you mentioned your KP. I have it something awful on my arms. My precious 2 year old has it on her arms also. My hubby teases me and asks me why couldn't I have given her something else.....she did get my big feet also. Ha. Darn genes.

JayCee said...

It's also HOT here in Missouri - near 100 in temperature these days and the heat index is near 110. Popsicles are how I cool off...and the kids love them, too. Of course, you will still want your tea.....so have your tea and then if you have a "hot flash" eat a popsicle! :)

Skubaliscious said...

Maybe this is a dumb idea...but couldn't you just drink iced tea??

Ashley said...

Girl, I'd go with the iced tea! You can get some great flavors from tea shops... peach, raspberry, even green!

The Franzes said...

Did you try iced tea?

Mary H. said...

My dilemma is...how much can I pack in the next week before I have to go back to teaching school!!

When school starts my dilemma will be how to dress...since it will be 100 degrees outside and 68 inside the school!!

But these are good dilemmas to have!

Kathy Cubley said...

Shreveport is one shade hotter than a mug.....so I do feel your pain. I have long since enjoyed my tea COLD and I do mean LOTS of ice! You can drink it from your happy little tea cup but w/o warming up your insides to match the temp. outside! Works for me!

Mommarazzi said...

I also vote cherry DP from Sonic. I looove it.
My summer dilemma=too heavy for a comment box but I am with you on the heat in Texas!! It's too much. Thank the Lord for AC.

Susy said...

Hmm...to tea or not to tea?? I say have your tea! However, maybe a cold compress or a fan alongside ;) Btw, I was going to dig your archives for the tea you drink but since you just happened to be blogging about it...what tea do you drink? I'm a coffee gal but Im thinking about taking up a new fun drink and hosting tea parties (apolitical!) a la Alice in Wonderland...

Amanda said...

Iced tea would make perfect sense! But it doesn't do much for me. Susy, I usually drink PG Tips. Also, I love the idea of a cold compress during my tea. Ha!

Tara G. said...

I love Dr. Pepper. I've had it every chance I can get while we're back for a month. I don't like iced tea, but I'll drink sweet tea. I like hot tea and it's a big deal in Ukraine, so I understand your dilemna perfectly but have no solution for the afternoon tea time. Perhaps you can soak your feet and drink it at the same time- off set the hotness, maybe?!

Jenn said...

I'm a hot tea addict as well, & iced tea (while refreshing) wouldn't cut it as my precious mug of relaxation. I'm still drinking my hot tea despite the 100+ temps outside. Just chasing it with some ice water.

Patti said...

I am almost 50 and the afternoon tea still calls out to me no matter what the temp is outside. I am in Ct so I won't even dare to compare our summer temps. I think that no matter what you try to substitute you will always long for your warm, relaxing cup. :) Have you ever tried Harney & Sons, Irish breakfast? It's my fav. Cannot find PG Tips here. Love reading your blog!

Mary said...

Well I'm an iced tea girl so that would be my first idea for you but some people don't like tea cold. I love making a strong pot of coffee then putting it in the fridge and adding ice as I need a refill. Using decaf coffee (most of the time,) means my caffeine intake is under control but it's an easy refreshing treat. I add splenda and milk. Viola! Starbucks knock-off.

Michelle said...

Hot as a mug! Ha ha! I just practically spit out my ICED tea! It's been ridiculously hot in St. Louis this summer too. I usually don't mind the hot summer, but this summer has seemed more hot than usual. And we haven't had a break. When the weatherman says "it's going to be cooler tomorrow...only 92 degrees!" You know there is a problem. My biggest summer dilemma is trying to make my 14 month old not hate walking in grass. He absolutely HATES it. He acts like I just put him down in a pile of glass shards or something!

Marc and Charity said...

You do love your tea, don't you? My summer dilemma? After Sunday there will be no more Sonic.

Nancy Ludrick said...

I love the Dr.Pepper with real sugar! Just had some with pizza tonight. Yum!

R said...

