Alright, get ready to protect your eyes, expand your
mind and improve your living space.
Hi everybody, I'm Julie Moran.
And I'm Olga Villaverde.
Welcome to The Balancing Act.
We have so much good stuff today.
We do.
Technology devices can wreak havoc on your vision.
Well, we're gonna help you see clearer.
We like that, and we'll take you to the head of the
class with a hidden gem of higher learning.
Like that.
And speaking of school, learn how to
decorate the dorm room on a budget.
Ahhh, it's coming my way.
Plus, we'll have travel tips as we head to mom's house
for Mothers Day.
And it all starts right now.
MUSIC Well, here's a technology
shocker for you.
The average person looks at their phone - get this - more
than 100 times a day.
My teenager, over 500 times a day.
And while that might be great for your social media following
or your email inbox.
It is not necessarily doing your eyes any
favors.
Why?
Because of something called blue light.
Here to explain what it is, and what it's doing to your eyes, is
optometrist, Dr. Howard Purcell, from Essilor of America.
It is so great to have you on the
show.
Thank you Julie.
Great to be here.
You know, first of all, what is blue light?
Where does it come from?
Julie, probably the best way to explain that is
to think about the rainbow.
OK.
We have all the colors in the rainbow.
Gotcha.
Basically what that is is different wave
lengths of light.
At our company, being a leader in this
industry, we really feel an obligation to do research and to
understand the implications of light on the eye.
So blue, being one of those colors, we really
evaluated all of those.
OK.
And looked at what is a lifetime of
exposure.
Being able to do, in a research lab, actually expose
eye cells to different wave lengths of light, simulate a
lifetime of exposure.
And what we've recognized is blue light
can have a detrimental effect.
The other piece of it that's critical is we're exposing our
eyes to much more blue light than we ever have before.
The sun being the primary vehicle of
blue light.
OK.
But we get it a lot with all of the devices we
use.
We're exposing ourself more and more.
I mean, we almost never see ourselves or our
friends without some device in front of them.
No, iPad, you know, your iPhone, or phone,
it's every time you're turning around, your computer screen,
it's there.
Why is it potentially, you know, harmful
to our eyes, this blue light?
The science really suggests that there's a link between the
exposure and the significant exposure of blue light, and a
disease called macular degeneration, which is the
leading cause of blindness in adu lts over 50.
So it becomes a very important issue to protect
your eyes.
And that's what we're looking at.
Because today, glasses are more than just a
visual tool.
They're about protection and prevention.
So creating products that are going
to be able to block that bad blue light seems like a really
good idea and it's something our company's been working on for a
number of years.
And, in your opinion, do people, does America
know enough about blue light?
Studies tell us that about two thirds of Americans have at
least heard of blue light.
But the reality is probably only
about one in about four really know the harmful effects.
We're still learning.
We know there's indications through studies that
there may be some indications of effects, of negative effects.
Right.
But the reality is there's still work to be done.
But today, why not, let's protect our eyes.
So you've gotta give me some tips, and our
viewers some tips for, you know, how do we keep our eyes safe as
we get older?
Number one, make sure you're getting your
examined.
Number 2, protect your eyes from UV.
So prevention and protection.
Good way to remember.
Like it.
Eyeglasses are not just today for vision.
They're actually for protection and prevention.
And we've created a product at Essilor,
Smart Blue Filter, which filters out the bad blue, allows the
good blue to continue.
Which gives us the good sleep cycles,
but makes sure we're protecting ourselves over the long term.
Smart Blue Filter.
Earlier you mentioned Essilor.
Tell us about who Essilor is, because a lot of
our viewers watching us right now are actually wearing Essilor
lenses and they may not even realize it.
Well, they probably are.
Over a billion people around the world are wearing our
product.
And, really at the core of Essilor is our mission.
Improving lives by improving sight.
That's what we do.
And we as employees of the company take
that very seriously.
So by creating products that block
blue light, that block UV, that protect the eyes, really feel
we're living and breathing our mission everyday.
OK.
Let me see those glasses.
So, if anyone goes to their eye doctor, they
can ask, during their checkup, they could say, hey I wanna make
sure this is in my glass.
If you're high risk and you're
spending a lot time on devices, which pretty much represents
most of us.
Oh gosh.
Then you're likely to have it recommended.
But not a bad thing to ask about it.
Hey, is Smart Blue Filters, are those right for me?
You are such a wealth of information.
It was so great having you on the show today.
