These Summer Secrets Will Change Your Life

Summer is coming, and you’re going to be a sweaty, beet-red, hot mess. Excited?
What if you could get the upper hand on summer for a change? Kick back with these hacks and laugh in the face of the sun, wearing sunscreen, of course:

Keep It Buckled

You better be buckling up for safety while on the road, but to protect yourself from that fiery metal buckle bite after your car sits in the sun for hours, keep it buckled. The clasp provides a shield to keep the metal cool and out of the sun.
Bonus: Keep a towel over those leather seats to stop sticking to them.

Waterproof Your Smartphone

Remember the accidental slip of your cellphone into the sink or toilet? Yay, joyous memories.
Your smartphone is also a big fan of sweaty hands and iced coffee. Save yourself from a slippery and embarrassing autocorrect text, and stop your smartphone from having its first and last cup of coffee, by keeping it waterproof with a sandwich bag. Hey, whatever works.

2-Liter Sprinkler

Miss those days you ran through the sprinkler on a hot day as a kid? Relive your childhood memories and stay cool by going green and upcycling a 2-liter plastic bottle.
The secret to keeping your backyard cool is to strategically, and mercilessly, stab holes in a 2-liter bottle. Go full Roman senate mutiny on that sucker. You could even rig it up like a shower and stand under it, after tossing the water hose over a low-hanging tree branch. Choose your holes wisely and poke away.

Baking Soda
Baking soda is a great natural deodorizer, and you can add it to the wash or to sweaty gear. Sprinkle it into super-sweaty shoes after a workout, and stretch your jeans and shirt another day by dusting the pits and other places with a bit of baking soda.
Carry it with you in a sandwich bag to sprinkle like fairy dust. Be careful with how you store it in your car, in case the police get a little eager.

Dryer Sheets for Everything

Behold — dryer sheets, the hidden superhero of summer. Where there is a breeze or a need for a fresh smell, dryer sheets will come to the rescue.

• Tape dyer sheets to a car vent for a freshener
• Toss them in luggage when traveling
• Toss them in your sweaty gym bag
• Slip them in sweaty shoes

Teabag That Sunburn

You had the most amazing day at the beach and can’t wait to see your tan. You’re sure you slathered plenty of sunscreen all over your body, but the sun has somehow left an embarrassing and weirdly shaped sunburn across your back.
It’s tea time! You need to teabag that sunburn stat by heavily steeping a few bags of black tea, unsweetened, in a pot of hot water. Let it come to room temperature, and then soak a cotton T-shirt in the black tea.
Put it on, seriously. You’ll feel instantly relieved, and the tannins in the tea are supposed to bring down the redness. Do this within the first few hours of getting a sunburn.

Banish Bugs With Essential Oils

DEET is not the only way to keep the bugs off your body. Stop smelling like a chemical wasteland meets your grandma’s medicine cabinet. Stay natural and toxic-free by making your own green bug spray with essential oils. Include one or a combination of cinnamon, glove, eucalyptus, lavender or rosemary.
Fill an 8-ounce spray bottle halfway with distilled water, and pour in witch hazel nearly to the top. Add half a tablespoon of vegetable glycerin and 30-50 drops of bug-fighting, amazing smelling essential oils. Shake and apply. 

Another great DIY bug spray recipe by How I Get Rid Of includes lavender! 

Got Eight Eyes?
Wearing regular glasses vs. looking fabulous, yet unable to see, in sunglasses? Decisions, decisions …
Prescription sunglasses are your friend, especially if you’re too lazy to wear contacts. Who are these insane people who like fishing around in their eye sockets? Get the prescription sunglasses. There are different styles to keep you looking cool, protect your eyes and let you see where you’re walking.

Instant Beach Body
It’s easy to feel fabulous at the beach. To get an instant beach body, do this:

• Take your body and put it in a bathing suit
• Go to the beach

Ta-da! P.S.: You’re amazing.

These hacks are the way to lay back and soak up the sun, without getting burned. When you do get burned, remember: A teabag goes a long way to soothe your skin. Plastic bags, essential oils and dry sheets are just a few things to keep in your summer arsenal.

Summer is coming, but you’ll be prepared — even though you might seem a little weird to the onlookers. They’ll understand when the hot sun comes for them.