Iced Tea and AC

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MeAndMyTea #CollectiveBias

It feels like someone punched the Portland thermostat dial up 15-20 clicks. From the normal 75 and breezy to a standard forecast of at least 91. For the next two weeks. It has been enough to drive us rainy-folks mad. And air conditioners have been on and humming. Cats laying down in on any cool piece of floor they can find. I've personally been sweating through all of my work clothes on my walk to work... at 8 a.m. For those in traditionally hot climates, our 91-100 forecast is probably less than impressive, but to us? It's pretty unprecedented. It even has its own hashtag  - #pdxheatwave.

What is one to do in the gorgeous PNW in this sort of weather? I've been lurking around the cool waterfront where the breeze seems cool sweaty skin much quicker than in the depths of the city. I am lucky enough to live in an area that's really close to some cooling water and a ton of events that happen right near it. All of our festivals - the Blues Fest, the Oregon Brewer's Fest in July, and many a city fair - happen right down near my apartment on the waterfront. But in this sort of heat, I'm all about my indoor time during the heat of mid-day. It's about air conditioning, two cats (also trying to stay hydrated and cool), a cool drink, and a good summer magazine read. I'll peek outside the apartment once the temps drop to 80! It's the perfect time to enjoy something cool and summery with a loved one, or just a loved cat. That likely sounds anticlimactic, but what's a girl with pale skin to do?

I've been relying on cold beverages in this hot weather (bye lattes!), but quickly realized that my go-to was leading to an Anchorman scenario - an iced Chai on a 99 degree day? Milk was a bad choice. And so it was time to reevaluate my decisions and make a big batch of ice cubes for the next go to - lemon and simple syrup sweetened iced American Breakfast tea. It doesn't sacrifice the caffeine or the refreshing coolness, but it certainly nixes the loads of calories and heavy dairy! I've been relying on Bigelow American Breakfast tea bags to make a big pitcher of iced tea to enjoy after work and even on my lunch break. Sweet (literally) relief from the insane heat! 

As an added bonus, get some Bigelow tea at Walmart and know that they've sent almost 4 million bags of tea to troops overseas. Find additional information about Tea for Troops at https://www.bigelowtea.com/Responsibility/Support-Our-Troops

How do you stay cool in this sort of weather?