I’ve been trying to get into a community garden here in the neighborhood and am looking forward to maybe next year being my year. The garden at 61st street has been kind of in limbo due to a pending construction project at the University of Chicago. Currently the garden is on University property and they are trying to find a new home for it or try to keep it where it is. I got an email update yesterday saying that they might try to expand the number of people who can have plots by breaking it up into several different locations throughout the neighborhood.

I’m a little bummed that I didn’t get into the garden this year but we did get to plant some tomatoes and chard at my parents’ place in WI. I’m going to check on the tomatoes on Thursday. Hopefully they’re ripe!

When you don’t have you’re own outdoor space you’re at the mercy of others to some extent. Ideally I’d just dig up the front or back yard and plant a garden there but I’m not sure my neighbors would be into it. Our yards are completely wasted space. Maybe next year I can talk them into letting me carve out some gardening space, or maybe they’d be more into having some hens in the yard. Eggs for everyone!

For the past year or two my allergies have been building and building. I was never allergic to anything as a child but things change as you get older. I definitely have some tree pollen allergies and wine. Red wine is worse but I’ve noticed white wine makes me have a sneezing fit too.

This spring they were pretty bad and I started taking an OTC allergy medication. It helped but I don’t really like taking medications unless I really have to. My allergies aren’t pleasant but it’s not like they interfere with being able to function and do daily activities. So I stopped taking the medication and I’m back to watery eyes and sneezing.

My husband keeps trying to get me to do something about it and heard from a co-worker that eating local honey can help with allergies. It’s a folk-remedy and it doesn’t work for everyone but I’m willing to try it and see if it helps.

The theory behind it is that the bees who live around you are collecting pollen from the local plants and flowers and bits of that pollen is in the honey.  The honey acts as an immune booster and can help reduce your reaction to those pollens over time. I’ve read a few different articles and people suggest taking a small amount at first, maybe starting with a half teaspoon a day and increasing it to 1 or 2 teaspoons. You should ideally start the process a couple months before the pollen season.

It seems like it would work. It’s kind of the same idea behind allergy shots. You expose your body to a small manageable dose of the allergen so when you are exposed to a large amount you are better equipped to dealing with it.

So the hunt began for local honey. I remember reading an article a while ago about the City Hall apiary and their famous ‘Roof Top Honey’. I also read that it’s really hard to track down and pretty pricey, though the proceeds do go to Gallery 37 which is a great organization.

I decided to just take a look at the grocery store yesterday and try to find some local honey there. They had some from Indiana, close but not close enough.

After a little more digging I found the Chicago Honey Co-Op! It’s located about 13 miles from my house. Can’t really get much closer than that. I’m going to buy some this week and start the experiment.

A little disclaimer here.. I’m not a doctor. There is no scientific evidence that this will work and if you have really severe allergies this might not be the right answer for you.

I will definitely post an update on my progress. If anyone else has tried this and has any opinions or tips please let me know!

The major challenges to keeping the place cool are
#1 We’re on the 3rd floor
#2 South facing windows
#3 No shade from other buildings to keep the sun from beating down on the brick all day

We did inherit a window ac unit with the place which is good but it’s not big enough to cool the whole place. And it’s in our dining room. We have a blow up mattress in there just in case we can’t take the heat and need to sleep in a cooler room. So far we haven’t had to use it.

So I’ve been doing some research to see if there’s anything I can do besides buying an additional ac unit to keep the place cooler. Of course just buying another unit would be the quick and easy fix but I don’t want to spend the money to buy and run it right now.

Here are some things I’ve done that have helped a little and a couple others that are on my to do list.

1. Fans Fans Fans – Fans are really cheap to run. We have a ceiling fan in the bedroom and have been setting up a standing oscillating fan as well as a box fan at night. It’s been in the mid-90′s and I have to say it helps but isn’t completely perfect. The circulating air feels much cooler than still air.
2. Close the Blinds or Curtains – The main objective has been to try to keep the heat out. Closing the blinds the ‘wrong’ way, with the blades facing up keeps more sun out. This has helped keep our South facing living room much cooler.
3. Use a Dehumidifier – My in-laws who live in Texas suggested this. Drier air feels much cooler.
4. Wear Natural Fabrics – Dress for the weather.  Seems like kind of a no-brainer but try to wear clothes that breathe and are loose fitting.
5. Shut Off Heat Generating Appliances – Keeps tabs on lights, appliances and computers. Shut off what you can.
6. Avoid Cooking,Laundry, and Showers at the Hottest Part of the Day – If you can’t avoid these then try to ventilate the room to get the excess heat and humidity out.
7. Drink Water – Stay hydrated! If you get really hot run cold water on or put ice on your wrists.

After many months of anticipation farmer’s market season is upon us! Yay!

I have my list of markets to check out and at the top of the list is the 61st Street Farmer’s Market. It’s one of the independently run markets in the city and I’m really hoping it’s good. My goal for the summer is to get as much food as I can from the farmer’s markets hopefully it’s as easy as I think it should be.

Here’s some more info on the market. The 61st Street Farmer’s Market open May 16th and will be happening every Saturday thru October 31st 9am-2pm. They have a lot of special guest speakers, cooking demonstrations and a variety of other events going on throughout the year so check out their website or become a fan on Facebook.

If you live in Chicago and are looking for a market near you, check out the Explore Chicago website.

If you live anywhere else Local Harvest has listings for most of the rest of the country.

This month has been really busy. I have been slacking on my duties here.

