GIVEAWAY: Evenflo ProComfort Symphony DLX Car Seat
Two weeks ago, when I talked about how I spend all my time at the house shuttling my kids around in the car, someone said I was doing too much. I should just open the door and toss them outside.
Point taken. The ability to "toss the kids outside" was one of the main reasons we bought the house.
But, try as I might, I keep winding up at Target or the supermarket and nothing can get me out of driving Mazzy to camp. I gave her a map and a good pair of sneakers but she just looked at me blankly and I was like, "Oh, alright, get in the car."
And then, poor Harlow. The girl has taken a backseat to Mazzy since she was born. Her whole life is basically spent napping or taking Mazzy wherever she needs to go. That's why, instead of just plopping Harlow in the car while I do errands, I decided to take her somewhere for real. I was even going to take Harlow while Mazzy was in camp, so I wouldn't spend the whole time chasing and chastising my four-year-old.
Is it just me or can four-year-olds really ruin a family outing?
Yesterday, I drove Harlow out to Harbes Farms in the North Fork which has a farmer's market, a picnic area and a petting zoo. They've got pony rides and pig races on the weekends, but this was a Monday and Harlow had never seen a live animal besides a dog (poor deprived child), so she wouldn't have any idea what she was missing.
Harlow rode there in style in her new Symphony DLX car seat, part of Evenflo's new ProComfort Series, sold online and at Target. That's the one area Harlow seems to have it better than her sister— car seat comfort.
The ProComfort Series was created because Evenflo realized carseat safety is not just about minimizing the impact of an accident, it's about minimizing distractions from the road due to parents attending to children who are uncomfortable. The ProComfort Series uses innovative gel matrix technology which reduces pressure point build-up alleviating discomfort (short term and long term) for a safer, more peaceful ride.
Harlow fell asleep in the car on the way, even though it wasn't her naptime, because— DUH— COMFORT, which made me wonder if perhaps Evenflo should start making adult car seats and then I was like, no, falling asleep at the wheel would be a bad thing, so let's forget I mentioned it.
Stick with the children, Evenflo, thanks.
Harlow is hit or miss when we take her new places. She can get excited and want to run around, or she can get scared and want me to hold her the entire time. Luckily, the farm sparked something in her immediately.
First, we had a picnic lunch. I bought us both watermelon and fresh corn on the cob from the farm stand.
FYI- Harlow calls corn on the cob "Harlow's corn" and don't you try to call it anything different.
Then I let her run around the farm, but we didn't get far. Three steps in and Harlow saw the chicken coop.
"Chickens!" she screamed and bolted over like they were each standing there holding out a present for her. (Check out Harlow shrieking "chickens" on instagram).
Then she moved onto the billy goats. I pointed out a baby goat and she went nuts.
"Baby baby baby baby baby!!!!"
Then she saw some bearded goats which she insisted on giving each an air kiss. SMART CHOICE.
And lastly, and best of all, she saw the sheep. Harlow stuck her little hand through the gate and touched the tip of one sheep's nose.
"I touched it!!!!" she screamed before she went back for more. Then she spent the next half hour poking her fingers through the fence, waiting for one of the sheep to press his nose up against her little hand. Each time her hand got nuzzled, she started squealing with delight and ran in circles.
Oh goodie, I've got video.
I could have watched her do that ALL DAY.
But alas, it was time to pick Mazzy up from camp. (Isn't it always?)
Ten baby wipes and a bottle of hand sanitizer later, we were back in the car, on the road once again.
Good thing Harlow fell asleep in her car seat on the way back too.
Dreaming of bearded goat kisses, I imagine.
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NEW GIVEAWAY (winner announced on 9/02/14):
Today, I'm excited to give away another Evenflo ProComfort Symphony DLX All-In-One Car Seat ($249.99)!
All you have to do is…
1) Follow both Evenflo and Mommy Shorts on facebook and then leave a comment below answering the following question:
What was your child's favorite day trip experience? Petting zoos, amusement parks, trips to Target (who could blame him), please give me future day trip ideas in the comment section below.
2) Please like and/or share this post if you enter. It's not required, but it would be nice!
That's it! You can find the official rules here.
Winner will be selected randomly and announced on September 2nd.
If you don't win, don't worry! I am giving away one more Evenflo car seats in the upcoming weeks.
