THE DAILY GREEN: With much of the U.S. experiencing a summer heat wave, everyone’s thinking about cooling off.

1. Close your windows (as silly as that sounds)
It may seem counterintuitive, but opening the windows will often make your home warmer, not cooler. Open your windows at night if the air outside is cooler than inside, and close them – along with blinds and shades – before the sun hits your house in the morning. This will allow cool night air to circulate, and prevent a good deal of the sun’s heat from reaching indoors. You may also put houseplants – particularly larger potted trees – in front of sunny windows to absorb some of the sun’s energy.

2. Cook a cool meal (or don’t cook at all)
Just as drinking a nice cold cocktail cools your body, eating cold food helps keep your internal temperature lower on a hot day. One great option: Watermelon and Cherry Salad with Fresh Mint Syrup. If you do cook, use the grill or the microwave, or else you’ll heat up your kitchen from using the oven and stove.

3. Shut off the lights
While modern lightning, like compact fluorescents and LEDs, are more efficient, incandescent light bulbs can produce as much heat as they do light. Energy Star-rated light bulbs produce 75% less heat, so consider that when replacing bulbs. It’s always a good idea to shut off lights to save energy, it makes a big difference on hot sunny summer days. The same goes for many electronics, so consider unplugging any device that isn’t needed (even in standby mode, many electronics remain hot).

4. Go for a swim or take a cold shower
It may sound obvious, but it’s worth saying: If you’re hot, cool it off by immersing yourself in cold water. The immediate refreshment works immediately by cooling your core temperature. And unless there’s 100% humidity, the evaporation of water off your skin will further cool you. For a short cut, use water and ice cubes to keep your wrists cool; since your blood vessels are so close the skin there, you’ll feel cooler by applying cold directly to your blood. READ MORE HERE!
How To Protect Your Pets From The Oppressive Heat

Foods You Should Eat For Younger Looking Skin

Start Gallery

Day 1
A sizable urn lends itself to a voluminous, garden-style bouquet, like this bevy of pink cabbage roses. Remember to change the water daily, trim the stems at an angle every few days, and keep the flowers away from direct heat and sunlight.

Day 3
Discard dried leaves and withered blossoms and transfer the healthy ones to a more modest but similarly shaped vessel befitting a smaller bouquet.

Day 5
As more flowers perish, tightly cluster the remaining ones in a diminutive round vase, which perfectly underscores the now wide-open blooms.

Day 7
It would be a shame to throw out even one beautiful rose. Float it in a pretty teacup or glass and place it on a bedside table.

RELATED LINKS:

Easy Ways To Beautify Your Small Spaces

5 Ways To Make Your Bathroom More Luxurious

Start Gallery

Here are ten reasons to rent instead of own from shine.com:

1. Fancier Living: You may not ever be able to afford to own it, but with renting, you can enjoy that luxury condo overlooking the ocean.

2. Perks!: A lot of apartments come with community pools and gyms. My favorite thing about the apartment complex that I lived in during college was the massive swimming pool they had. My roommates and I would spend hours in the summer working on our tans, flirting with the cute neighbors, and sipping on margaritas juice. And think of all the money you’d save on gym memberships.

3. Water/Heat Included: Oftentimes, apartments come with water and heat included, so that’s less bills that you have to keep up with. And the world is simply better with less bills to pay.

4. No Need for Weeding: I’ve never mowed a lawn. Ever. I’ve never felt the hot summer sun on my back as I pushed a heavy lawn mower across a yard, drowning in my own disgusting sweat. Perks of renting!

5. When the Move Bug Bites …: While renting, the worst case scenario is waiting a year to move. Bad landlord? Peace out. Annoying neighbor? Buh-bye! With a home it’s a much stickier process.

READ THE REST HERE

10 Kitchen Improvements For Renters

Easy Ways To Beautify Your Small Space

Start Gallery

BlackDoctor.org) — Thank goodness the weather is heating up. With this most welcome change, women of color may need to re-evaluate their hair care routines to make sure their hairstyles don’t poof or wilt. Highly textured hair has a natural tendency to be dry, it’s important to adhere to a moisturizing regimen during the hottest months of the year so that heat and humidity won’t wreck your hair. By following a few basic tips this spring and summer, your hair will look fantastic, and stay healthy, all season long.

Wavy – Curly or Relaxed

1. Instead of trying to achieve bone-straight hairstyles, which probably won’t hold up to the heat and humidity, let your hair’s natural tendency to curl take over. In other words, go with the flow. If you have a texturizer or your hair is naturally curly, this will be easy. Simply shampoo, condition and apply the curl-enhancing products of your choice to damp hair. This should be alcohol-free gels, pomades or creams. Allow your hair to dry naturally, or use a diffuser dryer on low heat. Once your curls set in a defined pattern, don’t comb or touch them again, to prevent frizzing.

