On one of my favorite blog, MomLogic.com, Michele Ashamalla, aka the Recession Mama, has written a post about the benefits of going to the car wash with her kids. I’ve also written about how much I like going to the car wash — both with and without my kids.

After water conservation laws prevented Michele from washing her cars at home, she headed to her local car wash to complete the chore. Michele subsequently discovered some great car-wash coupons online (she is the Recession Mama and focuses on saving money).  But what really intrigued me was her discovery that her kids “screamed with laughter” upon entering the car wash — just like mine do.

This makes hitting the car wash not only recession-friendly but also a source a good, clean fun for the kids. I’m just glad I’m not the only mom who takes her kids through the car wash for the fun of it!

I’m all for expressing yourself through your car whether it’s with custom-paint colors, tattoo-inspired graphics or anything else that suits your personality. But I’m grossed out by car testicles. This car and truck accessory is a definite Not.

I recently pulled through the drive-through behind a raised-bed pickup truck that was sporting bullhorns on the front and a huge “sack” below the rear bumper.  Needless to say, my daughters asked, “What’s hanging on the back of that truck?” How should a mom answer that?

After a quick online search, I was astounded by the variety of “truck nutz.” Every color of the rainbow is available, including fluorescent pink, orange, flesh-colored and chrome. The most obnoxious title goes to the light-up variety that’s connected to the car’s brake lights.

Are car testicles a Hot or Not?  Tell us in the comment section below.

Chrysler has issued a recall for 161,450 Jeep Wranglers from the 2007-08 model years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The vehicles affected by the recall were manufactured from June 2006-July 2008 and are equipped with an automatic transmission.

These vehicles weren’t equipped with a transmission fluid temperature warning system. Without this system, transmission fluid could boil over and come into contact with a hot engine or exhaust component, which could cause a fire.

Dealers will inspect and install a “hot oil” message in the instrument cluster and a chime indicating an elevated transmission fluid condition. This recall is expected to begin in December.
For more information, owners can call Chrysler at 800-853-1403 or NHTSA’s hotline at 888-327-4236.

Here’s some of our favorite posts this week:

Lessons From the Bag of the Ineffective Parent; Mom-101.com
Blogger Liz needed to give her daughter eyedrops, but the little one politely declined. OK, it wasn’t polite; there was plenty of wailing and thrashing. Liz then broke open her bag of ineffective parenting tricks.  She writes, “I asked nicely. I asked not so nicely. … I raised my voice. I stroked her hair. I offered her candy. I offered her cookies. I threatened her with no TV. I stopped just short of threatening to send her off to the circus to be raised by clowns. Really, it was like the worst episode of ‘SuperNanny’ you’ve ever seen.”

When I first saw the early photos of the Accord Crosstour, Honda’s newest crossover, I felt badly for Honda. It was just like when a dear friend, who usually has great taste, makes an unfortunate wardrobe choice for the big night out. Those first Crosstour pictured weren’t flattering. It looked like it had a sharp nose and a big butt. In person, however, the Crosstour is pretty good-looking. Phew. That could have been awkward.

The Crosstour is a small crossover that’s somewhat like a wagon but with a higher ground clearance and sportier packaging. As you might expect, it’s built on the Accord platform. From its nose to the front seat, it’s like an upscale Accord with premium materials and technology. The backseat and cargo space remind me of the Honda CR-V, with a wide, flat bench seat and all kinds of nifty storage options. In the cargo area, there’s under-floor storage with a removable bin, and half of the carpeted floor in the cargo area can be reversed for easy-to-clean plastic flooring.

Volvo first unveiled its all-new S60 by asking artist Esref Armagan, who is blind, to paint his impressions of the car. Since reading Friday’s post about Armagan and his incredible painting, I’m sure you’ve been waiting for me to post the photos of the new Volvo S60. 

The time has finally come. The all-new S60 has angled headlights, sharper curves and a bolder grille. The sloping roofline allows the S60 to look like a four-door coupe. It’s a great-looking car, and it’s definitely an improvement on the 2009 sedan’s safe — and a bit boring — look.

However, my imagination was so titillated by Volvo’s video documentary on Armagan that I was hoping for unicorn wings and a rainbow aura on the S60. What do you think?  Was the suspense worth the wait? Tell us in the comment section below.

The recent accidental drowning deaths of three young women whose car was found in a North Dakota pond reinforces the importance of knowing what to do if your car is submerged.

Dickinson State University students Kyrstin Gemar, 22; Afton Williamson, 20; and Ashley Neufeld, 21, died after accidentally driving their Jeep Cherokee into a pond. The women who were softball players at the Dickinson, N.D. college had enough time to make several emergency phone calls, but help didn’t arrive quickly enough, according to our friends at MomLogic.com. The Cherokee was found submerged in 12 feet of water.

I’m sick to my stomach even thinking about such a scenario, especially since the majority of my drive time includes my young children who are buckled into child-safety seats.

The H1N1 flu hysteria seems to have diminished among my friends. Most of us have made our decisions about whether we’ll get the vaccine for our children (so far, all of my mommy friends are leaning toward getting it), and now it’s just a matter of waiting for the word that it’s available. Of course, that doesn’t mean that I don’t worry when someone in my family complains of not feeling well. All it takes to jump-start my swine flu fears is a few sniffles.

Hit Me With Your Best (H1N1) Shot, Motherhood Uncensored
Blogger Kristen has been debating about whether to get the H1N1 vaccine for her two young children. One she finally decided to do it, she realized she couldn’t find a doctor who had the vaccine. She ended up dragging her kids to a community health center, where she waited in line for a very, very long time. After all that rigmarole, she thinks the health-care workers should give the parents a stiff drink as they give their kids a shot. It sounds fair to me.