Safety first guys. Kids should be in an age and weight appropriate carseat or booster when in the car, and wearing a good helmet when riding bikes, scooters, or roller skates. But helmets don't have to come with a "Come on mommmmmm, do I have toooooo!?!?" battle of wills. Helmets can be COOL! Adorable! A fun fashion statement!! I ran across the Mini Hornit LIDS line of helmets at Toy Fair New York and reached out to them immediately when realizing my kiddos had outgrown their previous helmets. They sent us 3 to review, and we are LOVING them!!! Watch our quick video below unboxing and modeling them (there may even be a little "Baby Shark" ditty belted out by yours truly LOL! And keep reading for more about the helmets!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links - you don't pay more but we will earn a small commission for purchases made.
The fun kid-friendly designs are definitely the first thing that'll grab your attention, but there are some other features we are loving as well:
You can find Mini Hornit LIDS for about $45 on US.TheHornit.com and Amazon (affiliate link). Here's the current lineup, which one are you loving most? I was hoping my kids would pick my own favorites: The Aviator, Commander, and Wayfarerer haha, but of course, they had their own preferences, which I love, too!!
And if you can wait, here are the 4 new designs coming out in June 2019:
And here are some recent related product reviews we think you might find helpful:
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We just discovered an adorable new Japanese show on Netflix, stop motion Rilakkuma and Kaoru! You can watch it in English or Japanese (or a few other languages), and as it takes place in Japan, you'll notice tons of places and customs you recognize if you've ever been to Japan or happen to be a Japanophile, fan of Japanese Anime / Manga fan, etc.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links - you don't pay more but we earn a little commission on products you purchase to help fund the blog
Trailer in English:
Trailer in Japanese:
Official website by creators San-X (in Japanese).
SHOPPING!!
You can load up on adorable Rilakkuma wears over at shopkutame.com (affiliate link)!
Love all things Japan?
Don't miss the Japan Playlist on our YouTube Channel - featuring our Japanese product reviews and unboxings, our travels to Japan, cooking Japanese food with our kids, and more!!
How will vibrant hair dyes show up on virgin brown hair? Read on & watch my videos below to see how different brands and colors have worked on me before you try on your own hair!!
**updated 1/23/2024** as the years went along I did eventually play around with bleach, so you'll see some videos how to bleach brown hair, and how later colors look on both bleached and unbleached hair!! YOLO - It's just hair, lets have some fun!!! Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I receive commission from qualified purchases after clicking the affiliate links below. In high school I went through some crazy hair phases - from platinum blonde to dark red, you name it! I spent much of my 20's with long blonde highlighted hair, spending tons of money at salons in Tokyo and NYC. After meeting my now husband, I settled into my "mousy light brown" hair and have not changed it color-wise for over a decade! But... I got bored. So, I recently started my adventure with vibrant semi-permanent hair dyes, ones that wash out in 4-15 washes and don't have bleach, ammonia, or any really damaging chemicals. They're cheap, they're fun, but do they work?? In a nutshell, you can't expect to look like Mal from Descendants without bleaching your hair first, but you can still have fun without lightening it. I'll add my youtube videos below as I try new colors - comment below with what you think, what colors you've played around with, etc!! Check this out if you're looking for tips on dying or straightening your hair for the first time, and keep reading / watching for my experiences with many different hair colors and brands!
L'Oreal Colorista (Burgundy)
This was my first delve into the vibrant semi-permanent hair dyes (in January 2018). I bought 2 boxes at Rite Aid for about $20, and spent about $50 at the salon having them apply it because I was too scared to try it and ruin my hair and bathroom haha!! It was beautiful, purplish reddish dark brown, but it did wash out very quickly, about 50% the first wash and by 5 washes was pretty much gone. I did shampoo with warm/hot water and regular shampoo with sulfate, so I'm not sure how much this had to do with the quick fade out. It was fun and I liked it, but with the salon expense, totally not worth it.
