I had a blast last year doing the Christmas ornament swap. That’s why I organized the Valentine’s swap this year. But organizing swaps is a lot of work. So I was pretty stoked when I discovered Swap-bot!

Swap-bot is a online service that organizes group swaps and a community of creative individuals. Swap-bot takes the hassle out of participating in group swaps by organizing all of the participant information and doing all of the partner assignments. On Swap-bot, you can host swaps, join swaps, and chat with other swappers from all over the world.

The swaps for Canadians are somewhat limited, but I managed to find a few that look fun. I’m signed up for a Christmas card/recipe/ornament that can fit in a flat envelope swap and a no spending swap. I love getting stuff in the mail, and I love putting together little surprises so I’m on cloud nine.
I’m also participating in this super awesome I Spy squares swap {not on Swap-bot}! If you’ve got kids they’d probably love an I Spy quilt or book. So check it out!

Do you like doing swaps? What’s the best swap you’ve ever done? Tell me in the comments!

Binders aren’t just for students. I love binders for home management. There are all sorts of ideas for home management binders or “control journals” all over the Internet {see the links below}. I use one for my Motivated Mom’s* planner, one for recipes {page protectors keep spills from ruining my pages}, one for the holiday season, and I even have one I call the “I’M the Mama! Book.” That’s one I use for organizing articles I’ve photocopied/printed with evidence and support for my parenting decisions, such as breastfeeding, co-sleeping, etc. and articles and resources for decisions I’m still trying to make {such as homeschooling}.
My most recent binder is my cake binder. I threw it together to organize myself for my Wilton cake decorating classes.
  I like my binders to look snazzy. Plain old white just doesn’t do it for me. So I use scrapbook paper to dress them up. I always use the binders that have clear sleeves on the covers. Then all I have to do is find paper I like, cut it to fit, and slide it into the cover. In this case I also grabbed some cake-themed embellishments. Adorable, no?  Going the paper route {you could also use wrapping paper} is quick and easy. But you could use pages from a book or magazine, photos, or design a cover on your computer and print it out.
In the front pocket I have my shopping list for class supplies, as well as some Michael’s coupons I printed off their website. I keep scissors {for cutting coupons and cutting decorating bags} plus some writing utensils in the blue zipper pouch {and will probably throw in a small calculator as well, just in case I need to do some tricky conversions}.
Next are the practice sheets from our class book. We’ll use these by sliding them into the clear pouches on our practice boards and doing decorations right over the templates.
I’ve also included a color-mixing chart from the Wilton website. And I’ll be adding my color-wheel from when I was an art student. Hopefully, with all those resources at my finger tips I’ll always be able to get my frosting to color I want it.
    Then I have space for my notes from each class, as well as my cake plans. I’ve got all three class cakes planned out. I’ve typed up the flavors {including the instructions on altering the cake mixes}, and the colors I’ll be using as well as listing the amount of frosting I’ll need in which colors and at what consistency. Who knew there was so many details to organize just to make a cake? ;)
Finally, in the back pocket, is the class book we received on our first day, our cake decorating bible, if you will.
And that, my friends, is my cake binder. The organizing possibilities for binders are many. And the products made for use in binders are versatile. They make tab dividers, pouches, page protectors, photo pages, and more. You can even use baseball card sheets for organizing coupons. If you’re interested in using binders to organize your own interests, hobbies, schedule, or home then check out the links below.

• Flylady.net the site that first introduced me to the idea of “Control Journals”
• Organized Home Lots of information on home management binders as well as printable pages for your binder
• Simple Mom great post all about home management notebooks
• Mom’s Budget plenty of printable pages for your binder
• Executive Homemaker more printable pages
• D*I*Y Planner lots of printable pages in different sizes that can be used in a home management binder or in a more traditional planner
• Organized Christmas several different plans for organizing the holiday chaos along with comprehensive printable pages {really fantastic resource!}

So, there you have it. Binders rock!
Do you use any sort of home or hobby management binders? What are yours like? Tell me in the comments. :)


*To learn about Motivated Moms you can click the affiliate ad in my sponsor’s section. I do receive a {very} small kickback for planners purchased via that link, but that’s not why I recommend the planners. I use them myself and really, really like them. I’ve written about them in the past.

