Take A Sweet Ride In The Mazda6 i Grand Touring! #DriveMazda @MazdaUSA @DriveShopUSA #Ad

    It's a very rare occasion when I take a road trip or go away without the whole family in tow.  This past month, I had the opportunity to drive to Hershey, Pennsylvania for a media trip all on my own.  Since I usually drive larger cars that can accommodate my family of four, I was beyond thrilled to have the chance to drive the Mazda6 i Grand Touring for my three-hour drive to PA!     My first impression of the Mazda6 i was that it is an incredibly sporty and sleek vehicle.  A redesigned front fascia with signature front bumper and grille means business.  Available brilliant LED headlights and fog lights illuminate the road ahead—and save energy, too. The new available Active Grille Shutter automatically opens and closes in accordance with driving conditions for real-world gains in fuel economy.     It's interior design and technology also made me feel like I was in complete control.  MAZDA CONNECT™ let me control and … [Read more...]

Summer Cruising In The Mazda CX-5! #DriveMazda @MazdaUSA @DriveShopUSA #Ad

    As many of you know, red is absolutely my favorite color.  You can imagine how excited I was to see the 2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring parked in front of my driveway in candy apple red!  When I realized that I would have the opportunity to drive such a beautiful car in my favorite color, I knew that we were sure to have a memorable week.  Our drive out to a local resort that weekend would certainly be a classy one.     I have to be completely honest, I have driven other Mazda models in the past and I loved them but I couldn't help feeling like they really outdid themselves when they designed the CX-5.  You really do get the best of both worlds with this vehicle because is is the perfect size to accommodate a family of four like ours but sporty looking enough to not have that whole minivan vibe that I personally like to avoid.     The CX-5 comfortably seats 5 and has a lot of legroom.  My 12 year-old commented about this throughout our entire road trip.  He loved that he was … [Read more...]

Adventures Of A New York City Family In The Mazda CX-9! #DriveSTI @MazdaUSA @DriveSTI #Ad

      It's no secret that we had an extremely rough winter here in New York City.  Aside from our hectic schedules throughout the work week, we also had to maneuver around all the snow and harsh weather to plan creative outings as a family.  The Mazda CX-9 was the perfect fit for our family to be able to spend quality time together this season!  Not to mention its gorgeous leather trim interior which was love at first sight for my husband and I!     Since I have an eleven year-old and a nine year-old, they always want to invite their friends and cousins on outings with the family.  That usually means that, aside from our medium-sized family of four, Hubby and I have to make sure that we have enough room in the car to safely accommodate everyone on road trips.  After all, not having enough space can make us lose serious cool points with the Tweens!     So we all packed in to the Mazda CX-9 and headed around New York for some weekend fun.  If you are familiar with the area … [Read more...]

What Trunk Junk Will You Need This Winter? #InviernoSeguro #Giveaway #TrunkJunk @StateFarm #Ad

*This is part of a sponsored collaboration with State Farm and Latina Mom Bloggers. However, all opinions expressed are my own.     As we prepare to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday this week, we are also anticipating a Nor'easter here in New York City.  The storm is expected to hit Wednesday evening right into Thursday and we are already receiving warnings that weather conditions will make driving and road travel dangerous and difficult.  I'd like to think that I have the supplies that I need in the car in case of this kind of emergency but one can never be too prepared.     Unfortunately, I've had the first-hand experience of being stuck in my car on the highway during the cold, winter months.  Years ago, we had a car that was handed down to us by my father that would always break down.  Don't get me wrong, we were very thankful to have received a car for free but getting stuck in the middle lane on an expressway with no heat can be extremely scary.  These moments taught us … [Read more...]

Take @Netflix With You This Holiday Season! #NetflixKids #StreamTeam #Ad

*I participated in a campaign on behalf of Netflix.  As a member of the Netflix Stream Team, I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.     Every Christmas and New Year's, my husband and I try to split our time equally between both sides of the family.  It's important that his family and mine get time to spend with us and our boys.  As a result, we do end up spending some time in the car traveling back and forth.  Additionally, since the grandparents are not that technologically advanced, we appreciate that we can take Netflix with us on our travels to keep the kids engaged and entertained.     We love how accessible our boys' favorite Netflix movies are from our smartphones and their tablets which allows us to bring their TV shows and movies to any destination.  We've put together some of our own beloved holiday titles that you can take to Grandma's this year including Charlie Brown, Thomas the Tank Engine and Clark Griswold from Christmas Vacation.  Since … [Read more...]

The Hamsters Are Back! #KiaSocialClub #Hamsters @Kia

*This sponsored post was written by me on behalf of Kia.  All opinions are 100% mine.     Who could forget the iconic Kia hamsters dancing and swaying to the beat in their legendary commercials?  The good news is that they are back to introduce the new 2014 Soul!  They have totally transformed themselves into lean, mean, head-turning machines in order to truly represent the new Soul.  You can watch them hit the gym and work out to Lady Gaga's latest anthem, "Applause."     Some of the features of the new 2014 Kia Soul include include AC, power locks and windows with driver-side express, satellite radio, USB, Bluetooth, stability control, privacy glass and hill start assist. Extra-cost options include 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control with steering-wheel controls, a center console, rear armrest with cup holders and remote keyless entry.  As you can see, they spared nothing to make this new Soul the best one yet!     It has more room and more features than its predecessor … [Read more...]

We Loved The Hyatt Regency McCormick Hotel In Chicago! @HyattMcCormick #Sponsored

*This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hyatt Regency McCormick Hotel. All opinions are 100% mine.     As many of you know, this past week I attended a blogging conference and took my family along for the trip.  We had never visited Chicago before and I wanted to make sure that we stayed at the right hotel which would take my family's comfort into complete consideration.  Although this trip was a mixture of business and pleasure, my main priority is always making sure that my family is happy whenever we travel.     The Reservations Manager of the Hyatt McCormick, Liz, went above and beyond to ensure that all of our needs were met once we arrived in Chicago.  I can honestly say that there wasn't an email that I sent her that ever went unanswered and her attention to detail was exemplary.  She was very personable and professional and was always available to address any of my questions and concerns before and during our stay at the hotel.     Due to the … [Read more...]

Keep Your Kids Safe And Comfortable With Seat Pets And Tummy Stuffers! #Review #Ad

*This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Seat Pets and Tummy Stuffers.  All opinions are 100% mine.     Whenever we are planning a road trip, we always take into consideration how we can keep our boys safe and comfortable in the backseat.  Let's be honest, even the best behaved kids can get tired and frustrated during a long car ride and it is important to plan ahead to keep them happy.  You definitely don't want to plan your next road trip without Seat Pets and Tummy Stuffers!     My seven year old loves to play with his electronics in the car and he sometimes falls asleep while he is playing with them.  We love our Seat Pet Lincoln the Lion because my son is able to cuddle with him during road trips.  My husband and I especially love the fact that it he loves Lincoln so much that he is eager to strap on his seatbelt the moment he gets into the car.  It is a relief to know that his Seat Pet motivates him to be concerned about his safety.     Aside from his … [Read more...]