I have been a little preoccupied with the nice change in weather and taking a photography class. This winter was really long and lately I’ve been feeling a little bored. Business is good but after doing similar projects over and over for the past 2 1/2 years I needed to shake it up a bit. So I signed up for a photography class.

I’ve been wanting to get a nicer camera for a while but was a little intimidated about learning how to use manual settings. This was the perfect time to dive in since I have someone to ask when I get stuck. The ‘new’ camera is great, I love it. The class is a perfect outlet for me right now and gives me an excuse to take pictures.

In other exciting news, we’re going to Australia in September! Yay! I’m trying to focus on being excited about seeing Australia and not the 17 hours on a plane + 10 hour layover it will take to get there. So that’s exciting. I figure if I make it through the trip there without totally freaking out I can pretty much fly anywhere. My flying anxiety has been getting better over the past couple years and hopefully this trip will help.

The new house is still great. We’ve done some more decorating and painting. It’s coming together nicely. I’m absolutely in love with Hyde Park. I don’t think we could’ve found a more perfect place for us to live right now.

So things are good.

Now that I’ve finally starting recycling on a regular basis I’ve started thinking about composting. Though I’ve noticed a huge reduction in the amount of garbage we’re producing, it’s still not as good as it could be.

My husband and I cook quite a bit and I’d say probably about 60-70% of our garbage now is probably compostable.

I’m really interested in starting a compost bin but I have a couple reservations about it. The biggest one being the smell. I know if you do it properly it’s not supposed to smell at all, supposedly. My sense of smell is really sensitive and I find it really hard to believe that rotting organic matter in a closed bin isn’t going to have some sort of odor. Another reservation I have is attracting bugs.

One of my biggest issues previously with the idea of composting was what to do with the compost itself. I didn’t have a garden or a lawn, just a couple house plants. Now we do have a courtyard and some trees, it’s a shared outdoor space but at least I have a use for the compost.

I’ve started doing some research again on the subject and found this great website that talks about composting in the city. I wonder if there’s a similar program in Chicago…

The New York City Composting Project

The Chicago Recycling Coalition has some great info as well.

Another website with a lot of info on composting is MasterComposter.com

A link to some books on the subject

Every year Preservation Chicago publishes a list of the seven most endangered buildings in Chicago. One of the buildings on the list this year is St. Boniface Church in West Town.

For some reason I feel a special attachment to this building and am hoping that someone does something great with it. Nine of my eleven years in Chicago have been spent living within a few blocks on Saint Boniface and I always enjoyed looking at it.

The Saint Boniface website has a lot of pictures of the building in its current state and a few from its glory days as well as information on how you can help get this building landmarked.

Finally we are mostly settled into the new place. We at least have everything out of the old place now and have handed off the keys. Still a few things to find places for and organize but for the most part it’s starting to feel like home.

What a crazy couple weeks. Well couple months actually. I’m glad it’s over!

Here are a couple things I learned while going through the home buying process for the first time.

1. It is not nearly as regimented and absolute as I thought it would be. Be prepared to fly by the seat of your pants a little.

2. Communication is key. Make sure the people you are working with are organized and good communicators. We were lucky to be working with some great people but the seller’s agents were a little frustrating.

3. Don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone a little as far as location of properties. I’m really glad we decided to check out this neighborhood. It wasn’t on the top of my list but as it turns out I couldn’t imagine a more perfect area for us to live in. 

4. Be prepared for extra costs at closing! This was a really big one for us. Make sure you have some extra ‘just in case’ money hanging out. 

5. Relax, try not to get too stressed out about all the paperwork and emails. It’s crazy and daunting and overwhelming but it’s all worth it!

6. Get movers! It’s so worth the little extra money. 3 1/2 hours and we were all done. There is no way we could’ve moved all our stuff up to the 3rd floor without them.

7. Educate yourself on the home buying process as much as possible. Do your own research on different types of loan programs available, and what to look for at inspection etc. Learn as much as you can before you get started, it’ll really help.

I love the new place but I’m a little sad about saying goodbye to the old one. Yesterday when we left I got a little teary. I felt silly about it but that place will always have a special place in my heart. 

I’m excited for this weekend! I have a good friend coming for a visit to keep me company while the hubby is out of town playing some shows. I’m looking forward to relaxing, watching movies and enjoying the new place.

16 days until we close. Time was going so slow a week ago and now I can see the finish line. I still have the little bit of anxiety about something falling through at the last minute but mostly I’m excited.

The thing I’m most excited about is we were able to change our closing date and we’re now moving on my 11 year anniversary of living in Chicago. I like when things work out like that. And it’s also Valentine’s Day. The best Valentine’s Day present ever, for sure! 

I’m still looking for a new obsession to focus all the house hunting energy into.. That’ll come naturally I’m sure.

Winter is still winter. Gray, snowy, really cold. The other night after freezing my ass off walking the dog I came in and got right on the computer and ordered some long underwear and proper gloves. Finally I’m warm for the first time all winter. It’s really nice.

Still feeling a little sad about leaving our apartment but I have to say I will not miss the outrageous heating bills and still being cold in the house. Right now I have thermal shirt, Patagonia thermal hoodie, long underwear bottoms, jeans, thermal socks, slipper boots and a hat on. The heat is at 75. Exposed brick looks pretty but it’s not very energy efficient at all. There is no insulation between the outside wall and the interior.

Only a couple more weeks and I’ll be basking in the warmth of radiator heat, yay!