Buzz Review Blog

Saturn Vue Greelnine

I am in the market for a new car.  Well, when I say "in the market" I mean that I accost strange people in parking lots when I see a vehicle I think would fit my family of five and immediately question them about how they feel when it comes to MPG, leg room, leather vs. cloth and of course, CD player sound quality.   I have only had one woman run screaming from me.  (At least, I think it was me.  It could have been my Doberman in the car growling out the window.) So, when I was offered the chance to test drive a new Saturn VUE- Greenline, I jumped at it.  In fact, I jumped so hard that I think I knocked over the nice people offering.  I do love to test drive new vehicles.  That new car smell.  That clean car atmosphere.  The radio stations that I get to preset myself.  Let me at least give you a small disclaimer.  I own a Saturn.  I bought it when they boys were one and three years old.  Tiny little people.  People who had car seats and sippy cups.  A time when my daughter was not only not yet born, but not even an idea.  We knew for sure that a Saturn SL2 would work for us for years.  And it has.  For 10 years to be exact.  But you see, the kids have decided to grow up (not to mention we added another!) and now, well, the nearly 6 foot tall teen is a bit crushed in the back seat of the car when all 5 of us go for a drive.   If the car grew with the family, I would drive it forever.   Honestly, I have never owned a car that has been as good to us and as dependable as our Saturn.  Therefore, of course I was going to jump at the chance to test another version of a Saturn. The nice gentleman dropped off the car and was very cool when I squealed and jumped up and did my "new car in da house" dance when he passed over the keys.  I raced to check out the VUE as soon as he left.  It was love at first site.  I loaded up the husband in the back seat.  (Hey!  The kids were in school and I had to check for leg room.  HE FIT!)  We drove around and did what all people do when they are in a new car.  Played with the windows and honked the horn.  So far it passed my personal tests.  But, if I was going to actually consider buying one of these (or even giving my thumbs up for it), I was going to have to check out the important details that really do make a difference between having fun driving a car and really wanting to buy it. The Saturn Vue Greenline Hybrid is the first GM vehicle powered by a new, more affordable hybrid system that delivers an estimated 20-percent improvement in fuel economy, depending on driving conditions.  It delivers an EPA estimated 27 mgp in the city and the best highway mileage of any SUV at 32 mpg.  The Vue's hybrid system costs under $2000.  The full vehicle stats at less than $23,000.  Meaning, economical, efficient and you don't have to sell a kidney to afford it. Driving the Green Line is, well, just like driving any other mid-size SUV.  If I didn't know any better, I would only notice the difference when I came to a stop. In fact, I am pretty sure most drivers won't notice anything unusual until they've stopped at a red light or stop sign, too. In most situations, the engine completely stops…as in turns off. It is like an engine stall but without the horrible groan that precedes it or the panic that ensues when it is in fact a stall.  Actually, it  just smoothly shuts down.  While stopped and in "eco"mode  all the interior features remain operational, such as the climate control, radio, etc.  As soon as you take your foot off of the brake and move, there is no hesitation or delay.  Lifting off the brake engages the electric motor-generator and smoothly restarts the gasoline engine so you're under way again with no fuss. Unlike other current hybrids, however, the Green Line does not run any distance on pure electric power; the motor-generator is a hybrid "helper." The net result is that saving fuel has never been more painless.  Finally, I can have a vehicle large enough to fit a teen, tween and diva grade schooler-- without watching them being forced to rest their heads on their knees as they fold themselves into a backseat.  All without the guilt of knowing I am harming the environment.  Actually, just the opposite.  I could feel that I was actually doing something that would benefit both my family and the world around me.  (Yes, I will totally hug this tree while loving the Vue!) At the end of the week, the nice men at GM came to get the Vue.  (Door to door service rocks.)  And, he didn't even call for help when I threw myself at his feet clinging on and begging him not to take it away.  As he dragged me down the sidewalk, he told me he was glad that I enjoyed the week, but could I PLEASE let go and give up the keys?  I did. Honestly, I  really did love the Vue and the fact that Saturn and GM are moving closer towards being more economically friendly and help to protect rather than harm our environment.  I hope more companies jump in and start realizing that larger families need options that are economically and environmentally friendly. 

[Disclosure:  I received nothing in return for test driving and reviewing the Saturn Vue.  No financial compensation or free cars were offered.  As I told the wonderful people at ParentBloggers, I have no problem talking about free test drives on my blog.  I figure every now and then you can handle it.  Oh, and by the way, I have the same policy with Matthew McConaughey, too.  I will blog about that test drive, too, if I am ever offered.  Just so you know.]

I have become very cozy with Cozi Central!

As a Mom to three kids of various ages, it takes everything for me to keep up with their schedules, my husband's schedule--not to mention my own.  Oh sure, I am good at knowing that the teen has somewhere to be on a certain day and time, but many times I forget that it conflicts with the soccer  practice of the tween which of course most likely coincides with something the little one has to do. 

Enter Cozi Central.  At first, I admit I was skeptical thinking that it would be one more way to partially keep my family organized.  I was wrong!  This product services everything I need in one place. 

Cozi Central is a free organizational software product pioneered by some former Microsoft employees. You can use it to set up and modify family schedules (color coded!), task lists (far too many!), shopping lists (one list I can modify rather than continually write it over and over!), and even upload pictures (again, far too many to keep track of!).  It even has an amazingly cool feature that enables you to make a screen saver of your pictures.  (Love that!)

With web access, my husband can even log on to see what is going on during the week and whether or not it is a good time to work late or get home before Mom loses her mind trying to get everyone where they need to be (usually at the same time)!

I highly recommend this product!  It is ideal for busy families that are on the go.  Families can stay on track with each other.  Stay on the same page, so to speak--literally and figuratively.  I can actually keep track of the insanity of a family of five with the ease of an organized professional.  And let's face it--we mothers are professionals when it comes to lists, schedules and photography.  Now, I can prove it with this product.

Cozi Central can be downloaded from their home page - the PC version requires XP with Service Pack 2, and Macs can use the web access version of Cozi.

For more reviews about Cozi Central be sure to visit Parent Bloggers Network!

Let's Get Ready for First Grade!

My daughter is currently in Kindergarten.  She loves to read and has loved what she has learned this year.  When we were able to take part in reviewing the book, Let's Get Ready for First Grade, available from Cedar Valley Publishing,  we jumped at it.  It is a neat little book that introduces the concepts that students should know by the time they complete first grade.  It was a great way to see what Gabriella was ready for and what we needed to still work on.  It covers everything from reading and math to science.  And of course, it was a great time to be able to spend one on one time with my daughter.

Seeing as she is the actual one who would do the reviewing, I asked her what she thought of this book.  She really liked the dry erase concept that the book used.  It was awesome that the book was laminated and not overly bulky.  Sometimes these educational books that have this much information seem overwhelming to young children.  However, because this book was so portable, she loved carrying it around.  She showed it to her class and her teacher proudly announcing that she was "getting ready for first grade" and that she would be ready!  (That pride was enough to keep me thrilled with the book!)

For such a small book, this educational series is packed with practical and interesting material.  I am sure that it will maintain it's prime spot in our car so that she can pull it out on car trips, playdates and  even long trips to the store.  One thing that kept her interest is the bright colors used.  It seemed more like fun than a typical educational workbook.  A bonus that we both loved was the reinforcements at the bottom of every page.  Phrases such "You're smart!" and "How extraordinary!"

I definitely recommend this book and any book in this series.  Not only do you feel good when you see your child enjoying it, you will love that your child has so much fun with something that is *gasp* educational.