Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Is Your Blog Mobile Friendly?

If you're like me, you're always wondering if your blog is set up to be reader friendly, easy to navigate and well pretty. You change the colours, the template, the share buttons. And you judge your choices by examining it on the device you worked it all out on.

And if you're like me, you have been mindlessly oblivous to your blog's appearance on other devises and more or less content with the way your blog is set up.

Then I read an article by .



Is Your Blog Mobile Friendly?


Awww! What do you mean I may be losing up to 50% of my traffic? Is my blog mobile friendly?

Apparently more people are accessing the internet on some sort of mobile device than ever before and that number will continue to rise. So you better be sure your blog is user friendly on mobile devices.

How can you tell if your blog is set up properly? Greg explains it all in his article. That is if you're using wordpress. If you are interested click HERE to read the whole article.

For those who use blogger follow these simple steps.



Sign into your Blogger account and go to TEMPLATE.




This is the window that opens. Click on the star below the Mobile screen shot.



This is the new window to open. Easy so far isn’t it.

Do you see that spot where you are given a choice? You want to click on Yes, Show mobile template on mobile devices.

Now just click on the preview button.



Ta Da! There you go. Check it out. I think mine looks pretty good.





Phew! What a relief. I almost had an anxiety attack thinking no one can read my blog on their cell phones. I'm safe. But to be sure I will have to check it out on someone's phone.

Oh, oh. That’s great, my blog posts can be read easily but if someone wants to share on twitter, pinterest or facebook... they won’t be able to.

If I want sharing, (if right eh?) then I should add a pop up window. But I'll take care of that later.

Hope you come back to see detailed instructions on how to add a pop up window on Blogger.

Til then, best wishes, Darlene



Well thanks for stopping by. I hope my tips are helpful. If you like this post please feel free to share the love or opt to follow along on one of the social media platforms. Those friendly little buttons are on the right side bar.


Post a Comment
I love to read your opinions and comments. It makes my day a little bit brighter. 

My apologies, all anonymous comments are deleted due to an excessive amount of spam.


Wishing You a Wonderful Week.


Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Recipe for Your Unhappiness

Hi everyone. I thought I would do something different today. 

I really don`t like cooking anymore. My daughter, Nicole does it now. I am so grateful for that. But I do like to eat and of course I have some favorite recipes. 


I know, this is not a blog about cooking but I thought it might be fun to share this Recipe for Unhappiness with you today.

Okay, let`s get started.



Recipe for Your Unhappiness

Ingredients

  • A pen and paper
  • One set of lips
  • 7 Ounces of Stale air
  • One dark and gloomy living space
  • 7 Cups of sleep deprivation
  • Few pinches of lethargy
  • 1 untrained mind
  • 5 Cups of Negative attitude
  • A dash of selfishness

Directions


  1. Everyday, take your pen and paper to write a list of everything that has ever gone wrong in your life. Remember to include those times someone has let you down, hurt you or betrayed you. 
  2. Never feel gratitude or count your blessings. It is easier to take your home, family and friends for granted.
  3. Avoid getting a good night`s rest. Use any means available to keep yourself awake - lots of coffee helps. Sleep deprivation is a myth.
  4. Take those lips and maintain a frown. After a while you face will stay like that. At least that`s what my Mom use to say.
  5. Never go outside and take a breath of fresh air. 
  6. Stay clear of the sun by remaining indoors with the curtains drawn. SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is not real.
  7. Do not exercise. Be lethargic.  Scientists have not proven a link between exercise and a healthy state of mind.
  8. Allow your mind to wander into terrible memories and thoughts of futuristic scenarios of doom and gloom. Never stop and live in the moment.
  9. Indulge in self destructive behavior, negative thoughts and pessimism. Watch or read and pour all your energy into an endless stream of news about tragedies, inhumanity, destruction and disasters. 
  10. Be sure to never share, be polite, volunteer or think of the other person.

Once these are combined, let it set and brew. 

Enjoy your miserable life and serve to everyone you know.




Happiness is more about your attitude than it is about the circumstances in your life.



Here is a recipe card for you to print out. Enjoy.
Recipe for Unhappiness




**********************************

Well thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed my Recipe but I hope you never try it out. If you do please let me know how it works out for you.

