This post is sponsored by Volkswagen SmileDrive, powered by Google. Go for happier drives.
Matt and I are always looking for more creative things to do with Mazen on the weekends, especially as he is older and more interested in his surroundings. When I got word that the Albemarle County Fair was happening this weekend, we decided to take a road trip into the country to Ash Lawn, the home of James Monroe, and call it a family day at the fair.
Helping us document our drive was the new Volkswagen SmileDrive app for Android.
The app syncs with your car via Bluetooth (or you can manually start and stop drives if you don’t have Bluetooth in your car) and records trips via GPS. The beauty of the app is that it can sync automatically with Google+ so can you share your trip route as well as the photos you take along the way. {Remember ‘Punch Dub’? If you have a Volkswagen you can collect virtual “punches” when you pass another Volkswagen!} We shared our Smilecast with Mazen’s grandparents, who are always chirping for more grandson photos.
Along the way into the country we passed Michie Tavern and Monticello where we stopped to snap photos to test out the app.
Wheee!
We hadn’t been to Ash Lawn before and wish we had had more time to go into the house too.
Loved all of the boxwoods!! Reminded me so much (by sight and by smell) of my grandmother
Once we got to the fairgrounds, it was packed with fun things to do for kids.
Oink!
I loved the ribbon building, which reminded me of the pickle building at the North Carolina State Fair that I visited every fall growing up.
They had lots of animals to see as well – M loves animals! He squeals whenever he sees one.
But he was a little too young for petting, so we rode this horsey instead
He did get to pet a bale of hay
And we caught his first time standing without hands on camera!!
That is until he went boom to the ground
Matt and I kept happy with a treat from Carpe Donut
The FRODO – a donut ice cream sandwich!
YES it was good!
When we had explored the edges of the fair, we piled back into the car and made another stop up to Carter’s Mountain where peaches are in season and the views are incredible
That green meadow below that bird on the right was where we were at the fair!
On top of the world!!
Here is a summary of our trip out of the city and back. SmileDrive puts your route and photos together into a professional video slideshow of your trip too! If you’re exploring a new city or taking a cross-country trip, this would be such an easy way to record your route and the sights along the way.
This post was sponsored by Volkswagen SmileDrive, powered by Google. Go for happier drives.
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says
Looks like a great app! I can’t believe how many teeth Mazen has! Such a cutie!
Oh yeah and a Fro-Do…best idea EVER! So stealing that one to make for the Mr! 🙂
Hope says
I need that donut ice cream sandwich in my life!
Maggie says
Yay for Android apps! Reading on the nexus now 🙂 I can’t wait to go apple picking at Carter mountain this fall!
Lauren @ The Highlands Life says
My gu, Archie, loves animals too! He can’t get enough of them.
Kinsey says
Mazen is such a cutie! He looks more and more like a little toddler every day.
Melissa says
I love this post! It looks like you and your family had a great time and Mazen is adorable! That Fro-Do looks very yummy, too!
Ashley @ Saving Money in your Twenties says
that looks like a fun road trip! i went apple picking at carter’s mountain a few years ago- what a beautiful place 🙂
Connie says
Kath, is that the Foonf? I vaguely remember you mentioning something about reviewing the Foonf but I dont think I’ve seen it on BERF yet. Would love to hear your thoughts as we are in the market for a convertible car seat!
KathEats says
Yes, we love it!!
Ashlee@HisnHers says
That is an awesome app! My hubby and I just went on an 1,100 mile, 5 day road trip for our 1 year anniversary. WISH I would’ve had this app for it!!!
And wish I had that ice cream sandwich 😉 YUM
Lauren says
This is a great example to other bloggers of how to incorporate sponsored posts. Very nice post and love the new format.
Linda says
Do they have this App for IPhone?
KathEats says
It’s a Google product, so I think it’s only Android for now
Alexa says
I need to try this in our Volkswagen!
mary @ minutes per mile says
what a neat app! my husband loves road trips and i love taking photos… perfect combo. your kiddo is too cute!! 🙂
Liz says
Lovely pics!!
Christine@ Apple of My Eye says
LOVE all of your pictures from the day, especially of the little guy! That donut looks out of this world ;). Mhmm!
annie says
Hi Kath… long time reader here. Looks like a really nice trip to the fair. I have to say I am really disappointed in this post. I totally understand that you’re doing more sponsored posts, but you are someone who is so pro-walking, and with a baby. Driving is necessary sometimes, but apps like these just distract us while driving, which is incredibly dangerous. Doesn’t really seem consistent with your message as a walk-as-much-as-possible mom. I think it’s tough for your readers to relate when your sponsored posts are SO different than your normal message. The GM post was another example of this. Anyway, just my 2 cents. I’m getting frustrated and as a long-time reader I thought you might like to hear why.
KathEats says
I walk everywhere I can walk, but we could not walk to the fair!! Also, the app is very clear when it starts that you should never use it while driving. I was the passenger on our trip so Matt had all eyes on the road.
Becky says
Hi Kath,
I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog for the past few years but I’ve been noticing, and maybe its just me, that there seem to be a lot more sponsored posts recently. Not that I don’t enjoy reading about new products every once and a while but is this the new direction for the blog?
Thanks.
KathEats says
It is a new direction. I recently mentioned it in this post for a bit more on the future of blog advertising
Becky says
Thanks!
Liz @ Tip Top Shape says
I haven’t been on the blogs for a while and Mazen has gotten so big!! I love that you guys went to a county fair. I’ve never been to one, but I’ve always wanted to. They look like so much fun!!
