So for two weeks in October I test drove the new 2012 Chevy Traverse as part of a campaign sponsored by the Houston Area Chevy Dealers.  I was provided with a gas card and a spa gift card as well.  It case you missed it, take a look at it:

I’m in my SUV all the time it seems. Driving here, driving there.  There were so many really nice features I’m already missing.  Autostart for those over 100 degree temperatures that make my vehicle so hot you can’t hardly breathe when you get into it. Leg room and head room for family members that are six feet or just slightly over.

These are some of the features I’m missing most:

• Bluetooth – controls on the steering wheel (It was extremely easy to set up even for me. No more having to have my kids answer and say mommy will call you back or get a totally mixed up message. I am really going to miss this.)
• Remote Start (Awesome for these super HOT Texas summers and included safety precautions against the kids’ playing with the remote, I couldn’t damaging the starter by starting the Travers again after it was already on since it didn’t engage the starter after I used the remote start.)
• Pop Locks on the gas tank (no more broken nails, yes I know that sounds totally girlie of me)
• Personal glove box (easy and safe access to it for me)
• Roadside Assistance for 5 years/100,000 miles (this is a major plus as far as I’m concerned)
• Free loaner vehicle if the Traverse will be in the shop for over 24 hours (I hate being without my car don’t you?)
• 3 rows of seats (no more having to take 2 cars when grandma and grandpa get into town – we’d all fit in one)
• OnStar (if you’ve ever had it there is no need to say any more – it’s Awesome!)
• Lots of cargo space (just look at all that space – see my photo below)
• Seats locks (no more guessing whether or not I locked the seats in place correctly either they are locked or they will fold up so I’d know if I didn’t latch it correctly which isn’t likely ’cause it’s super easy to do)
• Remote garage door access (no more having to carry my garage door remote with me)
• Volume controls on the steering wheels

The new Chevy Traverse covered all my needs, well almost.  Only thing I’d add is some sort of cover for the cargo area.  There needs to be some sort of cover in the back for items I don’t want out in plain view for anyone who walks by the vehicle to see.  They’ve thought of everything a mom could need plus some added features just to make the ride a little more pleasant.  I loved the XM Radio (drove my kids nuts with my 70′s music, they prefer 80′s), the security of OnStar to get  me to and from where I needed to go and in case of an emergency and their app just in case I needed OnStar to unlock the car ’cause I left the keys in it, easy access to the things I needed and plenty of room for the family or cargo space for groceries or suitcases when traveling.  I had a lot of fun testing out the new Chevy Traverse. Thanks Houston Area Chevy Dealers.

My Chevy test drive has ended but you can test drive a Chevy Traverse between October 31st and November 26th and receive a $40 SpaFinder gift card.

Want to keep up with all the Chevy Fun going on?  On twitter follow the hashtags #chevygirls and/or #chevyfun or head on over to http://www.facebook.com/gottalovechevyhouston

© 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.

Over the weekend I hosted a LeapFrog In-Home Party.  To do so I received a free party kit which included the activities, food ideas, the LeapPad and Tag Reading System along with a few books, coupons good towards LeapFrog products, games and an interactive map.  The kids really seemed to enjoy playing with the Leap Frog LeapPad most which really seems to be a hit both with the kids and with the parents.

A couple of parents were surprised and excited to hear the Leap Pad had a camera and video recording capabilities.  The kids didn’t want to put it down for long.  They really enjoyed playing on it even though my son and his friend were older they still enjoyed the party and the LeapPad.  My son certainly did and so did the other boys once they could pry it out of my daughters hands.

The kids went through every app on the LeapPad, played with the Tag Reading System and took some photos of themselves and each other. I think my daughter even got a picture of me but she probably already deleted it.  Here’s a glimpse into our party with our friends.  And yes, those are frog cupcakes.

I love that my kids enjoy the LeapFrog Leap Pad so much.  It encourages reading and learning through fun.  It has replaced their MP3 player. They ask if they can play with it after homework instead of t.v., ask if they can take it with them in car instead of the MP3 player, ask if they can take it with them on the way to school. Learning, learning, learning and fun, fun, fun.  “I love my LeapPad, it’s soooo fun and I can play lots and lots of games” – Princess.

