Thrifty Thursday: Car Maintenance: Tires, Part 2

Do you know how to change a tire on your vehicle?

No? Well guess what, you will in about 5 minutes, depending on how fast you read.

First, why do you need to know this, 1: so you don't do what my idiot neighbor did, and piss me off, and 2: because one day you will thank yourself for reading this when you get a flat out on the free way or in the middle of no where. Trust me!

I learned how to change a tire before I was 12. I grew up working on cars with my dad. I thought mechanics couldn't be trusted. (Well, they can't really, but that's another story, and why we are learning some basic car maintenance.)

Although, I learned how to change a tire I never had to change a tire until I was 17, and just got my drivers license, and was driving around down town, when I told my parents I was up town...

So be sure to practice, so when you are in the actually situation you don't panic.

Lesson One: This is what a tire looks like:

A car tire.

This is what a donut looks like:

Donut or a spare tire

Not this:

This is a doughnut.

Lesson Two: I know some of you think, I don't need to know this, I have my son or husband or boyfriend to help me. Well, when you get a flat and are out on a road with no cellphone reception, and it is rainy/snowing, and you are in the middle of NOWHERE, you are going to wish to learned how to do this.

Lesson Three: Getting a flat is going to happen at the must inopportune time. It will be raining, you will be late for curfew, you will get dirty.

Lesson Four: Go right now to your car and get the Owner's Manual. If you have never opened this, I cry at night for people like you. (Just joking, but seriously, you should have read this skimmed this after you got your car  before you purchased your car.)

In your owners manual you will learn the location of your spare tire (the donut). Some cars it is in the engine compartment, in pick-up trucks, it is under the bed of the truck, in most cars, it will be in the trunk under the liner.

Now you are ready to change your own tire!!

Step One: Locate the spare tire, scissor jack, and the cross lug wrench. And get it all out.

Step Two: If you haven't already, set the parking break. If you are on a hill (actually do this anyway!) Find some large to put behind on of your rear tires. This is purely fro preventive measures. You don't want your car rolling away!

This rock is too small to do any good.

It needs to be BIG!

Step Three: Loosen the the lug nuts on the tire to be changed. DO NOT remove the lug nuts!

Wait, what are lug nuts? They are the bolts that hold your tires on.

Ok, so how do I loosen them? Easy. Body weight.

If you have had the tire put on by any professional place, I bet they torqued them to spec. (Oh, that means nothing to you, that is ok!) So for any one who is not the Hulk, loosening those bad boys is going to be HARD.

So place one hand on the car for balance and one foot on the cross wrench. Now push, keeping your other foot on the ground. (I DO NOT recommend jumping, it can cause damage to the and more importantly to you!)

Using your body weight to loosen lug nuts.

Which way to loosen? Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey. The lug nuts will all loosen the same direction. Keep trying until you find which way they go.

Step Four: Now the the lug nuts are finger tight, get the scissor jack and jack up the car. This is really easy, and might be the easiest part of changing a tire. Jack the car up until you can move the tire. (If you are changing a rear tire and set the parking break like you should have, the tire will not move. Jack the car up until you can slide your hand under the tire.)

scissor jack

This lip is where you place the jack...

like so.

Using the Jack to lift the car.

The tire moves.

Step Five: Remove the lug nuts and the tire.

Lug nuts removed

Hand on top...

Hand on Bottom to remove tire.

Step Six: Put on the spare, followed by the lug nuts. Tighten the lug nuts to finger tight.

It is easiest to put a tire on the same why you took it off.

Step Seven: Lower the car. Turn the handle on the scissor jack the opposite direction until you can remove the jack.

Step Eight: With the cross wrench tighten the lug nuts in a STAR pattern.

The star pattern

This is VERY IMPORTANT. I can get into the physics of why this is important, but this post is already long. So, basically, if you don't tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern you risk the tire not being on the car properly causing all kinds of hazards and problems.

Step Nine: Place the flat tire in the trunk, where you got the spare from and take care of your tools.

Step Ten: Drive carefully and slowly to the nearest repair shop or tire place. (**Most spares have a speed limit on them. Do not drive faster than it, not 5 miles over with a spare!**)

I hope that helped some of you out! Is there anything you do when changing a tire I left out?

Baking Soda Part 2: Just add Vinegar

I got back from a wonderful vacation Tuesday, and after a good night of sleep and a day of work nannying, I am back to talk about baking soda and it's best friend Vinegar!

If you didn't read last week post, SHAME ON YOU! Go read it now, by clicking HERE!

Also, it is NOT to late to enter the give away! So do that now too!!

I am going to keep this post short and let you use your imagination. Why?

A couple of reasons, 1: Just google uses for baking soda and vinegar, and I am sure you will find a million and one uses, and 2: I hate long wordy posts, and I have been guilty of those lately.

With that here are my 5 top uses for the two combined!

1: Drain cleaner- Check out Crunchy Betty's Drain Cleaner

2: A de-greaser- Yes, together they work wonders. Just soak the greasy offender in vinegar for a minute or two or 5 or 10 depending on the greasiness, then add baking soda until the reaction stops (the fizzing).

3: A Miracle Cleaner- Spray counter with a 1-1 mix of water and vinegar, sprinkle some baking soda on that sucker and scrub it clean

4: Deodorize- And clean something the cat pee-ed on. Our cat pees on things when she is mad about her box, at work the cat loves to pee on the little ones bed. Wash the item with baking soda and vinegar (combine 2 and 3) then spray the object with a 1-1 water and vinegar mix. This should prevent Kitty from peeing there again.

5: Hours of entertainment for little ones. Seriously, add some food coloring to the vinegar and let the kids go to town! They girls at work asked to 'have an experience' Translation: "Can we do an experiment?" or "Can we play with vinegar and baking soda?"

Next Focus Wednesday, we will finish up Baking Soda with health uses.

Finished Friday: Baby gifts

I decided to start posting some if the crafty things I do, and have dubbed Friday's as Finished Friday!

Lately, EVERYONE I know is either pregnant or just had a baby. It isn't very good for my, let's not be baby crazy mantra I chant to my self every day.

But, a lot of the people having babies are my friends, and I like to make things for my friends. I used to make hats, but I never saw anyone wear them. So now I make socks, and if I am still not seeing babies in my socks, I am done making your babies stuff! Seriously, it take 6 hours to make a pair of socks, and these socks are knit with the love, and tender care of someone who can not have a baby (but desperately wants one).

Here are a few of the ones I have recently gifted. Also if you want a pair as a gift to a friend, I do sell them for $20 a pair for basic socks, and $25 for two color socks.

These were knit for a girl, cables in a pink speckled yarn.

Anchors Away!

Knit for a boy, who mother asked for a nautical theme.

These were knit for a girl in a set of twins.

Soft creamy white and baby girl pink.

Knit for the boy in the set of twins.

Tan and navy.

I love making these socks. They are so much fun, and a great conversation started when in public!

I am going on vacation today, and so there will be no posts until Wednesday! But I will have some great new ways to clean with baking soda and vinegar! Have a great weekend!

Thrifty Thursday: Car Maintenance: Tires, Part 1

Alright people of the blog-a-sphere, if you own or drive a car there are some BASIC things you NEED TO KNOW!!!

The other day I posted this story about my ridiculous neighbors... And so I have been thinking about how to write a post about these basic things.

The first item on the list of 5 basic car maintenance is to know how to check your tire pressure and how to change a tire.

How to check you tire pressure:

Step 1: Buy one of these, a tire pressure gauge. They are really cheap, and work WAY better than the ones on the air dispenser. 

Step 2: Check the tire pressure. Remove the valve stem cover. Put the gauge on the stem press slightly till you here the 'psst' sound. The end of the gauge should come out telling you the pressure. 

Note: The pressure the tire should be inflated to is printed on the wall (side) of the tire.

It is in small writing, and can be hard to find, just keep looking around the edge of the rim, you will find it.

