Top ten ways to beat the heat vegan-style!
Thanks to http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1291362
This summer is a hot one. Whether you stay inside, getting blasted by air conditioning and praying for winter, or strip off your long sleeves and enjoy the summer sun, there’s always plenty to do during the heat’s favorite season. And since there don’t seem to be any vegan tennis balls, I guess we vegans will have to dig deep and see what else we can do to utilize our hot and sweaty time. Here are some ideas.
1. Potluck Picnics
Hosting a picnic potluck is a great way to spend Saturdays and Sundays in early and late summer, when it’s not too hot. Get some friends together, cook some recipes from Terry Hope Romero’s Viva Vegan. Don’t forget the vegan insect repellent!
2. Trip to the Beach
There’s nothing like tanning it up at the beach during the long days of summer. Bring a beach bag full of snacks, your iPod or a book and lounge by the waves; if you live close enough to a beach, that is. If you’re trying to preserve your pasty-white look, you can swipe up some vegan sunscreen from Vegan Essentials.
3. Summer Road Trip
There’s nothing like getting in the car and just going. You should probably plan a destination. though. Whether or not you do, Happy Cow is always there (if you can find an Internet signal 100 miles away from civilization). Though not always totally accurate about “veganness,” they have a list of options for plenty of cities in North America and around the world.
4. It’s Grillin’ Time!
Invite some friends over for a backyard vegan barbecue! Set up a bar inside the house, use some recipes from Veganomicon (plenty of stuff to grill) and sip on some cool vegan margaritas. It’s always nice to celebrate weekends with other vegans. Or even Thursdays.
5. Summer Book Club
Get out your reading glasses and red wine: summer book clubs are a great way to justify sitting on your butt all summer. Some good reads: An Introduction to Animal Rights (Your Child or the Dog) by Gary Francione; or the Vegan Monologues by Ben Shaberman. And hey, there’s even a nice vegan tanning lotion to rub on your legs so it at least looks like you’ve been active all summer!
6. Become a Missionary
Order some abolitionist vegan pamphlets from the Boston Vegan Association. Pick up a cheap folding table off craigslist and set it up near a busy part of town. Talk to people about veganism, if it’s your thing. The good thing about these pamphlets is that they don’t send any mixed messages like some other free vegan materials.
7. Get some R & R
If you’re traveling, it might be a good idea to get a good massage or facial halfway through, if you’re into luxurious pampering anyway. There are more purely vegan spas than you might think. There’s even one in Austin, Texas. Right down the street from me. I should really be getting a massage more often…
8. Have a Movie Night
Rent or buy vegan-themed movies and invite your friends over to hang out, eat some popcorn and watch some sad stuff. You can do this the night after the book club. Some good movies: Soylent Green, Babe, Chicken Run and Earthlings!
9. To Do: Veganize your pet
Since we’re already halfway through summer and you haven’t done much to celebrate being off school…or your kids being off school…why not add veganizing fluffy to your summer to-do-list? A great way to start is by checking out www.vegepet.com and ordering a sample of vegan dog or cat food. It’ll keep fido healthier and make you feel better about your choices.
10. Get a Job
Seriously, people! There are plenty of awesome jobs for vegans and when the summer starts to come to a close you’d better start thinking about your future. A good place to start? Check out Vegan Mainstream’s job postings, or volunteer with a local animal shelter. You could even try and start your own non-profit.
TALK TO US: WHAT’S ON YOUR SUMMER TO-DO-LIST?