Love LeapFrog?  Connect with them on facebook.com/LeapFrog on twitter @LeapFrog an at the LeapFrog YouTube channel.

I received free LeapFrog products in order to host a Learn, Create, Share Party. LeapFrog did not influence my opinions expressed here as a result.

© 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.

Do you live in your jeans?  I do, even in the summer months when it’s hot. So when I go buy jeans I want them to look, feel good and make me feel good in them.  I’ve always worn Levi’s as long as I can remember. So when Levi’s introduced their new dENiZEN jeans line (only available at Target) I was anxious to give them a try. dENiZEN styles are offered for men, women, boys and girls in stores and online at Target.com.

Personally, I hate low rise jeans. The muffin top is not a good thing on me.  Not really a good thing on anyone but on me if that’s what jeans do to me I will not buy them. I don’t want the high waisted mom jeans either though but I do need something high enough to cover my mommy tummy especially with shirts that aren’t extremely long.  Yes, I know I’m a tough one to please when it comes to jeans.  So here’s what I thought about the dENiZEN jeans.

The Style: dENiZEN from Levi’s {Totally Shaping} at Waist Boot Cut

The price tag: $27.99.  As a mom on a budget, I love that!

Waist: They sat at the waist but didn’t give me that mom jeans look. It wasn’t too high or too low.

The cut: I typically get boot cut and these were a little wider than I’m used to but still ok.

The length: The “misses short” were still a bit long for my typical tennis shoe days but are the perfect length for heels and boots.

The fabric: They did have a tummy slimming panel which  didn’t hold me in as much as I would have liked but then again they are stretch jeans so I can’t expect perfection. They are described as “High stretch fabric”.  I could have done with a little less stretch on the tummy panel.  My thighs however could have used just a bit more stretch. See I told you I was hard to please. But overall, they jeans were pretty comfortable, easy to move around in and whether I was sitting at my desk working or playing with the kids they were comfortable for my everyday lifestyle.

dENiZEN comes in various washes and styles, women’s sizes from 2-18 with fits including Mid-Rise Boot Cut, Mid-Rise Straight, Totally Shaping Mid-Rise Boot Cut and Totally Shaping At Waist Boot Cut.

Want to learn more about dENiZEN jeans? Find dENiZEN on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DenizenAmerica

Disclosure: I received a free pair of jeans to facilitate this review from dENiZEN. All comments and thoughts are my own as always.

© 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.

I purchased a tablet to take with me to BlogHer in San Diego but it wasn’t easy to multi-task on and it was thin but still heavy and I just couldn’t justify the cost right before BlogHer  so i returned it the very same day I bought it. I’m so glad I did. Honestly, there were several little items I really liked at BlogHer but this was the most exciting.

You see, I’m not what you’d call a “lucky” kind of person so when I won a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 at the Verizon luncheon I was just floored to say the least. I’ve had it now for a couple of weeks and after a few minor issues I’m really liking it. By the way, @SamsungSupport on twitter is a great help if you have any issues.

I had to go out of town almost immediately after returning from SanDiego, which getting back in itself was an adventure but I won’t bore you with that. Anyway, I was worried about being able to get work done on the road.  Six hours each way was a lot of time to lose out on work/blogging time so before we left my husband suggested I get it activated so I could use it on the road. That’s what we did and I must say it was great to be able to blog from it while on the road; it saved me so much time. It will be so much easier to take with me to therapy sessions and maybe once I get a cover for it I’ll let the kids do some learning games or read using it. Yes, I could have taken my laptop but this was so much easier to work with, carry and put away when we stopped.  I used the camera, looked at pictures and video (1280 x 800 WXGA display = awesome), tweeted, blogged and just spent time playing around with it. Now, I just need to get a cover for it so I can carry it out of the house without the box. If you have a favorite tablet cover please let know which one it is. I’m on the hunt for one.

The thing I can’t get over is how light it is -556 grams.  Honestly it feels like it weighs nothing which makes me a little worried I might drop it. I also love being able to multi-task, thanks to mini-apps, which wasn’t easy to do on the other tablet I bought but returned. Here it’s so easy to get around and understand. And since it’s android it wasn’t something new to get used to since I have an android phone already.  Everything is easy to find and I love the size of the screen.  Even me with my bad eye sight can use it without having to readjust the size (well, not much anyway).

