As we walked down the hall, I couldn’t help but take a photo of the hallway.  It just looked so cool to me!  Kinda reminded me of a movie……hmmmm……

We open the door to our room and see two big fluffy queen size beds and the usual fixins.  Lots of pillows, sleek TV, plenty of plugins, and a thermostat on the wall, yay!  The beds were comfortable I thought. I know a lot of people don’t sleep as well when they travel but man, I slept good and usually do.

Bathroom was nice and my friend Vicki noticed the washcloth in the shape of a fan on the toilet.  She loved that little touch and I agree, the little things are very nice!

One of the first things that we Vicki had to call down for was a toothbrush.  She had forgotten hers and while I could have offered mine I reckon, I highly doubt she would have wanted to share!! Sure enough, they had one for us and when we were leaving to the conference, he immediately recognized us and said, “Okay, which one of you needed the toothbrush?”, of course he said with that fabulous grin of his.  Oh! They had cool touchscreens up so that we could find places to eat, comedy clubs, etc that were close to our Holiday Inn location.  That was pretty cool!

Overall, we give the hotel two thumbs up.  We loved the location, decor, comfy beds & pillows, friendly staff, and the fact that they had a toothbrush ready and waiting.  I don’t think there was one thing we didn’t like in fact.  Our needs were met, we were very comfortable, slept good, and came back to clean rooms.  While those others leave the lights on for you, that’s about all they do.  Give Holiday Inn a try next time and get the pampered feel without the cost.  They are great, quality hotels!

Disclosure: Holiday Inn provided two nights stay for me and my friends on our trip to see Joyce Meyer.  All opinions are my own, always have been, always will be. We’ve stayed in them many times and love them.  My dad has earned tons of free nights with them because of all his stays during travel.  You’ll like them! 

Upon arrival, I inspected the color and inside.  I immediately fell in love with the middle row bucket seats and all the room in it.  It had a mini van feel without looking like a mom in the minivan.  My biggest concern would be whether or not it would fit our luggage and while it was a tight fit, we did have room for it all. There’s even some ‘hidden’ storage that I was able to fit books, a bag, and baby wipes to be donated.

Love the controls.  Truett was able to control the DVD player and switch to music while wearing the headphones.  The ladies who rode in back were able to adjust the climate.  For 6+ hour road trips, I’d totally let the kids bring their game system to play since you can actually plug it in!  COOLIO!

Lots of room and easy to get in and out of.

FEATURES WE LOVED:

• Push button to open back.  Push button was on the back, as well as inside.
• All the cup holders!
• Jacks and plug and being able to control climate from back.
• Bose sound system
• Gas mileage – We drove 4 hrs (wind was with us) and it only took a 1/4 of a tank.  It cost me $75 to fill up but we didn’t even fill up until we were leaving Arlington to come back home!  GREAT ON GAS!
• LOTS of room, even for the 6ft woman who reviews well but can’t focus a camera.
• Comfortable – Seat were great and comfy and loved the coolers and warmers in them.
• Fits 6 comfortably but will hold 7.

And just for kicks, check out quick experience with Onstar (sorta), our laughter, and awesome, unfocused look at the inside features because that’s how we roll.  We totally rocked this Traverse!!!! Thank you ladies for sharing this experience with me. It was a blast!

Disclosure: GM provided the vehicle for our trip to the conference in return for us sharing our experience.  All opinions are my own, as always.

When taking a road trip with Teens…

• You must pack pillows.  They will most likely sleep as much as possible to avoid conversation, singing, and lame games that we parents try to make them play.
• Bring your own headphones.  Once they gain control of the radio, you’ll wish you had something to plug in your ears.
• Pack lots of snacks. Teens never stop eating.

When taking a road trip with 4 year olds….

• Take advantage of technology!  Bring a portable dvd player. While you won’t want them to watch it the whole trip (or maybe you will), you will need a good break from the chatter and ants in their pants.  This will keep them occupied for a at least an hour.  And my suggestion is to bring their absolute favorite, or something they’ve never seen so that they stay completely engaged ‘in the new’.
• Create a list of games.  Our favorites?  Counting cows, storytelling, and hello yellow.  Counting cows is self-explanatory I assume.  Storytelling involves you each taking turns to create a story, starting where the other one leaves behind. Truett loves this. He comes up with some of the funniest stuff!  And hello yellow is much like slug bug only there’s no slugging.  You simply say aloud “Hellllooooo Yellow!” when seeing any yellow vehicle.  Each gets a point and gets double points when they spot a yellow bus or something big.
• Pack lots of snacks.  4 year olds never stop eating….at least mine doesn’t.

