Avoid a cold tooshie!

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved the 3 years I lived in Florida with the beautiful weather, but there's something magical about the first snowfall of the season.  On Saturday, Chicago woke up to a blanket of snow and it was so beautiful!  There's something invigorating about having 20-degree temperatures hitting your face as soon as you step outside. (Now today it's 14 degrees, so it's not really invigorating, more like painful.)

When I moved to the Midwest from Florida, I was completely unprepared, despite having grown up in Wyoming.  Somehow all my coats had disappeared and my blood had drastically thinned.  One time when I went out to eat with Mike, the waitress could see me visibly shaking and asked if I was okay.  I explained about being weak due to my time in Florida, so she brought me a hot mug of water so I could put my hands around it to warm up.  She got?  A big tip.

Now, I feel like I'm a cold-weather pro, but it took some time and learning these tips:

 * Buy a North Face coat.  Sure, you won't look original because every 3rd person in Chicago has one, but they really do work.  Go for one that hits right at the knee or below because your legs need some lovin' too.

* Wear a hat and a hood.  You'll look like a dork, but I feel like I can handle any speed of wind this city throws at me as long as my head is covered.

* Uggs are great at keeping the tootsies warm, but just remember, they are slicker than bat shi* on the ice.  The same holds true for cowboy boots and men's dress shoes. (Case in point?  Last night I was wearing Uggs, and Mike's friend was wearing dress shoes, so we both had to hold hands with Mike to avoid slipping on the ice.  I'm sure people thought we were swingers.)

* I never thought I'd say this, but dress your dogs (especially small ones.)  When temperatures hover
around 10 degrees, they need sweaters, and if there's salt on your sidewalks, they need booties too, because the salt can burn their paws.  (To get your husband/boyfriend to agree to this, just buy college/NFL sweaters with their favorite team.)

* Wear long johns.  Sure, they're not sexy, but they are a necessity.  I forgot to wear mine last night, and my legs were miserably cold.  (Mike enjoyed bragging that he'd remembered his.)

* Finally, don't be afraid to start drinking in the afternoons.  The bonus in Chicago is that it starts getting dark at 3:45 p.m., so it doesn't feel weird!

Stay warm everybody!