We started to look for possible new places to live a few months ago. This had become a routine of sorts for us throughout the past couple of years. When yet another thing in our two-bedroom apartment would break or the rapid deterioration of our apartment building would become even more apparent, we would go on the hunt for other, affordable rentals out there. Turns out that around these parts, or any part within 100 miles of us in any direction, the words affordable and rental are oxymorons. We would get frustrated, stop looking, and reside ourselves to living unhappily in a place that has been steadily falling apart around us. Rinse, wash, repeat. We were destined to fall into that same cycle again, but after some number-crunching, my partner brought up the option–and the realistic possibility–of purchasing.

I have never given the idea of purchasing a home too much thought. It has always been something nice to think about that could possibly happen at some point in the future, maybe. That maybe is what made it continue to be a nice thought. I do not deal with drastic changes very well. They make me feel vulnerable; as if I am teetering on the edge of a cliff thousands of stories high and even the slightest gust of wind could send me falling to my demise. When I was a kid, my mother had moved me and my younger sister around more than six times in ten months. From the time I was an adolescent I have wanted nothing more in my life but stability; something that I can count on without it changing or disappearing overnight. But the idea of permanence makes me feel as if I am being trapped in a box too small for my body and my air will run out soon and every part of my body is going numb.

Something that can be counted on has always won out when my mental processes start to become conflicting, blood-thirsty enemies, and we began to look for single family homes on the market. What we immediately found is that while affordable rentals don’t seem to exist anymore, affordable homes do and in the end, they can wind up being even more affordable than any rental I have personally ever lived in.

After looking at just four homes, we simultaneously had our hearts latch on to a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home with an additional basement apartment (hello in-home recording studio for my professional guitarist partner!) and an actual yard with an above-ground pool in the same town we have been living in for the past four years; a town that is quiet and surrounded by woods, where everyone you meet is still kind and humble and good.

We put in two offers before the owner of the home accepted and when she did, we got excited. We had to keep telling ourselves that in the next few months anything could happen. Something could go wrong. There was still time for everything to fall through. I started calling it “our house.” I realized just how excited I was at the prospect of having a home. Somewhere I belong; where I make sense; where I can create and thrive instead of merely floating in the limbo that is basic survival. Somewhere I can really live and grow, happily.

We soared through the purchasing process full steam ahead. We let our excitement grow until it was barely containable, and then we ran into issues with the bank. Twice. I began to wonder how it could be so hard for the bank to allow us to give them money every month. Our move-in date was unexpectedly pushed back which resulted in our existence being lived out in a barely-functioning apartment. We thought this place made us want to rip our hair out to begin with, but now most of our belongings have taken over the entire downstairs where there is but a small path just wide enough to walk through from the landing of the stairs, through the living room, and into the kitchen. But our days in this crowded, barely able to walk state are coming to an end, just as our days living in this apartment that we tried so desperately to make feel like a home have ended.

We get the keys to our new home this afternoon. Even as I sit here, on a mattress that is sitting on the floor with our bed in pieces and stacked around the room, with only seven hours until we have the keys to our very own home in our hands, it still feels like it isn’t happening. That something so good and filled with so much hope and optimism is just that inconceivable. But maybe that is what new beginnings and life changes feel like–too good to be true, until they are.

Related Posts:

• Acura Super Bowl Commercial: Jerry Seinfeld vs. Jay Leno for the First NSX [Video]
• Winterizing Your Yard: Better Late Than Never
• 3 Ways to Cut Food Costs and Get Back to Basics

High-end sports car aficionados Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno star in this spot for Acura where they are pitted against each other, competing to be the very first person in the world to have the yet-to-be-released Acura NSX. The commercial is hilarious and also features one of the most beloved characters from the show Seinfeld, the Soup Nazi.

Related Posts:

• Watch Anderson Cooper Get a Severe Case of the Giggles on Air [Video]
• Melissa McCarthy to Host “Saturday Night Live”, Check Out the Promos [Video]
• Matt Damon Defends Teachers at Save Our Schools March [Video]

This was only the second time I had ever been to New York City, which is a statement I would be less ashamed to make if I didn’t live just over two hours away. My reaction to the city was very much the same reaction I had the first time I had been there years earlier: Complete awe. Everything amazed me; the buildings, the people, the atmosphere, the energy. The energy in the streets of New York City can damn near sweep you off your feet and the good thing about New York City is that hardly anyone will notice you as you walk outside and just stand there, taking everything in and appreciating everything going on around you and never wanting that excitement dancing around in your chest to end. So you just stand there.

