Who's that shady character?

I mentioned in a previous post that I won a blog giveaway a few weeks ago, and the "My First Shades" sunglasses for Brayden arrived in the mail. My daughter took one look at them and said, "You are never going to get him to wear those." Oh contraire. A grandmother's powers are magical. My conversation with Brayden went like this. Me: I have a present for you. B: What is it (pronounced Whad eez it?) Me: Well, you know how we got you a helmet to wear when you ride your bike (aka tricycle) because you ride so fast? B: Uh-huh. Me: Well look at this. A friend of mine sent you some very special sunglasses -- just like the race car drivers wear! I bet Kevin Harvick has a pair just like this. B: (Face lighting up.) (Interested look.) Me: Would you like to try them on? B: Yes. Me: OK, but you know my job is to keep you safe, so when you put them on and ride your bike, you have to promise not to go TOO fast, OK? B: Can I go fast as a race car? Me: Yes, but no faster -- deal? B: Can I go fast as Kevin Harvick? Me: Yes, but no faster -- deal? B: Deal! Result? He wore them for about two hours -- IN the house because it was too cold to go out and ride his bike. (By the way, if you want to see how fast he rides his tricycle, you can see a quick little video on Brayden's blog). Besides the fact that Brayden will actually WEAR these sunglasses, there are several things that I really like about them. First, is the soft adjustable strap. Once you adjust that strap, the glasses fit perfectly. Tight enough to stay on, not so tight they pinch or press on the eye area. Secondly, again because of the strap, they don't fall off -- not even with jumps, twirls, or spinning like a whirling dervish. Trust me on that one. Of course, I like the fact they offer those precious little eyes 100% UVB and UVA protection. You can certainly buy less expensive sunglasses, but having cheap dark glasses on the child doesn't mean their eyes are getting the protection they need. The frames and the lenses are shatterproof and impact resistant. That, combined with that great flexible strap, means these glasses are going to last far longer than the standard sunglasses. How many times have you seen a child pull off sunglasses by the frame stem or grab the glasses by the ear stems and bend them as wide as they will go -- only to have them snap where the ear stem meets the eye frame? That's not going to happen with these glasses! I'm loving them! Honestly, I normally would not have considered paying this much for sunglasses, because I know from past experiences how quickly children break sunglasses. But when I think of how many $3 sunglasses my children went through in less than a day, these sunglasses are actually a real bargain! Although you can be sure I'll report back if anything different happens, I believe these sunglasses will last as long as they fit Mr. Brayden's head! Oh, and the glasses come in a great range of "cool" colors for boys and girls. Now the second best thing about these sunglasses... was the package they came in. Brayden loved the little vinyl bag with a neck drawstring. He immediately asked for money (amazing how early they learn that!), and put change in the little pouch. How much money is in there? "Sixty dollars!" is always his answer! Big thanks to My First Shades (the manufacturer of the glasses) and My Precious Peas blog for offering this great giveaway!