Health & Beauty

44. Grow way too many zucchini. Leave them in the break room at work.

45. Put an avocado on your face

Summer fun can be harsh on the complexion, but an avocado mask will polish your skin right up. Take one half of an avocado, preferably purchased from your local farmers market. Mash it up with a teaspoon of local honey and a little warm water for a spreadable consistency. Apply to your freshly washed, damp face and chill like you’re at a day spa. Bonus points for cucumber slices over your eyes. Rinse off after 15 minutes, and go make guacamole out of the other avocado half. B.C.

46. Fix your bike

That old bike in your garage is still good. Take it to Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen, where the volunteer staff has the tools and knowledge to help you tune it up. It’s time to embrace a cheaper and greener way of getting around town.

Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen, 1915 I Street; www.sacbikekitchen.org.

A.N.

47. Stop dripping

I first discovered Quiksilver’s quick-drying boardshorts somewhat accidentally. As an aspiring college-aged surfer, I’d always wanted to purchase surfing legend Kelly Slater’s favorite boardshorts (noted briefly in his memoir as “the ones with stars on them”). After finally finding them online and ordering a pair, I now know why he liked them so much. As soon as you’re out of the water, the shorts repel water and dry in less than five minutes—while you’re wearing them. Though the shorts are quite expensive, the technology keeps you and your car dry when you’re driving home from a day on the river. Priceless.

www.quiksilver.com.

J.M.

48. Have a block party

Agoraphobes, keep the shades drawn. Everybody else—especially the fellas—listen up: You’re going to have to wear sunblock. Don’t invite sunburns and skin cancer into your summer because you find slathering cream on yourself emasculating. (Unless you consider chemotherapy’s little side effect of impotence to be less emasculating. Thought so.) Whether using a cream or spray sunblock, here are a few guidelines: Use one with an SPF 30 or higher, apply it 30 minutes before sun exposure and reapply it every two hours. Find more info at the American Melanoma Foundation website.

www.melanomafoundation.org/prevention/facts.htm.

S.

49. Get a massage

Indulge yourself with a truly affordable massage at the National Holistic Institute at the end of a long workweek. It’s only $25 for a 50-minute session. While you don’t get a choice of your massage therapist in training or the method they will be using (either Swedish or shiatsu), the students are very friendly and trained to listen to your needs. Make sure to reserve a slot in advance online, as Saturdays fill up fast.

National Holistic Institute, 1610 Arden Way, Suite 110; www.nhi.edu.

K.Bu.

50. Stay active

“My faves: roller-skating, reading in the shade, Yogurtagogo, sitting on a stoop in Midtown to people watch, trying the veggie dishes reviewed in the recent SN&R, enjoying other people’s pools, punk-rock aerobics!”

—Jessica Zaker, Sac City Rollers’ Lipstick Librarian

51. Increase your flexibility

Many yoga spots, including Zuda Yoga in Midtown and Folsom, offer a 10-days-for-$10 deal. Stop in as often as you want during a 10-day period and discover what your body can (or, in my case cannot) do. Feel refreshed and excited at the possibilities. In 10 days, will you be able to balance on your head? Or rest your shoulder blades against your ankles? Those are the challenges of Sacramento’s summer. Goodbye corpus vile, hello corpus sano.

Zuda Yoga, 1515 19th Street; (916) 441-1267; 220 Blue Ravine Road, Suite 130 in Folsom; (916) 985-4428; www.zudayoga.com.

N.M.

52. Get a free sauna treatment while sitting in your car waiting for the AC to kick in.

53. Treat your toes

Summer means flip-flops and airy sandals or, maybe, just running barefoot through the sprinklers. Whatever your foot fetish, make sure your toes are up to the challenge. You could go the total cheapie-quickie-pedicure route, or you could lay down a bit more green for a sweetly indulgent experience at The Pedicure Lounge. Tucked away just off of Broadway, this small but clean and well-stocked salon offers a luxe one-hour mani-pedi combo. For $60 you get a quick 15-minute manicure followed by a luxurious 45-minute pedicure. Your feet will look fresh, pretty and ready to take on surf, sun and even hot pavement.

The Pedicure Lounge, 2416 18th Street; (916) 444-2590.

R.L.

54. Protect your dog’s paws

Don’t forget to take extra care when exercising your dog in the summertime. Noon asphalt can burn tender paws, so schedule walks in the mornings and early evenings when sidewalks are cooler. Bring water, for you and your pet, so nobody overheats. And remember that ticks and fleas also love summertime strolls, so consult your veterinarian about precautions to keep your pet pest-free. B.C.

55. Bring home the bronze

The sun and I haven’t seen much of each other in recent years, but that doesn’t stop me from pretending. “Fake it, don’t bake it,” is my summertime motto, and EyeCandy Sunless Spa is the place to live by it. Owner Meri Thresher offers custom spray tanning that takes all the guesswork out of bringing home the bronze. Wear as little or as much as you want (don’t worry, she’s seen it all). Fifteen minutes—no automated machines, no streaky at-home lotions, no Oompa Loompa orange. Don’t forget the SPF afterward.

EyeCandy Sunless Spa, 2011 P Street, Suite 100; (916) 977-3737; 47 Natoma Street, Suite 4C in Folsom; www.eyecandytanning.com.

K.B.

56. Celebrate independence with a 5-mile run

Remember that New Year’s resolution about getting in shape and running more? Since you’ve spent the last five months rigorously training, you’re looking for warm-up events before the California International Marathon in December. Look no further than Sacramento’s oldest running event, the 4th of July 5-Miler, organized by the Buffalo Chips Running Club. It’s free to run, but water buffalo are highly discouraged. Registration starts at 7:15 a.m. on Wednesday, July 4.

Glen Hall Park, 5415 Sandburg Drive; www.chipsrunning.com/358-2.

K.Bu.

57. Slow down and appreciate the little things

“Sleeping with the ceiling fan on, making cherry pies [with fruit] from my tree, going to baseball games and wearing flip-flops when you can’t go barefoot.”

—Ross Hammond, jazz musician and host of the Nebraska Mondays series at Luna’s Café & Juice Bar

58. Cover your eyes

I’m basically blind, but I like to wear shades and look cool and aloof during the summertime. So I’m stoked that eyewear spot Styleyes on J Street does a big, annual blowout sale on sunglasses each June. All of its shades are 25-percent off—even the friggin’ lenses—and the shop’s got all of the looks I like in my aresenal: Terminator shades, pilot shades, really dark shades I piss my girlfriend off with by wearing indoors. Plus, the staff’s super friendly about adjusting glasses after they fly off my face while riding bikes. I’ve never had a hiccup with an order, going on eight years. Myopia sucks. Styleyes cures!

Styleyes, 2231 J Street; (916) 448-2220; www.styleyes.biz.

N.M.

59. Upgrade your wheels

You’ve been two-wheeling around the grid, and maybe even east and west on the American River Bike Trail. Good for you, champ. Now don’t you think it’s time to invest in a real bike? Enter IkonCycles. This Midtown spot will get you turning pro with properly aligned and sized wheels. Think about it: no achy back or sore legs, plus biking faster—and farther—than ever. Makes you wish you’d upped your ride ante last summer, right?

IkonCycles, 2318 J Street, Suite B; (916) 441-1122; http://ikoncycles.com.

N.M.

60. Admire the grace of Midtown girls riding bikes in sundresses and heels.