JC Penney Optical Back to School Giveaway! #spon #ad

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. 

A few weeks ago, I found out about JC Penney Optical's special on kids' glasses, so I took Michael to the Fayetteville store for a checkup. His last eye appointment was two years ago and he was given a prescription at that time. However, the doctor said he should wait a couple years before actually getting the glasses as they weren't needed quite yet and she thought his prescription might change in the meantime. 

From now through September 15th, JC Penney Optical is offering a Back to School promotion that includes a pair of designer kids' eyeglasses for only $29.99. You can choose any kids’ frame priced up to $120, plus free impact and scratch-resistant polycarbonate lenses, free UV protection and a free eyeglass protection plan for any school-aged child 16 or younger. 

After looking at the different options for glasses, we sat down to wait for Michael's turn to have his exam. He admitted that he wasn't super thrilled about the possibility of needing glasses, but he was also getting sick of headaches and squinting so it would probably be a good trade off.

After a very thorough examination, it was determined that Michael does need glasses! After he was done with the optometrist, we went back into the store to pick out frames. These were $130, so I was thrilled to be able to use the special sales price. Since the offer was for frames $120 or less, I only had to pay the $29.99 sale price, plus the $10 difference.

We'll be picking up Michael's new glasses tomorrow. After spending the last couple weeks with headaches and dizziness, he realizes now how much he will really benefit from them and is actually pretty excited!

Do you have a child who needs a pair of glasses --- maybe a back-up pair? Look for a JC Penney Optical near you---but first, enter this giveaway! You could win a $30 gift card to JC Penney and get those glasses free! Just fill out the Rafflecopter entry below and I'll pick one US winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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. 

Persuasion, Captain Wentworth and Cracklin' Cornbread --- Book Review & Giveaway

I was given a free copy for review purposes. All opinions are honest and are my own.

Persuasion, Captain Wentworth and Cracklin' Cornbread.

Yep, that's pretty much all I have to say---and you're hooked, right? I am totally in love with this Jane Austen Takes the South series by Mary Jane Hathaway. What an awesome idea.

This third book of the series finds Lucy Crawford, daughter of a well-respected and well-to-do Southern family fallen on hard times, struggling to find a way to keep the family from losing all they have to her father's debtors. When the local free clinic rents out a wing of the house, Lucy is shocked to find that the doctor in charge is her former love-interest, Jem. 

Growing up, Jem's family was poor and redneck and Lucy's family once persuaded her to give him the boot when they found things were serious between them. Now that their paths have crossed again, well...you'll have to read it to find out!

I love this excellent retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. I may even love it more than Persuasion. At least the heroine isn't so depressed and mousy---Anne Elliott can be a real downer sometimes. The first thing I loved about the story was that the "traditional" race roles are reversed. Lucy's family is black and her family has been wealthy for generations. While this is surely a common scenario in real life, it's not one we see often in Southern fiction. I liked that. It was also fun to see the reference to the Bath festival I attended last year, as well as the BBC house tour my friend Katrina went on before our tour started.

It was refreshing to see romantic references that weren't contrived. They were touching and believable and the characters were likeable---or hateable!

Want to know something else that's awesome? The author lives not 30 minutes away from our old Oregon town! Those of you from the big city won't realize what a big deal that is, but since her town and my old town are pretty tiny, that's like finding out she lived just around the block from me! I think it's neat that she's writing about the South and living in Eastern Oregon, while I'm here living in the South and working on a manuscript set in---Eastern Oregon! Small world, this is!

So...you want your own copy, right? Because I'm not parting with mine. Enter your info on the Rafflecopter widget below and Family Christian bookstore will send one US winner a free paperback of Persuasion, Captain Wentworth and Cracklin' Cornbread---most excellent newest novel by Mary Jane Hathaway. a Rafflecopter giveaway Linking with:

The Homemaking Party: Reading Challenges Update

Over the next two months, I'm participating in two reading challenges and am keeping a running list of what I've read here. Here's the info on the challenges I've joined---in case you're wanting to join too!

Since August 1st, I've finished these books:
French Lessons by Peter Mayle
Persuasion, Captain Wentworth, and Cracklin' Cornbread by Mary Jane Hathaway

Tonight I'll finish Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart.

Here are my plans for Simply Audra Marie's Friday "It Begins with SUMMER" challenge:

S---SPAM: A Biography (will read in September)
U---Undone (will read in September)
M---Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart (reading now)
M---Motel of the Mysteries (will read in September)
E---Emma, Mr. Knightley, and Chili Slaw Dogs (will read in August)
R---Recipes for Easy Living (will read in September)

What are you reading?

Thanks for stopping by the Homemaking Party! Have a blessed night!