Step 3: If needed fill the tire with compressed air. You can do it with a foot pump, like for a bicycle, but it will be really hard. Or you can go to your local gas station and fill up at their air and water station. Be sure to check the pressure every so often when filling as so to not over fill the tire.

Step 4: Replace the valve stem cover.

That is it! You won't even get dirty doing it.

Here are a few things to know about your tires and the pressure.
1. Under inflated tires will hurt your gas mileage, BUT over inflated tires can cause blow outs which are VERY DANGEROUS.
2. Check your tire pressure when the tires are cold. In the morning before you drive anywhere is ideal.
3. Tires will lose about a pound of pressure a month. Check tire pressure at every gas fill up.
4. The tire pressure printed in your manual or on the inside of the door frame is WRONG! Go with the pressure on the tire.


Next Thursday will be how to change a tire.

Cleaning with Baking Soda, Part 1 PLUS a GIVE A WAY!!!!

The Give A Way is Now Closed. 


I love to clean with baking soda. It works great, doesn't scratch. It is safe, non-toxic, and your kids will love helping you clean.

There are HUNDREDS of ways to use Baking Soda to clean. Just google it, or click here! (I am not going to talk about cleaning with baking soda and vinegar this week, that is for next week!)

Some of the ways I like to use baking soda is to help srcub, like have a said before.

This is how I store baking soda for cleaning. I just shake some on to what needs to be scrubbed.

This is the floor in the nook. After we painted the painters tarp and the chairs left some nice white scuff marks all over the floor. I tried scrubbing with a scrub pad, but I could tell it was going to mess with the floor. So I thought to try some baking soda.

I hate this art deco floor! There were scuffs like this ALL OVER the floor!

Baking Soda and some water, just rub it on the floor!

Nice and clean!

Easy-peasy! I did not have to scrub at all! The baking soda did all the work!

Now, on Pintrest I have seen some list of things to do with baking soda. I don't want to just have another one of those. So I went through them, and picked out the 10 that I am most likely to use or do.

10 Cleaning Solutions with Baking Soda:

Remove tough stains from enameled cast iron and stainless steel. - Real Simple

Scrub Pots and Pans. - Real Simple

Toilet Cleaner - Life Hackery

Remove crayon and scuffs from vinyl floors. - Life Hackery

Remove baked on food. - Job Description Mommy 

Boost to laundry detergent. - Job Description Mommy 

Clean stinky garbage cans. - Job Description Mommy 

Scrub cutting boards. - Job Description Mommy 

Clean broiler pans or grills. - Good Life Eats

Deodorizer dishwashers.- Good Life Eats

The Give A Way is Now Closed. 

Now, for the give away! Give Away Closes at 5 PM PDT May 31!

I want to give away one refrigerator odor absorber and a box of Baking Soda. I am not giving away the baking soda absorber you can buy. It is a reusable one, and a 4 POUND BOX of baking soda.

Here are the rules:

1. You must comment on this post about how you use baking soda, or how you will now use it.

2. Become a follower.

3. Contact Engineering Homemaking about something Homemakey and Engineery you want to be highlighted on Engineering Homemaking! (comments or emails please!)

The refrigerator...

Yesterday, I clean out our fridge as part of a, I leaving for a few days, I want the house clean when I get back.

It has been something on my list for a couple weeks, but I haven't had the time.

While I was cleaning it, I was thinking about how I need to clean our oven. Something I have NEVER done before. And I thought, if I have never cleaned an oven, I bet there are people who have never cleaned an oven or the refrigerator.

So the fridge, I didn't take pictures until almost finish, but here is how I do it.

1) remove EVERYTHING from the inside. Cleaning the fridge will take you less than an hour, and I promise nothing will go bad. But if you are worried, do it on a cold day.

2) turn off the fridge. This is purely to save power, and DO NOT OPEN the freezer during this time. We won't clean the freezer today.

3) wash all the drawers, shelves, and anything else you took out. Wash by hand.

