2012 Cadillac SRX Review

Last week we had to let go of a gorgeous 2012 Cadillac SRX. We got to test drive this beauty for a week and it was amazing.
The 2012 Cadillac SRX is equipped to the max with all the great luxury features you'd expect from a Cadillac. The turbocharged V6 engine means it wont take forever to get from 0-60 like some huge SUVs on the market. Depending on how often you "put the pedal to the metal" you can get up to 18 city miles and 25 highway miles.

The Cadillac SRX is known as a crossover. It's bigger than a sedan but a little smaller than the typical SUV.
It's the perfect size for my family of 4 but for larger families it would be a tight fit, especially those with 3 kids in carseats.
The SRX is equipped with so many cool buttons and features galore that a week testing the car was not enough time to use all of them. The leather wrapped steering wheel has all the things you need right at your finger tips so you can focus on driving. Call someone, change the radio volume and you can even heat the steering wheel for those cold nights (or days as we even experienced here in Florida recently).

The center console area is the epitome of luxury and convenience. Standard features includes an audio system w/ navigation that houses a single CD/DVD player. The 8" touchscreen is a great size to see everything you need without having to squint. You can also connect your Bluetooth to the SRX and it will automatically upload all your phone contacts into the 40GB hard drive so you can use the call features and be hands-free while driving.

The Cadillac SRX comes standard with all the features you need like manual tilt and telescopic sheering wheel (good for short people like me), power adjustable break and gas pedal (they can come closer to you-again for short people like me, lol), driver's seat memory - a push of a button will remember your exact seat settings for you and your husband so it's easy to switch drivers, "ultraview" sunroof- The sun roof goes into the back seat as well, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, and so much more.

I was surprised at the fabulous gas mileage the SRX had. We averaged about 18MPG city and 24MPG highway which is slightly above the fuel economy estimates. Honestly, I believe that's better than our currant sedan cars which is just horrible to admit.

Other amazing features include:
■ On Star
■Keyless entry system (you don't need the key to open the doors)
■Remote vehicle start
■Cargo shade. Great to cover up shopping bags in the trunk area!
■Universal Home Start. You can start the car from inside your home! Great for the winter.
■XM Radio & service
■Bose system with 10 speaker 5.1 surround sound

We were so impressed with the Cadillac SRX and I have now decided that I am definitely a Cadillac type of girl. I test drove the Escalade hybrid back in August and I still talk about that car. Cadillac is a must it my life and I cannot go back to a "normal" car.

Disclosure: We test drove the 2012 Cadillac SRX for 8 days thanks to Cadillac and GM SouthEast. All opinions of this amazing car are those of me and my family.

bloom launches-bloom zen and bloom yoga

I am here to tell you all about an amazing little stroller that is about to hit the States and how beside myself in excitement I am to try this baby out!

Bloom, the globally coveted baby furniture and gear brand renowned for their iconic collections including the fresco, coco, luxo and alma, announces the launch of the award-winning bloom zen™ all-terrain stroller & bloom yoga™ newborn nest. Developed in collaboration with the French manufacturer BABYZEN, bloom zen & bloom yoga delivers the world’s slimmest folding, full-size all-terrain stroller and revolutionary newborn travel system.

Zen’s distinctly European design language is matched only by its engineering excellence. Groundbreaking engineering brings cutting edge folding, lighting and wheeling features, while the interchangeable and reversible seat cushions create personal zen for the child. Simple to move and easy to store, bloom zen boasts the most unique retracting compact-fold in the marketplace: with a flick of the wrist, it folds flat to an ultra-slim 9.8”! Freestanding when flat-folded, zen is designed for multi-directional wheeling without the need to lift (much like a rollable suitcase), and can be easily stashed in a closet, car trunk or other tight space.

Elevating road safety to a new level, bloom’s zen introduces the first-ever fully integrated solar lighting system. Located at the front of the stroller frame, a safety light can be activated to shine either full-beam or flashing hazard lights, with an auto switch-off after two minutes. The light is powered by three AAA batteries, which are recharged by environmentally sound solar panels. To ensure a smooth ride, the puncture-proof wheels have front and rear shock absorbers with the front wheel also boasting a patented anti-dribble mechanism.

