Three years ago, when I wrote my very first blog post (over on mySpace – does anyone even use mySpace anymore?), I had very little knowledge regarding HTML code. Back then, it was necessary to manually type in the HTML code for inserting a photo into a blog post – <”img src=”photolink”> – and more often than not, I’d have to retype the code several times because I’d get a character in the wrong place.

Sadly, there is no “spell check” for HTML code.

Since that time, I’ve learned *thismuch* HTML code and I know it would be beneficial as a blogger to learn the language. While I can make some very simple things happen with HTML code like centering and flushing, and whathaveyou, it is still a foreign language to me. Typically, when an HTML question arises, I contact my friend, Google, or my URL friend, Jo-Lynne, who also happens to be my blog designer.

I would bet the farm that Jo-Lynne wishes I would lose her e-mail address, so she wouldn’t have to be bothered with the why for’s and the how to’s of HTML code. A while back, I e-mailed her asking how she was able to scoot the words of her post a tad to the right just enough to keep them from touching a picture or bloggy button.

I just knew she was going to send me some sort of Greek  instructions that I would never be able to decipher. I was pleasantly surprised however, that yes indeed I understood and could probably make it happen.

Here were her instructions:

” So I enter this code in the Styles box:  margin-right: 10px; ”

Without the code in the style box the text sits Right. On. Top. of the button or picture (which makes my OCD crazy by the way) and also causes me to think about plucking my eyelashes out one-at-a-time because Oh.My.Word. who can stand to look at that mess? 

Putting the code into the style box makes me smile a big, happy, smile! Not only because it looks so much better, but because it is really very simple to do.  A great example of a how a small change can make a huge difference.

[NOTE: Coincidentally, I tried unsuccessfully a trillion times to show you examples of a picture or blog button with the code and then without the code. Surprisingly, each and every time I loaded the pictures or the buttons the spacing corrected itself making it impossible for me to show you the difference. Do things like this EVER EVER EVER happen to anyone else out there?]

You can take a look up at the WFMW logo to see how it should look with the HTML code in the styles box.

From Inmates To Playdates is a WordPress blog. If you’re on Blogger or Typepad, I’m sorry to say I’d have no idea what to tell you to make this tip work. Here on WordPress though, simple.

Simply click on the picture, click on advanced settings, then, go into the styles box and type this code – margin-right: 10px; and then, voila!

The text will scoot like magic.

And you’ll smile knowing that you just made it happen.

That trick works for me! For other Works For Me Wednesday posts, visit We Are THAT Family.

The McFamily enjoyed a relaxing camping trip with six families from our church. There was a chill in the air for most of the weekend, but I’ll take that any day over the 403 degree temperatures we experienced most of the summer. It was a nice change.

In addition to the weather, we ate and ate and ate and ate some more. This is our third of fourth annual Labor Day weekend camping trip and our breakfasts and dinners are eaten as a group. There were kabobs, barbecues, pancakes, omelets, fish, and more desserts than any of us needed. Sadly, it is time to bid summer a final farewell. I will miss that rascal. Our little family had an action packed summer full of travels and fun. I’ll be counting down the weeks until school is out and we can again enjoy late mornings and days at the pool.

I know y’all didn’t come here expecting to hear me whine and complain about summer though, so, we’ll get right down to what I learned this week.

1. When camping with six families from your church, it’s not a good idea to leave your iPhone lying around. Especially if you do not have a pass-code on it. Otherwise, somebody might pick up your iPhone and post, um, I don’t know, a facebook comment that says something like I do not like cornhole. I’m just not good at it! Or worse, something about having the runs.

2. When camping with six families from your church and you discover your four-year-old is missing, there is a REALLY GOOD chance that he has not been kidnapped. Rather, he is probably at the park with one of the adults and several kids with your group.

Still, very scary.

3. Not sure how long the promotion will run, but the Chop House offers a half-priced meal on your birthday for you and a guest.