I could just talk for hours but -
where can our viewers find out more about you and your company?
Great, so at Essilorusa.com, a great place to start, and that
will point them in the direction that they need to go, based on
needs, etc.
OK, perfect.
And you can also log on to
thebalancingact.com for more info.
And don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Something to keep your eye on, for sure.
And coming up, an eye opening hidden gem of higher
education in the Bayou.
We'll be right back.
MUSIC Choosing a college or university
is one of the most important decisions you can make.
And it's always a great idea to get some
advice.
I remember I did.
It's not everyday we get to pick the
minds of college graduates for some information on how to go
about making the right decision and pursuing your right passion.
And lucky for us, we've got two fabulous college graduates and
entrepreneurs.
Meet restaurant owner, Joey Trappey, and speaker
and registered dietician, Hope Anderson.
Good morning.
Thanks for being here.
Thanks for having us.
Great conversation to have, and Hope
I'm gonna start with you because my daughter, Sam, she is going
to enter high school in August.
So, this is a big deal.
I mean, she's telling me, mommy this is
it.
This is the footprint now to college.
And it's really a nerve wracking time, yet an exciting
time.
It is, college can really influence the trajectory of our
lives as we know it.
Both Joey and I can speak to that.
So it's an important time, but an
exciting time.
And Joey, for you, at that moment when you had
to start getting ready, were you kind of like, you know, with
those little heebie-jeebies in the stomach, that you were
nervous?
Yeh, obviously at 18 years old, it was the biggest
decision of my life.
Mine, my decision was a little bit
impacted on the college athletics front.
But, anybody approaching college, it's a
great decision.
And there's so many things to think about.
What am I gonna study?
I mean it's a hard question to ask at 18.
Some people have the vocation, others
don't know.
Where am I gonna go.
So what advice would you give hope to students who are
entering that, and saying OK, what should I look for?
What advice would you give me?
So, I stayed undeclared my freshman
year which is ironic.
That's OK.
Because, absolutely, my mom is a career counselor though.
So the irony was not lost on me.
But I declared mass communications my
second year.
So it was OK for me to enter and not have it all
figured out.
I had so many likes and interests.
But that's what your freshman year is really
for, is to figure what direction you'd like to take.
And Joey?
I went for the marketing approach
from the get-go.
I come from an entrepreneurial family so I
kinda knew I wanted to stay in the business route.
And I stuck with it and I graduated in 4
years and it worked out great for me.
And sometimes you even switch, or you do something
different with your life.
I was pre-med.
I finished and well, look at where I'm at right now.
So that's OK too.
Now I do want our viewers to know that you
both are graduates of the University of Louisiana at
Monroe.
And it's a midsize school, and I didn't know this,
it's ranked 47 nationally, as a top public school.
So Hope, tell me how this university helped
you become who you are today.
And I know you also own a private health practice.
Did it steer you there?
Did it prepare you for that?
Absolutely.
So I was a hometown girl.
I grew up in Monroe, really 3 minutes from
the university, and saw it growing up, attended athletic
events.
So it was just really an effortless choice when it came
time for me to decide where to go.
Because the academic package and scholarship assistance that
they offered me at ULM was unparalleled.
So I was a valedictorian of the local high
school.
Wow.
And decided on ULM because of, not only the
academic experience, but also because of the visual and
performing arts world there.
I danced and sang on scholarship.
So it was quite the college experience.
And Joey for you.
How did the university help you?
Well, it exposed me to a few different things.
I was a 3 year captain for the football team.
So I was able to get out in the public and learn more about how
to become an adult.
It exposed me to a great business school
that I was able to graduate in 4 years, and pursue a masters
degree.
But I think for the most part, it just helped me broaden
my exposure within the Monroe community.
Great academics, great professors, as I've heard
also.
And truly a beautiful campus and the location as well.
That really makes a difference too, doesn't it?
It does, absolutely.
We have a beautiful bayou running through our
campus.
And we're a research institution recognized by
Carnegie classification, so not only do we have the academics,
we have the beautiful bayou and, I was a former Miss Louisiana,
Miss Louisiana of 2011.
Oh!
And 4 of our 7 past Miss Louisianas
have been ULM students.
So we have brains and beauty.
Brains and beauty.
That is a great combination.
Joey?
Yeh, I unfortunately wasn't Mr.
Universe or - You have the brains.
I do think you're handsome.
(Laughing).
But we'll say handsome and not beauty.
Go ahead.
