uploading & centering an image header

uploading a custom header image to your blog is actually very simple. the little tricker part is getting it centered. so i'll first walk you through how to upload your image and then i'll show you how to center it. if you've already got your image uploaded and you're just looking to center it, you can skip down to part 2.

part 1: uploading an image header

open up blogger. go to layout >> header, edit >> upload image.

you should be able to see your image once it's uploaded. you can adjust the blog title placements as needed before saving. i prefer not to have text, so i chose "instead of title and description". 

hit SAVE and you're done! 

part 2: centering your image header

once you've got your header uploaded it will be defaulted to the left, looking like the image below. for some bloggers (like me) i prefer my title to be on the side. but most others want their header image to be centered, for obvious reasons. 

to fix this, you need to go into your blogger template >> customize >>advanced >> add CSS. copy and paste the text below to the CSS box, press the ENTER key and then APPLY TO BLOG.

#header-inner { background-position: center !important; width: 100% !important; text-align: center; } #header-inner img { margin: auto; }


if you'd like your image to be full width, use this css instead

#header-inner { background-size: cover; width: 100% !important; text-align: center; } #header-inner img { width: 100%; height: 100%; }

that's it! after saving your work, you can go back to your blogger page to view your blog and you'll now see that your image is center. if for some reason it isn't, double check the code that you copied and pasted. it needs to be exact because even the smallest modification (like a space or an out of place semicolon) can mess it up.

i hope this helped. but if you have any questions, just comment and ask!

it's the little things

today we went to watch tyler & his team play in a scrimmage game against kobe university. believe it or not, it was the FIRST time on my own (with drey, obvi) taking a bus, train & taxi all during one trip. pretty much, i can do anything now. toss me in the middle of downtown osaka and tell me to get home, cause i can! just kidding, please don't do that, i won't make it.

anyways, we got there a little late. no biggie, just a scrimmage. then they had practice afterwards so we hung around until they were done. drey loved running around on the field, playing catch with the players, and watching his daddy play football up close in "real life" haha. he also begged me for my nikon so he could go around and take pictures. i just let it happen. i haven't looked at them yet so i'm a little anxious to see what he snapped.

today was good one. i'm grateful for happy reminders that my life is blessed. i have a husband who takes the best care of us & loves us so much. together we have a son who is healthy, energetic, smart, wild & everything in between.., and a sweet baby girl due in just a few short months. i'm just a lucky girl.

what about you? what are your 'little things'?

centering your blog post date & title

this tutorial is another super easy somethin' somethin' for ya. 

go to your blogger template >> customize >> advanced >> add css

copy & paste the code below into your css box

.post-title { text-align:center; } .date-header { text-align:center; }

it should look like this....

press enter & then apply to blog.
and you're done!

adding 'scroll to top' widget

there are like a million different ways to do this.. some call for adding codes in your template as well as adding an html gadget, only because there are endless options on how you want your little guy to pop up. so this is the easiest way, with the least amount of effort haha. you're welcome...

open up your blogger >> go to layout >> add gadget >> html/javascript

copy & paste this code below inside your html gadget.

