Hubby and I had the great opportunity to attend the DFA Auto Show and we went with one focus in mind - Safety. Teen Boy starts driving school next week and that weight gets heavier and heavier on our shoulders. Before we send him out on the road, we wanted to know what safety features were out there to make that burden a little lighter.

***FULL DISCLOSURE: This post is written in partnership with A Girl’s Guide to Cars. All opinions are my own. It is my Universe, after all. ****

I must say with such an important task, we still had a lot of fun. And while auto shows always offer exciting reveals and fun photo opps , hence my Instagram feed, this Momma was relieved to find that safety options were abundant. This was true across all brands and super valuable to this budget-conscious momma, across all price points.

One brand that is committing to making safety available to all is Toyota Their Safety Sense features are standard. Yes, standard. Kudos to Toyota on this as there are few things more frustrating than listening to a ten-minute pitch on how safe a car is only to learn that I can't afford any. Being a military family, we say no to most bells & whistles, no matter how exciting they may be. But I do not consider the safety of my children an "option" or "upgrade". It is standard in my life and I'm happy to learn that Toyota thinks so, as well.

Speaking as the wife of a disabled vet, however, Toyota won my heart at "Heroes". The car company is committed to connecting service members and spouses with career opportunities via the "Hiring Our Heroes" program. The program offers employment, resume help, and career support. Toyota is committed enough, it put their truck where its mouth is.

Thank you, Toyota. Just thank you.

And lest you fear that all the fun stopped at the Toyota stage, they had us kayaking...

And making pizza...

For real - that hydrogen based prototype is not just fueling travel, it's making real-life edible pizza.

To round all this out, I think Toyota said it best...

A big thanks to A Girl's Guide to Cars, the DFW Auto Show, and all the car makers for hosting us. It was an awesome day and provided a lot of relief to two worried parents.