Clairol Color Crave (Orchid)
This was my 2nd "crazy" color, and my first ever time dyeing my own hair (or anyone's, for that matter). Watch the video, it's helpful but mostly funny - I take you through my paranoid prep of my head (Burt's Bees ointment all over my hairline, ears, and neck) and bathroom (garbage bags all over), dyeing my hair, washing it out, and how it looks dyed. It was very dark, blueish purple in sunlight, almost black in regular indoor lighting. There was ZERO SMELL from the dye itself or on my head afterward, which was awesome, but makes sense since there aren't really any harsh chemicals in there. The vaseline worked well at protecting my skin, and I ended up getting some dye on my hands and arms when I forgot gloves washing it off, but it came off with a quick rub with hand sanitizer! I'll update this page when I find out how quickly it fades, I'm a bit nervous it'll go grey during the fadeout, since it is quite a blueish hue of purple. It's supposed to last 15 washes and this time I'll be trying to use colder water and special sulfate-free color safe shampoo and conditioner (Redken Color Extend Magnetics Sulfate-Free Shampoo & L'Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Moisture Conditioner - affiliate links).
L'Oreal Colorista Teal
My 3rd "crazy" color, I let my YouTuber fans vote and pick this one out actually!! Unfortunately, it came out a bit more green than blue and I'm not really loving it. And it really lingered, more than 6 months later and the green hue was still there, and highlights made it reappear! But it covered up easily with the next colors.
Manic Panic Amplified Hot Hot Pink
My 4th color job, and my favorite results so far!!! LOVE THIS STUFF!! But... it washed out VERY quickly, quicker than the others.
New Cut & Half Head Highlights (12/2/2019):
oVertone Coloring Conditioner Rose Gold for Brown Hair (dyed 12/4/2019)
The in shower conditioner kept it from fading like 90%, so amazing!! I used it in almost every shower - I'd towel dry, apply in shower, comb through, let sit 5 minutes, then rinse out and shower off, no gloves needed (it tinted my palms a wee bit pink each time but it came off quickly and wasn't obvious at all). As soon as I finished the bottle (took about 2 months, i wash my hair just 1-2x a week) and started taking hot showers without it, it faded very quickly, almost gone in about 5 washes!
oVertone Coloring Conditioner - Purple for Brown Hair
(dyed 3/15/2020) This purple guys, it is STRONG STUFF!! I recommend wearing gloves in the shower when using the in-shower conditioner because it tinted my hands and nails pretty significantly each time. I did this color during COVID lockdown so didn't really care all that much that my palms/nails got tinted, and my kids got a kick out of it LOL! But, just a heads up!! The purple lasted the same as the last overtone color I did - in shower conditioner kept the color pretty good and it faded very quickly when I stopped.
oVertone Coloring Conditioner - Extreme Pink
(dyed 8/20/2020) Great color!! Came out pretty much same color as Manic Panic Hot Hot Pink (see above). To save money you could do the Manic Panic for initial color and keep it going with the oVertone in shower extreme pink conditioner... After I stopped using the in shower conditioner, it didn't want to fade all the way out. But I moved on to my next color (below) and it covered the remaining rose gold hues no problem!
Manic Panic Shocking Blue over Rose Gold Hair
(dyed 11/4/2020) Beware, this blue man, it gets everywhere!!! Until my first shampoo, it bled like CRAZY!!! My fingers got stained anytime I touched my hair, and blue was all over my computer keyboard, shirts, etc. Yikes!! After the first wash it was fine, but it faded SUPER quick and after it was all gone, the pink from my previous color remained under it! Kinda weird but I loved the pink so it's all good.
Purple & Pink Ombre with oVertone
(dyed 1/14/2021) I decided to try using 2 colors for the first time, and didn't have the skill or patience to go strand by strand as the professionals did. So I went with my typical "massage in by hand like shampoo" method and it actually came out great!! I used Purple for Brown Hair on top half and Extreme Pink on bottom half.
Manic Panic Vampire Red
(dyed 5/17/2021) I wanted to try a new color and was on the fence between Crazy Color Fire and Manic Panic Vampire red, in the end went with the latter since I've had good luck with Manic Panic on my unbleached brown hair in the past. This one seemed thinner than I'm used to and I made a bit of a mess but it came out FABULOUS!!!! Loving it!
oVertone Extreme Green
July 20, 2021 - used oVertone extreme green over my (still tinted red from manic panic vampire red) brown hair. didn't love it, i think the red canceled out the green mostly? it washed out SUPER quickly, maybe 3 shampoos. tops.
oVertone Rich Black
September 8, 2021 - Dyed my hair black with oVertone Rich Black coloring conditioner! Very thick and easy to use it seems to have a bit of a purple hint. Very dark but not black black on my brown hair. Still a fun color, I really love it!
