I went Christmas shopping at Downtown Disney (man they’re expensive!) on a rainy day. At the end of my 30-minute shopping errand (I shop fast), I decided to treat myself with donuts and coffee. I went home and logged into the computer; dunkin’ mah donuts into the coffee while listening to the rain hit the roof of my house.

“Ah, this is as good as it can get” I thought in my head–but it got even better. Looking at my site referrers, I noticed that my blog, as well as ten others, was featured on Cami’s site for “11 Examples of Great Web Design“…awesome! I don’t think I ever had my blog featured on another website before so I am flattered that this blog is even being recognized by someone. Thanks Cami!

I watched The Hobbit last night (no spoilers here), but in HFR 3D. HFR stands for High Frame Rate, and the current standard frame rate in all cinemas is 24 frames per second. The Hobbit in HFR displayed 48 fps instead which is twice the typical rate–and HOLY SHIT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE.

At first, the picture seemed quite unusual. It took me a couple of minutes to adjust to seeing 48 FPS in a fantasy movie. The visuals originally looked a little too “soap opera” for me and some of the movements the characters made seemed a little too fast and unreal, but the more I watched the more my brains made sense of the increased frame rate and thus realizing how considerably more realistic and enhanced everything looked on HFR.

Despite the mixed opinions on whether to see this film in HFR or not, I think HFR the best way to go and totally worth seeing, especially for a CGI movie with many visually detailed scenes. It’s simply an incredible experience is too see middle earth in its rawest and most vivid form.

I took Christmas very seriously as a kid because like most kids, I use to believe in Santa Claus. And the closest I could ever get to him, along with his reindeers and littler helpers, was watching the right holidays movies that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

I’d like to share a few of those movies, but I will exclude A Christmas Story (1983) and The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) from the list only because…well, no shit right? They’re holidays classics. I don’t think I need to remind you guys how wonderful those two movies are when most people already know it.

1. Gremlins (1984)

So it’s a little bit more of a horror/comedy movie but who says horror and Christmas can’t go hand in hand? I think this was one of the first scary movies  (it was scary at the time!) I’ve watched and I still remember most of the scenes to this day.

2. The Santa Clause (1994)

This picture was probably one of my favorite scenes in the movie because you could just taste the deliciousness of the hot cocoa as he’s slowly taking sips out of a fancy lookin’ reindeer mug. The only thing I hated about the movie was how they used real kids as elves. I hated those kids for some reason.

3. Jingle All the Way (1996)

I think the fact that it’s starring Arnold Schwarzenegger should be a good enough reason, but considering how he’s pissed off all the time, desperately trying to fight for that one stupid toy his ungrateful son wants, makes his Austrian accent sound more entertaining.

4. The Nutcracker (1993)

I remembered watching this as a kid and thinking how incredibly boring this all should have been, but the weird thing is, I couldn’t even keep my eyes off of the TV screen. I could’ve changed the channel but I–I don’t know–maybe I was entranced by the music and the dancing, or maybe I just couldn’t believe the Home Alone kid was not in a Home Alone movie.

5. Home Alone (1990)

Speaking of Home Alone, I think I’ve watched part one & two over 20 times that I’m fairly certain I can still remember each line that was said in the first movie. It is possibly my #1 favorite Christmas movie of all time because it’s got every right element I loved as a kid. He’s got the whole big house to himself because he’s a neglected child. Gets to have fun and do whatever wants, EATS whatever he wants. And he when he finds out his house is going to be robbed by two men, he trolls the hell out of them. Brilliant.

I recently heard about an unbelievable deal where you can get your first pair of glasses for free from Coastal.com. What–this is impossible, it’s the scam of the earth! I cried out (not really). I decided to order my first pair for “free” anyway and see what happens because I’m all about living life on the edge…of the internet. I thought I’d also take a stab at reviewing their service and product. Oh and I wasn’t paid to do this, blah blah…

After observing their ordering process, here’s what I like to share:

• Coastal is great for those who want single vision glasses (ie: You want to correct your vision for distance or reading, but not for both in one pair) . On the other hand…
• People with multifocal prescription typically requires additional measurements, which online services like Coastal cannot provide. There is a chance that, people with said prescription, might experience some issues with their vision if they get their glasses online simply because multifocal lenses can be more complex.
• Basic lenses are free for your first pair, any upgrades such as anti-glare coating, hi-index, UV coating, tint, etc have additional fees.

One of the more obvious disadvantages to ordering glasses online is you can’t physically try them on before ordering them. However, Coastal has an online tool where you can upload your own picture, add in your PD size, and watch the virtual try-on magic unfold.

The frames I bought are transparent so it should be forgiving that they technically put white frames on me. I’m ignoring the color and only trying it on for size, literally. With the actual frames, they’re a little smaller than I had expected, but it’s not problematic.

Bonus picture of me and my kickass niece:

Now onto receiving the glasses:

• I ordered them on November 23rd and I ended up receiving them on December 1st.
• Aside from the glasses, the order comes with a hard case and a really nifty repair kit, which has the cleaning cloth, spray and screwdriver.
• In terms of comfort and quality, they’re not on the same level as the (queue the snobby accent) expensive designer frames I typically get (yes I can feel the difference). Regardless, these frames are quite sturdy and have a spring hinge, and that’s the most important thing. As long as I’m not rough with them, they shouldn’t break on me.
• Look! There are little hearts on them too!

The charges:

• Frame (Love L740 Crystal Shadow): $0.00
• Durable Air Lenses: $0.00
• Premium Anti-Reflective Coating: $9.95
• Shipping: $7.95
• Handling: $7.71
• Total: $25.61

All in all, I paid only $26 for a decent pair of glasses and it only took me about a week to receive them. For a free pair, the quality is not bad at all. It’s not great, but it’s good enough as long as you’re not wreckless with them. My prescription isn’t that complicated so I can see just fine with them. You definitely get what you pay for and a little bit more–it’s perfect for those who are on a budget. Thanks Coastal!