Buying a home can be a long process. The last thing you want after all your time spent searching for homes and getting the best mortgage rate is to have everything go wrong on closing day. Here are five tips that’ll ensure it goes smoothly.

Schedule a date that works best for you: You have every right to request the closing take place at an ideal time for you, and the other parties in the transaction will usually work with you to make it happen. Whether it’s timing the closing around a pay date or the end of a lease, the first step is finding a date that minimizes stress or conflicts.

Clarify your payment: Many title companies do not accept personal checks, so give yourself a few days to get a cashier’s check or set up a wire transfer.

Double check insurance: You’ll need to arrange for a title insurance policy for your mortgage and purchase homeowner’s insurance (plus flood or earthquake insurance, depending on the area). Make sure your policy begins by your closing date.

Do a final walk-through: You’d be surprised to find that buyers skip this step! Schedule a final walkthrough to ensure that all requested repairs have been made and everything is in working order.

Take action based on walk-through: If any issues are identified, you may need to delay closing or negotiate a discount before the closing date to avoid delays.

Logan Square: If the polar plunge wasn’t enough and you really love to embrace Old Man Winter with some class, we have the spot for you in Logan Square. La Boulangerie on West Logan Boulevard is offering patrons the opportunity to really chill out by dining in an igloo while enjoying the delicious food. Don’t worry; it’s heated and decked out with blankets and furniture. This cool experience is $29 per person, and you will usually need a reservation Find more info here.

Wicker Park and Bucktown: On February 23, break out your skates and head to 1425 N. Damen in Wicker Park between 9 am and 8 pm for the WickerICE event. As long as the ice is frozen and volunteers are at hand, enjoy a fun-filled day of skating and lessons at this event created by the Wicker Park Advisory Council. The best part? It’s free! Find more info here.

Lincoln Square: You may not be able to hop a plane and take in the lush green fields of Scotland this winter, so why not take in one of the country’s most significant exports- scotch! On February 8, between 7 pm – 8:30 pm at Vom Fass in Lincoln Square, take part in the Tour of Scotland showcasing scotch from each region of the country. Tickets are $35. Find more info here.

Evanston: If you’re going to enjoy the sweet symphonic sounds of Beethoven, why not do it in the beautiful confines of a mansion. “A Beethoven Celebration” takes place on Sunday, February 9, at 6 pm at the Charles Gates Dawes mansion in Evanston. The concert features cellist Lars Hoefs, violinist John McFarlane and pianist Victor Santiago Asuncion performing Beethoven’s Archduke Piano Trio in honor of the composer’s 250th birth year anniversary. Tickets are $30. Find more info here.

Lincoln Park: Savor Lincoln Park 2020 features dozens of this Chicago neighborhood’s best restaurants and bars, offering their finest food and beverages all under one roof! The event takes place at Theater on the Lake on February 19 from 6 pm to 9 pm. General admission is $40. Find more info here. 

River North: It’s February in Chicago, so no one really wants to get out of his or her pajamas to go outside. Luckily, you won’t have to in River North at the Boozin’ in Your Onesie Bar Crawl taking place on February 15 from 3 pm to 10 pm. Break out your classic flannel pj’s or go all out in a onesie while having a great time visiting a plethora of bars, including Bounce, Tunnel, and Joy District. Tickets are $19.99. Find more info here.

Eric Kaplan and Dean’s Team Chicago

It’s winter, so we are spending more time in the house, and that’s not always by choice. Why not use this time away from warmth and sunshine to tackle those greasy messes in the kitchen that can get looked over when the weather is better? Let Old Man Winter provide the inside time needed to take care of household upkeep with these kitchen hacks. 

Baking soda is one of nature’s most versatile and effective cleaners and deodorizers; use on counters as a safer alternative to Ajax. Clean cookie sheets with baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and Brillo pads. Use a generous amount of baking soda and sprinkle on just enough peroxide to wet. Scrub with pads till clean. 

Vinegar is a fantastic all-natural cleaning agent to use around the kitchen without resorting to harsh, synthetic products. Sprinkle around your stainless- steel sinks and scrub with a vinegar dampened sponge. This method is an excellent way to clean drains too. 

Stove grates are the hardest things to clean in the kitchen. Ammonia is your best friend here. Do be careful and read all the cautions on the label. Ammonia is tough stuff. Make sure your kitchen is well ventilated, as the fumes are the worst, and be sure to use rubber gloves. First, place each grate in its own heavy-duty Ziploc bag. Then carefully add ¼ cup ammonia and seal. Lay flat on a newspaper-covered counter overnight. A ¼ cup of ammonia is enough, as the fumes are doing the heavy lifting here. Drain the ammonia and wash the stove grates in warm soapy water. 

Dirty, greasy cabinets? Mix 2 tablespoons dish detergent and 1 cup vinegar in 2 cups warm water. Use a safe scrub sponge and rinse frequently. For tough spots, add a little baking soda. Need more power cleaning power? Add ½ cup borax to the mixture. When done, polish the wood with a bit of orange or lemon oil. 

Microwave ovens are often overlooked until they become positively grime encrusted. Turn the microwave on for a few minutes so the heat can loosen the gunk. Then boil a lemon cut in quarters in a Pyrex measuring cup in the microwave for around three minutes. Let sit for five minutes, then remove the container and wipe clean. Use a little baking soda on a damp scrubber sponge for any stuck-on bits left. 