November 22, 2022 - Bleaching my virgin brown (shaved) head with Manic Panic Blue Lighting bleach kit (Amazon affiliate link)
May 6, 2022 - Dying bleached blond and virgin brown hair teal with oVertone (Amazon Affiliate link).
June 2, 2022 - Dying bleached blond and virgin brown hair pastel blue with oVertone (Amazon Affiliate link).
June 27, 2022 - Bleaching virgin brown hair and double bleaching blonde hair with Loreal Feria Hyper Platinum (Amazon affiliate link)
October 19, 2022 - Dying hair copper with Clairol Color Gloss Up Terra Copper (Amazon affiliate link)
December 8, 2022 - Dying my brown hair with Manic Panic Ultra Violet (Amazon Affiliate link)
January 23, 2023 - Dying hair burgandy with Arctic Fox Ritual (Amazon affiliate link)
Feb 19, 2023 - Dying brown hair with Crazy Color Bordeaux (Amazon affiliate link)
April 28, 2023 - Dying my brown hair with Lime Crime Unicorn Hair Bubblegum Rose (Amazon affiliate link)
July 2, 2023 - dying brown hair with Hair Dope Hair Juice Fuchsia (Amazon affiliate link)
August 5, 2023 - Dying brown hair with Lunar Tides Plum Purple (Amazon affiliate link)
Nov 21, 2023 - Dying brown and bleached hair with oVertone pastel pink, pastel blue, and purple for brown hair!! Buy oVertone here (Amazon affiliate link
Not hair dye related, but here are my fun DIY haircut videos!!
Disclaimer: This blog post is sponsored by oNecklace and Responsival, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links - you don't pay more but we will earn a small commission for purchases made.
Mother's Day is coming up and we all have different feelings about this day. For many, it's a day to reflect on all that the mother does for the family. To spoil her, or at least to take a moment to say "Thank you and I love you!" But we have to remember for some, it's not all rainbows and butterflies. Some women are struggling to become mothers, some are grieving the loss of our own mothers, some have a tense relationship with their mother / mother-in law / baby mama or even their own children! No matter the case, we can all agree that without mothers, none of us would be here. It becomes our responsibility to keep her happy and small gestures like Personalized gifts for mom are really helpful to bring a smile on her face. So, to commemorate the day just how you want to, if that means gifting yourself or a mother with something lovely, unique, and treasurable - anything from a personalized necklace to a full day of treatments at Spa MD to a gorgeous set of huggie earrings (adding a bit of beauty and bling without being unpractical for a busy mom - from round to square with or without diamonds, these Aurate earrings are so pretty and exactly what this mama needs!!), then this is the post for you! I bring you my unique Mother's Day Gift Guide!
Personalized Jewelry
I have been wanting this myself for ages, and just hadn't made the splurge or hinted at it to my partner in crime, oops! But I got a beautiful personalized piece of mothers' jewelry thanks to oNecklace who provided me with this gorgeous Three Tone Ring Engraved Mother Necklace, currently 40% off, selling for just $47.95!! Beyond having your children's names engraved (smallest ring is 24K gold plated, next is rose gold, and largest ring is 925 sterling silver), you can also customize the clasp (lobster or spring-ring clasps) and chain length (with 14 - 22" available). oNecklace has TONS of other designs available - mother jewelry, and non-mother necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, for kids and adults. oNecklace has been around since 2012 and has been featured in British Vogue and on Pretty Little Liars and The Talk, they offer free shipping and have a 90-day return policy, so what do you have to lose!? Check 'em out!
Mugs, Tumblers, & Glasses
Whether she's a wine lover, coffee addict, tea enthusiast, fitness freak, or just your average Jane struggling to stay hydrated, you can't go wrong with a fun or stylish beverage container. Pick out one with a silly catch phrase, an inspirational quote, or even some photos of your kids - the sky's the limit! I'm loving the motherhood line of glasses by Pearhead, featuring wine glasses (affiliate link) and ceramic coffee mugs (affiliate link).
