How to Avoid Dead Battery Issues During the Summer Heat

Most of us would think that battery issues happen mostly in the winter due to cold weather, but did you know that summer months are actually HARDER on your battery than the cold?? Batteries in cold climates usually last approx 51 months, where warmer clients battery lives are near 30 months.

When you drive your car in the heat, your battery begins discharging on its own in just 24 hours – something that takes several days in cold weather. This means you could wake up to a dead battery easily in extreme heat if you don’t take the proper steps to keep your battery healthy.

This post is sponsored by Humes Chrysler Jeep Dodge.

Keep it Cool
With heat = drained battery, be sure to park in the shade whenever possible. Not only will it help extend your battery life, but your interior will be a lot cooler too when you get in.

Make Fewer ‘Short’ Trips
When you drive short distances, it definitely will reek havoc on your battery – your alternator needs time to recharge the battery after it’s been started; short trips with starting and stopping frequently, doesn’t allow your battery time to recover. Take a few trips around the block or leave your vehicle running for a few minutes to avoid draining the battery life.

Go Back to the 90’s
Nowadays we seem to ask a LOT from our cars with all the devices we have running in our cars all the time. From navigation systems, to DVD payers, smart phones and computers, they can seriously drain your battery. Everything you plug in does take its toll, so just be careful about what you need and how often you do use it.

Make sure its CLEAN
Dirt and grease build up on the battery or around it, serves as an insulator. Be sure to wipe it down with a paper towel or rag on regular basis, to keep it from draining the power from all the grime.

Get a Battery Charger
A good way to keep that battery lasting longer – is to invest in a car battery charger. If you park your car for a long period of time (like when you were on vacation, etc) a car battery charger will keep it from going dead.


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The Best Tips & Hacks to Keep Your Car Clean and Organized

This post is sponsored by Reedman Toll Auto Group.

Most of us have a bag for trash, maybe even something to organize our paperwork in glove box. But there’s quite a few products – and hacks – to help keep your car clean and organized – no matter how messy it’s been in the past.

This is one of my favorite products to use for your car – and honestly this would make a great Father’s Day gift. This car seat gap organizer not only keeps your stuff from falling in the cracks – but also will hold your stuff. My favorite thing to put in these are my shades, my phone, and a pen and sticky note pad.
It also catches the loose change you drop, that fry that always falls from your bag and just grows into your cars carpet, and they are easily removed and wiped out.

If you are a woman, you’ve experienced the dreaded purse flop into the backseat. It’s the worst especially if you are traveling and are stopping at the drive-thru for another cup of coffee. This mesh front seat cargo holder not only keeps your purse from falling into the floor, but can hold your water bottle, box of tissues, or anything else you don’t want falling all over the place.

The trunk is always hard to keep organized; I keep my emergency kit along with a blanket, and some other “we might need” items , and sometimes it gets in the way with grocery pick up, or the kids throwing their stuff in the back. I picked up one of these car trunk organizers and it fits everything! It also folds down for when you need the whole truck area to move something.

One of my biggest pet peeves regarding having a clean car, is the cup holders. They always seem to be dirty, no matter what. A good hack for keeping them clean, is silicone cupcake liners. Put them in each cup holder in your car, and that way as soon as they are dirty you switch them out and put them in the dishwasher – and TADA! Clean cup holders all the time!

Seat hooks are another great investment for being organized in your vehicle – it can hold groceries, purses, coats, whatever you don’t want smashed to the ground and dirty shoes all over it.

A holder for the headrest for a tablet/iPad, not only keeps things organized, but keeps the kids busy on road trips! You don’t necessarily want to hand an expensive iPad to a 3 year old, so having it on the headrest like a built-in T.V.

Another favorite is the stash away car trash can. Its better than a grocery bag for garbage, and it holds other items as well (think sunscreen, tissues, ibuprofen) .

Another favorite – portable car vacuum. Talk about getting things cleaned up in a jiffy. I love it because we have a tendency to let messes go and we will ‘get to them later’, but with a vacuum just under your seat, or in the trunk, you can sweep out your vehicle at any time (even your lunch break!)

Have an old empty gum container laying around? Use it for all that loose change! You can put it in a cup holder, in the pocket of your mesh cargo holder, or in pocket of your stash away trash can. Either way you can easily reach for change for those tolls, or when you need that extra dime for your lunch.

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Mexican Street Corn Macaroni Salad

This Mexican Street Corn Macaroni Salad is a tasty twist on your traditional macaroni salad for your summer cookouts. Mexican Street Corn is one of my favorite ways to eat corn, so giving it this fun twist makes it even better!

 

Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes | Total: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

2 15 oz. cans corn, drained or kernels cut from  4-5 ears of fresh corn on the cob

1 ½ cups elbow macaroni, uncooked (certified gluten free if necessary)

¼ cup red onion (can sub with green onion)

⅓ cup chopped cilantro leaves

1 jalapeno, seeds and stems removed, minced

½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

½ cup black beans

½ cup queso fresco cheese, crumbled

1 large avocado, seed removed, chopped

 

Sauce:


½ cup mayonnaise

Juice of 1 lime

½ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon hot sauce (I used Sriracha with good results)

Pinch of cumin

Himalayan pink salt and pepper to taste

 

Boil a medium pot of water and cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse in a colander under cold water. Set colander over a bowl and allow the pasta to continue to drip dry while preparing next steps.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. After skillet is completely heated through (about 5 minutes), add half of the corn so it’s in a single layer. Allow it to slightly char, about 5 minutes. Then, brown the remainder using the same process.

Place the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth and combined. Taste and adjust spices if necessary.

In a large bowl, add cooled and dry pasta, charred corn, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, tomatoes, black beans, cheese and fresh avocado. Pour on dressing and toss to combine. Immediately serve.

*If preparing this salad in advance, add dressing and fresh avocado immediately before serving.

*Also, I would not sub the mayo for anything else. I tried plain Greek yogurt and it doesn’t work well!

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Slow Cooker Asian Lettuce Wraps

 

Ingredients

Ingredients (2)

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped fine
  • 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

In Process 4 (1)

  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
  • 4 oz. sliced water chestnuts, finely chopped
  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 head Bibb, Romaine or iceberg lettuce

Directions:

Cook ground chicken in microwave or stove until chicken is no longer pink, 3-5 minutes. Drain off liquid and transfer mixture to slow cooker. Crumble chicken and stir in bell pepper, onion, garlic, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Cover and cook on low until chicken is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Stir in water chestnuts, rice and scallions. Let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve with lettuce leaves  Enjoy!

slow_cooker_asian_chicken_Lettuce_Wraps

 

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The Perfect Gift Guide for the Captain Marvel Fan

So I am totally a pro at this one guys – my daughter is Captain Marvel obsessed. She had her birthday right before Captain Marvel came out, so I scrounged the internet for the best Captain Marvel gifts I could find – and I wanted to share it with you!

This Captain Marvel Tervis Tumbler with lid would be a hit – this one comes in a 16 oz., but they also have a really cool one with her mohawk it come in a stainless steel 24 oz tumbler.

This Captain Marvel Bracelet is absolutely GORGEOUS and would be a perfect gift for any Captain Marvel fan in your life!

This Loungefly wallet is freakin’ awesome too. I got it for my daughter for Easter and she fell in love with it, and the purse that goes with it!

And I don’t care if you are a kid or an adult, EVERYONE’s gotta’ take a lunch to work now and again right? This lunchbox is awesome, and I’m half tempted to order it for myself.

I’m a big key chain fan, and I love the pewter key chains (I have several from vacation spots, they last forever!) So obviously I love the Captain Marvel pewter key chain. This would be a great add on gift – or for the stockings at Christmas!

You can never go wrong with clothing items, like a Higher, Further, Faster t-shirt, or even a aviator jacket (which I now have on my wishlist!)

A few more must have’s , if you don’t own a Pop Socket yet – WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? I’m not sure how I ever held my phone before lol. This Captain Marvel one would go well with a Captain Marvel phone case! This makes a great gift for anyone of any age that loves a hero!

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