All of us RGV mommas have recently experienced the sweltering heat. I felt like I was melting each time I got in my car, so I can only imagine how my daughter felt in the backseat.
My daughter sits in her rear-facing car seat in my small SUV. Unfortunately, the seat blocks the two little air vents designed for the back. I was starting to feel horribly guilty when pulling her out of her seat and seeing her sweet little cheeks all shades of red.
I decided something needed to be done to keep my precious cargo cooler in the hot summer days to come.
Here are a few items I am now using to beat the RGV heat!
1. Oscillating Fan
I feel slightly odd with a portable fan installed in the backseat but it totally works! My daughter loves to point at it and is fascinated that she has her own personal fan to keep her cool. (I’m probably creating a total diva!) I bought mine at Auto Zone for $14.95, but my friends, the real deal is at Wal-Mart in the automotive section. It is a few dollars cheaper and is exactly the same.
The best thing about the fan is that it has a little switch to make it oscillate. It connects to the cigarette lighter receptacle (is it even still called that?!?) in my car and clips onto the headrest of the backseat. I’ve noticed a major difference in her sweat level and anyone who sits in the back has said it is much cooler.
There are two things that I would categorize as bad with this fan.
1. It does make noise (like air being blasted into your backseat noise)
2. I’ve noticed when the fan is on; my Sirius radio has a hard time linking.
I’m not sure the two are exactly related…but I have noticed when the fan is on my radio sort of breaks up. The pros definitely outweigh the cons, so the fan is staying in my backseat.
2. Windshield Sun Shade Visor
This was a total “duh” for me and yet I never owned this item until a couple of weeks ago. It only takes a few seconds to put it under the windshield and the car stays so much cooler. I chose the metal style shades because the heat and sunlight is reflected away from the car. I would consider this a definite must have!
3. Ice Pack Carseat Cover
Let me preface by saying that this is on my “not necessary” list. I should also mention that since I began taking a sewing class I’ve gotten quite creative and brave at attempting new projects. I saw a similar product online but could not find a vendor that had it in stock. I thought to myself, “surely I can make that.”
If you are anything like me, you probably have never ever heard of an ice pack car seat cover. It’s basically a blanket that has pockets where ice packs can be inserted.
So this is how it works: when I know I will be having a busy day out, I take the frozen ice packs and insert them into the cover pockets. I go about my day doing any driving necessary. Once I know that my car will be parked in the heat for a long period of time, after taking my daughter out of the carseat, I place the cold blanket over her seat keeping the buckles under the cover. This ensures that the metal doesn’t get piping hot. Once I get back to the car, I remove the cover before putting my daughter in. The seat is cool and keeps her from beginning the car ride in a hot seat! (again total diva in training)
