How We're Thriving Through This Long HOT Summer

If you’ve spent time in Palm Springs during the summer, you know we’re no stranger to hot weather. That being said, the heat came early this year and the west coast reached record highs in June (Palms Springs hit 123 degrees—Yikes). This heat wave seems to be less of an anomaly and more like it’s here to stay. With that, we decided to make a little guide for our west coast friends on how to survive and more importantly, thrive, through rising summer temperatures.

Date Shakes

Nothing is quite as satisfying as an ice cold treat on a summer day.  Enter the date shake—a Coachella Valley staple. The date shake’s origin story goes something like this— 

The date tree landed in the Coachella Valley, due to a campaign conducted by the US Department of Agriculture in search of crops suitable for North America. Due to the similarities between our climate and that of North Africa and the Middle East, the date plant was brought to the Coachella Valley and flourished. From there, date farms popped up all over the Coachella Valley including a particular one in Thermal, California. This particular farm was established by Russ Nichol. Nichol had been fascinated by many stories of nomads in the middle east who survived on only dates and goat milk, and that fascination turned into his creation of the first date shake. 

Since then, date farms all around the Valley started making recipes of their own and sold them to locals and tourists alike. So the next time you want to cool off with an ice cold drink, we suggest you try a date shake! We suggest you go to Shields Date Farm and try their world famous version, but if you can’t make it out to Shields, we would suggest you give this recipe a try. 

Early Morning Walks/Hikes

If you live in the desert and maintain an active lifestyle, you will notice most people get their exercise done early—as in, 5-8am early. Beyond the fact that there’s an obvious advantage to early workouts—lower temperatures—nothing beats the sense of accomplishment and rush of serotonin you get from an early workout.

I started following this regimen during the pandemic and it dramatically changed how I got through the summer months. It wasn't until I tried it that I realized it was a very simple, yet effective way for me to combat the cabin fever that sets in once July comes around.

If you are an over-achiever and a walk around the block doesn't cut it we suggest you try a hike. For those of you who live in the desert, there is nothing quite like a Palm Springs sunrise and we recommend you take a hike up the San Jacinto Mountains to see the dazzling shadows cast by the early sunlight. But, if you aren't local take a look at your city's website to see what hiking options you have near you. 

Take a stroll through your nearest Art Museum

If you’re not into waking up early to squeeze in a walk outside, you can still get those steps in at the nearest museum. Maybe you haven’t been in for the season and want to see some of the newest exhibits, or maybe you haven’t thought about doing it since the pandemic started. Either way, this is a reminder you should take a stroll through your local art museum. I find that museums give me a chance to not only learn something new, but they give me a chance to escape to another time and place. I think we can all use a bit of escapism during this time and supporting your local museum is a great way to do so. 

Bring The Outdoors Inside 

I find that the summer months in the desert remind me of winter in other states, you spend more time indoors and the walk to and from your car is most of the time you spend outside. One key difference being that we also get to spend time in our backyards and pools during the summer. 

That being said, with the added time indoors, I find myself missing fresh air and the beauty of budding flora during springtime. The best solution I’ve found is houseplants. If you’ve never had a houseplant, I highly recommend you look into it. It’s amazing what some greenery can do to liven up a space and improve your mood. Not to mention, the emotional attachment you get from caring for them and watching them grow. 

If you have some questions about which plants to get and how to care for them I highly recommend you pick up The Little Book Of House Plants. Or if you are like me and you killed a few plants and are worried that if you buy any more they will suffer the same fate, How Not To Kill Your Plants is for you. 

Declutter 

We’ve all heard of spring cleaning and I for one am not someone who participated. So for any of you who are procrastinators like me, allow me to introduce to you summer declutter. I find that with the added time spent indoors not only from the summer heat but from the pandemic, it has made me hyper aware of all the things I’ve accumulated in my house. And I’m sick of it. So I’m taking the opportunity the summer heat has given me to donate, recycle and throw away all of the clutter and I ask you to join me in that endeavor. Even if you aren’t a borderline hoarder, there’s probably a cabinet or closet you’ve neglected over the years and it’s time to clean it out. Let’s do it together and enjoy the fruits of our labor while we anticipate the return of a much more manageable 80 degrees and below. 

I hope you enjoyed my suggestions on how to thrive during these summer heat waves. Let us know if you try any of the activities listed above and remember…

Don’t Just Be, Be Just Fabulous!