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Guest Blogger; Trading in the Mini for a Baby Cooper

Posted on January 23, 2012 by stacey

As my more dedicated readers will remember, my family has been searching for a new family car for quite some time. We have looked at sporty models and more practical models. Well today we have a guest blogger here, Leeanne Ekland of leeanneekland.com to discuss the process her and her partner (and their little one) went through to find a new family car. Read on…

Trading in the Mini for a Baby Cooper

2010 Kia Soul 4U

My partner Eric and I found out I was pregnant when I was 42. Aside from the obvious concerns one of the more practical questions that came up was, ‘We have to trade in the Mini for a baby!’ Well not exactly, but if we are going to have a car, it needs to hold all the crap we’ll need to pack with us. And, although Eric absolutely adored his 2008 Mini Cooper Clubman, we needed to shed the past and deal with our quickly expanding situation.

Neither of us was ready to give in to minivan syndrome but we definitely needed a practical solution. We hoped to find a middle ground, with affordability, a fun and sporty ride, and our buying experience topping the list.

Our Considerations

As I was newly unemployed and pregnant the first thing we needed to consider was price. We wanted to make a straight trade or as close to it, as we now had a college fund to consider.

The second thing we wanted, or rather I wanted was for Eric to have something he loved to drive. I didn’t want him to feel he was giving up his baby.

The third consideration was the buying experience we wanted to have. Any company worth their salt will tell you they work hard at providing amazing customer service experiences. Word of mouth is after all the best form of advertising and they know that.

The Decision

We spent many a day visiting auto malls and dealerships getting a feel for what was out there in the ‘mini’ SUV category. After many test drives and conversations with sales people, Kia came out on top over Honda, Mazda, and Nissan. The 2010 Kia Soul 4U is a new addition and seemed to fit most of our criteria. We didn’t consider domestic products at this point as there was not a lot of faith in them at the time.

The Details

Both of us are quite tall so we liked that the 2010 Kia Soul 4U had a ton of head room in front and back. The model we looked at had leather interior, a must for baby vomit cleanups. Automatic transmission means that I can plug a binkie in with one hand if I have to when I am driving. The heated seats are a godsend on cold mornings and the onboard Bluetooth means I don’t have to pull over or fiddle with a headset. We can plug in the iPod and play baby’s playlist when he’s fussy.

If you look at it, it might remind you of the Cooper, albeit a grown up version. It comes fully loaded with a spoiler, racing stripe, a cool wheel kit and all the bells and whistles of a top model. The Kia Soul 4U handles very well in the snow and completely outperforms its predecessor in that regard: The Mini Cooper Clubman looks so sad stuck in snow, wheels spinning helplessly.

Our Buying Experience

Overall our experience with Kia has just been ok. It was great at first, but the follow-up is a bit lacking. I think it’s tough to find great customer service experiences in the auto buying industry unless you’re spending big bucks. Eric always had amazing customer experiences with Mini but that relationship sadly had to end.

If we were to do it over again we would probably pick the same car if it had more cargo space. Its hatchback makes it easy to put the stroller in but we can’t fit much else in at this point. Our stroller is a monster but that’s another story. Overall the Kia Soul 4U is a great city car.

The 2012 edition sounds like it has more of what we would look for in a new car. Check it out here and let me know what you think!

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2012-kia-soul-official-photos-and-info-news

By the way, Cooper is our son’s middle name. We thought it would be fun to remember our experience when he asks us where the name came from.

Thanks for reading.

Namaste

Bio: Leeanne Ekland is a urban-dwelling mom of one, on a mission to rediscover love, wellness, and what’s new and cool about parenthood. She’s blogging about her experiences at leeanneekland.com. Having started the parenting experience much later than most, she offers a unique perspective on the challenges and all that is amazing about being a new mom over 40. At least – she does when she’s not napping, which is something she does often.

