Tag Archives: GM

Driving the Midwest in the Cadillac XTS

GM provided us with a vehicle to use for our trip to Chicago and I was not compensated our required to write this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. GM is just awesome and is doing whatever they can to make a difference!

The weekend before Thanksgiving, Alex, Alexander, Ellie and I made our way to Chicago in the wee hours (3:30am) of the morning. Our destination: The Chicago Toy & Game Fair at Navy Pier. On this trip, we were fortunate to ride in comfort thanks to the good folks at GM for lending us a beautiful 2013 Cadillac XTS!
Now, I never pictured myself in a Cadillac, ever! In fact, I may or may not have made fun of friends and family members over the years and stating something about Cadillac’s being old people cars.
Now here is the part where I admit I was wrong.
Yes, I was wrong.
This car was amazing!
And the technology, oh the technology….it made me drool!
The Cadillac XTS offers the Cadillac User Experience (CUE) with navigation, and audio system that will blow your mind complete with Bose Studio Surround Sound and 14 speakers, SiriusXM & HD Radio, and everything was operated by a button or the swipe of a hand.

It also had more safety features than any vehicle I had ever been in. The drivers seat would vibrate and let you know if someone was following to closely, the side mirrors lit up if someone was in your blind spot, back up cameras to ensure nothing was in your way, airbags galore and sooooo much more!

Seriously, I could go on forever about this car!

One thing I definitely cannot leave out is the space in this car. You would think once you packed to grown (large) adults in the car, an infant carrier and base, a booster seat, diaper bag and snacks that we would be low on space but we weren’t. We were also able to take advantage of the huge trunk as well. On the ride to Chicago it was home to our suitcase and stroller. On the way back we added some items from our trip to IKEA and a new convertible carseat we had been trying to find locally for Ellie, plus all of our additional items from the Chicago Toy & Game Fair.

Color me impressed!

Driving this car made me feel safe and comfortable. Having to get up and drive for 4 hours with 2 kids in the middle of the night is never an enjoyable experience however the Cadillac made it easy on us! Ellie slept on the entire ride there and back and Alexander got his fair share of sleep as well!

Thank you to GM and Cadillac and our good friend Connie Burke for this opportunity! Be sure to check out Driving the Midwest and the GM Our Town Our Heroes program!

Chicago, Sponsored Post

Weekend Recap: Chicago Style

Anne Younger Leave a comment

This past weekend, Zack, Ellie and I made our way to Chicago so I could attend the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Moms kickoff event along with the 2012 Brands & Bloggers Summit.

Let me start by saying I was absolutely, 100% terrified to drive not just to Chicago with 2 kids by myself but to downtown Chicago at that. You see, I hate to drive in big cities that play host to lots and lots of traffic. I prefer to be able to hope in my car and make it from one side of town to the other in less than 15 minutes, not 2 hours. However, this trip seemed to go off better than I had planned. Thanks to the beautiful 2012 GMC Yukon with a sweet navigation system, I was always prepared for what was ahead. I knew when we would hit construction, when there was a delay and just how much longer we would be until we arrived. It was also really nice that little Miss Ellie slept for all but the first 20 minutes of the ride.

When we arrived in Chicago, Zack couldn’t believe the amount of people everywhere. (The only time he had ever seen the city was from the highway on a trip to Indiana). We sat on the off ramp for over 45 minutes, spent the next 45 making our way too & finding the parking garage and then unloaded and lugged everything over to the hotel.

We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel on the 29th floor. Once we were settled in, I made my way to the Prudential Building for the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Moms Kickoff! Unfortunately, I was late to the party because of traffic but I arrived just in time to receive my shiny and new Samsung Galaxy S3 from Verizon. As you may know, a few weeks ago I upgraded my current cell phone to a Samsung Galaxy S3 (on a different network) so I already had some experience with the phone. Now that I have 2 Samsung Galaxy S3 phones on two different networks I have been comparing both the phone and the service, so be sure to watch for posts from me all about my comparisons and thoughts! After spending the last 4 days with both of these phones in my hands I have already conducted a lot of research, so be on the lookout!

After the Verizon meeting, I met Zack and Ellie back at the hotel and we made our plans for dinner and placed an order for a World Famous Chicago Stuffed Pizza from Giordano’s. This was also Zack’s first Chicago pizza experience!
Of course, he loved every.last.bite. We were even lucky enough to bring some leftovers home with us for the rest of the family to try.

After we stuffed our bellies with pizza, we sat around for a bit while Zack showed me the awesome trick he learned while I was away at my meeting. Let’s just say the trick involves a window sill, a big fluffy bed and a somersault in the air.

Before we settled in for the night, we made a quick trip out to the neighboring Walgreens for a few supplies before crawling into our big comfy beds for the night.

Even Miss Ellie approved of the bed!

Watch for more about our exciting weekend in Chicago and the Brands & Bloggers Summit tomorrow!
Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Moms program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product. Verizon also covered my hotel, expenses and conference pass as part of the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Moms program. Also, thank you again to GM for providing us with transportation to Chicago.

Riding in Style

Anne Younger Leave a comment

In 8 hours, Zack, Ellie and I will be departing Green Bay and making our way to Chicago for the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Moms kickoff event followed by the Brands & Bloggers Summit on Saturday.

Although we will be leaving in the wee hours of the morning to assure that we will arrive on time, one thing that we do know is that we will be riding in style!

Thanks to GM, we will be traveling in a Quicksilver Metallic 2012 Yukon XL 1/2 Ton – 4 wheel drive SLT!

Yes, that is our mode of transportation for the next week and I can tell you this, I am in love! If I ever win the lottery I can promise you that this will be the car I am driving after!

The Yukon XL is a smooth ride that offers so much comfort for everyone!
Front heat bucket leather seats, air conditioning, adjustable pedals, heated second row seats, dual tv screens, DVD technology, navigation, back up cameras….the list goes on and on and on and on.

I am loving it and cannot wait to hop into it in the morning and make our way to Chicago!

Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Disclaimer: GM was kind to lend us a vehicle to travel to Chicago and home, however they do NOT expect or require me to write this post. All thoughts and opinions about the 2012 GMC Yukon are my own and seriously, if I win the lottery, I am soooo buying one!