Moving into a Chicago apartment from a warmer climate can bring with it a bit of culture shock. Not only is this city big – very big – it also has some rather fickle winters. It can be quite comfortable one day and below freezing the next. So, how can a new Chicago resident stay warm in the winter and still feel at home?
Chicago’s Millenium Park in Winter mode
It all comes down to making an apartment cozy and welcoming. There are some incredible ways to enjoy a warm winter atmosphere, even if it’s freezing outside.
Beyond turning up the heat or pulling out a ton of space heaters, these tips can help any Chicago transplant stay warm and cozy in the winter:
Buy throw blankets. Add soft, warm and cozy blankets to an apartment-decorating scheme. Not only can the right blankets look incredible, they will give an apartment home a welcoming feel. They also are ideal for helping one enjoy a warm winter indoors.
Bake or cook at home. Nothing warms up a Chicago apartment faster and makes it feel more like home than turning on an oven and having a fresh-baked smell waft through the air. If baking and cooking aren’t personal strong suits, consider buying oven ready cookie and bread dough. Having a nice, hot pot of soup on the stove can work wonders for warming not only the apartment, but also residents from the inside out.
Use the cozy fireplace!
Use fireplaces. Some Chicago apartments do have fireplaces. If one is included in your personal rental, use it!
Dress the part. Half the fun of living in Chicago in the winter is trying to stay warm and stylish at the same time. Buy plenty of sweaters, fleece jackets, a heavy duty down jacket, robes and other colder-weather wear for indoor use. These articles will help you stay warm and cozy. Also, invest in a nice comfy, cozy pair of slippers. Your feet will thank you!
Replace toilet seats. If you happen to be from the south, you probably haven’t had the displeasure of sitting on a stone cold commode in the middle of winter. If hard plastic or porcelain grace the seat of a commode, replace the seat immediately. Go for wood, which doesn’t tend to get quite as cold, or cushioned plastic.
Enjoying a warm winter indoors is not an impossible undertaking no matter what the outside thermostat says. With the right steps, a Chicago apartment can always present itself with a welcoming, cozy atmosphere.
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