Posted on: 9/1/2024
Tips for Transitions By Renee Leon For many Aurora families, August is a time for transition. Our schedules transition from long summer days to regimented school hours, even as the weather and daylight beacons us outside and staying up late. For me, especially when the girls were little, I found myself in a frequent state of overwhelm. In the spirit of community support, these are a few things I’ve learned to help move through all kinds of transitions (nothing groundbreaking, just a friendly reminder of things you already know)! 😊 Sleep – The importance of sleep is now widely recognized as a HUGE self-care and wellness activity. Brain performance, physical health, and mood are ALL directly affected by sleep! Fuel – What you fuel your body with will directly affect how you feel/perform. We all love a treat but remember to be honest with yourself about how often you indulge and how you feel afterwards. Moderat ... read more
Posted on: 8/1/2024
Money Matters! By Renee Leon Ya’ll, I must be honest. I am terribly distracted with the looming start of school and the reality of our youngest leaving for college; it’s making newsletter writing a challenge. An “empty nest” sounded SOOOO compelling when the girls were little. Now that we’re HERE, I’m on quite the emotional rollercoaster with so much gratitude, excitement for both our girls, and some trepidation for Edgar and I to have to re-learn “adulting” without our incredibly helpful daughters. In light of my distraction and the mounting additional expenses that comes with a new school year AND a move to college, I am delighted to share (borrow) MONEY SAVING TIPS read in a newsletter from a local mortgage broker, Dave King. Pay cash – Plastic is awfully easy. Cash gets you to think critically about what you’re buying/spending. Use a gift card to budget ... read more
Posted on: 7/1/2024
Tips on Staying Cool in July by Renee Leon I can’t help anyone with coolness in the popularity sense (I fully embrace my dork side) but I can speak to the temperature sort of coolness! Here are a few tips/reminders on how to stay cool this summer! Use a Sunshade – Put up that sunshade when parking in the sun. It helps to reduce the greenhouse effect in your car, keeping it cooler, AND will protect your dash a bit. If you are concerned about the dashboard fading and cracking, consider a dashboard cover. Crack the windows – Heat rises! A little crack in the window gives an exit to some of that hot air. Theft is a concern, I know, but a very small window crack is sufficient. Park in the shade – If you can find a shady parking spot, you’re WINNING the day, even if you have to walk further. Actually, the extra steps means you are DOUBLY winning! Blast it   ... read more
Posted on: 6/1/2024
Slowing Down for Summer By Renee Leon Summer – it’s here. And if you’re like me, in mid-May, the June/July calendars were already jam-packed and feeling as if the summer is ALREADY OVER. But today, as I write this, I’ve been given the opportunity to slow way down and be fully present. Our 6-year-old dog, sweet Maggie, started feeling unwell last week. We had to admit her to the hospital for 6 days and make a tough choice not to proceed with a major surgery. Maggie got to come home, away from all the stress of hospital life, and try to feel better with meds and her family loving her. After having her home for 24 hours, I’ve been struck by how quickly I shifted out of “so busy, gotta rush” mode and into one of extreme gratitude for the gift of a little more time. So, June’s article is simply an invitation to slow down this summer. Enjoy time with your loved ones, the 4 legged an ... read more
Posted on: 5/1/2024
Enjoy Life On The Go With Less Mess! By Renee Leon Cars are one of our most important tools for making life HAPPEN. Work, family, extracurriculars, and all the fun stuff often rely on us being able to GET there in our cars. This means we stash stuff in the cars, some of which is there on purpose, and some of it just gets forgotten. I promise, our Team is not judging you - they get it! However, if you’re like me and aspire to a less messy driving experience, I’m sharing a clever video that lays out some VERY promising organizing hacks that are inexpensive and hopefully helpful. Click here for the video, but I’ll type out the tips so you get a quick idea of the genius of this social media organizing guru! Dollar Tree SHOPPING list: 🛒 Clear Stackable Drawer – for items in center console and in glove box. And in the summer heat, if your chap stick is contained an ... read more
Posted on: 4/1/2024
