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.

Busy Bee!

I’ve not had much time for myself lately, let alone post any blogs. My days off are spent pretty much going crazy; errands, helping my mom, working on projects, and trying to (unsuccessfully) catch up on missed sleep. I was also stressed out for a few weeks because there was something terribly wrong with my car. I promise there will be more blogs to come in the next few weeks.

I have also had a little lapse in going to the gym. Most of the time after work I make the excuse that I’m too tired to go or I have too many other things I need to do instead. So to re-motivate myself, I’ve booked more personal training appointments, purchased a few cute new workout outfits, and uploaded a new workout music mix. We’ll see how it goes.

Update: More reviews Coming Soon

Life has been crazy and I am exhausted. I would like to give you a sneek peak of products I’ve been trying out. Some of the products I have been using long enough to give them a fair review, while with others I’ll need a little more time to use.

• Dior Creme Abricot Fortifying Cream For Nails
• Lancome HYPNOSE DRAMA Instant Full Body Volume Mascara
• Carmindy for Sally Hansen Luminizing Primer
• Too Faced Primed & Poreless Skin Smoothing Face Primer
• Makeup Forever HD Invisible Cover Concealer
• Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15
• Ole Henriksen Aloe Vera Deep Cleanser
• Bliss Fat Girl Slim
• Philosophy Eye Hope Advanced Anti-Aging Eye Cream
• Bath and Body Works SLEEP Lavender Vanilla Scrub
• Korres Pomegranate Mask
• Clinique All About Eyes Rich Eye Cream
• Lush Bath Bombs (3), Bubble Bars (2), and Figs & Leaves Soap

Stay tuned! I also have a rant about “travel” products that will be coming up soon.

Nordies Anniversary Sale Part Two

A few posts back, I mentioned the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. I was finally able to check it out and ended up not finding anything I liked. Maybe next year.

I’m Back! + Ugly $1100 Shoes

The sickness was much more serious then I thought, involving a trip to urgent care and the good old E.R. Oh, joy! After two shots in the bum, nearly three weeks of rest, eating nothing but soup and saltines, and three different medications, I am finally feeling somewhat normal again. Hooray! My health insurance actually turned out to be fairly decent, too.

I ate “real” food (not soup) for the first time in a while on the 4th of July and it was glorious. Other then that, my 4th was pretty uneventful as I was still feeling pretty out of it. I spent the majority of the party laying down and trying to avoid “excessive” sunlight (thanks, meds, for taking away what could have been a wonderful day floating in the pool).

I can tell that I’m feeling much better because I developed the strongest urge to buy shoes. I purged my closet of all of my shoe sins recently. Farewell, four inch pointy toe heels that I can’t even walk in! Goodbye, cute eyelet wedges that would slide off when walking. Adieu, Marc Jacobs knock-off sandals that were falling apart after only one wear (note to future self: don’t do knockoffs). I know there’s no point in buying new shoes right now, with all of the work I’ve missed, but it is very nice to “window shop” (er….browse online).

I was checking out my really bad super secret addiction (Hautelook.com) for designer shoes. Some were cute and some were really ugly, for example, these Bruno Frisoni Pertol sling backs. Horrid! Or! Perfect for your Little Bow Peep Halloween costume. I can’t even fathom paying $330 for these (and that’s the 70% off sale price), let alone the original $1100!  If you add up the combined total of all the shoes I’ve owned in my entire lifetime, it would not even be close to $1100!

*Insert space for dramatic effect:

I don’t even know what to think. Would you wear these?

Update (Kind of)

I have been M.I.A. lately due to trying to figure out the dental system my mom is in and trying to speak to a live human instead of recordings. I am also currently sick. There will be new blogs soon, but until then, check out this article I found on how to feel better when you are having a bad day.

New! “Sea” Necklace

This one is indeed for sale. To see more photos or to buy, click here.

Dear Readers:

This past week and the next few weeks are very busy for me and I haven’t had much time to write. I haven’t tested out any new products lately and I hope to be able to write about some fun new beauty goodies soon. Work has been keeping me busy with prom season plus a plethora of things in my personal life have kept me on my toes. Last week I was left to care for my mom while my grandparents were away on vacation. She’s in a wheelchair and needs a lot of attention. This week I am taking care of my youngest cousin while his parents are away. The week after will be the start of a new opera. Busy, busy, busy.

I need a vacation and a pedicure. Right now I’d settle for the pedicure. As for the vacation, there’s no chance of getting away any time soon but I am planning on trying out a self tanner to make it look like I’ve been on holiday. We’ll see how it goes, as all of my previous self tanner experiences have been traumatic.

Product Update #1

I’ve decided to update on products I’ve reviewed that I’ve been using for a while. This is the first installment, focusing on products reviewed from September 2008-January 2009.

Lancome Oscillation Mascara: The verdict on this one still stands and it’s simply not for me. I totally like the idea, I just wish it had a better brush and the formula was easier to apply. To get optimal results with this product, I still have to wipe the brush a few times to remove a lot of product so it goes on smooth and isn’t as clumpy.

Skyn Iceland Pure Cloud Cream:  I ended up becoming nauseated by the smell. It was a clean scent and fairly pleasant, I just personally can’t wear highly scented products on my face. The texture was nice although after finishing the jar, I didn’t really see any noticeable changes in my skin.

GHD IV Styler: I still love this. I don’t use it often because I dislike heat styling my hair daily. I can see and feel the difference in my hair when I do, which makes me want to use more often.

Stila Paint Your Pout Red Talking Lipstick Palette: The red lipsticks feels drier and is harder to apply then when first opened. The balm isn’t as dry. It still talks, although honestly I have only ever pressed the button for directions twice (one when I got it, and once last week to see if it works). Great in theory, not so great in execution.