motor

First Ever DIY Quaker State #OilChange in 3 Simple Steps

October 30, 2015 by Kathryn 28 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #OilChange #CollectiveBias

I come from a family of handy people, and that’s something I’m pretty proud of. My father can fix almost anything on a car, my brother can perform all kinds of basic car and house maintenance and my mother and sisters all have a DIY attitude that inspires them to tackle all kinds of different jobs. In many ways I’ve inherited the same handiness, especially when it comes to household repairs. But my car maintenance skills are seriously lacking and this year, I decided it was time to change that.

My boyfriend has a bit more experience with cars than me, but his car repair skills are also pretty minimal, so the two of us made plans to learn one of the most basic and necessary vehicle jobs there is…the oil change. I headed to Walmart to buy the necessary equipment: Quaker State motor oil, a new oil filter, an oil pan and a funnel. Finding the oil I wanted was quick and easy, and having investigated the recommended amount for my car online, I knew a 5L bottle was the perfect amount. [Read more…]

Moving into the Future with Ford at the #FordNAIAS Event in Detroit, MI

January 24, 2013 by Kathryn 22 Comments

When I attended the #FordNAIAS event in Detroit last week, the first day or so gave me a chance to experience some of the Ford Motor Company’s rich history. But Ford is a company that is always going forward and the rest of the time in Detroit, for me, was about moving into the future.

kathryn lavallee ford canada fordnaias techshop detroit — Posing with Ammar of Ford Canada, Jen of Mom vs. the Boys and Felicia of Single Mom of Two after arriving at TechShop Detroit

There’s no better place to discuss moving forward than at TechShop Detroit. This membership-based workshop and prototyping studio is designed for creating and contains any type of machine or tool that a person might need to bring their ideas to life. We headed to TechShop for dinner and while there we were treated to a presentation by Scott Burnell, Ford’s Global Lead for Business Development and Project Management, who introduced us to the new Ford Developer Program. Basically, this software will allow third-party programmers to create apps that can be integrated into the Ford SYNC AppLink system in vehicles. While the system isn’t available in Canada quite yet, I loved the concept and I can’t wait to see how it enhances the driving experience for the average family.

ford developer porgram presentation scott burnell — Ford’s Scott Burnell explains the Ford Developer Program to the crowd

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Stepping into the Past with Ford Canada at the #FordNAIAS Event in Detroit, MI

January 19, 2013 by Kathryn 20 Comments

One week ago I had the tremendous honour of being chosen as one of 200 bloggers around the world to head to Detroit for the #FordNAIAS Digital Summit. The event was overwhelming and to me, it embodied ideas of past and future that I believe are cornerstones of the entire Ford brand. The first idea (the one that I’ll be focusing on today) is that moving forward can only be achieved with an understanding of, and respect for, the past.

henry ford museum oscar mayer weinermobile — An iconic piece of American history!

We received our first glimpse into that past at the opening night dinner at the Henry Ford Museum. The rich history of this Detroit treasure was evident as soon as we walked through the door and I, like many others, was blown away by just how many amazing exhibits the museum contained. From the bus in which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to the hilarious Oscar Meyer Weinermobile, the exhibits had my emotions jumping.

kat in front of rosa parks bus henry ford — It was an honour to actually see the bus in which Rosa Parks took her stand. Her bravery is an inspiration to this day.

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