Subscribe to Blogs via Email!

So, how do you subscribe to a blog?
I have tried and tried to figure this one out trying different options. I tried the google reader and the rss feature.

Neither one I liked. I had to go sign in to google to read these, yet I wasn't notified when people posted something new to their blog. So I wasted time checking the reader etc and got frustrated.

I follow a couple of blogs...
A friend of mine & her family is spending a year in Norway. She blogs a lot. I tend to get behind on her posts. I really wanted to find a way to keep up. I decided that being notified of blog posts via email would really help! But how? I didn't know so I did some digging.

Another friend has a blog where they update their friends when they have new news on their upcoming adoption of 3 children from Ghana. She doesn't blog often, but I don't like checking the reader & there being nothing new.

Is there another option? YES. Yay! I found out that there is!
You can subscribe to blogs via email!

First, create a FREE account at feedblitz.com.
In the top bar, click on Subscriptions.
Then click on "New".
Then you'll need to type or copy/paste the url of the blog you would like to subscribe to in the blank box.
Last, click on the feed that you want feedblitz to use. Click on the rss link made available. If there is more than one listed, click on whichever.

My only caution, is that there are lots and lots of features and options in feedblitz. Go in and subscribe. If you want to change options (how often they check for posts etc., I wouldn't recommend doing it all at once!)

Once your email etc. is confirmed, in a day or so, you will begin to get the email version of their actual blog post (you do not have to visit their blog!). I check email often anyway, this seems like the most logical and easiest way to keep up with friends and their blogs! I don't need to be concerned about whether or not I missed a post/entry, because they are all in my inbox and I can read them, at MY Leisure!

You can subscribe to my blog, by finding the widget box at the top left of my blog and putting in your email address.... Thanks Feedblitz!

Getting Started with DigiScrapping: Organization Basics

Download Shabby Fall Kit by ShabbyPrincess.com

There are many of us who can navigative the in's and out's of our computer. Hopefully you are one of those. If not, that's what the instructions here are for!

This section is on Getting Started with Digiscrapping: Organization Basics. This is the info you'll need the very first time that you decide you are going to go ahead and take the plunge and download digital scrapbooking supplies.

When you download your scrapbook supplies..
1. Create a new folder for your digital scrapbook supplies, mine is called "DIGI". I would suggest that you put this in a location that is easy for you to navigate to. I wouldn't recommend putting the folder on your desktop, because then your computer has to keep a little bit of it's memory available open for those files... and if you have lots of shortcuts on your desktop, it can be somewhat of a memory hog.
Mine is directly off of the main "C" drive. C > DIGI

2. Create a folder within that folder for where you downloaded your supplies from. Shabby Princess supplies go into the shabby princess folder. You'll want to create other folders for other scrap authors as you download them.
Folder location: C > DIGI > Shabby Princess

3. All digital scrapbooking supplies comes zipped.
You'll need a program to unzip them (info below). Unzip your supplies into the same folder as the original download. That way everything is organized, together!
As far as zip/unzip programs go, I prefer Winzip. It's a paid program, but there are others that are freeware.
LINK to the trial version of WINZIP.
LINK to another freeware zip program.

4. Make sure you know where they are located on your computer! Most everything that you download goes into Desktop > YourName > Downloads folder on your computer. I challenge you to create the digital supplies folder I explained above. It's okay if you want to put your folder somewhere besides your "downloads" folder. Just remember, Remember where you put it!!

One to Believe Nativity Set

Almost every Christian family puts out their nativity set in light of Christmas. We do. Yet something that has frustrated me year after year, with our four young children around, is that we don't ever let them actually touch the Nativity.

Instead of letting our kids get some hands on play time recreating the events around the birth of Jesus, we put it up on a shelf, where it is seen and not touched. The kids probably can't even see it for themselves without standing on a chair!

Why? Well, because it is breakable. Someday, I'll want to pass the Nativity set on down to one of my children. How can I do that if it's broken? You may not be in the same exact circumstances. Maybe you don't let your kids play with yours because you don't want to loose all of the pieces....

