29 Ways to Stay Motivated while Working from Home

1. Reward yourself for minor and major achievements, no one else will!

2. Shift your thinking and stimulate your brain by solving a jigsaw puzzle, word game or quiz.

3. Amuse yourself with quips, quotes, jokes and other debauchery that'll have you crackin' a smile!

4. Pretend you can't hear the other person on the phone, just to see how loud they'll talk.

5. Your company mascot awaits you at the local animal shelter, he/she is just as lonely as you are ;)

6. Keep in sync with the rest of 'your' world ie; get in and out of your pj's as necessary.

7. Mix up your routine by treating yourself to a spontaneous breakfast on the town.

8. Take your paperwork, briefcase, laptop etc. outdoors for a change of scenery.

9. Socialize, face to face, with living things that have a pulse rather than chattin' it up with your stapler!

10. Shift the monotony by taking lots of mini breaks throughout the day.

11. Attempt to ignore duties outside of work ie; household tasks (they aren't going anywhere).

12. Break down goals into small chunks so they're easier to tackle and finish ;)

13. Create a list of short and long term goals (aka; needs and wants) and actually check them off!

14. Plan your most difficult, dreaded tasks for when you're at your most productive.

15. Making mountains from mole hills is easy, so don't do it, make a tea and chill!

16. Personal calls and visitors, yes! Clingers who assume that you're free 'cause you're at home, no!

17. Use social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, to feel connected and in the loop.

18. Keep your tummy tamed by having snack foods and beverages on hand munchie attacks.

19. Silence instills the loneliness, turn on the TV or radio for background noise.

20. Brace yourself for this one...get out of the house!!

21. Create a schedule based on your desired life which ensures you still make time for a life.

22. Don't freak and stress over mistakes because you're going to make them, everyone does.

23. Embrace change and revamp your home office, hair do, junk drawer, online profile or personality!

24. Create a 'wall of self expression' using a chalk board or roll of newsprint tacked up on the wall.

25. Implement the perks and spoil yourself with 'at home' luxuries, simply because you can.

26. Sing, shout, chant or dance naked, whatever it takes to relieve stress before it builds and blows!

27. If your only contact with the outside world is the delivery guy you better have him ring twice ;)

28. Learn to amuse yourself with quips, quotes, jokes and way too silly behavior for your age.

29. Remember you can pick your friends, you can pick your nose but you can't pick your friends nose!

How to Fix Mandatory 'Titles' - Blogger Gadgets - Glitch

For those using Google's Blogger or Blogspot blogging platform, you may have noticed that I believe as of today there has been a 'change' as to how gadgets are entitled which can normally be left blank. Apparently, it's now mandatory to have a title on all widgets as soon as you attempt to edit them.

This morning I was editing a widget and when it came time to save the widget red text appeared that said 'required field must not be blank'...? Huh?! Try again, same thing and again and yet again...meaning that apparently the title field on all widgets now have to contain content.

According to the Blogger Forum, this appears to be just a semi permanent glitch that they will be looking into so, in the meantime, if you need a quick fix?!

How to Fix your Blogger Gadget's new 'Title' issue...

- add the following HTML code in the title field before saving

How I found the fix...

- visited Blogger's Help Forum ...this forum can be quite helpful, whether you're just reading or if you need to ask questions.

More ...Help with HTML

Thankfully, no hair was pulled during the search, implementation or sharing of this quick n' easy solution ;)

How to Download WordPress Plugins using HostGator's cPanel

When I first began with WP & HostGator one of my first missions was to get plugins onto my blog but I just couldn't seem to find an answer for the questions I wasn't sure if I was even asking right, hence this tutorial.

This WordPress plugin installation guide is designed for those using HostGator's cPanel and was created for whomever needs a step by step, hold my hand 'cause I have no idea what I'm doing tutorial. Please read this post in it's entirety before you proceed.

Downloading and installing plugins begins with knowing what plugins you want and or need to enhance both the front and the back end of your website/blog. Over 10,000 WordPress compatible plugins can be found here at http://www.wordpress.org/ > Extend > Plugins

How to Download & Install Plugins for WordPress via HostGator's cPanel...  

