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Squidoo Hopping---Flagging and Fixing

The filters have hit the Giant Squids, and some have been hit pretty hard!  I was reading in the facebook group comments where some had over 100 lenses given the heads up warning.
I was very fortunate--only 2 of my 134 were flagged.  However, if I am reading in the groups correctly, there are some who had flagged lenses, updated and got them greenlighted, but some are being flagged again......as well as additional ones being flagged.
As of right now I don't have anything else flagged but my dashboard says it's been 17 hours since ranking and such have been updated.

One of mine that was flagged was Pop Tarts Vs. Toaster Strudel.  I almost just deleted the lens because it's never been one I really liked.  However, I did go in to mess with it.  It had that black amazon box to put something towards the top so I moved one of the modules.  I also added a black box at the top telling how I originally came about to build the lens.  I also added a lens love widget above the guest book.   Because someone mentioned adding the about me module and having their's greenlighted, I also added that to the bottom of the lens.    It was greenlighted.

Now, the other one that was flagged was one of my directory lenses---the one about my homeschool lenses.   I started out doing nothing more than adding a description of why I chose to make each set of lenses that I had featured in each section.  I thought that would be enough for the greenlight.  I hit publish and it wasn't....so I put in for it to be looked at and green lighted.
I couldn't wait though and then went back in.   I tried adding the about me module at the end as well as the lens love widget.  Still a no----telling me low quality content.
Back in I went again, this time adding a poll module---still a no go.
Back in and I changed the bio to a custom bio and added a flag counter at the bottom.---still a no go.
I tried putting in descriptions here and there on the amazon items, as well as I removed 1 item from each of the modules.----still no greenlight.
My final change was to remove the text module where I had 5 zazzle items put in.   BAM!!  It was then greenlighted.

OMG!  I was trying not to take out the zazzle items, so that makes me sad.  But also, I put in so many updates that I don't have many more updates I can do to that lens to help it in the lensrank later.   Do you think I can go back in and add say just 1 or 2 homeschool zazzle designs?  Do I dare even try it?

This week, I wish for you to share 1 or 2 of your lenses that were flagged and that you were able to fix.  If you have time, please comment and let me know what changes you made to get them greenlighted.
Also, please, if you have blogged about squidoo at all, link those posts up too! 

 

WIP Wednesday--4/3/13

It's been almost a month again since I've done  WIP post.  I really have been getting in some work.....just Wednesdays have been crazier than normal so I've not posted.  Today is no different, in fact, I've only been out of bed 45 minutes!

I have lots of things I am in the process of completing:
T-shirt dress for a book review
3 sets of folded hot pads
2 plastic bag holders
2 fabric bags
personalized pillowcases for each of my 8 grandchildren

I have quite a few things that I want to start working on:
A scrappy quilt
Doll quilts
quilt square hotpads

Completed:
Table runner that I will turn in this month for our guild challenge
Matching wall hanging that I made to go with the table runner.

I don't have pictures taken except a couple that I will share this week.

This is my progress on the quilt top I am making at sewing club at church.  What a long process!  Especially since I've only worked on it the once a month for the day at sewing club.  And, next week I won't get much done on it because I am needing help with the t-shirt dress mentioned above.

 Here is a photo of the other ladies who are working on tieing a quilt.  It will be raffled off for the church's 125th anniversary.

In my crochet world I had been crocheting like crazy the cotton bath puffs.  I did complete the order for 15 of them, plus made an additional 6 that are now listed in my etsy store.  I crocheted up a set of washcloths too and have them listed.  And.....I crocheted 12 dish scrubbies as well.

I've also been making plastic canvas coasters this past few days.  I already have sets of them in my etsy shop, just using up the rest of my plastic canvas as well as this huge ball of yarn.

So.....you can read, that I really have been working, believe it or not.  I hope to be back next week with a LOT of photos for you!

Marsha

 

Homeschool Journal---The End of the School Year is Closing In

I've not written a "journal" entry blog post for our homeschooling in some time now.
It seems that since Christmas we have had so few days that we actually got in a good amount of book work in a day.

It seems it's just so much unschooling now!  Let's see if I can give a lot of examples.

Jasmine has been doing a lot of exercises as well as learning about "super foods" and more.  This would be health/PE.
Exercising with the Slim in 6 dvd's that I purchased as well as still dancing with the Wii, but also with the Playstation game as well.  She's even tried some exercises that she's read in magazines.
The Slim in 6 dvd's came with a booklet all about exercise, eating and health---we've read it cover to cover twice.  We've tried different recipes etc.
On nice days she's been taking walks.  This last week she walked to the public library (just over a mile from our house)...read half a book while there (language arts) and then walked back home.