Today I’m asking a favor. Below are two blogs that I’d like you to visit. Give them a browse, leave a comment. Why? These lovely ladies participated in the Valentine’s Day Exchange, but didn’t receive a package. :( So let’s help make up for that by giving them some bloggy love!
Like My Baby is by Wendy. She is a mom to a toddler and a cancer survivor.
It’s a Hodgepodge Life is by Gay. She’s quite the crafter! She even has an Etsy shop!
If you still haven’t linked up your post for the exchange you can do that here.  A big thank you to everyone who participated!

part 1

Other

Humor Me (comics):

• http://news.yahoo.com/comics/fminus;_ylt=Arge6iLM5v5Pmdb6L_UIKJwDwLAF We don’t get the paper, so I read my funnies online. I never miss F Minus, For Better or for Worse, Stone Soup, Get Fuzzy nor Pearls Before Swine.
• http://www.questionablecontent.net/about.php My favorite web comic, Questionable Content. It does, in fact, have questionable content just as a way of warning.

O Canada! (links related to moving to and living here in the Great White North):

• http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/index.asp Evil-evil-hardly-helpful-at-all website for immigrating to Canada.
• http://www.healthlinkalberta.ca/default.htm I can call Health Link and talk to a nurse about pretty much anything. And that rocks.

Trip (links related to our upcoming vacation):

• http://www.phdinparenting.com/2008/08/25/cover-up-airline-breastfeeding-policies/ A guide to different airline’s policies on breastfeeding (many of which are lame).

Running:

• http://nikerunning.nike.com/nikeplus/ I <3 Nike+. It tracks my runs for me.
• http://running.about.com/ A very good resource for newbs like me.

101 in 1001:

• http://www.actsofkindness.org/ Inspiration for doing good deeds.
• http://www.thrilltheworld.com/learn Learn the Thriller dance. Heck yes!

LoLs (a series of sites that make me laugh out loud):

• http://dontjudgemyhair.com/ Ridiculous hair.
• http://icanhascheezburger.com/ The famous “LOL Cats.” Don’t miss their sister sites (i.e. Fail Blog, Lol News, etc.).

Hope you’ve enjoyed seeing just some of my bookmarks. Don’t forget to leave me your favorite links in the comments!

It’s not secret that I’m a bit of an internet junkie. What can I say? I love having so much access to knowledge, humor, social networking, and so on. I have so many bookmarks that I’ve had to create folders within folders within folders to organize them. And over the next few days I’m sharing some of my favorites from each category. Get your clicking finger ready! And here we go…

Family & Friends

Adam (these are pages bookmarked for Mr. Dork):

• http://www.freeworldgroup.com/ Lots and lots of free Flash games. Warning: You may find yourself wasting a lot of time on this site!

Mama Resources:

• http://www.kellymom.com/ My favorite breast feeding resource.
• http://promom.org/ Another great breast feeding site.

Sky Academy (learning at home resources):

• http://cp.c-ij.com/en/contents/2024/list_15_1.html Amazing paper crafts to print such as a scientific model of the sun!
• http://michellesjournalcorner.blogspot.com/2009/07/sound-bingo.html A fun audio version of the game Bingo.

Crafts:

• http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/how-to/how-to-be-thankful-fall-garland-070293 A fun decoration to make for the Thanksgiving season. Be sure to browse the site for even more crafts and project inspiration!
• http://giverslog.com/?p=1146 A really easy, fun, DIY gift perfect for teachers, grandparents, or to keep for yourself!
• http://www.allfreecrafts.com/homemade-gifts/canning-jar-lamp.shtml A lamp I’ve been dying to make!