That night we stayed at the Gansevoort Park Avenue, an absolutely beautiful hotel with rooftop bar and home of Asellina restaurant. My room was gorgeous and promptly after opening the door and putting my bags down, I could not help but take several pictures of all of its stunning features. Here are some of them:

The next day, we all headed to the Unilever offices and kitchens in New Jersey where during the day, we were given the inside scoop on just about everything involved in conceptualizing a new sauce (or improving upon an old one) and getting that product made and on grocery store shelves. It was an insightful day packed full of interesting and useful information.

Naturally, the first thing we had the opportunity to learn about upon arriving at Unilever was how the Mom’s the Word on Dinner campaign came to be and what Ragu wanted to accomplish with it. We’ve all seen countless brands attempt to speak the language of parents in their advertisements and pretty much every one of those advertisements ends with how life would be much easier or we would be happier or less stressed if we just bought their product. I appreciate that Ragu did not approach the Mom’s the Word on Dinner program in this way, which is why this is the first full-on ambassadorship that I have said yes to in the nearly-four years that Woman Tribune has been in operation.

Ragu’s main focus with the Mom’s the Word on Dinner campaign is to start a dialogue between their brand and their consumers, between bloggers and their readers, between parents and other parents. It’s a really simple concept–like most good ideas are–and it’s a conversation that anyone who has experienced dinnertime dilemmas can’t help but want to participate, and sometimes yes, commiserate in. And that’s where the magic of this campaign happens.

We also had the chance to hear just what goes into getting a Ragu sauce made, from conceptualization-to-jar, and then getting that jar on the shelves of your local grocery store. We learned that Ragu sauces begin with a recipe that is then perfected by Unilever chefs following the Gold Standard until they have created what they believe is the perfect sauce. Yes, chefs. It is so important to emphasize this because when I had first told my partner that I would be visiting Unilever and would have the chance to see how Ragu sauce is made, one of the first things he said was, “You know you’re going to a lab, right?” He was so wrong! There are no labs; instead, there are kitchens. Unilever has a series of kitchen stations in the middle of the Ragu space where there are chefs working hard to create sauces as well as new recipes that utilize their sauces as well as other Unilever-named brands. The most interesting aspect of the Unilever kitchen is that there are a series of stations equipped with only the appliances and tools that the average household has available. Because of this, the chefs are able to create recipes that they know regular families will be able to make and enjoy.

Annually, we have seen the statistics of serious health issues plaguing young people continue to rise. Thanks to the amount of research that has been done on this topic within the last handful of years, we have more information now than ever before to help us make the most informed, healthy choices about what is being put on our dinner tables. Ragu has also taken the initiative toward feeding our families better by dramatically reducing the amount of sodium in their sauce. The original Ragu sauce contained 780mg of sodium; as of 2010, they were able to bring that sodium level down to 480mg while also adding two servings of vegetables to each serving of Ragu and keeping the great, full flavor that their customers love.

Click to enlarge

Ragu has an impressive and mighty vault of delicious recipes. We have spotlighted some of their most budget-friendly recipes not too long ago, and I have plans of sharing a few others with you in the coming weeks from my kitchen. It would have most likely been difficult to decide on which recipes I wanted to make in my kitchen and share here if it weren’t for that Brand Immersion Day. Towards the end of the day, we were treated to quite the spread made by the Unilever chefs. Most notably, I really have to say that if you don’t try the Easy Mexican Pasta Salad, No Frying Chicken Parmesan, and No Boiling Lasagna, you are really missing out. They were delicious! I love the last two recipes because they are “skip-a-step” recipes, which literally means that you are skipping a step. With the Chicken Parmesan, you aren’t frying the chicken (or cleaning up the typical mess that comes with it) and with the Lasagna, you aren’t boiling the pasta noodles. These are easy dinners to make with efficiency, taste, and value in mind. All the important stuff! Also, I’m not so great in the kitchen and skip-a-step recipes leave an even smaller margin for error for me which is a great bonus!

I really learned a lot during the Ragu Brand Immersion Day. It was a great experience to see from the inside what goes into creating and distributing a product that I have already been purchasing on my own for years.

Here is a video further encompassing what I and the other Ragu Mom’s the Word on Dinner Ambassadors experienced that day:

Disclosure: This event occurred in connection with my appointment as an Ambassador in the Ragú® Mom’s the Word on Dinner Program. Visit www.facebook.com/ragusauce to join the conversation.

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

Can you imagine anything more disheartening than spending the first week of your life as a Mrs. stuck inside of your hotel room because of bad weather? Yes, many brides-to-be get excited about planning their honeymoons and put careful thought into every painstaking detail…except the weather.

This is not to say that you have any control over Mother Nature. But there is a little thing called the Internet that will help you to do some preemptive planning to choose a honeymoon locale that is likely to be beautiful the month that you get married. Don’t forget to do your homework and check out the average weather conditions before traveling on your honeymoon!

