Populating Twitter’s Text Field From Your Blog

OK people, bear with my excitement here please. When I spend DAYS trying to figure something out, and then I do it, I get ecstatic! I especially get crazy when it’s something simple (programmers will understand what I mean if they’ve ever had a tiny syntax error keeping them awake for days).

But fear not, I did all the thinking and testing and working, and NEWLY bug free for you:

How to automatically populate a twitter follower’s update field using a link on your blog!

All they have to do is hit the Update button!

I saw this during Moonfruit’s MacBook Pro contest, as well as someone using a bit.ly link to achieve the same effect. And I’ve been trying to recreate it ever since. It’s not hard, and I’m sure tons of people have figured it out. But when I tried to search for it, NADA.

This will come in especially handy for review/giveaway blogs, like Makes Mom Happy, The Cloth Diaper Report, and others like them (believe me, there’s TONS). Often during giveaway contests on these blogs, you can obtain entries by tweeting about the contest. Most of the time there is a pre-set message the blog owner would like you to use to advertise the contest. Now the blog owner can make a link for you and save you the trouble – if they read this post and learn how.

Review/Giveaway blog owners, here’s how you do it:

Use a link when you have a specific message you’d like tweeted, for example: “RT @halfjapanesegrl Enter a Britax Marathon CS car seat giveaway at The Cloth Diaper Report! http://bit.ly/TcYbS. Open to US and Canada!” Contest is closed, by the way.

Assuming you use Twitter, click this link to see my example in action!

If you know basic HTML, like how to add a link to your blog, this will be easy peasy for you. Normally a link looks like this:

<a href=”http://www.yourlink.com”>Your Link’s Name</a>

That’s the format this Twitter tip will follow too:

<a href=”http://twitter.com/home?status=Enter the text you would like Tweeted here. The only catch is, everywhere you want to use a space, put a ‘+’ instead!” target=”_blank”>Tweet this message</a>

A couple of notes for you:

1. DO NOT put www. in front of twitter.com or it will not work.
2. Always put target=”_blank” in your external links. This will make your link open in a new window. Why is this important? Then YOUR site is still open in another window. Even if your visitor forgets what they were doing when they clicked on the link, eventually they will make it back to your window. This can induce more visiting on your site, and for some people this can mean more income (depending on your product or service)

Please, feel free to tweet about this blog post so other blog owners can learn how to do this too!
UPDATE: Figured it out finally, thanks to Digital Rev. Instead of spaces, use a + sign, then you won’t get any %20′s.

Body After Baby – Week #3

Body After Baby – Week #2 Recap

I was in a Body After Baby challenge last week? Really? Hmm. Are you sure? And I was supposed to write this update on Monday? Ouch.

Actually, my bathroom scale says I was participating. I am down to 214-ish. We’ve been making quite the effort with what we eat. Dinner has been moderate portions of meat/alternative, vegetables and a starch. I point out “moderate” because that has always been our issue. We don’t eat badly (well occasionally we do), we just eat TOO MUCH of the good food. I’m talking like 12 ounces of meat at dinner, nevermind whatever the starch happens to be. But as I was saying, we’ve been making an effort there.

Last week I made goals of walking the dog every day, eating breakfast every day, cardio workout 3x and 10-minute workout every day. I’ve definitely been slipping on eating breakfast. Alternatively, I’ve been sort of grazing all day. Like a bag of crackers beside me and eat a couple now, and a couple in an hour, etc. I didn’t do the cardio or the 10-minute workouts at all (shame on me!). But we did take the dog for a walk a couple of times. Court has the mosquito bites to prove it.

I issued Court a challenge the other day. [If you don't like TMI, stop reading here] He is just over 240 right now. I promised him if he could get to 200 by Penny’s 1st birthday (early January), I’d let him have an unmentionable act that he doesn’t normally get. By the way, apparently trading off sexual favors is allowable, according to my “Babyproofing Your Marriage” book. I think that’s finally given him motivation, where he didn’t have much before. As soon as he gets his orthotics made I’ll start pushing him back to the gym too.

In conclusion, I didn’t meet any of my goals for Week #2. I still improved, but in a different area. I think I’m going to learn from Weeks #1 & #2, and not shoot so high for Week #4′s goals. Why not Week #3? Because today’s Thursday. I wasted the week away. I’m just continuing the way I have been, and will get back on track for Monday.

Me Time – It’s All The Rage

I don’t get any Me Time. Why is that?