Shopping:

• http://www.theorganizedparent.com/servlet/StoreFront Products to help you be an organized mom.
• http://www.passionspice.com/ Nursing bras that are actually CUTE!

$$$:

• http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/ A great personal finance blog.
• http://www.stretcher.com/index.cfm More money-saving tips than you’ll know what to do with!

Brain in a Binder (pages for my home management binder):

• http://www.diyplanner.com/ User submitted printables to use in your planner (such as a Franklin Covey planner).
• http://notebook.organizedhome.com/printable Binder-sized printable.

Bitchen’ Kitchen (recipes and more):

• http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/Artisan-Bread-In-Five-Minutes-A-Day.aspx Our favorite bread recipe (no-knead)!
• http://www.mothering.com/recipes/nori-wrapped-salmon We make this with tilapia because it’s cheaper. But we still love it!

Blogs

Groups:

• http://www.momblognetwork.com/welcome-new-user A network for Mommy bloggers.
• http://www.thesitsgirls.com/ One of my favorite blog networking sites.

Memes:

• http://fridayfillins.blogspot.com/ Fill in the blank prompts every Friday.
• http://www.wearethatfamily.com/2008/03/hi-yall.html Tips to make life easier.

Writing:

• http://www.problogger.net/ Probably one of the very best blogs about blogging on the internet. Don’t miss the “31 Days to a Better Blog” program!
• http://www.copyblogger.com/5-simple-ways-to-open-your-blog-post-with-a-bang/ Ideas for how to write the opening section of a blog post.

Design Tutorials/Tools:

• You can find some of my favorite blog design links in the post about my blog makeover.

More to come tomorrow!

What are some of your favorite websites? Leave me their urls in the comments!

Do you have a “baby blog"?” Are you thinking of starting one? If you’re aiming to write a blog for the masses (i.e. not a family blog for close friends and family) it can be intimidating at first. You’re probably reading blogs with readers in the hundreds or even thousands. And maybe you’re wondering how do they get so many readers? I feel that way all the time. But recently I was contacted by a blogger asking me how I get so many readers. As I wrote my reply I realized that maybe my little blog is intimidating to people just getting started and maybe I have some advice I can share that will be helpful. Here’s what I shared in my reply!

The most important thing is content. The second most important thing is content. The third most important...well, you get the idea. Keep your audience (or desired audience) in mind when you write. Write professionally (i.e. proper grammar and such) but with personality. I like to use a very conversational, casual style because it matches who I am. Good content is key, because no matter how many ways you find to increase your traffic you need to provide something worth coming back for. I highly recommend browsing ProBlogger for lots of really good articles on writing great content.

Now for getting more traffic...

My traffic has exploded since I joined SITS. My followers more than doubled in less than a month and I haven't even been the featured blog of the day yet. I also get traffic from participation in memes such as Muffin Tin Monday and the Body After Baby challenge. I try to keep memes to about one post a week because I think too many interfere with having good content. But anything relevant to your blog and life can be a fun way to get more visitors (and to find new blogs to read).

Design/presentation is only important if you A: have already worked on content and B: have serious aesthetic issues (in other words “if your current design is fugly”). You want a design that is nice, simple, and uncluttered. Some blogs are far too busy or have crappy graphics. And you might want to consider thinking of a catchy title that is easy to remember. But a title and the graphic design are hardly important compared to getting and keeping readers.

My last two valuable suggestions are:

1. Comment, comment, comment! Visit other blogs and leave comments. Make sure they are relevant and not "hey, come check my blog" type comments. A lot of bloggers (myself included) try to visit the blogs of their followers and commenters. Sometimes I find a new blog to read that way.

2. Read, read, read! Read blogs you admire, and try to figure out what they do that works and that you like. Obviously you don't want to copy people,* but gathering inspiration is A-OK! And read books, newspapers, magazines, etc. as well. The more you read the more you get a feel for good writing. You'll probably pick things up by "osmosis."