4) wash the inner walls and bottom (I am always amazed at how much dust and cat hair accumulates in 6 months.)

5) don't forget the door! If the bars come off, take them off.

6) leave the fridge open for about 10 minutes to dry. If you use chemical cleaners be sure to do this!

7) load everything back in.

8) DO NOT FORGET TO TURN IT BACK ON!!!

9) Wash the outside doors, side, and handles.

Next week the oven... We can learn together!

Monday, Monday!

Oh Mondays! I both hate and love this day. It is the start of the week. The work week, or for me, Vacation Week!! I really need one! I thought I would take a moment this morning to share a little bit about why I really need a break!

So many crazy things have been going on. Wonderful Man finished his first Full-time semester at school (he works full-time too!) Then after his last final on the 4th he started up summer school on the 7th! When I did that, I wasn't working full-time!!

I just work usually 4 days a week. Which gives me time to clean our house, write this blog, and do a little bit of what I want to do.

But lately I have been feeling OVERWHELMED!!!

I do not feel like my schedule is exhaustive, but I am exhausted!

I get up to run (or walk, depending on the day) at 6 AM

I am home by 8, and start getting ready for the day. Breakfast, shower, and morning cleaning.

Or if it is a day that I go to work at 9, I rush out the door.

I get home usually by 6, and start dinner, finish the days cleaning and get to spend a little bit of time with Wonderful Man before bed, just to repeat the cycle.

But the stress of life isn't what is dragging me down, it is something more personal...

BABIES!

After 3 years of marriage we had plans to have one by now. But the Big Man Upstairs must have different plans. We looked into adoption. And I freaked! There are laws in some states that allow the birth mother up to 180 DAYS (that is 6 MONTHS!) to take the baby back.

So we decided to look into what is wrong.

After weeks of testing, some that involve multiple blood draws. They have yet to find anything wrong. Now we are to the point where our insurance won't pay for more of the testing.

So we have cut out budget, yet again to start saving for some very expensive tests and procedures.

Needless to say, I am very frazzled! But things are looking good, and hopefully in the next few months we can get some answers!

Women are Powerful

I know I have promised some really great posts, but life has become a little crazy! Instead of trying to back track I am just going to pick up the pieces.

Now, I like to think that it is not just women who read my blog. So men, please just bare with me. But I watch something over the course of a couple weeks that made just want to b***h slap a few people!

To understand my view, I think you should understand, I consider my self a liberal conservative. I support equal rights and opportunities for women (I am a female engineer), but I also think you should be a legal citizen to get rights and government subsidies.

But one thing that pisses me off is STUPID WOMEN! We as women as so powerful! But those few stupid women...

They screw up everything that the older generation fought for in the Women's Movement.

Honestly, Women out there (and men too), how many of you know how to CHANGE A TIRE?

I am willing to bet that most readers don't (Lets do a poll! Comment, whether you know how to change a tire or not!)

This is what happened a couple weeks ago, I was home doing something and I hear this awful noise outside, coming up the hill we live on. It stopped and I didn't think much of it until it started again and was getting very loud. So I looked out the window and watch my neighbor across the street, pull into her driveway with a very flat tire. (Not, being a stalker neighbor I did not take a picture. Even though it sat there for TWO WEEKS. I was very tempted!!) Here is an image that is very similar to how she left her car.

After she pulled into her driveway she walked around the car (It is a Tahoe), saw the tire, threw her hands in the air, then stormed inside.

Then the car sat there for almost TWO WEEKS!!!

Now, when she pulled up I was tempted to go and ask if she would like some help fixing the tire. But we have had some problems with these neighbors (Drunk, loud, college kids; who can't believe we sleep on a Friday night!) So, I decided they could take care of it, after all she lived with 4 guys.

But, NO! It SAT on the rim for TWO WEEKS. This is VERY BAD. Not to mention that driving with a wheel like that is dangerous!

