When buying a new house, it’s easy to get distracted by size and think that bigger is better. However, depending on your situation, the opposite may be true.

So how can you determine if your new home is too small, too big, or “just right?” You’ll want to consider these elements.

What’s Your Long-Term Goal? How many years do you see yourself in this house? Is this the place where you want to raise your kids and retire? If not, then size shouldn’t be as crucial as you think. Consider the fact that you will likely move again, which means that you can upgrade in the future if necessary.

What’s Your Financial Limit? For the most part, you don’t want more home than you can truly afford. While you may be getting that promotion in a couple of months, you can’t buy now expecting to have more money in the bank later. Overextending your financial reach is always a bad move, so it’s best to avoid putting yourself (or your family) in that position.

How Many People are Living Here? In a perfect world, everyone would be able to have their own bedrooms, but when you have kids, that’s not always possible. When thinking about this situation, consider how imperative it is to have sufficient space for everyone, and what it will do to your budget.

Overall, buying a home should be about your current needs and how you plan to grow into space in the future. Don’t buy big for the sake of showing off – in the end, you’ll probably regret it.

Virtual: Get a head start on the Halloween season with the Virtual Tour: Architecture of Mysterious Chicago taking place online September 27, from 10 am until 11:30 am. Hosted by author Adam Selzer, this virtual event sheds light on the often scary history that lies at the foundation of many of Chicago’s most iconic buildings with authentic tales that prove that truth is often stranger than fiction. The event will be broadcast live on the Mysterious Chicago Facebook page. Admission is free, and donations are suggested for this fascinating tour that blends architecture with crime. Find more info here.

Streeterville: From Monday, September 28 thru Sunday, October 4, celebrate the amazing restaurants throughout the city during the Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant Week. Whether you dine-in or carry out, enjoy the delicious three-course lunch, brunch, and dinner menus available at over 30 participating restaurants. Among the dining spots participating are Beatrix in Streeterville, located at 671 North St. Clair Street, Bub City in River North, located at 435 North Clark Street, and Lincoln Park’s Mon Ami Gabi, located at 2300 North Lincoln Park W, among many others. Lunch and brunch menus start at $24 per person, and dinner menus start at $35 per person. Find more info here. 

River North: Located in the heart of River North, Laugh Factory’s Verified Laughs has a special stand-up comedy event taking place at the Blue Violet, located at 110 West Hubbard Street on the second floor of the Hubbard Inn, on Thursday, October 1 at 7 pm. This live, socially distanced comedy show features five of the city’s best stand-ups delivering 15-minute sets that are sure to give your funny bone a much-needed workout. Tickets are $20. Find more info here. 

Lincoln Park: Lincoln Park’s Replay hosts a back alley drive-thru haunted house beginning Friday, October 2, that runs until Halloween. We’ll give you a moment to reread that last sentence. For $75, you can pull into the alley behind Replay’s location at 2833 North Sheffield Avenue, where you will watch a 30-minute drive-in movie that establishes the tale of the terror to come. From there, throw your car in park as zombies, ghouls, and ghosts crawl out from the shadows to scare you and your guests for 30 minutes—word of warning: your vehicle will get covered in blood (hopefully the fake kind). If you just washed your car, or don’t want to drive home looking like you left a murder scene, you can opt out of the blood splattering. Find more info here. 

Pilsen: The legendary Music Box Theater is pausing its annual 24-hour scary movie marathon to bring Chicagoans 31 night of horror flicks. Beginning Thursday, October 1 and running through Halloween, head over to Chi-Town Movies Drive-In, located at 2343 South Throop Street in Pilsen, to catch screenings of iconic horror masterpieces as well as beloved B-movie fright fests. Sundays thru Thursdays during October see late showings of singles features for $30 per car. Double features will be screened on Fridays and Saturdays for $40 per car. Each show will also include specialized intros, pre-show content, filmmaker Q&As, and nightly trivia with prizes. Find more info here. 

ERIC KAPLAN AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

Grass grows best in temperatures between 60 and 75 degrees. Most people do not know this and think grass is best in summer, but spring and fall are the optimum times for great grass growth. Begin by giving the grass a really good rake. This is the best arm workout on the planet. You need to use a stiff rake and get all that dead thatch and old grass out, so you have excellent soil for your seed to take. Giving the grass a solid rake will often pull up any quack grass or other weeds choking out the good grass. Pull as much out as you can. 

You will need to add some good topsoil. A couple bags will be sufficient for an average Chicago backyard but use more if your soil is poor or if you have a lot of bare spots. Spread it out as evenly as you can using the back of your rake. Then rake it in slightly to rough up the soil so your seed will have a chance to develop good roots. 

Choose your seed depending on the sun your lawn gets. Many seed mixes are made for mostly sunny lawns, usually more than six hours direct sun every day. If you have a lot of shade, you will need a mix for that. Stay away from quick cover seed mixes. They do not have the good mix you need for a nice lawn. Find a blend with a high percentage of Kentucky bluegrass. Throw out the seed in a sweeping motion. Put out more than you think you will need. Birds love grass seed and will eat a fair share, up to 25%. Water it in well. 

Grass growing can be time consuming, especially until it germinates. The seed needs to stay moist. Usually, in the fall, we have decent rain but not this year. You will need to water your lawn daily until you see it growing. There’s no need to soak. Just wet the soil and seed well. Let the lawn go longer between mows to give the grass time to flourish. 

Growing the grass now will give it time to get established before winter. Another plus is that it will also be grown enough for taking on the winterizing fertilizer in five weeks or so. When your new grass is getting close in height to the original lawn, add more topsoil. You can never add too much topsoil! Rake it in gently. The new grass is delicate, and it is best to be careful and stay off the lawn as much as possible. Now your lawn is ready to really take off next spring.

KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

Can you believe it’s the third weekend of September already, and that autumn officially arrives on Tuesday? Well, this weekend will bring fall-like temperatures with plenty of sun for you to get out and embrace the arrival of the autumn season! After all, we know what comes next!!

Explore Chicago through the eyes of a local during International Greeter Day this Saturday at various locations throughout the city. International Greeter Day celebrates the Greeter service in Chicago and around the world in over 140 cities and in 36 countries. Visitors and locals alike are encouraged to get out and explore the city through these tours created by knowledgeable Chicago Greeters. Just pick a neighborhood and take a free tour led by expert locals. They will guide you through authentic Chicago and its fascinating histories, diverse cultural traditions, iconic landmarks, and off-the-beaten-path gems!

There’s a new interactive walking tour in town entitled WANDER: Lincoln Square – A Chicago Walking Experience. These guided tours are given weekly Thursday through Sunday (September 19-November 1) in Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood. The tour includes live agents and pre-recorded historical scenes to facilitate exploration of the neighborhood’s present with the discovery of its past. Each tour includes up to 20 socially distanced ticket holders and lasts approximately 65 minutes. Ticket holders will receive information on where to meet at the beginning of the tour. Also, tours are dependent on weather, so ticket holders will receive a text if canceled due to weather, but I don’t think you’ll have a problem this weekend!

Let’s not forget our furry family members who also love being outdoors. The Dog Days of Summer Pet Party takes place this Saturday (11 a.m.-3 p.m.) at the SSA27 CTA Plaza (3411 N. Southport Ave.) in the Lakeview neighborhood. This outdoor doggie play party features a paint your pet class with Chicago Sip & Paint, get a pic in their photo booth by Trainman Photography, take a dip in the wading pool or ball pit by A Dog’s Best Friend, have some fun with Miss Foozie, and much more! This event will be abiding with COVID-19 guidelines!!

If you’re going to be indoors this Saturday between 1 p.m.-2 p.m., you might want to take a Cruise from your Couch Virtual Boat Tour. You’ll experience the beautiful architecture along Chicago’s river in this virtual presentation using 360-views in Google Street View. Your expert tour guide will share forgotten stories of Chicago’s waterways, environment, transportation history, and architectural masterpieces. You’ll also have the option to play an interactive game of clue-based bingo as you watch!

Begin your Sunday morning (10 a.m.-12 p.m.) with a Virtual Breakfast with the Animals hosted by Lincoln Park Zoo. Just whip up some breakfast, or order in from your fave breakfast restaurant, then tune in to a live stream of learning about the Zoo’s lowland gorillas from the comfort of your home!

BTW, our Chicago Bears will be hosting the New York Giants at Soldier Field this Sunday at 12 p.m. Watch the game on CBS! GO BEARS!!

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago

This year, summer came and went without the typical warm-weather activities we’ve grown accustomed to thanks to the global pandemic this year. Practically any event associated with summertime, from concerts to vacation to merely going to the beach, was off-limits. But there is one thing that COVID-19 couldn’t stop in its tracks: ice cream.

Yes, that delicious treat forever linked to high temperatures and sunny days gave the current state of the world the cold shoulder. One way to celebrate this victory is by visiting the walk-up window at 1925 North Lincoln Avenue to check out the delicious treats at Sugar Junkie.

Created by award-winning Four Corner’s Corporate Pastry Chef Amy Arnold, Sugar Junkie provides the much-needed fix we all crave after what seems like a year lost to bad news. Known for her unique creative ability when it comes to desserts, Arnold has designed a divine menu at this hidden walk-up located behind Ranalli’s pizzeria. The items available at Sugar Junkie are sure to awaken your sweet tooth with delectable treats that instantly take your mind off the state of the world. 

So what’s on the menu? Sugar Junkie is big on gelato, and you can’t go wrong with any of the creations on their menu. We all love coffee and donuts, so why not combine them in a match made in dessert heaven? The coffee and donut option features chunks of chocolate-frosted donuts floating in a sea of coffee gelato. The banana fudge is highlighted by mouth-watering fudge and banana slices in a banana-based gelato creating a scrumptious pairing. The vegan option combines vanilla bean, oat, and coconut milk, and the key lime gelato is perfected with a graham cracker crust.

A single cup of the gelato offerings is $4, while a double cup will run you $7. Have it in a cone for $5 or double the pleasure for $8. Don’t forget to indulge your dog with a mini pup cone for $3.

If you want to take it to the next level, order up some of Sugar Junkie’s gelato-cookie sandwiches, all priced at $8. The sweet and salty sandwich features salted caramel gelato squished in between a chocolate chip cookie. Peanut butter lovers will delight in the PB&G with chocolate gelato encased in a peanut butter cookie. Other choices include the Rainbow Brite starring vanilla gelato in a rainbow cookie and The Birthday Party highlighted by a funfetti sugar cookie and vanilla gelato.

If you want to take the deliciousness home, grab a pint of the take-and-bake cookie dough for $11. With flavors ranging from classic chocolate chip and triple chocolate to peanut butter with caramelized peanuts and rainbow sugar cookie dough, your taste buds will be sending thank you cards in the mail to Sugar Cookie’s Lincoln Park address. Pair your pint of cookie dough with a pint of gelato, and you got yourself the perfect dessert (or dinner) to create at home. 

So as summer ends (did it ever really start?), take a stroll to the walk-up window at 1925 North Lincoln Avenue between noon and 10 pm, and treat yourself to the gelato-inspired creations at Sugar Junkie.

ERIC KAPLAN AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO