Fun Times: The Flat Tire

I was having a marvelous day off last Monday. I slept in, got a little holiday shopping done, and was on my way to get my brows waxed when I heard a loud BOOM. It sounded as if something had hit the roof of my car and I was worried it cracked the glass on my sunroof. I pulled over, checked the top of my car and all looked fine. I also checked the rest of the car and everything looked fine so I drove on for a few miles. Nothing sounded or seemed out of the ordinary until I suddenly wasn’t able to accelerate. Shortly afterward, I started slowing down even though I was pressing the gas. I pulled over again, got out, and saw that I had a flat. I’ve only ever had a flat tire once before and also didn’t realize it was flat for quite some time (until a nice lady  flagged me down).

Even though I didn’t have many warning signs of a flat that I immediately recognized, it’s good to know what to look for. I can’t tell you how to change a flat (I know it’s supposed to be easy but I still haven’t learned how) but I can inform you of the basics of tire care:

-I always get my tires rotated on schedule. This helps them to wear evenly and it’s also a great way to know if you need any repair work done (retreading, etc.) or if your tire shop expert notices any potential problems for the future. They will also usually check your pressure (if not, ask them to). I take great care of my tires since they are pretty big investment and sometimes no matter what you do, flats will still happen. If you don’t know how many thousand miles to have them rotated, ask your local shop.

-You should also always check your tire pressure at least once a month. To do this, you can purchase a gauge, which is relatively inexpensive, at your auto parts store or any store that sells basic auto products (Target, Walmart). I prefer to have my own so that I can check the pressure anytime and anywhere. Most gas stations also have air you can fill your tires with and the hoses usually have a gauge that you can use for free. Side note for Californians: It is now illegal for gas stations to charge you for air use. To find out the desired pressure for your tires, there is often a chart on the driver side door of your vehicle, in your owner manual, or you can ask when you purchase your tires or have them rotated. The place I purchase my tires from will also check my levels for free and fill them if needed. Many places will also do this for free or a small fee.

-If you are in an emergency situation, call 911 immediately!  If you need to pull over due to a flat or stall (for any reason), try to do so safely and pull off to a safe spot. Grip your steering wheel firmly and steer carefully, minding traffic conditions around you. Do not slam on your brakes and don’t stop in traffic as it may cause an accident. Turn on your blinker to alert drivers of your lane change. If you remember to turn on your emergency flashers, now would be an ideal time to do so. Carefully exit your car (preferably on the side NOT adjacent to the road) and stand off to the side of the road.

-If you carry emergency flares, place them 300 feet away from your car. If you have a second pair, those should be placed about ten feet from the first set. Flares are especially needed at night or in bad weather to warn other drivers that you are on the side (or middle) of the road. There are now LED flares on the market that can be re-used several times.

-If you are not able to accelerate, it’s a good idea to pull over and inspect your tires. This, for me, has always been a sign that I had a flat.

-Some people hear a flapping sound or a boom when they have a flat. It’s always good to pull off and investigate.

-If you have a cell phone, always make certain it is charged or that you have a car charger in case of emergency. It is also a good idea to have emergency numbers on hand to refer to: road side assistance or a tow company, your highway patrol, and someone you can count on for a temporary loan if you don’t have charge or cash on hand (or someone who will be nice enough to drive you to a bank or ATM).

-I believe that it is best to over prepared then not prepared at all. I keep an emergency kit in my car that consists of: a blanket, plastic rain gear (pants and jacket), a change of warm clothes, socks, old shoes, two jackets, a gallon of water, flares, bungee cords, jumper cables, a travel-friendly tool kit, a large towel, paper towels, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, first aid kit, and a personal toiletry bag (new disposable razor, sample packs of cleanser, moisturizer, spf, eye cream, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, a small brush, extra hair pins, and a tooth-brush and tooth paste. Plus, I always carry two flash lights and I check the batteries every six months.

It’s always good to expect the best and also be ready for the worst.

Travel Beauty Items vs Full-Sized

Dear readers,

There is an issue I would like to bring to your attention that will hopefully help to prevent some disappointment from future purchases of certain beauty items.

So, lets say I’m in the market for a new hair dryer. I want salon quality without the price tag but any old drug store dryer just won’t do. The dryer I want is $150, but I see there is a travel size for only $100! Should I:

1. Pick the travel size because it will save me some money and save space.
2. Go with the original size.

If you are like most consumers, you probably picked the first option to save a bit of money. The best answer is really 2. By the way, this is just a pretend scenario. I happen to love my Conair from Target.

Most electric “travel size” beauty accessories (i.e. hair dryers, flat irons, styling tools, and skin care items that require an outlet or batteries) are just that- travel size and only for travel. They often have shorter warranties and are not intended for daily use. They will not usually hold up to every day wear and tear and are meant for occasional use, hence why they are for travel.

Think of it this way: If you wash and condition your hair at least five times weekly, little travel sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner would last, at most, only for that one week (maybe longer if you have shorter hair). You would possibly end up spending more on the smaller size items then to just shell out for full size shampoo and conditioner.

It is the same concept for beauty appliances. You might be saving a little money for the moment, but you’ll spending more in the long run, having to purchase a new one when the manufacturer deems the warranty void because it wasn’t used as intended. And, as previously mentioned, the warranties are often much shorter in duration, sometimes by up to a few years.  

If you really do intend to use it occasionally then you will be fine with purchasing the travel size with no problems at all. Just make sure that if you find yourself using it more often to invest in the full size/original size version.

XOXO,

A.

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

It’s my fave time of year- time for the Nordstrom anniversary sale! My vices at this sale are always shoes and jewelry and I am allowing myself to buy one of each. I have to keep myself away from the purses and Nordies exclusive makeup because my closet is overflowing with both! You can get more info about the sale and check out a sneak peak at the catalog here.

Etsy: Current Things I Heart

 

Top row, left to right:

1. Vampiress Couture Wrap from Lolashowgirl, $49

2. Small Aqua “Nest” from Heatherpalmer, $60

3. Michael Miller Print Purse from Mabels, $35

Bottom row, left to right:

1. Aceo Seaweed Print from Woolandpaper, $4

2. Wizard of Oz Ruby Slippers Scrabble tile Pendant from Tinytreesboutique, $6

3. Purely Sweet Necklace by Itsbeautiful, $25

It’s Like Spying! Plus: Man Dies at the Age of 494

I showed my Nana google maps today and she was so amazed. We typed in her address and she saw the front view of her house and also the aerial view. She asked, “Can we look up other people, too?” So we looked up some of her friends houses. Then she got worried and said, “Is this allowed? It’s like spying!” Haha. My little Nana is so cute.

The clipping, above, is from the obituary section of my local paper. It was printed on April Fool’s day, and could have been a prank, albeit a morbid prank. Hopefully the D.O.B. was just a typo, although in the days following the obit., it wasn’t printed again and no retraction was made to advise of an error.

Design Analysis + Enter to Win!

A few weeks ago, I sent my friend, Melissa, a photo of my antler lamp because she wants one for her home. It’s no longer available from where I got it and she wants hers tweaked a bit anyway so she’s trying to find someone who can do a custom job. She emailed be back asking if she could analyze my nightstand. I said sure and forgot about it. She’s currently attending some interior design school in L.A. to add to her other three college degrees so I figured was for an assignment of some sort. Upon arriving home from my trip, I checked my email and received the description of what my nightstand says about me. It’s kind of cool to see, from a design stand point, what my choices say about their owner:

Night stand: Your table is made of dark wood, which shows that you might lean towards modern pieces. It appears sturdy, signifying that you like stability in your life. The large open shelf and open bottom shows that you desire a good amount of physical space in a room and don’t like to feel closed in.

Lamp: You need a convenient light source, which shows you are practical, and you picked an off-beat piece, showing your fun side. You might occasionally take unexpected risks.

Sleep mask: You might have a good amount of natural light in the morning. This could wake you before your desired wake-up time or you might not have a traditional schedule and sleep later then most.

Jar: You might apply lotion or cream before bedtime as a ritual. You could also be slow to put things away.

Alarm clock: The modern shape and color show that you are not traditional. It looks like the battery is out, which tells me that the ticking might have been loud and woke you.

