Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts

How to Use Contour & Slice To Create You Own Shaped Card Inserts

  

This bundle was a daily freebie from Creative Fabrica - Free 11/9 Only

If you downloaded this bundle while it was free, you will find it only came with the white parts as svg.  Those background colors?  They are not included.  [Not that I would evey pay $30 for this bundle, but if I did, I'd be REALLY annoyed...  but that's the great thing about these daily freebies, we find which designers create products that work best for our style of crafting. ]  For those of us who downloaded this, or similar designs, here's how to create your own solid backgrounds, in those shapes.  It's not that hard, I promise.  :-)

Comparing Off Brand Blades To The Cricut Original Blade

 
Comparing the Hardwoer Replacement Blade to the Cricut Brand Blade
Note - Occassionally he Hardwoer brand is not available - but Caregy has identical ones.
The blade on the left is cricut, on the right is Hardwoer.  They are exactly the same size.  
Be sure to remove the red cap before trying to insert it into the holder.  There's a video showing you how to change the blade, below.

Tips For A New Phone - Backing Up The Old, Setting Up The New

My new phone is "out for delivery" according to Fedex.  It has to be signed for, of course, but Fedex has shelpfully narrowed the delivery time down to a twelve hour window in which someone needs to be here waiting to sign for it. (and it's super windy here today,  I never realized before how much wind can sound like a Fedex truck coming up the lane....)

While I am waiting for the phone to arrive, here's my to do list, in preparation to move all of my files:

First & foremost - Order a case.  Even before your new phone ships, order a case.  Take this advice from someone who dropped her brand new phone less than 24 hours after receiving it. A brand spanking new phone with a small hairline crack across the bottom of the screen is very frustrating.  This time, the new case was here days before my new phone even shipped.
I created a folder in dropbox named "new phone"
And then I moved everything I want to save from my old phone, into this folder. 
Including screenshots of how my home screens are set up

On The Old Phone, Before Making The Switch
  • Go through all of my apps, delete any I am not really using. When google syncs my apps to my new phones, I don't need it to sync the extras that I'm not really using. 
  • Transfer all photos & epubs (Books) I am reading to a folder on my computer or in dropbox,  to quickly transfer back to my new phone.
  • Remember to check the snapchat folder. I have a lot of saved snaps - those are in the snapchat folder, not in my photos folder.
  • Make a note of what page I am on in any books I am reading
  • Check the downloads folder - is there anything I downloaded that I will want to transfer to my new phone?  Upload documents to google drive, or back them up in a folder to transfer back to my phone
  • Screenshot each of my phone screens, upload the photos to dropbox so I can see how I had each screen set up.
  • Go through your texts. make sure there is nothing important in those messages.  Copy important information into a document, or forward them to your email or to a cloud based messaging app such as Whatsapp or Telegram.
  • Make a list of frequently used group chats. (when you get your new phone, just message one of the contacts and ask them to send a message to that group chat. You won't have the old messages, but the "group" will now be back in your list of messages)
  • Find the contacts app on your phone. Go through the list, merge duplicates, delete the extras (My boys old girlfriends, the contact list from our sons 9th grade football team... I really don't need those numbers anymore, and I can find them all on facebook if I need them!), and then find the option to back up and sync. My numbers are almost all stored in Google contacts, but sometimes some get stored just in Samsung - so I want to make sure they are all backed up before my new phone gets here.
  • Look at the apps you use and make notes.  Do you use a different calendar app than the built in app?  Make a note.  Do you use a 3rd party messaging app?  Note the name.  Google is really good about downloading all of my apps to my new device - but sometimes it misses one, or one is no longer supported.  For the important things, that i use often, I like to know what I WAS using, so I can figure out what the issue is, if it didn't automatically sync.
  • I copy all of my downloaded ringtones and notifications over too. (I don's use the ones that come with the phone) I don't have to, I can always re-download them, but this saves me from having to search and find them again.
  • On your phone screen, press and hold until the wallpaper option appears. Then look at your wallpaper settings and take a screen shot or make a note. (on my phone, I went to wallpaper/themes/ click on the three lines at the top, "my stuff". ) I made a note of which theme I had applied and what the name of the wallpaper I am using is. I may use something new on my new phone, but honestly, probably not. I like the way my phone looks as is.
Update - Both Dan and I bought new phones this month.  Both of us were going from Samsung to Samsung, although we have different models.  I went from the Note 8 to the S20, He went from the S8 to the Note10.  Dan used the cord attachment to transfer from phone to phone, and all of his apps (even his financial apps) transferred, but his books did not.  I used the app/wifi option, and all of my books and photos transferred, but most of my apps did not. In both cases, our homescreens and app shortcuts duplicated, although on my phone a lot was missing, including entire folders of apps.  

So the apps and cord options work - but I wouldn't fully trust them, in both cases, it missed files.  Dan thinks the cord option worked a lot better for him, but he tends to not be as...  lets say particular, about his phone, as I am - so things missing will not be nearly as obvious to him.  The only thing that really bothered him was that his books would not transfer.  (they were easily re-downloaded though, once he remembered what he had).  For me, my books transferred seamlessly - but it did NOT save my place, so I was glad I made notes on what pages I was on.

On The New Phone (While on WIFI!)
  • Go to settings, system sounds & vibration, shut off all the touch and keyboard (haptic feedback, or vibration) sounds.
  • Go to Security, pin, and check the box to confirm pin without typing ok
  • Disable as much of Bixby as much as possible. (Varies by phone)
  • Change my ringtone and volume settings.
  • Go to google play, sync and update all of my apps
  • Go to spotify, download my favorite playlists to my phone
  • Go to evernote, sync my notes
  • Open Ancestry App, download all family trees
  • Login to every app.  Seriously.  I know it is time consuming - but some of them will not download updates or data until you login, so do that while you are on wifi. 
  • Disable any background apps I don't use (Bloatware installed on the phone)
  • Open my books and go to the page I left off on, while I have the notes in front of me.
  • Transfer all of my photo albums back from dropbox, or wherever I backed them up
  • Open my bluetooth settings, make sure my watch, speakers, etc are all paired.
  • Set up all of my homescreens, using the screenshots from my last phone (this was mostly done by the transfer app - but a good bit was missing)
  • Group all of my apps into folders (the transfer app did this for me - but it missed so many apps, that I did still have to move all the ones I had to download manually)
  • Reset new shortcuts to my google lists.  (The icons for these transferred, but none of them worked.)

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How To (quickly & easily) Fix The Keurig Brew Interrupted Error


The needle in the keurig, that punctures the bottom of the k-sups, is hollow, and sometimes coffee grounds get in there.  That causes an error message, because it has disturbed the pressure of the brew.

Apparently keurigs used to come with a handy little tool that you popped in just like a k-cup, and it cleaned the needle and fixed this problem.  My machine did not come with one.  It's only $4.90 on Amazon, and I'm happy to order one to have on hand..  but I am not waiting two days for my morning coffee...

Thankfully, it's really simple to fix with a paperclip or needle.  Just take the bottom piece out of the machine, remove the rubber gasket covering the needle, and poke a sewing needle or a paperclip into the hollow back of the kerig needle. 

Then run plain hot water through the machine once, just to clean out any extras you might have missed or loosened..  and then brew as normal.  I couldn't believe that was all it took - but sure enough, I had coffee in hand in minutes.

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The tool on amazon, just in case you want to keep it on hand for next time...

https://amzn.to/2JTubYW

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How To Quickly Scan Old Negatives Into Digital Photos


I used a light box and an app on my phone to quickly - very quickly - make digital photos from old negatives.

Quick Links:
Recently I was given an amazing box of memorabilia, including an envelope of old photo negatives from 1936.  The envelope told me they were flood photos, but holding them up to the light did not give me much detail.  I'm way too impatient to take them somewhere to have them printed, I just wanted to see what was on the negatives!  So I asked for suggestions, and did some googling, and found that I could quickly capture photos from these negatives with a simple light box and an app on my cell phone.  I'm VERY happy with the results, and it was quick and easy!  

The negatives I started with - 1936 photos from the flood in Milton/Watsontown Pa

The negative on the light pad

Simply place the photo on a light pad, or a light box.  There are ways to make your own with bright lights and clear rubbermaid style boxes... but I happened to have this light pad already, and it works really well!  

This is how the photo looked when I took a photo of it, on the light pad, with just my regular camera.  It at least gave me a better idea of what the photo was - but it's not the results I was hoping for.   So I downloaded this free app from Kodak:
(There is a version for Apple devices as well)

This is how the photo looked when I used the Kodak Film Scanner app to take a photo of the negative on the light pad. 