Yeh, you know, ULM just offered, you know, a great
teacher to student relationship.
That's so important.
Absolutely.
You aren't just a number.
You had a connection with all your
professors.
And the campus she mentioned, is a beautiful
campus.
A bayou running through it.
Not every university in the nation has a campus like we do.
We have great faculty to student interaction, which I think goes
a long way when it comes to being a freshman, sophomore, new
to the college scene.
A very special place.
And I always tell Sam, as she's now embarking, you
know, on this venture of thinking.
You know we still have 4 years, but I tell her, you
know, the academics are very important.
Having the professors that care about you, very
important.
But truly being happy there, is to me the ultimate
ultimate, most important thing.
Because it is a home away from home.
Certainly, and that's what ULM was for both Joey and I.
Well thank you so much.
For our viewers out there who'd like
more information on the university, where can they go?
They can visit ULM.edu.
ULM.edu.
Good luck to you.
You are gorgeous.
And sir you are quite handsome and one day our visit
your restaurants, OK?
Alright.
Alright, thank you so much.
And he's expecting his third little
baby girl.
Congratulations Joey.
Thank you.
Of course if you'd like more information, again the
website ULM.edu.
And go to our website thebalancingact.com.
And if your child plans to stay on
campus, we'll tell you how to decorate your dorm room on a
budget.
Stay with us.
MUSIC OK, so more than 20 million
students are expected to enroll at college
this fall.
That's a whole lotta studying folks.
Turns out getting your kids college room
looking great on a budget, can be almost as challenging as
getting good grades.
Truly it is.
So we're about to be homeschooled by college room
designer, Stephanie McDade.
Good morning.
Thank you for having me.
I'm thrilled you're here this morning
because, you know, I've still got 4 years.
Samantha's starting freshman year in high school,
but you know, everybody tells me it goes like (snap fingers
sound).
Right?
Yes.
Now I know you're a design expert.
You're also a mom.
How hard is it Stephanie to get ready for that
first time when your child leaves to college?
Well, it is, it is very difficult.
I have a 25 year old, a 22 year old, and
a 15 year old.
And, when that first child went off to school
it was, it was very difficult.
You know, my baby's leaving, and you know, I had to get past
myself to make sure she was prepared.
So, once I was able to get past that, you know, we
started making lists, and getting ready, you know, like
what do we need, what do you wanna bring?
And we knew, like backpacks and clothing, and
things of that nature.
But it didn't dawn on me about like the
residence hall room.
Where is she gonna spend most of her
time?
Which is important because that really becomes their second
home, if you will.
Oh yeh.
Away from home, so.
Absolutely.
I know you've helped literally
millions of families do this, but I want you to help me now,
get through this challenge, which I'm gonna be doing in 3 or
4 years.
Making a room look homey for my daughter.
And making her wanna come home to
it, and on a budget.
Oh absolutely.
Well we consider the bed, the center of the residence
hall room.
It's where children are gonna eat, sleep, study,
socialize.
We want it to be comfortable.
We want it to be like their home, so that they
feel comfortable that they're studying.
They're getting the good grades.
You know, and acclimating to home away from
home.
OK, I've got my eye on this one because Samantha's
favorite color is blue.
This is beautiful!
Thanks, this is actually one of our brand new
patterns that we're putting out this year.
It's called Kaleidoscope.
We work with designers every year in New York
to come up with the latest and greatest trends.
And this was one of the ones that they
presented to us.
This comforter is super soft.
It has channel stitching which keeps everything
in place.
We have these fabulous new throws which are soft and
very popular, especially with the young ladies.
They like to cuddle up.
The bling bling is awesome.
Yes, we actually have some new throw pillows, just to
give a little personality.
Like hey, this is my thing, right?
It's bright, it's happy.
You come to the room and look at all
these accessories.
I love this.
Absolutely.
We have some poofs for seating, if you have a
guest.
You know, your girlfriends come over and hang
out.
And our storage chests, which are great, because not
only do they offer storage for shoes, books, what have you.
But it's also a tabletop.
And the rug is adorable.
Oh yeh.
Those are great because not all the
residence halls have carpeting.
So you wanna put your feet down - you don't wanna put your feet
down on a cold floor, you want something roasty toasty to put
your toes on.
Let's talk about this one here.
This one's actually beautiful too.
Very bright.
Again, one of our new designs.
And we decided to go with something a little brighter
this year, instead of a muted color.
