Hack Your Summer With These Genius Influencer Tips

Whether you're toughing it out in the sweltering city or sweating through it in your suburban backyard, nothing says summer like unbearable heat. No matter how much water you drink, how many fans you turn on or how much time you spend sitting in front of your air conditioner, some days are just going to suck.

In search of a way to cool off, we turn to some of our favorite influencers to find out how they hack their summers. When they're not spending their days photographing, blogging and eating (a lot), here's how they beat the heat and take advantage of the season.

① It's All About Ice Pops: "When things heat up in city, there's no sense of relief. ANYWHERE. If we're not outside in our swimsuits with a drippy ice cream in hand, we're pretty much right in front of our AC crafting our favorite summer treat: ice pops. We're talking yogurt pops for breakfast, fruit pops dipped in chocolate for a snack and, obviously, white wine pops for happy hour (at whatever hour), which are our favorite. If you're entertaining, totally take things up a notch with Bloody Mary pops for a brunch gathering or grapefruit-and-rosemary pops for a group of foodies you want to impress. Throwing a pool party? Serve cucumber, agave and mint ice pops poolside. With all the incredibly inexpensive molds out there, it's really just a fill-and-freeze situation. It's almost impossible to fail!" -Breann Chiero and Christian Medice (@HungryHipsters)

 

② Keep Everything Cold in a Kiddie Pool: "On especially hot days when the heat threatens to spoil your backyard get-togethers, one favorite hack of mine is using a kiddie pool to keep food cool. Bowls of salad will stay crisp, fruit can keep fresh and beverages will remain cold by adding ice to act as a giant cooler. Rather than my mom running in and out of the house to pull food from the fridge or having three coolers set up around a space, the kiddie pool is just a quick hack to maximize family time. It's a playful summer trick that can keep those favorite backyard parties going long into the evening. Take that, summer heat!" -Nikki Vargas (@pinthemapproject)

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Park It in the Park: "Recently, I decided to grab my pup, some snacks, a picnic blanket and my laptop, and set up camp in Central Park. I've officially found my new Wi-Fi-free office! Parked under a tree, enveloped by its shade and feeling guiltless because I've multitasked and gotten my pup out for a couple hours—let's just say it feels brilliant. So far, it's the greatest way that I've found to get that perfect amount of disconnect and actually get my writing done. FYI, if you try it out for yourself and I find you under my perfect tree, you're gonna have to scooch over. (Don't worry: I always bring snacks.)" -Michelle Williams (@coffeeandchampagne)

 

④ Hit the (Toppings) Bar: "Personally, I love hosting themed buffet-style parties where my loved ones can build and design their own versions of classic dishes with their own creative twist. Just recently, I threw a "dog days of summer" pool party where my friends topped hot dogs with unique and unexpected ingredients. The party was a huge hit, it didn't take a lot of time to prepare and my friends loved Instagramming their creations." -MacKenzie Smith (@grilledcheesesocial)

⑤ No Bake is a No-Brainer: "I love finding easy no-bake dessert options for summer entertaining. Who wants to turn on the oven when it's so hot outside? I love using summer fruits like peaches, plums and berries as a fresh and light topping over homemade ice cream or chantilly cream. I also like getting crafty with no-bake options, combining two desserts into one to create something new. I recently made photo-worthy mini cake ice cream cones. They are no melt, no mess and all delicious." -Nastassia Johnson (@letmeeatcake)