Anyway, I've often wished that I could find a Nativity set, that I wouldn't worry about getting broken. Don't want it to be broken, don't want to be upset with little Suzie for breaking it either!

With all this being said, a Biblically based toy company, One 2 Believe has come out with toys geared towards Christian families. One of their figurine sets is The Nativity: The Birth of The King.


A nativity set that has 17 cute little cartoon-like nativity characters that is also child friendly. It's made out of plastic, making it durable. It comes with a mini multilingual book telling the story of the birth of Jesus. This is one that I have no problems letting my kids play with! Retails $24.99

Their website is full of other bible based toys, figurines and dolls. There is also a kid section with biblical stories, coloring pages and wallpapers for your computer. Click HERE to visit One2Believe.com and see the Nativity set for yourself!

How to Start Digital Scrapbooking

You don't need to be a digital genius to figure out digital scrapbooking. I wish I would have know that ions ago! I tried the trial versions of photoshop and didn't have the fainted idea where to start. Finally, I've gotten through the figuring it out & i'd like to share what i've learned. One person needs to figure it out, teach, and then be there for the newbies. That way only the first person has to figure it all out.. be the guinea pig of sorts. That was me! And if you are interested in learning how to digiscrap, i'd love to help walk you through it!

Personally, I use photoshop CS3. You can definately use photoshop elements (that's what I used before CS3). I use different fonts to create the lettering. My favorite scrapbook teacher has a website www.jessicasprague.com. I've taken a few of her classes.
There's a bit of a learning curve, but it's a ton of fun. I've found it's much cheaper than regular scrapbooking... I pay $3.00 at costco for (1) 12x12 and (2) 6x6's together!

If I were going to start Digital Scrapbooking, I would:

*get a trial version of photoshop elements through www.adobe.com
*download some free scrapbook papers/elements.
One of my favorite places to get free scrapbook stuff is:
www.shabbyprincess.com/downloads.asp
*find some pictures you'd like to scrap (easiest with digital pix)
*ask Zindra for help :!

Free Font Sites:
www.dafont.com
www.kevinandamanda.com
www.twopeasinabucket.com/freefonts.asp

Free Digital Scrapbook supplies:
www.shabbyprincess.com/downloads.asp
www.twopeasinabucket.com/shop/list/?f=c_336&c=24
www.digitalscrapbookingfreebies.com

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Subscription Sale

The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine is having an amazing sale on subscriptions during their annual Black Friday Sale November 26 – 30. For those 5 days only, they are drastically reducing their one-year subscription price to $7.95! That's the price you would usually pay for just one issue at a bookstore!

This is their lowest price ever on the magazine and they want all of you to take advantage of this offer and share the info with your friends.

For five days of their Black Friday Sale, shoppers can actually buy a ONE YEAR subscription to the TOS magazine, for only $7.95!

Please don't miss out. Your one-year subscription will pay for itself time and time again as you receive practical tips and Biblical encouragement to keep going strong in your commitment to homeschooling and to the Lord. Since it's a quarterly magazine, they even have a monthly subscriber's only E-Newsletter called Teacher's Toolbox that will give you seasonal teaching ideas and a free E-Book download! It's like joining a unit study of the month club! The free E-Books alone are valued at almost $250/year. It's really perfect for people who are homeschooling on a shoestring or just wanting to add in some little extras to your teaching.

Plus during the Black Friday Sale, they have all kind of bonus gifts when you spend $50, $75, $100, or $150. Some are electronic downloads that you can download immediately, while other are physical products mailed from various vendors directly to your home.

AND, their Win Big contest is going on so if you just happen to be customer 67,000, you will receive a prize package valued at almost $500 which includes a $150 gift certificate to the Schoolhouse Store! Who couldn't use that? And you can qualify to win it no matter how much or how little you spend!

Mark your calendars for November 26 - 30th and do a little shopping from your seat, not your feet at the Schoolhouse Store's Black Friday Sale!

www.TheOldSchoolhouseStore.com