Driftwood: Natural wood elements tell me that you like the outdoors-especially the beach. If you found this item on a trip it also shows that you might be somewhat sentimental.

Dish with necklace and basket: You have a quick spot to put your accessories at the end of the day. It’s possible that you dislike clutter.

Melissa was indeed correct about almost everything.  The “dish” is a little round plaque that a friend bought for me when he went to Jerusalem, I just haven’t found a spot to hang it yet. The “necklace” is actually a rosary. Even though I’m not particularly religious, I like to have it around. The “basket” is where I keep all of my aromatherapy stuff. Also, hidden in the back are my MP3 player and speakers.

Want your nightstand analyzed, too? Melissa has offered, just for my readers, to analyze ONE of your nightstands. Enter to win by sending an email with ”hello beautiful drawing” in the subject line to ciao_bellezza at comcast dot net. Include a photo of your nightstand in jpg format. You may also send a link to a flickr or photobucket photo instead of an attachment. Please also include name, state, and age. Winner will be picked at random on April 1, 2009. You will be notified by email and results posted on my blog.

Solution for Sleepless Nights? Probably not.

For my birthday, my mom bought me one of those cheesy drug store fountains with “calming” LED lights. More specifically, it’s the “cordless tranquility fire pit fountain” from Innovage Home. She knew I haven’t been sleeping well lately and thought it would help to hear water in the background. Awe, thanks Mom! Last night I inserted the required two “AA” batteries and 8 oz of water, turned it on, and tried drifting off to sleep. The motor kept me up and the trickling water sound was totally annoying. She totally meant well and I feel like I have to use it or at very least keep it somewhere conspicuous so she can say, “I’m so glad you like my gift!” Maybe the more I use it, the more I’ll like it?

LAVANILLA: The Healthy Candle-Lavender Vanilla

 

When the LAVANILLA brand debuted about two years ago with three fragrances, I was instantly in love with the vanilla grapefruit scent. It was soft and the perfect balance of sweet and tart. I was also excited about the brand because the fragrances were sans alcohol, which can be drying to skin. Other items in the brand are formulated with natural ingredients and boast being free of parabens, synthetic fragrances and dyes, petro-chemicals, phthalates, GMO, and triclosan.

I’m currently burning their new lavender vanilla candle and I’m totally loving it. The scent is perfect in this form, not too heavy, not to soft. The “throw” is fairly decent (the distance you can smell the candle from). I also love that it burns clean without emitting any soot or toxins into the air. If you need a simple, relaxing indulgence, this candle might be for you. It burns for up to 60 hours, so you have plenty of time to enjoy the relaxing scent.

Love candles but want another way to enjoy the fragrance? Try their fragrances, body butters, shower gels, and lip products. LAVANILLA is available at Sephora, Nordstrom, Bliss, Fred Segal, and at the Home Shopping Network.

New from VS + I finally decide upon a headboard

Victoria’s Secret bust-firming bra

There’s a new bra on the market that claims to enhance, improve hydration, and naturally lift your cleavage with results visible within four weeks. After eight weeks, you should see optimal “rejuvenation.” It must be worn daily for at least eight hours. Call me skeptical. If this bra could do that (really), one would think it would be more then $68. I had a VS gift card so I bought one, on sale for $48, with reassurance from the sales lady that I can return it if it doesn’t live up to the hype. I’ll report back in four weeks, although my expectations are low that I’ll see any results.

 

West Elm random weave headboard

After nearly a year of searching for a new headboard, I finally made a decision! As it turns out, the one I wanted had been in the WestElm.com sale section for a while, perhaps too long, because the size I need is no longer being sold. I debated for months; This one, that one, the other one, none? I suppose the search is back on for something that doesn’t require a new bed frame and isn’t super pricey.

Failure rate of Lovabledog harness?

The doggie harness and backpack my aunt bought Lilly for Christmas is way unstable. It was the correct size and it was as tight as it would go. It stretches quite a bit when tension is applied via the dog walking on a leash. I had to pick her up and come right home because I was worried she’d finagle her way out of it and escape. I wonder how many pet owners with this device have lost their precious pups?

More skin and beauty posts will be coming up soon. Until then, here’s a photo of my chi-weiner, Lilly, on Halloween in her costume: