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10 Great Christmas Gift Ideas for Your Favorite Blogger (which may be you)

Websites are often built with simple tools. Keep it simple is always our goal. But simple can also mean using the right tools for the right job.

You should have the right tools. So we’ve gathered up some of our favorite tools for building simple websites.

For getting work done let’s get on to what we would buy our favorite blogger this Christmas.

Samsung 860 EVO 1TB

1. Super Fast SSD Hard Drive

Does your computer, I mean, does your favorite blogger’s computer have an SSD hard drive? If not, the Samsung 860 EVO 1TB 2.5 Inch SATA III Internal SSD will give your, I mean, their old computer a swift kick in the seat of the pants. $149.99 at time of writing.

Make it an even better gift by offering to install it yourself. Or put your kid in front of a Youtube how-to video with this next gift idea.

Vastar 62 in 1 with 56 Bit Magnetic Driver Kit

2. A mini screwdriver set

Everyone needs a 62 in 1 with 56 Bit Magnetic Driver Kit. Keeping it simple can also mean fixing your own stuff. Or you could fix someone else’s stuff. Either way, you need this kit. Tinker, repair, get back to work. $13.99 at time of writing.

SanDisk Cruzer CZ36 64GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive

3. SanDisk Cruzer CZ36 64GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive

You need a thumb drive. I mean, your favorite blogger needs a thumb drive. Moving files from a friends computer. Backing up files. Getting photos from a friend. Or you could even give a nice digital photo album for Christmas to a friend on this thumb drive. Then it will double as a nice surprise and a useful tool later. $12.99 at time of writing.

4, Portable Charger

Keeping mobile devices charged on-the-go is where the Anker PowerCore+ 26800 excels. Your favorite blogger will thank you again and again as they enjoy the comfort or knowing they’ll never be without power while out and about. $86.99 at time of writing. $86.99 at time of writing.

5. Multi USB Port Smart Charger

When your favorite blogger isn’t on the road they’ll love you for giving them the RAVPower 60W 12A 6-Port USB Charger Desktop Charging Station smart charger. There’s even room to plug in the rest of the family’s devices. $24.99 at time of writing.

6. Great Web Hosting

Your favorite blogger needs decent web hosting and BlueHost will have them up and running with their own web space in no time flat. Stuff their stocking with great web hosting and they’ll be all set. Only $3.95 a month for the first year. 

7. Create This Book

Create This Book is a unique take on journaling with clever prompts for things to write on every page. Sure to get the creative juices flowing. $12.59 at time of writing.

8. Colorful Erasable Pens

Grab this cool set of pens to go along with the creative journal above. These Pilot FriXion Clicker Retractable Gel Pens are erasable too. $10.89 for a set of seven at time of writing.

9. A Good Book

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World is a good book that your favorite blogger will enjoy. The Wall Street Journal says that this is a book that “should be read by every leader in America.” But if the title doesn’t get you, nothing will. The hardcover was $14.38 at time of writing. 

10. LED Desk or Table Lamp

This LED desk lamp has 4 Lighting Modes, a 5-Level Dimmer, Touch-Sensitive Control Panel, 1-Hour Auto Timer and a USB port for charging mobile devices. The lighting modes and dimmer make this the perfect choice for long hours at the computer or for late night reading. $29.99 at the time of this writing.

How to Get Notification of WordPress and Plugin Updates

How to Get Notification of WordPress and Plugin UpdatesHave you ever wished you could be notified whenever there’s a WordPress update available or there’s a plugin on your WordPress powered website that’s in need of upgrading?

With WordPress in use on such a large number of websites worldwide, it has never been more vulnerable to attack. Unfortunately, there will always be people who are trying to find and exploit any weakness they can use to their advantage. Whether it’s a weakness in the WordPress code itself or a flaw in one of the many plugins available for WordPress there will always be a risk.

Keep your WordPress up-to-date

That’s why keeping your WordPress install and all the plugins you use up-to-date is so important.

UPDATE!

We now recommend ManageWP.com as the go-to service for keeping one or many WordPress installs up-to-date. You will need to install their plugin on each WordPress website you manage. Thereafter you can choose to be notified by email when there are plugins, themes, or core WordPress updates available and even apply those updates to all the websites you manage from the ManageWP.com website. They also offer pay-for services such as backups, automated security checks and more.

Sign up for a free account at ManageWP.com here and download the ManageWP Worker plugin to start keeping all your WordPress website up-to-date. [Read more…]

How to Restore Data from iCloud

If you’re an iCloud user this helpful article will be worth your time.

iCloud, however, much like real clouds, is notoriously opaque. It’s hard to see just what you have stored in it. Nonetheless, Apple has made it easy, at least, to fix some truth-related issues in iCloud, and you can do it with a readily accessible tool: a Web browser on any Mac or PC.

Check it out if for no other reason than to give you a little peace-of-mind that you’ll be able to get your data if you need it.

How To Edit Jetpack infinite scroll footer text on Genesis Themes

How To Edit Jetpack infinite scroll footer text on Genesis Themes


Infinite scroll on websites is becoming more common and is a clever and effective method for retaining site visitors. With infinite scroll there’s no longer a need to click the previous or next archive pagination links.

With the Jetpack plugin thankfully there’s a one-click method of activating infinite scroll on your self hosted WordPress powered site. But if you’re using the Genesis Theme Framework, as I am these days on all the sites I develop, when you try to activate infinite scroll you may receive a polite message which states that your theme isn’t compatible with the infinite scroll feature. Our you may not receive an error message but infinite scroll just won’t work.

By the way, if you aren’t using Genesis Theme Framework and a Genesis Theme, you should be, get the framework and a theme here.

[Read more…]

How To Add A Read More Link to Genesis Child Theme Excerpts

How To Add A Read More Link to Genesis Child Theme ExcerptsUsing the Genesis Theme Framework is a huge help when setting up, customizing and maintaining a WordPress powered website. But sometimes the default settings won’t quite meet your requirements.

Recently while customizing a Genesis Child Theme for a client’s website, in the theme settings I had set the Content Archives to Display post excerpts. But when viewing the post archives the excerpts did not have a “Read More” link like the client wanted. [Read more…]

My Number 1 WordPress web development tip

Here’s my number 1 WordPress web development tip — install WordPress locally.

Want to develop websites faster? Start using WordPress. Maybe that should be my number one tip. But in my opinion, to best build and prepare a website for deployment you’ll be much happier working on the site if it’s running an a WordPress install that’s running on your own machine.

If you’re using a Mac check out this very thorough and helpful tutorial over at WPCandy.com on How to install WordPress locally on a Mac.

If you’re using a PC then I’d suggest using this BitNami WordPress stack to install WordPress locally.

When you’re ready to move your WordPress site to the web server WPCandy.com has help for that too.