“I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Mom Central for the American Optometric Association. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.”

Ever since I received a note home from the teacher to have my daughters eye checked, I have been concerned with my family’s eye health. My daughter was in the second grade and had never complained about her eyes. During her previous checkups and physicals the doctor never mentioned that they seen anything wrong with her vision, so it wasn’t a concern. When I took her to have an eye exam, the optometrist was surprised that my daughter never complained and prescribed her eyeglasses. After that appointment, I made an appointment for my son who was just a toddler.

The use of technology among children both at home and at school is definitely on the rise. There is a new survey from the American Optometric Association (AOA) that shows parents drastically underestimate the time that their children spend on digital devices. I know my children use digital devices at home but they are also using them at school. My daughter is even in an after program at school where the students get to use iPads and iMacs to play educational learning games.

Did you know that eighty percent of children surveyed report experiencing burning, itchy or tired eyes after using electronic devices for long periods of time?

Here are some tips that the AOA recommends to remember to help prevent or reduce eye and vision problems associated with digital eye strain and exposure:

Tip One – Check Height & Position Of Device

Computer screens should be our to five inches below eye level and 20 to 28 inches away from eyes. Digital devices should be held at a safe distance away from eyes and slightly below eye level.

Tip Two – Check For Glare On The Screen

Windows and other light sources should not be directly visible when sitting in front of a computer screen. If this happens, turn the desk or computer to prevent glare on the screen. You might also consider adjusting the brightness of the screen on your digital devices or changing the background color.

Tip Three – Reduce The Amount Of Lighting

Reduce the amount of light in the room to match the computer screen. A lower-wattage light can be used instead of a bright overhead light or a dimmer switch may be installed to give flexible control of your room’s lighting.

Tip Four – Adjust Font Size

Increase the size of the text on the screen of the device that is being used to make it easier on the eyes when reading.

Tip Five – Keep Blinking

Frequent blinking can reduce the chances for developing dry eye by keeping the front surface of the eye moist.

When it comes to your family’s eye health, comprehensive eye exams by an optometrist are important and essential in helping to identify the signs and symptoms associated with digital eye strain and other vision problems. The AOA recommends that every child have an eye exam by an optometrist soon after they turn 6 months old, before they turn age three and every year thereafter.

You can learn more about the American Optometric Association (AOA) by visiting there Facebook and Twitter profiles.

I finally did it! I finally participated in my first 5K.

Doing a 5K has been something on my bucket list for quite some time now. When I used to think of a 5K I used to think of people racing to get to the finish line. When I learned that there were other types of 5K events that were for fun and not a race, I knew I wanted to participate. A couple years ago I heard about the Color Run. I had a friend on Facebook mention she was doing the Color Run and I remember searching on Google to find out what she was talking about. Then last year the Color Run came and went and I was bummed that I didn’t get a chance to get in on the fun.

This year I was determined that I was going to do the Color Run in Sacramento. I didn’t want to do it alone though, I wanted my daughter Hailey to come with me. I knew that she would have just as much fun as I would getting all colored up while burning some calories too!

So I did it! I registered both Hailey and I to participate and I made sure that I did not plan anything else for that day.

The day of the Color Run we woke up early and were prepared to get messy with color! Not knowing that I could pickup my packet before the event we got to downtown Sacramento about an hour early. I don’t like waiting in lines and was lucky and and was one of the first ones to pickup our packets with our Color Run t-shirts and bibs from the check-in booth. We then spent the next hour walking around taking pictures.

Once the 5K started everyone made their way through downtown going through the different color stations. I wanted to get really colored so I made sure to walk close to the volunteers who were having a blast coating the participants in blasts of color out their bottles. Next time I will turn my head though so I don’t get paint in my ears.

We had fun fast walking with the participants. It was an excitement to see what color station was going to be next. Would be it pink, blue, purple, etc….

Check us out going through the PINK station…

Walking that 5K was such a blast that it went by extremely fast. For me I have been out of shape this last year so I thought I was going to hard walking that far but it wasn’t.

At the end when you crossed the finish line there was even more fun. Music and lots of color in the air!

I had fun and I was HAPPY. We had so much fun that I want to participate in another 5K before the end of this year. I will definitely be registering for the Color Run in Sacramento for 2015 too! Maybe with the whole family.

To see some of the other pictures I took visit my Color Run Flickr album at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/32839660@N04/sets/72157646245880202/

Have you ever done a 5K? Which one is your favorite?

“I participated in a Blog Blast on behalf of Mom Central for Urbini. I received information from Urbini to facilitate my post as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.”

When I was pregnant with my first child I try to read whatever I could to get me prepared for my new arrival. I had so many questions and so many concerns. I remember reading not only books but also looking for groups of moms online to join. When I was pregnant with my second child I had those same worries and I remember reading some of the same books I did with my first pregnancy. I remember even bringing a book to the hospital to read as if I would have to read.

For those of you like me that are looking to connect with other moms, Mom Voyáge that has been launched by Urbini is a community of Mom bloggers who are sharing their experiences in motherhood from all around the globe. On the Mom Voyáge website you will find featured contributors from the Netherlands, France, Britain, Holland, Japan, China and Australia as well as the US.

Here are some of the topics you will find on the Mom Voyáge website:

• Dutch Pregnancy Cravings
• Birth Plan Checklist
• Choosing A Baby Name In America
• Baby Shower Traditions
• Maternity Leave Around The World

Being a mom of four children, communities like Mom Voyáge come in handy for moms to be, new moms and moms that have already been moms for a while!

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