Feel free to share the love or opt to follow along on one of the social media platforms. Those friendly little buttons are on the right side bar.


Post a Comment
I love to read your opinions and comments. It makes my day a little bit brighter. 

My apologies, all anonymous comments are deleted due to an excessive amount of spam.


Wishing You a Wonderful Week.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Life Is Good






I first heard about this company a few years ago. I loved their message. Life is Good. Spreading the power of optimism. 

When I saw the chance to be a part of their affiliate program I jumped on it because it is one more way that I can spread the optimism with you. Because Life Is Good!


Their Success Story

Bert and John Jacobs are brothers and co-founders of Life is Good. They struggled for five years selling their t-shirts. 

Then one day they decided to print "Jake" on their t-shirts.

"Jake's contagious grin, simple as it was, seemed to express everything the Jacobs brothers believed in."


"Soon Jake was introduced to local retailers, and his simple message of optimism was embraced like nothing the brothers had ever seen."

Their company has grown and now offers a wide variety of items.

When you have some time, check it out. 




Mother's Day Gift Set at Life is Good



Help spread the optimism!


Life is good has an amazing offer for Mother's Day: Enjoy any Crusher Tee, Apron and Mug for $50 + Free Shipping! 


This Mother's Day, Give Her the Gift She will Brag about to Her Friends...And to Her Friends' Friends... And Maybe the Supermarket Checkout Personnel. Optimistic gifts for every mom on your list. 




Shop now for tees, aprons, socks, mugs, tablet covers and sunglass cases. 

Please note: This offer excludes Stack-Happy Mugs.

For a limited time, Life is Good also has available their popular Boston Love Wins collection of tees


There are currently five styles and colors available for men as well as women. 

Last, Life is Good has a catalog that includes 3,000 products!








Life is good donates 10% of it's net profits to kids in need.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.**


**********************************

Well thanks for stopping by. 


Post a Comment
I love to read your opinions and comments. It makes my day a little bit brighter. 

My apologies, all anonymous comments are deleted due to an excessive amount of spam.


Wishing You a Wonderful Week.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Make a Chalkboard Printable in Minutes

Hi there. So glad you decided to drop by.

Chalkboards are still popular. I've made a few printables myself. I thought you may like to give it a try yourself. 

So I'll show you how I make them in word.




But first I will share a few images of my work so you can get a general idea of what we will be concentrating on today.


Blackboard Printable
The Post is HERE.
Blackboard Printable
The Post is HERE.
Blackboard Printable
The Post is HERE











Obviously we need to start with a blank chalkboard. I just so happen to have found one right HERE

Insert the blank chalkboard image into word. If you would like the instructions for inserting an image please click HERE.


Blank Black ChalkboardAdjust the image to fit an 8" x 10" standard sheet of paper or whatever size you want it to be.

Next we add the text of the quote by inserting a text box and typing in your quote. For instructions on inserting a text box and text please click HERE.

Go ahead and type the whole quote in. Now highlight the text and select your font. 

There are a few nice looking chalkboard fonts to choose from. If you don't have one on your computer it is simple enough to get one. You can Google it or check out my Pinterest page titled Fonts and Digital Images.

This one is pretty good. Check it out, I'm sure you'll find something you like.


Free Chalkboard Fonts


Lastly, you'll want to play around with the arrangement of the words.

Oh sorry. That's not last. The last part is saving it as a jpeg. 

Highlight the text and the chalkboard image. Copy. Paste into Paint. Crop. Save as jpeg with the title of your choice.

Tadaa! You're all finished your chalkboard printable. Wasn't that easy?



************************************


Thank you Evelyn and Jamie for featuring me at your blog party, Freedom Fridays!

The featured posts can be found HERE.


************************************



Michelle

Thank you  Michelle for choosing my blog post to feature at That's Fresh Friday





************************************


Well thanks for stopping by. I hope my tutorial was easy to follow. If you like this post please feel free to share the love or opt to follow along on one of the social media platforms. Those friendly little buttons are on the right side bar.


Post a Comment
I love to read your opinions and comments. It makes my day a little bit brighter. 

My apologies, all anonymous comments are deleted due to an excessive amount of spam.


Wishing You a Wonderful Week.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Happiness is . . . Coloring - Pages for Adults

In the middle of March I shared with you, the benefits of having a hobby. At the same time I shared my newest hobby. That post was on my other blog. You can check it out HERE.

