Posted on 1/1/2023

Photo by Jimmy Conover on Unsplash Do you have cleats in your backseat? A winter jacket you wore when you visited Colorado over the holidays on the floor of your car? Tissues, tissues everywhere?! You’re not alone. So many struggle with keeping their vehicles organized, especially in times of stress, chaos, and general busyness. By establishing a consistent and organized system in your car, you can have the confidence to drive anywhere at any time without fear of being unprepared. Your car should feel like home and can be with the right tools! Below, I list some of my four favorite tips that anyone can use to keep their car more organized and clean all year long! Keep Cleaning Supplies In The Car (Or In Easy Reach) Ever seen something sticky, icky, or all-around weird on your dashboard and thought, “hmm…I’ll get to that later.&rdquo ... read more
Posted on 8/1/2022

Back To School Tune-Up Photo by Wokandapix on Pixabay College students and parents are getting ready for another school year. With all of the hustle and bustle of getting school supply lists checked off and dorm rooms set up (or prepping your carpool for another year of hauling little ones), car maintenance is the last thing anyone wants to worry about. However, it's one of those back-to-school essentials--I'd argue it's more important than pencils! Most families are used to doing a quick once-over of their car–but sometimes it's a good idea to have a professional give you a tune-up. Most families are used to doing a quick once-over of their car, but sometimes it's a good idea to have a professional look at some important systems in the car. You can't see everything going on under the hood, and even if you have the right tools, you ... read more
Posted on 6/1/2022

Photo by Pexels on Pixabay Planning Your First Long Road Trip of 2022 It’s time, Mission Viejo! Summer 2022 is here, and you may be preparing for your first long road trip of the year. It’s so fun to plan the food, the sites, and the adventures–but let’s take some time to talk about the less glamorous stuff. Whether you’re headed across the USA or on your way to Laguna Beach, you should plan for any situation. Doing a quick check of all the vitals helps keep you safer, it gives you peace of mind. Before heading out, make sure to consider: Gas stations. Planning for gas stations may seem tedious, but it’s essential. This is a crucial consideration if you’re going on a more extended road trip. Make sure you have the gas stations you want to stop at figured out because there may co ... read more
Posted on 5/1/2022

Photo by Obi on Unsplash The Truth About Air Conditioning Issues Summertime is nearly here, so it’s time we told you the truth about air conditioning issues: they can be pretty tricky to figure out at first glance. There are many moving parts and pieces to your vehicle's air conditioner. As if the AC system wasn’t complex enough, the climate of your car also has a lot to do with other parts in your car. In fact, sometimes, an air conditioning issue has more to do with your air filters or your radiator. This isn’t always the case, but it’s worth considering. Most commonly, you’re going to find that an AC issue has something to do with one of the following: AC System Leak. Other symptoms of this problem include a hissing sound and hot air coming out of your system even when you have the AC turned to cold. AC Pressure Switch Issue ... read more
Posted on 3/1/2022

Photo by skica911 on Pixabay Do you already know what you’re going to spend your tax refund on? Sometimes, money is very tight, and a tax refund can be the only real bonus we see in a year’s time. Especially if you’re living paycheck to paycheck -- car maintenance is probably the last thing on your mind. But what if we told you that preventative maintenance, though costly upfront, can help you get ahead? Though it’s not flashy or luxurious, you should consider paying it forward towards preventive maintenance on your car. Consider reinvesting in your car! Giving your car some TLC keeps it running well and prevents you from paying thousands down the road. There’s nothing more disappointing than getting your car into the shop just to find whatever clunking or smoking going on could have been prevented had you brought it in a month ear ... read more
Posted on 12/1/2021

Photo by Jared Tomasek on Unsplash Welcome to another December in Mission Viejo! As the year winds down, we're pleased to have had such a great one to look back on together. We hope this year has been the best yet for you and your family. We wish you safe journeys and happy holidays if you are traveling out of the area for Christmas. While there are loads of winter holiday events outside of Mission Viejo, we thought we would feature some of the in-town events that promise a very magical holiday season this year: South Coast Repertory's "A Christmas Carol" Dec. 1st, 12 PM – Dec. 26th, 6 PM PST ... read more
Posted on 11/1/2021

Photo by Marisol Benitez on Unsplash Sunny days and Hollywood-style perfect conditions are the norms in Mission Viejo, but as December creeps closer and closer, rainy winter conditions might be on the horizon. Now is the perfect time to examine the preparations we can make to keep our family safe on the road when dangerous conditions rear their ugly heads. California drivers spend more than their share of time in perfect driving conditions, making the rougher conditions even more dangerous. Many new drivers face their first winters at the wheel each year, with no previous experience driving in rainy conditions. With winter weather rounding the corner, now is the time to educate our newer drivers and give ourse ... read more
Posted on 10/1/2021

Photo by Tobias Tullius and Drew Tilk on Unsplash (composite by Christopher Hooker) Do you enjoy the suspense and dread of a Stephen King book? Or the growing fear in a classic horror film like The Innocents? These films, and some of the best horror films ever, employ a technique called ‘Hesitancy’. It extrapolates the same kind of journey that you might take if you began to see evidence of a ghost but questioned whether you were experiencing a real event or hallucinating. At first, you might dismiss the book falling off the shelf, or the door slamming with no open windows, or even a shadow m ... read more
Posted on 9/1/2021

Photo by Ivan Shemereko on Unsplash Being so far south, Mission Viejo feels safer from the wildfires that have become an annual issue in California. The dry heat of August in the American southwest turns our wild growth into fuel, ready to ignite. And it appears to be a problem that is growing for our state. At the time of writing this, the Dixie Fire is still raging in the north. The fire that concerns Mission Viejo would be either the Antonio Fire south of Los Angeles or the one that hasn’t been named and won’t be named until someone is careless in an already bad situation. When an emergency arises, as it did last year, you never know when you will have to pack up and evacuate. If the pandemic ha ... read more
Posted on 7/31/2021

Photo by BigBearCabins from Pixabay With summer here and travel restrictions lifting, people are making the trips they have put off for two years as a family. It’s great to see people being social again and having road adventures. But then, not everyone can get away right now. The pandemic was brutal on small businesses, and for some people, this is just not the right time for a week’s vacation across the country. They need to stay close enough to home that they can head back in a hurry. We’re in a climate where a business can go under that fast, and people have had to adjust their holiday plans accordingly. If you and your partner are looking ... read more