Drop It Like It's Hot

It's hot.

Surprise, surprise. My family and I spent a LOVELY week in Southern California where the temperature never whispered above a perfect seventy degrees. But as soon as we topped those coastal mountains and began descending back into the desert, the thermometer on the mini van climbed quickly and steadily until it read in the triple digits. And there it remains. It's not really even "hot" yet; I mean, 107 is hot for most people but it's only going to get hotter. The worst is yet to come!

K and J enjoying a perfect SoCal day!


As much as I would love to spend our entire summer traveling to temperate climates, we do have to spend some of the season in the valley and deal with the oppressive heat. As soon as the temperature starts pushing 90, our house becomes cave-like as I draw the blinds and curtains, hoping to block the vicious sun and keep the cooled air in. We caulk and seal every nook and cranny to improve the efficiency of our home. But still, the AC kicks on more often than I'd like....and I have the electric bill to prove it!

In a last ditch effort to keep our home cool and our wallets fat, we decided to invest in solar screens. Solar screens replace existing "bug" type screens and improve air-conditioning efficiency thereby lowering your energy costs. Woo hoo! That make this sweaty, green girl very happy. The screens we installed block 80% of UV exposure and they weren't terribly expensive either. Plus our house looks like it got a face lift AAAAND the screens make it impossible to see in from the outside. A definite bonus since my son's bedroom window is right by the front door. No more lookee loos!

Not my house....but that's what my screens look like!

I have definitely noticed that our air kicks on less frequently than it did before we got the screens. I'm hoping I'll see a difference in our next utility bill too. Until then, you can find me in the pool with a homemade popsicle...