The bloom yoga newborn nest is a 3-in-1 mobile travel bed, bassinet and portable bouncer that also functions as a parent-facing newborn cradle when placed upon the bloom zen. Complete with two recline positions and a high quality mattress foam for extra support, yoga provides snug and luxurious comfort on-the-go. as the slimmest travel bed solution in the industry, the lightweight newborn nest’s 10lb frame folds completely flat to less than 6” for easy carry and smart, space-saving storage. yoga also meets tough IATA size restrictions for in-flight usage.

bloom zen & bloom yoga will be sold exclusively in The Americas from early 2012.
Available now for pre-registration at bloombaby.com/pre-register the bloom zen all-terrain stroller will retail for $799 and the bloom yoga newborn nest will retail for $250. Available in the USA in early 2012 at giggle and selected bloom specialty retailers nationwide.

Yes, both are a bit pricey but seriously, this stroller and baby seat are just to die for in my opinion and if you're looking for a high-end luxury modern stroller than the zen and yoga are the way to go!

Pottery Barn Kids "Anywhere Chair" Review

My girls love each other, they really do. It's amazing seeing the bond they have already formed and how Kendall follows Makenna around everywhere they go. Sometimes I know they need their own space though and when their favorite movies are on it's hard to find that "me" space each of them want.

Recently Pottery Barn Kids has saved my sanity by sending us two Regular Girls' Anywhere Chairs - Pink Sherpa and Chocolate Birdie Print! I've always been a huge fan of PBK because they make amazing quality items that kids can actually use without the fear of breaking it.

The girls now each have a place to sit but can still be next to each other and hold hands. Yes for now they hold hands and hang out... I know I'm doomed in years to come.

Pottery Barn Kids definitely didn't disappoint me because these chairs are fabulous. When you get your chair it is in 5 pieces and 2 boxes. Yep, that was something I wasn't expecting. The chair inserts which make up the 2 arm rests, bottom and seat back are made in the USA with recyclable foam containing up to 30% soy-based materials. Then you have the slipcover which comes in its own box and they are pure cotton in durable twill, denim, canvas or polyester sherpa depending on which chair you choose.

Each component of the chair is separate and I had to fight with the slipcovers to get this sucker put together. I knew it would be worth it so I stuck to my guns. The Sherpa slipcover gave me the most trouble and that's because the fur is covering the zipper area. Which yes, that's a good thing so you don't see this huge zipper but when I'm putting the chair together all I can do was scream at the fur since it kept getting stuck in the zipper.
John finally came over and while I held the fur apart he would zip. We did this little by little until it was finally together. The Chocolate Birdie slipcover (a canvas type material) was much easier to put on and zip up.
Since Makenna was at school when the chairs came only Kendall was there to test it out. She instantly jumped in the Pink Sherpa chair to claim it as her own and had the most relaxed look on her face.

All the slipcovers are removable and machine-washable! You can also purchase replacement slipcovers if you want to change up the look or have another baby of the opposite sex without having to purchase a whole new chair. If you have all the kids you're going to have or want to make the chair more personable PBK will personalize the chair with FREE embroidery. I wish I could have their names added so there is no fighting over what chair belongs to whom.

It's called the Anywhere Chair because they are lightweight and can be moved from room to room depending on where your child wants it to be. Again, you can take this as a good or bad thing. Sometimes it's bad because the girls always bring the chairs into my room to hang out.

These really are the most comfortable chair we have been able to find and because they are made so well I love that the girls will have them for a very long time. You have 3 options for your Anywhere Chair - My First, Regular, and Over-Sized. The Regular chairs that we received are 28" wide x 22" deep x 22" high which are just the perfect size. You can see how big it is compared to our over-sized Loveseat and in the pictures above you can see that Kendall has plenty of room to grow.

These chairs are on the pricey side at $99-$159 but you really are getting a quality item that can be used for years to come and can be revamped with new slipcovers (which range from $29-$89). This is a great Christmas gift but unless you purchase the chair in-store than unfortunately you won't receive this gorgeous chair before Christmas. No matter what the occasion this is a great gift and you should run not walk to your nearest Pottery Barn Kids asap!

Disclosure: I was provided with the featured item at no cost by the manufacturer and/or its PR agency in order to test the products abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others. I did not receive any other monetary means.

