Driving in a blizzard, or for heaven’s sake, getting stuck in one is probably the last thing you want on your holiday list, but with plenty of travel and visiting it’s certainly something that could happen, and something to be prepared for.
Recently I attended a really great event with Ford Canada where we spent the day getting holiday ready. Upon arrival we were greeted with coffee, tea, fruit and pastries while we received some expert driving tips from professional race car driver Robin Buck; the presentation was both information and delicious, as evident by the fact that I completely polished off an entire plate of fruit before Mo (lion-hunter.com) even got her camera situated.
After the presentation we were offered a private driving tutorial with a professional driver to help prepare us for wintery road conditions. With a live simulation complete with mud (to create the instability of driving in the snow) we all took a turn behind the wheel and made our way through the course created at exhibition park.
With three cars full of bloggers, and writers it was hilarious to say the least. In our car was my friend Mo (lion-hunter.com) and Jody from Halifax Magazine, and we had a ball laughing and screaming in the car. Mo and I chickened out at first, and Jody stepped up to the plate and she went first (way to take one for the team girl). I went second and I was a little reserved the first go, but by the third I was a little more ballsy, and maybe even a little too much because I completely demolished a pylon. Our instructor Debbie was so great though! She was super encouraging, informative and supportive; I think I we had the best car (thanks Jody for snapping this photo).
After our exhilarating hands on tutorial we made our way to the Ford dealership where they ran through how to get your car winter ready, and what kinds of things you really should have on hand in case of an emergency. What I think was really important and something I didn’t think about was that, it might not be you that has the car trouble it could be someone else, and so even if it’s not you (maybe you’re not traveling a great distance) that needs it someone else might.
Some things you might want to consider having on hand are:
- Blankets
- Food (chips, protein bars, non-perishables etc just to hold you over)
- Jumper cables
- Water
- Glow Stick/ Flash Light
- Mini collapsible pylons so people can see you’re pulled over
Another really great tip, and one I don’t always practice is making sure you have at least a half of a tank of gas (reduces ice from forming in the gas tank), as well if you get stuck you can run the car to stay warm.
The folks at Ford were kind enough to gift each of us with our very own emergency car kit! I was so excited the entire time he was suggesting these items I felt like I should have been taking notes to make sure I went out and picked it all up. I do a lot of traveling over Christmas, and a lot of it is spent in the car, and so having these things on hand is definitely is a good idea. I mean I hope I or anyone else never has to use them, but I take comfort in knowing they are there. I’m not sure if Ford is selling these, but you could certainly give them a call to find out! Also I’ve been told Cost-Co sells something similar.
And lastly to round off our holiday prep we enjoyed the MOST delicious lunch at Chez Tess where a professional organizer walked us through some best practices for smooth sailing through the holidays. With a plethora of holiday shopping apps, and organizational tips we definitely learned a lot about the kinds of things we probably all should be doing, but don’t for whatever reason.
The biggest take away from the lunch was that planning is your best bet (if you can do it), as well as not getting caught up in it all. When you’re always chasing the next thing, or competing with the Jones’s you can miss the whole point of the holidays which is share it with your family, and there’s something to be said about simplifying things a bit.
Thanks again to Chez Tess, the food was absolutely delicious I’m still thinking about the roasted red pepper soup with apple wood smoked cheddar, and those warm and delicious biscuits! If you’re local to the area you should for sure give it a go.
Despite the nasty weather we had the most amazing day! It was fun, informative, and I definitely feel a lot more confident both in my driving skills, as well as my ability to handle stressful situations. I think a lot of us know better, or we know we “should” do something, but we don’t always put it into practice. It nice to have a little reminder to hit the refresh button, and the old adage of “fail to plan, plan to fail” oh so often rings true. Thanks Ford for keeping us all in line, and above all us reminding us to put safety at the top of our lists.
Happy Holidays Blog Reader!
What are some of your go-to holiday saving tips? What do you do to elevate or negate the stressfulness of this very busy time? Comment or tweet/facebook/instagram me @shortpresents
x Short Presents
