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Is it hot enough for you yet? During these dog days of summer, hydration is what we really need…well, that and a great book, shaded hammock and a day off from work. Luckily there are lots of ways to wet your whistle from water (au naturel, naturally flavored sparkling, vitamin enhanced, electrolyte beverages and coconut water) to smoothies to juices. Although pure water is the best and the most affordable option for hydration, sometimes you want something more flavorful and fun. Here are ten thirst-quenching tips for summertime sips:

1. Add flavor naturally to still or sparkling water with lemon, lime, mint or a little 100% fruit juice. Or freeze slices of citrus and then drop them right your drink.
2. Brew your own iced tea; adding fresh fruit or fruit juice is a tasty option.
3. Make lemonade or limeade using real fruit or organic bottled lemon or lime juice and lightly sweeten it with real cane sugar, agave nectar, honey or maple syrup.
4. Choose 365 Everyday Value® soda, bottled iced tea and flavored water for a treat without anything artificial. (A cold glass of potassium benzoate, acesulfame potassium and FD&C Blue No. 1 just doesn’t sound as tasty, does it?)
5. Dilute 100% juice with water to drink over ice or to stretch smoothies. By diluting juice, you’ll still get the nutrients of real juice with a little less of the naturally occurring sugars.
6. Ice, ice baby! Freeze leftover coffee, tea or juice in ice cube trays. Drop these cubes into your iced coffee, tea or other favorite beverage to keep it icy cold without watering it down.
7. Flavor sparkling or still water with 100% fruit juice in a 3:1 ratio and chill or serve over ice (or frozen juice cubes).
8. Cool down the little kids by replacing juice boxes with sippy cups filled with equal parts organic apple juice, 100% berry juice and water.
9. Refill reusable bottles with filtered water or from a big container of water, iced tea or whatever rather than buying single-serve bottles.
10. Remember, you get a discount when you buy a full case of sparkling water or pretty much anything non-alcoholic. So it’s easy to stock up on our Whole Foods Market® brand Italian Sparkling Mineral Waters in lemon, strawberry, lime, citrus, mint and lemon raspberry or your favorite soda.

When life gives you a summer scorcher, make lemonade…or limeade or iced tea or slushies or coolers! Here are a few of our favorite recipes that'll really refresh.

• The kids will love to help prepare Double Grape Slushies that use fresh grapes and in-season melon.
• Bottled organic juice is the ultimate shortcut in this quick recipe for lemonade or limeade and is another one that the kids can help with.
• A decadent Vegan Mango Lassi is only four ingredients away….
• Oranges, blueberries, mint – oh my! A Blueberry Summer Refresher really satisfies.
• For Honeydew Green Tea: Start with 365 Everyday Value® Geen Tea and add honeydew melon (or other seasonal melon) and ginger.
• For a not-too-sweet fresh cherry and green-tea cocktail, make a party-perfect pitcher of Wine Tea Punch with Summer Fruit.
• Serve Sangria Coolers on the rocks or add the ice to the blender for grown-up slushies.
• Lambrusco Coolers make for an adults-only summer sparkler.

Got any thirst-quenching recipes or cool tips for homemade hydrators? Let me know in the comments below.