All posts by Alicia

2016 Scion iA One Week Test Drive Review: A Great Value for Teen Drivers

March 29, 2016Car ReviewsCar Review, Scion iA, Teen Car, ToyotaAlicia

I spent a week driving the 2016 Scion iA, a new model sedan that offers an incredible value for teen drivers and their families. The iA is a new model for Scion for 2016, and offers several premium features as standard equipment.

The 2016 Scion iA is available in one trim level, which includes a seven inch touchscreen display, an integrated rear view camera, two year no cost maintenance plan, 24 hour worry free roadside assistance, an advanced low speed collision warning and avoidance system, front and rear side curtain airbags, as well as hands free Bluetooth smartphone connectivity, all included in the no-haggle worry free starting price of $15,700. Available extras include a six speed automatic transmission, navigation capabilities for the center mounted seven inch touchscreen infotainment system, as well as a variety of storage solutions.

We are in the market for a car for Sebastian (he’ll be 17 years old this year) and the Scion iA is definitely a contender. I want to know he’s driving a safe car and the Scion iA is an IIHS Top Safety pick AND has all the bells and whistles he’d like to have including Sirius XM, Bluetooth, and navigation.

Under the hood, the 1.5 liter 106 horsepower four cylinder engine offers up to an EPA estimated 33 miles per gallon in typical city driving as well as 42 miles per gallon on the highway. On top of the included two year no cost maintenance plan, an additional 3 year/36,000 mile basic warranty and 5 year/60,000 mi powertrain warranty provide further peace of mind against costly vehicle repairs.The Scion brand was created in 2003 to introduce entry level vehicles with premium features to the American market. While the Scion brand is being phased out at the end of 2016 to transition to Toyota, all Scion vehicles will be easily serviceable at your local Toyota service department. The 2016 Scion iA competes with other subcompact cars including the Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta, and Toyota Yaris.

The 2016 Scion iA offers an incredible, safe introduction to driving for your teen driver at an unbelievable value. Advanced safety features included standard on the 2016 Scion iA such as the low speed collision warning and avoidance system, side curtain airbags, advanced anti-lock brakes, and an electronic stability control system will keep your loved ones safe. The 2016 iA was rated a 2016 Top Safety Pick + by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and earned a ‘Good’ rating, the highest available, in all testing categories.

Purchasing a subcompact vehicle no longer means having to sacrifice on safety, premium features, or comfort. The 2016 Scion iA offers unbelievable value which its in-class competitors simply can not match. As a first car for your teen driver, as an efficient commuter vehicle, or as a city car, the 2016 Scion iA offers something for everyone in your family.
Some photos sourced from Scion.com

KIDZ BOP Expands National Life of the Party Tour

March 28, 2016Musicchildrens music, Kids Music Concert, KIDZ BopAlicia

Madelyn loves KIDZ BOP. When we take road trips the Sirius XM radio is set to KIDZ BOP (Channel 77 in case you didn’t konw) about 90% of the time. Poor Sebastian! Actually he keeps his earbuds in most of the time so he doesn’t even know what’s happening in the car. 🙂 Madelyn would be thrilled if KIDZ BOP was coming to Atlanta but
it appears they aren’t. Bummer. 🙁

KIDZ BOP, the number one music brand for kids, however, is teaming up with Live Nation to add summer amphitheater dates to The Life Of The Party Tour. The additional shows were added following the success of the initial KIDZ BOP tour announcement in February. The KIDZ BOP Kids will kick off the summer shows on July 16th at the Toyota Oakdale Theater in Connecticut. Additional cities include Brooklyn, Charlotte, and Chicago. Tickets for the new summer dates will officially go on sale to the public beginning Friday, April 1st, coinciding with the release of KIDZ BOP Greatest Hits. For tour dates and ticket information, visit kidzbop.com/tour.

