Win $35 gift certificate to Jiffy Lube!

Living way out in the country in the middle of nowhere makes having a car a necessity. I just can't walk anywhere that I need to go. While my son may spend hours looking longingly through hot rod magazines and monster truck magazines, my needs for a car are a little more basic than that. Oh sure, I have my dream cars. I'd love to be able to walk into a dealership and buy a new car to cruise around in but that's just not going to happen on our budget.


Many, many years ago in a land before children, we once had a brand new car. I loved the new car scent and how clean and shiny everything was. I loved how well it worked and never had to worry about it breaking down. Then the children arrived and we have had well loved cars since then (doesn't that sound better than used?).

I rely on our car. We only have one and living way out in the middle of nowhere with no public transportation options I need to be able to trust that it's going to work when I need it to. One of the ways that we do this is by getting it maintained regularly - you know the drill... lube, oil, filter change & check the fluids!

Here are some preventive/spring maintenance tips from Jiffy Lube:

· Check Fluid Levels: Check the levels of all the car's vital fluids — including motor oil, radiator fluid, transmission fluid, and windshield wiper fluid — and top-off or change them as needed. Pay special attention to the oil since it keeps the moving parts in your engine from grinding against each other. Make sure to change it regularly and check your vehicle owner's manual for the appropriate interval for your vehicle.

· Test the Tires: Check the pressure and wear on your tires, including the spare. Over or under-inflation can weaken your tires, cause uneven tread wear and impact your gas mileage. Refer to your vehicle owner’s manual or to a decal often found in the doorjamb or glove compartment, for the proper tire pressure.

· The Penny Test: It’s important to rotate and balance your tires so they wear evenly. The penny test will show you if it's time for a tire to be replaced. Just place a penny in between 2 of the treads - if you can see all of Abe Lincoln's head, the tire should be changed.

· Assess the Cooling System: Over time, dirt, bugs, leaves, and other debris can collect in front of your vehicle's radiator and interfere with the cooling system. Spray the radiator grill with a hose when you wash your vehicle to remove debris and allow air to flow freely through to your air conditioner.

· Seeing Clearly: Make sure your headlights, taillights, turn signals, parking lights, and license plate lights are all working and replace any that may have burned out. Make sure wiper blades are in good condition in case you run into any unexpected storms.


· Be prepared: Prepare an emergency kit and keep it in the trunk. The kit should include: first aid supplies, jumper cables, a flashlight, fresh batteries, flares, basic tools, duct tape, gloves, flares, bottled water, granola bars and a mobile phone.

· Control Clutter: Throughout the winter, things can start to pile up in the car. Any excess weight makes the engine work harder and consume more gasoline, so this spring is a good time to remove any items you won’t need during the warm weather driving season. Match the load rate of your vehicle (found in the owner’s manual or insider the driver’s side door) with the estimated weight of your family luggage that you’ll be bringing along for the ride.

Helpful information:

· Maintenance and the Jiffy Lube Gift Card: Regular preventive maintenance is the best way to keep a vehicle running for years to come – and the Jiffy Lube Gift Card can help. It can be a great gift to make tackling that to-list a bit easier and can help families preserve the value and longevity of their vehicles in the process.

o The Jiffy Lube Gift Card can be redeemed for the popular Jiffy Lube Signature Service® Oil Change, which provides drivers with much more than just an oil and filter change. The service includes changing, inspecting, checking/filling and cleaning key vehicle parts and fluids and offers drivers a quick and convenient way to maintain their vehicle.

o A Jiffy Lube Gift Card can be loaded with any dollar amount from $5 to $300 and can be redeemed toward any Jiffy Lube preventive maintenance service. The card has no inactivity fees or expiration date and it’s available for purchase at www.jiffylube.com or in-store.

Connect with Keep My Ride Alive by Jiffy Lube on Facebook.

One of my lucky readers is going to win a $35 gift certificate to Jiffy Lube!  Here's what you can do for a chance to win.

To enter you must follow my blog & visit the sponsor’s site.  Leave a comment telling me why you would like to win.

For extra entries:

1. Follow me on Twitter @scentednights & tweet about the contest. +1

Win a $35 gift certificate to Jiffy Lube @scentednights #giveaway #win http://tinyurl.com/3oqeywm

2. Be my friend on Facebook & post this contest on your wall. +1

3. Like the sponsor on Facebook.  Please tell them I sent you (optional)! +2
4. Blog about this giveaway on your blog AND leave a link back to my site. +5
5. Leave a comment on a non-contest post on this blog. +1

6. Put my button or text link on your blog side bar. +1

7. Enter another of my current contests. +1 for each contest

8. Subscribe to my blog. +1

9.  Take a spin through the Jiffy Lube community and share your story by uploading an image of yourself/your vehicle and information in the appropriate mileage category on the “Share Your Story” tab. Then come back and comment on my blog about which mileage category you fall into.
10. Follow the Blog Pop Blogs +1 each

1. Confessions of An Overworked Mom
2. Momma Told Me
3. Making Ends Meet
4. Stash Mama
5. Socialite's Closet Blog
6. My Life With Rats And More
7. Still Blonde After All these Years
8. Dad of Divas
9. Quick Tattletails
10.Turning The Clock Back

Remember, to please leave a separate comment for each entry. And please enter only in the ways listed above. I reserve the right to delete comments not adhering to the above entry guidelines.  You must be 18+ years old & live in the USA. The last day to enter is 5/13/2011.

My thanks to the sponsor for allowing me to review this product.

As required by the FTC: I received a product sample in order to write my review.  I received no monetary compensation.  All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

Please note that  I am not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. I have represented each sponsor with the expectation they will fulfill their prize and in a timely manner I will contact the sponsor regarding your prize(s). The sponsors, in most cases, are shipping their items to you directly. I will make every effort to assist you obtaining your prize but ultimately I am not responsible if they do not fulfill your prize win.