A vacation destination’s busy season is normally the time of the year that the area has the best weather. It only makes sense! Some locations like the Caribbean and Hawaii don’t have dramatic weather changes throughout the year, making it easier to visit these locales throughout all of the seasons besides just the summer months.

You can check out the weather details about a specific destination online or even call the country’s tourism board to confirm. Make sure to check the weather forecast before traveling, just in case a tropical storm is set to hit the day you arrive.

You can also use the helpful guide below to find exotic honeymoon locations that normally have great weather in the following months:

• January through March: In winter and early spring, it’s best to visit the Bahamas, Brazil, Canada (for skiing), the Caribbean, New Zealand, the Florida Keys, and Hawaii.
• April through June: In late spring and early summer, check out the Bahamas, Canada, the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Hawaii, Thailand, and even South Africa.
• July through September: As the summer wraps up, this is perhaps the most popular season for taking a honeymoon. Most of the world is your oyster, but check out popular destinations like Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Central Africa, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Thailand, and the US.
• October through December: This is an excellent time of year to check out the US and Canada for skiing, the Caribbean, Mexico, New Zealand, and the Florida Keys.

By doing your homework before jet setting off to your honeymoon, you can ensure that you enjoy every moment of your new marital bliss to the fullest. That doesn’t mean that you can’t visit other locations outside of the guidelines above, but make sure that you are vacationing in a country where the weather conditions match the style of honeymoon that you have booked.

If you want to go skiing, check that there is ample snowfall in advance. If you want to sip margaritas and lay on the beach all day long, then look for a country with warm weather and sunshine for most of the year.

Photo by IDEE_PER_VIAGGIARE

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

Earlier this month I traveled to New York City for the second time ever, which is kind of sad when you think about it considering I only live two and a half hours away from the city. I was there for two days as part of my ambassadorship with the Ragu Mom’s the Word on Dinner program, which I will be posting all about next week.

In the meantime, here are some pictures of the room I stayed in at the Gansevoort Park Avenue, which was absolutely beautiful.

To learn more about the Ragú® Mom’s the Word on Dinner Program, visit www.facebook.com/ragusauce and join the conversation.

Are you participating in Wordless Wednesday this week? Link up your posts!

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

Many are describing Mihamae’s actions as being retaliation, as the job of a TSA agent is to conduct screening procedures and pat-downs that have been reported as being incredibly invasive. Instances include passengers being forced to remove piercings, sometimes without being able to leave the crowded area of the checkpoint. One passenger in particular was forced to remove their nipple piercing with pliers before stepping onto their flight. Of course you may think that passengers should remove their body jewelry before attempting to board their flight knowing the possibility of being asked to submit to a TSA pat-down, but in some cases, removing a piercing, especially if it is for a substantial amount of time, could lead that person to losing their jewelry or their piercing closing up altogether. The pat-downs themselves have been reported by travelers as being prolonged and in some cases, even traumatic.

Mihamae denies that she groped the TSA agent, but she has been arrested and The Department of Homeland Security defended the arrest, saying “the agency will not tolerate assaults against its workforce.”

Two separate Facebook groups have been created in response to the arrest of Yukari Mihamae–Acquit Yukari Mihamae and Yukari Defense–that both contain messages that are vehemently against the TSA screening and pat-down system currently in place.

Photo by New York Post

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

I have something to tell all of you that will undoubtedly surprise a great deal of people, especially those who list their cell phones as one of their most important possessions they couldn’t bare to live without. I have never owned a cell phone before in my life, nor have I ever had any experience with a GPS. It is all just so, completely foreign to me. It seems that for as knowledgeable as I am when it comes to blogging and to social media, to graphic design and web development, I am just as unknowledgeable when it comes to most actual gadgets.

So when Nokia sent me their Nokia N8 handset loaded with a program Nokia has just recently made available on a wide variety of their phones–the Own Voice for Ovi Maps application–I was full of apprehension.

When I first received the Nokia N8 phone, I knew my partner would benefit more from having a reliable phone full of great features more than I would. Firstly, I work from home and have substantial anxiety issues that keep me in the house most of the time. He, however has been known to go out on the road with bands and play live shows, as well as needing to travel long distances for work. This would alleviate my worrying to a certain degree when he does that. Win/win. While he has been using the Nokia N8 as a smartphone for calls and keeping up with social media and networking, after we got some service for the thing with T-Mobile who offers a great month-to-month service plan, we really got to test out the Own Voice for Ovi Maps application when we traveled from Northeastern, Pennsylvania to Kent, Ohio just a few weeks ago and had no idea where we were going for a good portion of the trip.

Firstly, the set up of Own Voice is kind of funny. The phone prompts you with what you say and you speak into the microphone in the phone and it records your voice saying “turn right”, “you have reached your destination” and other directional prompts. Over and over again. This process is a lot more fun if you have someone you care about record these prompts for your phone, instead of having your own voice give you directions while you drive, which could be a little weird for some people.