I highly recommend giving it a look if you are in the market for a tablet. Well, I’m off to learn more about the Galaxy Tab’s Social Hub.

Disclosure:  No, I was not compensated in any way to post this information. I just really like it and think it’s one you might look at as an option should you be in the market for one.

© 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.

If you haven’t heard of SmartyPants Vitamins well, to be honest you aren’t alone before a couple of weeks ago I’d never heard of them either but I’m so glad I did.

Having a family with food allergies or simply very picky kids, makes even finding vitamins difficult especially for kids who can taste everything in a vitamin. If it doesn’t taste good, chances are they aren’t going to be too thrilled at taking them daily.

My daughter is one of those very picky kiddos and my son has what seems like tons of food allergies to contend with so when they both willingly took the SmartyPants Vitamins I was very pleasantly surprised.  Their website even states, “your kids will ASK to take their vitamins” and you know what?  Mine actually have been asking me if they can take them.  They both really like the flavors.

Let me tell you a little bit about SmartyPants Vitamins. First of all they are All-in-One natural gummy multivitamins.  One of the main things that caught my attention was that they are free of yeast, wheat, milk, eggs, soy, gluten, peanuts, shellfish, artificial colors, artificial flavors and salicylates. And No High Fructose Corn Syrup!  This for me, is a huge plus as I’m sure it would be for any family who has food allergies to contend with.

What they do have in them is a lot of vitamins our kids need including Omega 3 fish oil, vitamin D and B vitamins.  You can see the complete list below:

The other thing that caught my attention was their mission:

“SmartyPants is on a mission to help 1,000,000 kids get the nutrients they need in 5 years. The United Nations and the WHO (World Health Organization) agree that with micro nutrient supplements and clean water we could eliminate over 90% of childhood mortality. For every bottle you buy, we make a 1-for-1 matching nutrient grant so kids and expecting mothers both in the US and abroad get the start in life we all deserve. Be A SmartyPants Angel!”

Check out their BrainFood page and their BrainPlay page on their website for very helpful and interesting information.

Disclosure: I was provided a few sample packs free of charge in order to facilitate this review.  All comments and opinions are my own.  Quoted statements come direct from the SmartyPants website.

© 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.

We received a free review copy of Disney’s Tangled video game for Wii.  Since Tangled is currently my daughter’s new favorite movie you can just imagine the huge, tight hug I got when I opened the package.  It was something she was hoping for and thus as she put it “wishes do come true, mommy”.  The smile on her face was priceless.

She and her brother quickly unwrapped it and popped it into the Wii.  The included instructions are very vague but my kids figured it out pretty quick without them.

Disney Tangled: The Video Game is based on the animated Disney film of the same name and is for children ages 6-11.  Children can play as Rapunzel or Flynn and solve mysteries and challenges to maneuver through a mission-based, storybook kingdom.  Your children will explore 3D environments with 2 players simultaneously via split screen.  They’ll play fun activities and multiple mini games – solve puzzles, paint, race, engage in swordplay, clear obstacles, rejuvenate objects, meet some interesting characters along the way and even keep a journal.

For younger children, when engaged in coop with 2-4 players, the “Hold My Hand” feature can be activated should they need more guidance.

It’s Rated: Everyone with Cartoon Violence

MSRP is $39.99 (Wii); $29.99 (DS)

Co-op with 2-4 players and also has a single player mode

If your children enjoyed the movie, like mine did, I’m sure they’d enjoy the Tangled Video Game (Wii) as well. Mine certainly have.  My son enjoyed wielding his sword to help Rapunzel and my daughter enjoyed twirling, creating flowers and swinging with Rapunzel’s glowing hair.

Disclosure: No monetary exchange took place.  The video game was provided free of charge for this review but in no way influenced my children’s desire to play the game or experiences with it.

© 2010 – 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.

By now if you follow this blog you know my Little Bug is just obsessed with cars.  All cars, big cars, little cars, monster trucks, push car and remote control cars.  You’ve seen pics of where I have found cars including in my fridge of all places.  With a toy box and room filled with over 500 cars you’d think that would be enough but Noooo!