So, there are my two cents. Be sure to visit SITS and ProBlogger. They're priceless resources as far as I'm concerned. ProBlogger even has a 31 Days to a Better Blog program you can sign up for. You'll get (free) e-mails for a month that guide you through ways to make your blog better and ways to promote it. I'm currently on day 13 or so and have already gained a lot of great ideas and knowledge.

All that said, no blog is perfect (certainly not mine)! And we “Mommy bloggers” have added distractions that get in the way of timely, typo-free posts. Be prepared to make mistakes and be prepared to wait, wait, wait for your subscriber numbers to increase. If you think you need to be wonderful and successful right off the bat you’ll never get started because the pressure will be too great. So have fun! It’s taken me a long time to transition this blog from a family blog to “the real deal".” And it’s going to take longer still to grow my readership to a size I’m happy with. But in the meantime I’m still having a blast!

Best of luck to you! Was this post helpful? What blogging tips do you have? Share in the comments!

PS- For the love of all that is good in this world DO NOT PUT MUSIC ON YOUR BLOG. It’s totally acceptable for friend and family blogs, but NOT blogs you want to be professional. And it’s especially aggravating for readers who are mothers and may have a sleeping babe in their arms. Plus, while I’m sure you loooove such and such song not everybody has the same taste in music. So please, just don’t go there.

*That’s called plagiarism and it’s WRONG.

So you have a happy, healthy baby but you’re still feeling disappointed in your labor and birth experience? Do you feel ashamed for not feeling more grateful for what you have? Don’t. Recently I wrote about my disappointment with my birth experience. That post received a lot of feedback, most of which entailed “yeah, me too!” You are not alone. And you need not feel shame.

Since writing that post I had an experience that really helped me move on and I wanted to share what I learned. I was reading a story (sorry, the link is now dead) about a woman who lost her little girl to cancer and how she managed to survive that terrible loss. Within the comments on that story someone made a comment (and I’m paraphrasing) that acceptance is not approval.

Suddenly everything clicked into place for me. Accepting what happened during Lucy’s birth does not mean I am also approving of the way the doctors treated me. Sometimes things go badly. And sometimes it is because another person did something wrong. We can’t control chance nor other people. Bad things are simply a part of living. It is the price we pay for getting a chance to enjoy the good things. It is a price I’m willing to pay.

What I am not willing to do is let those doctors continue to bring bad into my life by dwelling on their inexcusable behavior. And it’s a great relief to know that choosing to let go and move on has nothing to do with condoning their actions and everything to do with my freedom and taking back the power they took from me. Nor does accepting that I didn’t get the birth I planned mean that I no longer think my wishes were worthwhile.

If you’re unhappy with your birth experience I hope the idea that acceptance is not approval will help you move on. If your experience was more traumatic (c-section or other birth trauma) I hope that some of the following resources will help you.

• Birth Trauma Canada: “Birth Trauma Canada is an organization of mothers traumatized by childbirth. Traumatic stress disorders and depression are normal reactions to severe physical and/or psychological stress.”
• Birth Stars: “Birth Stress, Trauma, and Recover Support: Helping people traumatised by childbirth.”
• The Birth Trauma Association: “The Birth Trauma Association (BTA) supports all women who have had a traumatic birth experience. It is estimated that, in the UK alone, this may result in 10,000 women a year developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).”
• Healing Birth Trauma: A forum for women dealing with birth trauma of various kinds.
• More Than a Traumatic Birth: A short article (among many) on the topic of “birth rape.”
• Recovering from a Cesarean: A short guide to the physical healing required after a c-section.
• Healing the Trauma: An article on PTSD as it relates to birth.
• Solace For Mothers: "An organization designed for the sole purpose of providing and creating support for women who have experienced childbirth as traumatic." {Thanks to Mama Blogess for the link!}
  