When you have your directional prompts all recorded, just open Own Voice for Ovi Maps on your phone and set your destination. Your handset will automatically detect where you are and will guide you to where you need to get.

In addition to recording your own voice into the application, Own Voice for Ovi Maps also lets you download voice packs that other people have recorded for the application, and choose from an extensive variety of pre-loaded voices, including a sophisticated English woman’s voice.

For the most part, when my partner and I traveled to Kent, Ohio, Own Voice for Ovi Maps got us to our location effortlessly. That is, until we were traveling from Akron, Ohio, where we had just finished an amazing breakfast at IHOP, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to visit a good friend of ours. After the Own Voice for Ovi Maps got us out of the parking lot of IHOP and down the highway a bit, it immediately told us to take a U-turn, followed by first left turns and another U-turn. The application simply must have thought that we would absolutely love the scenery in Akron and did not want us to leave. After we decided it would be best to not listen to the GPS and get towards the highway we needed to be on, the phone then automatically zoomed all the way out and showed us an image of planet Earth. Just in case we were not aware that we needed to be in Earth in order to get to Pittsburgh.

Luckily, after a few hiccups, the application did get us to our destination, after forcing it to recalculate the route once we were on the highway and going in the right direction.

One of the weirdest, and most frustrating, aspect of the application is that while it gives you the option of choosing feet, Ovi Maps insists on reading everything to you in meters. While I understand that the Nokia N8 phone is predominantly available in Europe, if the option to convert from meters to feet is there, it should work, but it does not.

The Nokia N8 phone itself is chock full of really great features, including a 12 megapixel camera with sound quality that rivals the two other cameras I own. In fact, the sound when playing back video and recordings is about the same quality of my HP laptop. What completely blows my mind, however, is that the speakerphone quality when you are talking to someone is atrocious. If you are on the phone with someone on speakerphone, you can barely hear the person on the other end regardless of if you have the volume turned up completely. If you have a Nokia N8, you can also purchase a Nokia Bluetooth Headset that is said to make the quality of the sound produced by the phone better.

The Nokia N8 also has an HDMI connection so you can show your images and play your videos and music on compatible televisions and even projectors with a high-definition 720p resolution. It also features integrated social networking, pulling feeds from Facebook and Twitter to one application. It also supports games and additional apps you can download.

You can download Own Voice for your phone by visiting their website and simply entering your country and phone number.

Disclosure: I received a Nokia N8 phone from Nokia in return for this review.

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

And there, in a nutshell, is the purpose of this post. You may think that traveling and everything that comes with it has very little to do with housekeeping; especially when you’re running around the last few days prior to your trip, making sure your accommodations are correct, that you have everything you need, that you didn’t accidentally leave something that you should have packed laying out, albeit neatly folded on the bed, and so on. I used to think the same thing, but after traveling out of state a few times and spending those couple of days in a nice, super clean hotel room that in such a short amount of time you trick yourself into thinking resembles your life and how things will look when you walk through your front door when returning home, and then returning home to a lived-in, mildly cluttered house, is a very rude awakening. Very rude.

Now, when I know I’m going out of town for a few days, I make sure my house resembles something that I can really look forward to returning to. Sometimes it isn’t enough to know that your cats are home, probably curled up on your great, big bed that you haven’t laid in in days. So, as a rule of thumb, here’s what I tackle before even packing my bags to leave the house:

• Light dusting. Living in the sometimes harsh lighting of a hotel room will make it that much more apparent that there is dust collecting on the shelves, entertainment center and other surfaces of your house.

• Vacuuming. If you have pets, you know that vacuuming is already an everyday or at most, an every-other-day occurrence. Just imagine what you would be walking in to if you let the vacuuming go the day before you left on a trip and returned home a few days later. Hairball and lint central!

• Make the bed. Just because when you leave a hotel room and return the bed is magically made with fresh linens, does not mean when you return home the same thing will have happened in your bedroom. Take a few minutes and make up your bed, preferably with fresh linens and blankets so the first time you go to sleep after coming home from your trip, it will be the most comfortable and inviting it can be.

As for as I am concerned, those are the top three things I have never put that much emphasis on before leaving on a trip, but really make a huge difference when you return home from one. Of course, you’re going to want to also make sure that all of your dishes are done, your kitchen counters are wiped down, and all of your garbage and everything resembling garbage is taken out, but they don’t require any further explanation than that.

So there is just some small, friendly advice from me to you and now I’m off to vacuum my living room and pack before embarking on a 7-hour drive. Obviously posting on Woman Tribune will be light today, but I’m sure you all can understand that.

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NAVTEQ. All opinions are 100% mine.

