Cubies in My Playmate

Living in Florida and being susceptible to migraines caused by dehydration, I usually carry a cooler everywhere I go. I have 3 different sizes, all the hard type. I do not care for the soft ones as they sometimes get wet, even on the outside. I bought a pretty set of blue soft coolers a few years ago but did not like them at all so I recycled them to my daughter. She loved them and used them as her daughter's coolers. She would pack the large one full of fruits and fresh veggies and the smaller one held sippy cups, soy milk, and water. The coolers went everywhere my granddaughter went to keep her eating healthy, whether that was to visit grandparents or just out and about for the day. She is still using them three years later so it was definitely a good buy. Kim uses blue ice rather than ice cubes but my choice is usually cubies or a combination of cubies and blue ice. When I'm going out of town, I use ice cubes but when in town my cubies and blue ice serve my purpose well without the mess of melted ice cubes. One experience of accidentally pouring ice cold water on my foot when emptying out the cooler was enough for me!

I am not a fan of drippy wet food any more than I am of drippy wet coolers. I do not care for pulling out an icy cold bottle of water only to have it drip all over me but even worse is a soggy sandwich. I have tried putting food in a ziplock bag and then in a Tupperware container but even then it doesn't always survive getting waterlogged when on a long trip. I have a 60-quart Igloo that is my hurricane cooler, a 38-quart Igloo for picnics or when I go out of town, and my trusty little Playmate that goes with me almost every day. I bought the 60-quart Igloo when Hurricane Charley came through and knocked out our electricity for a couple of weeks. It was fantastic and one of the best hurricane supplies I have ever bought. It even kept my frozen items, at the bottom of the cooler, frozen until they were ready to be grilled. It has also gone to family reunions with me and is great because it has wheels and is very strong. I have filled it with food, drinks, and ice and then loaded the top with items that I would normally have to carry. The items sit nicely on top and the handle helps to prevent them from falling off as I bump along the pathway to the picnic table at the park. The disadvantage to this cooler is that it is tall rather than wide which makes it a little more difficult to put in the car and to get things in and out of it without some digging.

My 38-quart Igloo is my out of town companion. It is shorter than the large one and I can put it on the front seat where I can reach in and pull out a drink or a snack easily. Please don't get a picture in your head of me weaving down the road as I open coolers and talk on my cell phone with a drink in one hand and a sandwich in the other. I drive responsibly and when the little ones in the back are hungry or thirsty, they know they have to wait until there is no traffic nearby or I can pull over. This cooler can be found at the Dollar General in San Carlos Park for $25 and I saw it on sale at Target recently for the same price. I have also used it to transport groceries when I plan to go to more than one store. I can safely shop and sample goodies at Costco, knowing my cold food will stay cold no matter how hot my car gets inside. In Florida, hot is hot. When I get back home, I take out the cooler and wheel it inside to be unloaded at my leisure.My daily companion is an Igloo Playmate, large enough to hold a 6-pack of bottled water or 4 bottles of water and my lunch. On most days it just holds water, kept cold by one or two packs of cubies. One pack contains 30 cubies and they work as well as ice cubes without the mess. My favorite dehydration prevention is to take along two or three bottles of water, a container of cut-up pineapple (canned or fresh will both do the trick), and a reusable bottle filled with Gatorade or juice. My daughters say I'm different, that most people don't need the amount of water (or bathroom stops) that I do but I'm not so sure there aren't many people out there just like me. I hope these tips help others like me who are in need of dehydration prevention while living in or visiting sunny Florida.