unaboutique

On my personal blog I recently shared a few eco-loves of mine.   I discovered an eco website that I thought you would really enjoy called Recyclebank . I think you’re going to love the site…especially the perks they offer. To put it quite simply, you get eco-educated in exchange for Recyclebank points that are easily redeemed for free products and services. Trust me, the freebies are worth it.   Great discounts at restaurants and stores, plus totally free products and services.   Think InStyle magazine and $15 off purchases of $30 at vine.com, to name a few. The beauty of Recyclebank is that the eco-education you get (whether well-intended or simply to earn discounts) starts to have a measurable impact on your life and the choices you make.   Speaking for myself personally, Recyclebank has truly elevated how eco-conscious I am as I go about my routine.   I am delighted that the information I’ve read on the site is actually impacting my day-to-day activities a...

I recently came across the Brit + Co and fell in love! If you haven't visited, here's a snippet from their "About" page regarding what to expect: Started by Brit Morin, Brit + Co. is a lifestyle brand that provides the digital generation with savvy shortcuts for their online and offline lives. The Brit + Co blog was an immediate add to my Feedly reader.  The screengrab below captures the fun over on her blog...everything from apps to gift wrap in one place.  In today's post, I wanted to share an app with you that was just featured over at Brit + Co, just in case you aren't a reader over there yet.  The font is called iFontMaker , and it allows you to turn your own handwriting into a font in a matter of minutes.  I've had a love-hate relationship with typography for years...recognizing the power it holds but not always being able to harness it well! In the past year, I've given myself permission to experiment with typography a bit more, and have eve...

Quizzes are a great way to engage your audience and educate them on a topic without sharing a long list of pointers.   I recently found myself with the need to create a simple online quiz.   I started with Googling a “free quiz maker” and other similar phrases, only to find myself unhappy with the options.   Most of what I found was geared towards the educational field or appeared to be “free” but not without slapping ugly ads on my quiz.   I just needed a simple interactive quiz that allowed visitors to test their knowledge and immediately see if their responses were correct.   Google Docs provided quiz capabilities, but no way to easily show the answers in real-time as a visitor moved through the quiz. I didn’t need to store results or generate reports based on the responses. I’d forgotten for a moment that I was working within Wordpress! One of my favorite things about Wordpress is the vast pool of plugins offered to enhance your website or blog.   Surel...

unaboutique

In today's post, I'm sharing the process of creating Google Reader and Feedly accounts. I have to tell you, I think you're really going to like Feedly! If you already have a Google Reader account, simply visit Feedly.com and sync your accounts.  Then, download the Feedly app if you wish.  If you're an iGoogle user like myself, I've outlined the process below and shared my thoughts on the Feedly interface. In the process of finding a replacement reader for iGoogle, I knew I needed to first create a Google Reader account.  I wanted to bring over all my iGoogle feeds via an import instead of manually adding each one (I had more than 70).   Thankfully, the steps outlined here worked like a charm, and in only a matter of minutes.      Next, it was time for me to sync my new Feedly account with my Google Reader account.   I suppose you could stop at Google Reader, but I was not happy with the design/layout.   I wanted something that was be...

If you're a longtime reader, you already know how much I enjoy reading through my favorite blog feeds on iGoogle . At the time of this post, I have close to 75 blog feeds aggregated on my iGoogle page , allowing me to quickly scan the "headlines" (latest posts) and dive further to read a preview or the full post. The recent announcement by Google that they will be retiring iGoogle effective November 1, 2013 has prompted me to find a replacement for the service.  I've looked before, because browsing my favorite blogs via iGoogle on my iPhone is sometimes wonky (turns out they had an iGoogle app that has since been retired). Now I'm in the market for an RSS aggregator that works/displays as beautifully on a mobile device as it does on my computer screen.  In reading this post about the best free RSS readers, it looks like I should test drive Feedly and create a Google Reader (different than iGoogle) account.   Since browsing my feeds on my iPhone is something I...

I don’t know about you, but fall is the busiest time of year in our house! That means less time to spend on Twitter, Facebook, my blogs, etc.   That said, there are many tools available online to keep your online presence going when you are running around town or jet setting (smile). Hootsuite has been a longtime favorite of mine…they offered Facebook business page scheduling before Facebook even offered it! I also like that their dashboard allows you to post to Twitter and Facebook at the same time or separately, sending in real-time or scheduling in advance.   Hootsuite has a new feature called AutoScheduling (no space) that I just had to check out for you. Super simple…I’ll break it down for you below. How to Use Hootsuite's AutoScheduling Feature: Compose your tweet or status update as usual. Click on the scheduling icon (it looks like a calendar). Change “off” to “on” in the “AutoScheduling” box. Click “autoschedule”. What happens next? How far apart w...