I am not overly controlling when it comes to Penny. I’ve accepted that Court puts her diapers on differently than I do. I know when he changes her clothes, chances are they won’t be a matching outfit. I know his version of “getting up with Penny on the weekend” entails Penny falling back asleep in her bouncer chair while Daddy plays Wii. And I know that when he feeds her, not one drop hits her bib, and the dishes are empty when they’re done. I’m ok with all of that, because I know to stress out about any of it will just drain me more than I already am drained. I do admit though, I let him swaddle her to go to sleep, and I let him do it his way. But after 3 or 4 attempts where she just won’t go to sleep, I’ll go and swaddle her my way. It works – most of the time.

I don’t have too much of an issue leaving Penny with babysitters either (babysitters being Nana and Grampa or her other Grandpa or Grandma). I don’t feel the need to leave them with 600 instructions, although I might leave a few. I’ll point out if she has a diaper rash, or let them know where the food is. I don’t try to tell them how to feed her. I don’t panic when we come home while she’s eating and – heaven forbid – doesn’t have a bib on. They’ve all done this before. Court and I both survived, so that has to stand for something.

So if Court can handle being alone with Penny, why don’t I get any Me Time. And if we can handle leaving Penny with grandparents, why don’t we get any Us Time?

I know why I don’t get any Me Time. But I don’t understand why. Why is it that I feel like I need to be SuperMom? I have this obsession with proving to everyone (who everyone is, I’m not sure) that I can do it. I can hack being a parent. I can take Penny and do groceries without any help. I can do all the running around that needs to get done. I can do the housework… oh who am I kidding? I don’t do housework. I do some laundry – when it gets hard to climb Mount Laundrynus to get into the bedroom, or when the lack of clean underthings becomes an issue. But why do I need to prove this to everyone? No one has ever said anything to me to the contrary. I’ve never felt awash by someone’s doubt that I can be a good mom.

Because I need to be SuperMom – I need to carry Penny in my mei tai, and have 16 grocery bags on my arm, and the dog on the leash, and that 20-foot high ball of laundry from the commercial is chasing me down – I don’t get Me Time.

I want to go swimming, just for something to do. Actually it’s one of very few things that I can envision myself doing sans baby or husband. I honestly don’t know what else I would do without them. Maybe I’d consider taking some classes at the University and start on a degree in HR. It’s hard to justify that though when the classes are in the $400 range EACH and you need like 30 of them for the degree. We’re building a house right now, people! $400 is 1/3 of a mortgage payment! The only other thing I could see myself doing alone is shopping. Ah, Retail Therapy. Nothing can beat spending money, especially on wants, not needs. Although if it’s needs we need, then by all means therapy away! But then again, we’re building a house here, people! Hmm, not so much retail therapy then.

Going for a walk by myself is not a Me Time option. I feel bad because the dog could be walking with me. If I take the dog, Court feels guilty for not taking her for a walk, and then he has to come too. And if the dog and Court come with me, well… Penny has to come too. Strange how that works.

I know I need Me Time. And after 6 months of not having any Me Time, I sort of need it desperately. I just don’t know how to get it or what to do with it when I do have it.

DeviantArt on Display

Breastfeeding by ~AmandaPPH

A small note about DeviantArt on Display: I have saved all of the artwork and uploaded to this blog simply because it only takes one person reporting this art as offensive for it to be removed from DeviantArt.com. They are beautiful, not offensive. This is why I am displaying them here.

Another Britax Marathon Giveaway

How can you tell I want a Britax Marathon carseat for Penny? And how can you tell I’m determined to get one with a minimum of wallet-action? Those suckers are expensive here! But Stacey at OneTinySuitcase.ca uses them because they’re the safest and the best. So I want me one too.

And one of the ways I can get me one is to tell you that The First Time Around is giving away a Marathon CS carseat in cowprint. Click through here and go enter for yourself! There’s about 300 entries as I write this, which is not alot for a high profile giveaway like this.

Oh yeah, and did I mention it’s open to Canadians!?!

World Breastfeeding Week • Aug 1-7

I’m not going to do anything spectacular for World Breastfeeding Week, like participating in a nurse-in. Like Cindy Ambrose said about her plans, “for breastfeeding week, I will breastfeed my daughter. The end.” That sounds about right to me!

There are events being planned all over:

• In LA, there is going to be a one day seminar about current topics in lactation on August 7th.
• In Indianapolis, the St. Francis Hospital and Health Centers will have displays from breastfeeding resources and organization and from businesses that support breastfeeding from August 3-7th
• The local La Leche League chapter in Laguna Beach is holding a family picnic August 1st at Top of the World from 11 to 2pm
• In New Zealand (sorry I can’t be more specific, I don’t know New Zealand at all!), join in the La Leche League Dunedin Quiz Night at the Cableways Restaurant & Bar, August 3rd at 7:30PM.
• In Penang, Malaysia, the Penang breastfeeding group (MMPS) has organized the 1-minute Simultaneous Breastfeeding event on August 1st, 9:30-1:30PM.

