Back to School, Glasses are Cool

I received a JCPenney gift card for the purpose of this review. This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

One of the things on our Back to School list each year is an eye exam and new glasses. It is so important to stay on top of this annually because as our kids are developing their eyes may get stronger and their glasses need to adjust for this. Obviously the same is true if their eyes get weaker, but the point is that a current prescription is super important.

Amberly started wearing glasses in 1st grade. At first it wasn't easy for her to transition to wearing glasses and I could relate because I remember getting glasses for the first time in 2nd grade. Luckily these days glasses are so much more stylish that they are seen as a fashion accessory even by elementary aged kids. I try to remind her that wearing her glasses is her responsibility and her choice. Being able to see is an integral part of being a successful student.

Now that Amberly is going into the 5th grade she cares far more about her wardrobe and fashion than she did just a few short years ago. When we arrived at the JCPenney Optical Store she was headed right for the kids frame selection.

As I completed the one page of paper work she tried on several frames. She even learned that they had an entire drawer of additional frames in case she didn't find what she was looking for on the wall.

She is very particular about finding frames that highlight her personality. She absolutely loves purple and gravitated towards all the purple frames. There were plenty to choose from. Comfort is of great consideration too. And of course they have to look good in the reflection!

Because of the great selection at JCPenney it was easy for Amberly to find something that fit her criteria. I just love the flair of color on the side and think she is going to look very smart wearing these on the first day back to school!

In fact there was another frame that she liked so much that I thought about it and told her when we go back to pick up the first pair of glasses that we will get a second pair. The back to school promo running until Sept 15th just makes it easy on the pocketbook. A complete pair of glasses for under $30!

I know a lot of parents do this anyways for kids because, well, they're kids and sometimes things get lost or broken. But they will have their child pick out a really cheap pair of frames that often don't look as nice. It is so nice that I can get Amberly a "back up" pair that will more serve as an interchangeable accessory. She's pretty excited about that!

Because our regular Optometrist was on vacation we chose to see the Optometrist at JCPenney Optical and had the most pleasant experience. Not only was she very thorough in narrating what she observed with the overall health of Amberly's eyes, but she took the time to pause and answer questions I brought up, such as eye patching. She was very encouraging to Amberly and encouraged her to rest her eyes or blink when needed. I felt a lot of anxiety taking Amberly to her very first eye exam because I still remember the frustration of feeling like I couldn't see those tiny little letters on the eye chart. I think we lucked out with seeing a new eye doctor on this trip. One of the most important things for me as a mom is that my kids feel comfortable with the person who is trusted to check on their health and well being and that objective was definitely satisfied.

You can get in on the JCPenney Back to School promotion too! Hurry though, offer ends Sept 15th.

Find a location near you.

PLUS, JCPenney Optical has a really fun social media contest going on that can make getting ready for going back to school a little more fun (my kids like when I'm entering their photo in a contest!)

Glasses 4 Classes Photo Contest:

• Snap a picture of your child getting ready for Back to School
• Share your photo on Instagram, Twitter or the JCPenney Optical Facebook Page
• Use the hashtag #PicMyKidContest with your submitted photo
• Twitter and Instagram accounts must be public for the entry to be official
• 12 winners! Each win a $30 JCPenney gift card to purchase new frames for their child.
• Dates for entry: 7/8 – 8/16

I love seeing kids get excited about preparing for back to school so I plan to follow that hashtag and see what kind of back to school shenanigans you all are posting for the contest. Hey your kid doesn't even have to wear glasses to participate in this contest.

What is your child's favorite part of back to school?

I received a JCPenney gift card for the purpose of this review. This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own.

Save #MoreMinutes During Back to School at Great Clips

Kids seem to go back to school earlier and earlier don't they? Mine return the middle of August. That's like right around the corner! So I'm already trying to figure out how to save more minutes during this back to school season in order to fit it all in.

Good thing there's Great Clips online check in! We gave this a test drive and found it was not just useful, but super easy. Amberly's hair needed a trim, she's been complaining of her bangs falling in her eyes. She was constantly sweeping them to the side. Here's a before picture:

Because of juggling summer schedules I hadn't made an appointment to get it done at the children's salon we typically visit. You know, calling a place to make an appointment can be an unforeseen time suck.... have you ever been put on hold? That is just one reason I liked using the online check in with Great Clips. Plus, I could see there was a zero minute wait time at our nearest salon. Winning! And because Great Clips is everywhere (check store locator) I didn't have to drive across town to get to one. All of those minutes add up quick!

Amberly was all smiles with her new cut:

Amberly got a great cut at a great price (children under 10 are $12 - prices may vary by location). So not only did this save us time, it saved me money too!

The way I see it I could either throw those minutes away doing things the old way or I can bank those minutes and spend them where they count.., on creating family memories. We came up with 10  ideas on what do with our saved minutes:

1. Look up a new smoothie recipe

2. Make s'mores

3. Have family game night

4. Make popcorn for family movie night

5. Pack a picnic dinner to take to the park

6. Make funnel cake

7. Have a water gun fight

8. Walk to our neighborhood Little Free Library

9. Go star gazing

10. Take a hike

We ended up having family game night!

You can join in the fun #MoreMinutes campaign too. Simply find a Great Clips near you, take a selfie and post it on Instagram or Twitter use the #MoreMinutes hashtag sharing what you'd do with a few extra minutes.

It's as easy as 1, 2, 3....

Great Clips will be performing random acts of kindness now through Sept 11 2015. I'm looking forward to following the hashtag and seeing what people come up with and what Great Clips does for its customers! You can learn more about this fun back to school campaign here. 

What would you do with a few more minutes?

Here's what a few kids came up with:

$25 VISA Giftcard

Thanks to Great Clips for sponsoring today's story and encouraging me to try Online Check-In to save my family #MoreMinutes to enjoy the stuff we love!