Today has been the first really nice, warm and humid day in a very long time; possibly since last summer. If the weather keeps this up, we can start believing that summer is in fact well on its way. Summer brings upon so many good things–family gatherings, graduations, camping, laying by the pool, vacations, barbeques, theme parks and fond memories.

It’s May and it is during this month when a great deal of people will be planning their upcoming summer vacations, outings and gatherings. For most families, this summer will involve at least a moderate amount of traveling and most will do this traveling by car. If you don’t have a GPS or other in-car navigation system, you may be picking one up to make traveling easier without having to carve out more time for yourself to get lost and get found again. If you have an in-car navigation system, you may think you’re good to go, but think again. Your in-car navigation system could be tragically out of date and some pertinent information could be missing from your route, which could potentially cause a great deal of unnecessary chaos.

May is also NAVTEQ’s Map Update Month and at www.mapupdatemonth.com, you can find all of the information on how to make sure the maps within your GPS or in-car navigation system of any kind are completely up-to-date.

As soon as the weather starts to get nice, we can see the amount of roadwork that starts popping up all over our own communities; when thinking about the amount of work being done to create new highways, which create new routes used by travelers over the summer months, the amount of maps that change just because of that are tremendous. By having up-to-date maps, you will be able to plan out the easiest and fastest route possible to get to your destination and also find out what restaurants you will be near, where to stop for gas and where the nearest ATM will be, regardless of where you are.

GPS and in-car navigation systems also make extremely great gifts for new graduates. A great deal of newly-graduated young adults feel the need to flex their freedom and independence before entering the college ranks as freshmen. After graduation, many young adults will be headed on vacations or cross-country trips of their own and to make sure they are safe and efficient on the road, be sure to head to www.mapupdatemonth.com to make sure your new graduate’s in-car navigation system is up-to-date with all of the information they will need when driving to a great new spot during the summer and to college for the next four years while they plan out what will encompass their life’s work.

There have been several times in my life where having an up-to-date in-car navigational system would have saved me a great deal of frustration and even fear. When I was a teenager of maybe 16, my boyfriend at the time had just gotten his driver’s license and told me to pick somewhere I desperately wanted to go so we could take a real trip in his new car. I was ecstatic and very into the singer/songwriter Conor Oberst. I picked to travel a few hours’ distance and see him play live in Philadelphia. We did fine getting there and didn’t get lost at all, but getting home was severely frightening and frustrating. We got lost several times, completely turned around and wound up going in the opposite direction we needed to for several hours wondering why we never saw the turn we were supposed to take. What should have been a few hours worth of driving turned into an all night ordeal and I still remember the panicked feelings I had at the time when I finally got home and then had to go right to school so I didn’t miss my pre-SAT testing.

I wouldn’t wish those kind of feelings on anyone, so having an up-to-date in-car navigation system is imperative to your life and to your happiness while traveling. Traveling should be a fun, adventurous and eye-opening experience and to let it get ruined by anger, frustration and confusion just isn’t necessary when you have access to the kind of technology we are seeing and utilizing today.

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

Your vehicle is one of the most expensive assets that you will purchase in your lifetime, next to your home. In fact, our cars are under constant attack from pollution and airborne contaminants. If left on the surface of the car, it can embed into the clear coat or even the paint, causing expensive damage. This is why it is essential to wash your car frequently, at least once every two weeks. Exterior and interior car cleaning will keep your vehicle looking and feeling new!

The most important step before polishing your car is washing it. Before you begin to wash your car, you want to have the proper supplies. First you want to try to find good quality soap, not dish washing liquid, as the majority of dish washing liquids are not pH balanced and can strip the wax right off of the car. Try to find good car soap, maybe by Meguiar’s that is pH balanced and has fortified brighteners that won’t dull the paint. Let’s get started and I will take you through the steps to properly clean your vehicle’s paint.

• Pour soap in one bucket creating suds.

• Fill your other bucket up with fresh water.

• Try and keep your vehicle in a shady place because the sun will allow the soap to dry, creating water spots.

• Spray the car before you start to wash, this will remove loose particles and cool the paint for cleaning.

• Spray the wheels and wheel wells to remove overspray from the undercarriage.

• You may use a soft sponge or preferably a sheepskin mitt. Meguiar’s makes a great wash mit, the X3002 Microfiber wash mitt.

• Start at the top of the vehicle working your way down, do one panel at a time, rinsing as you go to keep the suds from drying.

• After each panel, rinse your mitt in the bucket with the clean water, as this will prevent the dirt that is collected from scratching your car.

• To prevent scratches when drying, use a soft, absorbent terry cloth towel or a chamois. We recommend using Meguiar’s X2200 Super Thick Natural Chamois 5′ square.

• Be sure to pay extra attention to the front panels, because these are the panels that normally are affected most by bugs, tar and overspray.