If your hair is relaxed or if your hair is natural with a curl pattern that is extremely tight. it is still possible to fake it with a straw set or rodded set. You might also consider a two-strand twist set for a crinkly, curly or wavy look. These styles will keep hair healthy and allow you to have texture as the heat and humidity rises. Best of all, your hair will get fuller and sexier with the passing of each day.

Fab Or Fug? Kelly Rowland’s Wild Hairdo

Dreadlock

With just a little creativity, the summer can be a great opportunity to show off your locks. Buns, French twists, rolls or chignons are beautiful and cool in the summer heat. For a different look, tie your hair into a high ponytail. It’s pretty simple. Bend your head down and tie your hair up with your own hair. Simply put, while bent over, grab three or four locks from each side of your head. Now bring these over your hair and then under (or back) again and tie together to form a ponytail. Finish off this look with a flower(s) in your hair for an exotic touch.

For the really special occasion, why not set your locks on rollers? It may seem complicated, but it’s very easy to curl your locks. To set, you’ll first need spiral curlers. The curlers come in small, medium and large sizes. If you have very thick or long locks, you’ll want to use medium or large curlers; thin or short dreads should be set on medium curlers.

First, shampoo your locks with a residue free or clarifying shampoo. Towel blot excess water from hair, or allow to air dry until the hair is damp, but no longer wet. Saturate hair with a non-drying, non-alcohol based styling foam or setting lotion. Roll locks on roller, rod or flexible rod. Depending upon the thickness of each lock, you’ll want to roll anywhere from three to six locks on one curler. Be sure to roll your hair in one direction (i.e. clock wise or counter clock wise).

It is important to keep your locks moisturized and flexible, if you don’t, they will surly break off; whatever you do stay away from petroleum, waxy oils or petrolatum based products. These man-made products cause build-up on the hair and scalp; and more importantly don’t allow the hair and scalp to breathe which can be detrimental to proper hair growth.

READ MORE HERE

Start Gallery

Kerry Washington Shows Us Her 7 Sexiest Hairstyles

Beyoncé’s first fragrance, Heat, doesn’t arrive in stores until February, but the singer has disclosed some details.

She took inspiration for the fragrance’s name from previous tours, explaining, “A lot of my performances have had fire involved, so we thought ‘Heat.’ Also, red is one of my favorite colors, as is gold.”

The singer looked to the past for the bottle’s design. “I wanted something with an antique yet modern feeling,” she said. “Even with my wardrobe, I always try to find things that have a little bit of something vintage, yet still timeless and classic.”

Beyoncé, who has been the face of Tommy Hilfiger’s True Star and Giorgio Armani’s Emporio Diamonds fragrances, said it was the first time she started from scratch on a project. “Everything, from the bottle design to the name and the ideas for the commercials–that’s me. When I commit to something, I do it 100 percent,” she said.

Heat, with top notes of red vanilla orchid, magnolia, neroli and blush peach, will include eaux de parfum in three sizes, as well as a sparkling body lotion, priced between $39-$59.

The Kardashians Recreate Bey’s “Single Ladies”

NEW MUSIC: Beyonce’s “Black Culture”

Start Gallery

(From Black Voices)

The 10-time Grammy Award nominated diva is launching her first fragrance, and no surprise here; it’s called Heat.

The singer, who has been involved with campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger True Star and Armani Diamonds but never had a fragrance of her own, told WWD that she named her fragrance Heat because so many of her tours had fiery themes.

Click here for more.

Take a look at our Beyonce gallery:

Start Gallery

Beyonce to perform at Grammys

Many of us are eating natural foods and buying more-natural body care products, but have you given any thought to natural deodorants.

Here are 5 natural alternatives to freshen up in the summer heat:

Start Gallery

4 ways to add color to your makeup

Take care of your skin the way celebrities do

Want to heat up your sex life this summer? Here are some ways to bring the flames back into your love life.

Dress for the Weather

To light up your guy’s libido, treat him to his very own wet tee shirt fantasy. Put on a tissue-thin white tee or tank top and “accidentally” get wet (say, by getting sprayed by the garden hose) so that it clings alluringly to your body. Wearing a damp top will not only cool you off, it’ll also drive him crazy.

It’s better to be a woman…no really!!!!

Turn Off the AC

To tap into sweat’s seductive powers, let your bedroom’s temp get tropical, then send your man into a foreplay frenzy by massaging his body with your own.

Hit the Floor

If your summer sex session gets too steamy to bear (read: you’re panting like a couple of marathoners), take it to ground level and point a couple of fans toward you. As the cool breeze plays over your sweat-soaked bodies and gently moves the little hairs on your skin, you’ll feel reinvigorated.

Want more tips, click here.

Define the relationship before it’s too late