I scored a pair of new sunglasses from Solar Eyes via a review campaign found on Viral Conversations. I was pretty thrilled with the change to get some free shades. I mean, my sunglasses sort of became my signature accessory a while back. (All links contained herein include the requisite nofollow attribute.)

The Ballad of Christina Gleason’s Signature Sunglasses

Aside from the fact that sunglasses helped me obscure my identity when I didn’t want to be easily identified, I have very sensitive eyes. I had LASIK laser vision correction surgery back in June 2004, and my eyes haven’t been the same since. Happily, I got rid of the glasses I had to wear to see even my alarm clock in the morning. An unfortunate side effect, however, was that my eyes are now hypersensitive to light. I have to wear sunglasses much later into the evening and even when it’s overcast and rainy. I’m not trying to pretend I’m a celebrity, but I get weird looks as if I’m overstepping my own importance sometimes. Or maybe people think I’m trying to hide a drug problem or something. Seriously? It’s just the LASIK.

My New Solar Eyes Shades

So let’s talk about my new Solar Eyes shades. You probably want to know which ones I got. (Since I’m such a trendsetter, LOL!) I chose the S1158P polarized sunglasses with shiny black frame and smoke lenses. I like black sunglasses because, well, I am a bit fashion-impaired, and I know that they’ll go with everything. I wasn’t disappointed when I got them – they look fabulous. Much better than my last pair, which I believe were men’s sunglasses I picked up for $10 at Target. I’ve never been one to spend a fortune on things, and I have been a bargain sunglasses shopper until now. But now that I’ve tried these? I think $49.95 is a worthy investment in eye protection.

What’s so great about these sunglasses? They’re very lightweight. My last pair tended to hurt after I’d had them on for a while, so much that sometimes it was worth the eye pain to squint at the sunlight while giving my sore ears and head a rest. These haven’t bothered me at all. The Solar Eyes shades are also close-fitting, so I don’t have sunlight leaking in from above and below, no matter what the angle of the sun is. With sensitive eyes like mine, that’s been a concern with pretty much every other pair of shades I’ve  worn – except for the plastic blind-woman glasses they gave me immediately following my surgery. (Those things were huge and ugly!)

Other cool stuff? These sunglasses are very flexible, which adds to the comfort level. They also come with a sweet carrying bag that doubles as a micro fiber cleaning cloth. Hands down, this bag beats wiping my lenses off with the hem of my shirt any day!

As for the buying process, Solar Eyes offers free shipping on all of their sunglasses. They also offer a warranty against loss and accidental breakage. (Do your sunglasses offer that?)

The Ballad of My New Solar Eyes Sunglasses (Review) is a post from: Christina Gleason - Founder of Phenomenal Content LLC

Yeah, I’m going there. I love to watch @graywolf get his panties in a bunch about paid links and sponsored reviews, especially in light of the proposed FTC regulations. I love it mostly because I agree with him. I’m totally in the “white hat” camp – anything I work on is done with Google’s rules in mind. It’s smart business. But yeah, I think their whole ruling on paid links sucks because of the glaringly obvious double standards. I do the whole no follow thing when I review products, but I wish I didn’t have to. I disclose when I’ve received products for free, and I’m pretty honest. I mean, look at my Zarbee’s cough syrup review.

I’d like to officially announce my availability for brand advocacy for products and services I already love. Since I already love them, there’s no conflict of interest that might arise from being compensated for promoting products I might not personally believe in. (I’m not into that whole fake thing. I’d like to protect my personal integrity, thank you very much.)

If you see your product or service listed below, feel free to email me about working out some kind of product review deal, free t-shirts to wear in support of your product, conference sponsorships… the whole nine yards. Because I love you. I have over 2,000 followers between my two Twitter accounts, tweeting with my colleagues here or my fellow mom bloggers here. I’ll tweet for you, too. But I’ll no follow my blog links to your sites, because I don’t want to get smacked with the Google hammer, and I don’t want you to get  smacked by them either. Not that you necessarily need to worry about that, since Google loves brands. Oh, since I’ve never actually been in contact with any of you yet, and I’ve only ever  purchased your goodies, the following links will pass link juice.