• Polish your car’s paint using a polisher and a high grade polish as this will clean the paint and smooth the surface, preparing it for waxing.

• Wax or seal the paint, which will protect the paint. We recommend using Meguiar’s NXT Wash & Wax Kit.

About Ricochet’s Rapid Detail

Ricochet’s Rapid Detail is owned and operated by husband-and-wife-team, Dave and Lucia Peregrim, who have over 25 years of experience in the auto detailing industry. Dave Peregrim has detailed cars for Tom Hesser Chevrolet, Kelly Volkswagen, and many others throughout his career and opened Ricochet’s Rapid Detail in Scranton, PA in 2002.

Check out the Ricochet’s Rapid Detail blog, “like” them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

Your car accumulates numerous particles that can harm its finish; these particles include, but are not limited to pollutants, mud, salt, dirt, sand, bugs, tar, rain, sun, etc. and are all extremely harmful to the paint. Detailing leaves microscopic layers of fine wax particles that provide a deep shine and forming a clear chemical bond that protects the paint and its original clear coat. Detailing guarantees longevity to the paint and retains the value of the vehicle. Professional detailing is not just a luxury, it is an investment that has become a necessity!

What is the difference between detailing and washing?

Washing removes loose contaminants–dirt and grime. Detailing removes blemishes, oxidation and etching marks that are caused when contaminants penetrate the surface. Rub your hand across an upper surface; if it is rough, you need to detail your car. Detailing prevents the paint and its clear coat from deteriorating. Retain the value of your car; have it washed and detailed by one of our technicians.

Our proven Water Smart system:

The technique that is used to wash a vehicle without the use of water. This method uses a product that contains many different ingredients, including wetting agents, lubricants and protectants. The detergents and wetting agents in the product combine to soften and emulsify surface grime, while a specific blend of fluids and lubricants attach a microscopic layer of protectant to the surface. The protectant is a substance which provides a bonded layer of protection against any remaining abrasive not broken down by the detergents and wetting agents.

What do the products used contain?

The protectant often contains cross linked polymers, which make it extremely effective as a car wax or glaze. Our product, when used on your vehicle, contains a complex mixture of cleaning elements along with the glaze ingredients.

The product used by Ricochet’s Rapid Detail is a concentrated cleaner and protective sealant.

How does the application process work?

At Ricochet’s Rapid Detail, when we properly apply our formulation to the surface of your vehicle our product lifts dirt from the vehicle by emulsification. The product surrounds dirt molecules, lifting them from the paint surface, before you start to wipe. At the same time, the application process initiates in combination with use of micro fiber technology, the cross chain polymer linking process that results in an extremely shiny, highly protective glaze finish. All this happens very rapidly due to the balance of ingredients within the product itself. At Ricochet’s Rapid Detail, we use biodegradable products which are safe for the environment and utilize our proven Water $mart technology.

In our proven application process and Water Smart technology, it does not involve using high pressure not extensive rubbing on a vehicle’s surface.

The use of soft micro-fiber towels captures the dirt and removes it safely from the vehicle’s surface without scratching.

Many application processes in the past required the use of large amounts of water and extensive scrubbing and rubbing on a vehicle’s surface causing micro scratches and damage to the exterior paint.

At Ricochet’s Rapid Detail, our proven application process also does not require “soaking”–using a high volume of product and water usage. When used in compliance the vehicle will shine and water will bead on it and not have common micro scratching and damages to your valued automobile.

Our products are designed as a high-end car care product for use on any car, truck, motorcycle, boat or plane. It contains the finest ingredients available in today’s cutting edge technology.

Our waterless car wash products allows us the ability to clean without using soaps, buckets and water hoses, and runoff into the local sewers or drains, causing further damage to the environment.

What are the benefits of using a waterless wash on my vehicle?

• When properly used, it leaves a “streak-free” surface.
• Safe to use on all surfaces of a vehicle, including painted surfaces, metals, glass, vinyl, rubber and plastic trim.
• Contains no solvents, toxic chemicals or abrasive compounds.
• Treated surfaces are extremely water resistant (hydrophobic).
• Continued use and detailing further retards the damaging effects of contaminants, such as bird droppings, bug splatter, road grime, acid rain and brake dust, among other things.
• Dirt is extracted into a soft micro-fiber which prevents scratching.
• Environmentally safe, Water $mart, biodegradable and non-toxic.
• No urban runoff or runoff into a local storm drain.
• Protects and leaves a great, long-lasting shine!

Can you use waterless wash on any type of vehicle?

Yes! Our formulation has been tested on every kind of paint used by the auto reconditioning industry; from older acrylic lacquers to hi gloss acrylic urethane and polyurethane paints.

Will the waterless product used by Ricochet’s Rapid Detail prevent my vehicle’s paint from fading?

