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Easy DIY Car Maintenance With Kids

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DotComDIY #CollectiveBias

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I’ve been against going to a shop for simple car services and all about performing easy DIY car maintenance for years. It saves time, money, and leaves you with a greater sense of satisfaction. Plus, it allows you to connect with your car. Yes, even if it’s a rusty ’88 Cutlass Supreme that rocks more than a boat in high winds, it’s yours, have some pride.

Before we had our daughter, diy car maintenance was easy. Just go buy everything I need, bring it back, and get to work on changing the oil and oil filter, replacing the air filter, checking tire pressure, replacing windshield wipers, etc. But now that she’s almost always by my side, it’s not as simple as just leaving to get what I need. Especially when there’s only so much time in the day to play! Now I know why places that offer simple car maintenance and inspections like the Sacramento smog inspection service are so popular. It’s literally a one-stop shop!

As someone who despises crowded stores and out-of-stock items, I’ve become an avid online shopper over the years and decided to search for my car maintenance necessities online. Knowing Walmart.com has a wide variety of items for all of our daily needs, I searched and quickly found everything needed for easy DIY car maintenance. Even better, they have many Pennzoil products on rollback for a limited time which had me quickly clicking “Add to Cart” to take advantage of the savings.

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I added a few more items need for my car and checked out. No lines, no time spent lugging my poor girl around a crowded store, and plenty of money saved. When ordering online, you have the option of products being shipped directly to your home, picking up in-store or curbside assistance. Naturally, I chose shipping right to our home.

A few days later, my order arrived securely packaged. But the secure packaging was no match for my crazy kid little helper.

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She tore right through that orange tape to see what could possibly be inside. To our daughter, anything and everything is hers or she repeatedly claims that she wants something without knowing what it is. This is one of those times.

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“Oohhhh, it’s…..”

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“……a long yellow…stick?”

She wasn’t sure what to make of the wiper blade, but I took the advantage of her interest in the new wiper blade to show her where it belonged on my car and explained its purpose.

The other box had more maintenance goodies including the other wiper blade,  oil filters, and of course the Pennzoil Full Synthetic Premium Motor Oil I order with rollback savings.

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With PurePlus™ Technology which converts natural gas into a 99.5% pure base oil, Pennzoil full synthetic premium motor oil offers the best cleanliness and protection in its line-up. If you made the mistake of using lower quality oils in the past, never fear, Pennzoil helps clean out any sludge they left behind. With all of these benefits, it’s no wonder Pennzoil provides better protection from friction than other motor oils.

With the time saved by ordering from Walmart.com, I was able to spend it in the garage performing the easy diy car maintenance tasks with my kid close by lending a helping hand.

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Together, we changed the oil and oil filter (be sure to use standard safety precautions and refer to the owner’s manual for your car before changing the oil), check the tire pressure, and replaced the wiper blades. She even helped by reading the instructions.

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Not that I really needed them, I knew what I was doing the whole time. 🙂

There are many other DIY car maintenance jobs that anyone can do, but I wanted to keep it short and sweet for our toddler’s introduction to car maintenance. She may not be a baby, but baby steps are still required. Actually, that holds true all the way into adulthood!

To learn more about Pennzoil, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Afterward, head on over to Walmart.com for rollback savings on Pennzoil products along with a host of other items you need every day, shipped right to your door.

Kore Essentials Trakline Express Belt: Upgrade Your Style

I shared my review of the Kore Essentials Trakline Belt several months ago, and now they’ve introduced a new model; the Express Buckle!

 

Since my initial review, the Trakline is the only belt I’ve worn. From date night to family occasions, I never had to “waist” time with what belt to wear, the Kore Essentials Trakline was a no-brainer. And it’s wife approved!

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*cough* Valentine’s Day is coming. *cough*

As a guy who despises having to wear anything that requires a belt, I find that this belt makes it easier for me to accept. And for good reason, it looks damn good and will last forever!

For Kore’s new Express line, they are running a Kickstarter campaign to help get this belt out to the men that want/need a good belt. Even my good dad blogger buddy, Gary (aka Mr. Skipah) is raving about Kore. He better make sure his style is upgraded now that he’s upgraded his living arrangements! 😉

Joking aside, do Karl from Kore (that flows well, huh?) a huge favor and head on over to support their new Trakline Express making it to production. As a small business turning out high quality products, every little bit helps. Plus, you even get a reward when you give your support!

To help with further persuasion (if you even need it), I have my original review below. You can thank Gary for giving me the idea.


 

No belt holes, but it’s still a belt?

This was my initial thought when I first heard of Kore Essentials and their Trakline belts. They have zero holes, are made of 100% full grain leather, and can be adorned with several unique, fashionable buckles that are solid stainless steel or high-grade alloy.