LAST WEEK'S WINNER (from giveaway on 8/08/14):
Congratulations to Sabrina, who won last week's Evenflo Symphony Car Seat giveaway! She was selected randomly and left the following comment about her worst road trip:
"We took a 16 hour road trip with my 10 month-old daughter and 13 year-old. My baby hates the car seat so when she wasn't sleeping she was crying. The only thing that would distract her was the theme song to Roly Poly Olie over and over. She had at least two diaper blowouts and I had to pull over on the side of the road to breastfeed her several times. It was worth it though to see my family who I only get to see once a year."
Let's hope that road trip is easier next year with your new Symphony DLX!
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This post was sponsored by Evenflo but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I took my 2.5 year old to the county fair solo this summer. We had a fun mommy/daughter day filled with fried food, lemonade, animals, flowers, games, and rides she went on solo! We learned it’s good to be a cute toddler playing carnival games on a slow day! It was lots of fun.
We have a children’s museum with a play-in fountain in the front. She LOVES it.
My kids really do love target. I honestly think that if they were lost they would ask a cop to take them to target. We had to stay at a hotek this weekend because of storm causing poweroutages in the morning they saw a burger king and want to eat there nd play in the play ground. When i said we needed to stop by target and we would get snacks there they didnt even blink. Lol
My daughter loves penguins, so her favorite day trip has been to the aquarium, where she proceeded to ignore the real live penguins so she could make out and hug to death the fake penguin statues next to the exhibit.
We love going out to our family’s lake cabin. 45 minutes away, but well worth the drive to see my two little boys splashing and playing in the water with such excitement on their faces! They always tire themselves out and fall asleep on the way home, so this would be great for my youngest to have a comfy place to crash after so much fun!
The Beach! My 4 year old will run into the water screaming “I LOVE swimming!!!” at the top of her lungs. The beach is also great because it’s free and you can pack a lunch.(Also, if it a messy lunch, it’s okay because of the swimming that follows…)
We love the zoo!
The pool. My baby girl is a fish. I’m sadly allergic to chlorine, but happy to watch her and hubby splash it up.
We’ve got four kids in tow now, and while two are now loving the ability to ride in their Evenflo booster seats, my 3 year old still rides in comfort in his Evenflo 65e. I love the Evenflo car seats and have been very impressed with the new mods they have brought to the new seats. I’ve been trying to convince my husband that we need to buy our new daughter one for when she’s too heavy to lug around in the infant car seat. Plus I’ve actually wondered if she would ride better in a convertible seat rather than the infant carrier….
I think one of my favorite trips out was taking my kids to Story Land for our daughters 4th birthday! She was so excited and enjoyed the day out. She even got to have Cinderella song her happy birthday! It was a great day, especially seeing how both our youngest son and our daughter fell asleep at the end of the day on the ride home!
The baby pool really blew my 9 month olds mind
Our children’s favorite day trip experience was when we drove to St. Louis and went to the zoo. We watch the sea lion show, and got to pet sting rays.
I’m excited for fall because we love going to fall festivals, corn mazes, and the pumpkin patch!
My 8 month old loves going to the bowling alley! Loud and so much going on!
Big brother LOVES to go to the playground. He’s been to museums, the zoo, the aquarium, etc. but any time you ask him what he wants to do that day, it’s always to go to the playground. Thankfully we live in a city with enough parks to keep it interesting, which works out for me as I’m seven months pregnant and can just watch while he plays. Well I say it works out but only until we drive by a playground or indoor play place (Curse you McDonald’s! Lol) we cannot stop at or we accidentally slip up and say the p-word on a day we are not going to go to one.
Baltimore aquarium was our favorite day trip, my daughter was enthrall end with all of the fish!
our daughter loves to go to this museum that’s about an hour away from us called pretend city. Unfortunately we haven’t been able to go there since our son was born because he does not like to be in the car for very long
My little guy is only 6 months old so for now he enjoys the grocery store and Target trips with mommy. He likes looking around at everything going on and hearin all the new sounds. It always seems to keep him busy.
The zoo is always a favorite but for a special day in the fall, we love to go to the cider mill. Fresh donuts, fresh cider, pumpkin picking, beautiful walks in the autumn air with spectacular fall colors…dreamy!
