Reviews | Busy Mommy: An Iowa Mom Blog

Mercedes-Benz GL-Class Press Drive

July 29, 2012 By Emily

A few weeks ago I attended the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class press drive in Santa Fe, New Mexico to learn more about their 2013 line of SUVs that will have Moms everywhere swooning over the safety, space and elegance. I will go into more detail about the specifics of the GL-class, but I first wanted to share a little about my time test driving in New Mexico.

This was my first time in the state and I was amazed at the landscape- far different from flat Iowa! We stayed at the beautiful Four Season’s Rancho Encantado which was a peaceful resort with no neighbors as far as the eye could see. We sure had a peaceful view, but our days were jam-packed with test driving the Mercedes SUV, the new GL-Class.

Our first morning involved a press briefing where we learned in detail about the new GL-class and heard from the CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, Steve Cannon.

From there we headed out on our own for the 3 hour trek to Taos Ski Valley, a ski resort in the beautiful New Mexican mountains. I was able to hop in a GL-350 with Zippy from Champagne Living and Liza from Buy-Her so you can imagine how fun our ride was.

We had a pit stop at Earthship, a community of radically sustainable buildings made with recyclable materials. This was a very interesting place and apparently there is at least one Earthship house in every state!

Liza was our driver up to Taos Ski Valley and let me tell you… this girl has no fear! Swerving around those twists, turns and gravel roads, we really got a feel for how equipped the GL-Class can handle rough terrain. Even though we were speeding around mountain corners and mud pits (true story!) the ride was one of the smoothest I’ve been on.

But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t the scariest! As you can see Zippy and I were holding on for dear life as the mountain road we were on looked right over a huge cliff!

We made our way to the Bavarian Lodge and Restaurant in Taos Ski Valley for some lunch and a break from driving. This was my first time at a ski resort and the view was stunning! I’m sure it looks even more breathtaking when it’s snow-covered.

The night ended with a relaxing dinner. Here are the few mom bloggers (in a sea of auto bloggers and magazine writers) that went on the press trip. (From left: Alicia from The Mommy Insider, Liza from Buy-Her, Me!, Zippy from Champagne Living, Stacie from The Divine Miss Mommy and Desiree from Stress Free Baby, not pictured)

It was an interesting experience for all of us Moms, being given the keys to a Mercedes for a 6 hour trip up mountains, around cliffs and through the gravel and mud. I think because we were thrown into this new experience we gained a greater knowledge of the car then if we were to be driving around a test track.

So stay tuned for my thoughts on the new 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class!

I was invited on an all-expense paid press trip to New Mexico to test drive the new GL-Class but received no compensation. Thoughts are my own.

Filed Under: Promotions, Reviews, Shopping, Travel 6 Comments

Madagascar Live at the Civic Center of Des Moines

March 14, 2011 By Emily

“I like to move it, move it. I like to move it, move it.” I’ve had that song in my head the whole weekend and can’t seem to get it out! With very good reason of course. I attended Madagascar Live last Friday at the Civic Center of Des Moines with my son, my aunt, and her daughter who is the same age as Colton. If you didn’t know, Colton and Dory are best friends and they do everything together. I have a few pieces of evidence of some of our fun times like this video, them swimming in buckets, on playdates, and even some pulling hair moments.

The kids were extremely excited to see Madagascar and so was I because this was one of my first shows in a long time at the Civic Center. I think the last show I saw was the Sound of Music quite a few years back. I do like the Civic center’s stadium seating and available booster chairs for the kids, but they were extremely adamant about no pictures so unfortunately I was only able to snap a few during intermission.

Madagascar Live is a fun, upbeat show that the kids watched in excitement the whole time. The first half was a little slow, but the second half made up for it with the quirkiness of King Julian, one of everyones favorite characters. The audience’s favorite part was obviously the “I like to move it,” song, when everyone from Grandmas to toddlers got up to “move it, move it.” I highly recommend Madagascar Live as fun, family activity!

Photo Credit: Carol Rosegg

Madagascar Live will be in the following cities: Chicago, IL (March 16-20, 2011), Saginaw, MI (March 22-23, 2011), Memphis, TN (March 25-27), Indianapolis, IN (March 29-30, 2011), Minneapolis, MN (April 1-3, 2011), Fort Wayne, IN (April 5-6, 2011), Providence, RI (April 8-10, 2011), New York, NY (April 15-24, 2011) and more. View MadLive.com for more details and tour dates.

For you fellow Iowans, the Civic Center has some pretty cool shows coming up including Bill Cosby, Rock of Ages, and Star Trek Live.

I did receive complimentary press tickets to attend this event.

Filed Under: Blog, Recent Articles, Reviews 3 Comments

Local: The Des Moines Blank Park Zoo, A Family Activity

August 8, 2010 By Emily

Zoo’s are always fun family activities. Now that we are permanent residents of Des Moines, Colton and I decided to take a trip down to the Blank Park Zoo with Grandma, something I haven’t done since childhood. Admission is only $5.95 for children, so this is a relatively cheap family activity. Check with your local zoo for special events. On September 29th, Jack Hanna will be at the Blank Park Zoo and admission is $10 for children. The Blank Park Zoo even has an event for the adults called the Zoo Brew, which is every June and July and includes brew, music, food, and activities.

The Blank Park Zoo manages 49 acres of land. Of that, 22 acres have been developed into animal exhibits or facilities. Currently there are 104 different animal species and 1,484 animal specimens cared for at the Blank Park Zoo. Colton loved the lions, but when I was little I remember I was fascinated by the crazy fish pond.

My mom took Colton to the zoo last year and he was deathly afraid while on the train. This year he loved it!

If you are a frequent visitor to the zoo, check out about becoming a member. Members receive special discounts on events, classes and more. We loved our time at the Blank Park Zoo! If you happen to be in the Des Moines area, the zoo is worth your time!