When does an interest in cars start?

My 3 year old little girl has a fair insight into cars, for both her age and the fact that she is a little girl. She is very happy that her mum can work from home and quite confidently tells people that her mama runs car care workshops for girls. She enjoys the Galmatic cartoon which is of Georgie showing a blond boy how to change a tyre - which she claims is Mama and Dada and feels quite comfortable with spanners and car parts lying around the office and garage.

She was given her Dad's 1970's matchbox cars and happily watches him as he works on his 1930 Hot Rod in the garage.

So you could say that she has been introduced to cars from an early age, mixed with barbie and lots of craft - but it was the Polly pockets cars at the supermarket that got her the most excited.

4 glossy convertibles all with a little Polly and friends inside, (the size that needs adult intervention)! and one simple texta drawn map, on pink cardboard and she was amused for a whole afternoon.

Seat belts were a must and she stopped at the lights and gave way to other Polly pocket cars. She even drove on the correct side of the road, which led me to think - would we have a stronger and more prominent car culture amongst women if we were more active in introducing them to cars at an earlier age?
Would more girls enjoy cars if we bought them car toys - providing them with the same opportunity that we do boys to explore the adventures of cars and driving?

Did you have toy cars when you were young? Were they yours or your brothers?

The right position

One of our workshop trainers Jacey is a qualified chiropractor (yes we all have great posture at Galmatic HQ) and has put together an article for us about the perfect seating position for optimum back care. Perfect for long hours in the car (and at the office desk)!

We all know we need to look after our backs when we lift heaving things, but we don’t tend to think too much about our backs when we are driving to the shops or heading out to see our friends. Unfortunately when it comes to the health of our backs, it’s not just the big things that count, the small repetitive things that can sometimes take the greatest toll.
Why is the perfect position so important?
The perfect position is not only important to ensure you are able to operate the vehicle safely, it is also essential to look after your back for the long term.
Your back has been designed to absorb daily shocks and vibrations. Similar to a good set of party feet for your high heels, the spongy discs between each vertebra provide specific level shock absorbance. During the day they do lose their water content thus decreasing their ability to do their job. As the discs do not have a direct blood supply, they need constant movement to stay plump and happy. Sitting in a car all day does not provide adequate movement for your back. The second way your back provides support is via the inward lumbar curve of your lower back. This curve acts similar to a large spring. When we sit in the car, it is very easy to allow our inward curve to straighten, thus losing its ability to spring.
By following these simple points you will ensure that your back is looked after and it can continue supporting you!
· When you get into your car, remember to readjust your seat EVERY time, as your posture will change throughout the day
· Ensure you are seated in the centre of seat with your bottom pushed back in the seat.
· Move the seat forward so your wrists can rest on the top of the steering wheel and your hips are at 90 degrees.
· In newer cars, adjust the lumbar support to ensure you maintain your lumbar curve. If your car does not have an adjustable lumbar support, there are specific products that you can purchase or you can use a rolled up towel to offer support.
· If you are driving for an extended period of time, do get out and walk, move and stretch.
· Keep hydrated.
· Try and keep your stomach muscles switched on.

Shut up and do some driving

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WAapKx2TvM

It’s a hot look and always has been, from Cha Cha in Grease to this very slick Rhianna clip. Writhing female bodies wrapped phallic like in the tight clothes representative of their era. Whether a Chev or Charger, the chicky babes seem to be the fuel for the car’s ignition – a walking and talking starter motor.

Have we moved forward at all when it comes to our relationship with cars? If Rhianna was to fix a loose hose or tighten a nut under the hood, could she or would she do it in sprayed on leather? Do we women need to be wearing heels to bring some femininity to an otherwise male domain, or by over indulging in the stereotypical female adornments of sexuality are we actually releasing ourselves from the bondage of those dreadful calendars supposedly hung behind every mechanics workshop toilet door?

At Galmatic we toyed with what we would and would not use as our uniform. For all many of our photo shoots we have been encouraged to wear the red heels with our navy mechanics shirts and perhaps open the shirts a little more. We chose to go with our 1940’s/1950’s image of the independent post war empowered female. Car savvy and still sexy.
Do you think women have moved far enough away from the toilet door calendar or do we still have a long way to go?

Does your car fit in the garage?

Now when it comes to garages - ours must take the cake for the largest number of car parts with the pride of place going to the 1930 Ford. There is even a Holden/Ford battle going on in there! So if our garage is a mess we thought there might be a few more out there too. This led us to have a chat with Helen Maguire, Director or Clarity Matters, a fantastic business that specialises in organising and de-cluttering offices, homes and yes garages.

Helen's advice:

Clutter, clutter, clutter! Are you overwhelmed by too much stuff, inadequate storage places and no time to spend on putting things away? Sound familiar? You are not alone in this. Many people have challenges in the area of clutter.

Why do we keep things?
Quite often we keep things that we think we might use in the future, yet in a lot of cases have not used in ages. The reasons for this? We don’t like it; it’s out of date; it relates to a past interest; it’s not appropriate for our present stage of life or it’s broken and we’ve never got around to fixing it.

