That Week I Drove a Swagger Wagon…and LOVED it!

August 29, 2016

Connor had his first week of FIRST GRADE last week people! Hold me…

To say we’ve been busy would be the understatement of the century. We are closing on our new home today!!! After a year and a half search we FINALLY found our home and I’m so excited to share with y’all. It’s going to take a lot of paint and love to make it ours, but I’m looking forward to that whole process.

Well, y’all we have definitely been riding in style lately. I got to test out the brand spanking new sparkly and shiny 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. This van definitely puts the “swag” in “swagger wagon“.

I grew up in a GMC Safari the size of the Titanic. You know the vans that looked like a tank. I wish I had a better picture of Big Blue…but this is her peeking out of the corner there 🙂

My Mom loved it because of the captain seats in the middle so my sister and I couldn’t touch each other or breath in each other’s direction…hence less fighting. She is also 6 feet tall, so she had extra leg room in the tank. Anyway….good times were had and I have to say I never saw myself owning anything related to a mini-van because they just seem so large and in charge. scn0062

Until a couple weeks ago when I drove the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. Ahem…sleek, modern, and definitely not a tank.

I want to show you some of my favorite features.

Okay, so when I first got in the van I was like “How do I reverse?”

It’s on a KNOB people! No more stick shifts or gears…a beautiful little round knob that would make your iPhone jealous.

The security features, gadgets, and gizmos had me playing for a while. I absolutely love the media and radio apps.

Heated seats and a heated steering wheel to give you warm fuzzies in cold weather. We Texans thank you Chrysler for a VENTED (air-conditioned) seat option because Lord knows it’s 110 degrees outside 7 months out of the year.

There is plenty of room in here for 7 people. Let’s just take a look at the captain seats in the middle shall we? If you and your sibling can’t stand to be within 5 inches of each other there is your answer!

Ample sized cup holders for my Starbucks addiction & plenty of storage compartments. 🙂

I don’t know about you, but I’m the kind of gal that likes to know exactly how many miles I have left in my tank until I get to a gas station. Because sometimes I’m cutting it a little bit close. Also, see the lane change warning, and speedometer. Basically, the people at Chrysler care about you and want you to be SAFE!

Okay, now this is what my son freaked out over and cried about when we had to give this van back. TWO TVs. The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica comes with the Uconnect^® Theater and as a Mom this is appreciated by both parties. I get to listen to my music and Connor gets to watch Star Wars to his heart’s content. It’s a win/win! Bring on the road trips!

Also, loved the hands-free power sliding doors. Because I only have two hands people!

Thank you so much Chrysler for our week in the Swagger Wagon dreams are made of, the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. I would definitely be driving this van loud and proud. Let’s just say I’m quite happy the days of driving a tank are over.

I think we need more kids to fill this…

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Here is a Facebook Live video Connor and I did together. I wasn’t planning on posting it, but it does show a lot of great features. We literally JUST got this van and drove to Starbucks…so we were still exploring! Ha ha!

Looking for a new car, but have an old station wagon sitting in the garage? Check out Junk Car Medics & make some extra cash off that old set of wheels!

I hope you enjoy it or at least have fun laughing at us and my frazzled state…

Our Week with Zippy #DriveMazda

August 19, 2016

We had another opportunity to try out a car a couple of weeks ago. It was the Mazda CX-3 in a sparkly blue finish. She was a beauty and I named her “Zippy”! It’s fun to name cars… because honestly I talk to mine all the time! Ha ha! 13975498_842811609152856_8465715733679036090_o

I had a blast driving Zippy around for a week. She had all the latest and greatest gadgets. I was able to fit all of my camera gear in there and all in all it was just a FUN car!

The interior was decked out with all the safety features and let me just say it was super stylish. I loved the leather and trim.

This pop-up navigation and satellite control radio feature was probably my favorite. I have decided I need a backup camera in my life. When I got back into my normal car I missed it so much! Also, the center armrest was a great feature because I like to rest my arm while driving. So comfy!

Plenty of room for Connor in the back and all of my stuff too! Zippy, aka my Mazda CX-3, was so easy to park and get in and out of places because the size is just perfect.

Thank you #DriveMazda for a fun week with Zippy! I would HIGHLY recommend this vehicle if you are off to college- in my mind this would be perfect for a college student and would fit all their stuff. It has awesome gas mileage and is just an all-over reliable car.

Terence and I drove the CX-3 on our 15 year anniversary date to dinner and the movies. 🙂

Aren’t these flowers so pretty that my honey sent me? I love you babe, and thank you for 15 beautiful years. And thank you to DriveShop for making our weekend extra special!

