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by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager
The politically correct thing to do these days is to go green by buying and using all things that are environmentally friendly and natural. Buzz words such as ‘recycle’, ‘save the forest’, and ‘black mold’ have been around for a long time, but I think we are finally beginning to “get it”. Moving into an era of saving the planet by going back to basics has merit.
Now, most of us can’t afford to rip up our hardwood floors and replace it with Bamboo, but there are quite a few things we can do with what we have to be more “green”. Let’s talk cars.
Fuel economy is on most of our minds, what with the price of gas going up. Again. So let's look at a few easy ways to cut fuel consumption by getting better mileage.
- Rapid acceleration and going over 60 mph can use up to 33% more gas.
- Regular tune-ups can save about 4% in gas usage.
- Keeping tires rotated and at the proper pressure can save about 3.3%.
- Using the recommended grade motor oil can save you 2%.
All in all, that's over 42% saving per tank of gas. Cha-ching!
Changing a dirty air filter can also improve fuel mileage up to 10%. A little maintenance now can save you big bucks later. Cleaning your fuel system by getting rid of those nasty carbon deposits every 15,000 miles will save you costly repairs in the future and help save money at the gas pump now. A transmission flush removes deposits and buildup and lets the shifting process work more efficiently which will add to the longevity of the transmission and better fuel economy.
These fuel economy and car maintenance tips are just a few suggestions that will allow you to not only "go green", but to keep your car longer. Because that's what we're all about: cars for keeps!
Summer has finally hit West Michigan, bringing a host of fun summer events for the whole family. Whether you like to grill out on the beach or hike Michigan's beautiful inland woods (before the black flies arrive), there's plenty to do in the lakeshore community.
This coming Memorial Day weekend will kick off the summer season around Lake Michigan, with parades, carnivals and fireworks schedule in every city up the lakeshore, from Grand Haven to Ludington.
In the list below, we've collected a few notable events happening throughout West Michigan this Memorial Day weekend and over the next several weeks. If there are any events we didn't mention which you'd like us to list here, just comment and we'll add it to our Facebook page.
Grand Haven Offshore Challenge
Well-known by Grand Haven locals, the Grand Haven Offshore Challenge runs June 4th-6th and is a favorite lakeshore annual event. The challenge includes events for kids, ladies, amateurs and pros to participate in, and the Grand Haven community offers plenty for non-participants to do while the run is on. This year, the Pro division grand prize has been upped to $10,000!
Fruitport Old Fashioned Days
A complete roster of family events running all week, through the 31st. Fruitport's week-long Memorial Day celebration will feature a host of fairs, parades, car shows, tournaments and concerts. A carnival midway, Lions Ox Roast, riverboat cruises, fireworks, a children's petting zoo and many other activities will be running throughout the week.
For more info, visit the daily event schedule for Fruitport Old Fashioned Days.
Frederik Meijer Gardens
The Frederick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids are host to countless activities, exhibitions and concert events - not to mention their beautiful indoor and outdoor gardens. Their indoor gardens are complete with a large tropical conservatory, and the outdoor grounds are a maze of playgrounds, wildlife and fascinating sculptures, perfect for a romantic getaway or family event.
This summer, the Frederick Meijer Gardens are hosting internationally renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly's latest exhibition: A New Eden. If that's not enough, check out their impressive summer concert lineup.
John Ball Zoo Summer Kick Off
If you're in Grand Rapids enjoying the Frederick Meijer Gardens, you might as well stop by John Ball Zoo as well. This summer, John Ball Zoo is kicking off the season with Guinea baboons and colobus monkeys. As West Michigan's most loved zoo, John Ball is a great place to spend the afternoon with your family. Admission prices are $7.50 for adults and $5.50 for kids.
Mayfaire Renaissance Festival
Marshall, Michigan is a ways to travel for those of us who live on the lakeshore, but if you have a sliver of medieval nerd in you, Mayfaire Renaissance Festival is worth the trip. This medieval festival is family-friendly and has everything for spectator and participant alike. Enjoy jousting tournaments, sword fights, live music, food and more. The Mayfaire festival even features activities for spectators. Dress up in a 15th century Cardinal uniform and whack your family members with a foam sword. What could be better?
Cadillac Memorial Day Weekend
Carl. T. Johnson Hunting and Fishing Center is hosting a weekend of events in one of Michigan's most delightful getaway towns. Enjoy the Live Michigan Snakes program, a guided wetlands hike, foat fishing, archery and marksmanship challenges throughout the weekend. Or, better yet: leave the men at the Fishing Center while you and the girls enjoy relaxed shopping and dining in Cadillac's beautiful downtown district. Cadillac's one and only Wex Flea Market runs Fridays and Saturdays throughout the summer.
by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager
I was listening to a song on the radio while driving the other day that started me thinking about how life was when I was growing up. Sometimes it restores the soul to visit our childhood.
Remember when the only lock in your house was a hook and eye on the screen door? Or, when a cup of coffee cost 10 cents? Or, when everyone paid their bills with cash? Remember Roy Rogers, Gene Autrey and Hopalong Cassidy? Do you remember what life was like before television, and then TV came along and a little puppet called Howdy Dowdy had everyone enthralled? How about all those summers we endured without air conditioning? And, living a full life, somehow, without computers.
Little did we know that having to learn how to type would become such a necessity in all our lives. Remember Superman comic books, fresh farm grown food on the table every night and being called home for the night by a yell or a whistle? Or, having only one phone in the house and pulling it into the closet for a private conversation with your friends? Remember having to actually do hard work for that 25 cent a week allowance? A penny from the Tooth Fairy? Swimming in a lake with fish, ducks and an occasional snake? Newspapers without inserts?
Remember being able to change the oil and doing repairs on your car yourself?
For most of us those days are long gone and we have wonderful places like Cars For Keeps to keep our cars running smoothly. Stop in for a Pit Stop Inspection for free, just like service stations used to do for you way back when service was still important.
What is your favorite modern convenience?
by Dennis Sweet, Cars for Keeps Customer Service Manager
I know that many of our readers have been following our blog for a while and I hope you have found it helpful. Today I want to talk about a new local startup website, Tack-It.com.
Tack-It.com is a locally-owned classifieds website aimed at helping local community members connect with one another. Local business owners, service providers and every day folk looking to sell household items can post their products or services, which are listed according to product category and zip code. While Tack-It works somewhat similar to the popular classifieds website, Craigslist.com, it's geared more towards family-friendly use (in other words, without all the spam). Tack-It.com listings are carefully monitored to avoid abuse by its users, creating a clean, friendly environment for locals and community businesses to network.
Additionally, Tack-It.com partners with local business sponsors - like Cars for Keeps. We've teamed up with this local classifieds website ourselves as a local sponsor, and would appreciate your help in supporting this new local venture. After all, supporting local businesses helps to support local economy!
Stop on by Tack-It.com to see who's selling what - or to sell something yourself. Listings are 100% free.
You can visit both Tack-It.com and Cars for Keeps on Facebook as well. Click here to see Tack-It's Facebook page, and here to visit our Facebook page.
Thanks for your help supporting our Grand Haven economy!
Your friendly neighborhood Service Manager,
Dennis
by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager
In Part I we looked at the car’s ceiling and seats using adhesive Velcro. Let's venture into the rest of the car to see how Velcro can be useful in other ways.
For owners of vans, you have this delicious space between the two front seats. I've found that it's the perfect place for those plastic, stackable drawers that can face either toward the front or the back seat. Measure carefully, allowing for the seat belts and the armrests. Make sure the bottom is flat so the Velcro will stick well to the floor. For all cars that have trunks; soft-sided suitcases, baskets, car organization carriers and even toolboxes are great.
To keep them from sliding every time you turn a corner, slap on the ole Velcro and they will stay nicely in place and not roll around like bowling pins. Make sure they have flat bottoms without feet or rollers. Stick some Velcro onto you sunglasses case and stick it to the ceiling between the sunvisors.
Need more hooks? Buy those self-sticking hooks that you can remove by pulling down on the tape and attach to the smooth surfaces of the car for grocery bags, purses, the kids backpacks and other assorted things with handles to keep them in place when turning corners. Do not attach these hooks to leather, it will tear with use. For those small items like paper clips, change, stamps, cell phone headset, etc., use the ashtray. For those cupholders that have the rubber lining that keeps the cup in place are great, but the rubber comes out with the cup, a drop or two of Gorilla Glue will keep the rubber in the cupholder. And every car needs one of those pads you set on the dash to hold cell phones, change, pens, etc.
Remember, never, ever stick the sticky side of Velcro onto the car. It will ruin the finish. Always put the sticky side on the storage item.
Stop by Cars For Keeps anytime and we will help brainstorm any car problem you may have, large or small.
Safe driving!
by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager
The magic word here is Velcro. The black Velcro with the sticky side and the grabbing side, and the wide width. This is how to organize your car for yourself and your family. For the driver to have everything within reach. The ceiling of your car is this soft felt material that works like the smooth side of Velcro. It is also an untapped space to use for storage.
Flat CD storage holders can be found at Walmart, Target, etc. They hold 8 to 12 CD’s. Put the sticky side of the Velcro on the CD holder and slap it onto the ceiling of your car. I have mine over the sunvisor. You can put some over the back seat area for the kids, too.
Ceiling Velcro also makes it easy to store a flat document holder in which to keep you car registration, insurance papers, etc. directly over your head. Now you won't have to rummage through the glove compartment, which is free to hold heavy or bulky items such as an umbrella, trouble light/seatbelt cutter and windshield glass breaker. Use another flat document holder for a pen, a pad of Post-A-Notes, letters to be mailed, bank deposit slips or grocery lists.
Get a trash bag with Velcro straps and wrap around the base of the front seat headrest to hold things like kids games, snacks, personal DVD players, MP3 players, books or even trash. It's is easily accessible for anyone sitting in the back seats.
I have many more suggestions on how to organize your car, so this will be a two part blog - look for Tips for Organizing Your Car Part II next Friday.
A word of caution: always put the sticky side of the Velcro onto the storage item. Never, Ever put the sticky side onto the material of the car. It will pull the material away from the cars ceiling and tear it every time you get into the storage item.
To be continued…..
by Colette, Cars for Keeps Office Manager
Any woman, whether she works outside the home or not, is an expert at multi-tasking. We wear many hats every day. Wife, mommy, housekeeper, cleaning lady, laundress, chauffer, appointment setter/keeper, gardner, cook, nurse, lover, psychiatrist, teacher, disciplinarian and on and on. Add to that if we work outside the home.
Yes, we are experts at multi-tasking and we take it all in stride. One pat on the back coming up. But, to give the men their due, they are pretty good at it too. As a woman working at Cars For Keeps, I have observed the men I work with multi-tasking every day. For two days a while back, I watched Michael, our head mechanic, work on four cars at the same time. We were short a mechanic and everyone pitched in to keep everything running smoothly and on time. Michael was going from one car to the next car to the next car as the parts came in. We seriously considered putting him in skates. He never complained and kept his humor going, but by the end of those couple of days, he was dragging.
Our service manager, Dennis, multi-tasks 11 hours a day, five days a week. He manages the mechanics' time, helps them solve technical problems, finds and purchases the best parts at the best price for the job, deals with vendors, confers at management and marketing meetings, helps every customer meet their needs, makes technical, financial and time management decisions almost every minute, answers phone calls, makes phone calls, supervises care of the grounds around the building, handles all emergencies with efficiency, keeps up with computer information every company runs on and sometimes he even eats lunch. In the four years that I have worked with Dennis I have never seen him “lose his cool”.
So here are gold stars and fireworks and ‘good job’ kudos for all the men who work faithfully, nobly and steadfastly in their jobs. It is heroic!
by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager
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