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure for XBox 360 Review

For one of Makenna's big presents we were at a loss at what to get her until John saw the Skylanders display at the store. We are a huge gamer family so I was up for checking it out then I got the word that Activision would send us the game. When it arrived we told Makenna that it was an early Christmas present since we had to open it and review it.

So what exactly is Sylanders: Spyro's Adventure? Well even though this game is subtitled "Spyro's Adventure" - in reality, the game just features Spyro. He is not a bigger star in this game than the other Skylander. We have never previously played a Spyro game so to us, this didn't make a difference.

So what exactly are Skylanders? Skylanders are basically powerful creatures that belong to different elemental groups such as fire, earth, wind, tech, ect... As you progress through the game, you’ll encounter different areas, enemies, and other obstacles that can only be reached by using or are more susceptible to certain elemental types.

When you purchase the Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure starter pack you will get 3 Skylanders figures and The Portal of Power (along with other extras). You won't be able to find a stand alone game on it's own and there is a reason for this. The Skylanders in the game need to be activated in-game by acquiring their real-world toy figurine versions and have the game communicate with them.

Wait what... communicate?!

Yep, that's what makes this game so fun and exciting! What makes Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure truly unique is the super cool “Portal of Power,” a USB powered pedestal that your Skylanders can be placed on in real life. In order to use the characters in the game, you must physically place them on the device which, in turn, activates them in the game! John loves that he can add the figures to his "man shelf" of other collectible game figures he has when the game is not in use.

The great thing about the figures is that they also retain the character data on the figures themselves, so your son or daughter can bring their favorite characters to a friend’s house, play with their own character in the Co-Op mode with said friend, then bring them back home and continue playing right where the two of them left off. And guess what? This character data? It works across ALL platforms. So if you have a XBox 360 and your child's friend has a PS3, 3DS, and even on the PC and Mac - you don’t have to worry about anything – it all works. If you know anything about gaming you know this is amazing because cross-platform game play is practically non-existent, even in 2011.

As far as the game goes the graphics are bright and smooth. The game is propelled by a story-driven adventure. The story was a little short for our liking and wish it was longer but unlike other games that make you purchase DLC, if you go out and purchase one of the other Skylander characters you will get access to new levels and your game can continue in a different way and earn different "achievements". Your kids will fall in love with the amazing world of Skylands where they explore mysterious, mythical lands, battle menacing outlandish creatures, collect gold and treasures, and solve puzzles (some I have to help Makenna on) all while on a quest to save the world from "Kaos", an evil Portal Master.

There are a lot of cut scenes in the game that cannot be bypassed which didn't bother Makenna but they could be a little boring for John and I. What do I mean for me and the hubby? Well, even though this is a kid based game (ages 6+) we enjoyed playing the game by ourselves and in co-op mode when Makenna is sleeping. It's hard to find a game that I enjoy playing with John that has co-op mode so it is fun to play Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure with John late at night and spend that time together. To add a player to the current game all you have to do is put another character on the portal and it is instantly transported into the game - no special screen to switch to or anything. 

With every game there are a few things I wish I could change or add, with Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure there aren't many but they do exist.

I wish there was a level difficulty choice in the game play. Yes, it's a kid's game but I think it's good to challenge kids especially if they level up their character. Also, the co-op mode would be even better with actual online console play, where you can play with other people around the world.

These two things definitely aren't deal breakers and to tell you the truth we've since purchased 11 other Skylanders including Flameslinger and Sonic Boom (I nicknamed "Eagle Eye"), a pirate ship extra level and two Hidden Treasure pieces! We're on the search for Wirlwind which is a Target exclusive but cannot find him anywhere in our area (If you find him I will pay to have it shipped to me - seriously... let me know).



Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure is a without a doubt a MUST buy game. Yes, it's a bit pricey especially if your kids want more Skylanders (as low as $7.99 for single, $19.99 3-pack) but it's completely worth it no matter how old you or your kids are. Skylanders is a great change from the typical shooter games that are all the rage right now and definitely in my home. Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure makes you remember what it's like to play a happy, fun game.

