life – Page 5 – Luv Saving Money

Dancing & Life: Positive Quote For The Day

I love it when I see people really achieve their intentions.
The secret to creating resolutions that will last is creating plans with intention.
You succeed when your plans are aligned with your big-picture goals.
Tell us what your goals are for the year, and how they align with your resolutions.
How do you plan to put your intention for this year into action?

For me, I did so good with my health and fitness journey last year. When I say so good, I mean I was able to be pretty consistent with my workout programs, I learned how to calculate macros and became more aware of what i was eating. I even lost 10 lb. Though, over the holidays I slacked off and gained some weight back. But I’m back at it. For me, it wasn’t about waiting until Jan 1st or trying to fit into a certain article of clothing this time. I realized how much working out and eating better has helped with my depression, anxiety, and overall health. That is my intention. Sure I still have some weight loss goals and clothing size goals but that isn’t my driving force anymore.

So what will you set your intentions toward this year?

This post is sponsored post through Blog Meet Brand. Any opinions expressed are my own.

30 Day Challenge With Dancing & Life

There is so much going on in the world right now that can cause stress, anxiety, anger, sadness, the list goes on. With the pandemic some people may even feel the need to put their goals and plans on hold.

With social isolation and social distancing it can make things that much harder. You may not have the contact you need, the person sitting there talking you through everything over a cup of coffee.

Saje Flow is the founder of Dancing & Life. Dance and movement are important parts of the teachings. You can do the full 30 program or the 7 day free challenge! The program can help you tap into your inner strength and give you tools that can be applied to life any time or during a crisis.

Check out the Dancing & Life site. And sign up for the Dancing & Life 30 Day Challenge or free 7 day challenge here.

I’ll be posting some cues, prompts, and positive thought/ideas from Saje Flow on my social media accounts throughout the month. If you choose to participate in any of the actions, I’d love to see it! Tag me and let me know how you’re doing! If you do the 30 Day Challenge you also have a chance to win prizes from Dancing & Life and can even be chosen to share your story!

This post does contain affiliate links. I will earn a commission from actions completed through my links

Spare Parts To Keep On Your Boat

Going out on your boat, whether fishing with friends or cruising with your family, is a great feeling. Nothing compares to the freedom that fresh air and open space provides. There is also nothing more stressful than having engine troubles when you are miles from shore. Boats are a lot of work and can be finicky, which is why regular maintenance is so important. But sometimes, despite all preparations, accidents happen. That is why every boater should keep these spare boat parts handy.

Hoses and Clamps

Keep varied sizes of hoses and hose clamps on your boat. Rubber hoses are the most versatile. They can be used for fuel lines, hydraulic repairs, and even as a tie-down if you are in a pinch. Clamps are also useful to have when making creative repairs. They can be helpful when dealing with leaks by holding hoses in a particular position or really holding anything in place.

Fuel Filters

It is helpful to have extra fuel filters and fuel water separators on your boat. Fuel filters can give you problems for a variety of reasons. If water or debris gets into your tank, or if you got some bad gas, a new fuel filter is a quick easy fix that will protect your motor.

Batteries

Most boaters have experienced a dead battery on the water. It’s too easy to forget all the draws on your battery when you are out having a good time. That is why it’s a good idea to have a spare. Also, check the charge on your spare periodically. Solar chargers may be a good investment to keep batteries charged for longer trips.

Impellers

Impellers tend to break easily, so have at least one spare impeller for each water pump. If your engine overheats, the impeller will go fast. They are cheaper than a trip to a mechanic and fairly easy to replace, depending on the type of motor.

Oil

Always have spare oil on your boat, even if you just filled it up. This way if you spring a leak that can not be contained, you can keep enough oil in the engine to get back to the dock and save your engine. Other fluids, such as transmission fluid and hydraulic fluid, should be kept on your boat.

These items are not expensive and can save you money if something unexpected happens. Keep them stocked and keep them fresh so you can enjoy a day out on the water with some peace of mind. You may even come to another boater’s rescue.

Bissell SpinWave Wet and Dry Robot Vacuum Review

I’m not new to using robotic vacuums but I am new to using a Bissell brand robotic vacuum. I had also never tried a robotic vacuum that also mops. Every floor in the downstairs of my home is some sort of hard floors. I have tile in the kitchen and bathroom, linoleum in the laundry room and mudroom, and hardwood floors in the living room. But I also have a combination of hardwood, laminate, vinyl flooring, and carpet upstairs. So Is it going to work on all of them?

My Experience with My OLD robotic vaccuum

Last year for Christmas I asked my husband for a popular name brand robotic vacuum. We’ll just call it Brand X. It was NOT a Bissell. The more I used it I realized it is not the solution I had hoped for. This particular model has this little knob that sticks out of the top. When cleaning along my cupboards in the kitchen that knob would get stuck under the rim of the dishwasher and if I didn’t moved the fatigue mat from in front of the sink it would get stuck under the lip of the cupboard in that area too. After a while it had trouble getting over the small area rug we had in the mudroom. It would occasionally get hung up on the hardwood threshholds into the bathroom or kitchen. While it was ok for light daily cleaning it didn’t pick up things like pieces of popcorn, small chunks of food particles on the kitchen floor, a small piece of gravel in the mudroom, etc. It was basically good for just every day dirt and some pet hair.

With having 4 kids, they’re constantly leaving stuff out like legos on the floor, a dirty sock, a tissue, etc. I would have to make sure I picked up everything before I could run this robot vacuum. If not and it would happen to suck one of these things up it would become clogged.

In short, I could never ever run it while not at home like some of the commercials claim. I felt like I was constantly having to unclog it or move it then restart it to get it to work. Plus I’d have to pull out the regular vacuum or broom and dust pan for the things it wouldn’t pick up.

Also Brand X robotic vacuum was very noisy. My husband would complain if I ran it while he was trying to watch tv. The kids would complain if I ran it while playing video games. I’d have to pause it if I wanted to talk on the phone or go to another floor of the house. I was not impressed with Brand X.

My Experience with my Bissell Spinwave Wet and Dry Robotic vacuum

The Bissell Spinwave Wet and Dry Robotic vacuum is much quieter than my Brand X robot vacuum. While we can still hear it, it isn’t “turn up the tv because you can’t hear it over the vacuum” loud.

The Bissell Spinwave doesn’t get hung up or caught as much as my Brand X vacuum. Because it doesn’t have that annoying little knob on the top like my old robotic vacuum does, it doesn’t get caught under my dishwasher or cupboards.

Both vacuums were easy to clean out and empty. And both vacuums held about the same amount of debris. So I can’t really say one is better than the other on that aspect.

The Bissell spinwave, of course, also has the mop function that my old robotic vacuum didn’t. In my opinion, the mop function is good for light daily cleaning. I definitely do this. Having tile floors in my kitchen and downstairs bathroom though, I still feel the needs to scrub them good because the mop function does not get into all the little divots, and bumps in the tiles. The mop feature is helpful for light spills, dirt tracks, etc so I definitely like to use it.

They highly recommend the Bissell floor cleaning solution for the mop well. The instructions say it’s specially formulated for use with this vacuum and using a different cleaning solution, such as Pinesol for instance, could void the warranty.

I feel like with any robotic vacuum you still have to make sure your floors are picked up well even from small pieces. I could never run my robotic vacuum while not home. With 4 kids and 3 cats, there’s forever something on the floor.

Final Thoughts On The Bissell Spinwave

I definitely prefer this one over my old robotic vacuum. The fact that it can vacuum and mop give it more value to me. Since it is quieter, it is less annoying to me. I feel like I can still carry on with life. Since it doesn’t get hung up as often as my old robotic vacuum I feel like i can get more done and I’m not babysitting the vacuum cleaner.

Bonus Feature

When you purchase this particular product, a portion of the sale goes to the Bissell Pet Foundation and it’s mission to save homeless pets.

I received this product at no cost from BzzAgent. Any opinion expressed is my own.

If You Experience Cold Winters, You Probably Keep These Things In Your Car

I have two fairly new drivers in my family. My oldest son has been driving for about a year and a half. My middle son just got his license in June. Living in Pennsylvania, our winters can get pretty bad. Snow, ice, occasional blizzards, occasional subzero temps. Not only do I worry about them hitting a patch of ice but I also worry about them breaking down or getting stuck when it’s 10 degrees outside.