Today I would like to share with you again. I created this fun little colouring page in time for Easter. Feel free to take a copy for yourself or someone else. Colour it any way you wish. And most importantly - have fun. 

Enjoy the experience and live in the now - just for a moment get lost in the paper in front of you relax and be happy.



My daughter has been badgering me to get my drawings posted on Etsy so I will be busy scanning for the next couple of days.

I am a little freaked out. I hope you stop by once it is live and check out the images.

Bye for now. 



Have a wonderful week!


**********************************


Hold on one minute. Check this out. I am super excited and...


I am so grateful to have this post featured on Bowdabra Blog's Feature Friday.

If you would like to see the other featured posts, please click HERE.



**********************************


Yikes, I've this post has been featured at Craft Frenzy Friday. I am so thrilled and honored. Thank you.

To see the other featured posts please click HERE.





**********************************




Yeehaw! Thank you so much for featuring my post at the Four Seasons Blog Hop.

To see the other featured post, click HERE.




**********************************


 A great big thank you goes out to Marci for featuring my post. She says, "I love it." I couldn't ask for a better compliment.

Check out Marci's blog HERE.



**********************************




Well thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy coloring in the my drawing. If you did please feel free to share the love or opt to follow along on one of the social media platforms. Those friendly little buttons are on the right side bar.


Post a Comment
I love to read your opinions and comments. It makes my day a little bit brighter. 

My apologies, all anonymous comments are deleted due to an excessive amount of spam.


Wishing You a Wonderful Week.


Friday, March 21, 2014

Can People Change?

I say YES!

People can change. Even a negative person can change. 




If you asked me that question a few years ago I would have said yes but only hoped it was true. And that was probably because I didn't know how to make those kinds of changes.

Now I not only know how a negative person can change to an optimistic one, I also know why? Do you?

Sure optimistic people are more fun to be around but what other reasons are there?

Lucky for us, more research is conducted all the time and those brainiacs have the answers. 

Are you ready for the answer? Here it is. Being optimistic will make you happy. 

It's that simple and isn't that what everyone wants out of life. To be happy. 

Don't believe me? Go ask some random people. I'll bet they will all say that they want to be happy.

Sure they want a million dollars, a new car, a fantastic home but it turns out that they want these things because they think it will make them happy.

But wait there's more. Optimistic people aren't just happier there are two more benefits. They are also healthier and wealthier.

I'm not saying that optimistic people don't have problems. They do. They just look at it differently than a pessimist. You know that whole glass half full half empty thing.

You might come back to me and say, hey Darlene, that's just the way I am. I can't change that.


I'd have to say to you that you can change that. And I'll tell you how.

You choose how you think. You can control your thoughts. Don't just let your brain run on auto pilot otherwise it will always respond in the same old way. With negativity.

I know, I know, I know, your thinking how can I stop thoughts from popping in my head. The answer is at first you can't but eventually with practice an persistence you will notice a change in how you think.

I know this is true because it has worked for me. I wouldn't say at one hundred percent optimistic but there is a marked improvement. If you want to read more about making the change to optimism you might want to check this post out HERE.


I don't wake up in the morning with that thought popping in my head. The one that kept saying, I hate my life. I believed that I had no control over my thoughts but I do. Now I wake up and think it is a beautiful day. I am so very lucky. (Even though I am homeless and living out of a suitcase.)

In the beginning you have to stop and consciously beware that a negative thought has just entered your mind. Then you can stop yourself before the thought is complete and switch it up with an optimistic thought. 


The next step is stopping the thought before it enters your brain and you think of something positive. 

Eventually the negative thoughts are few and far between and you suddenly wake up one day and say HEY! I haven't had a negative thought in a long time. Am I an optimist now. Well you're definitely on your way.


If you continually practice optimistic thinking, you’ll reprogram your brain to automatically respond in a positive manner.  


But remember. It takes time. It takes patience. It's like quitting a bad habit. It takes work. But it is worth it. You are worth it.

We're all a work in progress. Let's banish all those negative thoughts starting right now and be HAPPY!



Have an Amazing Day!


********************

Stacey chose this post as her favorite. “This is such a great post! I would also have to say yes, but I think the most important key to the change is to recognize the negativity. I used to always see the glass as have empty, until I finally realized that something needed to change and that was me.”

