Brain Fry

We stepped out this morning for some errands. Boy, it was HOT! I brought my neck fan to help cool me down while going around.

We first went to a garden nursery to get some supplies. The area where plants were displayed felt cool. They had just watered the plants, so I guess that helped cool down the temperature. The net overhead also kept the sun's harsh rays out. Maybe we should do that for our whole house?

After leaving the garden nursery, we got some breakfast and then went to a hardware to buy some items for our home. Good thing the depot had airconditioning so it was bearable. The last time I went to one I melted! Luckily, we decided to go another way and missed the heavy traffic due to a fire. Soon enough we were home.

I'll probably hibernate until the rainy season comes.

#BeKind #StaySafe

The Flowers that Love the Sun

The change to hotter weather has been horrendous. I've had to figure out how much water to add to my plants because of the heat. I have to be careful since I don't want to cause root rot or over watering. 

Well, there are some plants that thrive during sunnier weather. The kalachuchi (desert rose) I rescued from Mom's garden is so happy. It's been producing flowers non-stop.

The bougainvillea cuttings I propagated last year have been producing flowers too. I'm amazed even the smaller ones are flowering too. Bougainvillea truly thrives under the sun.

I have two santan plants I've been meaning to fix, but they've been producing flowers lately. I'll just probably add some nutrients to it. I'm scared it might get shocked if I re-pot it under this crazy heat.

My Gumamela plants are slowly recovering and showing signs of flowering again. I hope they will produce flowers again soon!

#BeKind #StaySafe

The Heat is On!

Ughhhh! It's been getting hotter and hotter everyday. I moved my gardening time to 5:30 already since the heat has been unbearable.

I also busted out my neck fan to keep me cool while puttering around the garden. Sweetie got it for me way back and I'm glad it still works. One of these days I'll probably bring out a portable fan already, haha.

Stay hydrated and cool everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Are Your Ready for the Summer Heat?

We still enjoyed some cool weather last week. It's noticeably warmer now, but there's still a nice breeze in the afternoons. 

Grogu was really enjoying the breeze while we were watering the plants. We didn't have water yesterday until late evening. Good thing I still had water in my rainwater drums for the plants. The direct line to the water connection stuttered for awhile when I used the hose today. 

It made me realize that we really need to prepare for summer and the effects of the ongoing war. Water drums, rechargeable appliances, enough food stock. I remember my parents made sure we had supplies during the tumultuous times in the 80s. 

Keep cool everyone and pray for peace 🙏

#BeKind #StaySafe

Sunburnt

I stepped out around five in the afternoon to water the plants. It took me longer since I had to water down the rice water Miggy prepared for me. I slathered on Off lotion, but forgot to put sunscreen on. Whoops!

By the time I went back inside, I realized my face and neck were smarting. Sunburn. Ugh. I quickly drank a lot of water and showered. My cheeks are a bit red. Not the kind of Rosy cheeks I want to have.

The cats are also feeling the hot weather. They've been lethargic and prefer to drink a lot than eat. Poor kitties. I've been moving plants so they have more areas to hide from the sun. Some of my plants are getting burnt too, so I'm moving most of them. I'm thinking whether I should install a net to provide more shade. 

Hope and pray the weather doesn't get worse. It was reported today that Los Baños reached 50'C heat index. Yikes!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Unbearable

It was extra hot today, like, unbelievably hot. It was like we were being cooked alive. I just stayed indoors and just ventures out around 5:30 pm to water the plants.

The smaller desert rose plant is thriving though. I water it only once a week. I had to move some plants so they don't get burnt. The Buddha belly plant had some spots on it so I moved it back away from the sun.

Sigh, summer is going to be rough.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Sweltering

The heat has been sweltering the past few days and I know it will get worse. We all stay indoors most of the day and the cats usually sleep after eating breakfast.

At least it gets a bit windy before sunset and that's the time I do outdoor activities. The cats usually only wake up when I go out to water the plants. 

I was unstable yesterday, so I made up by being productive today. I finished sorting the boxes Sweetie lined up for me, watered the plants and organized the plant rack I transferred to the garden. 

