Five on Friday - Kia Telluride, Apple Watch Case, and Plant Update

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The kids had another great week at school, and I feel like I was able to relax and focus on work a little more this week compared to last week.  I’m still constantly second guessing our decision to send them back to school in-person, but after talking with our pediatrician about it this week at Jacob’s well visit, he did help put my mind at ease a little. He said our school’s reopening plan is great, and so are all of the things we’re doing at home.  You can read about everything we’re doing to keep them safe for in-person learning here if you missed it.

Having the kids back in school and having that sense of normalcy (even though everything else is still weird) has been good for all of us, even though it’s been a little stressful getting back into the swing of things after the extended break.  I’m praying that everything continues to go well there, so we’ll have this to hold onto for a while.  I just can’t imagine having to take that away from them again. 

Okay, it’s time for some of my favorites for the week!

O N E – We Bought a New SUV!!

I mentioned this in my recap post earlier this week, but we finally decided on an SUV for me!!!!  We decided to go with the Kia Telluride because it has every single thing I was wanting and more.  And it’s just so beauty-ful, y’all.  I’ve gotten many questions about it, so I thought I’d answer the most common ones here.

-       What exterior color did you choose?  I went with Snow White Pearl for the exterior.  It’s a pearly white that shimmers a little in the sun and it’s soooo pretty.  The owner at the dealership did tell me that Kia is replacing Snow White Pearl with a different white called Glacier White Pearl (I think?) so depending on when the cutoff is for the Snow White Pearl, mine may end up being Glacier White Pearl.  She did say that the Glacier White Pearl is super similar to the Snow White Pearl, though, so the difference won’t be very noticeable.

-       What interior color did you choose?  I went with Gray Sofino for the interior.  When it comes to interior colors, I’ve always been a fan of gray.  I do also LOVE the way black looks (because it looks so sleek), but after living with black interior for the last 10 years in my Honda, I will NEVERRRR have it again.  Why?  Because it always looks filthy.  You can see every single speck of dirt on it.  Also, because black interior is SO HOT.  We live in the south where it can easily get over 100 degrees during the summer, and most days when I sit down with shorts on, my legs literally feel like they’re burning.  My old car with lighter gray interior never burned my legs.  I will say this about the Gray Sofino, though, the owner at the dealership did tell me that the gray is a super light shade and it looks much lighter in person than it does on the website.  I’m hoping it doesn’t end up being too light, but I figure any shade of gray is better than black, so I’m sure it will be fine.

-       What upgrades did you get, if any?  Sunroofs (sunrooves? LOL) are my favorite thing ever, and I’ve had one in every vehicle since I was 17.  I don’t ever want a vehicle without one, so a sunroof was an absolute must for me.  Therefore, we did upgrade to a trim that has the sunroof.  Kia does offer another upgrade that includes duel sunroofs (otherwise known as a moonroof) and I LOVE that but it’s only available on the most expensive trim which is just WAY more than I’m willing to pay for a vehicle.  So a single sunroof it is!  Other than the sunroof, I didn’t feel any other upgrades were necessary because it already comes standard with the “extras” that I wanted – multimedia system with touch screen, backup camera, Bluetooth, heated seats, and loads of USB ports.  It also comes standard with a bunch of other stuff that I didn’t even care to have – Apple CarPlay (which will probably end up being awesome!), pedestrian detection, lane keep assist, automatic lane centering, blind spot detection, and a crapload of other stuff… I mean, what more could you possibly want or need?!

-       Why did you choose the Telluride over the other SUVs you test drove?  We test drove a Volkswagen Atlas and a Hyundai Palisade in addition to the Telluride.  The Telluride drove waaaay smoother, comes standard with a better engine, and is also rated higher for safety than the Atlas, so I crossed the Atlas off the list immediately.  The Telluride and the Palisade are neck and neck as far as handling, safety, comfort, luxury, and features are concerned, so it really came down to which one looks better.  I personally think the Telluride is the best-looking SUV on the market right now so that gave it the edge over the Palisade for me, personally.  The Telluride also comes with a 10-year warranty + free tires for life and it’s also made right down the road from us in Georgia, so we are literally supporting local business with our purchase.  Our Kia dealership is also family-owned, and I love knowing we’re supporting a local family, not to mention I think they’ll be easier to deal with for vehicle maintenance than our local Hyundai dealership will be.  I bought my Honda from the same corporation who owns our Hyundai dealership and I absolutely cannot stand them.  Vehicle maintenance has been nothing but a hassle there for the last ten years and I will not miss it!

