Glasses

 Yesterday, I was at the pharmacy with Junior and the kids waiting on a prescription.  I will never understand why pharmacies make you wait so long.  If they tell you your medicine will be ready at a certain time, it should be ready at that time.  If they are busy, then they should compensate for that by giving us a later pick up time.

As we were waiting yesterday, the girls started trying on those glasses that most pharmacies have on display.  You know the ones that are a certain magnification?  I have to admit that they both looked pretty silly trying on the adult frames.  They talked me into trying some of the glasses on, too, and I was shocked when I noticed the price on them.  They were almost as expensive as prescription eyeglasses.  In fact, I know that I can buy glasses online that are cheaper than those.   Cuter ones, too.

I am hoping that the kids can make it through school without vision problems so that I don't have to worry about the cost of eyeglasses.  Ryan had slight vision issues a few years ago, but he hasn't worn his glasses in a while.  He only needed them to see the board at school, but he hated them.  So, instead of wearing them, he just sits closer to the front of the glass.  I don't care if he wears them or not, as long as he is not having issues at school.

A Spare Pair

I mentioned a few posts ago that I broke my spare pair of eyeglasses. Not really a big deal, but something I would like to take care of. Cheaply, because let's face it, I am cheap.

So I was thinking cheap, and eyeglasses, and Zenni optical popped into mind. A friend of mine recently bought a couple of pairs of glasses from them, and said she was shocked at the quality of glasses she received. Shocked in a good way, not a bad way.

I am sure I would be thinking the same thing she was; at only $7 a pair, how nice could they be? Sure, they look great in all the pictures, but what about when they actually arrive on your doorstep?

Well, according to my friend, they are great. She has had them for a little while now, and they are holding up just fine. She actually said that she doesn't see a difference between them and an old pair she paid a couple of hundred dollars for. Now, my friends opinions mean a lot, but I also did a little research of my own. I found this article, and this guy seems to speak from experience, too. He wrote about the good and the bad, and it seems, at least to me, that the good definitely outweighs the bad.

I think I might give them a try. I mean, it's only for my spare pair, unless I like them better than the ones I wear now, then they will become my everyday glasses. And if I really like the quality, I might have to buy a bunch of pairs, like one for every day of the week. I pay the same shipping for one pair or twenty, so I may as well get my moneys worth.

Right?

I Broke My Glasses

It feels so good to be completely unpacked and settled in the new place. Brandi has adjusted to her new school, and Ryan and Kasi are enjoying their own space.

And I am enjoying my new tub.

I was impressed that all of my elephants made it through the move. There was no breakage this time, which makes me happy. The only thing that did get broken was my spare pair of glasses. I had them in a box with all the little stuff that was in the drawers of my hutch, and somehow that box got squished. This isn't really a big deal; it was just nice knowing I had a spare pair of eye glasses. Now I have to be really careful with the ones I wear every day until I can afford to get another pair.

I also have to have the kids eyes checked. They can each get a check up and free glasses once a year through medicaid. Ryan is the only one who has taken advantage of this, and that was a few years ago. In fact, the girls hardly ever use their medicaid. Ryan is my medically challenged kid, with his ADHD and all.

Anyway, I am off to enjoy this beautiful day by taking a nap. I didn't get much sleep last night, and I took some medication this morning, so I think a nap is needed. You all know how well I do on medication...

Need New Glasses? Ryan Does

Ryan is supposed to wear glasses at school to see the board. I asked him the other day if he was wearing his glasses like he is supposed to, and he said no. When I asked why not, he said it was because they were broken. It seems he had them in his book bag, at the bottom, and then got squished. This happened months ago. Months! I was so angry with him; not because he broke his glasses, but because he didn't tell me. Luckily, we have insurance on the kids and eyes are covered 100%, so I can get them replaced for free. He also needs an eye exam, so he will have that done, too. The glasses he wears look like this:
Now, if you don't have eye coverage on your insurance plan, let me tell you about Zenni optical. They offer eyeglasses for as low as $8. In fact, the pair pictured above is from their $8 selection. You can check out this article written for the Examiner to read for yourself how satisfied Zenni customers are. In fact, I know someone personally who bought two pairs of glasses from them, and they were extremely impressed with the quality of the glasses. To be honest, they were expecting an $8 pair of glasses, otherwise known as a cheaply made pair. They were pleasantly surprised with the glasses they received. It's nice to know that in these hard economic times that you don't have to neglect your eyes. You can get cheap, but not cheaply made glasses, for reasonable prices. In fact, you can buy multiple pairs of glasses for the same amount of money that one pair typically costs. That is what I call an awesome deal.