- Open your WordPress wp-admin account in one window

- Open your HostGator cPanel in another window > File Manager

- Have your chosen WP Plugin open in another window (make sure it's compatible with your version of WP) > Click on the big, red 'Download' button

- Save it to your 'Download' folder (pay attention to the file the plugin is being stored in)

- Go to your HG cP window > Files > File Manager

- Click 'Go' (assuming your info is stored in the same root folder as mine, shown below. If it's not, then you will have to wing it on your own from here)

- File Manager > scan down on left sidebar > www > wp-content > plugins > the big window on the right shows your current plugins (if there are any)

- Upload your Plugin to HG cP (top of File Manager, yellow file folder with the big green arrow)  > locate the file you just downloaded from WP to your computer

- Hit F5 (refresh) and your Plugin should be in the right hand window > www > wp-content > plugins >place cursor over plugin (the small yellow file) > right click > extract > agree > close

The plugin you just downloaded. uploaded and extracted ought to be viewable as a blue folder and as a yellow one

- Go to http://...yourwebsite...com/wp-admin panel > plugins > inactive (your plugin ought to be here) > activate & adjust settings (if required)

Congratulations!!

p.s. ...be warned that even though the teacher is in, this tutorial may not be 100% perfect and I don't offer tutoring outside of this explanation so please, use at your own risk ;)

Thanks for visiting and feel free to comment!

Alter your Blogger Blogspot Blog ie; get a 3 Column Layout!

When I first began to blog with Google's Blogger platform the templates they offered suited my level of understanding just fine but, I also knew at some point I'd want more (such a girl eh!). At the time though, learning to modify a CSS Style Sheet, HTML or even downloading an unzipped file for a free template was beyond my grasp. And now, it's not (big smiles)!! I also couldn't brush it under the rug any longer so long story short...

I spent a full day searching for and trying out numerous tutorials and none of them worked! Until, I found Adding a Third Column to your Blogger Blog created by GardenBloggers.com. It's a simple, easy to follow tutorial with a 'find this piece of code' and 'change it to that piece of code' teaching style I love! You can view the end results of the 3 column blog tutorial on What Wrinkles? or Ontario's Cottage Country blogs anytime you like ;) but they've since been tweaked due to...

...and the even shorter route which enables 3 column, 2 column, 1 column layouts and more, at the click of a button!! I conveniently discovered this method the day after altering code via the above tutorial (go figure!)...

Apparently, Blogger has a 'new' (to me) blogging platform called Blogger in Draft which is a lot more versatile than the original version many use today. Here's the addy for their informative blog (also entitled Blogger in Draft) which will enlighten you further. Or, access the draft mode directly via this web address http://draft.blogger.com/ and you will be taken to the draft platform.

I'd suggest you save a copy of your blog first, directly to your computer, and then go into 'draft' mode.

The looks, layouts, options etc. are quite different (in a good way ;) so if you do end up messing around with some of these new choices you'll at least have the original you started with.

Good luck and please feel free to comment!

What is an RSS Feed & How do I Find it?

Being asked for your website's RSS Feed is very common when you have content on the internet but, what is an RSS Feed, how do I find it and what do I do with it?

For those who love to read web content rather than publish it, if you subscribe to a feed for a particular website that content will be streamed directly to you in one concise format. And for those who create the web content, this enables worldwide syndication of your content by streaming it out to every reader who wants it!

What is an RSS Feed?

The RSS portion stands for Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication, an international web format used to instantly transfer web content from one location to another using a Feed, hence the term RSS Feed. The Feed portion transfers current web content across the internet making it accessible to anyone who subscribes to that feed or knows the feed address (URL).

For example; websites like cnn.com, youtube.com and blogs like mine ;) that offer constantly changing content can be accessed with one click in your feed reader. Such a time saver! You need't visit each of your favorite sites daily, just simply scan through topic titles and brief summaries in the reader and visit only if you find something of interest. A variety of RSS Readers are available such as Bloglines, Feedreader, My Yahoo, NewsGator or Google's feed reader.

How do I find your my RSS Feed or someone else's?...

Most every published webpage has syndicated the content with an RSS Feed. You can find the feed by first locating the RSS Feed symbol shown above (or a variation thereof like XML, RDF or Atom) and click on it. The web address (URL) that shows in the address bar within that new window, is the RSS Feed for that site.

My website can be accessed via babblicious.ca (web address) or it can be viewed with the RSS Feed http://babblicious.ca/?feed=rss2 or http://feeds.feedburner.com/babblicious (renamed as such via feedburner.com). If you are the owner/operator/webmaster of web content sites like FeedBurner enables tracking of feed statistics, customizing and monetizing. 

Pepsi & FIFA World Cup 2010! Unique & Funny TV Promo

To all sports fans...the 19th 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the most watched sporting event on TV over the next  month, will you be watching? The in international football tournament is scheduled to begin June 11th and continue until July 11,  2010 in South Africa!! Oh, and I'm excited for you not me ;) although this commercial for Pepsi & FIFA is pretty funny and certainly unique.