• ICAN: The International Cesarean Awareness Network
  

As you know I’ve been working on my post-baby body lately. And I’m not going to lie, I love that the weight is coming off. I think just about every woman likes to feel fit and lean. And I’m getting more fit and lean every day. But I want to address the issue of “body image.” I have noticed, as I’ve been working my butt off doing my exercises, that the more I take care of my body, the more I appreciate her.* I still have a saggy tummy. I’m still in the “overweight” category according to my BMI. And I have stretch marks on my tummy, thighs, breasts and arms. But you know what? When I treat my body like I love her (by exercising and eating real food**) I find that I really do love her. She’s pretty amazing. Not only can she run, jump, swim and dance she made my daughter and continues to be the one and only source of nourishment my daughter needs! That’s pretty freaking awesome!

Of course, I have those moments days when all I can focus on are the imperfections. It seems supremely unfair. I would never zero in on all of Bear’s faults, or my best friend’s faults and ignore all their awesomeness. So why is it acceptable for me to treat my body that way? It’s not. That’s why I’m making a change.

Caitlin over at Healthy Tipping Point wrote this really great post about “fat talk.” She’s given me permission to share it here.

PART 1

If you're a long-time reader, you know the issue of Fat Talk is something I take very seriously. As Jillian Michaels said, "Fat talk is transcending.... It affects your reality and damages you professionally, personally, and physically."

I've posted this video about Fat Talk a few times before, but not recently. If you haven't watched this before, please do! It's so powerful and I cry every time:

Here are a few tips for ending Fat Talk:

• Don't compare your body to others.
• Appreciate your body for what it can do.
• Turn a negative into a positive. Instead of "I'm stocky," try "I'm strong!"
• Never Fat Talk in front of your kids or friends

PART 2

This section of the Fat Talk discussion is dedicated to the statement, "I feel so fat."

How many times have you eaten something and then said, "Ugh. I feel so fat"? This is completely hyperbolic reaction to overindulging. First of all, even skinny women who aren't "fat' say it. Secondly, there's no way one meal or one dessert can suddenly make you "fat."

So, what do we really mean when we say, "I'm so fat"? We actually mean that we are FULL WITH AN EMOTION. Oftentimes, it's shame. Or sadness. Or fear. Why do we express our inner turmoil by hating our bodies? Because that's what Fat Talk and society tells us to do. Don't admit you're scared, just feel fat! Don't admit you're lonely or depressed, you're just fat! We can deal with ugliness, we cannot deal with weakness.

The next time you feel the urge to say, "I'm so fat," think about what you REALLY mean. By berating your body, you aren't doing any favors. But by honoring your emotions, you're living a happier, more honest life.

PART 3

If only one thing about this discussion about Fat Talk resonates with you, remember this: When you feel guilty about food, you are experiencing distorted thinking.

I'm not saying that means you have an eating disorder. I'm just saying that feeling guilty -- raw, consuming, upsetting GUILT -- is not a normal, healthy reaction to eating and is thus distorted. I think it's important to recognize when our thinking is distorted, as the way we view ourselves has a big impact on our lot in life.

All women experience guilt with food to some degree. I know I used to feel a really guilty if I drank two beers and ate a few slices of pizza. Or a big dessert. Sometimes, it didn't even have to be a calorie-heavy meal to trigger the guilt. I'd have a bigger breakfast than normal, and I would fret that I'd "blown it" for the day or that I'd "given into temptation."

Guilt is internal Fat Talk. It is shaming yourself for not meeting a perfectionist ideal that is unattainable and determined by the rigid standards our society has created! If you wouldn't say it out loud to a friend, why would you say it to yourself?

Maybe right now you're thinking: "But a little guilt can be a GOOD thing!" or "Guilt is a normal reaction to indulging!" But, if guilt was healthy or "normal," it would be PRODUCTIVE and it would make you HAPPY.

