Parenting Archives - Page 2 of 160

Mazda CX-9 Making Safety Stylish

April 5, 2017 By: Nanette

Thanks to the partnership I have with SheBuysCars.com (sponsored) I was able to attend the Houston Auto Show.

There are a lot of things to look for when considering purchasing a new car. Sure I love a gorgeous, stylish looking car, who doesn’t? But as a mom, keeping my kids safe is priority one. But can you get both style and safety?

While attending the Houston Auto Show I had the opportunity to find out.

The 2017 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring is not only beautiful and stylish, it has some amazing safety features including:

Distance Recognition Support System
High Beam Control – this system automatically adjusts the headlight beams from low to high. As soon as it detects a light from either a rear light or headlight it automatically adjusts back to low beams.
Lane Departure Warning – alerts you when you’re unintentionally leaving your lane at a speed of 44 mph or higher.
Lane-keep Assist – performs minor steering corrections to re-center the vehicle in its lane when it senses an unintentional departure.
Mazda Radar Cruise Control – works within a set speed range and helps you keep a safe distance from the car in front of you. It will alert you when it senses your car is approaching the one in front of you too quickly.
Smart Brake Support
Rear backup sensors
Advanced Blind Spot Monitoring – radar sensors detect and alert you when there are objects in your right and left blind spots. And it also warns you when vehicles traveling quickly are about to enter your blind spots from further behind.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Smart City Brake Support

Of course, all of these amazing safety additions don’t mean you don’t still have to pay attention to the road. Driving safe is alway your first responsibility.

There are plenty of other reasons to love the 2017 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring.

Space!

What mom doesn’t love space? And the Mazda CX-9 has plenty of it. There are three rows of seats. That’s going to fit a lot of kids and their friends. If you put the third row of seats down, you’ll have 38.2 cubic feet of space, put down the second row too and your space increases to 71.2 cubic feet. That’s a lot of space!

Hidden space

I love this! There are storage spaces in the console, center arm rests, glove box, seatback pockets, and bins at the bottom of the doors.

Stylish

All of these safety features to keep you and your family safe on the road and you don’t have to sacrifice style one bit.

The Houston Auto Show is in Town #HOULovesAutos

April 4, 2017 By: Nanette

Thanks to my relationship with SheBuysCars I’ll be heading to the 2017 Houston Auto Show. I hope you’ll follow along on my adventures on Instagram, twitter and facebook feeds.

Image Courtesy of OneMomsWorld.com

Cars, Cars & More Cars!

The Houston Auto Show is in town and boy have they got some amazing cars to show you! From Classic Cars to the newest models and concept cars, it’s a car lovers dream.

Houston Auto Show – The No Pressure Time to Car Shop

While you can’t really shop and buy a car at the auto show, if you are looking to purchase a vehicle soon and want the chance to check out what’s new without the pressure of salesmen this is the perfect opportunity. At the Ride & Drive Lounge, you can even take the cars for test drives. There will be more than 70 cars available.

Fun for All!

Make it a family affair. The Houston Auto Show will have a special family time with a very special guest many kids will know, Dora the Explorer! Adults with children can receive $2 off their tickets on Friday with a printable coupon you can find here on the Houston Auto Show site.

Dates, Times and Costs

The Houston Auto Show is in town now through Saturday, April 9th at the NRG Center located at One NRG Park, Houston, TX 77054

Tickets are:

$12 for adults
$5 for kids ages 6 to 12
Free for children under age 6

Show hours are:

Wed.-Fri., April 5-7th: Noon – 9:30 pm
Saturday, April 8th: 10 am – 9:30 pm
Sunday, April 9th: 10 am -7 pm

For more information visit HoustonAutoShow.com

10 Tips for Finding the “Right” Orthodontist

March 27, 2017 By: Nanette

When the need to search for an orthodontist arises how will you find the right one? Yes, there are a slew of them if you just do a quick Google search for orthodontists in your area but do you really want to trust your or your child’s teeth to a random orthodontist a Google search came up with? I didn’t think so.

A lot of times, at least in my experience, your dentist may have recommendations, perhaps someone he has a business relationship with. We tried that and it just didn’t work for me. Well, not the first recommendation anyway. I asked online friends and got recommendations and checked out the ones the dentist recommended.

Whether you opt for an orthodontist you find on your own or one your dentist may have recommended you might want to read through the following tip to help you find the right orthodontist for your family.

Tips for Finding the Right Orthodontist

• An orthodontist or a dentist Nowadays, dentists perform orthodontic work as well. It didn’t use to be like that but things change. In both instances for my family, we opted for a doctor who specializes in orthodontics.

• An excellent reputation Check online reviews, ask friends or even your dental office for recommendations. Word of mouth and personal experiences from someone you know and trust hold a little more weight than what you may read about online.

• Treats both children and adults This is important depending on the age of the individual seeking orthodontic treatment.

• Guaranteed results You certainly don’t want to spend a large amount of money and years in braces to be unhappy with the final result. Make sure before you agree to any treatment that you are guaranteed to get the results you expect.

• Included in fees Some offices charge for broken brackets. Some will have an allowance of a few then charge a fee to fix them. Find out ahead of time what exactly is included in the fee and what is not. Accidents do happen with brackets.

• Use of the latest technology Technology is ever changing. Make sure your orthodontist of choice is up to date with those changes like 3-D imaging. You’ll want to make sure he uses the latest technology to give you the best smile possible.

• Orthodontic treatment options There are more than just conventional metal braces available now that utilize the latest innovative technology like self-ligating braces or clear aligners. It’s always nice to have options. An orthodontist will let you know which options are available to you based on your needs.

• Affordable payment options Payments! Brace yourself for the price tag. Braces are not cheap. But the right payment plan can make them affordable. Many offices have multiple means in which to make payments – in office, via mail, online portal, etc? Make sure making your payments is convenient for you and works within your budget.

• An efficiently run office run An efficiently run off can make the difference between a good experience and a bad one.

• Fun and comfortable office environment Look for an office with a friendly staff that makes you feel welcome. Your child or yourself if you’re the one getting braces needs to feel 100% comfortable with the staff you’re going to be working with and seeing for some time. This isn’t a one-time visit. Make sure it’s a place you or your child will enjoy being.

We ended up with a really great orthodontist who gave us options, provided a payment plan we could work with and who makes my daughter feel welcome and comfortable when she goes to her appointments.

Follow these tips, ask questions and check out multiple offices and hopefully you’ll find the right orthodontist for you.