Footsie-Mojito!

So I can't drink a real Mojito at the moment, but there's nothing stopping me sticking my puffy toes in one! On a hot day, this is a blinder of a time-out, freshens your toes and cools you right down.

You will need:
The peel and juice of one lime
A few peeled strips of root ginger (always prefer ginger ale in the real ones to soda)
A handful of ice cubes
Two tablespoons of sugar (keeps feeties soft)
3 stalks of mint from the garden, rinsed of ladybugs and squashed a bit

Combine all in a bowl, top up halfway with water (fizzy if you are posh and like the bubbles to tickle your toes), insert hot feet and close eyes.

(replace the water for ginger ale and a straw, or even better -and 12 months down the line- a slug of rum and soda, restrain your feet, pour into glass and enjoy the proper way!)

Other suggestions for cooling down include:

Stringing a king-size bedsheet out of the upstairs window, and anchoring to the spare bed, and two points of the deck. Neighbours thought I was bonkers, but this ad-hoc garden sail really is the business!

Fan-tastic Fan -originally intended to stop the dog getting her nose too close, these ribbons also put off crawling toddlers and look pretty neat too. I snipped out the annoying ones that you get inside tops and dresses (does anyone use these when hanging stuff up?) and looped them through.