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.3.2/jquery.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" > /*********************************************** * Scroll To Top Control script- © Dynamic Drive DHTML code library (www.dynamicdrive.com) * Modified by www.MyBloggerTricks.com * This notice MUST stay intact for legal use * Visit Project Page at http://www.dynamicdrive.com for full source code ***********************************************/ var scrolltotop={ //startline: Integer. Number of pixels from top of doc scrollbar is scrolled before showing control //scrollto: Keyword (Integer, or "Scroll_to_Element_ID"). How far to scroll document up when control is clicked on (0=top). setting: {startline:100, scrollto: 0, scrollduration:1000, fadeduration:[500, 100]}, controlHTML: '<img src="IMAGE DIRECT LINK"/>', //HTML for control, which is auto wrapped in DIV w/ ID="topcontrol" controlattrs: {offsetx:5, offsety:5}, //offset of control relative to right/ bottom of window corner anchorkeyword: '#top', //Enter href value of HTML anchors on the page that should also act as "Scroll Up" links state: {isvisible:false, shouldvisible:false}, scrollup:function(){ if (!this.cssfixedsupport) //if control is positioned using JavaScript this.$control.css({opacity:0}) //hide control immediately after clicking it var dest=isNaN(this.setting.scrollto)? this.setting.scrollto : parseInt(this.setting.scrollto) if (typeof dest=="string" && jQuery('#'+dest).length==1) //check element set by string exists dest=jQuery('#'+dest).offset().top else dest=0 this.$body.animate({scrollTop: dest}, this.setting.scrollduration); }, keepfixed:function(){ var $window=jQuery(window) var controlx=$window.scrollLeft() + $window.width() - this.$control.width() - this.controlattrs.offsetx var controly=$window.scrollTop() + $window.height() - this.$control.height() - this.controlattrs.offsety this.$control.css({left:controlx+'px', top:controly+'px'}) }, togglecontrol:function(){ var scrolltop=jQuery(window).scrollTop() if (!this.cssfixedsupport) this.keepfixed() this.state.shouldvisible=(scrolltop>=this.setting.startline)? true : false if (this.state.shouldvisible && !this.state.isvisible){ this.$control.stop().animate({opacity:1}, this.setting.fadeduration[0]) this.state.isvisible=true } else if (this.state.shouldvisible==false && this.state.isvisible){ this.$control.stop().animate({opacity:0}, this.setting.fadeduration[1]) this.state.isvisible=false } }, init:function(){ jQuery(document).ready(function($){ var mainobj=scrolltotop var iebrws=document.all mainobj.cssfixedsupport=!iebrws || iebrws && document.compatMode=="CSS1Compat" && window.XMLHttpRequest //not IE or IE7+ browsers in standards mode mainobj.$body=(window.opera)? (document.compatMode=="CSS1Compat"? $('html') : $('body')) : $('html,body') mainobj.$control=$('<div id="topcontrol"> '+mainobj.controlHTML+'</div> ') .css({position:mainobj.cssfixedsupport? 'fixed' : 'absolute', bottom:mainobj.controlattrs.offsety, right:mainobj.controlattrs.offsetx, opacity:0, cursor:'pointer'}) .attr({title:'Scroll Back to Top'}) .click(function(){mainobj.scrollup(); return false}) .appendTo('body') if (document.all && !window.XMLHttpRequest && mainobj.$control.text()!='') //loose check for IE6 and below, plus whether control contains any text mainobj.$control.css({width:mainobj.$control.width()}) //IE6- seems to require an explicit width on a DIV containing text mainobj.togglecontrol() $('a[href="' + mainobj.anchorkeyword +'"]').click(function(){ mainobj.scrollup() return false }) $(window).bind('scroll resize', function(e){ mainobj.togglecontrol() }) }) } } scrolltotop.init() </script>

replace the "IMAGE DIRECT LINK" with yours. (to get your image direct link, upload your image to photobucket and you can retrieve it there. if you need more help with this, shoot me an email)

hit SAVE.

locate your gadget somewhere towards the bottom of your layout to just have it out of the way. but honestly, it really doesn't matter where it's at.

that's it! view your blog and once you start scrolling down, your image should pop up at the bottom of your scroll bar.

if you need any help or have questions, let me know!

potty training - tips & tricks for when they're ready

potty training your child is not a competition. there are sooo many moms and dads that stress about getting their children potty trained at "the right age". what even is that? that's not a thing.. you crazies know who i'm talking to. i mean yea, if your kid is 5 and can't go to kindergarten because he pees his pants everyday, then you have a problem. but you shouldn't put so much stress on yourself when trying to potty train your babies.

i've seen children as young as 18 months legit potty trained & the parents were like we didn't even encourage, it just happened! and then i've seen 3.5yr olds who still have no interest in the matter & will fight you until the day you give up... again ha.

kids are their own little people. they do what they want, when they want. and i firmly believe that when a child is ready to be potty trained, they will make the process so easy for you! especially if you're consistent & make it fun. if not, you're going to spend a lot more time cleaning up pee off the floor, scrubbing smeared poop from car seats & crying to yourself inside your pantry.

potty training dreydan went just as i expected. the first day was awful. granted the poor kid tried his best, but ughhhh i hated it. each day after that was a little better & a little easier. we had dance parties every time he went potty in the toilet and ice cream for dinner like 3 nights in a row. at night, he would wear his "cars man pants' (pull-ups). as far as he was concerned, they were just like undies and if he peed in them he would have to change. i would limit his liquid intake before bed & when i woke up to pee, i woke him up to come with me. after about 4 days, we left the house. i ran some errands, we got snacks to munch on, hit target for some unnecessary browsing... and we hit the potty every where we went. he had on his special 'cars man pants' just in case he forgot, but he never did. first outing.. success! my little man was officially potty trained!

so here are my biggest tips & tricks that saved my life...

+ THE 'BEGINNING PROCESS' IS EVERYTHING
it might be strange, but taking your diaper wearing child 'underwear' shopping might not sound like the best place to start. but involving them in the beginning process can get a little fire going in their brains that can really help! i took dreydan on a special trip to his favorite little store, explaining to him on the way there what we were going to do. and then again before we walked in. we were going to find him big boy undies! and he got to choose every one of them. and told me where to put them when we got home.. which was in his movie drawer. we also picked out his potty seat & stool together along with some potty books that were special for his potty time. bottom line, get them excited to start!

+ STAY HOME
once it's been decided that you're really doing it, the this is happening, you need to make sure the next handful of days are free. because your child will most likely be running around naked all day as you throw him/her on the toilet every 15 minutes. it's easier & less stressful to just stay home.

+ REWARDS
this was a big deal for drey. every time he peed in the toilet we had a dance party and i let him choose a surprise from his 'potty bag' (i stocked up on small things from the dollar store - toys, candy, books, crayons etc.. beforehand to use as rewards). he loved it. and he knew when he got them. when he would accidentally pee his undies he would run to me and say "uh-oh mommy... no toy" with his big ole brown eyes staring up at me haha. what i'm trying to say is, whether it's a potty chart & stickers, a potty bag & toys or whatever you choose to do, make every single little teeny tiny tinkle or poo in the potty a BIG deal.

+ BE CONSISTENT
this is why staying home for a good 3-4 days straight is important. it helps you stay focused on the task at hand. you can't throw them in underwear and sit them on a potty 100 times one day & then put a diaper back on them the next. because that one day of training was just wasted and now you have to start all over again. once diapers are done, they're done. whatever angle you start out with, stay with that. be consistent.

+ NEVER GET MAD
never yell at them for peeing or pooping their undies when potty training. you're dealing with a toddler, yes that gets frustrating sometimes. but it's not their fault. they really are trying their best & they need your encouragement & happy dances more than they need their mommy or daddy yelling at them for doing something that they're just barely learning how to control. and if it really is that hard on you, perhaps your child isn't ready to be potty trained just yet. stop & try again in another couple of months.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i hope these give you a good little push in the right direction. i know not every child is the same & maybe what works for some kids, doesn't work for yours. i'm only speaking from my experience with my child. i remember getting all sorts of advice when i started drey, but not all of it appealed to me. go with what works!

**one of dreys favorite things i did with him while he was sitting on the toilet was read to him his potty books. i ordered a couple on amazon before we started & he just loved them! there are so many out there, i just clicked on a couple with good reviews, drey picked his favorites and they turned out to be perfect. cute, witty, and helped get the point across from another point of view other than his moms. he still reads them to this day and he's almost 5! haha

how was your potty training experience with your babies?

​<<>>

spring cleaning for your blog

sometimes i get emails from bloggers asking how to make their blog look not so "crowded". i know not everyone is the same when it comes to thinking what their own blog should look like, but for me, less is more! so i give them my opinions, maybe walk them through a couple things & they always turn out loving it. because a clean, organized, & pretty blog can go a long way.

so today i wanted to show you some of these easy little tips for a basic blog cleaning. aka - spring cleaning for 'yo bloggy.

+ REMOVING YOUR NAVBAR
this little guy at the top of your blog can make such a big difference once it's gone! i think it makes such a huge improvement in the overall look, that it's almost a necessity to not have it there haha. it's so easy to take off, but if you decide you'd rather have it back later on, it's simple to reverse. go to your layout section, find navbar in the upper right and click edit. scroll down until you find OFF, click it. hit save!