Jasmine has taken it upon herself to watch some of the science shows through netflix---such as the How It Works and How Stuff Works series.  She then tells us, and others what she learned from each show.

She is still attending Bible study each Tuesday and youth group each Wednesday.
Recently youth group attended the Winter Jam concert.  This prompted her for days to look up bands and lyrics, and do some sharing of both on facebook. (music)

I pulled out the Thresholds to Adult Living textbook and we've been reading it out loud with discussion.  I love those books!  I picked this one up as well as a few others at the public library book sale.  They are all from the 1960's but still very much (if not more) pertain to how a person should live today.  All of these texts cover every aspect of life from friends, dating, marriage, fitness, cooking, health, jobs, budgeting, decorating, and so much more. (I love the photos within the books)

Jasmine, on her own, had been making herself a budget/goal book.  She has made specific goals of things she is saving for and how much (what percentage of) she will save for each goal out of any money that she earns.  Other math would include grocery shopping with me.  We have been working also in an Everyday Math Survival Skills workbook.

Of course she is still drawing all of the time.  I am going to end this post today with a picture she has recently drawn.  I've also used this picture as the intro photo on one of my squidoo lenses.

I am linking up with:
 

Frugal Friday With Marsha--Must Haves for Your Medicine Cabinet

Today I am going back to sharing from the 99 Cent Solutions book and sharing the must haves for your medicine cabinet.  Or how to stock your medicine cabinet the 99 cent way (as the book says)

1.  Baby Oil--it does everything from staving off an earache to making bandage removal painless.

2.  Bubble bath--Keep bubble bath in your soap dispenser if you find hand soap too drying.

3.  Chest rub-- Great to run into those tired feet.

4.  Cotton balls--Soak them in bleach to clean the crevices in your bathroom and kitchen.

5.  Cotton swabs--  Easily and cheaply used as eye shadow applicators.

6.  Deodorant--  Rub it on your palms if they get sweaty.

7.  Hair spray--  Kills the itch of mosquito bites.

8.  Lip balm--  Rub it on a dry nose just like you do dry lips.

9.  Mouthwash--  Soak your toothbrush in it to kill germs.

10.  Toothbrush--Spritz it with hairspray to take care of those unruly eyebrows.

 
99-Cent Solutions: Easy Ways to Save Thousands of Dollars

Squidoo Hopping--"non-commercializing"

It's been awhile since I've been working in squidoo like I really should be, but there are so many changes going on!

Tell me if I am missing any:
1.  They want us to make our lenses not so commercial and more personal.
2.  We can only squid like up to 10 lenses per day.
3.  Angels can only bless up to 5 lenses per day, but no lens can receive more than 5 blessings total.

Then, last night the first lens I went to update, right towards the top, they are encouraging me to add an amazon module.  Oh boy, talk about confusing!  I clicked the link to see "what's this?"   So, now they are saying that if there isn't an amazon module within the first 5 modules they are encouraging us to find products that have to do with our lens to add.    Isn't that kind of going against what they are wishing on the being less commercial??

The lens I happened to be updating was my lensography, which only had a few sales things in it.  Instead, it's full of photos of my family, and then links to my directories of lenses by category.  Right under their amazon note though, I had put in a t-shirt from zazzle that says Marsha Marsha Marsha.  I guess they are only concerned about amazon.
I did go ahead and find something----yellow things, since that is my favorite color and about me.   I will link it up in the linky this week and I hope you will let me know if having that amazon in there is alright.

The other lens that I totally re-did, needed to be fixed for a long time now.  It is called Anime Fun and I built is back in 2008 for my daughter.   I had used a bunch of the anime pictures she had saved to my computer.  She had gotten them from one of the photo sharing websites.  Of course I learned long ago that just because that website says that anything you share there is open for others to take, that wasn't really the case.
I'd just put off updating the lens knowing the time it would take to do so.
Anyway......I just deleted about 10 of the pictures, but replaced all the others with posters from all posters.  Above a couple of the posters I put in a personal note with a link to another of my lenses.  I added a black box with a link to the anime that is currently her favorite.  I also changed the intro photo to a drawing that my daughter recently did.
But.......I do have a concern that with me switching it to so many posters that it's still going to be considered to be too commercial.     I am also listing it in the linky and hope that you will let me know what you think.

For this week, I hope you will share in the linky 1 or 2 of the lenses that you have recently updated to comply with their being less commercial wish!!   Also, please any blog posts you have written that pertain to squidoo at all.

Thanks!
 