My kids love going to the county park to hike and work n their nature collections
My little ones love our Target day trips! It happens more than I’d like to admit 😉 My third is just starting to outgrow her infant car seat and will need a new one soon! I love Evenflo, my favorite car seat brand 🙂
My little one loved visiting South Wick Zoo in MA where Deer came up to her and ate out of her hand! (i like both pages on facebook)
I shared the post on my facebook page
My daughters favorite road trips are ones that end up at our family house, we just moved back to the states so she loves getting to meet all of them.
(I like both pages)
When we lived in North Carolina, we took an awesome day trip to this little town that gave free guitar and mandolin lessons to kids, we walked around the downtown, had ice cream, took a short car ride to the top of a mountain that had scenic lookouts and short (1/4 mile) hikes, and ended the day with music. It was such a sweet day – the weather was beautiful!
My 21 month old Lance favorite day trip is Sams club and Lowes. He likes to sit in the bottom of the cart and try all the free samples. Lowes has plants, riding lawn mowers (tractors), all kinds of stuff to look at and most of it isnt breakable!
The 2 year old loves the beach. Total love. Or anywhere there is a train to see or ride. Mention trains and he’s climbing into the carseat all by himself.
Splash pad, aquarium, zoo, biking with a bike trailer is her favorite, walking around a lake, feeding ducks.
The zoo! We have a really nice free zoo in Chicago. Not that that helps you…
Favorite road trip is to Nana’s house because everyone knows where the cookies are!
The aquarium!!!
I took my one yr old to the zoo for the first time. It was great seeing him point and question everything.
My son absolutely loves trains and the day trip he liked the most was a trip to the Strasbourg train museum. He totally flipped out when we got to ride a train!!! Best. Day. Trip. ever!!!!
My little one loved her first trip to the beach, she found everything so fascinating, she spent the whole time playing in the sand and enjoyed a quick dip in the ocean!
My kids love the beach. It’s an hour away, and we have to drive route 126 through the coastal range mountains. Lots of turns, inclines, and dips that Daddy takes like a race car driver. I think the kids like the drive as much as they like the destination. They put their hands up and yell ‘eeeeeeee’ over every bump and dip.
My daughter has a feeding tube and has to stay in her infant-carrier seat whenever she’s eating, so ANYWHERE that she’s not strapped in is her favorite outing. Target, the grocery store(it’s not so bad with just one!), and the mall are my go-to’s with her in the cart or her stroller. Outdoor malls are a bonus if the weather’s nice!!
Our town over from us has a railroad junction that gives rides for $5/person. When we had our daughter, my husband and I took our son, and now we go as a family every summer. We pack a lunch, and it only takes about 3 hours for the whole trip. Yay for cheap and close!
We took my 2 1/2 year old son to the Birmingham Zoo in Alabama at the beginning of summer. This opportunity couldn’t have been better, it has two of my sons favorite things….outdoors and animals! Before we arrived he couldn’t wait to see the monkeys but he was blew away at all the animals he got to see and even got to feed the fish. There was only one animal he wouldn’t get close to…the camel lol Have no idea why!! For our little toddler the zoo was no doubt a hit!! We will go again 🙂 Bless him….he had such a great time and wore himself out that we didn’t even make it out of the parking spot before he was asleep 🙂 A zoo is a must 🙂
Stew Leonard’s. Samples, kid entertainment, and a large wine section. what more could you ask for? Oh right, the fresh donuts! I think there’s one in Yonkers or White Plains that you and Harlow could check out one day once Mazzy starts school.
We took our 17 month old to a farm to look at calves and she loved it. She loves going to parks and splash pads too. We’re taking her to the zoo in a few weeks and are looking forward to her first aquarium trip maybe in the fall.
I have 3 boys, under the age of 5, and our favorite place to go is to the zoo. Watching the excitement on my sons faces for all the animals is worth the stroller derby on the hot pavement to get to the big animal exhibits. Every time we go and they see the animals it is like the first time. It is worth the hour of preparation and the mile walk to the front gate.
His favorite trip is to the mall because he loves to see all the stores and people. We love to listen to Raffi on the drive.
Favorite day trips are anywhere out of the house!! 🙂
I try to keep it simple, with a 7 yr old, 4 yr old and 2 yr old every trip is always an adventure!!!
