A Worthy Investment: Car Maintenance Skills You Can Learn At Home

08/16/2019 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

car maintenance, cars, automotive, technician, tech, mechanic — https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-touching-gray-metal-rod-on-vehicle-engine-1266019/

Americans generally have a great love affair with cars. After all, they spend an average of 45 minutes doing car-related tasks per day, according to the US Department of Labor. As cars are considered to be good investments, it makes sense to pick up knowledge that would help you care for that investment. It’s good then that there are car maintenance skills that you can learn at home.

Tire Replacement

A recent AAA survey found that around 20% of Americans do not know how to replace a flat tire. It’s a fairly simple procedure that will require that you invest in a few other tools such as a jack, a lug wrench, a pry bar, and a spare tire. If you’re not quite sure what to do, you can go online and load up helpful tutorials on popular platforms like YouTube or use an app. If you learn how to do it yourself, you can save up anywhere from $100-$300 per tire. It also saves you from having to call a tow truck service if you get a flat tire on the road.

Small Paint Touch-Ups

Cars are a thing of beauty but they are prone to visible aesthetic damage—otherwise called paint dings or scratches. If you leave any paint chips open, you risk leaving your car vulnerable to rust damage, says Paul Wright of Popular Mechanics. Thankfully, small paint touch-ups can be something that you can learn to do in your own home. The reviews of Automotivetouchup.com recommend choosing as close a match to your car’s paint and apply clear coat afterward. It gives your car’s surface an extra layer of protection. An added bonus is that a small paint touch-up should only take about 30 minutes or so.

Checking Car Oil

Your car’s oil helps protect the engine by keeping its components cool and properly lubricated. It follows that, over time, the oil will get dirty and even low. It’s recommended that you check the level of the oil each week by pulling out the dipstick, wiping it clean, putting it back in, taking it out, and checking the level once again. There are marker lines that should tell you what the proper level of the oil should be. If the level of the oil is below the marker lines, you’d better get the oil changed. Of course, you can change the oil yourself—another skill you can master at home.

Any skills that you learn that can help you maintain your car is a good investment of time and effort. Learning car maintenance skills will give you a chance to be hands-on with your car’s care and save money. More importantly, you’ll also have precious skills that you can pass on to your children.

Going Healthy, Health, Life

How to Get a Better Night’s Sleep

08/07/2019 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

There are plenty of things that can influence our day, things that make it enjoyable or a day that you wish would be over as soon as possible. While some of the things that influence the day can be beyond our control, some are very much influenced by us. Take, for example, our sleep, which is something that has a huge impact on how we feel the following day. If we’re well-rested, then we feel good; if we had a rough night, then we’re more irritable. If you often struggle to hit the land of Nod, then take our tips below, which will make it easier to have a restful evening.

sleep, health, bed, bedtime, night — Source: Pexels.com

Improve the Bedroom

You can’t just slump yourself down into a bed, and hope to fall asleep. There’s a big difference between a high-quality and low-quality mattress and duvet, and only one of them is going to give you the comfort you need to drift off. So first, take a look at your bedding, and see if there’s a way to improve it — everyone has their own preference when it comes to their bedding; you’ll know what’s right for you. Elsewhere, you can look at making the room overall more conducive to relaxation. For example, you can adopt a minimalist approach: it’s much easier to sink into that relaxed state of mind if you’re not surrounded by clutter.

Limiting Sound and Noise

Even if your room is comfortable, you’ll find it difficult to hit the hay if there’s too much light and noise in your bedroom. To take care of these issues, you can do things such as soundproof your room and get blackout curtains. If the issue is only minor, then an eye mask and earplugs will probably be enough. If your neighbors are the ones keeping you up, then talk to them — most people are more than happy to quieten down once they understand that they’re negatively affecting other people.

No More Kicks and Rolling Over

It could be the case that you have no problem whatsoever falling and staying asleep, but there’s another issue: your partner keeps kicking you or rolling you over. If you snore, then this will be a regular occurrence. And you can’t blame them — no-one wants to listen to that sound all night! You can look at putting the problem behind you by working with an ENT doctor. They’ll be able to provide the help that can reduce the issue. If you’re one of those people who struggle to sleep with other people, then look at finding a new bed arrangement that works for you. Or you can sleep in separate beds (it’s not traditional, but studies have shown that couples who do stay together for longer).