I did find another method, using a flat bed scanner and a piece of shiny silver paper folded to reflect the scanner light, but for me, the light pad and camera app were much faster.  (I already had the light pad on hand)  There is a tutorial, and a pattern to download and print to make this reflector, here: https://makezine.com/2011/07/13/how-to_turn_slides_and_negativ/


Another Photo from a 1936 negative, using a light pad and the kodak app.
You can see all the photos from these negatives here:


I do have a bunch of other, not quite as old, negatives that I would like to scan - and I think for those I am going to want this handy little machine.

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Are The Eggs Fresh? Graphic.

I saw this in a facebook post, I have no idea where it came from..  but it's a cute graphic to show you how to tell how fresh the eggs in your fridge (or nesting box!) are:


Curtains from Shower Curtains


When redoing our daughters bedroom, we were having trouble finding reasonably priced curtains.  Even material to make curtains was pricey - so we started looking at sheets.  And while in the aisle at Dollar General looking at Sheets (nothing in a good pattern there) we turned and spotted a cloth shower curtain that was perfect.  

It's super quick and easy to cut the curtain in half and add a pocket rod and some hems...  Fast and easy and reasonably priced!



We took the closet doors down to have the carpet installed, and then our daughter decided she liked the closet better without the doors.  We went back to Dollar General and got yet another fabric shower curtain, and hung it on a shower curtain rod across the door. 

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Quick, SImple, Cheap - Homemade Ice Packs


1 cup rubbing alcohol
2 cups water
zip lock bags
blue food coloring (optional)

Mix, freeze.  

That's it!  SO simple, and these are awesome.  Do some in gallon bags for more flexibility around knees, etc - use the same amounts given here.  When frozen, these feel exactly like the expensive ice pack I paid a lot for, for Matt's knee.  

Next I want to sew some covers for these..  we can wrap them in dish towels for now, but covers are nice.


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Tips for Setting Up A New Android Phone


Again, I needed a new phone.  My latest Droid 4, refurbished, and sent to me just a few weeks back because I wore out the keyboard on my first one, no longer would charge on any charger other than an old bedside dock cord from 3 or phones back.  So here I am setting up yet another phone...

FIRST:
On My Old Phone

  • checked to see if there were any photos I wanted saved.  Since all my photos sync with google automatically as I take them, there was nothing there I needed to copy over, but I did check, just in case. (I've switched to syncing to the private folder in facebook now, since that is where the photos usually end up anyway)
  • Take Screen shots of each of my screens.  On ICS, hold the volume down and power buttons at the same time.  Then I copied all of these into evernote to reference later.
  • Copy all of my library out of aldiko.  Just to be safe, I jotted down the page numbers of all the books I am currently reading, so if I cannot just copy the library in, at least I will know where I was at in each book. (I could not copy the library folder over - I still had to import the books.. glad I had those page numbers!)
  • Copy the cardiotrainer file - I just copied the whole folder, and once I install cardiotrainer on my new phone, I'll replace the new folder with the old one. (This worked flawlessly)
  • Copy the Task List folder - mine does not sync anywhere online, so if I delete it without copying it, I will lose all of my lists
  • Copy the MyDays folder (also does not sync)