"gulp it down like some uncivilized brute"

"hotter than a mug"

those are the gems that made me laugh out loud!

and i say go for the hot tea, girl. it's the only way. i'm a coffee girl myself, and i'm like you...iced coffee just doesn't cut it. maybe just enjoy the tea under a ceiling fan or something?! haha i don't experience the same hot flash effect after my afternoon coffee. and my grandpa always told me drinking hot drnks kept one's temp down. which doesn't make sense to me. esp. when one is experiencing a hot flash afterward! haha

MississippiMom said...

When I lived in Africa, everyone would say "Hot tea on a hot day cools you off." It definitely makes you sweat, and therefore, sipping it in the sweltering heat of an African afternoon seemed to work. Maybe that's why I've been craving it lately here in hot, humid south Mississippi? I say, "drink up!" Even if you're hot, you'll be so much more relaxed. (Why does tea work that way? Is it the act of stopping to take it? Man, I love tea time.)

Random...sorry. You actually asked a question. Summer dilemma? Cooking supper in a hot house? The AC is not the only thing eating up our budget here lately...MUST. STOP. EATING. OUT.

Alicia said...

I have a few summer dilemmas: to know where I am in when I wake up which country, which house, and also which time zone I am in.

:)

I hope this made you smile. Miss you and love you!

Kelli said...

I would give my right arm for a cherry limeade right now! I hear you about heat and tea though. Jason and I have our morning time together every morning on our balcony- he has coffee, I have tea, but I just can't drink a hot drink in the heat! Usually we're early enough that there is still somewhat of a breeze so that helps. Our even bigger dilemma is not being able to run our AC for at least 3 hours a day because of our generated electricity during that time. I look around me though and overall am simply thankful to have the option of AC when we do have electricity but let me tell you, cooking a meal in the summer heat of Beirut with no AC is no fun!!

Beth said...

To go to the pool or to go out on the boat...that has been our dilemma this summer. (I sound like such a snob, but really I'm not!)

Angie said...

My summer dilemama is flat humidity hair! :)

Courtney (Women Living Well) said...

I love your afternoon tea time! I feel the same way!!! I just wrote a post this morning titled "I don't need a spa - I need solitude!"

In the season of life when you can't even go to the bathroom without little ones at the door - those times of solitude are precious! It's okay to desire them - even Jesus needed to "get alone".

My post is here with some tips on how to get that alone time while the kids are young:

http://womenlivingwell-courtney.blogspot.com/2010/07/i-dont-need-spa-i-need-solitude.html

I think I'm outnumbered by tea drinkers here - but I'm a diet coke girl!

Walk with the King!
Courtney :-)

Kelli said...

I still vote you drink your tea with your head in the freezer. ;)

My summer dilemma involves not over heating. It is so miserable and hot!!!

Kristy said...

I'm from NC so tea is two things...SWEET and ICED! to think y'all enjoy it hot is just wrong to me...haha

But I like the compress idea ;)

nlynch said...

I am a new member of the "real" hot flash group! There is no way I am giving up my Starbucks vanilla latte. My Monday night coffee group of 9 women still love me as I drink my coffee with a mini, hand held fan shoved down the front of my shirt!! The only dilemma I have had this summer is what color fan to buy!!!

Diana said...

My summer dilemma is whether to keep my blinds closed all day in order to keep the house cooler. I am person who love and craves sunlight so having the blinds closed makes me feel like I am living in a cave. However, the cost of keeping them open is great as we run the AC a lot more.

Sunni said...

I haven't heard 'hot as a mug' in years!!! That was one of my super-cool phrases in high school. I wouldn't want to give up my tea, either. I'm a Louisiana neighbor and I understand the heat. To keep our AC bill down and for refreshment, my husband bought us a small, but powerful fan from Lowes. I think it's called a Vornado. We've been able to keep our air on 75 during the day. It's been awesome! Anyhow, you could fan yourself while drinking tea. Isn't that the way of the old south, anyhow.... :)

Kari said...

There is just something soothing about a hot drink...especially when you have a chance to some me time....even if it is 100 degrees outside!!

And I totally understand how precious your nap time is. I love my kiddos but there is nothing quite as sweet to an exhausted mother as nap time and bed time:) Now that my kids are no longer needing naps I have established "read time" at our house during the summer. They must sit on their beds and read for 30 minutes - figure it is good for them because not only are they reading but they are giving their mother a little quiet time to rejuvenate so that I am a much nicer mom too:)!!

