It’s easy to be wowed by a house. You’re anxious to discover your dream home and accomplish a big goal. You can’t wait to cook in the brand new kitchen or relax in the spa-style tub. All that excitement can also make it easy to dismiss some minor issues that can become major annoyances down the road. Rather than letting your excitement get the best of you, take the time to analyze smaller details properly.

Don’t Dismiss The Location

Let’s say you find a perfect home that’s an extra 20 minutes each way from work. Those 40 total minutes don’t seem like a big deal at first glance, but consider that you’ll be dealing with that extra commute day after day, year after year for as long as you live in the house. Is that an inconvenience you’re willing to deal with? Make an educated decision—do a test run of the actual commute and see whether it’s tolerable, or would eventually drive you crazy.

Stressing location also means committing to a neighborhood. Does the potential neighborhood align with your priorities? Make sure you’re choosing a location that makes it easy to do the things you love most, whether that’s enjoying city nightlife or escaping to quiet home away from it all.

Working Order

Shiny new appliances and an open-concept living space may be on your list of must-haves, but don’t let the aesthetics distract from the basics.

Are the basement and attic in good shape? Problems like mold and water damage can turn an otherwise perfect home into a nightmare, and a poorly insulated attic can cause your bills to skyrocket.

None of these issues should necessarily remove a home from consideration—you just have to be aware of the total package.

Lincoln Park: Cocktails, socialites, and murder! This weekend has all of the above and more at the Cocktail Party: Speakeasy Murder Mystery. The 1920s themed interactive event takes place at Verlocal in Lincoln Park Saturday, February 22, from 11 am to 2 pm. Participants in this murder mystery will receive character descriptions to play out, two cocktails, and the chance to win prizes. Find more info here.

Evanston: Brave the cold and warm your funny bone up this weekend at Evanston Laughs taking place on February 22 at the Gibbs-Morrison Cultural Center from 7 pm to 10 pm. Featuring the stand up of Lawrence Owens and Ben Noble, this laugh out loud event will definitely leave you in stitches. Tickets are $12. Find more info here.

Logan Square: The 4th annual Wintercamp Music Festival hits on Leap Year Day, February 29, in Logan Square. The event kicks off at the Logan Square Auditorium from 7 pm to 1:30 am. This fest features a plethora of electronic music artists, including DOMI + JD Beck, LWKY, mathien, and more, in addition to dancers and food. Tickets are $15-$20. Find more info here.

River North: And now for something completely different. The Comedy Bar hosts the Tomato Throw Show on Tuesday, February 25, from 8 pm to 9:30 pm in River North. Audience members will be given fake tomatoes to hurl at comedians during their sets throughout the night. The comedian with the least amount of tomatoes lobbed at them is the winner. Tickets are $15. Find more info here.

Lakeview: Bacon lovers rejoice! Smoke Daddy in Lakeview is hosting Makin’ Bacon on February 22 at 2 pm. For an hour and a half, bacon enthusiasts can take part in learning the ins and outs of this delicious food with a Bacon 101 class featuring food and drink. Then you can handpick your own bacon rub, which will be smoked and packaged for you to pick up the following week. Find more info here.

Gold Coast: Sure, it’s still February in the Windy City, but real Chicagoans know that’s no excuse to stay inside. Join the Bikes, Bites & Brews tour on Saturday, February 29, from noon to 4 pm for an afternoon in foodie heaven, all while exploring the city on two wheels. Kicking off at 540 N. Lake Shore Drive, this tour features Chicago’s Mount Rushmore of palette preferences – pizza, hot dogs, beer, and cupcakes. Bike your way through Streeterville, the Gold Coast, Lakeview, Wrigleyville, and Lincoln Park while enjoying a sampling of Chicago’s favorite dishes and taking in the city’s beautiful scenic sights. Find more info here.

ERIC KAPLAN AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

The birds need us more than ever in the winter. Much of their natural food is absent or under snow cover. Keeping good food in filled feeders will help our feathered friends get through the winter healthy. Following is a good variety of foods for winter feeding.

Peanuts aren’t just for squirrels. Peanuts in the shell will satisfy squirrels and keep some away from the feeders, which is a plus since they are also a favorite of jays and woodpeckers.  High in protein and fat, peanuts are a great winter staple for birds. Shelled peanuts will attract smaller birds. Peanut butter is also great for birds. Smear a bunch on pinecones and hang from trees. Just make sure to use natural peanut butter that contains no partially hydrogenated oil.

Suet is another excellent food source for birds in the winter. Commercial suet comes in many types from plain to containing seed, peanut bits, and fruit. You can buy fresh, but this form can turn rancid if the weather warms up. Commercial suet is an excellent substitute and widely available. 

Black oil sunflower is one of the best seeds for general backyard bird feeding. It’s high in fat, so it’s perfect for winter. The larger birds can easily crack the shells, and smaller birds will feed on the dropped bits. For a no-mess method, you can feed sunflower hearts, but they are expensive. Safflower seed is another similar seed high in fat and especially loved by cardinals. There are commercial mixes with black sunflower and safflower.

Thistle seed, also called nyger seed, is loved by all species of finches. It is a tiny seed sometimes fed from a mesh bag. I usually mix some in the regular seed, as thistle can turn bad quickly in a bag feeder if the weather is wet. It is rather expensive, but putting a handful in the mix makes it last a bit longer. 

Birds are very fond of fruit, and it is a necessary staple in their diet. Put out quartered apples, slices of citrus, and even banana slices. If you do raisins, soak them a bit in water before putting out. The birds will love it!