+ UNCLUTTERING YOUR COMMENT SECTION

there's a bunch of post page options to add at the end of your posts along with your comments.. but limiting those to just a few can take it to ughhh to ahhhh in seconds. haha do you like my crowd commentary? so again, go to your layout section and click edit on your blog posts body. there you will see all the options that can be customized to your preferences. you can even rearrange how you want them organized. cool, huh! just remember, less is more. and don't forget to SAVE when you're done.

+ SIZING IMAGES SO THEY'RE THE SAME
when i first started blogging, i didn't know about this pretty little gem. all my pictures were tiny & looked weird. but i didn't know it could be changed. and having good pictures on your blog is one of the most important aspects, i think. it just looks soooo good when you are reading a blog and they're pictures are pretty, clear, big, all the same size etc... it catches your attention, right? i feel like you could have the best looking blog ever & your pics are sub-par and it throws everything off.

so here's a little tip to change that -
when you're composing your post and you have your image uploaded to your template, click on the image. sizing options will pop up that you can choose from. i always choose X-LARGE.

okay now. your vertical images won't line up evenly with your horizontal ones. if this bothers you, you'll need to edit them to match -which is around 640 pixels wide- after doing that you can choose the original size option instead. OR if you want your images to be post width without editing your pics beforehand, i'll be posting a tutorial to help you do that within the next couple of weeks. but for now, if all of this extra is a little confusing, just stick to choosing size x-large and you will be set.

+ REMOVING SHADOW BOXES FROM AROUND IMAGES
    see here

+ REMOVING YOUR POST FOOTER DIVIDER LINES

depending on your blogger template, your post divider will look different but this is what mine is defaulted to.

there are lots of ways to customize your post footers and what not, but without getting into designs & your template html, i'll show you the easy way.
go to template >> customize >> advanced >> post footer
find the red dotted lines that surround your post footer on your blog preview. 

in the template designer you'll see on the far right the shadow color options. click on the color box with the down arrow and then click transparent. APPLY TO BLOG and you're done.

or if you have no interest in removing that divider, you can customize it to your liking in this same section. if you want something different than what you have (like a straight, dashed, double lined or something) i'll be doing a tutorial on how you can customize that in your html template.


+ SIDEBAR REVAMP
you can make your sidebar go on for dayzzz people. especially if you've got affiliates, sponsors, button swaps etc.. there are gadgets on gadgets on gadgets that you can choose from. resist the urge to add more than you need! keeping your sidebar clean with minimal gadgets will be a fresh of breath air for readers. when you're in your layout section, remove any gadgets/widgets that aren't necessary. and that's all up to you as the author of your blog. just rememba! less is more. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

if you have any questions, let me know. and if you need more help customizing your bloggy, you can check out my other tutorials here or my pricing page here for other options. i hope this helps! 

free fonts for spring

one. in screaming color // two. sweet pea // three. sofia // four. dawning of a new day // five. dolce vita // six. windsor hand //

seven. kg skinny latte // eight. lazing on a sunday afternoon // nine. jennifer lynne

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i've been hoarding fonts lately and these are my faaave. 

how i get my fix // and my new page.

everything is different in japan. what i've becomed accustomed to in america is not normally readily available here. like netflix, or my car, or a delicious mexican restaurant for me to eat my weight in chips & guac, or grass to lay on, or a gallon of milk. princess problems, i know. but the worst of all... the thing i miss most... fountain drinks. they have little "gas stations" (they aren't really gas stations because they don't sell gas) on every corner, but none of them have fountain machines. sometimes a girl, in my case pregnant, needs her ice cold fountain dr. pepper with extra ice. last summer i was on a like a weird soda strike (long story), so i didn't care as much. but i care now. i care!

so how do i get my fix?

there is a 7/11 at the end of our street, like 3-4 blocks down or something. i walk down there & go to the back where liquor section is...

there, they have little cups of ice you can purchase  

and then i pick my poison. coke, coke oooorrr coke? blech...

once i get home, i pour myself a drink. a mini fountain, if you will. and when i find 'fujita'. i might share with him/her.

and then i enjoy my mini sorta fountain. as much as one can enjoy a coke.. a bottled coke.

