Chicago Winter

Image by dresmall via Flickr

When I first told people that I planned on movin g to Chicago for school the number one thing people would ask me about was how I was going to handle the winter. My general response was something along the lines of "it can't be that bad." Cue March when I emerged from my cave after two months of self-imposed hibernation swearing that next winter I'd be better prepared. Needless to say I've developed a nice stockpile of winter survival tips over the years and I figured I'd share a few:




Clothing

• Layers are a Chicagoian's best friend.  Not only do they help with the frigid air outside, but they also help with the inevitable overly-heated office or train car
• Waterproof boots are a definite must.  There is nothing worse than feet getting wet due to slush when the temp is in the negatives.  Additionally, boots usually offer more traction for dealing with the occasional icy sidewalk

Beauty

• Despite the cliche-ness of saying 'drink more water' in the case of Chicago winters and warding off dry skin its true. 
• As the unfortunate recipient of naturally dry skin, winter is particularly troublesome.  As a result, I own just about every kind of moisturizer available.  Here are just a few I've found helpful: Aquaphor (aside: CVS makes an excellent equivalent of this) hand cream, Egyptian Magic, Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizer, Oil of Olay's In Shower Body Lotion

Home

• Only recently have I begun to recognize the amazingness of humidifiers, what did I do before I got mine?  Oh wait I know I suffered through static, dry skin, sore throats...you name it.  While no means the miracle cure for winter's ailments, I definitely recommend getting a humidifier for those who (like me) must content with the drying factors associated with some heating units.  I love the one I picked up from Bed Bath and Beyond, it works fantastic and it kind of reminds me of R2D2
• Lastly, I have embraced the old college-standby of using the cellophane-looking like products to seal my drafty windows.  Attractive? no  Beneficial? Definitely