There are many, many more events being planned around the world. If you know of one, either email me so I can add it here, or add it in the comments!

In my search for WBW events, I also found a huge wealth of information on ways to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week at the National WIC Association.

Set up a “rock and relax” booth at the state fair with three areas: a changing area with diapers and wipes, an area for breastfeeding education materials and someone to answer questions, and another area with rocking chairs for mothers to breastfeed their babies.

Recognize businesses that accommodate breastfeeding employees or patrons. Give a certificate or send a thank-you note.

Look for companies or communities which may provide low cost banners on World Breastfeeding Week to display in a shopping center or downtown areas.

Give dads a certificate to recognize their support of breastfeeding mothers and infants.

Develop a proclamation for your governor or local mayor to sign, emphasize the importance of Breastfeeding during an emergency.

Honor long time breastfeeding mothers, over 1 and 2 years.

These are all wonderful ideas! I thought about making WBW pins out of nursing pads and selling them for $2 as a fundraiser for our breastfeeding clinic. I don’t know how I would do it though, so if anyone in Calgary is interested in helping with that one contact me!

Blow-my-mind Contest!

The first review/giveaway blog I came across was MakesMomHappy.com, and I thought it was the coolest blog ever! And pretty soon I found out there’s no less than 672 review/giveaway blogs out there (number pulled outta my @$$). So, I don’t try to enter every last giveaway I see because there’s just too many. I could spend my entire day entering these things.

But once in a while, a great one comes along. This is one of them. Emi over at The Cloth Diaper Report reviewed a Britax Marathon CS Carseat. Not much reviewing needed to be done by her – she was recently in a horrific car accident, and her Britax carseat saved her daughter’s life. But along with her review, she is giving away a Britax Marathon CS in your choice of colour! This is a blow-my-mind contest! Britax are like the Cadillac of carseats, way up there on price, but WAY up there on safety. These are what Stacey over at OneTinySuitcase.ca uses for her carseat rentals, and she swears by them. You know what else is great? 1. They have pink. 2. They hold up to a 65 pound child. 3. THE CONTEST IS OPEN TO CANADIANS!!! I don’t think I can fit in enough exclamation marks for this one. All the good contests are never open to Canadians.

Make sure you get over there – entries are at about 218 (with all of mine to come) at the time of me writing this. 218 ain’t alot for a giveaway this big!

DeviantArt on Display

My Soul by *Questiun

A small note about DeviantArt on Display: I have saved all of the artwork and uploaded to this blog simply because it only takes one person reporting this art as offensive for it to be removed from DeviantArt.com. They are beautiful, not offensive. This is why I am displaying them here.

Tupperware and BPA

UPDATED: I have added a post about specifically which Tupperware products have BPA in them, including pictures. Click here to go find out which products they are!

Everyone has some Tupperware in their cupboards, don’t they? Even if you didn’t buy it yourself, it’s been passed down from your mom. Because it’s THAT GOOD of a product, right? It’s lasted 20 years, and you STILL use it every few days.

But Tupperware has a little known (although not hidden) secret. Tupperware is NOT BPA free.

Now before all you little Tupperware ladies go getting in a flap: Not all Tupperware has BPA in it. Only a couple of lines do. From Tupperware’s website:

Certain Tupperware products are made from polycarbonate, including serving products and Rock ‘N Serve™/Vent ‘N Serve™ storage and microwave reheating containers. However, polycarbonate is NOT used in Tupperware baby bottles or toys.

http://order.tupperware.com/coe/app/tup_widget.show_page?fv_page_code=safety2&fv_section_name=help&fv_category_code=search&fv_item_category_code=200500

And before any of you little Tupperware ladies start bashing me, I sold Tupperware and was considering selling it again after my maternity leave. My grandma sold Tupperware for over 25 years, gave up when she moved across the country, then started again. You’re looking at 30 years worth of Tupperware sales out of her. And my cupboards are still full of Tupperware!

The Canadian government is moving ahead with proposed legislation to ban baby bottles containing BPA, although the use of BPA is not banned yet in any type of commercial use. In the United States, BPA is not banned either, although California is gearing up to be the first state to ban it.

So what this means is that Tupperware is not breaking any regulations. But it is still an issue. Last year a poll by EKOS Research Associates Inc., found that 73% of Canadians want BPA banned from other plastic products in addition to baby bottles. 73% is a pretty overwhelming number! That says that regardless of government regulations, consumers are concerned about the use of BPA.

