New longer opening hours

It's been a great first four months here at Ocean Optometry, the time has really flown by.  We've had lots of lovely people come in and see us, with so many of them being incredibly flattering and gracious in their feedback about our office and about the frame ranges we carry.  It's all quite humbling to feel that we are doing something rather special and that it is being appreciated.

It is with great excitement, then, that we want to share the news about our new longer opening hours.  This will make it even easier for folks to come in and share in their little bit of Ocean!

Our new hours are:

• Mon  -  9:00  - 5:30
• Tues  -  9:00  - 5:30
• Wed  -  9:00  - 5:30
• Thur  -  9:00  - 8:00
• Fri     -  9:00  - 5:30
• Sat    - 10:00 - 4:00

Hopefully we will see you in Blowers Street real soon!

Great Review of SALT. Optic's Lodin sunglasses

Here at Ocean Optometry we love working with SALT. Optics, their range is designed for people who like simple things well made.

A great example of this is their Lodin sunglasses:

It's great to see that we aren't the only ones to think that SALT. make beautiful and trendy glasses, Men's Journal also agrees.

Dog Days of Summer

We're pleased to be part of the Dog Days of Summer event in Halifax.

 

The CNIB is coming in with a guide dog to provide information and also show some of the low vision aids available.

 

Leading up to and at the event we will happily minor adjustments, repairs, servicing and cleaning of glasses for a donation to CNIB.

 

We are also pleased to be a donation location for Litters 'N' Critters, so bring in some dog food and accessories.

 

The event takes place on Saturday 10th August and downtown will be a great place for your dog on that day!

 

 

For more information about this event, check out Downtown Halifax's website here.

 

Choosing your new glasses

Sometimes choosing new glasses can seem like a major task, there are all sorts of "rules" and style guides available to help you.

A really good example of one such style guide is available on the Salt. Optics website, http://www.saltoptics.com/fit-guide.php.

For many people this is a great way to start looking for new glasses, it gets you thinking about the shape of your face, about your own style and can also get you to think about things like colours - what colours do you wear, what is your skin tone like, what colours work well for you and which colours do you avoid.  What is a little worrying, though, is that some people in the eye industry use these guides as a method of almost choosing someone's new glasses by formula.

At Ocean Optometry, though, we like to think that life is not all about rules and guides.

So how would we recommend choosing your new glasses?

A lot has to do with what we do day to day in our office in Halifax.  Firstly we ask questions and, importantly, we listen to the answers.

Some questions we may ask can include:

• Are you currently a glasses wearer?  If so, what do you like about your current glasses and what do you not;
• What are you wanting to use your new glasses for?  For example are they for all day every day; for a bold statement to change things up a little; perhaps just in the evening when watching TV.
• Do you have any comfort preferences - some people like acetate frames or keyhole bridges, some prefer titanium or love nose pads.
• Do you use them for any specific tasks ...

... and so the questions can go on.  It isn't a formula, it isn't a questionnaire, it's a conversation.  During the conversation we will probably be having lots of fun trying on lots of different glasses.  Some will look great, some may be "What were you thinking!".  Going through this interaction will make sure that when you decide on your new glasses you will love them!

So throw away the rule book ... come on in ... and let's chat!

Featured in fashion

It was a real treat to be asked to take part in a Summer fashion feature for Halifax's Line Magazine.

We are all fans of the magazine here in the office, the photography is stunning and articles are always worth a read, so we were wowed when we were asked to be involved.  A few Smith Optics sunglasses later ... well you can see for yourself!

Choosing quality sunglasses is good for your eyes for so many reasons.  Cutting through the glare and harsh conditions created by bright sunlight enhances vision and provides extra clarity, vital for such things as driving or simply enjoying our wonderful scenery.  Even during the winter months, when the sun is low in the sky and wet or snow covered ground conditions tend to reflect more glare, sunglasses can be an essential aid to vision.

The quality of crisp optics really stands out when you are looking for the most from your sunglasses, but sometimes the biggest effect is on the light we don't see - Ultra-Violet.  The damage that this high-energy light can do is well known and we are all much better at slapping on the SPF sun cream to protect our skin.  The damage that UV does to the eyes is also well documented, but perhaps less well known.

So sunglasses enhance how we see and protect our eyes from what we can't see, but when it comes to vision, there is another element to consider - do the sunglasses enhance how you look?

Here's a link to Line's article, enjoy the styles!

Line Magazine, Summer 2013