A naughty caterpillar ate all the leaves of my calamansi plant, so I had to spray Neem oil across all the plants they love to eat. The calamansi plant should recover in a month or two. Sigh. After gardening I laundered some of Mom's estado. I hope to finish all of it in two weeks (a little a day).

Whew! Did a lot, so it's time for me to rest :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

The Heat was Debilitating

It was a good thing I saw the news warning everyone about the dangerous heat index for the day. Classes were called off in some cities. I also changed to something cooler before we headed out for errands.

The mall was quite cool, but I could still feel the heat. I'm required to wear a mask whenever I go out and that made it really hard for me to walk around. We took a break at our favorite merienda place before proceeding with our errands.

Of course, one staple whenever we go to the mall is visit Booksale! I promised myself I wasn't going to buy any books! But!!! Fifteen peso books are seriously irresistible!

We trudged back to the car with heavy stuff and went home. Good thing the temp had gone down and it was windy, since I had to water the plants. Took me an hour since the plants looked really thirsty after a full day of very hot sun!

Hope the weather will be better in the next few days!

#BeKind #StaySafe

It Finally Rained!

It took a few days before the forecast for rain finally came true. I've been closely monitoring the weather since it's been hot. The worst day in our area was last Wednesday when the heat index hit 47'C. Ugh. It was so bad I had a dizzy spell even though I'm well hydrated. 

For a few days the forecast showed it would rain. It would start at 11 am then move to 3pm to 4pm to 5pm and well into the night. It was paasa. We've been diligently watering the plants to make sure they don't die. Good thing majority of our plants can survive without much watering so I focus on my potted plants and the veggies. Rain water provides plants with some vitamins too, so they need it badly. 

Went downstairs last night to water my potted plants. It was drizzling. Soon enough it started to rain harder. Just a regular summer rain shower (not thunderstorm level). It didn't last long. It was only enough to wet the leaves of the plants. Not bad, at least it rained.

#BeKind #StaySafe

The Heat is Not Funny Anymore

The heat index in my area reached 46'C today. I felt dizzy and had to use an ice pack to cool down. I think maybe it was made worse because I took a diuretic. Even with hydrating more I felt off for a few hours. The ice pack helped. I put it on my armpit and nape. A friend said to also put it on your groin. I moved to the living room since it was cooler there. 

I think things would be worse if we didn't have plants around our house. Good thing I decided to delay having our front lawn landscaped. The bushy bamboo trees are helping keep our area cool. Good thing they are not water guzzlers and can survive with minimal watering. I moved my potted plants under the bamboo in our pocket garden to provide them some shade from the terrible heat of the sun. 

I have also been keeping an eye on my boys. I remind them to drink after they come back inside whenever they step out. We also starting making ice using ice bags. The ones in trays are not enough to cool drinks anymore. Maybe I should make some ice candy too? 

#BeKind #StaySafe

How to Beat Heat Exhaustion

I've experienced heat exhaustion a number of times already. I'm prone to it because of my medical condition. Even just a few seconds of heat can ruin my entire day. That's the reason why we have a constant quest to cool down our home. 

I asked a friend who is into construction if putting sprinklers on your roof helps. I saw a news clip about a technician who installed sprinklers on his roof. It automatically goes on at a certain temperature. He claimed it reduced the temperature in his house. I asked my friend if that's effective and if it won't cause your roof to have algae. He told me it's better to install double insulation on your roof. 

Well, installing double insulation on one's roof is an expensive and complicated process. Another friend suggested using an ice pack. Wrap it in a small towel and insert it on your armpit and other pulse areas. That will help quickly stabilize your temperature. I should have done this when I had heat exhaustion before. We have reusable ice packs in our freezer which we use as cold compress for bruises or swelling. So knowing we can use it as first aid for heat exhaustion is good information. 

Of course, stay hydrated all day. Don't wait until you get thirsty before you drink. Don't bother to go out as well since it's really, really hot. I've switched back to purchasing groceries online since it's too risky for me to go out. I'm a vampire for now and just step outside when the sun has set. I also moved all my potted plants under the bamboo trees to protect them from the sun. Some of my herbs were starting to fry even though we watered them regularly. If things get worse I'll set up a net for them. 