Discover The Possibilities Life Has to Offer

July 11, 2016

All views are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Discover Products Inc. and its affiliates

So, we’ve been in our apartment for over a year now. In the beginning we signed a six month lease, which then turned into another 6 month lease. This process of buying a home has been completely crazy!

Needless to say, I’m happy no matter where we are because we have a roof over our heads and don’t have to worry. We are debt free, our cars are paid for, our credit is great, and we are saving diligently towards retirement & this kiddo’s future.

It took us a while to get to this point in life and it doesn’t always happen over night. I remember when Terence and I first got married we were young and didn’t have much of a credit history. Our very first loan was for a home computer. We went to the bank and asked for a personal loan so we could purchase a new computer. We needed it for school and other various reasons, but we just couldn’t afford one at that point in life.

That personal loan was a first step at building good credit for our future. Even though we were just starting out in life, it meant a lot that someone was willing to loan us money for something we needed.

Situations like this will pop up throughout your life. You never know where you’ll end up or what you may be facing in the future. I’ve worked in the Finance industry for over a decade and have seen how a personal loan can benefit many lives. Discover Personal Loans can be an ideal solution for individuals with good credit and a strong financial history. With no origination fees you’ll receive 100% of your approved loan amount. You get competitive, fixed rates with flexible repayment options to help you reach your goals in life. Whether it be for a wedding, car, or a trip somewhere…. like Scotland for your 15 year wedding anniversary…. *hint* *hint*

Discover Personal Loans can help with debt consolidation and credit card refinancing (these are actually the number one reasons why people take out a personal loan). Discover has 100% U.S. based loan specialists who can help you decide which loan term works best and how quickly you want to pay it off.

Discover Personal Loans offers fixed rates starting at 6.99% up to 24.99% with flexible repayment terms. You can lock in a lower, fixed rate debt consolidation loan that can help you eliminate hundreds or even thousands of dollars in future interest payments. Plus, the fixed interest rate on a Personal Loan is generally lower than the higher, variable rates associated with many revolving debts.

Sometimes you need a little help getting where you want to go in life, so why not let someone give you a hand AND save money in the process? Learn more about Discover Personal Loans here.

Find out how a personal loan can benefit you & how you can erase higher-interest credit card debt.

Follow along for more information on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

How would you use a Discover Personal Loan?

Be sure to visit the Discover brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

Summerfest Fun at the Gaylord Texan!

June 26, 2016

Holy Guacamole y’all summer is here in Texas and it’s so hot the chickens are laying hard-boiled eggs! Just kidding….sort of….

I have a lot of friends from back home in Arkansas that love to come and visit and I always recommend the Gaylord Texan. The service is above and beyond and the rooms are so very nice!

We’ve been to several events at the Gaylord Texan over the years, including my favorite – ICE! If you come back in December, please for the love of all things Merry & Bright go visit ICE! at the Gaylord Texan.

Last week the boys and I attended a spectacular event called Summerfest: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. We got to visit with the Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts, and of course Alice herself. The characters were so good with our kiddos. We enjoyed a dessert bar and drinks while watching a 3D visual light show called “Breaking Through the Looking Glass”. It was so cool!

The sweets…oh my! 20160618_195558-2 20160618_195607-2

Connor and Brody enjoying the ice cream 🙂 20160618_200857-2

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The Queen of Hearts paid a visit 20160618_201434-2 20160618_202920-2

That silly Mad Hatter

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We also went through the Alice & Wonderland vortex maze with our 3-D glasses. It’s a tricky one let me tell ya! I posted some video of the maze on Instagram if you want to go see.

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The show begins….

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We had the best time & we never leave the Gaylord unimpressed. It’s our own little piece of magic here in Texas. 20160618_215802-2

The Queen of Hearts “Light Up The Night” Glow Party and 3D visual mapping show “Breaking Through the Looking Glass” are FREE events every Friday and Saturday (Sundays on July 4th and Labor Day weekends) starting at 9pm at the Gaylord Texan!

If you would like to see our past experiences at the Gaylord Texan visit HERE, HERE, HERE, & HERE.

Flashback to our Shrek experience in 2012…my baby!

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35th Birthday

June 8, 2016

I am a week into being 35. The day after I got pulled over and got a speeding ticket- I hate this city we live in! It’s notorious for cops and the ENTIRE city is 30 mph. UGH. Bye bye birthday money…. $$$ RIP.

