Ooops! I'll Program Again....

My college degree is in Marketing, although I haven't used it as much as I would have liked. However, I can and do think like a Marketing person. This has helped with trying to grow our little business, as I am always looking for new and different ways to market got baby!

Lately, I've been experimenting with widgets -- which are SO cool. Yesterday, I spent several hours trying to get my widget to have a gradient background using just CSS. It started, because I was checking site traffic and came across an unfamiliar URL. When I checked it out, I saw that somebody had installed one of my widgets to sell Cafepress stuff.

Well....it looked AWFUL.....which was MY fault, not the blog owner's. I didn't realize that most blogs only allow about 170 pixels on their sidebars, and my widget is for 220+ due to the background image. Ooops! I'll program again......I just hope that they keep the widget once I update it.....

I am thinking I need to create some more customization with my widgets. Currently, they only offer someone the ability to add their Cafepress PID and maybe change the size. My latest widget features gifts for the new dad and dad-to-be, and it gives you the ability to change the background fade colors, font sizes, link colors, etc. I think I'll take it one step farther and give users the ability to add some of their own URLs. This might increase the number of installs.

So, I reorganized my store yesterday and didn't think about the possible fall-out! I had to change all the links on got baby! Then, I had to deactivate my Google Base feed. My husband purchased some software yesterday that is supposed to import everything into Google Base, so he's taking over that task -- thank GOD! Creating those spreadsheets was a PAIN.

My widgets are all updated now. I just worry about anyone linking to old product pages....oh well, it's not like there were THAT many! Thankfully, I am doing this now when we don't have tons and tons of traffic.

Oh Lord, that just reminded me of several other places that need links updated....CRAP. I know what I'm doing for the rest of the day!

This One is Going to Be Short and Sweet

All day, I meant to take ten minutes and write in my blog....but I got busy with work. So, I kept forgetting to start an entry.....and here it is, 9:40 p.m., and I'm finally getting to it before I am off to bed.

Tonight, I did, however, get my Excel spreadsheet updated with my products for Froogle. I just keep running into issues with my bulk upload....oh, what fun! I should just splurge on the script that uploads your products from Cafepress...would make life easier.

I'm so brain dead today. It's just been one of those days where I'm tired and feeling oh-so-uncreative and blah and ick and.....if I could type the raspberry sound, it would go here.

Plus, I'm already dreading next week and dealing with the not so nice people......Calgon, take me away!

Tomorrow night, we are trying a new sitter for Nick, our baby. There's a progressive dinner in our neighborhood, and we are planning on attending. We are required to make a dessert, so I'm going to whip up some of my infamous Tiramisu. It's not really MY Tiramisu, and it's not really "infamous", but this stuff ROCKS nonetheless. If I think of it, I'll post the recipe tomorrow or Sunday, and you can decide for yourself.

Anyway, our babysitter is named Jennifer, and she's in high school. She sounded nice on the phone and comes highly recommended by our good friends and neighbors [who will also be at the dinner]. I really just don't trust anybody with Nick -- unless Taylor is here. If Taylor is here, then we're okay with somebody else watching Nick, because hubby and I know Taylor will take care of him. Otherwise, I get nervous......

This was going to be short and sweet, and I feel myself teetering on the edge of a major topic that will have to wait until another time....a time when I am not so tired!

Good night, sleep tight!