This post with my 5 must-haves to stay cool outside during the summer is part of a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Target. All opinions of how to cool down are my honest tried and true own as a southerner for nearly 30 years.
Having lived in the south my whole life, I know just how hot and humid it can be outside during the summer. Check out what I consider to be my tried and true 5 must-haves to stay cool outside during the summer.
I love spending time outside gardening or just enjoying relaxing in my outdoor rocking chair watching the birds at their feeder. But, when it's in the middle of summer here in the south, most days it's honestly just too hot for me to spend a whole lot of time outside comfortably.
I remember spending all day outside as a kid, but it seems as I get older, the less I can tolerate the extreme heat. As luck would (not so much) have it, this has been one the hottest summers here to date.
As such, I recently found myself in Target again stocking up on supplies to stay cool. I love finding new ways to stay cool outside, while also using old tried and true methods, so I can enjoy the nice outdoors more.
Here are my 5 must-haves to stay cool outside during the summer. 
1. Stay hydrated with your favorite cold beverages. During the summer I sometimes feel like a fish because I drink a ton of water and other beverages.
Since we cook a lot, our main fridge is usually stocked with food, so it can be hard to fit in many beverages. So, earlier this year we invested in a smaller fridge with a freezer which has been so helpful to always have cold or frozen snacks and drinks on hand.
At pretty much any given time, you'll find water, tea and lemonade lining the shelves. But, I also love that there are now tea bags out that you can steep without boiling water if you happen to be out at the park or other favorite summer hangouts away from home. 
We always have plenty of watermelon, lemonade and water in the fridge to help cool us down.
2. Keep plenty of healthy cold snacks on hand. I've always loved snacking, but when we're outside, we definitely want snacks that are cold, light, but also healthy.
So, I also keep our fridge full of some of our favorite chilled veggies and fruits, prepped and ready to eat. We always have chunks of cucumber, carrot sticks and a big bowl of sliced watermelon in the fridge.
For those times when you want something healthy and frozen, I also have snack-sized bags of grapes and blueberries frozen in the fridge. They taste great, without all the sugar of ice cream all the time. 
Frozen grapes are a great snack idea when trying to limit the amount of sugar you consume.
3. Wear light colors and sun-friendly clothing. When outside and it's super hot and humid, the last thing you want is to feel like the sun is beating down on you even more.
That's why I keep my summer wardrobe full of white and light colored clothing. I also try to choose materials like cotton that can help wick sweat away.
I love that I can find everything I need to cool down with at Target!
4. Indulge in delicious frozen sweet treats. I love my frozen sweet treats like frozen pops and ice cream all year long, but I really do try to limit how many I eat.
However, during the summer since we're all outdoors and more active, I feel like I can eat a few more of my favorite frozen sweet treats a bit more often. My favorite are Pineapple Outshine Fruit Bars because they're made with real fruit, and you can even find real chunks of pineapple in the bars.
And, I, of course, always have a variety of ice creams and gelato stocked in the freezer. 
Did you know that you can now make iced tea without the need of boiling water? How cool!
5. Stock up on other items that can help you stay cool. When outside, I also like to have other outdoor items that help us stay cool.
For example, I'm so thankful that our screened-in porch has a ceiling fan that helps a ton on those really hot and humid days, but I also like hand-held misting fans when away from home. Just a little bit of moving air helps ease the heat so much.
I also like to have a big umbrella to help block the sun over our outdoor table. When I'm working outside gardening and the like, I also really like using a stay-cool towel.
It instantly cools when soaked with water, wrung out and snapped in the air, which I think is pretty cool, pun intended. ;) They're also reusable, and I especially loved that I was able to find a pretty pink feminine color at Target! 
It's amazing how this rather simple looking towel can help you stay cool for quite a while.
What are some of your favorite must-haves to stay cool during the summer? What’s your #TargetRun?