Yes! When applied properly to a new vehicle, then reapplied each month, the paint will not fade. Ricochet’s Rapid Detail ‘s Waterless Wash will help protect against the effects of sun exposure, acid rain and road salt.

Is it easy for a Non-Detail professional to use?

Yes! The staff at Ricochet’s Rapid Detail will be more than happy to demonstrate and help educate the use of these safe products on your vehicle. Please feel free to stop down to our shop for a free demonstration of the products used and let us show you how to maintain your vehicle! The products are designed for the detail pro as well as non-professionals who just want to take care of their car!

What is a CLEAR COAT?

“Clear Coat” is a name given to the multi-stage paints used today. A “base coat” (frequently water-based) is applied with a pigment (color). Then, a top layer of clear paint is applied over the top of the base coat to add depth, brilliance and to provide protection for the base coat.

Clear Coats still require the same care as the old single state paints. Just because the topcoat of the paint has no pigment in it doesn’t make it impervious to environmental conditions. Topcoats of clear paint still oxidize, and the softer paints used today also allow contaminants to easily embed in the surface. These softer paints require modern formulations and technology to protect them against damage.

In short, the need for proper care and maintenance of clear coat paints is just as important as years ago. Actually, because of their softer, fragile nature, they really should be maintained better than the older single stage paints.

What does detailing do to a Clear Coat Finish?

Let’s first define Clear Coat Finish: today’s modern Finish consists of a dull layer of paint called a Base Coat. It provides the color on your car. Over this base, a clear layer of paint is applied. This is called a Clear Coat. It provides the shine and protection. The result is a two-layer painted surface known as a “Clear Coat Finish.”

When the Clear Coat Finish becomes dull, it requires special attention. Our detailing technicians apply high quality fine surface polish and wax to remove the elements that dull the Finish. When detailing is complete, the Clear Coat Finish has been cleaned and properly restored.

Why can’t I use household cleaners to wash my car?

Household cleaners like dish washing detergent are specifically designed to dissolve grease. Because wax is essentially a grease, household cleaners will remove your car’s wax finish, leaving you with little shine and no protection. Also, some household detergents have micro-fine abrasive in them. These can permanently scratch your car’s surface. Always use a premium quality, commercial liquid car wash. They are formulated to dissolve dirt and grime without removing your car’s beautiful wax finish.

What about once-a-year wax and polish products?

Your car deserves better than once-a-year products. It is like the second largest investment you’ve made, after your home. Don’t scrimp on the quality of the products you use to maintain it, or the care you give your vehicle. A regular regimen of washing and waxing pays enormous dividends for years down the road. The intrinsic weakness of once-a-year products will become painfully apparent as the years pass.

What about those free car washes at the gas station?

Generally speaking, you get what you pay for. Many of those car washes use mechanical brushes, which can damage your paint surface. In some parts of the country, the water is recycled, meaning your car is getting the same water applied as the “clapped out” 1970 Plymouth Duster that just pulled out (unless your car just happens to be that Duster.) While filters can catch small particulates, they can’t filter out the dissolved salt from winter use, or all those hoards of other nasty chemicals.

I lease my car, why should I care how it looks?

Chances are you’ll care when the lease ends. If you check your contract, you’ll find that you’re probably responsible for the appearance of your vehicle when it is returned. If the paint is full and lifeless (because it was never washed, polishes or waxed) you could be hit with a reconditioning fee ranging from $500 to $2,000! Take care of your investment!

About Ricochet’s Rapid Detail

Ricochet’s Rapid Detail is owned and operated by husband-and-wife-team, Dave and Lucia Peregrim, who have over 25 years of experience in the auto detailing industry. Dave Peregrim has detailed cars for Tom Hesser Chevrolet, Kelly Volkswagen, and many others throughout his career and opened Ricochet’s Rapid Detail in Scranton, PA in 2002.

Check out the Ricochet’s Rapid Detail blog, “like” them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

The view from my window on October 16th–The first snow fall.

Around three years ago, as soon as it got really cold outside, the apartment we were living in lost hot water for three days. Three days of no hot water whatsoever; dishes couldn’t be done and above all, no showers could be had. That right there is enough to make me want to pull my hair out and I didn’t even mention the fact that the entire place was heated by nothing but brick heaters–little heaters attached to the wall that let out as little heat as possible to the point where you would have to stand in front of it to thaw out your frozen, icicle toes and fingers and nose. Yes, it was bad. So when the roof started leaking because of the amount of snow on the roof one winter and our slumlord landlord told us to wait four month for him to come and fix the roof because as we know, it was the middle of winter and well, how could we expect our landlord to actually fix things in the middle of winter? Were we on crack? Apparently, because we moved in the middle of an ice storm in February!