I love being limited to how my belt fits based on the one-inched spaced holes it has and how ragged it looks after wearing it a while. Said no one, ever.

But this is the case for those primitive belts with holes. Thanks to Kore Essentials, that’s all changed. Their Trakline belts are not only appealing to the eye, they’re high quality pieces of wearable waist art that will last virtually forever!

Trakline Belt vs Belt Holes (657x313)

There’s a reason they are the #1 rated men’s belt on according to customers on Amazon.com, and it’s not because they smell pretty. Actually, the leather is quite pleasant. 🙂

Here’s the 411 on why the Trakline Belt is better than those other belts, direct from the Kore Essentials site:

FUNCTION
NO more belt holes to stretch out, wear out, or punch out yourself. Instead a hidden track sewn into the back of the belt and unique,
patent-pending buckle create a precise fit every time you put it on. The track features 40+ sizing positions (1/4″ increments), making
Trakline belts 8X’s more adjustable than a tradional men’s belt (5 one-inch holes). A discreet tab under the buckle allows you to easily
adjust, or remove the belt fast. Honestly guys, it feels like the belt of the future.

FASHION
We’ve designed a limited collection of classically cool men’s belt buckles for work, play and dress. At last, a mens belt that’s smart, stylish,
and simple to use. Makes a desirable gift for fathers, dads, grads, groommen and any guy looking to upgrade.

FORM
Our men’s belts are constructed of premium Full-Grain Leather (the best grade of leather). Full-grain leather improves with age, conforming
to your actual waist shape. The stainless steel buckles are handformed, 16 gauge, solid stainless steel and the alloy buckles are a high-grade
zinc. We built our belts – to last.

SIZING
Trakline belts fit any waist size from 24” up to 44” (XL sizes to 54″). Try on the belt, then trim off the excess leather (using household scissors)
to attain your optimal size range. Then the 10″ track creates a precise fit as your waist fluctuates in and out every day.

GUARANTEE
If you don’t completely love yourTrakline belt, just send it back within thirty days for a full refund. And of course all our products come with a
one-year, warranty against defects and breakage, to keep you happy.

MISSION
We set out to redefine those basic, essentials items you use each day. Our approach is pure >> blend innovation with superior materials to create
unique, more exciting products that exceed expectations

Annndd, if that weren’t enough, it doubles as a bottle opener! Sold. Where were they when I had a date night with my wife and spent forever trying to open our beer with my crappy, worn out belt with holes?

No funny thoughts.....
No funny thoughts…..

Yes, we were in the car, no, nothing like that. We ate and drank before in the parking lot before going inside to see the Imagine Dragons in concert. It was a great time, but could’ve been better if I had a better belt like the Trakline.

Thanks to the wonderful Karl and all of the Kore Essentials team, I am now the proud owner of their black genuine leather belt with stainless steel Evolve Buckle they sent me to review.

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It comes with a handy belt hanger (that plastic thing that looks like a giant two-prong fuse), that allows you to easily hang your prized pants-holder-upper right next to your pants!

The included instructions on how to measure and trim the belt to your appropriate size confused me at first, but then I realized it was just the user….me! Essential-y (see what I did there?), if you have a good idea of your pant waist size, you can go with that number and trim off the excess leather that’s conveniently marked.

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Then just clamp the buckle receptacle in place and you’re good to go. Being the goof that I am, I failed to take a picture of the full process, but lucky for you (and me), Kore Essentials has a handy dandy video to watch if needed.

After trimming off your excess leather, do NOT throw it away! It’s a little known fact that things not intended to be toddler toys, are in fact, perfect toddler toys!

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Avery loved running around with this quality leather strap and completely ignored her actual toys for a full day! Even Going Mom was impressed.

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I made use of my fancy new belt for a date night with Kelley last weekend and simply loved how perfect if fit around my waist. No in between holes where it’s too tight or too lose, it was just right. Hence the boyish smile I had when posting my attire on Instagram.

The shirt was tucked in to give a good view of the belt, but I quickly had to un-tuck after the picture was taken. We never had to open a beer bottle that day, but it was nice knowing I could if I needed to!

One of the great things about the belt is how easy and fast it is to adjust. After gulping a liter of water, I needed to loosen up a little, and with the Trakline, I could even do it on the “fly”. Bam, I’m on fire!

I love having a belt I can count on and quickly get on and off, and this belt allows just that. Plus it looks good, will last me a long time, and it looks good. Wait, did I already say that?

