Keeping Your Cool in the Dog Days of Summer
The Retreat at Mountain Brook in Birmingham, Alabama, is definitely a pet-friend luxury apartment community, but even we get tired of the “dog” days of summer—all they fetch is more heat and humidity! Not to worry, though: Our Retreat at Mountain Brook Idea Specialists™ have some ideas on how we can keep our cool during this stretch of sweltering weather, which, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, “coincides with the year’s heliacal (meaning ‘at sunrise’) rising of Sirius, the Dog Star. Sirius is part of the constellation Canis Majoris—the ‘Greater Dog’—which is where Sirius gets its canine nickname, as well as its official name, Alpha Canis Majoris.” Of course their first suggestion is to cool down with a dip in one of the community’s three beautifully landscaped saltwater pools. Yes, please! And after that you can meet up with friends in one of the two on-site clubhouses in air-conditioned comfort. Read on for more recommendations! I Scream, You Scream…. Yep, that’s right, we all scream for ice cream! And according to Food & Wine, you can find the best in the entire state of Alabama right here in Birmingham at Big Spoon Creamery. Check out the coverage on this summer’s fun food story at Bham Now, an online-only news site dedicated to covering “the good in Birmingham.” We’re not sure if we’re gonna have a cone of sweet basil or a few scoops of the watermelon-margarita sorbet. Can’t go wrong either way, right? Oh, Those Summer Nights The Retreat at Mountain Brook Idea Specialists™ know all too well what it’s like to not be able to get a good night’s sleep because it’s so hot outside. Even if your home is pleasantly cool, your body and your mind are still impacted by the day’s thermometer reading. That’s why they’ve invested in cooling mattress toppers. We’re going to follow their lead by purchasing one from Cozy Earth, which this review from CNET says is, “Ideal for those of us who sleep hot, or have bedrooms stuck in the most insufferable of humid environments.” Can’t Stomach The Heat? If you can’t stomach idea of turning on your oven when it’s 98 degrees in the shade, then look no further for inspiration for cold dinners than Mashed, with its suggestions of salad classics like Cobb and Waldorf, and its version of aguachile, ceviche’s bright green cousin from Mazatlan, in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. Tiny Bubbles Whatever you have for supper, these days you have more choices than ever when it comes to selecting a sparkling water to accompany your meal. From the ubiquitous La Croix Pure to Bubly Bounce Caffeinated in triple berry, there’s something fizzy out there for every set of tastebuds. Advanced Mixology “scoured the market” to come up with its list of the 12 Best Sparkling Water Brands of 2021. Maybe what you’re after, though, is just the right cold beverage for a late-morning pick-me-up or an afternoon treat. In that case, a field trip to conveniently located YoYo Donuts in Homewood for some of their bubble (or “boba”) tea is most certainly in order! Not familiar with this sweet and chewy drink that’s long been wildly popular in Asia, Taiwan in particular? Eater does a great job of guiding us novices through what turns out to be a delicious world of bubble-related options. Let’s Go To The Movies Order your snacks ahead of time and have them waiting on you when you escape from the blinding sunshine into one of the cool, darkened theatres at the AMC Summit 16. With, well, 16 movies to choose from, you can spend many an entertaining hour out of the heat before you’re ready to head back home to The Retreat at Mountain Brook.