The Life Of The Party Tour is travelling to 50+ U.S. cities to celebrate KIDZ BOP’s 15th birthday. The KIDZ BOP Kids – Ashlynn Chong, Sela Hack, Matt Martinez and Grant Knoche – headline the tour. The ALL-NEW live show features the biggest pop songs of the year, awesome choreography, and more fun surprises from The KIDZ BOP Kids. The Life Of The Party Tour is the ultimate pop star experience, and the perfect concert event for the entire family. Artist Group International (AGI) is representing the tour.

Victor Zaraya, President of KIDZ BOP said, “Ticket sales for the initial KIDZ BOP shows have been tremendous. We’re thrilled to be working with Live Nation to add these summer amphitheater dates to our tour schedule and bring the KIDZ BOP experience to thousands more kids and families across the country.” Jared Braverman, VP, Live Nation Touring added, “Our amphitheaters are the premier venues for fans to experience their favorite pop, rock and festival events during the summer. We’re excited to partner with KIDZ BOP and have the opportunity to invite younger fans and families out for a day of live KIDZ BOP music.”

Friendly’s Ice Cream was announced as an official partner of The Life Of The Party Tour in January. Friendly’s Ice Cream is sponsoring all tour dates in the Northeast.

KIDZ BOP’s “Life Of The Party” 2016 Summer Tour Dates

DATE	CITY	THEATER
Jul-16	Wallingford, CT	Toyota Oakdale Theatre
Jul-17	Brooklyn, NY	Coney Island Amphitheater
Jul-23	Atlantic City, NJ	Boardwalk Hall
Jul-24	Bethel, NY	Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Jul-30	Hershey, PA	Giant Center
Aug-6	Rochester Hills, MI	Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
Aug-7	Chicago, IL	FirstMerit Bank Pavilion
Aug-13	Raleigh, NC	Red Hat Amphitheater
Aug-14	Charlotte, NC	Uptown Amphitheatre
Aug-27	Saratoga Springs, NY	Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Aug-28	Darien Center, NY	Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
Sep-18	Camden, NJ	BB&T Pavilion

For full list of tour dates and ticket information, visit Kidzbop.com/tour.

About KIDZ BOP
KIDZ BOP is the #1 music brand for kids, featuring today’s biggest hits “sung by kids for kids.” Over 16 million KIDZ BOP albums have sold since the family-friendly audio collection debuted in 2001. The latest album in the series, KIDZ BOP 31, was released in January and marked the brand’s 23rd Top 10 debut on the Billboard 200 Chart. Only three artists in history—The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Barbra Streisand—have had more Top 10 albums. KIDZ BOP connects with kids and families through its best-selling music, popular KIDZ BOP Radio channel on SiriusXM, TV commercials, music videos, consumer products, and live tours. For more information, visit kidzbop.com.

About Live Nation
Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, Live Nation Media & Sponsorship and Artist Nation Management. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com.

About Friendly’s Ice Cream, LLC
Friendly’s Manufacturing and Retail, LLC distributes and sells ice cream cartons; cakes; sundae cups; rolls and novelties in over 8,000 retail locations throughout all 50 states and select international locations. Our creamery in Wilbraham, Massachusetts produces over 27 million gallons of ice cream annually. For additional information, please visit www.friendlys.com.

How to Choose a Western or Eastern Caribbean Carnival Cruise

March 18, 2016TravelCarnival Cruise, family travel, summer vacationAlicia

Your guide to choosing a Western Caribbean or Eastern Caribbean cruise for your family

Summer vacation planning is likely at the top of your to-do list. My kids, 16 and 9 years old, a boy and girl respectively, usually don’t have the same things in mind when thinking about a dream vacation. My son wants to explore, go geocaching, and enjoy nature, while my daughter enjoys swimming, find native sparkly jewelry (ie – go shopping), and historical landmarks. I enjoy it all. I really do. Well, I’m not a big fan of shopping actually.

We’ve gone to the beach for almost every vacation the last 15 years and will be going to the mountains in Arkansas this summer, so to balance things out, because I can’t possibly go 6 months without seeing the ocean, we planned a cruise vacation with Carnival Cruise line for our Spring Break. I am really excited because I know both kids will enjoy the cruise since there are a lot of entertainment and activity options on board and at ports that cater to both of their tastes.