Oh well, take care everyone!

And, happy, happy birthday to my FIL, Dad! 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Beating the Heat

Oh boy, it's been like an inferno the past few days. I've been staying indoors in a cool place and keeping hydrated to make sure I don't get heat stroke or heat exhaustion. Since I had heart surgery and my PEs I've been very sensitive to heat. Just a few seconds of heat has been disastrous for me. 

Here's what we do to beat the heat:

• Use the air conditioner - my threshold is 30'C. I'm like grocery items that have to be kept in a cool place below 30'C. LOL. That's the reason why we installed solar panels in our home. It really helps us with the electricity bill. I told a friend yesterday, it's better to use your A/C than get sick and pay expensive medical bills. 
• Stay hydrated - I had the misfortune of having UTI last week. I think I got dehydrated while watering plants (the irony noh) and so I got sick. I'm now making sure I drink water more often. I'm trying to hit 3 liters per day. 
• Drink buko juice - we drink buko juice at least once a week. It's better than drinking sugary juices since it gives a lot of benefits for your body. It's an energy booster too!
• Fans, fans, fans! - I think we have more fans than rooms in our house. We also have rechargeable fans in case of emergency (no electricity). Air circulators which we discovered recently have been very useful. I honestly like them better than huge stand fans. 
• Water your plants after sunset - my pulmo reminded me to stay out of the sun for now. I mentioned it to him I moved my plant watering time to after sunset. He said that works well since the water doesn't just evaporate with the sun. 
• Lighter meals - we're on a meal plan five days a week. I avoid eating heavily on the other two days.
• Avoid caffeine - I normally have two cups of coffee everyday. A hot one for breakfast, iced in the afternoons. Or milk tea in the afternoon. Since the temperature started hitting >31'C I switched to drinking juice in the afternoons. 
• Wear light comfortable cotton clothes - I've ditched wearing t-shirts and wear sleeveless shirts now. Good thing I inherited some sandos from Miggy (I got a bunch and didn't know they were too small). 

Take care of yourself and your family. I hope the heat doesn't get worse!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Wellness Wednesdays: Keeping Cool this Hot Summer Season

It's been unbearably hot for a few weeks now. There are news reports of students fainting in school due to the extreme heat. It's probably a good idea to return our school schedule to have summer off. I remember my doctor writing a note for my teacher to keep me under the shade during field days. I've always been heat sensitive, moreso now. 

I know I'm an extreme example of a heat sensitive person, but here's a few things you can do to cool down this summer to prevent heat exhaustion or heat stroke -

1. Stay hydrated! Drink more water, but make sure you get electrolytes in. I've taken a liking to drinking buko juice. It keeps me well hydrated, protects my kidneys and makes my skin healthy. 

2. Stay in a cool place. A friend suggested to use block curtains instead of regular curtains. This helps keep your room cooler by keeping the sun out. Block curtains are expensive, I just made ours by buying the fabric (here's a tutorial how to make curtains).

3. Eat in-season fruits. My Dad told me that fruits come out based on the season it's best eaten. Fruits that are usually available now include duhat, mango, watermelon, melon and pineapple. Save for duhat, most are used for shakes! We have busted out our blender so we can make fruit shakes at home. 

4. Stay out of the sun from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. according to a doctor who was interviewed in the news. If you have to be out, best to use an umbrella, or push your appointment earlier or later in the day. 

5. Be mindful of how you're feeling if you're exposed to too much heat. Go to a cooler place at the first sign of feeling warm and drink water. Do not wait to feel dizzy because that may easily progress to heat exhaustion. 

6. Always have tools on hand to help you cool down: (a) Water, (b) A pamaypay or handheld fan, (c) Umbrella, (d) Shades (yup, protect your eyes too!), and (e) A bimpo (face towel). I always wear a mask when I go out and I found it useful to put a dab eucalyptus radiata essential oil at the bottom of my mask. It makes the mask feel less stuffy and helps me breathe better. 

7. Wear summer clothes! 

8. If you could, stay by the sea! There's always a breeze by the beach. #sanaol