When the Kia Sorento was delivered to our house, I knew it was change our lives. From the moment I saw it, I could tell it would be a world of difference to drive in the winter, but that isn’t all that changed. You see, my oldest daughter is six (going on 15). We moved her carseat over, but we could tell that she was just getting too big for it. Our first weekend with the Kia, my husband went outside, and installed her Diono Booster Seat. I would be lying if I said I didn’t shed a few tears. To see her getting in the car and buckling herself, in the regular seat belt, tugged at my heart strings.
Browsing: Travel
Whether you are traveling the states or the world – here are some great tips and items from Mama Smith’s for your travels!
If you are a Disney family, I highly recommend taking a Disney Cruise at some point. My family has been on two, so far, and are dying to go on another! Thanks to the Oceaneer Club and Lab, this can feel like a couples getaway as well as a family vacation. There is plenty for Disney fans of all ages to do on board and in port, including things for parents to do while the kids play at the Club. My girls barely wanted to leave – in fact, they fought with us a couple times when we said it was time for dinner.
About five years ago we moved from Florida to New York for my husband’s job. I grew up in Massachusetts and one thing that I knew I was not looking forward to was the snow. What I underestimated was just how much more snow there is in upstate New York than I was used to. I learned to drive in the snow, so you would think I wouldn’t mind it. But I hate it. Well, let me correct myself. I hated driving in the snow. Especially after having kids. I would be a huge ball of nerves worried that I would slide wrong and get in an accident with them in the car. Well, thanks to the 2018 Kia Sorento, I have learned to enjoy driving in the snow.
A road trip is always a good idea. No matter where you are, or where you are going, it is good for the soul. The summer is a great time to cruise around with the windows down and the radio up. In the winter, it is ideal to drive to a warmer climate, or somewhere to ski or explore the outdoors. Recently, I took a mini road trip with Shelley from A Magical Mess in the 2018 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid up part of the coast of California. We had a great time thanks to Kia, and our type A personalities had us planning like crazy before we even left. If you are planning a road trip in a PHEV, here are some pointers to make sure you have the best time!
When Kia asked me to take a California road trip in their brand new 2018 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid for a couple of days, I didn’t even have to think about it. The icing on the cake? I would be doing it with one of my best friends – Shelley from A Magical Mess. I have known her for a few years now and can honestly say she is one of my favorite humans on the face of the Earth. She is also just like me – Type A personality. So of course we had multiple documents detailing what we wanted to do with our trip before we even left our homes. But it wasn’t until the morning of our trip that we came up with our full theme – Pineapples, Puppies, & Superheroes.
I have already told you about the Kia Stinger – and if you missed it, just search Kia Stinger on my site to learn all about it. But what I haven’t told you yet is why I think this car – this beautiful, sexy sports sedan – would make a great family car. I know what you might be thinking – is that practical? Well, it is. And here is why.
My family and I spend quite a bit of time at The Most Magical Place on Earth – Walt Disney World. Our friends and family know this, and I can’t tell you how many times I have been asked for tips and tricks when visiting. I have written about a lot of this on my site, so be sure to browse my Disney Planning section – but something I have been asked about a lot recently is Disney Dining. I decided to finally sit down and write about my favorite 10 restaurants – 5 quick service and 5 sit down service.
I recently went to California to see the 2018 Kia Stinger up close and personal. I not only got to test it on some winding mountain roads, I was lucky enough to put the petal to the medal and go from 0 to 60 in 4.7 seconds! OK, maybe I didn’t accelerate that fast, but the car can! At the autocross, Kia had also brought in some comparative vehicles to the Stinger so that we could test drive them as well. These included the Infiniti Q50, Porsche Panamera, Audi A5, Lexus GS, and the BMW 440i GC – all of which I drove or was a passenger in.
A couple of nights before I was heading off to LA for the Thor: Ragnarok press event, I was told some super exciting news! We would be going to Disney’s California Adventure & Disneyland – to have dinner at Cars Land and celebrate the fact that Cars 3 was coming out on digital and blu-ray. I had only been there once before, so I was really excited. We would only have a few short hours to explore, and there was so much I wanted to see. Especially since for the first time ever, Cars Land was all decorated for Haul-o-Ween. The decorations were incredible – and inspiring. They got me thinking about how I could throw a Haul-o-Ween themed viewing party for Cars 3 at home.
Not too long ago Disney Vacation Club invited us to come check out their latest resort – Copper Creek. It is located at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge – where the DVC also has Boulder Ridge Villas. Of course, we jumped at the chance. We just purchased DVC at the Polynesian this past February and have been talking about adding on points at Copper Creek. Well, I can stay after our visit here, we will likely be doing so in the next couple of years. The sooner the better I say – I cannot wait to go back!