Preferred ad over say, the current creepy designer diaper Ad for Huggies or these past advertising flops!

TV Commercial - Creepy or Cute?!? Huggies Jean Diapers 2010

Have you seen the latest TV commercial released by Huggies Diapers? The advertising campaign revolves around 'designer' denim diapers and this adorable toddler. But, in this particular Huggies ad, the little boy is wearing a Risky Business style outfit and struts down a busy street while being gawked at by adults!?
 
I don't know about you but this Huggies commercial just plain bothers me! Maybe I'm over protective but this commercial falls into the 'just another bad marketing campaign' category, for me.
 
What irks me to the point of blogging?...seeing a little boy wearing a Risky Business style outfit strutting down the street being gawked at by adults!?!? 
 
Huh!? Where are all of the other cute babies, puppies, toys, giggling and overall sweetness that takes place within a 'parklike' setting or at Nana's house, the daycare etc.!? is this creativity or creepiness? 

Check out the video and judge for yourself! If you feel like it, let me and everyone else know what you think by making a comment.

Huggies® Jeans Diapers Hit the Streets!



Thanks for visiting!

Web coding required!...but I'm fluent in English, not HTML?!

The online entrepreneur is a versatile, curious, multi-tasker who may not have a formal degree in IT, tech, business or marketing yet they're able to thrive in an online community. Why? Well, webtechie gurus, webmasters and the like do so because of communication. Not normal, verbal chatter, not even the hand written form, at least not in any language an english lit degree could cypher.

This savvy crew uses code! They talk, type and no doubt dream code! Not Morse Code, or secret code that gets you in the boyz club either, it's a whole other language...there's HTML, XHTML, CSS, PHP, SQL, ASP and even SOAP (which you can't even wash with) along with oodles of others. Most of which are all absolutely foreign, yet required if, one wants to extend beyond being just an end user of the internet.

Even the 'language' Lorem ipsum, that was plastered all over my first Ebay template, had me Sed aliquet malesuada odio, quis placerat magna aliquam in. Proin eu tempor mauris. Suspendisse potenti. Proin ipsum tortor, tristique eu porttitor vulputate, ullamcorper vel dolor. Integer aliquam hendrerit porta...stumped! I actually had to ask the lady what the heck these words meant because on my end the syntax was unrecognizable?! Ha, ha she laughed back so hard at my ignorance but, it does show you (sadly, me at the time ;) how broad the term language really is.

  

Do you need Code Training & Tutorials for free, like it did (and still do)?! My newest, favourite site is W3Schools. They offer help with most everything so it's bookmarked in my fav's as a 'must have' web reference. I also use this Practise Board for HTML code editing because it enables me to see the end results immediately. Tables for Beginners is for...tables ;) and I've used it for years, a tad cheesy in appearance but, it helped me wrap my head around the 'process'.   

So, my adventures behind the scenes on the WWW were at one point OMFG!?!! and now they're just OMG!?! with hope for a bright future.

Good luck to you! and please feel free to comment.

Blogger or WordPress...which do you prefer?

It seems that when attempting 'webmaster' type tasks for the first, even second or third time, there's a gigantic learning curve and nothing ever seems easy,  maybe it's just me ;) I know that when my online adventures first began I was incapable of sending a simple email and lately, I'm feeling just as inept!

My latest project babblicious.ca has me investing time into WordPress where I'm attempting to create my newest website/blog portal. Babblicious is all about Babblicious Bloggers & Babblicious Readers uniting! At least it will be, when it's finally set up! I've been all over HostGator for the past month learning, or attempting to learn what they offer (thanks to a great salespitch but that's a whole other post, grrr!...they are definitely all about the hosting)...I piddled around with option after option for templates, how to's and live help x# of times to discover they don't have what I need. Well yes they do but no one ever suggested WordPress and by that time was practically talked out of it. And now, it's WordPress! That is WordPress 101 to 1001 plus a run around a-z, a few ?'s on the forum and thankfully Babblicious is finally (partially) underway enough to mention it publicly. Ahhh, gotta love technology! ;)

So, I do recommend Blogger for newbies simply because you don't need a server to host the blog plus if you qualify you can use Adsense to possibly earn income. I'm taking the word of many a blogger who says I'll love the freedom and versatility that I can achieve with WordPress so, hence Babblicious. But, I'm leaving my other blogs here on Blogger, at least for now.

In the end, both here at Blogger and there at WordPress hold different expectations for me (along with each individual blog/project) so I'll just spread my wings a little bit at first and see what happens ;)

Thanks for visiting and please feel free to leave a comment!