And that’s what brings us to this house. Things were fine at first–It actually had good heaters which I must admit was a selling point. I’m not that hard to please–House must have heat. See, not too bad a demand at all. Last winter, as luck would have it, our pipes froze and we had to go three days without hot water–again. Luckily, our new landlord was not a typical slumlord that we were used to, so he had the front sidewalks dug up to get the pipes fixed and it worked, although the no hot water flashbacks were running rampant. Three days without a shower is something that makes me incredibly grossed out, so that is pretty much the worst thing that can happen in the middle of winter. The past two days haven’t been fun, though. Winter has yet again brought on problems that mess with our comfort levels. The living room heater decided it took too much effort on its part to bring the heat up into the room. The same room that my computer is in, that I sit at all day working and for the past two days, have froze in front of.

You know how when it’s too humid outside your body just shuts down because you’ve been out in the sun and you just get tired? Well, I can now say from experience that the same thing happens when you’re freezing. Maybe not just overwhelming tired from humidity, but you do get to your own level of “Screw this, I’m going to crawl into my bed that has a heating blanket on it and forget that my living room has been put in the middle of the Arctic.”

So these past two days have given me wonderful words of advice for anyone else that lives in an area with a fluctuating climate: Space heaters. They will save your sanity.

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

That is why HomeAway, the world’s leading vacation rentals marketplace, has started a movement called Save Our Summer Vacation to help literally save summer vacations by petitioning Congress to proclaim August 7th as “National Vacation Day.” In addition to working toward National Vacation Day, HomeAway is also searching for the person who is most deserving of a week-long summer vacation.

If you know that you and your family are most deserving of a week-long summer vacation and drool at the mere thought of taking a break from stress, having enough space to truly relax, recharging and reconnecting with your family and friends, and of course, traveling in style without breaking your budget, all you have to do is submit a short text, video, or photo entry explaining why you deserve to have your vacation saved by HomeAway!

I find myself thinking about what my dream vacation would be quite a bit, particularly because it has been the same dream vacation since I was in the sixth grade. Since that time, I have been dreaming of going to Italy. I have also been fascinated and intrigued about Naples, Italy and more specifically, about Mt. Vesuvius. It isn’t that I just have a fascination with volcanos, but Mt. Vesuvius has always held a special place in my heart and since the sixth grade, I have read anything and everything I could get my hands on about it, poured over documentaries of Pompeii and have looked up prices on flight and hotel arrangements on several different occasions, but of course, finances have not allowed me to make those arrangements, so hands down, my dream $10,000 summer vacation would most definitely be to visit Italy and my beloved Mt. Vesuvius; and since HomeAway Vacation Rentals has savings tips and rentals at the some of the best prices I’ve seen, they are most definitely the best people to run a movement and to give a lucky person the vacation of their dreams!

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

This could be a great opportunity to take that family vacation you’ve been saving up for, or a time to take that romantic getaway for two that you’ve been hoping to take with your partner for far too long. This is especially a great opportunity in this economy, when families are worried about saving money and certainly do not have the financial stability to take a vacation.

Kissimmee has everything you need to take the vacation of your dreams. It offers theme parks, great restaurants, shows, and a beautiful historic downtown area complete with great shops and boutiques. It also offers wilderness preserves just waiting to be taken in by you and your family. No matter what your tastes or what you envision when you think of the ultimate vacation, you will find it in Kissimmee.

Be sure to enter the Kissimmee Freedom Sweepstakes for your chance to go on the vacation of your dreams. Drawings will be held on May 1, 2009 and June 1, 2009 just in time for summer!

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

I have always wanted to go to Disney World but because I did not vacation there as a child, I think perhaps I may have missed the age limit where Disney World is considered the happiest place on Earth. However, after doing some research and finding out that Disney World is made up of four theme parks and two water parks and is the largest resort in the world, I’m thinking that maybe there is something there for the adults out there who have always wanted to visit the magical resort but never had the chance to as a child. After seeing pictures of these miraculous resort, if you have kids, it sounds like paradise. Stuff for adults, stuff for kids, it’s truly a win-win and because of it having a little something there for everyone, every family should definitely make it a priority to visit there–I know I’m going to!

But what about the cost? Well like I said, some companies have that covered. Vacation packages for the frugal are popping up all over the place now and best of all, they are offering complete vacation packages for Disney World. Cruise and Vacation Packages not only offers great rates on airfare, but booking a flight on their website is so extremely simple that virtually anyone can do it with ease! While they do have fabulous promotions on vacation packages for Disney World, that isn’t the only vacation spot they cater to; there are numerous flight destination possibilities for just about anyone who is looking to take a vacation, visit family, or just see a different part of the world. Cruise and Vacation Packages offer great airfare rates for both domestic and international travel so wherever you’ve had your eye on visiting, now is the time to take that trip!

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!