Well, hopefully by now you’ve shaken off the polar vortex. That was surely something to behold (and impossible to breathe in!) Unfortunately, ye old calendar tells us we have a few more months of this coming at us. Here are our best tips, tricks, and things to do to get through another Chicago winter. (Not sponsored by any of these things but any of them should feel free to holler at your girls.)

1. Drink! Alcohol helps.

We always use our “off-season” to try all of the newest bars and restaurants and imbibe in a cocktail or two. Plus, the days are so short, the darkness almost always makes it feel like it’s time for a cocktail. Neighborhood favorites include Best Intentions and Scofflaw who both make delicious and classic cocktails. Split Milk is another local favorite that honestly makes the best vodka martini we have ever had (and we aren’t wont to order vodka martinis on the regular.)

2. Moisturize.

Just continue to lather it on. Your skin, nails, and hair need it. We’ve been loving Weleda Skin Food, Burt’s Bees Hand Salve (a farmer’s friend) (duh), Keihl’s Midnight Recovery Oil, and Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil hair care line. This will make you feel like you’re summer ready and let’s keep the flakes coming from the sky and not from our skin, thankyouverymuch.

3. Hot liquid.

Copious amounts of warm liquid in your hand and headed down your belly to warm you front within helps. Drinking Chocolate from Katherine Anne Confections is the most decadent treat you won’t want to miss. Or head to Sip of Hope which is the most amazing idea for a coffee shop we’ve seen in forever. Sip of Hope is the world’s first coffee shop where 100% of proceeds support proactive suicide prevention and mental health education. WHAT? Go there immediately and give them all of your love (and money).

4. Try and leave the house.

It’s hard, we know, but it’s a good time to explore Chicago indoors because we all want to be outside all summer. Our favorite haunts to kill an afternoon are: Garfield Park Conservatory to warm right up in the fern room and look at things that are alive. Browse the salvaged pieces of Chicago history and find a treasure to bring home at Architectural Artifacts, Salvage One, and Urban Remains. They’ll remind you why we live here, I promise. 

5. Hunker down.

If it’s really, super miserable then order Grubhub (tip your delivery driver generously) and catch up on these amazing shows we’ve been loving. Schitt’s Creek is the best thing we’ve seen in ages, Moira Rose is an unbelievable character that makes us jealous we aren’t actors. It’s hilarious and heartwarming and as soon as we catch up to the end, we are starting it again. Three Identical Strangers is the fascinating documentary of triplets who were separated at birth and adopted by three families who knew nothing of the siblings. Twists and turns throughout will have you hanging on every word until the end. Windy City Rehab is the newest HGTV show where hometown gal Alison Victoria tears apart old uglies and sells the brand-new beauties for handfuls of cash. If you love interior design, this is a fun one to watch with a set you probably recognize.

6. Make some plans.

Nothing helps us get through bad weather more than thinking about heading to a warm destination or planning for summer weddings! And, of course, if you want help planning that summer wedding, you know just where to find us.

Here’s the thing you have to remember: winter is finite, and it’ll be over soon(ish!) Enjoy the slow times where there’s no pressure to leave the house, but please do remember to leave the house at least a few times.

*eye candy courtesy of The Kismet Collective (photos 1 & 3), Jeremy Lawson Photography (photos 2 & 4), and Sally O’Donnell Photography (photo 5).