Brands I <3 Forever

• Fiber One – I <3 you because I’ve been placed on a high fiber diet and I hate most vegetables. I first grew to appreciate your granola bars, but my true love now is your Fiber One Toaster Pastries. Particularly the Brown Sugar Cinnamon and Chocolate  flavors, although my husband and 3 year old son prefer the Strawberry. I’d love to try some of your other products.
• Coke Zero – I <3 you because I despise Diet Coke. It’s often the only diet soda available when I’m dining out, so I tolerate it, but Coke Zero is awesome. I love that our local Five Guys has Coke Zero available.
• Diet Sierra Mist – I <3 you also because you’re not Diet Coke. You have a much better flavor than Diet 7-Up and Diet Sprite. Thanks for giving up on that ridiculous Sierra Mist Free thing.
• Potato Farmers of America – Okay, so you’re not a brand. But I <3 potatoes. Mashed, baked, roasted, cooked in foil on a charcoal grill with onions… bring ‘em on!
• Cabot Cheese – I <3 your Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese the most. I <3 that you’re in Vermont, so close to me in New York. I would love to bring my son for a tour of your place.
• Pepperidge Farm Goldfish – I <3 your Original Goldfish Crackers. My son TJ prefers the “Rainbow” Goldfish Colors. I think he’d eat Goldfish at every meal if I allowed him to  do so.
• Price Chopper – I <3 your grocery store, particularly #112. I worked as a cashier at #20, where I met the man who is now my husband. I go grocery shopping every Saturday with my mom and my grandma. When I bring my son with me, we have four generations shopping together. You could totally make a commercial with us. Grandma used to work as a cashier at #20 as well, and people still stop her in public because they recognize “Betty Boop,” even though she retired more than a decade ago! Maybe you could spring for a makeover for my mom and my grandma prior to shooting – they’ve never had any such thing, and they totally deserve it. Or you could skip that part, but we would be amazing advocates for you.
• Kia – I <3 my brand new Kia Sedona. It’s the first new vehicle I’ve ever owned. It really is my dream vehicle. I bought it from a dealership that I’ve long-despised – Fuccillo Kia – but I had such a pleasant buying experience that I’ve reversed my opinion of Billy Fuccillo’s business.
• Disney – I <3 most things Disney. I have since I was little. We’re in the Disney Movie Club. I have a collection of Disney snowglobes. We’re  trying to plan and save for a family reunion at Walt Disney World in 2011. I’m totally willing to do a family-wide vlog of our trip if you want to work with us on that! Three children under the age of 7, hopefully four generations present if my grandma can make it. (She doesn’t fly because of her ear, doesn’t think she can afford the train.)
• Target – I <3 that you offer low prices without compromising customer service. I buy most of my family’s clothing from you. The resealable bags you put your Archer Farms chips in? Brilliant!  Would it help to mention that I loathe Wal-Mart with a passion and die a little inside whenever I have to go there to find something that isn’t available anywhere else?
• Restaurants – I have to group you all together because I can’t pick one favorite, and dining out is my family’s vice. We don’t smoke, drink, or do drugs… we go out to eat. We <3 you: Five Guys, Ruby Tuesday, 99 Restaurant, Outback Steakhouse, Panera Bread, Wendy’s, IHOP, Smokey Bones, Olive Garden, Fuddruckers, Chili’s, Red Robin, Cracker Barrel, Shane’s Rib Shack, Moe’s, Uno’s.
• Friendly’s – Okay, I lied. I <3 you the best because of all my childhood and high school memories that took place at your Clifton Park location. I <3 your food. My son, who is even pickier than I am, loves you food. Anyone who doesn’t love your ice cream is crazy… or lactose intolerant. We are regular customers. Our favorite waitress watched me grow up. She took care of me at lunch on my wedding day. She took care of me when I was pregnant. I give her a Christmas card every year. Your restaurant has a lot of emotional ties for me.

This is not an exhaustive list, but it’s a list I’m passionate about. If you represent one of these brands and would like to work with me, feel free to contact me by emailing me: christina at christinagleason dot com.

And that’s not to say I can’t be approached to review other products that fit my lifestyle. I’m a 30-year old happily married mother of a preschooler. I hate cleaning. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Generalized Anxiety Disorder, so anything involving stress relief is pretty sweet. I love junk food. I hate vegetables. But I’m trying to get healthier. Don’t worry, I now have an official blog product review policy.

* Aside from liking free stuff, I am trying to make a point that brand advocates can still be authentic, sponsored conversations are not evil, and provide an example for how not to butt heads with the FTC.

Blogger Brand Advocate for Hire is a post from: Christina Gleason - Founder of Phenomenal Content LLC

For Product Marketers

If you have a product (or service) you think would be of interest to me, feel free to get in touch! I am a small business owner. A 30 year old happily married mother of a preschool boy. A patient coping with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. In need of a vacation.

I will review your products and services, if they are relevant to me, in exchange for product samples that I get to keep. Reviews can appear on either this blog or on my mommy blog, Cutest Kid Ever. Your choice. It may be helpful to note that I currently bill my services at $75-$100 an hour. If you want me to review a low cost product, it would be helpful for both of us if you provided a second product sample that could be used in a blog giveaway. (I gain readers, you gain more exposure.)

What you will get:

• An honest review on my blog. Good and bad. I will contact you first for guidance if I have an overall negative experience with the product. Review may include pictures, when appropriate.
• Promotion of the blog review on Twitter and other appropriate social media platforms.
• Exposure to either Internet marketing professionals and freelance writers on ChristinaGleason.com or moms and parenting bloggers on Cutest Kid Ever. Both, if appropriate.

How to get it:

Email me at christina at christinagleason dot com with the subject line “Blog Review Pitch” and the name of your product or service. Provide any details I will need to complete my review, including the URL of the Web site you would like me to use. (Link will be no-followed.)

For Readers

From time to time, I will post product reviews for which I have received compensation in the form of sample products. I will always disclose when I have been compensated for a review, and you can be assured that my review is an honest one. I will not lie and say I loved something just because it was free. I will always provide my honest assessment, both pros and cons, so that my readers have an honest appraisal of my experience with the product being reviewed. Besides, what may be a negative experience for me could be something that would be positive for you. Or vice versa. Integrity is important to me. I won’t shill just any product given to me, but if I get behind something and become its cheerleader, you know it’s because I really liked it.

Review Policy is a post from: Christina Gleason - Founder of Phenomenal Content LLC