New Glasses From Zenni Optical

Junior has finally decided to have his eyes checked. For the past few years, I have been begging him to go have his eyes examined, but he is so stubborn. It took his new job, and the fact that he can not read the computer screen, to convince him he needed to go. I figured while we are having his eyes checked, Ryan and I will have ours done as well.

Thankfully, I can get Ryan's exam and glasses without spending a cent because he is on Medicaid. Junior and I will have to pay for our exams and glasses out of pocket, so I am worried about how much it is going to cost. The last time I had my eyes tested I went to one of those two pairs for under $100 places. Let me tell you first hand; that is untrue. By the time I was finished, they had talked me into spending a couple of hundred dollars. This time, I am going to use Zenni Optical.

The great thing about Zenni is that they have glasses starting at $8.

That's right, $8.

I was checking out their website and found the cutest holiday frames. They are only $15.95. This is awesome because now I can try and talk Junior into letting me get Christmas glasses. You all know how much I love Christmas. How cool would it be if I wore these glasses during the holiday season?

You can almost see the stockings and candles on the sides. I think I would look cute wearing them. As affordable as they are, I can get a regular pair of glasses too, and Junior can get a couple of pairs for himself, and I still won't have spent as much as I did the last time I got glasses.

And that is pretty awesome!

Contacts

I went all through high school never having to wear glasses. I should have, because I couldn't see the blackboard half the time, but it wasn't until I started college that I went and had my eyes checked. I was set against wearing glasses, so I got my first pair of contact lenses. Back then, they didn't have disposable lenses, so I got the standard soft lenses. I threw them away within a week. I could not stand having something floating around in my eye. My eyes were constantly red and irritated. I know there have been many improvements in lenses the past few years, so I am thinking about giving them another try.

They even have this new things called LensAlert. It's pictured above. It holds you contact lens case, and can be set to remind you when to change your lenses, and your lens case. You can set the timer for up to 99 days for the lens case, and up to 60 days for the lenses. It helps you take the guess work out of when it's time for a new pair. This nifty little timer was even featured in the Woman's Day Magazine's "Products We Love" section. If you want to find out more about this product, and disposable lenses, check out the AC Lens blog.

Holiday Glasses

I know you have heard me mention ZenniOptical before. They are the online glasses place that sells eyeglasses at amazing prices. Their complete eyeglasses start as low as $8.00. What you probably didn't know is that they have a great selection of Holiday frames. That's right. You can now wear glasses that match your favorite holiday sweater. Whether it's snowflakes or snowmen, Christmas trees or poinsettias, they have the right design for you. I, personally, love these little red ones. They have little swirls on the sides, and they aren't totally Christmassy. I can see someone wearing them for Valentine's Day, or even everyday, if they happen to love the color red like my Brandi does. You could even buy multiple pairs because they are so affordable. They have this other red pair that has little stockings down the sides. I know it's too late for this year, but it's never too early to think about next Christmas. I know my Dad and his wife have already started their shopping for next year. They are usually totally done by summer, except for the years that someone has a baby, then they have no choice but to wait. These glasses would even make a great gift for the Holiday junkie in your family. You know, the crazy Aunt who wears a different holiday sweater everyday, starting the beginning of November. I know we all have one of those!

Ryan Needs New Glasses

My son, Ryan, wears glasses in school. He only needs them to see the board from the back of the room, so most of the time they are in his book bag. I asked him the other day if I could see them, and I couldn't believe the condition they were in. They were scratched so bad I couldn't stand looking through them. The thought of taking him to get new glasses scares me, because I know how expensive a pair of glasses can be.

Luckily I found Optical4less.com. They offer complete eyeglasses for as little as $15. I couldn't believe the different styles they offer. They have rimless, semi-rimless, hingeless, plastic and even titanium frames. They have tinted, bifocal, and progressive lenses available to go in the frames that you chose. If you decide that you want more than one pair you can even get free shipping. At these prices, you could have a different pair for each day of the week.

Your new glasses come with a bunch of freebies, too. Anti-reflective coating, UV protection coating, anti-scratch hard coating, a cleansing cloth, and a colorful, stylish hard case are all included free of charge. If you want to here from some of there satisfied customers, check out their website. I know that hard case and anti-scratch coating will be perfect for Ryan.