Waterloo Automotive

As a regular driver or commuter, it’s important to keep a roadside emergency kit in your vehicle. We realize it’s the age of cell phones,triangle reflector but if you happen to go any lengthy distances, it may take some time before a friend or family member can get to you. You want to be able to take a few steps to making a repair or protecting yourself if you’re ever in a situation where you get stuck. Having the items you need handy will make the difference between being able to help yourself or having to wait for a tow truck. Begin by finding a toolbox or other container to hold the items. You certainly don’t want items rolling freely in your trunk to get damaged or ruined. Next, gather the following: First Aid Kit. This is something you can put together yourself. Stock with bandages, bottle of water, adhesive tape, scissors and aspirin. Jumper Cables. Make sure your cables are at least 12 feet. Blanket. If you get ... read more

With the cold winter months, it’s hard to stay active. We might be looking at another month of winter, so with these snow storms and low temperatures it could be hard or near impossible to head outside. We also can sometimes turn into sloths without our normal Vitamin D doses from the sun. In order to keep the motivation up, we have to start somewhere. Here are some tips to shaking that winter sloth and staying healthy: INDOORS: Participate in winter sports. There are probably a number of activities to participate in during the winter months. Grab some coworkers or classmates and sign up for a rec basketball or volleyball league. Maybe start a pickup game during open gym for some friendly competition. Go for a walk. The mall is a great place for this, especially if you like to shop. If you want to challenge yourself, bring a pedometer to count your steps. Take the stairs. Doing this and even parking farther away will get ... read more

You probably don’t remember car phones. (Lucky you.) We are even past the time of cell phones. This is now the generation of smart phones. In fact, these smartphones are where some people are spending much of their time. We decided to do a little research on what apps young adults are spending their time buried into (besides texting of course). Pandora
Pandora is a radio app that offers you music anytime you like with less ads than the actual radio. Pandora lets you create a playlist through your favorite song or artist. IT will also suggest similar songs based on your playlist. Perfect for a teen on the go or in the car. Shazam
Also for music lovers, the Shazam app helps you keep up with the songs you want to download. If you hear a song play, you hold out your phone and Shazam will provide you with the song information. Instagram
Instragram is a photo sharing app. It lets you edit pictures before posting and see your friends or celebrities ph


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When choosing the college that’s right for you, you’re probably making cost a large factor. The high costs of tuition can be a scary reality and so can ending college in debt. However, there are thousands of scholarships out there offered by schools, communities, companies, nonprofits, and more. But where do you start? Here are some tips to finding the right scholarship to help pay for your education. Step 1: Talk to your counselor.
If you’re a high school student, possibly your best resource will be your counselor. They will have great advice on specific scholarships to fit your needs. If you meet with your counselor, be prepared to share your financial background and discuss your skills and interests. Your own high school may even offer a scholarship. If you have a specific school in mind, they will also have counselors you can speak with. Take a counselor’s advice to heart. In some cases, their primary focus is to aid you in your college search and help make it aff
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Before you brainstorm what your top choices might be, make sure you have an open mind. It’s easy to imagine what schools your friends are going to or to favor the “party schools.” We recommend keeping these things in mind before making a decision: Why are you going?
Before you begin your search, ask yourself the reasons for going to school. What are your goals? What are your strengths? Your weaknesses? You’re not expected to have your major chosen while still in high school, or even your first year, but why are you going? Do you want to remain close to family, or do you want a fresh start in a new city or state? Do you have specific academic goals? These are all important things to think about. Size Matters.
Now it’s time to think about whether you’d prefer a large university or a smaller college. Also- would you like to go for 2 years or 4? It’s always an option to start out at a smaller, local community college and transfer to a 4-year school. Think abo

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You may or may not have already worked on your New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions are a good way to get rid of bad habits and to get yourself to live a better life. The problem with resolutions is that too many times people end up forgetting about them by the end of the month. Here are some tips to help keep your resolutions this year: Write your resolutions down – One way to force yourself to be reminded of your resolutions is to write them down and put them in a place you frequent. Your closet, bathroom, kitchen or your door is a great place to put your resolutions and to get a daily reminder. Journal – Having a journal to record your progress is a great way to remind yourself to keep your resolutions going. If you are noticing your success, it will be a great motivational tool. Announce your goals to the public – Chronicle your success (and failures) on social media. Make a blog with videos chronicling your r ... read more

Celebrating the New Year is a great and fun way to celebrate everything in your life and starting over in a different year. If you are going to celebrate with friends this year, it is good to keep these tips in mind: Drinking If you are under 21, be careful about drinking. Do not put yourself in a position you are not comfortable with or in an unsafe environment. Be mindful of drunk people opening champagne bottles (whether they are alcoholic or not). Some people do not aim the cork away from people. It is all fun and games until someone gets hit in the eye. Unless you are with a close group of friends, make sure you pay attention to your drink at all times. Do not sit your drink down, walk away, and end up drinking it later. Hand it off to a friend if you need to use the bathroom. Driving Do not drink and drive. If you have had a couple drinks, have a sober friend drive you or get a cab. Cops will be out in fu ... read more

Less than a week after the tragedy that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut, it is still difficult to grasp the thought of dealing with such a difficult situation. We understand that there will always be questions that may never be answered: why it happened, what could have been done to prevent it from happening and how can we change to make sure this never happens again. It is okay to admit that you are having difficulties grasping the concept of why this unthinkable tragedy occurred. The good news is that are plenty of ways you can personally help yourself and other people in your life dealing with grief and sorrow. Here are some resources that can help you cope with this: Your parents – Your parents are your best resource when it comes to dealing with a tragedy. No, they might not have all the answers for how you should cope with this but they will be someone you can go to so that you can express your feelings about this. Your ... read more

The next month will present some difficult situations for teens as you will eventually end up a party. Whether it is for Christmas, New Year’s Eve or just a regular party, you will inevitably be in a situation where you are offered a drink (or two). As a teenager, you are given more freedom and with that freedom comes responsibility. You have a responsibility to yourself, your friends, your family and to anyone on the road. Responsibility to yourself – Whenever you take a sip of alcohol, you need to understand that you are now putting yourself at risk of being arrested. In Missouri, it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to possess or consume alcohol. If you get behind the wheel of a car after even having any sort of alcohol in your system, you can be arrested for drinking and driving. Not to be taken less seriously, but a minor in possession is a misdemeanor in Missouri. Take responsibility for yourself by not putting yourself in a situation where you embarrass y ... read more

The holidays are an exciting time for everyone and part of that is the thought of getting your dream gift from your parents. The economy is tough right now which means the chance of you getting that dream gift from your parents slim to none. Here are some cost-effective alternative gift ideas to ask for instead of their more expensive counterparts: Laptop – While you may want a top of the line Apple Macbook, they are very pricey. Instead of asking for an Apple laptop, you might consider the Google Chromebook. At $249, it is an inexpensive alternative to the Macbook, which starts at $999. Tablet – If you don’t already have one, an iPad is sure to end up on everyone’s holiday wish list. However, the newest model of iPad starts at $499, which may be out of your parent’s price range. A cheaper alternative is the third-generation iPad which starts at $399 or the iPad ... read more