What’s in My Summer Survival Tote: Everything I Carry to Stay Cool, Calm, and Unbothered in the Heat

 

No, it’s not the same post. I just used the same cover photo. 😁

Let’s call it a series on travel and packing. 

So, many of you ladies know that Manila summers are brutal and they’re so hard on me and my son. But mostly me, because of my sensitivities. 

I decided to upgrade my tote for the time being. I normally bring smaller totes, but this is a situation that needs a big bag. 

The other day after piano class, we ate at Old Town Coffee and my son got sick from the iced tea. Aside from that, the heat did a number on him. 

Fortunately, I was prepared. I reached into my bag and got a cool fever strip. 

There are so many ways you can this aside from its actual use for fevers. I use it for hot days to avoid heat exhaustion for my son. I also use this to prevent motion sickness when we’re traveling in a bus to and from Baguio. 

After placing a strip on his forehead, I got our Evian spray out and sprayed it on his face, neck, nape, arms, and legs. Good thing he was wearing shorts that day. 

I also sprayed on my neck, nape, and arms too. 

Of course, rain or shine, summer or not, we always have a bottle or two of iced water with us. I told my son to take a sip. When someone is overheating, it’s important that they only take small sips of water in order to not overwhelm their system. 

I also whipped out this fan. This was a gift from NBDB for my workshop during PBF. 

My son got really sick that day, but at least we made it home before he vomited, mainly because I was able to make him comfortable while outside. I was able to delay the inevitable for a few minutes, so that he was comfortable to purge at home. 

My other summer must-haves are:

My sunglasses. I’m sensitive to light, so when we need to go to several places, I bring this. 

My ever-so-reliable umbrella from Watsons Baguio. I know for some cultures, umbrellas are only used in the rain, but here, we use it to shield ourselves from the sun, too. 

And lastly, for long trips, I bring this. Just add water, shake and you get an instant cool wrap. This was a life saver one day when my son was younger, on the way to BGC. We were stuck in traffic, the heat was so scorching that the aircon couldn’t keep up and my son started having symptoms of heat exhaustion. We parked at the nearest gas station and I brought one of these out and poured some water in it and placed it on my son’s forehead, rotating between his neck and nape, too. 

After a few minutes, my son felt better and we were able to go to our destination. 

These are my summer survival items. Do you have other summer must-haves to stay cool and calm during summer, Glow Girls? I’d love to know them! Share in the comments below. 

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'Til my next post,

Stay soft. Stay strong. Stay Glowing.

LET'S GLOW.

With elegance and quiet fire, 

Lady E

Exhibitor and speaker at the Philippine Book Festival 2026

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