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure rated "E10+" by the ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board) and is available for purchase at GameStop, Toys R Us, Walmart, Amazon, Target and Best Buy for $69.99 for the starter pack (game, portal and 3 Skylanders). You can play the game on XBox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo 3DS, and Nintendo Wii.

Disclosure: I was provided with the featured item (Skylanders starter pack) at no cost by the manufacturer and/or its PR agency in order to test the products abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others. I did not receive any other monetary means.

Secret Santa Revealed! #jcpSecretSanta

Remember last week I told you how I teamed up with jcpenny and Mom Central for this fun Secret Santa gift Exchange? If not, then get up to speed by reading my post here.
Each year offices participate in their annual Secret Santa but being a stay at home mom I don't get to participate in anything like that so I was so thrilled to be apart of something this fun.

Now I'm not one for surprises or the anticipation of something happening so it was hard for me not to spill the beans through-out this little adventure.

So last week I went shopping on jcpenny to pick out a gift for a fellow blogger. I didn't get to pick who the blogger was and the person that was my Secret Santa didn't get to pick me so everyone was in the dark about who got who.

After looking around a bit I finally decided on what I thought would be the perfect gift! I recorded my message to said blogger and sent her gift away!

So what about my Secret Santa? Well that's the exciting part!

I have been on the edge of my seat for the past week waiting to see who my Secret Santa was and what they got for me and today FedEx showed up with a gorgeous box with my name all over it! the first thing I did was scan the QR code so I could find out who sent me this wonderful gift.

Of course if you are going to participate you will need a smart phone and the ability to download a QR Code reader app. Once my app was installed it scanned the barcode then automatically opened up a browser window. I was instructed to press play and then I heard the message from my Secret Santa!! I started laughing and was so happy with who my Santa was. I couldn't believe the pure luck of the draw...

So what did she get me? It was gorgeous and fits perfectly - Bisou Bisou One Shoulder dress I can't wait to wear it out on a date night with the husband or at one of those fab BlogHer parties next year!! Now I'm not all dressed up and photo ready so I won't show you how it looks on me right now but you can just image this is me in the picture, ok? :)

There is still time to take part in the Secret Santa gifting. Santa Tags are available at all jcpenney locations at JCP services (where you would find gift boxes). Anyone who purchased a gift at jpenney anytime after 11/15/11 is eligible to receive a Santa Tag for free (just show your receipt).

Oh yeah.. Who's my Secret Santa??

Becca from Mama B!!

I hope jcpenny continues this because next year I definitely want to do this again for my friends who live out of state!

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of jcpenney and received a jcpenney Secret Santa gift and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

Shop jcpenny With Their New Secret Santa Tags! #jcpSecretSanta

Going shopping for the holidays can get pretty dare I say boring and repetitive. Drive, walk around, buy, walk more, drive home, blah blah blah. Well recently I was asked to participate in a fun new shopping experience jcpenny has created this season - Santa Tags.

So thanks to jcpenny and Mom Central I get to participate in the Secret Santa Tags Blog Tour. As part of the program, not only was I able to try out the new Secret Santa Tag for myself, but I was able to be a “Secret Santa” and pick out a gift from jcp.com for a fellow blogger also participating in the tour.
Next week I am reveal who my Secret Santa is but not just yet because it's still a secret! jcp.com made it really easy with a Best Gifts link directly on their site that will take you to gifts under $20, under $50, under $100 or over $100.

So what you do is grab this hand-dandy QR tag when you're shopping in store, purchase your gift and have it wrapped. Now this is the part where you will need a smart phone that had a QR code scanner - scan the QR code and enter your phone number in the space provided. Moments later you will get a phone call from the Secret Santa line and there you get to record a (short) message to the person you are gifting! The QR gets stuck to the gift and you send it away.
The gift receiver won't know who sent them the gift until they scan the barcode and hear the message! It's such a fun and creative way to give and receive!

The Santa Tag is so great and I love the personal touch it adds to each gift you send this year. Your gift recipients will be so delighted too, I just know it!
Still confused on how it "works" check out this video and you'll see how easy it really is.

And remember stay tuned because next week I'll reveal who had me as a Secret Santa, who I had as a Secret Santa and of course what I got from them. I hope I am getting this cute little red dress number I was eyeing!