Today I was working on our curtains, when I noticed that there was three guys outside, and a new car. Someone had come with a new wheel! (Tire and rim) Finally, it would get fixed! But it took them over an HOUR to do it. I mean, I made dinner, we ate dinner, and watched an episode of our favorite TV show, all in the time it took these three guys to change the tire.

I pointed it out to Wonderful Man, and he said "I am so glad you know how to change a tire. What a bunch of idiots!" He continued to go on about how bad it was for the car to have sat for so long, which I agreed to.

So the point of all this is, PEOPLE, out in the world, if you drive a car you should be able to perform a few simple basic tasks.

1) Know to check tire pressure and change tires.
2) How to check and fill fluids (windshield wiper, oil, radiator fluids)
3) Know how to jump start a car.
4) Know how to replace all lights in your car (turn signals, brake lamps, head lamps, etc.)
5) Know how to check fuses and replace them.

I think this might be something I should focus on one month soon!

Dirty Secrets Revealed

We are almost done with the Week to Clean series! Wahoo! We have two rooms left to tackle and I don't really want to talk about them. I think the cleaning muse left yesterday when I asked her to do two rooms instead of the typical one a day...

Anyway, We still have two rooms left, and I noticed the last 7 posts (no counting this one) there are 4 pictures and 1 video. All the pictures are outsourced and the video is one that I did, so it ain't that great.

Y'all want pictures right? Not of this yippy yap from me that just goes on and on and ... Well you get the point. So this is a blog about homemaking, and if I want you to believe that I actually practice what I preach. I decided to walk around my house and snap some pictures to show you what the house looks like.

A brief introduction, it is Tuesday morning. I have gotten up, worked out and made breakfast (which I am eating as I write this) and Wonderful Man as done his morning thing and left for school. Here is the state of my house at 9.30 Tuesday morning: (I want you to know that I haven't taken the pictures and am really not sure if this is going to be flattering or humiliating! Leaving to take pictures...)

First the Kitchen: Monday is Kitchen day, so it should be clean... Well yesterday, the garbage disposal was broken and the Landlord couldn't come over until 11 (an hour before I leave for work!). Needless to say, it did not fully get cleaned yesterday. But it is on today's list with the Bedroom.

Dishwasher and floor... This is the side that needs to be finished

I left the mop out... The stove needs it cleaning too.

Other side of the room, you can't see much, but it is clean, I PROMISE!

 The Bedroom: Now these Pictures were taken BEFORE Tuesday's cleaning. It is also this months deep clean day.

I asked Wonderful Man to take care of his stuff on the floor before he left... he just put it on the bed!

This is our only hall way, just some stuff left out from cleaning the bathroom yesterday.

 Bathroom:

Sink and the start of our next experiment.

This is a clean floor. By the way, I scrubbed this by hand.

The shower, it is white and hard to tell I scrubbed it too, but this is the site of our next experiment.

 The Living/Dinning Room: This room is the collection site of junk! We are clean out the basement for a yard sale so it is worse than normal. Honestly!

The white shelf/boxes with the sweater , sale items, and cardboard boxes, sale.

The cat, wondering what I am doing.

Most of what you see here is going to the yard sale.

Entryway, it has stuff for the yard sale too!

 Lastly, the Nook:

I need to clean off the desk!

 Well that is how the house looked at 9.30 am, but what about at 9.30 pm? After I have had some time to clean, and do my routine for the day?


The Kitchen: Finished! Well, after I put the burners back on!

See, the are next to the sink waiting ...

 The Bedroom: This is the easiest room to clean.

Can you tell I have been doing laundry today?

Wonderful Man's Clothes still on the bed...

 The Bathroom: The dishwasher flooded the kitchen this morning... So here hangs the towels to dry a bit before I wash them tomorrow.

The Living room and Entryway: I didn't get to these rooms today.

The Nook: I started to clean off the desk, and then I noticed it was 9.30!

Well, readers, there you have it. I do not have a picture perfect home. Nor is it clean 24/7, although I know we ALL DREAM it! Hopefully, we can work to having a well oiled machine with clean homes as the end result.