Do you find yourself feeling guilty over food a lot? Well, then -- you're repeating the same actions over and over again, and clearly... Guilt isn't productive, it doesn't work, and it only serves to lower your self -esteem. Guilt is a waste of time and takes away from productive things you could be doing with your time -- meditating, studying, sleeping, calling your friends on the phone, and more.

You aren't going to gain weight from one dessert.

You aren't a bad person for enjoying dinner.

You aren't weak because you were hungrier than normal.

How do you stop guilt? It's so much harder to stop than Fat Talk -- after all, we verbalize Fat Talk to others and it's easier to "catch" ourselves in conversation. Guilt, on the other hand, is this weird, creeping feeling that takes over you, ruins your day, and triggers the blues.

I would say I cut down on my guilt thinking by about 90%, which I consider to be a big accomplishment. I stopped guilting myself by really thinking about my eating in the grand scheme of life. Did that pizza make me gain weight? No. Did it actually hurt my health in any measurable way that I ate a bunch of French fries? No. Am I an awesome friend and hardworker who is so much more than the food she eats? Of course!

If there is something about your lifestyle that you want to change, be proactive and CHANGE IT. Guilting yourself about it does not work. Taking action to move onwards and upwards does. Every setback is an opportunity to learn, grow, and improve.

Join me on the quest to eliminate Fat Talk in all its nasty and evil forms from our lives! Remember, it starts now... and it starts with you.

And now she has started Operation Beautiful. All you need is post-it notes and a pen. Leave an anonymous message in a a public place (or leave one for yourself at home) to tell somebody that they are beautiful! As women we seem to spend so much time judging ourselves and each other based on how we look. Why not build each other up instead of tearing each other down? Be sure to check out Caitlin’s blog and send in any photos you take of your Operation Beautiful notes! I’ve started by doing something a little different:

I’ve also left one for myself. I’ve put it on the mirror in my awesome, wall-mounted vanity. I figure what better place to have a reminder?

ETA:

Now that I’m a mom it’s more important than ever for me to end fat talk. The last thing I want to do is find, a few years down the road, that my hang ups have been passed on to my precious Lucy. It would break my heart and be incredibly unjust. Lucy will be bombarded by false ideals of beauty. I refuse to be responsible for adding to those bad influences. I will lead her by example and my example had better be a good one!

That is why I’m changing my language and my focus. I’m not exercising to be thin. I’m exercising to be strong! I’m not eating right to lose weight. I’m eating right to feel healthy!

I’m also trying to accept and honor the changes in my body that have come from being pregnant and giving birth. My body is not bad now. She is just different.

Speaking of different. My body isn’t just different from the way she used to be. She is different from everybody else’s. My body is not like your body. Your body is not like your neighbour's body. And her body is not like Kate Moss’s body.

We may feel like our bodies are abnormal because so often the only other bodyies we take note of are those plastered on billboards or displayed in magazines. But, as the video above pointed out, most fashion models are thinner than 98% of American woman! 98%!!! Next time you’re tempted to compare your body to that of a model stop. Don’t. Why not check out these sites instead?

The Shape of a Mother: A “website where women of all ages, shapes, sizes and nationalities can share images of their bodies so it will no longer be secret. So we can finally see what women really look like sans airbrushes and plastic surgery.”

007 Breasts: A gallery of normal breasts “in all kinds of sizes and shapes. These breast pictures are here to let you see normal breasts - big, small, sagging, asymmetrical; big areolas or nipples.” NSFW***

Or, better yet, next time you’re tempted to compare your body stop. Don’t. Don’t compare her at all. Your body is one of your best friends. Treat her right and she’ll treat you right too.

Do you fat talk? Are you trying to change? Will you be doing Operation Beautiful? Tell me all about your thoughts on body image. And spread the word!

*I choose to call my body “her” rather than “it” because it’s too easy to criticize an “it.”