While your spring break has likely passed, planning your summer vacation doesn’t have to be difficult especially if you consider a cruise. This will be our first family cruise and the kids are as excited as my husband and I are. The most difficult part of planning our cruise vacation was choosing whether to go on an Eastern Caribbean or Western Caribbean cruise.

Below are scenarios I put together for those of you who are wondering which is better fro your family; a Western or Easter Caribbean cruise. These scenarios take into consideration that we are departing from Miami but there are many other ports to choose from. There are so many choices when it comes to a cruise, including departure ports, destinations, excursions, etc. Carnival Cruise line lets you choose a cruise based on departure port and/or preferred destinations. The ship below is Carnival Breeze and is the ship we’ll be cruising on during our Spring Break.

Whether you should choose the Western or Eastern Caribbean-style Carnival Cruise depends a lot on your personality. They each have different flavors in the activities that you will participate in and places you will visit.

For example, if you choose the Western Caribbean Carnival Cruise and you start out in Miami, you will have the option to take a fun fan boat ride through the Everglades. The local wildlife, gators, Blue Herons and cranes, ensure a unique party location.

On the second day of your Western Caribbean cruise, you will experience a fun time at sea, and you will also have access to a sports bar that features big screen TVs. On the third day, you visit Cozumel, Mexico, a location made famous for its scuba diving, but that is not all that is available here. While in Cozumel, you can check out the amazing secret river or swim with the dolphins. There is also an all-inclusive beach day and sea lion show. While here, the ancient Mayan Kingdom of Tulum will also be available to visitors.

On day four of the Eastern Caribbean Cruise, you will be visiting Belize, which gives you the sightseeing privileges to some of the most diverse wildlife on the planet. The Mayan ruins of Altun Ha are also located here. It’s the perfect island paradise, and you can visit the famous Jaguar Cave or go on a ziplining adventure.Day five, you visit Mahogany Bay. You have a beach house exclusive getaway, but you can also visit the Mayan Princess, which features an all-inclusive bar.

On day six, the cruise takes you to Grand Cayman, the biggest of the Grand Cayman islands. Here, you can swim with dolphins or go kayaking. There is also a stingray and turtle swimming option.For day six, you enjoy a fun day at sea with the Twister Water Slide and Cloud 9 Spa. There is also a serenity adult-only retreat. On Day seven, you can enjoy a game of roulette or party it up with DJ Irie. It’s the perfect place to get your groove on.

How does an Eastern Caribbean Cruise differ?

To start out with day one, you have a more relaxed vibe. For example, once you get off the plane, you can enjoy a hop-on or hop-off city tour of Miami. The is also the option for an Everglades tour.

On day two, you visit the exotic Half Moon Cay private island. A perfect location for a romantic getaway. You have sightseeing, snorkeling and horseback riding.

Day three, guests will enjoy a fun day at sea. There is the option for cooking classes from world-class chefs, which also includes enjoyable taste tasting. Another noteworthy thing about the Eastern Caribbean Carnival Cruise is that you have Hasbro, the Game Show. You have the chance at participating in Connect 4 Basketball, SORRY! SLIDERS or Yahtzee Bowling.

On Day four, you enjoy a visit to St. Thomas, the gateway to the Virgin Islands. Wet your palette with the best of St. Thomas rum testing.When day five hits, you have the option for a drive through the rain forest. You might also enjoy a canopy adventure.

Day six, you spend at the Grand Turk with sailing and snorkeling by the beach. You might also enjoy the all-inclusive private beach.

As you can see, the Carnival Cruise that you should choose will depend on the destinations you are most interested in visiting with the activities that suit your idea of a vacation.

Connect with Carnival Cruise Line

Visit Carnival Cruise Line’s social media pages to watch ship videos, get the inside scoop on the latest cruise vacation deals, and see what passengers love above Carnival!

Note to readers: Carnival Cruise Line provided our family with a 7-day cruise in exchange for providing our readership with information and honest opinions about our experience. No positive review expectations were set or required by Carnival Cruise Line.