For cutting boards, use lemon and salt to clean and disinfect. Sprinkle with salt and scrub with the cut side of a lemon. Then simply rinse and air dry. Now it’s all clean and deodorized!

Use these kitchen hacks while winter has you stuck inside to avoid an enormous cleaning job to tackle once the weather is warm. 

KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

What a great line-up of events we have this weekend as we welcome in February 2020!

Whether you’re a whiskey aficionado or just looking for something fun to do, check out the Chicago Whiskey Festival this Saturday (1 p.m.-4 p.m.) at the Old Crow Smokehouse (149 W. Kinzie St.) in the River North neighborhood. This fest features over 30 varieties of whiskey, bourbon, and scotch from all around the world for your sampling pleasure. A VIP Admission will get you an extra hour of tastings, as well as unique tastings and one-on-one time with the distillers. So, come on out and expand your whiskey-sippin’ horizons!

Continue your Saturday evening with the Hoedown of the year, the Wild, Wild West at the Palmer House, A Hilton Hotel (17 E. Monroe St.) in The Loop from 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Put on your best cowboy hat, boots, bib and tucker as you mosey through Carson City to belly up to the open bar at the O.K. Corral or to try your hand at some River Boat Gambling. There’s also a fanciful foodie experience awaiting you with 100 different stations featuring savory gourmet food, premium bars, chocolate, pastries, and more! Time to let your Cowboy or Cowgirl out for an evening!!

If you missed the January 18th Chinese New Year Dumpling Making Dinner at the Hing Kee Restaurant (2140 S. Archer Ave.) in Chinatown, you’re in luck! This Saturday (3:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.), you can celebrate Chinese culture and the tradition of dumpling making for the Year of the Rat. There will be storytelling, dumpling making, authentic Chinese cuisine, and lots of surprises and fun as well. It’s one of the year’s most anticipated events for celebrating the Chinese New Year here in Chicago!

Continue your Year of the Rat celebration at the Lunar New Year Parade this Sunday (1:00 p.m.) kicking-off at 24th Street and Wentworth Avenue in Chinatown. This free parade features a procession heading north on Wentworth Avenue to Cermak Road with marching bands, colorful floats, and traditional lion and dragon dances. Afterward, visit this south side neighborhood’s Asian restaurants and gift shops!

It’s that time of year again to celebrate Groundhog Days this weekend in Woodstock, IL (51 miles northwest of The Loop), which is where much of the movie “Groundhog Day” with Bill Murray was filmed. There are events to please everyone during this celebration of winter. Saturday’s activities include Breakfast with Willie’s Woodland Friends, Groundhog Day Movie Display, Groundhog Day Movie Showing, Jim May’s Groundhog Tales, Groundhog Day Chili Cook-off, Walking Tour of Filming Sites, Groundhog Day Pub Crawl and more! Sunday’s events include The Groundhog Prognostication (7 a.m.), Groundhog Day Breakfast (tickets required), Groundhog Day Wood Carving, Woodstock Willie’s Family Funday and more! So, will the Groundhog see his shadow?

Finally, the San Francisco 49er’s take on the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday in Miami at the Hard Rock Stadium for Super Bowl LIV. Kick-off is 6:30 p.m. Eastern time. The National Anthem is to be performed by Demi Lovato with Half-Time Show performances by J-Lo and Shakira! Here’s a link to the Super Bowl LIV Watch Parties in Chicago and the Chicagoland area. It’s going to be a great Super Bowl! Too bad the Chicago Bears aren’t there – maybe next year!

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago

Logan Square is home to a plethora of great restaurants catering to even the most eclectic tastes. But what about when you want to have some delicious American-inspired grub devoid of pretense and heavy on flavor? Look no further than Giant located at 3209 W. Armitage, which I visited with friends on a recent freezing January night.

One can’t go wrong with anything off the menu here. Just a visit or two will prove this is no overstatement. We started the evening with the Fried Super Uni Shooter featuring creamy uni housed in a crispy shell and complemented by cucumber and soy. Yes, uni is sea urchin, but trust us, you won’t regret ordering it. In fact, this small but powerful dish is one of Giant’s fan favorites. 

The Butternut Squash featuring green curry, pepitas, and ricotta Salata is mouth-watering, offering up a collage of taste that had us ordering a second plate. Friends strongly recommended the Sortallini, and our taste buds couldn’t be happier experiencing the guanciale, pinenuts, and cheese immersed in basil sauce. 

Rounding out the evening’s appetizers was the broccoli. I was hesitant, as this veggie has historically represented a life long battle at the dinner table, but Giant’s take, featuring chickpeas, honey, and mint, was a revelation. I almost felt the need to apologize to my mom for years of avoiding broccoli, but she certainly didn’t prepare it as Giant does. 

The main course for the evening was the Chef’s Special consisting of Szechuan tofu and ground pork. Word of warning- this dish is hot and delectable. The flavors pop and complement each other in a way that words cannot do justice. Perhaps “hotilcious” would do the trick. Until Webster’s Dictionary agrees with me, I can only urge you to try this standout offering. 

It’s tight quarters at Giant with patrons packed in like sardines at the 44-seat capacity restaurant featuring whitewashed brick and wood paneling. There is no discernible theme trying to grab your attention, but when the food is this flavorful, who needs one? The portions are petite, which is a plus, as you want to try out as many of these unique dishes as possible. So make reservations at this Logan Square eatery, open from 5 pm to 10:30 pm Tuesday through Sunday, and take a giant leap in the direction of deliciousness. 

Eric Kaplan & Dean’s Team Chicago