Aurora Auto Repair

Facing A Health Crisis: 7 Advocating Tips (from An Attorney)! by: Renee' Leon When someone we love is facing an unfamiliar health crisis it means that those closest to them are called upon to provide support. Support can look like many things – rides to appointments, meals, holding a hand, and sometime financial assistance. Another important role is being an advocate. The person facing the scary health stuff is often unable to fully comprehend and remember what the medical team finds, suggests, and prescribes during an appointment. A dear friend of mine, an advocate by trade (she’s an attorney), recently found herself needing to use her skills in just this way. These are her 7 Advocate Tips to follow: 1) Educate yourself, and not just a Google search. Talk to people who have been through something similar. Learn as much as you can about the health condition and treatment options. This will help you make informed decisions and ask the right questions ... read more

February – A Great Time for Some SELF-CARE! By Reneé Leon This February, show some love and appreciation to those around you but don’t forget about #1 – the person looking back at you in the mirror each day! There is a lot of valid emphasis being put on self-care, and for good reason. “In a national survey, Americans cited benefits of self-care as: enhanced self-confidence (64%), increased productivity (67%), happiness (71%). From a physical health perspective, self-care also reduces heart disease, stroke, and cancer. (By Mental Health First Aid USA on March 14, 2022) You’ve heard it said before, but it bears repeating – you can’t care for others if you don’t first take care of yourself. Self-care activities should help you to create balance and wellness in various ... read more

November… Being GUSHY About Gratitude By Renee’ Leon Newsletters will be popping up all month and the lowest hanging content-fruit: GRATITUDE. It’s a popular theme and rightly so! Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley—a leader in research on the science of social and emotional well-being—describes gratitude as the “social glue” key to building and nurturing strong relationships. Read more here: https://www.mindful.org/the-science-of-gratitude/ This month, I’d like to share MY gratitude for our customers and our Team. I’m grateful for the support of loyal customers and their many referrals, as well as new customers, willing to give us a chance. We’re about to mark 10 YEARS in operation and I sometimes pinch myself to ensure it is all real. I also have immense gratitude for our team, because without them, we coul ... read more

Farewell Summer, Hello to 10 Organizational HACKS to Start the School Year Strong! By Renee Leon For teachers and families with young children, August means the end of flexible schedules and the need to improve planning and communication. Depending on the family, the need to be HIGHLY efficient can be intense! I spoke to two IMPRESSIVE moms, both teachers, and am happy to share 10 tips for staying sane and organized.   Meal prep “What’s for dinner?” No need to panic. Spend 30 minutes a week to plan meals for the week and order them on your favorite grocery app. Then train the family to look at the meal plan and then ask, “how can I help with this incredible dinner?” Okay, that last part is still a dream, but it is a lovely one, yes?! Family calendar Paper calendar or fancy color-coded Google calendar. Either way, get the whole family to look at that calendar daily. HUGE help in ensuring everyone ... read more

July Tips to Being Cool & Staying Cool By Renee Leon We all want to be cool, literally and figuratively, right? Well, maybe some of us have let go of societal definitions of “cool”, but we surely want to enjoy friends and family this July and to stay cool along the way. Here are some tips for being Colorado Cool! First, a song called Colorado Cool by La Femme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C3muG249ns     Next, schedule some cool outdoor activities. Find one of MANY unique coffee shops like Jubilee Roasting Co or The French Press! Maybe check out a Saturday Farmer’s Market near you! Try Rebel Marketplace (312 Del Mar Cir) or Southland’s Farmer’s Market (6100 S. Main St). First Saturdays of the month, check out Colfax Art Jams! As things heat up, head indoors fo ... read more

8 Tips to Grow Your Savings (from my mom, Elaine) By Renee Leon I was fortunate to be raised by a quietly clever mother. At the age of 10, my mom, Elaine, learned to love saving money and the thrill of reaching a financial goal. She started saving money for her Christmas Club. By saving a quarter every week for a year, she was able to buy Christmas presents for her 6 brothers and sisters! My mom is also a very organized person who, once she commits to a goal, keeps it in her sights until she’s met it, no matter what. My sister, brother and I all were required to save a % of every paycheck as soon as we got jobs in high school. She started regularly investing a portion of our savings on our behalf and patiently explained where/how/why we needed to invest but I didn’t really grasp it. All I knew was that 1/3 of every paycheck was GONE and not accessible to me. Ever! Once I went to college and saw how much I’d “accidentally” saved and how it had grown&hellip ... read more

April = TAX TIME!   By Renee Leon April = TAX TIME! Along with laboring over our taxes, we are all faced with the reality of our financial situation - how it looks NOW and how it will look in 10, 15, or 20 years. Edgar and I have had many lively finance discussions with our good friend, customer, and First Command Financial Advisor, Sandy Wade, about various investing strategies. Today I’m sharing Sandy’s list of Top 8 Mistakes to Avoid in Pursuing Your Financial Goals. If you’d like a copy of the full, super-informative brochure from Sandy, you can contact her by clicking on this link: Sandy Wade: Financial Advisor in Aurora, CO (firstcommand.com). The brochure is a quick way to “check your work” and re-engage with your financial picture!   Top 8 Mistakes to Avoid in Pursuing Your Financial Goals MISTAKE #1: RELYING EXCLUSIVELY ON YOUR WORKPLACE BENEFITS Workplace benefits are only individual pieces of a ... read more

Colorado Winter Driving Tips for both New and Seasoned Drivers!   By Renee Leon Winter driving tips have been brought into SHARP FOCUS as Edgar and I are teaching our youngest daughter, Maci, to drive! There are many important tips to impart as we navigate driving on potentially slippery conditions. Here are a few Winter Driving reminders for us all as Colorado continues to deliver winter weather. Slow Down - Keep your distance; in wintry conditions you should increase your distance to 8-10 seconds.   Stay Alert - Know what's happening around you; frequently check your mirrors so you can react safely.   Be Noticed - Make sure other drivers SEE you and what you want to communicate (turn signals and brake lights). Be sure all your vehicle's lights are working properly. In this video, I share a tip on how to check your lights, even ... read more

5 Meaningful Ways to Celebrate Your Valentine   By Renee Leon While many could claim that Valentine’s Day is a “hallmark” holiday meant to pressure people to prioritize spending $$$ on unnecessary gifts. This Valentine’s Day, consider expressing love and appreciation for the important people in your life while considering their Love Language! The 5 Love Languages is a popular book that many point to as helpful in strengthening both romantic and platonic relationships. The 5 love languages are words of affirmation, acts of service, quality time, gifts, and touch. https://www.5lovelanguages.com/ This year, identify the love languages of your Valentines and consider the following: 1. Words of Affirmation: cut out colored paper hearts and write out the qualities you love most or appreciate about them (I’ll be doing this for my kids this year; I’m g ... read more

Three DO’s and DON’Ts of your New Year Fitness Resolutions   By Renee Leon Fitness resolutions are among the most popular in January. To help you reach your fitness goals, we’ve asked our customer and ISSA Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach, Chris Young, to share 3 DO’S and 3 DON’T’s towards building healthy fittness habits.   √ DO: Start slow.X DON’T: Expect instant changes. You can’t rush fittness goals; they happen over time so enjoy the small and big changes as you progress, changes like more energy and the satisfaction of keeping a promise to yourself. Eventually you’ll see physical changes as well as improved health stats!   √ DO: Keep it simple. X DON’T: Get overwhelmed by creating a complicated plan. Start with simple nutrition changes and a beginner workout plan to prepare your ... read more