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of jcpenney and received a jcpenney Secret Santa gift and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

Pairendipity - Mommy & Me Matching Shoes Review

This post is about shoes! Do I have your attention now? What female doesn't like shoes? Even at a young age you can catch your little girl stealing your shoes and trying to fit her tiny feet into them.
If you're daughters love shoes as much as mine do then you will love the idea of Pairendipity because it revolves around the connection between mother and daughter through shoes!

Paidendipity was conceived when the founder/co-owner had to return to her full time position after giving birth to her second baby girl. Being a mother of 2 under 2, with a busy work schedule, she was in search of something that would offer a "connection" that could carry on all day between her and her babies.
Pairendipity moms feel connected knowing that their little princess' are walking in mommy's footsteps.

Pairendipity offers 4 color choices of coordinating mom and toddler styles. Kendall and I received Arena but you can also choose from Aqua, Rosa, and Kara.

The Womens sizes available are 6 through 9.5, but they do run small so I suggest sizing up at least 1.5-2 sizes. The toddler sizes available include 5 through 12 and again I believe they run small too. Kendall usually wears a 5 but her Paidendipity shoes are a 7. Also, the toddler shoes have extra cushioned insoles, arch support, flexible outsoles, soft upper materials, and a velcro strap to help get the shoe on (unlike mommy's shoes which do not have the strap). The women's shoes have a flat heel, cushioned footbed with arch support, padded collar, and flexible rubber outsole, which make them comfortable for all day wear.

I know Kendall doesn't understand that we have matching shoes but no matter where we go I get compliments on the shoes and am asked where I found them. I love that the shoes go with outfits I put Kendall in or wear myself. We wear them with dresses, skirts, and jeans and the shoes go great with them all.

I really love the Pairendipity Mommy and Me Matching Shoes and think they are the perfect gift or surprise for any little girl. The Kara shoes are black which would be great for holiday pictures in my opinion!

Beyond Bedding Review

My little baby is growing up and now she's 7 but if you walked into her room recently you probably wouldn't think so. Makenna has always been a huge Disney Princess fan, and still is, but we both agreed that her not everything in her room had to reflect that one interest.

Then Beyond Bedding contacted me and I knew it was the first step to her having a "big girl" room. At first glace I almost got overwhelmed at all the choices that they carry. Since we couldn't decide on our own we used their Custom Childrens Bedding page to help us pick the best sets for her. We bookmarked a few choices then came back later the next day and narrowed it down by a few choices until we finally settled on the perfect set for Makenna.

At first she instantly liked the Pretty Pony Horse set by JoJo Designs but I had to remind her that we were trying to get away from the "little girl", "baby" stuff. My daughter loves horses but will she next year? Who knows. Beyond Bedding carries nice high quality sets so I knew we'd be keeping the bedding set we chose for a while.

While on the site I noticed that Beyond Bedding will definitely be my first choice when I need a toddler bedding sets for Kendall when she's older, a crib bedding set if I have another baby, or even a set for myself because yes, you can find something for the whole family at Beyond Bedding. And with brand choices like JoJo Designs who wouldn't want to shop there?! Plus, they almost always have a sale so you can always find an amazing price to fit your budget.

It was finally decided and Makenna chose the Pink and Green Flower Children's Bedding from JoJo Designs. It looked gorgeous in the pictures but we couldn't wait to get it on her bed. The "bed in a bag" contained a Twin comforter, one pillow sham, bed skirt, and window valence. Each piece perfectly coordinated with the next. The embroidery and appliqués of detailed flowers decorate this beautiful set for a timeless designer look that is perfect for any girl’s room.

The set is even more perfect because it matches the decal stickers we already had on her wall which contain 3D flowers and 3D butterflies. Beyond Bedding also carries countless other matching accessories so if we wanted we could add the matching clothes hamper, lamp shade, hanging wall art and other things so then Makenna's room would go together beautifully. 

The quilt is very cozy but I personally don't think it would be great in the really cold states since it isn't too thick. It's perfect for Florida though even when we get in the 40's during our Winter nights Makenna says she stays warm.

I have already washed the quilt numerous times an it has held up perfectly. It comes out of the wash (on regular wash... I always forget to use delicate) looking like new, so far no loose threading, filling doesn't bunch up - nothing. I hang dry it out side so I'm not sure what would happen in the dryer but from the washer it comes out good.