Posted in Random Wandering | Tagged Family car, mommy blogger | Leave a comment

Wordless Wednesday; SOPA

Posted on January 18, 2012 by stacey

SOPA

Posted in Deep Thoughts | Tagged wordless Wednesday | Leave a comment

My Top Five Customer Service Wins in Kaua’i

Posted on January 17, 2012 by stacey

This is my final blog post on our recent trip to the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i. It is a look at some of the businesses that impressed me with the service or food they provide to their customers.

First on the list is the valet parking service at the Sheraton in Poi’pu.

The Sheraton

These guys treated us with total respect and professionalism. They gave us the millionaire treatment every time we saw them. The Sheraton has done a great move in hiring top notch valet people.

Next on my list of top-hits is the drive-in called Duane’s Ono Char Burgers.

Ono Char Burger

Absolutely the best tasting burger I have ever tasted. Bar none. Unbelievably delicious teriyaki burgers with cheddar cheese. Tops. Absolutely.

Next up for memorable people and service is, no surprise here, another foodie place, Chicken in a Barrel.

Chicken in a Barrel

Barbecue chicken, pork and beef. Barbecued in a 45 gallon drum. How cool is that.

And the owners are the coolest people ever. On Christmas Day they served a full on turkey dinner to more than 400 people. For free. Tops again.

Next up is Nana’s Babysitting Service. On three of our days on Kaua’i we had booked a babysitting service. I am not comfortable leaving my little angels with people I do not know, however, from the minute that “Nanny Sharon” walked into our rented condo, I felt safe and comfortable. And perhaps more importantly, our girls were comfortable with Nanny Sharon. Tops. Absolutely.

Another hit for me was Naturally Birkenstock.

Naturally Birkenstock

I went into this shop looking to buy a new pair of Birkenstocks or sandals of some sort because my Keen sandals were showing their age.

As it turns out, April Kaulukukui, the woman who owns the shop took one look at my Keens and told me that all I needed to do was replace the laces in my Keens and she then GAVE me a free pair of laces.

My Keens felt like brand new shoes with the new laces. 100% tops, super people.

Although we had countless positive experiences while visiting Kaua’i, the one not so positive experience was the fact that three of the four of us got sick on the second to last day of our trip. We had to check out of the Grand Hyatt at noon and our flight did not leave Kaua’i until 8pm. We needed somewhere to just rest and chill out.

The tiny little Garden Island Inn was where we found respite. They were very understanding of our situation and let us use a very comfortable room for the afternoon. We were able to rest and let our girls sleep in the afternoon while we waited for our plane to depart. Absolutely, 100% tops. Fabulously kind people.

As I said, we had many, many positive experiences while visiting Kaua’i. All the hotels we stayed at were welcoming. All the staffs were professional and helpful. All the food was delicious and all the beaches were fabulous. All the people were friendly and helpful. However, the Garden Island Inn, Naturally Birkenstock, Nanny Sharon, Chicken in a Barrel, the Sheraton valet crew and Duane’s Ono-Char Burger were the tops of the tops.

Posted in Food and Drink, Shelter | Tagged customer service, Robinsmith Family Vacation | Leave a comment

Condo Rentals on Kaua’i

Posted on January 15, 2012 by stacey

After leaving the comfort of the Sheraton at Poi’Pu we headed north to a privately owned condo and then a condo managed by a professional management team. There were significant differences in the way the two condos were operated.

Condo View

The view from both condos was beautiful partly because they are situated right on a golf course.

While the view from the privately owned and operated condo was just as beautiful as the professionally managed condo, everything inside seemed petty and “negative.”

Posted all over inside were hand scrawled notes warning the renter of the dire consequences attached to any misdemeanour. For example, there is an AC unit in the master bedroom. On top of the AC unit is a remote used to control the unit.

First off, there is a note letting the renter know that there is no need to use the AC unit because it is not that hot and further, electricity is very expensive. There is another note warning any resident that if they lose the remote control for the AC unit they will be charged $600.

AC Remote

There is another note telling renters to shut off any light in any room they are not in because, once again, electricity is expensive. In all I counted seven notes warning me of the consequences that would befall me for any misdeed.