On My New Phone:
  • After registering it with my gmail address, the first app I download is golauncher ex. This allows me to resize widgets, add extra homescreens, and customize the look of my phone.
  • The next app I download is Zedge.  Rather than transfer my ringtones, etc, I redownload them..  because I usually have too many and this seems like a good time to start fresh.  The "DROID" notification will drive me nuts really fast, so changing my notifications is a priority. 
  • Open the google play app, choose settings/menu & uncheck the auto add widgets box.  (That keeps it from adding a shortcut for every app I download onto my homescreens)
  • Open the gmail app (once installed) menu/settings/myemailaddress/ turn off the sound notifications.  (as much email as I get, it gets annoying to be notified every time!)
  • open the stock texting app and disable notifications, under menu/settings (this is because I use a different texting app - if you like the stock app, you will want to keep the notifications!)  TIP - if you use the stock texting app, look through the settings and consider changing the option for reply all.  If you change it to individual conversations, when you send out a bulk text, everyone you sent it to will not receive all the replies.  (I am right now receiving bunches of private texts all in reply to a bulk email a friend sent...  it's pretty annoying.)
  • On the apps screen, I drag all of the apps (I use a LOT of them!) into themed folders.  I'll list the folders in another post (coming soon)
  • With Go Launcher, choose menu/preferences and enable infinite scrolling.  Now the screens all scroll in a loop, not just to the left and right.
  • With golauncher installed, choose menu/edit and add 2 more screens.  (Post showing each of the screens and how I use them coming soon)
  • Go to https://play.google.com/store  Choose "My Android Apps" on the right.  On the left at the top I can now see two phone options - my old phone, and my new one.  I click on the old one, then open each app listed in a new tab.  this takes awhile.  I then click install on each app, and choose to install on new device.  This is time consuming.  There must be a better way, but I have not found it yet.
  • Up on the right hand side of the google play sight, I choose the settings wheel, then choose the settings tab.  Here I can rename my device, rename my old device, and disable my old device from being shown in menus.
  • Somehow I got on a telemarketers list for some cruise ship promo.  They call a lot.  It starts with a loud cruise ship horn.  I added the number to my contacts, then opened the contact, choose menu, and send all calls to voicemail.  Still cluttering up my voicemail, but at least I do not get interupted by the calls.  
I love Calendar Pad - because it shows the text for each event, not just blocks of color.  Syncs beautifully with google calendar.
Odds & Ends:
  • My favorite texting app is handcent.  I like the way it looks.  Recently though, it could not sync contacts with facebook.  I found the explanation, and a work around, here: http://www.handcent.com/dir/help/list##h16  Basically, Use FriendSync - which my phone used to do without an add on, but apparently facebook blocks that option now.   FriendsSync is not like  a stand alone app - to use it, first go to menu/settings/accounts.  While you are there, click on facebook, and uncheck the sync contacts, so that you don't end up with duplicates.  Now choose add account, and add FriendsSync.  The first link in this paragraph has screen shots - but it's really simple. 
  • In handcent, I can set separate notification sounds for different people.  So a text from my husband sounds different than a text from redbox.  At the top right of any text you receive, look for the outline of a person with the outline of the settings wheel on it.
  • I LOVE calendar pad for my calendar.  I create a 4x4 widget on one entire screen, and then press down on it to resize it to make it even bigger (golauncher allows me to resize widgets).  I then go into menu/settings and change the start day to Sunday (Monday is the default)  Then I go to calendar settings and beside each calendar I do not want to see in the widget (like  my agenda - that would completely clutter up our regular calendars) I choose setup, and uncheck the view box.
Misc ICS OS Tips:
  • Hold down the power button and the volume down button at the same time to take a screen shot
  • Hold the Home button for a list of apps that are running. Swipe them to the side to shut them off.
  • This article is loaded with ads and a little slow to load, but is a nice overview of some of the Ice Cream Sandwich Operating System features

Where is my gas tank?

I rarely put fuel in our vehicles, that is a job my husband takes care of for me.  Most of the time. Sometimes we drive a lot extra, and if he hasn't been in my car and doesn't notice, I may, occasionally, need to stop at a gas station if I want to make it home.  :-)  That happened this week, as we were headed home from our run at the lake, I realized my car was pretty much on empty, and i was driving right past the gas station to get home...

As I pulled into the station, I mumbled out loud "Which side is the gas tank on in this thing" and my daughter said "look for a little arrow on the display" pointing to my gas gauge.  Huh.  She was right - right beside the gas tank icon was a little tiny arrow pointing to the passenger side of the car, where the gas tank is located.  She said she saw the tip on Pinterest!  

(side note - why is it that I don't notice how dusty/dirty things are until I snap a photo of them with my cell phone?  I missed ONE week cleaning out the car, and this is how bad it is already...)


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Day 8, Wednesday: A piece of advice you have for others. Anything at all.

How to Center A Blog Banner



Blogger has added an option to make centering blog banners much easier.

Go to Template
Choose Customize (under "Live On Blog")
Choose Advanced.

Scroll to the bottom, the last choice should be "Add Css"

Choose that.

Paste this:

#header-inner img {margin: 0 auto !important;}
#header-inner {text-align:center !important;} 

Save.

That's it!

I found my banner at http://www.shabbyblogs.com.  There are more at 
http://thecutestblogontheblock.com/category/banners.  

Choose copy, paste into your graphics program.  Now copy the image in your graphics program, and choose "paste as transparent image".  Now you can add your photos and text.




Covers UP ceiling paint


This stuff is awesome! Dan still wont let me take the dropped ceiling out of the kitchen, and a magic eraser wasn't enough to clean up the metal tracks the tiles sit on. They had yellowed. This stuff made the ceiling look almost new, and SO much cleaner! It covered the water spots in the hall ceiling too. $7 a can, its not cheap, but it was worth it. It sprays straight up, it is meant for ceilings.