I worked with our local dealership late last week to get the order placed for the exact Telluride I want, and they are just awaiting a date from the factory.  The downside is that it will likely be a couple of months before it’s ready because Kia is struggling to keep up with the high demand for this vehicle, but it’ll be worth the wait to have exactly what I want!  I’ve never had Bluetooth or a screen in my car, and I’m always insanely jealous of B’s, so I’m reeeeaaaally excited!  Mine will look like this, but without the fancy rims.

T W O – Need Your Opinion!

I’ve worn a watch for most of my life, but I’ve always had issues with the faces getting scratched.  When I got my Apple Watch, I was especially worried about scratches/shattering, so I immediately bought a case to protect it.

I bought this two-pack (one rose pink and one clear) for $9.99 on Amazon and it has done a great job of protecting it so far.  The case is easy to put on, it isn’t at all bulky, and it doesn’t obstruct your view of the watch screen in any way. 

The only issue I’m having is this – if my wrist gets really wet from water or sweat, the moisture will sometimes make its way between the face of the watch and the case since the case is open in the back to allow the watch sensor to rest directly on your skin.  When moisture gets in there, the touch screen on the watch doesn’t register, so I have to remove the case from the watch and wipe everything dry.  This doesn’t happen very often, so it’s not that big of a deal, but when it does, it’s annoying. 

My question to all of you Apple Watch wearers is this – do you have a case or screen protector on yours?  And if you don’t, how has your watch held up over the months/years?  I’m obviously not worried about protecting the watch from liquid since it’s waterproof, so I’m only concerned about scratching/shattering.  I’d love to just not use a case at all, but I also want to protect my investment.  Thoughts?

T H R E E – Living Room Decor

When we first started quarantining, I went crazy with the house projects, but I think my favorite of all has been this one – switching the art out over our living room mantle.  That small change has made such a major impact on the whole ground floor of our house.  It’s so much brighter and so very cheerful in there now! 

I am a little worried about decorating for fall and Christmas around it since the colors give more of a spring and summer vibe, but I’m looking forward to the challenge!!  Stay tuned, because I’ll be pulling the fall décor out soon… hopefully this weekend!  EEK!

Before

After

F O U R – Plant Update

My Mama Cass (grandmother) potted a clipping from her 50+ year old plant and gave it to me several years ago and… I killed it.  She prepared another clipping for me after that one died, and… I killed that one, too.  Sigh.  Two years ago, we decided to try one final time, and I’m happy to report that the third time was a charm!  Just look at this beauty now compared to two years ago.  It’s growing like a weed!

Two years ago when first potted

Today

It makes me so happy to know that my green thumb is coming along, and it makes me even happier to have a little piece of my Mama Cass’s house right here in my own.  That plant has been around since the 1960’s when my great-grandmother received it as a get-well gift from a hospital stay, and it has been in the front window of my grandparents’ house for as long as I can remember. 

I know I’ve told this story several times here on the blog, but I just think it’s SO COOL that I have a clipping from a plant that’s been in our family for almost 60 years!

F I V E – Covid Cases Declining in Our County

Georgia has been a hot zone for Covid cases these last couple of months, and cases have been on the rise in our county for weeks on end.  However, this week, our county is finally reporting that cases have been on a steady decline for a few weeks now and it looks like we’ve finally flattened the curve!  That is THE BEST NEWS, especially since we decided to send our kids back to school in-person.

However, with the good news, there’s usually bad, and they are anticipating that cases will start to rise again when public schools in our county return to in-person classes after Labor Day.  I’m just praying they are wrong. 

In the meantime, I’m just going to focus on the positive!

Friday Funnies

Literally what I keep thinking is going to happen.  Lol.

No caption needed.  Lol.

THIS!!  Anybody else??

The struggle was real.

Sometimes I really miss those days...

On the Blog This Week

Things We’re Doing to Keep Our Family Safe While Our Kids Attend School In-Person

Our Week – The One with Quarantine, Week 22 (Back to School and SUV Shopping)

Nordstrom Sale 2020 – Splurge vs. Steal

Happy Friday, y’all! 

*Linking up with A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites.