4 Strategies to Effective New Year's Resolutions

1. Remember why you are setting the goal. When you find and remember the core reason to why you want to reach your goal, you will be more inspired to stay on track to completing it. Without a strong desire or passion, your resolution will be recycled for the next year.

2. Be specific. Set a time to complete and have a measurable goal. Instead of "exercise more", try "going to the gym 2x per week". 

3. Write it down. A Stanford University study found that when people wrote down their goal, it increased the probability of them achieving it by over 70%!

4. Forgive failures. Nobody is perfect. There will be breakdowns and set-backs. Just because you fail one day, one week, or one month doesn't mean you should give up entirely! Persistence pays off.

Why Snow Tires Are Important

A set of winter tires will dramatically improve your safety. While brand new all-season tires can provide reasonable traction during the winter, their performance is roughly equivalent to half-worn snow tires. Snow tires have superior tread patterns that are designed for traction on ice and snow and they employ "softer" rubber compounds to enhance grip. Snow tires help a car get moving on icy pavement and help any car to both stop and corner in snow and ice. They may seem costly, but compared to the cost of an insurance deductible, not to mention the possibility that a good set of winter tires might be the difference between life and death in an accident, the tires are worth it.

Keep your family safe this winter and invest in some snow tires!

10 Gifts for Car Lovers

1. Cylinder block table
2. Car lighter USB port
3. Car engine part cuff links
4. Metro Vac Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
5. Classic Car Wines
6. Brookstone Key Finder
7. Grippy Pad (to hold your gadgets on your car dash)
8. Build your own car wash kit
9. Heated electrical windshield de-icer 
10. Tire ring

Beating Cyber Monday

Uninterested in the absolute madness that is Black Friday, but still want the great deals? The solution in recent years has been Cyber Monday -- the Monday following Black Friday where you can get all the deals online from the safety and comfort of your home.

Here are some tips to getting the best deals this year:

1. Don't wait until Cyber Monday! To be competitive, companies are starting earlier and earlier. Start researching now and find great discounts.

2. Copy & Paste. It's so easy to search and compare prices. Take that one extra minute to copy whatever item you're looking at and throw it in the Google search bar and find the lowest price. We suggest looking for things on Amazon.com and then using their descriptor titles to copy.

3. Use coupons to get extra savings! CyberMonday.com and BestCyberMonday.com offer coupon codes that, when applied while making an online purchase, will take an additional discount off the final Cyber Monday sales deal price.

Good luck!

5 Tips to a Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey!

1. The safest method is to thaw turkey in the refrigerator at 41 degrees F. Be sure to plan ahead — it takes approximately 4-5 days for a 20 pound turkey to fully defrost.

2. For crisper skin, unwrap the turkey the day before roasting and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight.

3. Cooking times will differ depending on whether your bird was purchased fresh or frozen. Plan on 20 minutes per pound in a 350 degree F oven for a defrosted turkey and 10 to 15 minutes per pound for fresh.

4. A turkey will cook more evenly if it is not densely stuffed. Go easy on packing it in.

5. DO NOT OPEN YOUR OVEN after you have put the turkey in! When the oven temperature fluctuates, you increase the chances of drying it out.

Good luck and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

5 Holiday Traveling Tips!

1. Travel on off-peak days. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year. A better option is to leave early on Thanksgiving Day and avoid the record traffic the night before. Same goes with flying: if you fly on the actual holiday itself you’ll be avoiding the long lines and hoards of travelers.

2. Ship gifts ahead of time or don't wrap them. TSA suggests to ship wrapped gifts or wait until you reach your destination to wrap them, as they might have to unwrap a present to inspect it.

3. Travel early or late in the day. Flight statistics show that planes traveling earlier in the day have a better on-time performance. And if your flight is cancelled, you will have the option of taking a flight later in the day. Also, there will be fewer lines at security. Best time to hit the road? When every one else is asleep -- early morning or late at night.

4. Don't drive yourself to the airport. Airport parking prices rise around the holiday. Have a friend or family member drive you instead. Less money, less stress!

5. Always have snacks available. When it's a long day of traveling and waiting in lines or sitting in a car, snacks will help diffuse a meltdown! You may be tired, but you won't be hungry.

Car myth: Cell phone at the gas pump.

Has anyone ever freaked out on you for using your cellphone while pumping gas? Do you already avoid using it? Well, fear no more.

The Federal Communications Commission investigated "rumors" that a wireless signal can ignite fuel vapors, and concluded: "There is no documented incident where the use of a wireless phone was found to cause a fire or explosion at a gas station," and "scientific testing, however, has not established a dangerous link between wireless phones and fuel vapors."

White Chocolate Boo-nana Treats!

Make this super easy and super cute treat for Halloween! 

Frozen "Boo"-nana Pops

Servings: 4 • Size: 1 banana pop • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 98 • Fat: 4.5 g • Protein: 1.3 g • Carb: 14 g • Fiber: 0.7 g • Sugar: 10.7
Sodium: 13.8 mg

Ingredients:

• 1 medium banana
• 1 cup white chocolate
• 8 mini chocolate chips
• 4 popsicle sticks

Directions:

Cut banana in half lengthwise, then in half to make four quarters.

Insert popsicle sticks into bananas, and freeze bananas on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. 
When the bananas are frozen, fill a coffee mug with chocolate. Melt chocolate in the microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring until the chocolate is melted and soft.

Dip the bananas one at a time into the chocolate, scraping off the excess chocolate from the back of the banana, and place it on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Quickly add the chocolate chips for the eyes before the chocolate hardens (you have to work quickly here). 

Return to the freezer until frozen and ready to eat. Eat frozen!