As I said before, I love this site and will be shopping here in the future!

Disclosure: I was provided with the featured item(s) at no cost by the manufacturer and/or its PR agency in order to test the products abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and my daughter's and may differ from others. I did not receive any other monetary means.

Keurig B60 Special Edition Review

Unlike some people I am a morning person, I love to get up and go. Running my errands in the morning makes my day run so much smoother. But by the middle of the day My energy level is almost on empty and I need a pick me up so I stop at Starbucks because of course I don't want to make a whole pot of coffee then to end up pouring more then half of it out later. I have been hearing a lot about the Keurig systems for the past year and have been dying to try it out.

Recently, I was sent a Keurig B60 Special Edition to try and I am LOVING everything about it!

It perfectly brews 1 cup of coffee, cider, tea or hot chocolate in the select cup size you choose (6, 8 or 10oz), in less then 2 minutes.

Of course your Keurig comes with a quick start guide but it's so simple to use. Plug it in, fill the reservoir with water, wait for it to heat up, pop in a K-Cup and then choose your select cup size and brew. It could not be any easier to use. The B60 Special Edition also has different settings so it can turn on and heat up the water exactly at 7AM if you want so then you just have to wait less then 1 minute for your morning pick me up!

Keurig offers many different varieties and over 200 flavors to satisfy any beverage drinker. Another plus is that you can brew your select coffees over ice which is a perfect yummy treat in the hot summer months. To help you decide, when you purchase your Keurig you will receive a variety box of different coffees and teas to try out.

There are lots of fun accessories you can purchase separately for your Keurig. I am loving the K-Cup Carousel and the K-Cup Carousel Tower which both hold 30 K-Cups.

It's so fun to use the Keurig and although each cup is a bit pricey at around $0.68 a cup I still prefer using my Keurig then going elsewhere and spending $5.00+ for the same tasting coffee.

The only thing that bothers me is that I do have to press the medium cup size and then the small cup option just to fill up my (what I think is) medium cup. If I have a travel cup I have to press the large then the small just to fill it. I do wish that was more accurate.

I think it's the perfect gift and you can purchase a Keurig B60 Special Edition at lots of stores like Target, Amazon, and the Keurig website (plus free shipping) for around $149.95.

Disclosure: I was sent a Keurig B60 Special Edition for the sole purpose of this review. Receiving the product did not influence me to produce a positive review.

Are you ready for UNO? Roboto style?

Family game night is a huge thing in our house, we try to play a game at least 3x's a week. Sometimes playing the same old games can get pretty boring though. Recently I was asked my Mom Central and UNO to try out a new game - UNO Roboto!

Anything that will mix up our usual game night routine I'm all for so I jumped at this fun blog tour.

The game is easy to use, and UNO Roboto guy helps to lead you through the start-up directions. To begin, each player (there can be between 2 – 6 players) is asked to record their names.

After that you can record a "house rule" which can be something silly like "stick our your tongue", or "stand on one foot". Bob (what we call our our robot) then tells you which player is first. Uno Roboto is like the UNO game you have always remembered. Each player puts a card down that matches the color or number of the discard pile. Bob (remember our robot's name) made the game fun because he would randomly call out that one player has to give another player all their blue cards or yellow cards, or tell one player to continue picking up cards until they reached a red card.

Our only "complaint" was that although the game was fun at first it became a bit confusing and we would always forget if we were suppose to be doing something or if we were now playing counter-clockwise.

We play with our UNO game almost every single night but most nights we do tend to leave Bob out of the game if we are looking to play a couple quick games before M has to go to bed.

If you want a fun game that the whole family can play then definitely check out UNO Roboto and check our their Facebook page for updates!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of UNO Roboto and received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Wish List Shopping: Motorola Xoom #MotoCalyp #CBias

I have to admit, we are a pretty savvy family. We don't always have the BIGGEST and newest gadgets but we definitely try to stay up to date with the cool things coming out. We own a tablet already that is technically mine so for Christmas John has been begging for one. Actually he wants a Kindle and a Tablet to be correct.