Katy Widrick says
That’s really cool! I have an iPhone but we have a tablet that runs on Android…wonder if this would work. {{{running to check}}}
Christina @ The Beautiful Balance says
What an awesome app! Mazen looks like he had such a fun time.
lynn @ the actor's diet says
Very cool – I JUST got a new VW Golf and want to test it out – but I have an iPhone…
Emily @ Life on Food says
Fairs are so much fun. In New England they are more of a fall activity. I cannot wait till the start.
Casey @ Life of a Hashbrown says
All of your pictures make me want to live in your hometown!!! How do you find such amazing things to do every weekend?
Lisa says
Mazen is such a cutie! 🙂
Myprotein discount code says
This makes me wish I lived in the countryside!
Erika @ fortheloveofpeanutbutter says
NEED THAT FRODO. periodendofstory.
Shel@PeachyPalate says
Looks like such a quaint little fair! One of my favourite things to do with my little niece…
Jasmine, bama + ry says
Mazen is so very sweet. And, have I mentioned what great taste in jewelry you have? :p
Great pictures! xo
KathEats says
🙂
Hillary | Nutrition Nut on the Run says
that donut truck is one of the cutest food trucks i’ve seen.
Kim @ Healthy Living in the City says
Looks like a pretty nifty app! I have an iPhone, so that might be an issue, but I would have LOVED this app when my husband and I went on our honeymoon in Peru in the spring. I’m a big map person and I’ve been trying to match the photos of our trip with a map. They are sort of geo-tagged already, but being in airplane mode the entire time, the geo-tagging was based on the times we had wireless internet. I guess I might have run into the same issue with this app in Peru anyway. Oh well.
Anyway, looks like you had a great little day trip! I LOVE your pink shorts! They are such a fun color! 🙂
Marissa@ohhhsolovely says
what a fun activity for the family, but especially M. as a teacher of young ones, i love hands on & creative things like this for the kiddos. i do anticipate (not a parent just yet!) that this is one of the hardest areas of parenting – coming up with different, educational things to do with the kids and keeping it exciting for them.
Kylee says
Oh my goodness, Mazen is looking more and more like a little boy everyday! Amazing how quickly they change!
Just curious, cute sandals…do you remember where you found them?
KathEats says
Marshalls…sadly they are gone at mine already
Randy says
It looks like everyone had a great time at the fair.
Beautiful VA scenery pics, I live in Oregon and it is nice and green here too.
Kitty A. says
Mazen looks so cute with his little teeth! He’s turning into such a big boy!
Emily says
Longtime reader, just wanted to put out there that your sponsored posts are hard to read. Reading about a car, a trip, or a phone app are not what I want to read on a healthy lifestyle blog. I find myself reading less and less, mainly because the blog is not what it used to be. I realize this is the direction you say it’s going, but other blogs don’t seem to be doing this. Good Luck.
Maggie says
These are my sentiments exactly. I don’t mean to offend or make you upset, but the nutrition/health aspect of this blog has waned, and as a longtime reader, I am very frustrated. I don’t read blogs to read product endorsements. I agree with other readers that you should do a survey to see if this is the kind of content desired by your audience. I respectfully wish you best of luck.
Maggie @ Sunnyside Up Smile says
One of the best parts of summer is definitely the county fair! I love watching the judging of the pie contest 😉
Allison k says
We called it “slug bug!” I know a few people who called it punch bug, but never punch dub! I find these regional differences interesting. Sort if like “peep eye” (peepie?!) I’d never heard that till I read it on your blog! Oh, and cheer wine! Didn’t even know it existed!
Brandi says
Fun outing! Just wanted to point out that it looks like Mazen’s car seat straps appear to be a bit loose in these pictures. Don’t forget to do a pinch test to see if the straps are tight enough! Here is a pictorial: http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=49030
Alison says
Sorry Kath, but the sponsored posts are really getting old. They are so out of touch with the so-called “focus” of your blog. They really just seem random sometimes, and not necessarily geared towards the theme. Are you doing them solely for the profit, or because they are products you actually want to try? This product just does not seem to be something you would normally write about, but because they are paying you, you used an entire day’s post to talk about it. It seems that other long-time readers like myself are frustrated as well. Perhaps you could do a survey to see what direction your readers would like the blog to go? Just my two cents. Have a great weekend.
Mari says
Just wanted to leave a comment as a longtime reader. I too am getting annoyed with so many sponsored posts. This blog no longer feels as authentic because there are so many sponsored posts, and many don’t feel consistent with your overall message — the posts sponsored by corporations like Tide and General Mills come to mind. In the past I enjoyed reading about new products or foods you’d discovered, but now it just feels like I’m reading commercials. I know you say this is the ‘future’ of blog advertising, but other blogs that I read seem to be more discriminating about how they incorporate advertisements.
KathEats says
Skip the sponsored posts and jump to today’s – it’s all local products
KathEats says
Well, not all local, but products I’ve found
Janice says
To the last two posters, Kath is entitled to make a living!
Skip them if you don’t like them.
Last time I checked Target, Home Goods and Trader Joe’s do not accept loyal blog readership as payment at the checkout!
Jordan says
I agree with Janice. As a mother of a 1 year old, I appreciate any post that shows you entertaining a little one (even if it’s sponsored!). They need to see more of the world outside where you can walk. Keep on doing what you’re doing Kath!
HeatherFromKC says
Loving all of your post. I love hearing about new apps, products, recipes, etc. Keep doing what you are doing, Kath
Neil Butterfield says
Mazen has gotten bigger and looks to cute for words 🙂