Subscription Box
Nothing says love like a box of goodies delivered right to their doorstep! Thankfully there are a bazillion subscription boxes out there to choose from!! Got a fitness or yoga lover? Check out my review (and $10 off coupon) for Yoga Club!! For regular clothing (men, women, and kids) try Stitch Fix (affiliate link).
Intangible Services
Sometimes the most thoughtful gifts don't come in packages with pretty bows on top. What about booking her a day at the spa, or that cut and color she's had on the back burner for months (or years) because she just hasn't had the child-free time to "pamper" herself on such a "luxury"!? Heck, you can even book a sitter for her to have some free time - check out Sitter City!
Professional Photography
When's the last time your family had a professional photoshoot? Book one to commemorate Mother's Day this year, or every year! Or, just for the mama, how about a Boudoir Shoot? It's certainly not for everyone, but would be an experience she'll never forget (and probably some photos she and her partner will appreciate having decades down the road!). If you don't know of a great local photographer, hey, there's an app for that, with plenty of "on-demand" photography booking options these days. With Shoott in NYC, for example, you book on demand (or ahead) and get a free on location 30 minute photo shoot and only pay for the photos you keep (each is $15 or less)!! Some others include PhotoSesh, Snappr, and Snapped.
Other Ideas:
Support your mama friends by shopping through them!! Here are a few great Mother's Day gift ideas from my mom friends:
If all else fails and you're still at a complete loss for the perfect Mother's Day Gift, check out Amazon's exhaustive list of Mother's Day Gifts (affiliate list), with tons of categories and options!!
Watch a Video!
Not sure how to dress for yoga? Looking for women's yoga clothing inspiration, how to look hot at the gym, or just to be comfy and cute while running errands? Say hello to YogaClub (who sponsored this post), a yoga apparel subscription service!
You take a style quiz so that your yoga outfits are individualized for your taste, and for just $79 per box, you'll get the best yoga clothing brands (like Free People, Niyama Sol, Manduka, & Beyond Yog) at 60% off retail value, delivered to your door! I love LOVE the items they sent me, the style quiz did its job, it's so detailed even asking if there's a part of your body you'd like to conceal (ehem, my #twinskin). I love how easy it has made it (as a mom of 3 convenience is KEY) to update my workout wardrobe gradually! If this sounds right up your alley, your hunt for a great fitness subscription box is over! Sign up here to get $20 off for life, and don't miss my unboxing, mini fashion show, and headstand in the video below LOL!!
Whether you like to coordinate your multiples like me, or you have a daughter who likes a multitude of solid color options to mix and match, you're going to love basics by kidpik (who provided us with some clothes in exchange for this review.) Offering the best in cute & fashionable basics for girls sized 4T - 16 - no logos, prints, or graphics - you can mix and match and let your girls show off their own style (without breaking the bank)!
We're talking buttery soft and comfy materials, in a rainbow of colors, at a price point that will make your wallet do a happy dance! As a mom of twins, their "Buy 2 get 30% off" deal for nearly every item is right up my alley, but their regular rates are great, too! For example, seamless tank tops (in 20 colors!!) for $7.50 (2 for $10), long sleeve layering tees for $10.50 (2 for $15), super soft skinny jeans for $22.50 (2 for $34), t-shirt dress for $14.50 (2 for $22), fun fringe denim shorts for $17.50 (2 for $25), and glitter sandals for $25 (all shown in the above image).
Check out my girls modeling the Coco Swing Top in Provence Blue ($10.50, 2 for $18) and Tie Front Skort in Pink Peacock ($15.50, 2 for $22). I love the skort - fun like a skirt and practical like shorts! I think it looks best with a fitted shirt tucked in (so you can see the adorable tie front), but I was happily surprised that the swing top actually works well in or out! Both are super duper soft, especially the skort, made of rayon spandex jersey. They're adorable and welcome additions to my girls' spring and summer wardrobe! The sizing was spot on, as well, my girls are in between 3T and 4T so we went with size 4 and it'll definitely fit through summer and probably even next year (now that's a great bang for your buck, am I right!?)
