{"id":6626,"date":"2015-05-26T09:24:02","date_gmt":"2015-05-26T13:24:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mayahoodblog.com\/?p=6626"},"modified":"2015-05-26T09:24:37","modified_gmt":"2015-05-26T13:24:37","slug":"avoid-getting-stuck-in-traffic-with-tomtom-giveaway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mayahoodblog.com\/avoid-getting-stuck-in-traffic-with-tomtom-giveaway\/","title":{"rendered":"Avoid getting stuck in traffic with TomTom – Giveaway"},"content":{"rendered":"
A few weeks back, I ran a half-marathon in Toronto. \u00a0It was my first in almost two years and the first that I would be running alone. Since my husband wasn’t racing, he thought it would be great to bring our boys to meet me at the finish line. \u00a0Not only would it be a great lesson for them about hard work and achieving success, it would also be added motivation for me to reach that finish line a little bit faster. I even sent out a quick text at the 19 KM mark and then booted it to the finish line. \u00a0Except… my family wasn’t there. \u00a0I quickly checked my phone to find out that they were stuck in traffic. \u00a0They were sooooooooooooo close to me, yet with the traffic caused by road closures for the race, they hadn’t moved in 45 minutes. \u00a0It was a very frustrating situation for all of us, to say the least.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, getting stuck in traffic is not new to us. In the summer, we travel frequently to the cottage and there is always traffic getting up there and back home. Living downtown Toronto doesn’t help either. \u00a0The major highways are a mess at all times of the day and the roads can go from good to bad in a blink of an eye. Getting stuck in traffic is never fun but what’s worse is getting stuck in traffic with (three) kids in the back. Besides, there are probably a million and one other things we could be doing with that precious time instead of sitting in traffic. Like finally putting the laundry in the dryer instead of washing it for the third time, or getting a proper meal on the table instead of KD and pizza (my go-to when I have no time) or just spending more time with your little ones.<\/p>\n
Now what if I told you there’s a way to avoid that? Some of us already use Smartphone Apps to get around and avoid traffic congested roads but that lacks the ability to update you\u00a0with detailed traffic information and alternate routes along the way as traffic changes and worsens. \u00a0Enter TomTom GO 500, the GPS unit that does everything you need, including providing you with precise information about where the traffic starts and ends. \u00a0By synchronizing with your smart phone, the GPS provides you with an overview map that shows the traffic conditions as they evolve throughout the duration of your route. \u00a0TomTom shows you the alternate routes and tells you how much faster they are. In a click of a button, you can take the alternate route and get where you’re going faster.<\/p>\n
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I tried out the GPS system on our recent trip in Maui, Hawaii. \u00a0We were taking a road trip on the famous “Road to Hana”. \u00a0While there aren’t too many roads or route options in Hawaii, the GPS system did a great job navigating us to our destination without using phone data and it also provided us with information on gas spots along the way. Since there aren’t any on the Road to Hana<\/em>, this came in very handy!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I’m excited to start using TomTom in the city now that we’re back home. \u00a0I often wonder about the fastest route whenever I head out to visit my parents, friends or to get to an event. I’m also excited to try out the feature that shows Parking locations. For anyone that has driven in Toronto, you know how handy this would be.\u00a0 It’ll also be extremely useful this summer as we start making our weekly treks up north to the cottage. \u00a0Now I can let TomTom do all of the analysis\u00a0for me using real time information.<\/p>\n It’s easy to see why kids would refer to the TomTom GPS\u00a0as a “magic box”, which is how it is portrayed in the beautifully illustrated children\u2019s book called Alfie’s Story. Alfie wants nothing more than to get home quickly so he will have time to read his new book. \u00a0However, day after day, he and his mom get stuck in traffic leaving them no time to read the book. \u00a0It’s a very cute tale and something that’s relatable to all busy moms who are constantly on the go.<\/p>\n One lucky Mayahood Blog reader will receive\u00a0a chance to win a TomTom GO 500 GPS, valued at $249.99.\u00a0Contest open to all Canadians. Enter the giveaway via Rafflecopter (please\u00a0give it a\u00a0few seconds to load). Contest ends Monday June 8, 2015.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\nGIVEAWAY<\/h2>\n