While at the grocery store I pick up a jug of kitty litter. I bring it home and tell my oldest son to put it in the trunk of his car. He looks at me funny. Then I realize he probably doesn’t understand the purpose. I also realize that for people that might not live in a colder climate, they might not do the odd things we do when prepping for winter. Whether you’re on your way to work at car dealership in Yonkers, NY, taking a drive in Duluth Minnesota, or going to the grocery store in the Laurel Highland of Pennsylvania, here are things people in colder climates keep in their vehicles and why.

Kitty Litter or Bags of Sand

Seriously, a lot of us that live in areas that get frigid winters keep either a bag of non-clumping kitty litter or bags of sand in the trunk of our vehicles. For those with only front or rear wheel drive it helps to weigh down the vehicle a little bit for traction. But mostly it’s used for when your vehicle get stuck in some snow or wheels are spinning on an icy patch. Pour some sand or some kitty litter in front and behind each tire. This helps to gain traction.

Emergency Shovel

Most of us have small shovels to throw in the trunk or back of our vehicle. A small metal one is best. If you look up emergency shovels you’ll see what they look like. This can be used to serve several different purposes. It’s not unheard of to park your car at work, have snow dump down while you’re working, and come out to your vehicle buried in snow. Having an emergency shovel makes life a little easier to dig your car out. A good metal shovel can also be useful when freezing rain happens to break up ice around tires or pry things out of the ice.

Blocks of Wood or Wooden Boards

I don’t personally do this but I know people that do. Some people keep blocks of wood or shorter wooden boards in their vehicle or truck. This one I didn’t really know about until recently. The blocks can be placed in front of the tire if stuck in a ditch, mud, or a snow drift. Wedge in front of the tire. Hopefully it lift your vehicle up enough to get out of where you’re stuck.

Emergency Blankets

My husband had actual emergency blankets from a survival kit in his vehicle. Some people just throw an extra fleece blanket or two in their car. The idea, if your car breaks down, it might be a while until help arrives in bad winter weather. You can’t keep your car running forever. If you’re low on gas this statement is very true. Emergency blankets could mean the different being ok until help gets their or going straight to the emergency room once help arrives do to hypothermia or frostbite.

Bottles of Water and Energy Food

Ok so maybe this one isn’t so different but it hits different when it’s 20 degrees outside and you’re broke down in the middle of nowhere. Foods that store for a while and might be considered energy food are helpful. Things like protein bars, nuts, or granola bars. Again if you’re gonna be there a while you grab your emergency blanket and have water and food for at least a little while.

Yes it’s true the water bottle can freeze but it will typically start to melt while driving hopefully having melted enough by the time a car breaks down. It’s also helpful if your car is overheating.

Vehicle De-Icer and/or Winter Washer Fluid

Vehicle De-Icer comes in handy a lot. De-icing windows, frozen locks, windshield wipers froze to the windshield, etc. They typically come in convenient spray cans or squirt bottles to make de-icing easier.

There is also special winter windshield washer fluid that can help melt snow and ice while cleaning your windshield. Some people will fill their washer reserve with the winter wash fluid and keep a container of vehicle de-icer but the washer fluid can also help de-ice locks in a pinch.

Closing Tips

Whether you live in a cold climate or not, have a car emergency kit is always a good idea. Most include things like emergency triangles, jumper cables, a couple basic tools, roadside flares, flashlight, etc. Some more elaborate ones will even have the emergency shovel I mentioned and air compressors. It’s a good idea to keep your phone charged and even carry a back-up battery or power bank with you in bad weather. Have the name of your mechanic or roadside service handy just in case. Always let someone know where you’re going and approximate time of return so if you do break down or get stuck there’s a better chance someone will know where you are to get you help.

These are just a few things I know people do to prep for winter driving emergencies. If you have idea I’d love to hear them!

This post is sponsored by Central Ave DCJR . This post also contains some affiliate links. I will earn a small commission from sales made through my posts.