Little Bug loves remote control cars too.  The thing I don’t like much about them is they’re noisy or at least most of them are.  We received a Road Rippers R/C “Motor Muscle” car from TeamMom free of charge for this review.  Road Rippers has a new line of classic 1960′s and 70′s Remote control muscle cars. I have to tell you I was pleasantly surprised that this R/C car isn’t noisy.  Here are some of the things I as a mom really liked about the Road Rippers R/C “Motor Muscle” car.

• It’s quiet, not noisy like most remote control cars.
• Feels sturdy.
• Not very big or over-sized.
• Works on carpet as well as tile and concrete.
• No long wire antenna on the car to get broken.

Here are some things my kiddo (and hubby) liked about the Road Rippers R/C “Motor Muscle” car.

• It’s a Dodge (Daytona) Charger! (Both hubby and son loved this). This was probably top priority for them both.
• It goes fast and can make quick, smooth turns.
• It works on tile AND carpet.
• It lights up!
• The remote plays “Wild Thing” which my son loves to jam out to. LOL
• The remote control looks so cool especially with it’s silver “Charger” plate on it. See?

Even my little princess took it for a spin. So glad they shared nicely.

Motor Muscle models include the 1967 Corvette Stingray, 1969 Doge Daytona, 1971 Dodge Super Bee and 1970 GTO Judge.  I’ll bet the “Big Boy” in your family will want one of these too. You can find The Road Rippers R/C Motor Muscle collection at Wal-Mart, Target, Toys “R” Us, Kmart and other stores nationwide.  Want more info on Road Rippers?  Visit www.toystate.com find Toy State on Twitter and on facebook

Disclosure: No monetary exchange took place for this review.  This review is 100% my personal opinions and was not influenced by receipt of the product.

© 2010 – 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.

The kids and I received a Moon Dough Barnyard Play Set (free of charge) to review from TeamMom and boy did they get a kick out of it.  Since Little Bug has some sensory issues and he really can’t stand to have sand or dirt or anything on his hands I wasn’t quite sure how he’d do with the Moon Dough.  Moon Dough has an odd, soft, marshmallow-like feel to it.  It was odd and new to him.  At first he seemed a bit hesitant to try it and every time he touched it he had to wipe his hands off but it didn’t take him long to stop doing that.  Once he realized how much fun he could have making the farm animals he forgot all about how the texture felt on his hands.  Princess just loved it and said, “Mom, this is AMAZING” you have to tell your friends on A Mom Blog about it”.  Silly girl always makes me laugh.  Here’s a picture of just how much fun my son had one day making the barnyard animals. I think he used up every possible bit of Moon Dough for these:

Even though Moon Dough is designed for children ages 2-4, my personal experience is that older kids can enjoy it too.  Children with sensory issues might enjoy it as well as Little Bug did.  While I will admit it is a tad bit messy, it cleans up easily.  The kids played with it on the tile so when they were done and there was a little on the floor I simply used the vacuum cleaner to pick it up. It doesn’t stick to anything unlike clay. Also unlike clay, Moon Dough never dries out so it can be used over and over and over again.  The colors do tend to mix together if you use the same mold with different colors but again it can be a fun thing.  Little Bug thought it was the coolest thing when he made a hen out the mold and it came out with multiple colors. “Mama look it’s a mixed up hen.”  By the way, we’ve read the story, Minerva the Mixed-Up Hen so I’m sure that’s what he was thinking about.  Just loving seeing him make connections!  I took that opportunity also to remind the kids that it’s good to be different, unique and special. 

Moon Dough is:

• hypo-allergenic and wheat free
• available in various play sets including Moon Dough Barnyard, Pizza Shop, Burger Shop and Magic Molding Doghouse, refills are also available
• available in eight colors – Blue, Green, White, Orange, Purple, Red, Pink and Yellow
• available at Toys “R” Us, Target, Walmart, Kmart, Amazon.com, A.C. Moore, Michaels and eToys

For more information about Moon Dough, visit their website at http://www.moondough.com

Disclosure: No monetary exchange took place. We received the product free of charge in order to provide this review.

© 2010, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.