Love your blog! Keep up the great work!
We live in a small town and anywhere “big” is at least 30 minutes away! So my kids don’t care where we’re going, as long as they have an iPad or a DVD 🙂 We love taking trips to Kansas City or Branson, MO though!
My daughter loves the library! She runs around like a maniac pulling books off the shelf and squealing. She also loves the airport because it has a clear elevator so she can see us going up and down. We live on a farm, so city stuff is far more interesting to her.
My daughters not 1 yet so I’m not sure what her favorite day trip will be, but I look forward to taking her on many trips to zoos, lakes, parks, and beaches!
We took a day trip to the Ozarks and we loved the water!!
My oldest loves going to his great uncle’s dairy he will play with the calves and barn kitties all day. Though we recently we to a reptile zoo where he got to hold a snake and we all enjoyed that.
The little dude loves going anywhere, from the park, to great grandma’s (a 10-hour ride).
But the best hands down has got to be Venice Beach 2013. It’s where he found his love of fries & sandcastles, & where he started walking. He walked on the beach, the pier, the bike path, walked with grandpa & dad right into the ocean waves. Never even flinched. Swears he remembers it to this day =)
We recently made a day of going a
Yard saleing with one of my 7 month old twins (brother
Stayed with Grandma.) I was very nervous as we had lots planned, leaving little time for meltdowns. To my utter surprise, he lived it! From the in and out of Daddy’s work truck, to all the attention he got for being so cute, he was great all day. It is absolutely something I’ll try again.
Beach! My daughter could play in the sand and water all day, every day.
Day trip to Good Harbor beach in Gloucester, followed by ice cream. The crucial part to make it special is no naps! Other ideas for you: apple picking, bowling alley with bumpers (the ones that go on the side of the lanes, not up your nose), puppet show theatre.
We love going to pick fresh fruits! I have also done day trips…long…day trips to Sesame Place and my 2 yr old is OBSESSED! My 1 yr old is still a bit too little for these trips but he smiles n laughs the whole time anyway! We also love playdates with our friends at the park or each others houses! Childrens museums are also a blast! 🙂
I would actually have LOVED to take my daughter to the zoo and that was the plan but I am pregnant with my second and only have a couple weeks left to go so I found walking around became an issue for me. Hoping next year we can make it happen. but other then that she is loves the playground ! Its not hard to entertain our daughter 🙂
My baby always enjoys a nice long trip to Toys R Us! She gets to roll about in a shopping cart and touch and play with all the toys that she wants! And it’s a great way to get ideas for her 1st birthday gifts!
My 10 mth olds favorite day trips are to the beach. He also loves the local aquarium!
My 6 kids (11,8,7,5,3&2) love visiting Pymatuning Deer Park. It’s a hands on zoo about an hour from our house.
Our best family day trip experience would be when we got to take my son Jayden to the State Fair. Although I was 7 months pregnant and exhausted from walking and the heat, seeing his huge smile while on the kiddie rides, watching the sea lions, face painting, playing with baby pigs, stuffing his face with cotton candy and ice cream, and all the other great stuff he got to experience was just awesome! This year we plan to take big brother and my now 10 month old daughter for another fun day trip to the state fair 🙂 just hope its not as hot as last year for this 6 month pregnant lady again!
We have this great place called Bookworm Gardens near us that has different outdoor gardens and exhibits based on children’s books. My almost-4 year old was obsessed with it and has been asking to go back ever since!
We live in WI and just discovered a place about an hour from home called Bookworm Gardens. It has a series of gardens based on children’s stories and literature. My daughter loved it (and so did I!). Before this new discovery, I think our favorite day trip was to the beach.
My daughter Luna’s favourite trip is probably visiting family and friends. But defiantly visiting Grandma and Grandpa’s house, she gets so excited!
(Liked both already)
Favorite day trip would be the Museum of Ancient Life in Lehi, Utah. It has SO MANY dinosaur fossils/displays. Our first trip was when my daughter was almost two and nutty about dinosaurs. She still loves it 4 years later.
My daughter loves going to the zoo with her cousins. Kind of hard to do now that the cousins are back in school though.
I don’t know what part of WI you are in, but have you checked out the N.E.W Zoo? I’ve not been there since my daughter was born, but my husband and I loved it.