**Real food (like fruits and veggies) as opposed to processed junk.

***Not safe for work

phew!

That was certainly a lot of work! And by "that" I mean my blog overhaul. I started with this:

And I ended with fabulous! But let me tell you, it was not easy! It took months of banging my head against a wall, planning color schemes, drawing illustrations by hand, converting illustrations into vector images, searching the web for tutorials, and trying to decipher coding instructions.

So, for all you folks who'd like to create your own layout I'm going to give you a head start. Here's my step-by-step guide to the general process and a list of my favorite resources. You can thank me later.*

Brainstorm. Grab a sketchpad (or scrap paper) and doodle away. What's your blog theme? What's the title? What other blogs do you love? What inspires you? How can your design tie in to all that? This is the stage in which any idea is allowed. One of my brainstorms involved an illustrated version of myself buried in a pile of dust bunnies like Captain Kirk in The Trouble With Tribbles. So when I say any idea is allowed I really mean any idea.

Refine. Weed out the bad ideas. Bounce your ideas off family and friends. Figure out what the best design for your blog is and come up with a color scheme. Because I've had 2-D design and digital design classes I had an advantage because I know how colors work together and how they affect us, as well as already knowing the basics of using art software. But by checking out some art/design books from the local library, browsing top notch blogs, and trying to educate yourself a little bit you'll get a feel for the "laws" of art and design too. And remember, a cluttered blog is distracting to readers as well as difficult to navigate. Try to keep things simple.

Implement. Make your images. Learn how to fiddle with your template code (always back up your template)! Ask for help when you get really stuck. This is the "banging the head against a wall" phase. It will probably be the least fun but in the end it'll be worth it. Your design may change from the original plan during this stage of the game. That's OK. Sometimes our ideas have no good way to be implemented, or we discover a better idea while browsing tutorial pages. As long as you don't get so carried away in changes that it never gets finished then don't worry about it.

Enjoy. Show off your masterpiece to friends and family. After all that effort and time you deserve a chance to brag.

Resources:

• http://www.bloggerbuster.com/ Lots and lots and LOTS of tutorials. This site is invaluable. Add it to your bookmarks.
• http://tricks-for-new-bloggers.blogspot.com/ More tutorials, but not a great example of simple, easy to navigate blog design.
• http://www.colourlovers.com/ A color lover's heaven! Browse colors, color schemes, website examples, and patterns. It was by browsing and playing on this website that I came up with my color scheme.
• http://www.chami.com/html-kit/services/favicon/ Create a favicon (the little icon next to the website title). It's easy and free.
• http://www.gimp.org/ GIMP is the open source (read: FREE) version of Adobe Photoshop.
• http://www.inkscape.org/ Inkscape is the open source version of Adobe Illustrator. It's the program I used to make all the illustrations you see on this blog.

Or...you can skip all those steps and just pay someone else to do it! But not me. I am soooooo not for hire. I'd like to not go prematurely grey, thanks.

Do you have a blog? If so do you use your own design? Tell me about it.

*Link love, comments, money, and baked goods are all acceptable forms of gratitude.

Breastfeeding mums need this site:

kellymom

"This website was developed to provide evidence-based information on breastfeeding, sleep and parenting. I hope that my articles are helpful and encouraging. Thanks for visiting!"

I have navigated to this site time and time again when I had a question or concern about breastfeeding. I have shared the link with my breastfeeding friend on several occasions. And if you've never been there add it to your bookmarks right now.

That is all {a more substantive post to come later today}.

I've recently fallen in love with TED.

TED is amazing! TED is entertaining, thought provoking, inspiring, stylish, and funny.

TED is a website. You can get the nitty gritty details of TED (Technology Entertainment Design) here. But the basic concept is that it is an "annual conference [that] now brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes)." Those talks are then posted online so they can be viewed free of charge. To me it seems a sort of free "Life University" via the Internet (which is great because I get to go to "class" in my pajamas).

