Top Ten Chicago Weather Dressing Tips
Dec 17During the transitional spring and fall seasons in Chicago, you never know what to expect weather-wise. OK, that pretty much applies to the whole year here. Given that, here are 10 tips to ensure that you can leave the house for the day and never be too hot or too cold. Starting from the ground up:
1. The Right Socks
Don’t buy all cotton socks. They shrink, they’re scratchy, and they’re about the worst thing you can wear on your feet—hot or cold weather. In the hot weather, they retain moisture and lead to blisters. In the cold weather they provide very little in the way of insulation. Opt instead for a cotton, synthetic blend.
2. Socks and Sandals.
This used to make taste-makers gasp, but it’s acceptable now. Of course we’re talking about casual dressing here—not the office. Also, we’re talking about attractive sandals that are a little on the rugged side and dark colored socks. This is an extremely versatile combination that allows you to adjust up and down for temperatures easily—just change the socks. This also works well for kids over 3 (old enough to put the sandals on themselves). No Croc-like shoes for adults please.
3. Roomy Footwear.
You will actually get a lot more insulation value from roomy shoes and boots than from tight fleece-lined boots. Air is an excellent, self-regulating insulator—and it’s free. So be sure that any shoes and boots you’ll be wearing outdoors during transitional months (and the winter as well) are a half size bigger than usual.
4. Avoid Rubber Toes
Some winter shoes and boots have rubber or plastic toes. Avoid these like the plague. Rubber and plastic trap sweat and conduct cold, just what you don’t want.
5. Dealing with Jeans
Jeans are just about the worst insulators and tend to trap sweat, again, everything you don’t want. They are the equivalent of cotton socks for your legs. Look for jeans with a little Spandex in them, which is a significant help when it comes to thermal control.
6. Pantyhose
Hate pantyhose? These are actually excellent and versatile insulators. Legend has it that ironworkers in Alaska have been known to wear pantyhose under their work clothes (queen-sized).
7. Trap Air on Top.
Worn over layers, a loose coat with a thin layer of insulation that’s snug around the neck, bottom, and wrists will keep you nice and warm when it’s zipped and will allow you to cool down quickly when it’s opened.
8. Forget the Down
If you’ve ever had the “pleasure” of sleeping with a down comforter, you know it almost always makes you too hot. Besides, when a down coat gets wet, it’s just about useless. Opt for synthetic insulators instead.
9. Go for a Removable Hood.
Never buy a casual coat without a removable hood again. If you don’t need the hood and want to avoid looking like a geek— take it off. When you’re really cold, you won’t care about the geek thing.
10. Layer Wisely
Always start with a thin layer and get progressively thicker. For example, start with a very thin long-sleeved t-shirt, put a thin sweater or fleece on top of that, and finish with a lightly insulated coat (with a hood).
The basic advice is this: go for synthetics, trap heat (not sweat), wear roomy layers, skip the down, and avoid cold conducting materials.
Barone’s Pizza: Part 1
Dec 17Chances are, if you live anywhere near Glen Ellyn, you’ve had the distinct pleasure of dining on the amazing Italian cuisine and American family classics at Barone’s. Since 1971, Barone’s of Glen Ellyn has brought a proud tradition of food, service, and community spirit to Glen Ellyn. Barone’s is famous for delicious thin crust, pan, and stuffed pizza as well as many other mouth-watering specialties
This is a very successful and thus very busy restaurant. It stands to reason that the owners and managers don’t have a lot of time to stay up to date on the latest kitchen equipment and supplies and then shop around for what they need.
They could try shopping on the internet, but then they’d have to scroll through pages and pages of graphics and specs and after all that, take an educated guess that what they finally settled on was the best—or even a good—fit for their needs. Or they could go to a warehouse-type restaurant supply store, which would allow them to see the merchandise before they bought it, but without expert help, how would they know that they wouldn’t be back in a month or two with the same need?
What to do? In the next post, I’ll tell you the simple solution.