Mealworms sound slimy and gross but are not worms at all but beetle larvae. The usual assortment of birds that come to the feeders in winter loves them since they are high in fat and protein. Check online or at your local wild bird feeding store to find freeze-dried mealworms. 

If you do want to buy a mix of seed, make sure it is a good one that contains mostly the seeds above in addition to cracked corn and white millet. Cheap mixes are not worth the savings. They include red millet, which no birds eat along with other waste.

Follow these winter bird feeding methods to ensure that our feathered friends are happy and well fed during the cold months.

KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

From basketball to automobiles to camping, the All-Stars are in town this weekend!

Come experience an unforgettable 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago! That’s right, Chicago is marking the first-time the NBA All-Star Game will be played in our iconic basketball city in over three decades. Here’s what’s taking place:

The NBA Crossover takes over Navy Pier (600 E. Grand Ave.) in the Streeterville neighborhood all weekend long. This event will be the most immersive and engaging pop culture event showcasing the NBA’s connection to music, art, fashion, and technology. Exclusive product drops from top brands, appearances by current and former NBA players, celebrities and influencers, live performances, and more will be featured! It’s an epic fan event!!

Join Hornblower Cruises and Events on the water for an NBA All-Star Weekend Cruises on Lake Michigan aboard the Spirit of Chicago this Saturday, departing from Navy Pier. Choose either the Lunch Cruise (12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.) featuring a family-friendly cruise celebrating the All-Star Weekend with a special NBA themed menu, basketball photo booths, recaps playing on TV monitors and more; or the Moonlight Cruise (12 a.m.-2 a.m.) hosted by Keke from 107.5 WGCI with music by Celebrity DJ Mike P, a buffet and incredible skyline views! You must be 21 or older for this cruise.

The 69th annual 2020 NBA All-Star Game begins at 7 p.m. at the United Center (1901 W. Madison St.) in the West Loop neighborhood. Watch the best in the NBA at the home of the six-time NBA champion Chicago Bulls! The halftime show will feature performances by Chicago locals Chance the Rapper and Common.

Come admire nearly 1,000 new (all-star) vehicles at the Chicago Auto Show as it wraps up on this extended weekend (for some of us) at McCormick Place (2301 S. King Dr.) in the South Loop. Billed as the largest national auto show, the event will display a wide range of vehicles including sports cars, concept cars, supercars, crossovers, sedans, hatchbacks, convertibles, wagons, pickups, and minivans plus more than 30 manufacturers from all over the world – this show simply has it all! Also, special appearances scheduled for this weekend include Ron Harper (Chicago Bulls Legend), Akiem Hicks (Chicago Bears), Bobby Hull (Former Chicago Blackhawk) on Saturday; Jamal Mayers and Brian Campbell (Former Chicago Blackhawks) on Sunday; and Dan Hampton (Former Chicago Bears) on Monday. Great place to begin your search for a new car!

The 52nd annual Chicago RV & Camping Show sets-up at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center (5555 N. River Rd.) in Rosemont on Saturday and Sunday. Billed as the Midwest’s largest RV show and super sale, this show features 400 new recreational vehicles (plus thousands more available) from more than 20 local dealers. In addition, there are special show prices, a huge variety of booths that include campgrounds, resorts, vacation destinations, and more! It’s an All-Star show for RV and camping enthusiasts where they can compare products all in one place and under one roof!!

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago

It’s the middle of winter, and sometimes the only thing that can keep our minds off the frigid state of affairs in the Windy City is some good old-fashioned Chicago comfort food. Thankfully, I knew just where to go to take my mind off of these winter blues: Pequod’s Pizzeria in Lincoln Park.

If you’ve never been to Pequod’s, you are in for a treat as this pizzeria establishes itself from the others thanks to their famous caramelized crust. Their approach of cooking Mozzarella cheese along the edge of a cast-iron pan is both unique and delicious, creating a satisfying crunch with each bite. 

Full disclosure: I am not the biggest fan of Chicago-style deep dish pizza despite being a lifelong resident of the city. I know, I should surrender my Bears’ jerseys, pour ketchup all over my hot dogs and move to Indiana after writing such a blasphemous sentence. But Pequod’s has changed my avoidance of pan pizza thanks to their incredible tasting pies. 

My friends and I didn’t mess around with appetizers as we were on a mission to take the chill out of our bones and dine strictly on a pepperoni and sausage pie. The wait was around 40 minutes, but that’s just how long perfection takes. We passed the time with a pitcher of Blue Moon and watched sports on the numerous TV’s while eagerly awaiting our main course. 

Our waitress brought the pizza out and personally sliced each piece as Pequod’s is big on leaving their pies uncut until serving so as not to affect the temperature and setting of their thick pan pizzas. Yes, they are serious about pizza here, and the prep and wait are what makes this Lincoln Park pizzeria an award-winning Chicago favorite.

Each slice was thick, heavy on the delicious toppings, and the sauce is a real standout in creating their signature pizzas. Be forewarned- Pequod’s pizzas are heavy and will put meat on your bones, which is perfect for getting through the winter. After just two slices, I was full, content, and overjoyed to be taking home leftovers, which I knew would probably not make it past the night in my fridge before being warmed up. 

So if you are looking for a great spin on the classic Chicago deep-dish pizza that is unique and delicious, be sure to head over to Pequod’s Pizzeria located at 2207 N. Clybourn Avenue in Lincoln Park. Their hours are Monday- Saturday 11 am to 2 am and Sunday 11 am to midnight. Expect a little wait, but know that it will be well worth it.