Just when I think I've seen the video that can't be topped, or that I'm running out of talks that look interesting I discover yet another amazing lecture by some genius I've never previously heard of but now am on the verge of worshiping. The talent and intelligence of TED presenters is enough to make anybody feel small, but in a really good way, the way seeing a mountain, or the night sky, or some amazing marvel of engineering or design makes one feel.

This is learning at it's most entertaining!

So it is with great excitement and pleasure that I present some of my favorite talks:

Johnathon Harris: the Web's secret stories Harris has created an amalgamation of art, information, and interactivity that explores the human condition in a creative, and entertaining way. He presents several of his amazing projects in this talk including "We Feel Fine." I feel inspired!

Pattie Maes & Pranav Mistry: Unveiling the "Sixth Sense," game-changing wearable tech Oh boy! I want one of these when they leave the prototype stage! This piece of technology, at the price point at which they're presenting it makes me feel like the world is about to make a great leap into "the future" science fiction has been referencing for years.

Johnny Lee: Creating tech marvels out of a $40 Wii Remote I love a good hack (Ikea Hacks have piqued my interest for some time now). But as an aspiring digital artist these Wii Remote hacks absolutely floored me (and the hacked glasses definitely got video-gaming Adam excited). The doors this opens to starving artists (or wannabes in my case) are numerous considering a tablet can cost hundreds of dollars and limits an artist's gesture room enormously.

Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity? Sir Ken Robinson's answer is "yes."

Adam Savage: My quest for the dodo bird, and other obsessions You may know Adam from MythBusters. If this talk is any indication, he's at least as ADHD as I am. He provides an interesting glimpse into the way his (and my) mind often works.

David Merrill: Siftables, the toy blocks that think The educational and therapeutic potential for this invention is immense. I also look forward to seeing this used for purposes other than play.

Anand Agarawala: Bumptop desktop is a beautiful mess This is one of many TED presentations that give an indication of the direction that computer user interfaces are headed. Intuitive, organic movements will likely replace point and click systems within my lifetime.

Adam Grosser: A new vision for refrigeration Here's a TED presenter putting his genius towards making the world a better place for everybody. The product may be simple but the implications are far reaching.

Dean Kamen: New prosthetic arm for veterans This talk is inspiring while also forcing us to consider to what other problems are we not applying our full creative and innovative abilities?

You should know that there were even more I wanted to include. But it seemed prudent to keep this list smaller than other lists I've mentioned. And while this list is definitely heavy on geek innovations TED is certainly not limited to technological topics. Religion, philosophy, even musical performances can be found in abundance. I promise, there is something there that will interest you. And I think regular visits to TED will do you good. A little inspiration now and again keeps the serotonin flowing. And, as "they" say "knowledge is power."

And I'll leave you with this because it's how TED makes me feel.

1. Join me in the fight against MS.

2. Put a little humor in your day!

3. Happiness is a warm gun?

4. Glazed and confused (by how anyone can love those over *REAL* donuts).

5. I'm waiting for my big Canadian tax refund.

6. Chocolate* is hard to resist.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to homemade pizza with our new recipe, tomorrow my plans include a Buffy The Vampire Slayer/Angel marathon and Sunday, I want to go to the library!

*I've had hot chocolate from Angelina's. I almost died it was so good.

Here's a conglomeration of links to neat things I've discovered lately (besides no-knead bread and glow in the dark blankets).

Never Judge A "Book" By Its Cover (video)

I Love The Whole World: nothing new, but worth another viewing (video)

Yum

What Does It All Mean? (video)

Draw pictures with words

Tim Minchin: musical comedian (explicit/NSFW)

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I guess I'm on my own personal spring break, a break which includes being tired, and sick, and not going anywhere fun. Woo-hoo. I'll be back soon (and maybe with a new design). In the meantime check out some of the blogs on my blog roll (down and to the right).