Now all kidding aside, it’s absolutely essential to be safe.  Wearing your seat belts and always using a safety seat are givens but how many of you will have help if you break down on the side of the road, especially in 105′ heat?  I’ve seen several rigs broke down this Summer, with kiddos and I know I would not want my kids to have to suffer in the heat.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I highly recommend Good Hands Roadside Assistance. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. SOOO easy and you only pay when you use people!!!

•  You do not need to have Allstate insurance to use this service ·
• You only pay when you use it, there are no monthly fees ·
• Pre-registering for Good Hands Roadside Assistance provides faster service at time of need on the road. Those that pre-register will also receive welcome kit in the mail containing a wallet card, key fob and window cling with the phone number for roadside help. ·
• You can register for up to 5 users on your account

I cannot stress it enough on how awesome it is.  It’s a peace of mind knowing that you’ll be taken care of IF something happens.  And while they may be a big ‘if’…it’s still a good feeling knowing that y’all are gonna be okay.

I’d really love to know if you have ever considered signing up with roadside assistance and why or why not.

Disclosure: I’m being compensated for my time to create this posts. I wanted to share the program with you because teen driving safety needs attention. As a mom of 2 teen drivers, I can feel better knowing my kids will always have help on the road! Opinions are my own, as always.

First, I want to tell you that Walmart does not pay the entertainers that come to perform.  Obviously Walmart sells their cds and dvds so perhaps this is a way for the talent to “pay it forward” if you will.  I think a lot of folks assume that they are paid…..and you’d think  so when they get Alicia Keys, Black Eyed Peas, and Will Smith but nope.

Speaking of Will Smith…….He thought it would be fun to hop down into the audience and meet folks. He made a big circle around our section and touched my arm.  That’s right….HE TOUCHED MY ARM!!!!  He was standing next to me for a minute or so and even gave my blogging friend Tina a high five!! It was pretty awesome if I do say so myself.  Okay, enough about that.

Throughout the meeting, there were financial talks, discussion about Walmart’s current initiatives, and more entertainment in-between.   I always love to hear everyone speak, including THE Mike Duke, President and CEO of Walmart, who I had the pleasure to talk with last year.   One of the things he talked about was social media.  I found the quote….

“We are right in the sweet spot of the ‘next-generation’ customer…They’re connected to the world through smart phones and social media. … They’re in charge of when they shop and how they shop. They know who has the lowest prices. But to succeed, we must also be the best at how we run our business,” Duke said.

Social media has had such a big impact and I think that knowing we can find a low price instantly, will push them to make their prices even lower.  I hope so anyways.  Social media rocks!! Me and my fellow Walmart Moms!

It’s always a learning experience when I attend these because I hear about their sustainable efforts, investments, ways their helping the communities but as I mentioned earlier, what I really love is hearing about outstanding associates. Those that go above and beyond and proud of their job, heck, of having a job and show it every single day that are at work.  Last year I cried during the actual shareholders meeting.  This year I cried during the Saturday morning meeting. I got to hear about the Joplin community and it was absolutely heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. To see what the Walmart managers did in that area just makes my heart swell.  It’s great to see everyone come together and help each other.

To break up the business aspects of the meeting, they had some more amazing talent like Alicia Keys.  WOW…her voice is so strong and amazing!!  I’d kill to have her thighs and booty too..just sayin’.

Of course the American Idol winner, Scotty McCreery made an appearance and he really worked the crowd.  I thought he went a little overboard but he was workin’ so I give him that.  He’s actually really cute too. I loved his distressed boots!!  They rocked and looked like they had been worn for a couple of years.

And then no meeting would be complete without an amazing finish right?  CAN I GET A WHOOP WHOOP FOR THE BLACK EYED PEAS!!!!!!!!

They totally worked the crowd and rocked the stage!  I really enjoyed them a great deal and Fergie looked amazing!!  LOVED this performance!

It’s always an awesome experience and not just the entertainment. I truly do enjoy learning more about the company and hope I get the opportunity to attend next year.  Just wish I could take my son!!

Part two coming soon….I’m in the Visitor’s Center!!!!

Disclosure: I am an official Walmart Mom. Follow me and my fellow Walmart Moms as we share our experiences and ideas! Walmart provided our travel to the shareholders meeting in Bentoville, however, this post is not compensated. I wanted to blog about it all!! My participation in this program is voluntary and my opinions are my own, always have been, always will be.