Liked share and +’ed as well. 😀
Not a day trip that I would recommend but my kiddo thinks riding on planes is a blast!
I grew up in Germany and my favorite memories are the times spent playing outside – unstrtured free play with the neighborhood kids.
My daughters favorite day trip with us was to this place called Tobias Lake. It is a small zoo that has a safari ride where you ride in this chopped top bus and get to see large animals like deer, longhorns and the like all up very close. It was great!
My daughter’s favorite day trips are to the zoo, Walmart and of course Grandpa’s. To help keep a car ride calm we listen to the Frozen soundtrack or her CD with nursery rhymes, she sings along with all of the songs.
Our son absolutely loves the aquarium and the dinosaur museum. He is obsessed with animals and wants to know everything there is to know about animals, their behavior and anatomy. He prefers animal models and bone related toys (Dinosaurs) over candy. I think it has to do with the fact that one of his favorite documentaries is the Life series and he is trying to see as many animals from the documentary in real life. I am thrilled that he prefers excursions that involve learning!
Favorite day trip for my daughter is to her grandfather’s house in the country. She can ride horses, play with the dogs and kitties and run free!
my daughter loves the zoo and the beach
We have a lot of great kids’ activities in our town. Our oldest daughter loves to go to Old McDonald’s Farm, Reptile Gardens, Storybook Island.ALl of these places are within 30 minutes of our house, too.
My favorite day trip was last month when we drove from New Jersey to see the Statue of Liberty. We are from Ohio and toured New England over 2 weeks.
Definitely the zoo. Every time we go my now 20 month old discovers a new animal he loves.
Took my boys (9 mos, 4 yrs and 9 yrs old) to the aquarium not too long ago def a fave vacation trip 🙂 my 4 yr old loves looking at anything with sharks now
My 1.5 year old son loves our trips to the Zoo!
My daughter had the best time playing at the splash pad in the Virginia Avenue Park in Santa Monica, CA. There were so many kids her age (2yrs)that she fit right in. Everyone was so friendly and there was so much to do. There are 2 play ground areas as well as a Farmer’s Market on Saturdays!
My 4 month old daughter and I took our first road trip to Florida… She disliked it. She was so uncomfortable in her car seat. I had to stop at rest stops just to console her. I felt so bad I tried toys music her favorite dolly nothing worked. My baby hates the car seat so when she wasn’t sleeping she was crying so after 3 bottles and 4-5 pamper changes I desided to roll up some receiving blankets to prop her up and walla that worked. The only thing that would distract her was me or my niece holding or rocking her. So that 19 hour drive felt sooo much longer.. But I’m the end It was worth it. We got to see our family. I’d definitely do it all over again just with a better more comfy car seat for my baby girl.
Harlow is beautiful, god bless her and your family. She looks like she had a blast, which is all that really matters to see them smile while exploring the real world. Although I haven’t had many opportunities as of yet to do things like that bc my son is only 5 months. (He’s my first) I look forward to the days and months ahead where I will be able to take him to the museums, aquariums, zoos, amusement parks and so much more. I’m entering this because my little one is a tall baby and he’s growing out of his infant car seat so quick. (It’s a hassle to get his long legs out of the harness) however he really enjoys it when we go for a stroll to the park, the piers , and or riding around the city to see the bright lights of time square. Seeming him smile and chuckle with laughter as he meets new people, watching the boats traveling by, the birds we feed as they come down, brings me so much joy. I can’t wait to do so much more with him. 😉 good luck to everyone and thank you for the chance to win this really cool car seat.
Both my kids loved going to the Science and Life Museum in Durham, NC! They loved the butterfly enclosure (and so did mommy!)
We love to go “hiking” with the little ones. We pick a trail that’s about 1-2 miles long, and my toddler picks up rocks, sticks, leaves, etc. and has “races” with daddy here and there. We take pictures of him after having climbed on rocks and he thinks it’s the best thing ever. The simple things are sometimes the best!