Intrepid & Eclipse gunmetal buckles

 

This would make a perfect gift for the upcoming Father’s Day holiday, or as a “just cuz” gift to the man in your life. Head over to the Kore Essentials site and pick one or a few belts and use code SAVE15 to save 15% off your order.

Polo Sport by Ralph Lauren: My Top 5 Fitness Apparel Picks

This post is sponsored by Vocalpoint and Dick’s Sporting Goods. All opinions are my own.

When it comes to shopping for all things sports and fitness related, it’s a good idea to choose a sporting goods store that is truly passionate about what they sell. At DICK’s Sporting Goods®, you’ll find just that, along with excellent service and great prices on name brand equipment, apparel, and accessories. From gym-sized exercise equipment to fishing lures, DICK’s has the quality products you need and want. So, it should come as no surprise that they now carry Polo Sport® by Ralph Lauren, a new collection of men’s activewear.

Found in select DICK’s Sporting Goods locations, I ventured to the nearby DICK’s at The Parks in Arlington, TX to treat myself to a few of the new Polo Sport items. I thought it might be hard to navigate my way to find where Polo Sport was located within the large sporting goods retailer, but it was hard to miss the bold sign proclaiming its presence.

Ralph Lauren Polo Sport

I’m just glad I didn’t have to stop and ask this guy. I think he was in the middle of auditioning for Iron Mannequin.

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Hey, I claim to love puns, but never said I’m good at them!

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The layout was filled with activewear designed for top notch looks and performance in the cold or heat. The cold weather gear was tempting, but I find myself indoors or in a heated garage since Avery is usually with me when working out, so I gravitated towards the shorts and short sleeved shirts.

I found plenty of items I wanted to take home, but lets face it, spending a lot on myself right before Christmas would just be wrong. Obviously, I can wait to return that scratchy wool sweater from Aunt Sally and then go back to buy more! 😉

With the approaching holiday in mind, I narrowed my selection to 5 favorite fitness apparel items to bring home and start “playing” with right away. Having had the chance to wear and workout in my chosen items, I figured I’d share my top 5 with you.

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  1. Polo Sport Men’s Performance Jersey T-Shirt – This is my new favorite shirt. I love the deep blue color and the comfortable fit allows me to move as it keeps me cool for the indoor workouts I’ve been doing lately. Not covering our floors in sweat is vital to stay in good standing with the wife too!
  2. Polo Sport Men’s Performance Jersey Long Sleeve Shirt – Same as the T-Shirt but with long sleeves, I like having this for when I venture outside and it’s actually cold here in North Texas. Right now it’s been in the 70’s so I still wear my T-Shirt when going out for a run/walk/playground time.
  3. Polo Sport Men’s Tech Fleece Hoodie – Even as a lover of heat, there’s just something I enjoy about a good hoodie, and Polo Sport got it right with this one. When I can wear winter clothes that won’t interfere with my chosen workout for the day, well, that’s just awesome. Somehow, this comfy hoodie manages to keep me feeling warm and doesn’t get in the way of doing back squats and kettlebell swings in a cold garage when the heater stops working.Polo-Sport-Ralph-Lauren-Hat-Close-Up
  4. Polo Sport Men’s Stretch-Fit Performance Cap – My big noggin usually will not accommodate anything but the hair growing out of it, but after trying on this hat, I’m willing to reconsider. It’s designed for ultimate performance during intense workouts, but I like just having a hat I actually enjoy wearing. Polo-Sport-Ralph-Lauren-Hat-2Yes, so much so that I even take smiling selfies of myself with it on. Ralph Lauren Polo Sport, activewear, fitness
  5. Polo Sport Men’s Jersey Active 10” Shorts – Helllloooo, comfort! I’m extremely peculiar about having good shorts, and when I find a pair I like, I’ll wash them every day just so I can keep wearing them. Just a pull of the drawstring gives me a custom fit and their moisture-wicking fabric keeps me dry and stench free. Not to mention the 10″ inseam protects from any “exposure issues” when working out. All good things for something who likes to use the rower.

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Bonus points for being able to right to playtime after an intense workout and not smelling or dripping sweat like a wet dog. Avery appreciates it.

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Any or all of these would make a great gift someone you know or for yourself. Hey, only you really know what you want, right? With color options ranging from light colors like Andover Heather or Pure White, dark colors like Pacific Blue (my favorite!), and vibrant colors like Shocking Orange, there’s plenty of options to suit any taste.

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Looking to buy some nice activewear for the man in your life? Polo Sport has what you need to keep him looking good and maybe even motivated to stay in shape. Win-win!

Motivation comes in many forms, and what you wear definitely plays a big role in your desire to get up and MOVE! Polo Sport has just what any fitness-minded guy would love, so head over to DICK’s Sporting Goods or visit online by clicking here.