Before, during, and after our April Carnival cruise vacation we will update AtlantaMoms.com and TheMommyInsider.com as well as our social media pages, with blog posts about and photographs of our experience. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook to get a glimpse into our family’s Carnival cruise experience, a 6-day Western Caribbean cruise, sailing on Carnival Breeze, departing April 3rd, 2016.

Southern Families Can Enjoy a Cruise Vacation from these 5 Driving-Distance Carnival Cruise Ports

February 23, 2016TravelCarnival Cruise, family travelAlicia

Families in the south east can enjoy a cruise vacation without paying for flight tickets to get to a departure port!

Here is your complete guide to Carnival Cruise Line departure ports within driving distance of almost any state in the south east.

Have you always wanted to take your kids on a cruise but the thought of paying for cruise tickets AND plane tickets, to fly to the departure port, gives you anxiety? We understand.

Just look at this… wouldn’t you LOVE for your kids to see this view, to have the opportunity to learn about the history of Cozumel and Falmouth, or snorkel in Grand Cayman, or even just enjoy the on-board entertainment including water slides, dive-in movies, ropes courses, more?

Parents want to expose their kids to fun and educational travel experiences but often stop planning a vacation once they start adding up the numbers. If you could take your kids on a vacation where you’ll visit several countries or areas of the world, and not have to buy flight tickets, wouldn’t you? Carnival Cruise Line, founded in 1972 and headquartered in Miami, Florida, allows families just that.

With dozens of cruises departing from ports within driving distance of Atlanta, there is a cruise for every family. The following port locations, all within a four to ten hour drive from Atlanta, offer Atlanta families a door to parts of the world they might not visit otherwise.

See all the driving-distance Carnival Cruise Line ports and learn more about the cruise vacations your family can take with Carnival here.

The VTech VM312: The Whole Family Video Monitor System

January 6, 2016GadgetsHome Safety, VTech Baby MonitorAlicia

Every parent needs a little help watching children on occasion. You may think an audio only baby monitor works perfectly for you, but picture this:

You’re up to your elbows in suds, when you hear an odd sound in your child’s room. You have to take a peek. Naturally, your dishtowel is nowhere to be found. You rush across the house, dripping, wiping your hands on your pants. You find the noise was a pacifier falling out of the crib. It was a false alarm, except when you rushed to your baby’s rescue, you activated a musical hippo toy. It was so cute when Nana dropped it off. It isn’t so cute when it wakes baby up. It would’ve been a whole lot better if you could see inside baby’s room from the kitchen.

Maybe you could use a video baby monitor.

VTech electronics and educational toys are extremely popular. They have a great variety of advanced features and the quality manufacturing to keep them working. My kids both played with VTech toys up to 14 years ago, we used VTech baby monitors when the kids were small and like many households, we had VTech phones for years. The VTech VM312 monitor is no exception to the VTech quality rule. This is all the baby monitor you’ll ever need. The VM312 allows parents to monitor children from up to 1,000 feet away with high resolution color video and crisp audio. The built in intercom feature allows parents to comfort children even before they reach the room.

This video baby monitor isn’t just for watching infants. As your family grows, this video baby monitor can expand to a video monitoring and intercom system to help watch over all of your children.

You will be able to look in on your five-year-old from the laundry room when his dinosaurs attack a block tower instead of running to the rescue. You can also see if the ruckus disturbed his baby sister. The VTech VM312 will monitor up to four different cameras. Parents can choose to switch from one to another manually or set the receiver to “patrol” mode which will cycle from one camera to the next at seven second intervals.

At bedtime, or to conserve battery power, you can turn the monitor to sound only and the screen will wake when noise is detected. VM312 cameras feature automatic night vision for clear picture without leaving all the lights on. You can easily check on your seven-year-old after a bad dream and decide if you need to get up. You won’t stumble down the hall needlessly to find her asleep. . Know your children are safe. The VM312 baby monitor eliminates the need for nighttime ninja skills.