Sure, it is true that electricity is expensive and we should not leave lights on in rooms we are not in and all that, but the tone of the notes felt like someone was standing over our shoulders nagging us.

On the other hand, the professionally managed condo had a binder on the dining room table with a very cheerful welcome letter and a quick “how-to” guide for the condo.

It is difficult to describe the differences primarily because it is just the feeling that it gave me. The feeling I received from the privately owned condo was one of a nagging old fart looking over my shoulder.

The professionally managed condo felt welcoming and cheerful. If that makes any sense at all.

Lessons learned? In the future I would not book with a privately owned condo. Sure, many of them are probably just as positive and cheery as the professionally managed ones. Bottom line, in the future I would book with a professionally managed condo rather than a privately owned unit. Just my opinion.

Posted in Shelter | Tagged condo rental, Hawaii, Kauai, Robinsmith Family Vacation | Leave a comment

Sheraton Poipu, Kaua’i

Posted on January 5, 2012 by stacey

While on our recent family trip to the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i we had the opportunity to stay in a number of accommodations. The first place we stayed was the Sheraton in Poi’Pu.

Sheraton Lobby

After the Sheraton we went north on the island to the community of Hanalei where we stayed in a privately owned condo, another privately owned, but operated by an agency condo, and then the Westin Princeville before heading back to the south end of the island to stay in the Grand Hyatt.

Tonight I will discuss the Poi’pu Sheraton. Unfortunately most of the photos that I took of the Sheraton are too “large” to upload here so I can not share the look of the place. Overall, I will say the look is gorgeous.

As you walk into the lobby the gardens are beautifully cared for and full of tropical flowers and plants.

Another definite plus about the Sheraton is the fact that as soon as you drive up to the hotel the valets are there to greet you with massive smiles. This was the same at the Westin, the Sheraton and the Grand Hyatt. I give the hotel management full marks for hiring the right people to greet the guests. First impressions were all positive.

Another big plus for the Sheraton is its location.

Sheraton Beach

The beach out front of the hotel is lovely to walk along. Not great for swimming all the time but certainly beautiful to walk along. And if you do want to swim with your little kids, like we did, it is a very short walk along the beach to an area called Baby Beach which is perfect for swimming for any age.

As far as the rooms are concerned, ours we perfectly appointed. Spotlessly clean, spacious and comfortable.

The washrooms were nicely appointed. There was a large soaker tub with the standard curved shower curtain rail that makes the shower area feel even more spacious.

The washroom area was very spacious. There was absolutely no sense of scrimping on the space in this area.

The beds were large and comfortable with quality linens.

Overall, we loved the Sheraton in Poipu. All the staff were welcoming, the grounds were beautifully maintained, the scenery was picture-postcard perfect and the room was exactly what we needed. My only regret is that I did not get more pictures I could share. The bottmline, the Sheraton was a hotel home-run .

Posted in Shelter | Tagged hotels, Robinsmith Family Vacation, Sheraton | Comments Off

New Year’s Eve Celebration with Loius XIII de Remy Martin

Posted on December 31, 2011 by stacey

I had the good fortune of meeting the manager of the Stevenson’s Library in the Grand Hyatt Kaua’i. We had a very pleasant chat about different types of Scotch and then we discussed some cognacs.

When I told them my dream was to taste the Louis XIII de Remy Martin, they told me to hang on a minute…

Loius XIII de Remy Martin

Louis XIII de Remy Martin

Posted in Food and Drink | Comments Off

Grand Hyatt Poi’pu Kaua’i

Posted on December 31, 2011 by stacey

The Internet service here on Kaua’i has been more than a little unreliable so I have not logged about our accommodations as much as I had intended. As such, I have a number of blog posts in development; one about the Sheraton in Poi’pu, another about the Westin at Princeville, and one more about staying in privately owned condos. And of course this brief one on the Grand Hyatt Kaua’i.

The entrance to the Grand Hyatt Kaua’i is quite breath-taking. And honestly, it only gets more beautiful as you wander the grounds.
More later…