they actually do have dr. peppers here. i've seen them in vending machines. but they aren't common and they definitely aren't at the little corner markets or stores. boooo.

and also! my blog now has a facebook page.. i've told myself i never needed one or wanted one, but i know my friends & family sometimes get bored of my shares that i'm sometimes required to post. so i transitioned. like a boss! ha jk.. will you help me not look like a loser and go LIKE my fb bloggy page? i'll forever owe you. thanks lovers.

sh*t my kids says // part 3

if you're a parent (or have been around kids enough for that matter), you know how weird kids are. they're so weird. the best little gifts ever, but so weird haha. at least mine is. and he says the craziest things! i get a kick out of our conversations, especially the older he gets. he's such a smart ass and believe me, he gets that from his daddy.

here is part 3 of sh*t my kid says...

>> always asking me the hard questions

drey: mom why is snow cold?
me: uuuhh? because the air is.
drey: yea but why?
me: because winter.. if it wasn't cold it would be rain.
drey: *sighs, grunts* mom! fine if you don't know then ask your phone. like when you ask where cupcakes places are.

>> putting me in my place

me: hey dude will you help me clean your toys up?
drey: sorry mom i don't think i can
me: why?
drey: cause i'm BUSY
me: doing what?
drey: mom you don't need my help, you do it by yourself all the time! you know? that's all you do is pick my toys up. so you can do it by yourself again today. be a big girl.
me: .....

>> trying to be sneaky

drey: mom i feel like i could just.... cry right now.
me: how come?
drey: because tonight is such a boring night and.... *fake sniffs* i don't think i'll be able to sleep or anything.
me: *feeling kinda bad* ... i'm sorry buddy, what will help you sleep?
drey: i don't think anything can. not even one thing! except maybeeeee..... ice cream. that's the only thing.
me: oh geez, you're not getting ice cream. nice try!
drey: i guess i'll just have to be sad for the rest of my life then. *walks away sulking*

>> he can dish it but he can't take it

drey: dad fight me!
*they start sword fighting*
drey: come on wussy princess! that all you got! *hits tys leg* yea your leg is chopped off! now what?! little girl! *swinging his sword, making sword noises or whatever, & hits ty again* oh yea! gotcha again! you're gonna be killed sucka!!
tyler: not before i kill you! *chops off dreys head* BOOM. killed ya, like a boss. *victory dance*
drey: DAD NO THAT DOESN'T COUNT! I HAVE 5 HEADS YOU CAN'T KILL ME! YOU'RE NOT PLAYING EVER AGAIN!
tyler: ooooh you sad cause you're the loser and i'm the winner? *taunting, obviously*
drey: NO I'M NOT THE LOSER YOU ARE! *starts crying* YOU'RE A LIAR CHEATER!
tyler: why you so mad, bro?
drey: cause you're not the winner, i am...
me: can't you guys just start over?
drey: mom this isn't about you. just go watch your show or something.

>> knowing he's a badass

drey: mom how do you spell 'rock'?
me: R O C K
drey: no.. how do you spell 'ROCK'?
me: R... O... C.... K...
drey: rock starts with a G not an R!
me: it starts with an R. sound it out...
drey: ruh ruh ruh... rrrrrock.....
me: ........
drey: .......
me: ........
drey: .......
me: well?
drey: yep! R! RGPFBK! that spells rock. oh yeaaa! i am the best speller i've ever seen.

>> making me swoon & shiz

drey: mom, just cause you're fat now doesn't mean you're not pretty. you're just... fat. but that's okay. when the baby comes out she will still think you're pretty too.

>> suddenly i'm not 'allowed' anymore

me: *i hand drey his scrubby with soap in the tub* wash good! get your arms, your toesies, your neck, your weiner, your -
drey: MOM! don't say that word anymore to me! it's not for you. only dad can tell me stuff like that.
me: what word? weiner?
drey: YES! and balls. don't say those words to me anymore.. just dad. you're a girl and they don't say that stuff.

