::Dia de Los Muertos:: Chevrolet Traverse Safety #SPONSORED

::Momma Disclosure:: This is part of a sponsored collaboration with General Motors. All opinions expressed are my own. 

What better way to celebrate our culture and teach children about our traditions than to create a Dia de los Muertos altar or ofrenda. This year I partnered with GM, and Chevrolet for a Trunk or Treat event to teach our children about keeping safe while having fun and enjoying Halloween night!  

We created a truck altar which embodied all of the traditional elements of our customs as well as let the kids get fun treats and enjoy their night safely. 

Some of my favorite elements of the ofrenda are the food, the pictures, the papel picado and of course the traditional calavera, or catrina. We loved putting the altar together and then sharing it with friends and family. 

We fully enjoyed the Chevy Traverse for 7 days, it's features and comfort were so amazing. We really did fall in love with this mid-size SUV. It's a great family car with great space. As you can see the trunk was just the right size! 

See below how we transformed the back of the Chevy Traverse into a Dia de Los Muertos Altar: 

:: Safety Tips for after dark activities this Fall ::

Did you know that on average, children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car on Halloween than on any other day of the year?

Chevrolet Traverse Safety Expert, Suzanne L. Johansson, Chevy Traverse Safety Engineer, helped put together the following safety tips to ensure all families are safe during the festivities:

1.)          Drive Scary Slow – Kids are excited, full of sugar and potentially walking in shoes that could cause tripping. Slow down and be prepared to stop for the ghosts, goblins and crossing the street or chasing a piece of their costume in the wind.

2.)          Treat Yourself to Car Tech – Chevrolet recommends you never turn off safety alerts, but if you have, turn them back on. Features like rear-view or forward-facing cameras, collision alert sensors and 360 cameras give drivers a better view of what or who is surrounding their vehicles while backing up or just driving down the street.

3.)          Avoid Dreadful Distractions – If you are concerned about being tempted to use your phone while driving, take advantage of vehicle storages cubbies that you cannot access while driving to eliminate the temptation and distraction.

4.)          Motorists and Masks Don’t Mix – While it may be fun to make fellow motorists laugh, it’s a bad idea to drive while wearing anything that could potentially impede vision like masks, goggles or silly glasses. Place them in the trunk or a convenient storage space to avoid sliding while driving until you reach your location.

5.)          Don’t Get Tricked, Always Buckle Up – whether you’re rolling slowly on the street while your kiddos rock the sidewalk or you’re moving a group of superheroes door to door, be a stickler for safety and buckle up every time you’re in motion.

We hope you had a great Halloween and Dia de los Muertos celebration with your loved ones.

What was taken...

It’s a day I will never forget. It’s not the day my kids were born or the day I got married.

It’s the day my house was broken into. And, as dramatic as this may sound you think you know but until it happens to you, you really have no idea.  

Friday it will be one month...  

I came home from work and walked in the front door at about 5:30 pm; straight past the living room into the dining area. I was on the phone with a friend. I put my left over lunch and mail on the kitchen table. Within minutes I realized my house was not as I had left it in the morning. Random stuff thrown all over the living room floor, every drawer in the kitchen left wide open, so open the ones on my computer desk had broken. I ran out of the house, as if I was staring in my own scary movie…. and immediately told my friend with a slight panic in my voice..."Oh my God, I think my house was broken into!!" And, hung up. 

I had run straight out of the house and across the street to a neighbor’s yard as I frantically called 911. Immediately the dispatcher knew something was wrong as fear and emotions filled the phone line. 

I was a victim. 

I felt helpless. When I realized what was taken and how things could have gone so different had I gone to pick up my kids first or come home earlier. I suddenly felt hopeless. 

These “people” had invaded our home. Our home.  A place that is supposed to be safe and secure. Where my little babies lay to sleep and play, carefree and happy. They had taken our belongings. OUR belongings. I don’t know who these "people" think we are but those items were not so much valuable as they were meaningful. We worked hard for years and continue to do so to obtain the little bit that we have. Living within our means and only making large item purchases when they are purposeful. We don’t have that kind of money just lying around waiting to be spent. We, like many other average income families, work very hard, long hours every day to earn a living. We make sacrifices for all that we have and how far we have come... 

How did I feel? I was disappointed. For days I felt sad. My privacy invaded on so many levels. These “people” know what we look like, how we live and invaded our living space. I felt angry. At them, at myself. The what-if’s sink in. The WHAT-IF’s overwhelm me. 

Then.  The calm. The little things that reminded me, they took things. Things that maybe one day will be replaced. Things. I embrace my little crazy kids and love my Husband. Yes, those people may have taken my sense of security to a certain level. Made me a little uneasy. They rocked the boat just enough to open our eyes to what really matters. 

But, you know what they didn't take my faith, my courage and my will to work even harder and be an even better person! They may never pay for what they did... and that's OK. It's not up to me to handle that, I must simply move forward. 

In those days I learned a lot about safety and security from of course the internet, other Bloggers and just talking to people about it and their own personal experiences with break-in's. Everyone I spoke to had the same thoughts of how their privacy was invaded and their sense of security was shot but they also all had the same spirit of; it’s happened once, it will not happen again!

We  eventually explained it all to my kids, they were so angry and in their own ways expressed how upset they were. My daughter wanted to beat people up and my son wanted justice to be made. These days, they pray every  morning that the bad guys don't get in our home and rob us again. 

{My Blog will be lacking nice pictures for a while...because those people stole my camera with all my accessories. In the mean time I will use pictures taken with my phone. Sorry!} 

Tomorrow tips on how to prevent break-in's, on being "prepared" and what to do if it does happen to you. 

Daycare Hunt.

The search and research is on!

As I seek out an appropriate and safe Daycare for my son I realize how crazy it can be!

First off.... You....you well secured, high class, fancy teacher, awesome curriculum, high tech daycare...you had me at "Hello!"

But, they do say that, "Not everything that shines is gold!" {Or something like that...Ha.} So, regardless of how safe, advanced or certified a place can be, anything can happen.  And, I must seek out the best and most affordable place. I can't just jump into an expensive daycare life style for my son even if he does deserve the absolute best...it's not always feasible.

So, I will keep looking....there has to something equally amazing with a smaller price tag.... I am a bargain queen but always find great things!