This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DropShopAndOil #CollectiveBias

Being a mother has changed me in many ways. Some of those ways I would’ve never imagined. For example, I rarely put on make up anymore, and my hairstylist pretty much the same from day today. However, I do find myself more concerned about my family’s health and safety. We finally, for the first time in many years, have dental insurance.

Another thing that I started taking more seriously is the condition of my car. I wrote a little while back about how my window stopped working, and finally got that fixed.  But as with all things, the list never ends there.  Now I needed an oil change – but the only day I could do it was when Tall Dad had a day off – which just happens to be the same day Itty Bitty had a playdate, I had a concert, Tall Dad had the football game, and we all had Downton Abbey to watch. Yes, it was a busy day – but Walmart actually helped make it a little easier.
It’s weird. I feel like my car is one of the most under appreciated things that I own, and yet I use it every single day. I use it to not only transport myself, but also those who I hold most dear.
Tall Dad and I both finally paid off our cars this past September. Not having that bill every month has been glorious!  Best yet, it was perfect timing! When they were paid off, I just found out that we are pregnant with our second child, and we had a brand-new spanking mortgage to pay! The extra money was definitely going to be useful.
Taking care of a person’s car gets a little bit tricky when you have a toddler. My little guy has an attention span of about two minutes. That’s like 10 pages in a book, or maybe three songs. I can possibly fit in a game of peekaboo. But after that, he wants to go run around and tear things up.
Needless to say, a car mechanics waiting room is not the ideal situation or place for me to be in for at least an hour.
I tried it once. I had a flat tire, and went to the nearest car place that I could find. The only TV that they had was stuck on some news channel and my lovely adorable toddler just decided to go run. A lot. Naturally, my phone was dead so I couldn’t even bribe him with silly YouTube videos of puppies. It was terrible, and I swore that I would never take him to a car mechanic place again.
But then my car needed oil. Badly.  
That is when I found my saving grace. My heaven this past weekend was blue and yellow. It was called Walmart.
There are a ton of Walmarts which offer a tire and lube station in addition to their superstore. I was able to bring my car up to the entrance, ask for a Penzzoil oil change, and then trust that they would take care of my car.

What I loved most about this whole trip? The “waiting room” was the entire at Walmart store! I was able to go do all types of food shopping, pick up more diapers, and have endless supply of entertainment for my toddler son to look at. 

He played peekaboo with another kid in a nearby stroller. 
We spent some time looking at different books.
And he even helped me pick out a Valentine’s Day card for Tall Dad.
I left Walmart with new Penzzoil oil in my car, a smile on my face, and exhausted tub there who fell sleep on the ride home. I’m not going to lie guys, I kind of feel like supermom!
The best part is that not only did I get some shopping done WHILE my oil change happened, but I still had enough time to cram in Itty Bitty’s playdate at The Providence Children’s Museum, my concert with The American Band, the ability to get Tall Dad back in time for us  to watch the AFC Championship Game together, and then cap it off with Downton Abbey.  I rocked.

Who would’ve ever thought that an oil change and a shopping trip would make me feel so much pride. The twenty-something year-old Mary would have laughed at me. But the twenty-something Mary didn’t know how awesome it is to be a mom, and that even though my priorities have changed, my life is really for the better. 

The choices I now make our off in the safe ones, and I plan my day around naps, and I never leave the house without a change of pants or five extra diapers.

But I have also never felt so much joy in my entire life! Tall Dad and myself are so blessed that even a shopping trip and oil change can make me feel like I’m on top of the world.

So head on over to your local Walmart Automotive Center (no appointment necessary!) and see how much multitasking you can accomplish! Who knows how many fun things you can fit into one day with your family!

— Fun Facts —

All Pennzoil products help clean out sludge lesser oils leave behind. The Platinum (synthetic motor oil), like the one I got  – has the best cleanliness and protection in the Pennzoil line-up!

Pennzoil also offers a free warranty that covers 15 engine parts that may fail due to engine wear or which experience abnormal wear due to friction. (For more information, check out the Pennzoil Warranty Site.)

What fun things would you do on a weekend day if you were able to free up some time and combine some chores?


Talk soon friends!