One Bag, Three Ways

You know when you find a bag and you just want to sing and shout about it to every person in the world? Or is that just me...? I never knew I could be such a fan of a bag. I was very first introduced to Lily Jade through Alissa when I joined the Pollinate team. And it was literally love at first bag. As soon as I got my hands on my very own Lily Jade I was completely converted. Who says a diaper bag is just for those that actually need to carry around diapers? Not me! I am a big fan of big bags and pockets to organize my caaaa-razy life. You might remember when I talked about packing up Lily Jade for Spring Break. Diaper bags can become beach bags, travel bags, errands bags, and every day bags. But the best part - seriously THE BEST part - about Lily Jade is the convertableness - that is a word, right? - of it all. So today I am bringing you Lily Jade three ways so you can see how it converts to any of your needs.

Let's start with traditional two handle bag. I start here because that is usually what I look for in a bag. Something big and tote-like that I can toss over my should when it is full of my life. More often than not this works for me. Maybe because that is what most purses offer, two mid-sized handles to carry it by. In fact, anytime I had a large bag in high school or college this is exactly what it was. I only ever had a long one handle bag when it was a mirco purse. I prefer to wear it with two straps when it is a a quick grab and go to protect my shoulders. Like I said - this is the most traditional way to wear a purse so it basically works for anything: running errands, meeting friends, travelling, you name the activity and the straps this way will work for you! It might not always be the most convenient, but it works - and that is why Lily Jade killed it with two more options.

Next is the bag turned backpack – and my personal favorite. The reason I originally fell in love the Lily Jade when Alissa showed it to me was because it turned into a backpack. With my busy schedule I am always doing some multitasking while walking long distances or out running errands, and because of that the two strap option wasn’t always feasible because the bag was either slipping off my shoulder or getting to heavy so I would have to keep swapping it back and forth. I love having the option to be hands free when I am out and about by turning my purse into a backpack with just a few adjustments. A few of the times that I love wearing Lily Jade as a backpack are: flying and traveling, out for a long day at a park, walking from shop to shop. As you can see the backpack version becomes my favorite when I am constantly moving around on my feet.

And the final option is the one strap – which I prefer to extend so it swings right at my thigh height, but you can make it as long or as short as the strap allows for your preference. I have recently become a huge cross body fan. It is nice to have some leverage from one side to the other while out and about instead of hanging low on one side. I also feel like it helps my balance, which might be a total made of thing in my head – but hey, I am rolling with it! I like to go with the cross body option when I am walking medium distances but not long enough to convert it to the backpack. So generally I go one strap on one shoulder or cross body when I am: walking from the parking garage and into work, cruising through the mall but will need to set my bag down to try things on or hold things, and heading into baseball games, concerts, shows where they check in the bag so it is easier for the usher to peep inside.

And there you have it my peeps. One awesome Lily Jade bag with all the strap options your heart could desire and your head could dream of. I am rocking the Meggan bag in Brandy – with all the gold detailing, my heart! – but I also have the Elizabeth in Camel. both are killer bags that convert to all three options and have pockets for days inside and out. So I am totally sold. And I will forever sing the Lily Jade praises. If you are in the market for a new leather bag you will not regret shopping with them. Which strap option do you think you would utilize the most?

9 Basic Car Maintenance Tasks You Should Master

Car maintenance can be daunting, but if you’re going to drive a car on a regular basis, you should at least know the basics. So if you happen to be a novice at everyday car maintenance, here are nine car maintenance items that you’ll want to master.

Oil. Oil is the lifeblood of your car’s engine system, so if there’s any car fluid you need to stay on top of, it’s this one. (You can learn more about the importance of keeping your engine lubricated with oil here.) You should attend to your car’s oil as frequently as your car manufacturer specifies or every six months—whichever comes first. Car manufacturers will typically recommend attending to your oil anywhere from every 3,000 to 7,500 miles. To check if you need an oil change or if your oil simply needs to be topped off, take a look at the dipstick by removing it, wiping it clean, dipping it, and then pulling it out again. If the oil looks very dark and gritty in texture, it’s time for an oil change. If it is light brown and clean looking, it can simply be topped off by pouring some oil into your oil reservoir.