(my FB post last week)

A week later, I can see it is a bit splotchy around my stove, where the ceiling was a bit blackened from a cooking error awhile back..  I think a second coat might fix the splotchiness, but even if not, it looks SO much better as is!

Sidewalk / Grass Edger

I LOVE this thing.  It's easy to use, and cleans the sidewalks up so nicely! 

This post keeps showing up as one of the most popular on my blog - and it's one of the least informative posts here.  I feel bad about that.  But I don't know what to tell you..  I think it came from QVC more than 20 years ago.

My mother in law gave this to us years before we moved to the farm.
We moved to the farm nearly 20 years ago.  
The edger still does a great job.


Amazon has a sidewalk edging tool - but it does not look like mine, and I have no idea how well it works.  It's pricey!  If I were going to spend more than $30 for this one, I think I'd be tempted to spend the extra and pay the $60 (it's on sale right now)  for the electric one..  but again, I have no idea how well  they work.








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Ironing out a water mark

This would be what happens when you put a box with a hot stromboli in it, directly on my kitchen table.  Fortunately, this time I knew what to do about it.  In the past, for water rings on this table, I tried mayo.  It never worked.  I had resigned myself to sanding down, and refinishing the table, once the kids were a bit older.  (This belonged to my husbands great aunt - one of my favorite relatives)

This table has been waxed.  A lot.  Not by me - I got it this way.  It actually has thick foam protectors to cover the entire surface, so that it is protected all the time..  but I never quite understood why I would want a wood table top, just to cover it in foam and vinyl?

Anyway, I saw an episode of the Revolution, and learned that on waxed finishes, mayo does't work.  That you need to use heat!

A soft cloth, and an iron.  Do not let the iron set, keep it moving.  And this isn't instant..  it will take just a few minutes. 

But it's so worth the results!



Clarifying Shampoo for bathing suits?

Daily Clarifying Shampoo 
Today's Tip - from the women at the Y - wash bathing suits out in clarifying shampoo (be sure to use it on your hair too!) after swimming in chlorine. It will keep the suit from fading.


Apparently there are different kinds of clarifying shampoos, but the women there recommend the 99 cent bottle of Suave!  Which we already keep on hand here..  even with a culligan water system, we have problems with hard water.  Our hairdresser recommended at clarifying shampoo at least once a week - and it really helps keep my hair from turning orange.

More on clariflying shampoo use:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/clarifying-shampoo-to-remove-hair-dye.html

More tips for avoiding green hair if you spend a lot of time swimming in chlorine:
http://www.mamapedia.com/article/help-my-daughter-tick-s-hair-is-green-from-chlorine




Getting Started With Genealogy -


step one - write down everything you know.  
  • This is a good form to get you started - http://www.hamersleyfamily.com/5generationpedigreechart.pdf
  • Create a folder for each of your grandparents - you should have 4, and if you are working on your husbands line too, you now have 8 folders, and 8 surnames, right off the bat.  Create a 9th folder and place the above chart in it for now. I use all "center" folders for these, it helps with my organization later.  All direct line ancestors go in "center" tab files.
  • Print at least 4 copies of this form.  Fill one out for each set of grandparents, as much or as little as you know.  Once they are filled in, make a copy of each, each form has two surnames, the wife's and the husbands...  so place the form in both folders, the original in Surname1, the Copy in Surname2.  

 Step two - contact every one you know - this is a good time, type up a small note to stick in your Christmas cards (I must have originally typed this up before Christmas time...) , letting them know you are working on the genealogy and would appreciate any information they have.  Let them know what you know already, and list a few specific questions like "do you know who our grandmother's parents are, or where they grew up?"  "Do you have any photos/birth certificates/military records you could scan and share with me, or allow me to borrow to copy? "      etc.  There are several family  surname geanealogy groups on facebook too.

Step three - go to www.google.com and type in "(your surname) genealogy"  You'd be amazed at the family trees you'll find online - someone may have a lot of the work done for you!  Narrow your search by using your ancestors name and birthdate. Keep in mind that unless they have it documented with tax records, census reports, scans from family bibles..  it's not reliable. But it's a place to start.  Once you get information, you can look for documentation yourself.

Step four - go to
http://genforum.genealogy.com/ and see if there is a forum for your surnames.  Use the search feature to search for names you know - like your grandparents.  Then try by location - if you know where your grandparents grew up, or where your family is from, type that in. 

Step five - http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp this is a great place to find census records, and the ss death index

There is a lot more, but that gives you a place to start without leaving the house. 


I have a blog devoted just to genealogy - http://heathersgen.blogspot.com/


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