Relaxing Evenings
One of the mistakes that people make is that they expect just to fall asleep the second they get into bed. But if your mind isn’t ready for sleep, then you’ll just be lying there, and then you’ll get annoyed that you can’t fall asleep, and everything will be even more difficult. As such, one recommended method is to spend the two hours before you want to go to sleep relaxing your mind. You’ll be more likely to sleep if you’ve been reading, you’ve taken a bath, you’ve taken your cbn for sleep gummies, you’re all-around in a restful state of mind. Also, do your best to limit the screen time in the run-up to bedtime. Those flashing lights and beeping noises and finger activity keep your mind alert when you’re trying to calm it down.

Lifestyle Choices

You’ll also want to see if you’re doing anything that’ll keep you in a state of alertness before you fall asleep. For example, if you’re drinking coffee after 5pm or having a sugary drink in the evening, then you can’t be too surprised if you’re not falling asleep as quickly as you’d like. Also, a word on alcohol — while it might seem like it helps you to hit the hay, it affects the quality of your sleep, so you might wake up tired (even if you think you’ve been asleep for hours, you haven’t been in “deep sleep” mode — and that’s what counts).

Use Up Your Energy
Finally, take a look at what you’re doing during the day. If you haven’t used up your energy, then you’ll have no need to be asleep! So if this is a consistent issue, look at filling your day with more activities, such as running, or working on creative projects. You’ll soon be ready to crawl into bed.

Life, Lifestyle

Car Lovers: Jaguar

08/02/2019 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

Are you a car lover? If so, then surely you must be a fan of Jaguar? The British car manufacturer has long been a favorite across the world. It is a brand which is appreciated by keen motor vehicle enthusiasts just as much as those who aren’t really interested in cars unless they are on the hunt for a new one to drive. The reason why it has such a wide fan base is because of the sheer level of quality associated with the manufacturer. Not only this, but many would agree that Jaguar vehicles are some of the most suave and stylish cars you will find on the market today.

If you are a fan of Jaguar the fun doesn’t stop once the car hunt is over. You also have the fantastic Jaguar merchandise collection as well. This is a range of brilliant Jaguar products. It encompasses everything from teddy bears, to model cars, to mugs, to pens, to key rings, and so on and so forth. This is a collection which you should definitely consider checking out, and here are the reasons why…

jaguar, cars, car lover, automotive, transportation, fast, enthusiast, expensive, luxury — https://www.pexels.com/photo/automobile-automotive-car-chrome-434433/

Remember what we were just saying about Jaguar being associated with mass quality? Well, this is something that is not only reflected in the vehicles they sell but also the merchandise they have on offer as well. Quality lies at the very core of all products available. However, just because these products are high in terms of standard does not mean they are highly-priced. You may not be able to afford a Jaguar vehicle but this is a great way to become involved with the brand. You also have car upgrades as well. Solomotoparts is a good place for upgrades like this.

When it comes to Jaguar merchandise, the products are extremely stylish. From the pens to the mugs; sleek, sophisticated and suave are three words you can associate with all goods on-site. If you are looking for a brand new office pen, the Jaguar one will command attention. Are you looking for a way to add style and personality to the home? Why not go for a Jaguar model car? Or maybe you want your mug to stand out from the crowd in the kitchen cupboard at work? You guessed it; go for the Jaguar one. This is not just a collection which relies on the brand’s name. It truly excels when it comes to design and construction. Kids products are also available too.

In fact, this is represented no better than by the selection of clothing incorporated into the range. All pieces are extremely fashionable. When car brands and other companies who don’t have fashion at their core start to produce clothing they tend to just go for plain t-shirts with the brand’s name splashed across the front. You won’t see that with Jaguar. They have worked hard to present contemporary cool clothing and their garments are all bang on-trend.

Last but not least, a final reason why you should check out the Jaguar collection is that there are lots of products which would make great present ideas. We all know how difficult shopping for a man can be. Well, the Jaguar collection makes it somewhat easy.