>> and all the other randomness

can kids in japan swim?
if i ate only popcorn for the rest of my life, would i become a gorilla?
when i grow up, i am NOT sharing my toys with my wife. no way. she can get her own darth vader alarm clock.
when i was born, you know what i thought? i thought i was going to love the color blue, but i love red more.
if i start telling you a  p r e t t y scary story, are you going to cry? cause if you are i'm leavin!
what's a billion plus a billion plus a billion? WAIT! plus.... a billion! haha! don't know huh! nobody does. wait? maybe jesus does.
i'm not cleaning ANYTHING when i grow up. i'm not a girl.
sweet dreams, mom. dream about dinosaurs eatin' each other up and stuff.
mom... will you just be my mom and help me with this!
mom when i grow up and become a paleontologist, will you come on my digs with me? and buy me stuff?

the end! i could seriously go on forever & ever, but i'll stop haha.

for more check out part 1 & part 2.

what are the weird & funny things your kids say?

​<< >>

sometimes {thor edition}

sometimes you have to make quick store runs. with the rain. and thor. the looks we get around here for just being who we are ... ahem, white... are constant and on the daily. so adding the weird things dreydan does in public, it's like triple haha. but hey, we're just americans. we don't know any better. we are trying to fit in, do you notice his crocs? *thumbs up* ehhh ooh!

adding a custom 'pin' button to images

we are going to be messing around with your blogger template html, so before you do you anything, i highly suggest backing it up!

template >> backup/restore

now go to your template >> edit html. scroll down and towards the bottom you are going to see the </body> tag. 

copy the text below & paste it above that tag.

<script> //<![CDATA[ var bs_pinButtonURL = "http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd466/emilyosborne3/pin4.png"; var bs_pinButtonPos = "center"; var bs_pinPrefix = ""; var bs_pinSuffix = ""; //]]> </script> <script src='http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.8.2/jquery.min.js' type='text/javascript'/> <script id='bs_pinOnHover' src='http://greenlava-code.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/publicscripts/bs_pinOnHoverv1_min.js' type='text/javascript'> // This Pinterest Hover Button is brought to you by bloggersentral.com. // Visit http://www.bloggersentral.com/2012/11/pinterest-pin-it-button-on-image-hover.html for details. // Feel free to use and share, but please keep this notice intact. </script>

now we need to replace my custom pin link with yours. find  http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd466/emilyosborne3/pin4.png  and replace it with your image direct link. {to get your image direct link, upload your design to photobucket and you'll be able to copy it from there}. don't delete the quotes, make sure and paste your link between them.

you can also adjust the position of your button. see right below your image link where it says "center" .. you can replace it with either:

topleft

bottomleft

topright

bottomright

keep the words inside the quotes.

hit SAVE TEMPLATE and you're done! your pin hover button should be hovering over your pictures forever more. holler.

oh yeah, and if you want, i've created a couple pin buttons with the direct link already attached for you to take and use. because i looove ya.


<br />http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd466/emilyosborne3/pin3.png<br />

<br />http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd466/emilyosborne3/pin5.png<br />

<br />http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd466/emilyosborne3/pin.png<br />

<br />http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd466/emilyosborne3/pin10.png<br />

posts on the throwback

so i was cleaning out my posts, getting rid of old giveaways and stuff, and i came across some older posts that i'd forgotten about! some are hilarious {yes i'm that girl who laughs at her own texts}, some are sentimental, and some are just fun posts that i felt needed a comeback.

so if you're bored on this lovely sunday & are interested in some lighthearted and entertaining reads, i gotcha covered. enjoyyy.

important conversations with an important person - before i was prescribed medication haaaa

tips on road tripping with a toddler - i worked hard on this! read it, love it, share it

are you that crazy mom? - sometimes moms be cray & it makes me upset...

i confess... - open this if you want to laugh

here's to the freakin' weekend - this one too haha

stop asking me to follow your blog - such a cold-hearted person i am

i'm the kinda girl who... - all about me, bitches

monsters - when you have to tease your kids and laugh {video}

my husband is cooler than yours - tylers last year of college football, banner badass.

go home fashion bloggers - i forgot about this one haha.. it's a rare gem.

sweetest words - dreydan missing his daddy

viewer discretion is advised - that time tyler got cellulitis from a turf burn

do you ever forget how weird you are?
i mean, some of these posts weren't that long ago and as i was reading them i was like the fuh is going on here haha.

do you have any posts that you want to dig out of your closet and share again?