You may not be as active on Google+ as you are on Facebook or Twitter, but if you have a career in marketing, advertising, social media or other web-related fields, maintaining a presence on Google+ may be important.   Social Media Examiner reports: When you establish a presence on Google+, build relationships there and get endorsements on the content that you share through Google+, you increase your Google search ranking. Sure, I wish more of my Facebook friends were active on Google+, but I also enjoy that it’s a much calmer place.    It’s also a great place to connect with other social media professionals who I wouldn’t necessarily “friend” on Facebook.   Today I’m sharing a short tutorial on five ways to customize your Google+ profile, including the cover photo space. Five ways to customize your Google+ profile: (all tips accessed via “view profile>edit profile) Keep your profile photo current, professional and inviting . To edit your profile photo, ho...

In my last post , I shared details with you about the new header space on Twitter .   Today I have a few screengrabs to share with you to get your creative juices flowing if you haven’t taken advantage of the new space yet! 1. Real Simple Magazine Love the simple header design, and would expect nothing less from this great brand! Lemons are genius, as is using the magazine cover for their profile pic.   I’d normally shy away from this, but it makes a lot of sense in the new design! 2. Mashable Mashable did something that didn’t occur to most of us – they choose a solid-colored block for their header background.   Of course, it’s no mistake the color is mashable blue.   If your company is known for a signature color, perhaps the header space could be used to reinforce that brand. Or, you could even crop the background from your website to fit this space or go with a simple pattern. 3. National Aquarium I love how The National Aquarium uses the header space to showc...

Did you know there is a new feature on Twitter with a rather simple name (called a “header”, seen above) that gives you even more room to customize your Twitter profile page? It launched this week (9/18/2012) and is a great space to further enhance your personal or biz brand! Prominently located on the top right-hand side of your profile page, the header space measures approximately 464 pixels wide by 232 pixels tall.   In other words, significantly larger than your profile photo size (in fact, as wide as your tweets displayed on your profile).   This tutorial is going to walk you through the simple process of customizing your Twitter header.   After all, the more opportunities you have to set yourself apart on Twitter, the better.   How to Customize New Header Feature on Twitter Go to Settings>Design when logged into Twitter. Look for “header” area on right-hand side of “design” page. Upload your header image (the space measures 464 X 232 w...

Twtvite has gone through a major update since I used it last.   In fact, I’m so impressed that I wanted to share with you here.   “Twtvite” (pronounced Twit-vite) allows you to easily create and share tweetups with your followers on Twitter (and beyond).   You can create a tweetup on the fly or plan one well in advance.   If you haven't planned a tweetup before, you may want to read this post first. In the past, you could add a logo and small banner to your Twtvite event invitations, but the rest of the invite was pretty generic. I’m sharing a screenshot of the tweetup I just created on their upgraded site, plus details on the upgrades below.   If you’re in Charleston, be sure to join us for the September Charleston Ladies Who Lunch tweetup on 9/14 ( info ). Click photo above for full-size look Twtvite Features I love: Customizable background adds a sleek look – upload your own or use your twitter background.   I matched the backgroun...

I have been a Klout enthusiast for some time now. I can’t help but excited about the freebies that I consistently receive via their complimentary “perks” program. Just today I received a $29 value hard cover photo book from Shutterfly.com as a perk! I’ve also gotten 2 free bottles of wine, a box of business cards, a leather portfolio, $20 in free jewelry and several other freebies in the past 6 months. Did I mention each only took me a few minutes to redeem? And most were totally free?! Here’s how Klout/Klout Perks work: If you haven’t created a Klout account yet, you can do so in a matter of seconds. Simply visit Klout.com and sign in with Twitter or Facebook. Tip: You’ll want to earn “klout” for as many of your social profiles as possible (go to “settings”, then “connect networks”), so be sure to connect Faceboook, Twitter, Google+, Your Blog, Youtube channel, Instagram account and others. Each only takes a minute or two, and it will help you earn a much higher score. Worth the ti...

Hi Friends! After 12 years of working full-time, I've taken the summer off for some soul-filled rest, adventures, creating and writing (thank you, sweet husband). I'll be posting updates from these heartful efforts over at lauracatherine.co , including Colorado-filled posts and photos! I'm also active on twitter and instagram as @lauracatherineo . Hope you can stop by. xxxo Laura is a marketing professional and blogger who has been active in social media since 2005.  If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or     RSS . Laura can also be found on Twitter ( @LauraCatherineO ), Facebook , and LinkedIn .  

It’s 10-10-10 time. I hope you’re enjoying these glimpses into the lives of these inspiring + artistic + biz-savvy ladies! There are a total of 8 ladies (including myself) this time around, so we have 1 day left in this series (just me!) after today. Now, it’s time to meet Paula Joerling! Name of Business: Paula Joerling Studio Links: Blog - Facebook – Etsy Hand Made Etsy Vintage Years in Business: I have been a freelance artist in one form or another for 30 years. I have been a freelance illustrator for about 8 years. Brief Bio: I am a freelance illustrator living in Atlanta Georgia. My designs are primarily used for the gift and tabletop industry. Typically, I work in watercolor and collage and enjoy incorporating fabric, stitched paper and found objects in my art. A Glimpse At Paula's Artwork: Question: Is it necessary for your business to line up with your soul purpose? What value is there to having that aligned? I guess for me, it is. I have had odd jobs here and there an...