My daughter had a friends birthday party at a roller skating rink. So my wife and I took her, along with my 7 month old son, to the party. Immediately my daughter, who is 9, started throwing on her roller skates to get going with her friends. By the time she made it out on the floor a majority of her friends were surrounding her baby brother instead. lol. Needless to say my lil man is a flirt. 🙂
My daughter’s favourite trip to date was the Toronto Metro Zoo on teacher day. She was super excited watching the Penguins! I have videos of her giggling and flailing her arms!! She’s 21 months old now, they grow so fast! This is such a great car seat, we have an Evenflo but it’s a lower model, this one would be so much more comfy for my girl. 🙂
My favorite long car ride is when my son, Conner, was 9 months old. We traveled about 7 hours to surprise my husband’s grandfather for his 80th birthday. It was our first time on a car ride longer than 2 hours. I was extremely nervous, but Conner did wonderfully! We were about to surprise Great-Granddaddy and spent a wonderful weekend with him and other family.
My little guy loves going on day trips to the animal park! He’s growing like a weed…a new seat will soon be needed..lol.
My 18 month old girl loves going with me to drop off her 4 year old cousin at preschool. I would drop her off around 12 pm. So it would a lunch time And she would love sitting next to her and seeing her and her friends . They both would start to giggle at each other. I love it. So cute .. Hope this is a good experience for her and getting her ready for her future time in school. Of course my 18 months old starts cring and screaming when we have to leave .
We Love The Zoo!
My Daughter Literally runs Through The Entire Zoo Because She’s So Darn Exited!
We Also Love The SprayGround! She Would Live There If I Let Her.
Future Idea, My Girl Loves Parks And Playground. We Are Going To Do A Parks tour. Pack A Picnic And Visit A Park or Two Each Weekend.
We took our son to the Children’s Discovery Museum in San Jose for the first time 2 weeks ago. I have seen happiness on my son’s face but nothing like the awe and splendor I encountered with him that day. We started out in the water works sections and he didn’t know where to start first; he was walking about ‘oohing and awing’ at the stations. He didn’t like the splash of water on his face but soon recovered instantly because he was into everything. The whole museum was very simulating but not overwhelming because there is so much for the little ones to do. From the bubble station to the mammoth exhibit. It definitely drained all our energy. I can’t wait to take him to the exploratorium in San Francisco.
My son really enjoyed when we took him to see the goats at a local farm.
Target is ALWAYS a winner with my kids!!
There is this place in North Carolina called “Mikr’s Farm”. It is an old tobacco farm, but they raise Christmas trees, strawberries, and they have a “Christmas tree all year” area inside the gift shop. It is something magical there. I absolutely loved taking the kids there! There are goats you can feed, and they have bunnies, chickens, turkeys, sheep and donkeys. We would eat at the onsite restraunt where the mac’n’cheese is amazing!!! My kids used to live running around and the food, and bakery! There was always a line for tractor rides, and there were ride in toys the kids could play with. It’s simple, but sooooooo many happy memories!
The zoo. Took us seven hours and my child didn’t miss a thing
The Calgary zoo. We are travelling to bc which is a eight hour drive. It would be nice for my daughter to have a nice comfy car set.
Definitely the SC Aquarium in Charleston, SC or any day we head over to the beach (an hour away)
We love to take our son to Hank’s Pumpkintown in Watermill, NY every year in October. It’s a drive to get there, but so worth it.
My 7 month old is currently hauled around everywherefrom daycare in the morning to errands i the evening. She currently rides around in a baby trend infant carrier and is never afraid to let mommy k ow when her but is hurting from beibg stuck in this seat whether its from travel in the car or attached to a cart at Walmart, but by far her fav trip, though it may kill her bottom is the 4 hour trip to visit grandma & grandpa. So it may be an uncomfortable ride, but definately worth it.
My girls absolutely love the park. If you say a word that even sounds like park you won’t hear the end of it until you actually go. My husband asked me “did you fart?” My two year old said “we going to the park! We going to the park!” We looked at each other and laughed so hard he actually farted lol! #swingingequalsblissandfarts
We live on a farm, so my daughter spends most of her days outside, but she absolutely loves going to the park and going shopping for princess things.
We love going to the zoo. Our local zoo has an awesome Otter exhibit where the kids can stand right up by the glass and see the otters swim. We actually went today and had a blast!!
My 5 month old twin girls enjoy shopping trips. I am looking forward to bringing them to the beach when they are older. We would love to have evenflo car seats, because it is so hot in Florida!