A "Cool" 4th of July

Ever since my friends and I graduated from college, we've created our own traditions.  Holiday dinner parties.  Annual weekend spa trips.  Halloween costume shin-digs.  And of course, a 4th of July party.  This year we gathered at the Ozdemir's house on Geist Reservoir.  It was extremely hot and humid, but thankfully there were many ways to look on the bright side and get some much-needed cooling refreshment.

The first, and maybe one of the most obvious ways to stay cool, was to simply forgo clothing and live in a swimsuit the entire day.  Slather on sunscreen and don a big, floppy, white hat and you're good to go!  It's a look that just about anyone can pull off, but I think 16 months and 20 pounds makes this look the cutest.

Another way to cool off when the sun is blaring down on you is to reach for some water...no, literally, put your hands in water!  It's a fact that putting cold water on your pulse points cools down your body temperature.  I guess little souls already know this.

If water on the hands isn't enough to stop the sweat from dripping down into your unmentionables, you're gonna need to go ahead and take a dip in the pool.  Nevermind if the pool barely has half a foot of water in it; you are guaranteed to feel better by just standing there!

Staying hydrated is another way to beat the heat.  Make sure you drink plenty of water!

And finally, you may just want to avoid the sun altogether and lounge in the shade. 

Just know that as all good things come to an end, so does a hot, sunny day.  Before you know it the sun is sinking lower, lightning bugs are flitting about, and suddenly a breeze lifts the hair off your neck.  The perfect July 4th day morphs into a beautiful evening to watch fireworks.

And that's just what we did.  After gobbling up hot dogs and hamburgers that had been grilled and then slathered in ketchup and mustard, after littles were changed into pjs and put to bed, after sitting down with friends to enjoy cocktails and conversation, finally...FINALLY the fireworks started and filled the cooling air with a "bright side" ending to this Independence Day!