Filters. The engine air filter is often overlooked. Air filters collect dirt and debris over time, and they should be replaced every 15,000 to 30,000 miles. It’s usually relatively easy to locate the air filter in your car’s engine compartment; just be sure to check your owner’s manual. If the filter needs replacing, it’s just a matter of swapping the old one out for a new one.

Lights. Lights are straightforward enough; just be sure to check them every so often by having a friend observe your headlights, taillights, blinker lights, and reverse lights while you sit in your car and push the brakes, put the car in reverse, etc. Lights are changed differently depending on which car you have, so it’s best to check your owner’s manual. Typically it isn’t hard find a good tutorial online for your particular car model.

Windshield wipers. You should aim to change out your windshield wiper blades every six months to a year. The plus side to changing your wiper blades is that most auto parts stores will help you determine which ones you need for your car, and many will even change the blades for you. So if you’re overwhelmed at the thought of learning a whole slue of new car maintenance tasks, changing wiper blades could be the one to skip.

Windshield wiper fluid. Windshield wiper fluid is incredibly easy to keep up with, and maintaining it is crucial for your driving safety. To maintain your windshield wiper fluid, just be sure to pick up some fluid at your local auto parts store, big box store, or even gas station the next time your windshield wiper fluid light turns on. Then, it’s as simple as pouring this fluid into the windshield wiper fluid reservoir (though sometimes you have to dilute the fluid first—read the instructions on the bottle to be sure).

Tires. You should consider having your tires changed once the tread reaches 4/32” in depth. Many tire specialists will tell you that 2/32” is the very shallowest your tread should get, but keep in mind that anything less than 4/32” can compromise your car’s safety, especially when you are driving in the rain. You can measure your tire tread either by using a specialized tread depth measurement tool, or by using a U.S. penny. Insert the penny upside down into your tire’s tread and observe how far up Lincoln’s head the tread gets. Then use a ruler to measure the distance between the top edge of the coin and this location on Lincoln’s head. (Most proponents of the penny test will simply tell you that the tread is deep enough if the tread covers a portion of Lincoln’s head, but this adapted version of the “penny test” will help you get a more specific measurement.)

Tire pressure. It’s also important to keep up with your tire pressure in order to keep your car driving safely. You can check your tire pressure with a pencil-sized tire pressure gauge, available at your local big box store for just a few dollars. Toss one in your glove compartment, and you’ll always have it handy. To determine what tire pressure your tires should have, check your car owner’s manual for where to look on your car. Usually there is a sticker located at the bottom edge of the driver’s side door opening. A good time to check your car’s tire pressure is just before heading out for the day, while your tires are still cold—at least monthly. (Don’t forget to check your spare tire as well!) To add air to your tires, you can use a household air compressor, or the pay-per-use air dispenser at your local gas station.

Changing a flat tire. This skill proves invaluable when you get a flat tire. The process typically goes something like this: start loosening the lug nuts, jack the car upward until the wheel is off the ground, finish removing the lug nuts, and swap in the spare tire. It’s best to do a practice run of changing a flat tire on your own car first in order to fully grasp it.

Jumpstarting a car. This is another skill to have in your back pocket for emergencies. To jumpstart a car, you’ll need to park a donor car near your own car, turn off the donor car, and then pop open the hoods of both cars. Then, attach the jumper cable clamps to the donor car and dead car batteries in this order: dead—positive, donor—positive, donor—negative, dead—bare metal (red should go on the positive ends, while black should go on the negative end and on bare metal). Next, start the donor car, followed by the dead car. Remove the clamps in reverse order of how you applied them. Just be sure to carry a set of car cables in the trunk in your car so that you’ll be ready for a car battery emergency.

By: Maurine Anderson