Thank you Stacey. To see the other featured posts please click HERE.


********************


Monday, March 10, 2014

How Does Your Hobby Benefit You?

I've always thought it strange that someone could go through their whole life without a single hobby.

I actually know a couple of people who don't have one. 

Maybe it isn't necessarily that they don't have a hobby, but they don't have any particular interests to occupy their time and minds. Nothing that they like to do that helps them clear their heads and rejuvenate their souls.



What Are Your Hobbies?

What is it that you enjoy doing. Perhaps it's running, baking, sewing?

I personally have to do something. Through the years my interests and "hobbies" have changed but there has always been something.

I use to love reading and went through all the Anne Rice and Stephen King books I could get my hands on. But then I found it difficult to find quite time with three girls bouncing around around.

I use to love painting - in acrylics - landscapes and portraits. But it also turned out to be a difficult hobby with children.

At this point in my life crocheting is my fav. I can crochet just about any where at any time. Unfortunately right now all my crocheting gear is in storage. 

I was feeling a little lost and needed something. So of course I went online - just browsing. Then I came across some pretty pictures - doodles - tangles - in black and white. 

I immediately knew that I found something I would love to do. 

All I need is a sketchbook and black markers. A hobby that doesn't take up much space or cost much money. I could get these items at a dollar store. It cost three dollars for the book and one dollar for the marker. 



Mind you I realize that at some point I may want to invest in better paper and markers. But for now I found my creative outlet. I found something easy to learn, relaxing and fun. 



The Benefits of a Hobby

Physical activities have obvious benefits. But what about the other kind like crocheting?

There are some very wonderful benefits of having a hobby. Hobbies are a means to finding happiness, an overall sense of well being and reduce stress.

Fun
Positive psychology is a relatively new branch that studies what makes life worthwhile. They discovered that activities which bring fun into your life is a good way to relax and to live in the moment which provides an over all sense of well being and happiness.


Good Stress

Hobbies promote Eustress which is a positive kind of stress created at times of great enthusiasm. Hobbies are a great way to create Eustress because you are doing something you love to do and it makes you feel excited.


Gratification

Gratification is also a part of positive psychology. If you are like me, I enjoy activities that make me feel productive - like I have accomplished something other wise I feel like I am wasting my time. Knowing that I will have a completed project of some kind gives me a fantastic feeling of achievement which equates to happiness.

Staying In the Moment

A hobby can engage you in a sense of flow, which can put you in a near-meditative state. 

I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. It's the kind of activity where you lose track of time and before you know it hours have passed by. You are concentrating so much in what you are doing that everything else (including stress) disappears. The end result is feeling less stressed out and feeling over all pleased with life - happy.


Hobbies Help Prevent Burn Out

What is burn out? It's the result of stress. If you are feeling overwhelmed at work, a hobby gives you something non work related to look forward to and it relieves stress. Your hobby may be the one thing that reduces the impact of chronic stress. 


Health Benefits of Hobbies

Hobbies are great for the body. Research has found that leisure time fun activities are associated with lower blood pressure, total cortisol, waist circumference, and body mass index. 

Hobbies are great for the mind. There is also a relationship between enjoyable activities and an increase in a positive outlook -reducing levels of depression.


Hobbies Promote Socializing

Hobbies can bring people together. Even if your hobby is meant for one person, there are groups out there  composed of others who also enjoy that activity. Connecting with people in a fun way relieves stress and contributes to your overall happiness.

Now we know why I have been so desperate to find a new hobby. I need something to to get me in the zone - flow (refer  Mihály Csíkszentmihályi's concept of "flow") - to decrease stress and depression - to increase my positive outlook -  - to make me feel HAPPY.

So next time someone you know is feeling stressed or down, ask them what is their hobby. What do you do for fun? Then tell them to get out there and get a hobby!




*****************************

I would like to thank Maz Kwok at Crafting Along Blog Hop for featuring my post. I am extremely grateful.

This post was one of four most clicked at the party. To check out the other features please click HERE.

*****************************

Well thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed reading this post. 


If you would like to receive my blog updates please subscribe via email . . .

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner


I look forward to reading your comments. 


Make my day and leave one!







Blogging tips