Frugal Friday With Marsha 3/22/13

It's Friday already??  This week hasn't been near as busy as last week, but there were a few things thrown into my schedule that I didn't expect.  
Again the paycheck didn't last the week----here's your shopping tip for this week:  Don't send your hubby to the store!   Wait, I think I've warned you about that before.
I did just that Saturday evening because I was working the whole day at our church helping with pictures for the church directory.
He picked nutrionally (sort of)--pigs in the blanket made with turkey hot dogs and reduced fat crescent rolls, pork and beans, low fat cottage cheese and sugar free peach slices.  However, other than a gallon of milk, that is all he bought.
Again, I called him at work and asked him to pick up a few things on his way home---he came home with nothing.  There wasn't enough left in his account to pay for the groceries!  Thankfully we still had enough supper type foods to make it through the week from my stockpile.  In fact, we still have a few meals worth.  It is nice to know that some of my massive coupon shopping of the past has paid off.

So......this week, I am going to ask that you comment with suggestions on how I can get hubby to stop over spending and to actually keep track of his checking account!!   I have already had him sign up for an online account, the problem is that he checks and sees there is a balance and spends.  He doesn't keep in mind the things that I have told him will be coming out automatically.  We've had $90 is overdraft fees this month and that could have been a LOT of groceries!  HELP!!!  (Admittedly, this taking the mom's out to eat on Friday nights has been a mutual decision and an expense we really can't afford.  I'm rethinking how we had went to it before, which was me doing all the work and having them to our house for supper)

This week I got in a few freebies:  Soft Scrub Advanced to try and review,  Dial Kids Hair and Body wash to try and review, sample of Tide togo stain eraser, shampoo and conditioner samples and several magazines from free subscriptions.  

Your turn!  Share away please.

 

Purex plus Fabric Softener with Crystals Fragrance Review and Giveaway!

I was excited to get the chance to try Purex's newest detergent.   Detergent plus fabric softener and the Crystals fragrance all in one!  How could I ask for more?  I love using the Crystals in with my laundry.

With the Purex plus Fabric Softener with Crystals you don't have to buy any additional laundry products.   You can still use the Crystals in addition to this detergent for an even more long-lasting fragrance.    Same price, same Purex value, same Purex effectiveness that we've all grown to love.

As of this year, 2013, all Purex detergents contain Dirt Lifting Action as well.

As stated, I've always liked adding the Crystals to my wash.  I love that the fragrance sticks with the clothing, but I especially love it for my bedding.  What I found is the Crystals fragrance in the detergent is not as strong as in the Crystals themselves, but it's still a nice fragrance.  I'm finding the fabric softener in the detergent to be more than effective.  The clothes are not coming out of the dryer with static at all.

You can find the new Purex plus Fabric Softener with Crystals Fragrance at your local Walmart, Target, Kroger and other Purex retailers. 

Would you like your chance to win one of 3 free coupons and try it yourself?  Just enter using the rafflecopter below. 



a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure: The Purex brand provided me with a bottle of Purex detergent plus Fabric Softener with Crystals Fragrance in exchange for a product review. Coupons for the giveaway are provided to me by Purex. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions in my post are my own.

Squidoo Hopping---Children

Again I have to apologize for missing last week!  I had to drive out of town and pick up my middle daughter and bring her to town for her sonogram.  She's having a boy!

With children on my mind, that is why I am making this week's theme children.  Please share with us 1 or 2 of your lenses having anything to do with children.
Don't forget that if you have blogged recently about squidoo to also link those posts up as well!

 

Kroger CARBmaster and Greek and Greek Lite Yogurts!

As a bzzagent I have had the opportunity to give Kroger's CARBmaster and Greek Yogurts a try.

First let me tell you a little about them.

The CARBmaster yogurts are low carb and high protein. It's also comes in milk, which is a low carb, high protein drink and cultured dairy blend.

The Greek and Greek Lite yogurts are incredibly rich & smooth and have twice the protein as regular yogurt. Grrek yogurts have less lactose, half the refined sugar and are made with Stevia and real fruit. The Greek lite has 16 grams of protein and only 90 calories!


What did I think of them? I didn't actually try the CARBmaster yogurts. I let my daughter eat those as they go perfectly with the new meal plan she is using with her exercise program. She said she could taste an artificial sweetener taste in them, otherwise they were fine. I do plan on buying her more.

I've never been a fan of Greek yogurt as I've never liked the thick texture of it. A friend suggested that I use it as a fruit dip. I did just that and it was wonderful! Yes, I will be buying myself more just for dipping my fruit in. I like that I am getting the extra protein along with my fruit.

Disclaimer: I rec'd coupons and a gift card to buy the yogurts from bzzagent.com. I was not compensated in any other ways and any other opinions are my own. Other information was provided to me in my campaign kit.