So I decided to do some comparison shopping and research for some new tabs on the market. Did you know that Motorola made a tablet, because I didn't until recently! It's called the Motorola Xoom and you can get it a 16GB or 32GB.

I instantly noticed things I loved about the Xoom like the huge 10.1 screen, duel camera, and battery life. One thing I saw was that the Xoom has USB connectivity which is something I've never seen on a Tab. that means I John can connect his phone and upload instantly to the Tab instead of emailing them then opening and saving the pictures on the Tab (such a headache)!

The Motorola Xoom is equipped with the Android Honeycomb 3.1 so there are lots of apps to download and tons of free apps like Angry Birds and Words With Friends!

Convinced this is the Tab for my husband I headed to Best Buy to do more research and see it in person.
I saw lots of other Tabs at the store, more from brands that I had no idea made Tablets like BlackBerry.
I finally found the Xoom and it was pretty lightweight but it is thicker then my current Tab, but it's for my husband so I'm sure he won't mind. Viewing it in store I was able to see that you can have six home screens to categorize and organize applications! John is a huge organizer and loves to know exactly where his apps are so this would be perfect for him.

The Motorola Xoom comes preloaded with Google Maps, Google Movies, Gmail and Google Books! Yes Google Books so I can take care of two presents in one small package and price by purchasing the Xoom. There is no need for a book reader if I get John the Xoom! Check out my Best Buy shopping story on Google+!

So if you're in the market for a Tab then I don't think you can go wrong with the Motorola Xoom. Don't wait because right now you can get the Xoom for $499 and FREE 2-day shipping!

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions are my own. I really am considering getting my husband a Xoom for Christmas!

Driving a Kia Optima Turbo is... @Kia @DriveSTI

in one word - WHOA.

Yesterday we had to let go of our the 2011 Kia Optima SX Turbo that we drove for a week. When the gorgeous Spicy Red Optima showed up my impression was of a great looking car but something that didn't exactly jumped out at me.

...Then, I got in the car and I completely changed my mind!
With the Kia Optima Turbo you are thrown into luxury without the cost of let's say a $90,000 car.

If you want to talk mechanical the Optima Turbo has a 6-speed Sportmatic transmission with a sport-tuned suspension! What exactly does that mean? It means it's fast and has an amazing pick up when you step on the gas to let's say, pass slow tourists.
The steering wheels comes equipped with everything you need so you can keep your eyes on the road when you're driving. Want to change the radio station or the volume, there are buttons for that. Want to call your husband or hang up the call, there are buttons for that too. Of course the standard cruise control and trip meters are on the steering wheel too so everything is in one convenient place.

One of our favorite features is the Smart Key & push button start. You never have to take the key our of your purse/pocket. Walk up to the car and it unlocks the driver side door and turns on the interior lights for you! If you want to unlock the other doors you hold down a button on both the driver and passenger door handle. So so easy especially when I was holding the diaper bag, purse, Kendall and making sure Makenna was safely by my side.

The Optima Turbo comes standard with all the features you need like manual tilt and telescopic sheering wheel (good for short people like me), driver's seat memory - a push of a button will remember your exact seat settings for you and your husband so it's easy to switch drivers, panoramic sunroof - The sun roof goes into the back seat as well, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, and so much more.

If you have your Bluetooth turned when you get in the car then the Kia will read all of your data and upload it into the car for you! You will instantly see all of your phone contacts on the huge touch screen. You can wirelessly listen to the music on your phone through seamless streaming so you don't have to take up one of the input jacks. If you do want to plug your phone into the input jack then the Kia will then upload all your music to the system and on the touch screen you will see all your music so you won't need to pick up your phone at that point, plus your phone will charge at the same time.



Color indicators tell you exactly which door is open so there is
no more guessing or making everyone open their door!





I love that it tells you exactly how many miles till you are on empty!



Isn't he just so cool?

 There are so many amazing features about this car, I could go on and on but this would end up being a long post. Just go to your local Kia dealership and test one out and see for yourself!

This just might be our next car purchase because yesterday my husband may or may not have cried when they drove it out of the drive way.

Disclosure: I test drove the Kia Optima Turbo for 8 days thanks to Kia and DriveSTI. I was also compensated in the form of a gift card. All opinions of this amazing car are my very own and my family's.