Before you shop basics by kidpik, make sure you have Rakuten (previously Ebates) plug-in installed on your browser - they're currently offering 6% cash back on kidpik purchases!! If you don't already have Rakuten, sign up with my affiliate link and get $10 toward your first purchase!
Kidpik also has a great subscription box, check it out here! Each month you get 3 stylish mix and match outfits (7 pieces total). There's no stylist fee, you just pay for what you keep (and there's a 30% off discount if you choose the "keep all" option). Shipping, returns, and exchanges are FREE!
So, what do you think!? Let us know what fashion trends your daughters are loving these days!
Disclaimer: We received product free in exchange for our review and hosting of this giveaway. This post contains some affiliate links, you don't pay more but we will receive a small commission from any purchases made.
I recently posted about my concerns over the typical (quite revealing) swimwear options available for young girls these days (read more here) and my hunt for more conservative and sun safe options for my toddlers. I did find a few options, one of them being UV Skinz, who sent us some great children's sets for review, and will be giving away a full children's swim set (hat, top, bottom) to one lucky reader!! Watch our fun unboxing and swimwear fashion show, keep reading the rest of our review, and enter to win in the app at the bottom of this post!
Founded by Rhonda Sparks after losing her 32-year old husband to Skin Cancer in 2001, UV Skinz produces UPF 50+ sunwear for babies through adults, aiming to provide families with "peace-of-mind in the sun". You'll find great styles in everything from swim suits and rash guards to sun hats and cover ups to dresses and hoodies!
Our 3 year old twins received adorable swim sets from UV Skinz Girls' Seaside Breeze Collection. Emi got the purple-hued Hibiscus Floral Stripe design and Mia got the Pink Flamingo Stripe design in: Swim Shirt ($28.95), Swim Skirt ($29.95), and Sun Hat ($24.95). The skirts have built in bikini bottoms and an adjustable tie on the inside. The skirt provides extra coverage (from the sun, etc), as well as the "fun" skirt factor that some little girls (like my Mia) can't get enough of! We haven't had a chance to wear them in the sun or water yet, but they're absolutely in love with their new outfits and demanded wearing them around the house for 3 days straight, I kid you not, you can even see them donning their swimwear in our latest cooking video LOL!! That's definitely one perk of these modest swimwear - you can wear them in the water, on the beach, and once dried off, even straight into the shops and restaurants - no cover up needed!
Our 6 year old son received a set from the Boys' Seaside Breeze Collection - the Jaspe Royal Turtle Sport Sun & Swim Shirt ($31.95), Board Shorts ($26.95), and Snap Back Hat ($19.95). The board shorts have velcro and tie, are nice and long (knee-length) for maximum sun coverage, and are adjustable inside so you can make them snugger or looser, which is not something I've seen in swim shorts before and is great!! They also have built in mesh underwear which I know some people don't like (inspect before each use to make sure there are no holes that could entrap anything, or cut them if super paranoid), but they're required in NYC public pools so I was grateful to see it! The hat is adjustable in the back, and has a moisture-wicking terry cloth sweat band.
The designs and the quality are top notch, and the sizing seems to be correct as well. The shirts are a great length, we've had some rash guard shirts that were a bit short, leading to their bellies hanging out, but these are perfect! The only negative is that the necks are cut pretty small, meaning my kids aren't able to get them on and off over their heads by themselves, but on the bright side, they're fitted and tall, meaning more sun protection (without need for regular sunblock applications) for those delicate little necks!
You can purchase UV Skinz on uvskinz.com and Amazon (affiliate link), but you can also win some in our giveaway here!! Open to US residents ages 18 and over, one lucky winner will receive a hat, swim top, and swim bottom set for boy or girl in their choice of size. Don't forget, the more actions you take in the below app, the more chances you earn to win! Good luck!! Giveaway ends at 11:59PM EST on Thursday, April 11.
In a nutshell, I want to better protect my girls from the sun, and the creeps. Watch my short video, then keep reading and be sure to comment with your thoughts on girls' swimwear, the YouTube "adpocalypse" / "commentpocalypse", or your take on clothing gender norms!
Why are 95% of girls' swimwear options teeny one-pieces and bikinis? Sure, many styles are adorable. Seeing a toddler wearing a little retro-style bikini, I mean, come on, SO CUTE! But... they are not being protected, from the sun or the creeps out there. It's not 1980. In this day of social media, we're sharing photos and videos like crazy. We're sharing our own, and perhaps strangers are snapping away and sharing them without you even knowing it!
