GIVEAWAY + Girls in Glasses

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Rivet & Sway.

I'm at the age of acceptance + I'm living in the age of acceptance. Curly hair is "in" and glasses are chic! Who would have thought the banes of my existence when I was a child would both be so trendy... and at the same time! I'm embracing it head on. (pun intended)

My hair will take forever to grow to a length I'm happy with, but at least it's finally long enough to let it be curly without looking too much like Little Orphan Annie. But for now, I'll thank hipsters and focus all my energy on enjoying glasses. I've been sporting Harry Potter-esque wire rimmed glasses and my Ray Ban type hipster glasses, but hadn't wanted to splurge on a new pair, although I desperately need them. I haven't bought new glasses because:

1. Cost. My simple prescription costs over $400 because after frames, there's the cost of coatings and thin lenses, and god knows what else to keep my eyes from looking like bug eyes. 2. Trying on. I hate it. It's almost as bad as swimsuits. Ok, not even close. But I'm in a store. In bad light. With strangers' opinions. Ugghh. 3. A long wait. Always. No matter what time I go, it takes forever. Maybe because I can't ever decide between a few pairs of glasses and want everyone's opinion. But I can't take them with me.  Or can I??

Rivet & Sway makes it easy - you buy your glasses online and it's the only online glasses boutique exclusively for women. So you better believe that they understand eyewear is an accessory, like handbags or shoes (uh, yeah!). And forget the upselling like in stores: every single pair of glasses on the site is only $199 and that includes ultra-thin Rx lenses, fancy coatings, and free shipping. They solved all 3 of my issues!

You simply go online, pick your 3 pairs and have them sent to you. Rivet & Sway will even help you select a pair glasses online. I emailed for a recommendation and had suggestions within the hour!

After you try on your 3 pairs, you ask all of your friends for their help deciding which one you should keep. Or your kids, because they tell the truth. Then send the 3 pairs back to Rivet & Sway in the same box and let them know in which pair you want to put your prescription. A few days later, you have new glasses. Who knew ordering glasses online would be hassle-free?

Here I am in the 3 pairs I've ordered. Let me know in the comments which pair YOU like (those are hand signals to tell you the pairs  :lol:)

And remember when I told you that Rivet & Sway understands that glasses are accessories? They really, really do! 1 lucky winner will be sporting the Marc by Marc Jacobs "Too Hot to Handle" Medium Hobo in Cement ($428 value) and one pair of frames in their choice from Rivet & Sway ($199). Total value is over $600!

Winner will be announced on August 1, 2013 on Rivet & Sway's Facebook Page and on Twitter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway Rivet & Sway is the only online eyewear boutique exclusively for women whose purpose is to make women feel more beautiful in glasses. Through Rivet & Sway’s Home Try On selection process and the assistance of a free personal stylish, women can select three pairs of glasses that will be shipped directly to them so they can try them on. All Rivet & Sway glasses include a frame and ultra-thin Rx lenses.

To encourage YOU to try them out, Rivet & Sway is happy to offer an exclusive discount: $99 per frame (save $100) through August 15, 2013. One pair per customer. Use code SUMMERSPECS99 at checkout.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Rivet & Sway.

Blog comments: why, how, and the #1 tip you have to know now

I must confess, I've debated a while whether to write a post about blog comments. Seriously, everyone comments and everyone knows how to comment... right? {Obviously that's a rhetorical question or we wouldn't be here!} I finally decided to write this after (1) I realized that it took me a long time to learn what I've learned, and (2) I thought I knew the "1 tip you have to know now" and realized I was still making the mistake. Whoopsy-daisy!!  I thought to myself, and out loud to Chloe, "Well, if I'm making this mistake, at least I can save someone else a bit of frustration & trouble!"  Sooooo, here are our top blog comments tips!

1. You can build a community just by commenting on other blogs.  If your comments are non-existent to sporadic, start sharing the love. Find some blogs you truly like and leave heartfelt comments. Not a simple "nice" or "cute" but a comment that adds to the post and shows you actually read it. If the blogger has time, is curious, and is interested in building relationships, they will pop over to your blog and likely leave a comment if they like your blog. I've built fantastic purely online relationships with people such as Jen of PinkWhen, Meghan of Meghan Silva, Alicia of Spashionista, and so many others simply by enjoying their blogs and leaving comments. Chloe has made great friends online through blogging. We can always count on our blog friends to check out our new posts, and we try my hardest to the same with them and so many other fab supporters of ours.

2. Don't ask people to follow you in your comments.  If people like your blog, they will follow you. If they don't, they won't. Asking them to follow is akin to following them around in real life and asking them to be your friend. Nobody would do that after kindergarten, so why do it online?

3. If you don't have something nice to say, then don't comment.  It's that simple. It's like seeing a friend in an outfit you don't like. If they don't truly want your opinion, you really don't have to give it to them. Mom's keen advice still holds true.

4. If a blogger asks a question, answer it. Unless you don't want to. I try to because it shows I read the post, but sometimes it's just a prompt for the blog reader. However, if you have something to say (see #1) then go ahead and leave your interesting and heartfelt comment!

And the #1 tip you must know:

5. Make sure your comment links back to your blog!! So simple, yet... We always visit every blog that leaves a comment on ours. Always. Well, ok, almost always. We alway try to visit, at least! Yet, I'd say that 50% of the blog comments leave links that are dead ends. Test yours. If you leave your name, but no link, it's difficult to reciprocate and visit you, and we all know what happens when something is difficult. It's not personal, but on to the next blog or comment, right?

If you are leaving a google/blogger link, make sure it links to your blog. If you are leaving a Disqus link... make sure it links to your blog. For instance, if your comment link to Twitter, then you are telling me to follow you on Twitter and not to visit your blog. That's fine, but you  might be wondering why people aren't visiting your blog after you went on a blog reading spree and left bunches of comments. Log in and check your settings and profile!! Almost every blog has a different type of commenting system - so test each system out AFTER you leave the comment! Click your link and see where it goes (you may need to log out to see.) If your comment doesn't show up right away (due to a spam filter) write the name of the blog down and visit later. Once you've checked all your comments for a week or so and they are linking back to you, you should be golden and receiving tons of comments back from all of your friends that you are visiting!

Questions people have asked me about blog comments:

Should I leave a signature (and how do I do it) with my blog name?  Sometimes we do, and sometimes we don't. If Popcosmo is highlighted when I leave a comment,and it's obvious that you can click on it to access our blog, then we typically don't leave a signature unless it's the first time we've visited that blog. If it's not highlighted, then do it! Plus, if you are not sure if the link goes directly to your blog, then do it. Once, you can confirm which commenting systems link back, you can stop leaving signatures. We don't like to be repetitive & redundant, haha.

How do I leave a signature? Obviously it's personal, but ours is: xox ~kim & chloe @ popcosmo.com  which is typed in as: xox ~kim & chloe @ <a href="http://www.popcosmo.com">popcosmo.com</a>  We used to have separate ones, but we are starting to become one person, it seems!

How exactly does commenting build a community? I should clarify that obviously 1 comment won't build a community. It takes time & you have to visit your list of blogs regularly! A great way to remember which blogs to visit is to build a list in Bloglovin' and set up a group for your commenting BFFs. Check it regularly and comment regularly and you'll see the love returned.  Let me know if you need help with Bloglovin' and I'll address that in another post!

Should I leave my email address? I never do, but if you have asked a question that you want to have answered and won't be returning to the blog to check the answer, then you should let the blogger know you'd like an email, but they might not always have time to respond! In Blogger, under Edit Profile, you have to check "Show my email address," in Disqus, I receive an email address. We have had plenty of conversations on our site when readers ask for information, especially pertaining to our DIY and Beauty posts. But, we've also responded to emails, they just take a lot longer.

I hope you found this helpful!

Do you have any questions about commenting or Bloglovin'? Let us know!

29+ Ideas for Bucket Lists

We are a few weeks into summer and boredom is almost setting in, so now is the time to pull out or start summer bucket lists! They motivate us to go out and do something fun when there seems like there is nothing to do on a hot summer day. No more "I'm sooo bored!" We pulled together and wrote down some of our top things that we wanted to accomplish this summer -- from retro to fun to exhilarating -- let's get this summer started!

Some of the ideas that made it on our Summer Bucket Lists:

- Pull an all-nighter - Skydive (yikes!) - Go to the zoo - Go to a state I’ve never been to - Go to the beach - Buy my dream purse - Take a golf lesson - Take a boxing class - Buy $1 in pennies & place them face up for good luck for others to find - Find a race and enter it - Create and go on a scavenger hunt - Mountain bike (on a mountain) - Make tie-dyed shorts - Perfect “the flirt” - Watch the sunset - Have a picnic - Create something new & different - Have a movie marathon - Read a new book that I would typically pass up - Create a summer songs playlist - Wish on a shooting star - Rock a romper - Actually finish a stick of chapstick - Jump off the high dive - Go to a concert - Find the perfect sunglasses - Compliment 3 people in 1 hour - Roadtrip anywhere - Get a pedicure & try a not-so-me polish - Have a bonfire - Go to a drive-in movie - Play flashlight tag

In our typical fashion, we decided to make it a little more exciting than the predictable notebook list {so blah & boring}. After a short and inexpensive run to Hobby Lobby to pick up popsicle sticks, gold spray paint, white puffy paint, and a mini vase from Target, we got to work. We spray painted both sides of the Popsicle sticks and after letting them dry, started thinking up ideas and writing one on each stick. We let those dry, stuck them in the vase, and voilà: the cutest summer bucket lists on the planet, just sitting bedside as daily inspiration. Whenever boredom hits, just close your eyes, pick a stick, and you've got your day planned!

And yes, we'll be doing some of these. Make sure you're following us on Instagram so you can check our progress!

What's on your summer bucket lists?