The bone that I have to pick with Tupperware is its complete lack of regard for what its consumers want. As a retailer, no matter the product, you need to listen to your customers! If you ignore the people who are essentially signing your paycheque, you are resigning yourself to selling an inferior product or service. You are going to lose customers.

So when Rick Goings, CEO of Tupperware Brands Corporation says

“Based on the repeated governmental scrutiny that polycarbonate has undergone by various regulatory agencies, we continue to believe that the material is safe. We will continue to monitor this scientific debate, of course, and keep all of you posted if any new and important information comes to light.”

that says to me that Tupperware and Mr. Goings really don’t care what their customers think. When I share the link to Mr. Goings’ letter, it is meant to highlight Tupperware’s stance. I am not running around yelling “the sky is falling, the sky is falling.” Tupperware contains BPA. So what? So, I don’t want BPA in my food containers. It’s as simple as that. And until they change the makeup of their polycarbonate-based products, I will be showing other people what Tupperware has to say on the subject.

By the way, Tupperware’s microwave-safe products (and not all of them are), are supposed to be nuked on a MEDIUM-LEVEL SETTING to prevent the migration of chemicals from the plastic to the food. It says this right in their product manuals, or at least it did when I was still selling Tupperware.

Body After Baby – Week #2

Week #1 Review

Oh crap. I suck in the motivation department. Last week, I made goals of:

• Eating breakfast every day
• Walking the dog every day
• Doing a 10-minute FitDadSays.com workout
• Doing a Wii cardio workout 3 times

And I can happily say that I got tons of footrubs last week! Meaning… not so much of what was on my goal list. I ate breakfast most days, usually a bowl of Cheerios. I missed a couple of days though. I think the problem I have with breakfast right now is that I don’t get up until about 10am, and by the time I feed Penny and pour coffee into me, and decide I’m actually hungry – it’s lunch time.

We – as in Court, Penny, Hershey and myself – went for a walk around the block the other night. But that was it in the walking department. In my defense, 30 degrees Celsius is NOT conducive to walking outside until the sun goes down. And by then I’m so tired I can’t be bothered to move. I also blame this partly on Court. Of course, none of it has to do with me! (Yes, I’m not stupid. I know it’s all me. Stop making excuses.) But Court has plantar fasciitis (sp?). He was supposed to see the PT on Thursday, but they were sick, and he’s rescheduled in for tomorrow. His feet have been absolutely killing him. It’s really hard to get all of us up for a walk, when I know walking hurts him. But last night he soaked his feet in a big tub of hot water, and said it helped a bit. And he goes to the PT tomorrow. So hopefully we’ll get our family walks in here pretty quick.

I tried the FitDadSays.com workout. Once. And I couldn’t do 8 burpees. But I did the rest! And wasn’t gasping for breath like Court does (give him a break, he’s asthmatic). It seemed simple enough to do. But I think I need to do it when Court’s not around. He’s ok doing it (and did do it almost every night), but I feel like an idiot flopping around trying to do things like burpees. Don’t know what a burpee is? Click here. If a 10-minute workout sounds good, hope over to FitDadSays.com’s YouTube Videos for his many 10-minute workouts.

And did I do my cardio workouts on the Wii? Well, yes. Once. It’s Gold Gym’s Cardio Workout for anyone who was wondering. Mostly you shape box. While rocking back and forth from one foot to the other. It’s actually the rocking that keeps your heart rate up, and boy is it hard to do! Especially with the speed they have it at.

So for Week #1′s review, no I didn’t meet my goals. I didn’t even come close. BUT…it is definitely better than I was doing before we started.

Week #2 Goals

I’m going to continue with last week’s goals, mostly. But I’m going to work on getting up earlier so I can make eating breakfast at breakfast-time my goal. So this week, I want to get up by 9:00 every day (weekends don’t count), and eat breakfast within a half hour of getting up. I still want to walk the dog every day, but I’m going to try to do it in the morning. I’m still going to try to do my 10-minute workout every day, but I’m going to check some of FitDadSays.com’s other videos because he has some aimed at abs. And this baby-tummy needs work. And… I’m still going to do the cardio 3 times.

I am off to a good start for this week. I bought breakfast (a bagel from Tim Hortons… it’s still breakfast!), but didn’t get a chance to eat it until about 12:30. And I took Penny and Hershey for an almost hour long walk at the off leash park. Hershey got to run off leash for the first time, which let me focus on walking and making it count. And I learned that 10-11am during the week is a great time to go to the off leash park! I’m going to finish posting this, and do my 10-minute thing, and I think I’ll even turn the cardio workout on until Penny wakes up (which should be anytime now).

For the record, I didn’t lose any weight, and I didn’t gain any weight. But this afternoon, I feel good!