For some reason I feel like an old fart. Like, 30 didn’t seem too terrible, but for some reason 35 seems like I’m officially crossing the border of being “old”. 35 is half way to 40 aka a mid life crisis and you are now “high risk” if you ever want any more babies….I keep telling Terence this is IT….the door is closing and if you want more kids you better speak up! I’m not even playing. I think about it a lot and wonder if someday I’ll look back and wish we had more kids- and I probably will. So torn!

It all comes down to finances, lifestyle, and doing what we can for Connor….and we are incredibly indecisive.

I got to spend my 35th with none other than my other half and “womb mate” Bonnie 🙂

twins

Connor and I got to take our trip to Arkansas in this fabulous Mazda CX-5. #drivemazda @mazdausa

I LOVED this car! I’ve never really considered an SUV or a crossover before, but I like to be higher up off the road. This car was perfect– including the in dash navigation system (because Lord knows I get lost finding my own socks), the lane sensors (every time I would get out of line it would buzz me and that was super cool.) The security features were awesome too- like the backup camera and the cruise control speed sensor. I felt incredibly safe while driving this car. I felt like it protected ME!

I really WANT this car now 🙂

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My Mom, Dad, Nannie, Lindsey, and Aunt Karli came to my sister’s house and we all got to eat cake and visit. I miss my family so much and get to see them way too little…..so these times are extra precious. Of course Jarrett and Connor just adore seeing each other too!

Thank you to my beloved family for the birthday celebration and to Mazda for getting us there safe and sound. We had a great time and I’m counting down the days until our next visit.

Road Trippin with #PeterandtheWolfApp

May 31, 2016

This post is sponsored by MomSelect. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Connor and I just got home from a long road trip (short but sweet) to Arkansas and back! I turned 35 yesterday and my twin sister and I always enjoy spending our birthday together 🙂

I had the opportunity to drive a new Mazda CX-5 for my trip and y’all I am so in love with that car. All the security features and bells and whistles made it so fun to road trip this time! Thank you Drive Shop sooooo very much!

If there is one thing that keeps me sane during a road trip it’s the iPad. I know…I know…but seriously y’all. Connor has such a better trip when he’s entertained and has something to do! We downloaded the new Peter and the Wolf in Hollywood app and it was super cute! Connor really enjoyed it. It was easy to follow along and he was very entertained! I’d much rather him be listening to a book than playing a video game. He’s learning how to read right now and loved following along with this story. This new, immersive storybook is available for iPhone and iPad.

Peter and the Wolf in Hollywood is a revival of the classic Peter and the Wolf tale brought to you by acclaimed production company, Giants Are Small. This version brings Peter to Hollywood to meet his hippie grandfather while bringing classical music elements to life. Peter, along with all of the characters in the movie book, are narrated and brought to life by Rock n’ Roll legend, Alice Cooper.

You can download the app HERE. You can follow along on Facebook and Twitter too!

Honk Honk! Win TWO Tickets to the DFW Auto Show!

March 11, 2016

This post is sponsored by SheBuysCars & the DFW Auto Show. All opinions are my own.

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Honk Honk Everyone!

Guess what’s coming up next week? The DFW Auto Show!

I attended last year and let me just say there was some serious eye candy. If you are looking for a new car, love getting all googly eyed over the new shiny vehicles, or are just looking for something fun to do you have to go! I’m the type of person that likes to touch and see everything in person. The DFW Auto Show was the place to do just that. I hopped in the drivers seat and got a feel for each car. I may have imagined myself on a couple of fabulous road trips or winning a car on the Price is Right too! Ha ha!

Mazda will be showing the newly updated Mazda CX-9. 2016 is turning out to be the year of the family car, and Mazda is taking that to heart; after years of focusing on smaller sedans and the Miata roadster, we can’t wait to see what is in store for the popular three row SUV CX-9. Mazda’s “zoom zoom” is still a favorite with drivers and critics. The company’s sedans win award after award; they are a favorite to drive among auto experts. Partially this is because they are well engineered; this is also partially because they deliver a lot of value for the price.

Mazda has a car for everyone! From ‘starter’ cars like the Miata or the 3 to crossovers perfect for the family, like the CX-9, Mazda wants its customers to grow with the brand. Check out more here.

Last, just ahead of the CX-9, Mazda brought out the completely new CX-3, a smaller crossover: Just as capable and flexible, but perfect for those who don’t travel with a crew. You can find more on Mazda’s website here.

The DFW Auto Show opens March 16-20. For more information please visit the 2016 DFW Auto Show website.

Enter to win 2 Tickets to the DFW Auto Show

Must live in the DFW area.
Tickets must be picked up in person at the auto show.
Full instructions will be given to the winner.

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