How the Toyota Rav4 Gave us a Christmas to Remember

Time is slipping by us so quickly. Just today, I was sitting here thinking about the magical Christmas that we just had and noticed that I have not set any New Years resolutions. Time slips so fast and it seems like we never really had a chance to enjoy the moment before moving to the next one. 

For me, I’ve kind of been holding onto Christmas, the memories that were made with my family and the fun times that we had. 

Toyota sent us a Rav4 to play with over Christmas break and we had so much fun learning about the different ways that this car would fit into our family.

We’ve owned Toyota vehicles since my childhood. From the Cressida to the Camry, Corolla, the 2009 Rav 4 and now the Sienna that we own, Toyota is a brand that we have trusted and became loyal to.

Being familiar with the Rav4, I was really excited to see all of the new features and ways that this car has improved. So we gave our Sienna a rest for Christmas and took the Rav4 out on a few holiday adventures.

The week of Christmas, the weather was beautiful and perfect for holiday shopping. My little boy and I headed out, turned the sunroof down and filled the car up with holiday food and presents for our friends and family. 

We headed to Kohls, Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods and a bunch of little boutiques around Lee’s Summit. You know when you shop, fill your trunk up and wish to have it covered to keep peepers from looking in?

The Toyota Rav4 came equipped with a cargo privacy cover that slides out and covers everything within your trunk. Super handy! I really liked that.

Luckily, we got our shopping done when we did. A few days before Christmas, we were hit with a snow storm. Crazy midwest weather and we jump from 60 degrees to negative temperatures and snow. That was the sure tell sign that winter was here to stay, it’s only gotten colder from there.

Since we parked the Rav4 outside, the car got rather cold. I was not used to parking outside! This is when I really appreciated the push start button, the heated seats and the heated steering wheel.

It was also nice that I didn’t have to fumble for my keys to get in the car, with the key fob inside of my purse, a slide of my hand under the door handle and my car unlocked automatically. I really can’t wait to have this feature in my next Toyota.

The bad part about snowy weather is when your kids get trapped inside the house. Help us all. Boredom, ants in the pants and constant whining was happening. One tradition that I’ve always done with the kids is to let them open a few presents early. Often, they rip through gifts on Christmas, find one or two things they love and the rest of them get pushed to the side.

I let the kids open up a karaoke machine and they had so much fun. A rock band formed with the lead singer on the mic, drums being set up with the sticks from cat toys and the kids were singing all day long.

It may have been loud, but the happy sounds were a ton better than the whining and screaming.

We spent a quiet Christmas here at the house and had dinner with the family. The kids opened their presents, we decorated sugar cookies with the kids, watched 100 reruns of The Christmas Story on cable and took a nap after stuffing ourselves full of cookies and christmas stocking candy.

Right after Christmas, we hopped into the Rav4 and took it on a 4 hour car ride out to St Louis. We have family out there and it’s always fun to visit them before the kids go back from Christmas break. 

The car handled like a dream! The navigation system was easy to use during our drive and was much welcomed after having to make a last minute stop at the glass repair shop. Since the Toyota had to go back home during our trip, my husband drove our Sienna out to St Louis as well. Unfortunately, a nasty rock decided to crack his windshield and we had to find a glass shop nearby to help fill it.

I could go on and on about the cool features that Toyota has packed into the Rav4. The call answering features on the dashboard, the 360 satellite view around your car, the temperature settings for each side of the car, it’s amazing how much Toyota has come along. It makes me a little green and excited for my next car purchase.

We were sad to give it up during our trip to St Louis, but really enjoyed having it around during the holidays. What a great car for a mid sized family!

For more information on the Toyota Rav4, visit https://www.toyota.com/rav4/

I hope your holiday was as memorable for you! Can’t wait to update you on the up-comings, some of my goals and resolutions for 2018. It may be mid January, but it’s never too late to make positive changes.

Disclosure : This post was sponsored by Toyota. All thoughts and experiences are my own.