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We all like to travel from city to city or from one state to another to check on friends and family. We also travel for work and to seal business deals. Whereas air travel is faster, the car remains the darling of many travelers. The main advantage of a car is that it is cheaper than most other modes of transport. Most importantly, a car allows us to have as many stopovers along the way. We can pop by the motel for a cup of coffee or pull over at a highway pub for a beer as long as we are within the legal limit.

Despite the immense joy of taking road trips by car, a lot of care is needed to ensure that the trip becomes successful. Be it a small business trip, or one for pleasure – a car is immensely useful when it comes to your travel. For example, if you are on a trip for your business, and would like to have reimbursement for it, you could simply look up the best site for a mileage tracker app which can calculate this for you! After all, if you are spending the money for your company, you should get compensated for it!

However, among the most important things we need to look out for is the need to have our machines in excellent condition. It is embarrassing to get stuck in the middle of nowhere because of a broken-down vehicle. We also need to ensure we have the correct car accessories for the journey. For example, you might want to find a bed cover for your pick up truck so that all of your belongings can be looked after safely for the duration of the road trip. In this article, I share some other of the most important aspects to organize before taking that road trip.

Car Insurance

The car insurance is the best aspect before getting behind the wheel. We all need to be covered just in case something unbecoming happens along the way. Ensure your car insurance is valid and up to date. If by looking at your documents you’ve discovered that your insurance plan is up for renewal, it may be time that you switch providers and look for cheap car insurance companies, who can offer you the right amount of coverage for your vehicle needs and at a much lower price, instead of sticking with your original plan. In the average person’s search for car insurance, they may spend about an hour, but does it take long to get insurance for your car? This can depend on how you approach the process. Depending on your circumstances, insurance rates and delivery time can increase, and if this has happened with your own policy, it may be time to look elsewhere. If you decide to do this though, make sure that you do it in plenty of time before your trip. Some insurance companies have certain conditions such as coverage within a state only or higher premium beyond a particular mileage. Go through your insurance policy to familiarize with the fine details of your insurance cover. If it suffices, well and good. If it falls short, contact your insurance broker for guidance.

Check your Driver’s License

Is your driver’s license up to date? Due to the busy work schedule and other responsibilities, we sometimes forget even the most obvious things such as renewing our drivers’ license. Before going on that road trip, check that the drivers’ license is valid. If you are traveling beyond the state’s jurisdiction, ensure you are familiar with the traffic laws and signs in the destination.

Take the Car for a Check-up

For a car that is mostly used for a city commute, going for a long road trip might be a tough ask. I advise that you take the car for a check-up to fix the lagging areas and identify defects that might derail that road trip. As an example, your vehicle may have been getting less mileage recently which means taking a long trip can be heavy on your pockets. In such a case, you should have your car mechanic check the purge valves of the vehicles. These valves are responsible for the flow regulation of fuel vapour to the engine and driving with bad purge valve can reduce the fuel efficiency and even cause difficulty in starting the vehicle. An automotive expert will conduct thorough diagnostics and if a problem like this is found, they can get the car back in top-notch condition by replacing worn-out parts with new ones. Some of the most important areas to look out for include;

The Tires

The tires are a critical part of the vehicle as they are the main contact point with the road. They are the most prone to defects such as punctures or worn-out threads. An automotive expert will check and advise on what to do depending on their condition. The tires can be changed if they have seen better days. Also, check the condition of the spare wheel just in case you lose any of the tires already installed.

The Braking System

Imagine driving down a rural road and a deer suddenly crosses your path. The first thing to do will be stepping on the brake pedal. If it’s working, you are lucky. Finding the brake system faulty is a driver’s worst nightmare. I advise that you should never leave the garage without checking the condition of the brake system. It is essential in averting accidents and keeping everyone safe. Ensure the brake pads are in good condition and that the level of the braking oil is sufficient. Also, ensure that the brake lights are working so no one knocks your tail when you suddenly stop.

Headlights

To avoid getting stranded when night falls, ensure you check the condition of the headlamps. Ascertain that the bulbs are working, and illuminating the road perfectly.

The Engine

A well-running engine is the reason you will make it to your destination and back in good time. Ensure that the engine oil is checked. If possible, pour in new oil as the engine is going to be overworked in the coming days.

Ready to Go

The car is now ready to leave for the trip ahead. Pack up well and kick off your road trip. Remember to have some important contact with you in case the unforeseen happens. Our cars can sometimes surprise us with faults out of the blue. Have the right people on call in case that happens.

Key Takeaways From My Fitness Journey

October 14, 2020

Theresa Watkins

I delight in sharing insights on fitness matters. As much as I enjoy everything that tests human capabilities, getting myself fit has been a real struggle. I am aware that are many others in this, and countless people out there share the same story. Life often subjects us to numerous demands, which often make matters fitness take a back seat. And at times, my priority shifts to unwinding on my cozy couch after a busy day at work.

During my conversations with some of my close friends, it seems that keeping fit could be a real struggle. There is always that inner voice inside me that tries to convince us that working out tomorrow is just fine. And the cycle doesn’t stop there; I find myself pushing my workouts aside for weeks only to come back when I realize that things are not normal.

“Playing come back” or working out just because something is not right had been customary for years. But things have since changed during the last three years. Although it is always good to be realistic, here are some key takeaways from my fitness struggles.

Have Priorities

Time is usually the most significant constraint as far as fitness goes. Knowing well the benefits of staying active, I had to ensure that fitness is included in my long list of priorities. This means doing away with most of the unproductive activities such as going out that only took away my time and didn’t add any value to my life. Giving fitness a top priority has been one of my most important decisions.

Plan

After making fitness a priority, I went straight into planning, which many of us fail to do. And from the results, planning is an essential part of leading a healthy life. This is a lesson that I learned early in my life when I first started working at a consultancy firm as a trainee. As far as fitness goes, I set an annual goal and then break it down to monthly and weekly goals. And having a plan has been a game-changer as far as keeping motivated in the long haul is concerned.

Eat the Right Foods

Besides working out, I also had to fix my diet by eating to nourish my body. Personally, this meant cutting down on processed sugars, snacking, and binge drinking. I also purposed to eat healthy foods and paid more attention to portion sizes. And when I felt that my workout demands were too much, I tried some natural supplements. Staying true to my diet plan has not been easy, looking at all the temptations surrounding nutrition.

I agree with the fact that there are no shortcuts when it comes to fitness. I had to make sacrifices in the process, including anything between avoiding those sugary snacks to putting in serious work when the rest of the world is still asleep. It is worth noting that my sporting background came in handy in keeping me motivated, even when the results plateaued.

Fitness goals are meant to be different for each person, because everyone has a different physical constitution that requires a specific type of workout and diet. Especially as we age, we might face hormonal fluctuations that make it difficult to achieve the levels of fitness we had been able to reach when we were younger. In these cases, it’s a good idea to visit a professional who specializes in TRT Roseville (or elsewhere) to get a hormone assessment and tailor your diet and workout accordingly. This can help achieve the best possible results.

Find Something Interesting

Workouts can be dreadful, especially when I am doing something I do not love. Considering that I have had a life-long struggle with weight training, I knew that having it in my workout routines could be a huge setback. My love for soccer dates back to when I was a junior, and nothing has changed. Therefore, instead of subjecting myself to huge loads at the gym, I ensured that I played soccer every other day. And in between, I slotted some morning runs, which I also enjoy. Of course, not everyone will have the same interests as me and that’s fine. It’s important to do what you find stimulating. Take my friend for example. He loves being in a gym setting and would much rather work his way through Zac Efron’s workout routine so he can get muscles just like him that he can show off at the beach. Because who wouldn’t want to do that? So as you can see, they are very different workouts, and that’s why it’s important that you do something that suits you the best. Establishing my workout preferences early and doing things I want has been a real inspiration.

I am a happy soul today, thanks to my commitment and dedication to life-long fitness.

Top Six Pro Painting Tips for Your House Exterior

September 29, 2020

Theresa Watkins

Articles Home and Reno No Comments

Just like any project, painting your house can be easy or hard. Sometimes the easy way often leads to poor results and homeowners would rather just have stucco siding panels installed to save them the hassle of painting. There is also the cost implication of hiring a painter instead of doing the paintwork yourself. Also, if your budget is constrained, you may not be able to get a good painter and have to resort to do the painting yourself. If you are able to hire an exterior house painting service then that would be the best way to get great results for your home, but if you want to paint the house yourself, you can use the pro tips below to paint your house effectively.

Wash the house

Before I began the paintwork, I made sure to wash down the house first. If you do not think that the house is that dirty, then do a quick swipe of the house exterior using a white cloth. When I did the swipe, it revealed years of accumulated dust and soot that needed a proper washdown. Funnily enough, I also wasn’t aware of how poor a state our gutter guard was in until we started this job. Looking for a new gutter guards installation service is definitely on my to-do list.

The best way to wash your house is by hand, which is quite demanding.

However, I used a pressure washer to spray down the house two times before rinsing it with water, and I still got a pretty clean house. If you do not have a pressure washer, you can hose down the house. The main aim of cleaning was to remove visible waste like leaves, wasp nests, and spider webs, as well as eradicate dust and soot. This is also a good opportunity to check your home for any pest infestations too. If there are pests, it might be a good idea to contact a pest control company, like https://www.pestcontrolexperts.com/, to see if they can remove the pests before you start painting the exterior.

Stick to the Same Colour

To decrease the amount of work when painting my house, I chose a color that matches the house’s original exterior color. If you choose a lighter color coat than the initial color, this increases your work since you have to apply multiple layers. I opted to paint using the original color of the house, and the two blended in quite nicely.

At first, I was not sure of the exact paint color, so I just pulled off an area that was peeling off and took it to the store. If there is no peeling area in your house, then you can get a painted item such as a strip of molding or a dryer vent. The paint store will know what the color is. If you are still determined to change the color, then choose a darker color than the previous one to reduce your work of painting.

Priming Is Not a Must

Not all houses need a primer before painting. The paint in my house was in good condition, so I did not need to apply a primer before repainting it. However, I noticed some problematic areas, such as bare wood areas and areas stained by rust that needed a small amount of primer. After priming, remember that most primed areas will be visible through the paint, so you need to apply an extra coat to hide this or use pure white paint.

Reduce Paint Scraping

I do not love paint scraping because it is demanding and takes a lot of time. One of the issues with scraping is that once you begin scrapping one area, this area leads to another, and then before you realize you have to scrape almost the whole house. However, I realized that not all areas need to be scrapped, and if I notice the paint edges are solid, I can leave the spot alone. The new paint coat will seal the edges and keep the paint in place.

Paint Roll With Ease

Paint rolling saves you time since you can cover large areas fast. However, not all spots will benefit from paint rolling due to the sliding effect. I discovered that the best areas to paint with a paint roller are flat areas or areas with flat siding.

Paint Sprays Also Work

Spray painting can either save or waste your time. Hand spraying helped me cover large areas quickly and efficiently and helped me reach areas with many details. However, the preparation of spray painting is time-consuming since it involves making sure that any non-paintable area and any other area within 20 feet, has to be covered. Spray painting will also save you money and time if you need a detailed paint job.

If you want to save some money and time without getting a poor quality job then apply the above tips.

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