Sometimes we convince ourselves that we might need it one day – but that ‘one day’ still hasn’t arrived. Maybe we could source a new item cheaply on eBay, in garage sales, or in recycling stores.

The main pitfalls:
Having too much stuff
Not storing things in easily accessible, labelled containers
Not putting things away straight away after use
Not making decisions about specific problem items

Three ways to keep the garage organised:
1. Decide what you really need and get rid of the rest
To help yourself with the clean up process – ask yourself:
Am I really going to use this in the future?
Do I really want all this clutter?
Wouldn’t a spacious, organised garage be a refreshing change?

2. Store what you do want to keep systematically.
Use labelled containers where possible.
Have the items you use frequently in a place and at a level that makes it easier to access – according to your height for example.
Compartmentalise – in strong plastic storage containers, boxes, or on shelves that are easily accessible.
Allow yourself a certain quantity of one particular thing, to avoid having an excess of the same item.
Label the boxes – eg. Hardware items, electrical gear, kids toys, picnic gear, sporting goods – to make it easier to find, use or put away.
Train your children to use your system. Make sure they can get to (reach and position) the boxes they need access to.

3. Make yourself finish the job.
Put the items away in their designated place straight away, because every time one item is left lying around, say on the floor, it soon builds up to a mess with another and another and another. Say it, mean it, do it – finish the job!

How to keep your car tidy and clutter free:
Have a plastic bag for rubbish in the car. Keep a store of them in your garage to easily replace used ones.
Finish the job – immediately on arriving home empty the car of everything you took with you, or have bought whilst out and about and put it where it needs to go,
Have a box in the boot (strapped in) for items that need to remain in the car, for example, first aid kit, supply of kid’s toys, picnic rug.
Use the glove box for items to be kept in the front of the car. Remember to keep tidying it out, especially after big trips.

Happy motoring and safe travels! And remember, your trip has only finished when you have put everything away! You’ll be pleased you did!

Work from home?

After 20 years of working shift work, travelling, standing on my legs and spending hours and hours on the road, I was over the moon when I started Galmatic – at long last I could have a home office. No more wasted hours in traffic, corporate dress, travelling that I didn’t organise myself and the enjoyment of being able to organise my working surroundings.

It never occurred to me that I would be ‘sized’ by people. To me it is common sense to minimize rental costs – it means you’re not passing these costs onto your customers; it’s better for the environment and means that I can also participate in my children’s school life.

Some people use virtual offices and assistants. Our trainers do all of their office work from home, we conduct our training at various locations and use specialty contractors for all of our marketing and design work.

So do you size a business by its office? Does working from home or having a home office put you off dealing with a business or do you enjoy working with businesses that provide flexible working environments for their staff?

Find the dipstick Girls

Be honest have you ever looked under the bonnet?

Don't get stuck in the rain this winter with a flat battery, tyre and foggy windscreen.
Jump into the driver’s seat and never get caught out again! We will help you pop the bonnet and find the dipstick.

Join us at one of our Galmatic Know Your Car Workshops for Girls
Our 2 hour workshops will have you feeling road safe and car savvy
- all in an interactive and fun environment.

Learn some car care tips and tricks and how to save $ on repairs.
Jump onto our website and find out more and book into our May Workshops.
Special Offer
Every booking made in April will receive a complimentary
Galmatic Car Care Handbook for Girls!

Too shy to come on your own? Type the code ‘GAL’ into the comments box at the checkout and receive a complimentary pass for a friend! Be quick as we only have 2 passes per workshop.

Let all your friends know and get more girls taking the driver’s seat.

Greased Lightening

Since the 1950’s guys have connected with cars and car clubs, gangs, street racing and
burn-outs, all adding to a young man’s introduction to cars and the freedom they can
provide. Rat Rods, cruisers, panel vans and the Holden Commodore – the list is endless.
But go to a wedding, 21st or any party and it is the girls that know all the words to Greased
Lightening! And that’s one cool car.

Do you know all the words?
Well this car is automatic, it’s systematic, it’s hydromatic
Why it’s greased lightnin’!
We’ll get some overhead lifters, and four barrel quads, oh yeah
Keep talkin’, whoah keep talkin’
Fuel injection cut off, and chrome plated rods, oh yeah
I’ll get the money, I’ll see you get the money
With a four-speed on the floor, they’ll be waitin’ at the door
You know that ain’t shit when we’ll be gettin’ lots of tit in greased lightnin’
Go, greased lightnin’, you’re burnin’ up the quarter mile
Greased lightnin’, go greased lightnin’
Go, greased lightnin’, you’re coastin’ through the heat lap trials
Greased lightnin’, go greased lightnin’
You are supreme, the chicks’ ‘ll cream for greased lightnin’
We’ll get some purple French tail lights and thirty-inch fins, oh yeah
A palomino dashboard and duel muffler twins, oh yeah
With new pistons, plugs, and shocks, I can get off my rocks
You know that I ain’t braggin’, she’s a real pussy wagon - greased lightnin’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oWeaujOWXc