Have you heard about the latest YouTube drama? Not Momo, that's a different type of terrifying. No, I'm talking about the pedophile wormhole ring that was discovered. Apparently they're commenting with time stamps of their favorite moments and sharing videos of girls doing gymnastics, toddlers at the water park, you name it. Innocent videos. Of kids. It's sickening. So, YouTube, to protect children, or advertisers, or both, all of a sudden slammed on channels featuring kids. Demonetizing videos that show a bit too much skin, or touch on certain topics. And turning off comments on millions of channels, mine included. It's annoying, but they did it for a good reason. And it's eye opening. One of our vacation videos had about 30 seconds of me holding our baby twins in swim diapers. Demonetized. I hadn't had any odd time stamp comments, but does this mean it'd been targeted by the creepers? Or is it something Advertisers might not want to be associated with? Who knows... But it got me thinking.
Hoping to protect my girls from both the sun and creeps (online and in real life), I went looking for a cute tankini - board short type set. Couldn't find ANYTHING out there. Ended up getting the cute rash guard and shorts set shown in our title banner (affiliate link - only $15, great deal!!), and below are some other pretty good options that friends shared with me, but frankly, I'm still hunting for a great "girly" belly-covering tankini & board short option!! If you know of one, please comment below!! And if you're a clothing manufacturer, get on it, this is a niche that needs to be filled!!!
Here are some brands I've found with more conservative / skin covering options for girls:
A couple of weeks ago I spent the day at Toy Fair New York 2019 and phew, it was a BIG day! This was my 3rd year in a row attending Toy Fair New York, which is only open to toy makers & distributers, buyers, and media. Since it's not open for you guys, the consumers, I always feel responsible and excited to walk the expo floor, booth by booth, hours on end, to find the new, exciting, and mind blowing products new to the market or coming soon. Many of these will be the hottest toys for Christmas 2019, and will be on all of your kids' wish lists! For the kids at heart out there, there are some great toys for you, too, as well as some non-toy products!! So, watch my Toy Fair New York highlights video below featuring my picks for the BEST TOYS OF 2019, and keep reading below that for some photos and details of a select few items from the video (some affiliate links are included, which provide our blog with a small comission from items you purchase - thank you)!
BEST ACTIVE TOYS:
BEST ARTS & CRAFTS TOYS:
BEST BABY & TODDLER TOYS:
BEST BOOKS & READING TOYS:
BEST COMPOUND TOYS:
BEST COOKING TOYS:
BEST PRETEND PLAY TOYS:
BEST PLUSHY TOYS:
BEST TRAVEL TOYS & PRODUCTS:
BEST VIDEO GAME & TECH TOYS:
OTHER HOT ITEMS (not toys):
In case you missed my Best Toys for 2018 video from Toy Fair New York last year, watch it below, LOTS of gooooooood stuff!
Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links, we receive a small commission from purchase made after clicking.
When my daughter and I both needed our first glasses recently, I quickly became aware of how expensive eye care and corrective eyewear can be. Even if you have vision insurance, it's not likely to completely cover the designer frames at your local optician, not to mention the added expense of lenses and exams! But don't worry, I'm here to share with you some tips I've come up with for getting glasses for cheap, or even FREE!! Watch this adorable video of my daughter unboxing and trying on her first glasses, and then read on!
1. Eye Exam Options & Tips
Ophthalmologist Check with your insurance to see what they'll cover. Most medical insurances should cover a full exam with an ophthalmologist for the price of a visit to a specialist. In our case, it's a $30 co-pay. Our doctor warned us that many insurances do not cover the cost of refraction, however, so call ahead to your eye doctor for their price for what they'll charge you out of pocket if not covered, ask them for the insurance code for the procedure and then call your insurance company to ask if it's covered. Optometrist An optometrist is not a medical doctor, but they are trained post-doctorate professionals at local vision centers and optical shops. Double check when making your appointment that they will provide you with a thorough exam, not just to determine your prescription, but also to dilate your eyes and check for signs of glaucoma. Since treatment in the early stages of glaucoma (when you have no idea you have it) can literally save your vision, it's highly recommended to get regular exams once you pass the age of 35!! Yeah, I didn't know this either, but you can be sure I'm going to add it to my list of annual exams to have now! Anyway, back to optometrists... these exams will likely not be covered by medical insurance, but if you have supplemental vision coverage they'll usually cover or reimburse you a set amount. Mine, for example, required me having the optometrist fill out the claim form, which I send in and can be reimbursed up to $50. So, I called around, finding some places charging as much as $75 for an exam!! I went with a highly recommended place that charged $45 and would do a full exam (yes, checked me for glaucoma, which I don't have, phew!!). If you're near Bay Ridge Brooklyn, check out Oasis Vision Center (7411 5th Ave, Brooklyn), they were great, and they were extremely respectful when I told them I was purchasing glasses online - not a single sales pitch!! Children's Eye Exams Our pediatrician does a really easy test using PediaVision, a camera that takes a quick photo of the child's eye. It measures all sorts of things and can determine certain abnormalities that need to be checked by a vision specialist. Our 3 year old daughter failed this, and our 6 year old son failed his school's exam. So we took both for a full exam at a highly recommended local Pediatric Ophthalmologist (Dr. Caryn Pearlstein in Bay Ridge, Staten Island, or NJ). Their vision charts varied depending on if the child knew letters or needed pictures, as you can see Mia demonstrating in the photo below. With 2 kids getting examined, we were there a while, and eventually every image she saw was "poopy". Gah. Kids... Make sure your prescription, whether filled out by an ophthalmologist or optometrist, includes the PD or pupillary distance. This is required for ordering glasses online, and while you can measure it yourself, a trained professional will be able to do it much more accurately.
2. Buying Affordable Prescription Glasses
You may be able to find affordable frames at your local vision center, however more often than not you'll find labels upward of $200+ and that doesn't even include the lenses!! Check with your insurance to see what they'll cover before deciding on your budget. My insurance, for example, will cover $100 per frame every 2 years, and $50 per lenses once a year. It was not enough to cover the child-proof MiraFlex frames (no hinges!!) everyone recommended for my 3 year old, so my search continued online, and this is where it gets interesting!! There are numerous websites where you can find very budget-friendly glasses online. I ended up finding the cheapest Miraflex glasses on discountglasses.com (affiliate link) - Just $100 for the glasses, including the frames, meaning they would be 100% covered by our insurance and save me about $150 extra out of pocket that our local optician wanted to charge me!! It also meant I still have my $50 in lens credit to use later in the year if/when her prescription changes! For myself, I got a pair of glasses for $117 included lenses and a pair of prescription sunglasses for $60 including lenses (though my 2 pair were complimentary as part of an Instagram campaign I worked with them on; side note, this blog post is not sponsored by or in cooperation with them or any brand).
Not only do they have glasses and sunglasses (prescription and non-prescription) for adults and children for about $20 - $150 a pair (with lenses, so cheap!!), discountglasses.com (affiliate link) also has a really cool app on their website that allows you to virtually try on most of their frames! You line up your face, it takes a picture, you turn left, turn right, hold a credit card to your forehead and boom, you're ready to roll!! Check out a couple pairs that I "tried on" from the comfort of my own desk!
Ordering glasses online can save you tons of money, but it's not a perfect system. They may not fit quite right (our nose bridges are different shapes and sizes, our face/head widths vary, our cheeks might not be comfortable under certain frames - these are not taken into account by our prescriptions), there could be a mistake in the order, etc. But for me, it was worth the risk, and thankfully we didn't have any issues. Discountglasses.com (affiliate link) does have free returns though, and if it's a small issue such as the ear pieces needing to be loosened, you should be able to visit any local optician to fix quickly and cheaply (or for free if it's the same place you got your exam, maybe?).
So, what do you think? Will you buy your next pair of glasses online? Leave a comment below with any tips I missed (I'm a newbie to this eyewear thing!!).
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About ME:I'm a NYC metro area mom blogger living in NJ with my Japanese husband & our 3 kids (twins plus 1), focusing on fun and honest product and travel reviews, saving moms time finding the best for their families! Find what you need in the menu bar or search section above! Categories
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April 2024
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