Coral seems to be very popular and we just love the new
designs.
And again, we have some study pillows, which are great.
And again, another accent pillow.
We even have some wall art that you can purchase.
As well as shower caddies and
things like that.
And something I love also is how easy it is to
make the bed in the morning!
Yes.
You don't have to hassle to much.
Like at home they tell me, we don't wanna make our bed.
Look how easy this is.
That's right.
Make it and get off to study.
Well, don't think that they're gonna make it all the
time.
Oh god.
Hopefully, I'll tell my kids to do that.
Alright, so this is kind of cute.
Is this like a package?
Yes.
This is actually one of our value packs that we offer for
about $200.
And it's amazing, because it's basically what you
need all in one package.
You have a hamper, 6-piece towel
set, 2 bath sheets, 2 sheet sets, comforter, mattress pad,
memory foam, 2 under bed storage, 2 pillows, a lamp, a
fan, and again, it's $200 all delivered to you at home.
You know what I notice here is you
really do make it easier.
I mean this is not easy.
Let's start with that.
It's not easy to see your children leave.
But, you make the process easier.
That's right.
And that's what we wanna do.
We wanna make it a one-stop shop for parents so it's
convenient.
Now we have 3 different patterns here.
Do you have more styles?
We do.
We have over 50 combinations that we
offer.
And parents and their children go on our website and
decide what they wanna do, and personalize their space.
And again, personalize it, make it
feel homey and on a budget.
Absolutely.
Alright, for our viewers out there who'd like
more information Stephanie, where do they go?
They should go to ocm.com.
So maybe in a few years - oh gosh - I'll give you
a call, and I'll start working with you to get something for
Sam.
I would love to help.
Thank you so much.
I'm dreading that day.
Alright, and don't forget to go to our website of course,
thebalancingact.com.
We're always on Facebook and Twitter.
Oh so difficult but it's OK, it's reality.
I will definitely keep this in mind as Maiya gets
ready to head to college.
Oh my gosh.
Somebody book me a therapist.
Alright, coming up - tips for Mothers Day travel.
Stay with us.
MUSIC Now you know, Travel Tips
Mothers Day is right around the corner and many of us
will be getting in our cars traveling to go see our special
moms.
So, what's the best gift you can give her?
Well, it's you of course, at her house.
And the best way to ensure your safe
arrival is to drive, as if mom's in the car.
Mom's in the car!
Let's make mom proud.
Tip number 1, go slow.
Following the speed limit will certainly keep you
out of trouble with the police.
But it also means faster reaction times.
Lowering the likelihood of an accident.
Additional bonus, better gas mileage, saving you cash at the
gas pump.
So ease up on the pedal.
Tip number 2, respect the weather.
Wet roads can be really dangerous and it takes 2 times
longer to stop on a wet road.
Rain and fog make it harder to see the road.
Respect the weather by driving the safest
speed for the conditions.
Tip number 3, keep your distance.
Momma said you can't hurry love.
And keeping your distance from a car in front of you can be just
as smart.
And it can save your life.
Stay at least one car length behind for every 10 miles
per hour of speed.
Tip number 4, buckle up.
Simple tip, but it may be the most important one of
all.
Always always always buckle up.
Whether you're driving to mom's or to the grocery store.
Seatbelts save lives and it's the law.
And make sure mom and all of your passengers are
buckled in as well.
And tip number 5, pickup a little
something for mom at a TA or Petro Stopping Center.
All kinds of gifts and goodies, not to
mention great food, a chance to stretch your tired legs, clean
restrooms to freshen up.
And of course, gas and oil and wifi
too, in select locations.
Well that's it for now.
Don't forget to stop at any TA and Petro
Stopping Centers around the country.
Happy Mothers Day - bye bye.
Now you know Travel Tips.
Sponsored by TA and Petro Stopping Centers, coast to
coast.
Refuel, replenish, refresh.
This is the show all about you and your space.
Your home and surroundings.
We're Designing Spaces.
We take on DIY projects.
Get creative with interior design, and get with the pros on
remodeling and home improvement.
I can see myself living here.
I really can.
Designing Spaces.
(MUSIC) Excellent tips, and
happy Mothers Day.
And to you.
And to our moms, who we adore.
And let me say to you - feliz dia de las madres.
Wonderful, I accept it.
And that's our show for today, but head to our
Facebook page and our website and follow us on Twitter.
We've got so much more there.
Thanks for watching everybody.
We'll see you next time.
MUSIC