KIDS’ STUFF
Snowy fun is not all in the wrist
Sweaty hands on top of icy wrists have cut short many an afternoon of sledding and snowball fighting.
L-Bow Mittens solved the problem of heat-seeking snow some years ago with its children’s gloves and mittens that extend to the elbow.
Now Deering Management, the 13-year-old Minnesota company that introduced L-Bows, has a line that’s not just waterproof but also breathable to wick away sweat.
Q’s official 6-year-old guinea pig pulled on a pair for a sledding excursion at Gompers Park on the Northwest Side on a recent 25-degree day. He reported warm, dry hands throughout, and the gauntlet style kept the snow out and the gloves on. This allowed him two hours of uninterrupted sledding, which might have gone on longer if his mother had been half as warm as he was.
L-Bow’s breathable gloves and mittens, $22.99 to $24.99, are available at MC Sports, Erehwon Mountain Outfitters and Gander Mountain stores, at 888-648-8367, and at www.lbow.com.
— Nancy Watkins
HOME
A filter for those waiting to inhale with ease
Getting a breath of fresh air is tough this time of year. With windows closed, we inhale dry, stagnant stuff.
For a little relief, we tried the new ClimateWizard, a combo humidifier, air purifier and fan.
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The setup was a breeze–we just hauled the 30-inch-high portable unit out of the box, filled it with water and turned it on. Still, in our four-cat, two-dog home–which means our airborne particles include loads of pet dander–we had our doubts about how much good it would do.
But within a few hours, the air felt moist and fresh. We even had less static electricity. (We could tell because our cats weren’t walking around looking as if they’d been struck by lightning.)
Convair, ClimateWizard’s maker, says the unit works by drawing contaminant-laden particles through a purifying filter, then passing the cleaned air through a moisturizer pad. The refreshed air is then circulated throughout the home. (One unit is designed to work for a small home.) We just know our place felt better, even smelled better. And that can only be a good thing.
The main hangup with most humidifiers and air fresheners is the upkeep hassle. But again, we’re talking breeze here. ClimateWizard’s moisture pad needs to be cleaned with a hose every few years (love that); the filter should be changed yearly ($9.99 replacements are ordered through a toll-free number).
ClimateWizard sells for $169 and is available at Sam’s Clubs, Samsclub.com and Costco.com. For more information, go to www.climatewizard.com.
— Devin Rose
LIBATION
A drink that stands up to the weather
If the search party finds someone naked in the snow, still wearing a smile, it might well be that the snow bunny has just visited the Wave restaurant’s bar at 644 N. Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. It’s there that executive chef David Murphy and crew have turned aquavit, the Scandinavian elixir, into a mixed drink ($8), with a blend of Syrian honey, orange blossom and black pepper, all shaken up with ice and served in a proper glass.
“We were looking for something to go with the Ice Bar,” Murphy said. (The hotel restaurant’s new Ice Bar includes oysters, salmon and shrimp.) “So we looked at the places where those foods are a tradition, and aquavit comes from one of them. I tasted the aquavits we had available and chose Linie.”
Linie is the pride of Norway–or, at least, one of the many prides of Norway. The caraway-flavored liquor is put into casks and schlepped below the equator and back on ships. This allows it to slosh around in the wooden barrels, giving it a deeper, richer character.
A beginner might think of it as a kind of gasoline, but once converted, a drinker will find few more satisfying treats.
A purist might frown on mixing aquavit with anything, like you wouldn’t want your child hanging out with the wrong crowd, but this concoction actually works.
We tested the mixed version for weather-worthiness this way, with a walk from Tribune Tower to the restaurant, nearly a mile, in a lake-effect snow. On the way to the restaurant, we were cold. On the way back, we didn’t care.
Health experts will tell you that alcohol is the last thing to drink when venturing out. But this stuff felt like liquid goose-down. You could still die of hypothermia, but you’ll do it happily.
— Ross Werland