Dear Life Section,

How can I spruce up my car, both for my friends and myself? I would like my ride to be more impressive while retaining functionality.

Sincerely,

Car Fan

Dear Car Fan,

Looking to spice up your car and increase its practicality? Sweet. While my knowledge of cars is limited and my vehicle is nowhere near an extravagant souped-up sports car, I enjoy upping its aesthetic and interior functionality.

I don’t know about you, but my car is beginning to sprout some gray hairs. Just kidding; only the Pixar movie “Cars” is allowed to creepily anthropomorphize vehicles. Anyway, what I am trying to say is she is old. She is a silver 2006 Honda Civic; not ancient, but not new either.

She does not feature fancy power, efficiency or performance mods. She is also shy and prefers quiet exhaust notes. However, she likes color-changing lights and decorations.

Sorry, I am done anthropomorphizing my car.

A common theme throughout my Ask Life columns is décor, so of course I will discuss decorations. Buckle up for some car décor tips.

Surprisingly, adding snazzy lights to the interior and exterior of your car is cheap. For your vehicle’s interior, consider adding LED strips. However, ensure they are meant for a car and not a bedroom. I say this because LED strips for bedrooms will lack some key functions. My car’s interior lights can dim while shifting colors so I am not blinded as I cruise down the freeway. However, bedroom lights omit this setting.

The lights in my Civic’s interior are Govee Car LED Lights from Amazon. Brands like Govee create lights for almost every imaginable part of your rig. Check out under-glow lights, thin light strips, night lights, interior projectors, wheel lights, hood lights, logo projectors and mini signs.

Be cautious, however. Too many lights will cause drivers to mistake you for a moving Christmas tree.

Ensure any exterior lights avoid the colors red and blue, even if they fade from one color to the next. Pricier kits will feature Bluetooth remotes with specific color-changing options. If your exterior lights ever turn red or blue while driving, you will find yourself on the shoulder of the road peeing your pants while those same colors flash through your back window. Don’t ask me how I know that.

I have noticed many cars host plushies in their back windows. Jealousy led me to buy a tiny dog plushie and place it behind my own back window. Surprisingly, the dog does not explode or catapult away from the window when I accelerate. Even if it did, setting it back in its original position would be simple.

I recommend placing a small plushie in your back window. Choose something funny, weird or whatever caters to your needs.

Similarly, a plushie would look great by the windshield. I have a nerdy “Super Mario Bros.” Boo ghost jammed between my windshield and dashboard. The Boo is small, so it does not restrict my view and never falls off. It looks like it is suffocating, but that is OK; it is the thought that counts.

Speaking of the dashboard, consider buying some mounting squares and placing them on your dashboard. The double-sided adhesive will allow you to seamlessly place figurines and other décor around your dashboard. On my dashboard, Bob the “Despicable Me” Minion holds a teddy bear and stares into my soul as I drive.

Of course, since your rear-view mirror is in close proximity to your dashboard, consider adding décor to it. You can purchase a spiral wrist coil with a steel key ring to attach keychains. The coil easily stretches around any rear-view mirror and hangs from the support bar.

How could I forget stickers? Treat yourself to a Redbubble shopping spree. Every sticker I have ordered from Redbubble has been tough and durable. Redbubble stickers are great for the exterior or interior of your vehicle.

You said you wanted to impress people, right? Well, the first step is ensuring your car does not smell like a musty dumpster. You know those Little Trees air fresheners you see hanging from seemingly everyone’s rear-view mirror? Shopping for them is addictive and they make your car smell amazing. Well, depending on the scent you choose.

If you are feeling particularly adventurous, you can customize your own hanging car scent. There are also cool Yankee Candle air fresheners and car vent clips you can buy to make your car smell like a wonderland.

On the topic of vent clips, if you want convenient access to your phone, I absolutely suggest purchasing a quality phone mount that you can clip to your vent. I cannot express how advantageous these phone mounts are. Having your phone in a sturdy, reachable and safe place while driving is the epitome of convenience. Navigation and quick song changes become effortless.

Is your car old and lacking a modern Bluetooth system? Bluetooth devices that plug into your aux port exist. They allow you to easily play your music through your car’s speakers.

Does your garbage come flying out of your trash can whenever you encounter a sharp turn? I have a solution.

First, buy one long bungee cord or a couple of short bungee cords. Then, open the middle console of your car and set a bungee cord inside so the hooks loosely hang out the console. Make sure the hooks are facing the rear of your vehicle.

Next, if your bungee cord is long enough, wrap it around your trash can and connect the two hooks. If your bungee cord is too short, use the hooks on two bungee cords to create a longer bungee cord and follow the same step. Close the middle console and ta-da! No more carpet stains, aggressively flying soda bottles and gross napkins everywhere.

Another idea is to use the middle console as a trash holder, but I personally prefer a trash can.

Now you are ready to go jazz up your car. I hope you use some of my tips and enjoy your upgraded ride.

Sincerely,

The Life Section