Professional Growth for AAP! By Renee Leon Ever since we hired our first employee in 2014, we’ve been in awe of the bigger shops who CLOSED THEIR DOORS to offer cutting edge training at various out of state conventions. And ya’ll… we finally get to be counted among those successful shops! We send our employees to local training courses every chance we can, but this year we DID SOMETHING BIG! Our entire team (except Renee, who stayed on dog-duty) visited Kansas City in February for the annual Vision HiTech Training & Expo. The guys enjoyed their first ever team road trip and bonded over informative training seminars, great food, and shenanigans! They were inspired by the new technological advancements throughout the automotive industry and returned with serious motivation for improving efficiency and the overall experience for our customers. 😊 We hope to make this an annual event for our incredible team! And next time, Renee will f ... read more
Posted on: 2/28/2024
$ ZERO $ Cost Shop Visit! Ever wish you could, for ONCE, go to a repair shop and NOT spend money?! On April 6th YOU CAN! We’re inviting Aurora AutoPros customers to attend our Customer Appreciation event and be treated to lunch, giveaways, and possibly leave with a heavier wallet! When: Saturday, April 6th, 11:00am to 2:00pm Where: Aurora AutoPros, 231 Airport Blvd, Ste B Why: Our team wants to show our appreciation to our customers and vendors for trusting us for 11 years by offering delicious Salvadoran Pupusas, giveaways, and prizes! Please join us! Technician Juan was shocked to open the hood of a Ford Explorer that had been towed to the shop because it wouldn’t start. The cause was quick to diagnose – 4 baby Fox Squirrels were in a cozy nest and the parent squirrels had feasted the wires under there! Juan and his girlfriend took care of the baby squirrels for two days and nights while seeking an organization to take care of them! R ... read more
Posted on: 2/7/2024
Show The Love By Renee Leon I have never been more appreciative of my trusty vehicle than just a few weeks ago: it was 1:45 am on a Saturday night (early Sunday morning) after a fun girl’s night out. As I started my car on my friend’s quiet downtown street, I was loudly praising my sweet Toyota for starting right up after sitting for 5 hours, frozen in negative 11-degree snowy conditions! Thank goodness for a well-maintained vehicle! In honor of Valentine’s Day, I invite you to consider my silly, "vehicle twist" on the wisdom of the well-known relationship book, The 5 Love Languages! Acts of Service – give the vehicle the manufacturer's recommended maintenance services. In return, the vehicle helps you safely arrive at your destination. Quality Time – let your vehicle have quality time with your trusted auto technicians and you will have more opportunities to enjoy quality time driving around with friends and family. Wo ... read more
Posted on: 1/2/2024
New Year’s REVolutions! By Reneé Leon For a slight twist on the typical New Year's Resolution, I’ve replaced the “S” with a “V” to REV up 2024 and perhaps shake things up with a personal uprising! Rev up your self-care – try walking, meditation, and get more sleep! Rev up your brain training – read more, LESS screen time; let your mind quiet and see how much time you have for new projects. Rev up your community connections – go to a city council meeting, take in some local theatre, or check out a local school or organization that “calls” to you. Rev up your engines – take advantage of our gorgeous state and enjoy a day trip to one of many cute mountain towns, enjoy a winter hike/snowshoe adventure; having a well-maintained vehicle gives us the ability to shake things up! We are REVVING things up at Aurora AutoPros, too! From new team members to exciting training an ... read more
Posted on: 12/4/2023
Holiday CHEER or FEAR?By Renee Leon Aaaah the Holidays! Is it a time of cheer and togetherness or a time of anxiety and hardship? For many people it’s all of that and more. Depending on a person’s situation and their perspective, the holidays can be stressful. For many people, the holidays come with a pile of expectations and added tasks, not to mention the overwhelming commercialism! If this is how you or a loved one experiences the holidays, I’d like to offer some simple tips that I’ve learned from my dad, Jim. I’m not an expert in managing my anxieties yet but I do try to keep some of his advice in mind as I move through the holidays. Tip #1: Practicing Presence Rather than future-casting what someone may say, feel, or react, allow yourself to take a deep breath and notice the moment you are IN. You can’t predict or control what others will say or do so consider letting those concerns go and stay in the HERE ... read more