Missy said...

My dilemma is whether or not I should shower after a morning run. If I'm just going to continue to sweat with it being so hot, what's the point. But then I end up feeling disgusting most of the day.

Amy T said...

My summer delimma is balancing the need to work enough hours in my bookkeeping business to make money, but not so many hours that I don't have time to spend with my son before he starts back to school. I'm trying to take off at least one day a week and load the others up at least until school starts and then I can spread everything back out again.

Nelson's Mama said...

My dilemma is that I'm freezing to death!

During summer my family wants the A/C turned down so low that I'm a complete popsicle - I spend most of my indoor time wearing sweatpants and my Uggs.

Then, if I want to wear anything than resembles "summer" clothes out to a restaurant or a store they've got their A/C set on MEATLOCKER!

I used to LOVE summer, but have come to the conclusion that I'm more comfortable in the winter when I'm not huddled in the corner with my polar fleece and a blanket!

Call me crazy.

MEGAN said...

I normally take a relaxing, steaming hot bath after work 8/12 months, but in the summer, what am I to do? It's hot?? I take my steaming hot tub when the stress gets out of control, otherwise, I've been turning on the Office on Netflix and watching that while I prep for work the next day.

Allison said...

Mine is wether to keep watering my plants obsessively or just give up and let them die. I waste ALOT of time and emotional energy pondering this dilema.

psm260 said...

What kind of tea do you drink, and what do you put in it? I really need to switch to tea from Diet Coke . . .

Becky Kiser said...

that's funny amanda! one thing i do when i get really hot flashes with this pregnancy is just go stand in front of the freezer (with the door open) for a second. won't exactly help with your electric bill though. :) don't deprive yourself of your special tea time. us, tea-aholics have to remain faithful!

my summer dilemma has to be that what i long for most this pregnancy is to jump (okay waddle) into the pool every afternoon, but it rains every afternoon in houston this summer. what in the world?! it's not just hot, its a wet sauna here.

Melissa Stover said...

my summer dilemma is finding a way to get rid of all the toddler energy while keeping her (and myself) cool during the 100 degree days.

Shelli Littleton said...

Amanda ... speaking of summer dilemmas ... take a look at my blog! What a dilemma I have on my hands ... do I paint over it?!! Just look at what my sweet husband did for me on the wall.

Love, Shelli

Susy said...

Girlfriend! (pls read in British accent) I just had my very first cup of PG Tips!! It is soooo good! I put heavy whipping cream and 2 spoons of sugar--delish! Tomorrow during naptime, Im gonna have me some tea time!

Brittny said...

going outside.

seriously, i can never decide if i want to even open the door to let the dog out.

we live in FL and i have lived in the south my whole life, but have never been able to get used to the summers here. at least it's a little cooler (thanks to the water) here than where i grew up.

if i had to live without a/c i would be the meanest grouchiest lady you have ever met or will ever meet. i'm praying that God's sense of humor doesn't send me somewhere that snows 9 months out of the year when we move next year. i have a feeling He would think that would be hilarious. : )

katiegfromtennessee said...

Oh girl! All you have to do is just put that tea on ice and throw a little bit more sugar in it, and you got yourself some Iced Sweet Tea in true southern form! Just kiddin:) I don't even like the overly sweet tea we consume here in the South! My summer dilemma?...I'm with you, staying cool. It's hotter than blue blazes right now in K-town, TN!:)

The Lord bless you today immensely,

katiegfromtennessee

April said...

Hey Amanda,
I have been following you on twitter and saw today that you are looking for a nap mat for MDO. I got one from a local girl in Spring www.custombabyboutique.com Anyway, I'm not a stalker or weirdo, just saw you were looking and thought I could help!

By the way, I know jen h. at LPM so she can confirm I'm not a crazie!

The Mama said...

I know how you feel....in the mornings I love to drink hot tea, but it's sooooo hot here in the south that I just can't do it right now. Iced tea just doesn't do it for me.

I'll admit though, that these days I just step up and have a coke. First thing in the morning jolt of caffeine.

LOVE love love your blog!!!!