4. The green poison control face with his tongue sticking out is lovingly referred to as Mr. Yuk.

5. At the onset of a fever blister, you can pretty much count on having it for at least nine days.

6. CNN reporter, Anderson Cooper is the son of Gloria Vanderbilt.

Odd, but true.

7. It is much easier to sweep the camper rug with your vacuum cleaner than it is with a broom.

8. When packing for a camping trip and the weather forecast calls for 60 degree temperatures, it’s probably a good idea to make double for-sure that after you pack plenty of pants for your kids, you pack more than one pair of pants for yourself.

9. When you are anxious to decorate for fall, it will be difficult to concentrate on writing a What I Learned This Week blog post.

—–

Linking up for the first time? Click here for the complete carnival rules. Or just read the Cliffs Notes version:

1. Any time this week, publish your What I Learned This Week post on your blog and link back to my blog. The button is optional, but really, why not?

2. Link up with the Mr. Linky form below this info. Please remember to link to your actual WILTW post, not the front page of your blog.

3. Then, visit the other participants to learn what they learned this week. And, for added excitement, comment, comment, comment!

Ok, I think that’s all.

The curling iron wagon.

A couple of months ago, I broke off a long, sometimes shaky relationship with my 3/4 inch barrel ConAir curling iron. My hair never seemed to hold the style anyway, and I felt like the curling iron only offered me the benefit of a decent hair style for about an hour.

And, if I’m being truthful, that’s probably a stretch.

It’s possible that I don’t use enough hair spray to actually hold the style, but the way I’ve got it figured, I used enough hairspray in the 90′s to last me a lifetime.

Me and Rave were good friends.

Great, in fact.

Lots of bangs = Lots of Rave.

It was during that difficult time that I learned first-hand about volume, velocity, gravity, mass, density, and inertia. All in one fell swoop.

Or something like that. Y’all know I stink at math, right?

In fact, if I weren’t watching The Young And The Restless had more time, I’d go scrounge up some old school photos of me and my bangs and show you just how bad it really was.

The bangs were constantly at an all-time high?

It was true in my case.

On a normal Saturday night in preparation for our weekly pilgrimage to the skating rink, my friend, Ami’ and I used enough hairspray for 30 girls. Her bedroom looked like it was covered in a smoke-cloud because of the rave.

THE RAVE. You remember the turquoise bottle, right? I could pouf my bangs with the best of ‘em. Little did I know back then, I was dipping my toe in very dangerous hair waters because over the course of my teenage years, there was a small fortune spent on THE RAVE and THE PERM.

I won’t even start on THE PERM, except to say, WHAT IN THE HECK WAS I THINKING?

We’ve all got sin-filled hair closets though, right?

I’ve never been real good with styling hair, but now that I’m a busy stay-at-home mom who rarely stays at home one would assume that I am at a point in my life where I have full control of my hair. 

But most days? I certainly don’t.

Over there in my side bar though?

That was a fantastic hair day. And a very rare day.

I’m sad to report I haven’t seen one of those days in a very long time. Which is the prime reason that picture will probably stay-put for a very long time. Either the left side won’t stay even with the right side, or both sides will flat-out (no pun intended) lay down and die by noon.

If I could have just one wish, well, it wouldn’t be about hair, but the third or fourth wish might be. How do these gals with good hair do it? Do they keep styling until they train their hair? Do they tease, spray, rinse and repeat? I don’t get it. I’ve spent a good chunk of my budget of amount of time looking for quality hair products. It should be a federal law that all hair products be offered in travel bottles just so you can test them out. I think my time and resources would have been better spent on paying all those years ago to have someone come in to help with the hair and show me once and for all what to do with this mess.

I’m hoping this new curling iron (with a concrete ceramic one inch barrel mind you) and some new hair spray will do the trick. I’ll sure let y’all know. In the meantime, enjoy your long weekend! Oh, and if you have any good hair tips, I’d love to hear them!

For that reason you should not expect a picture of the beautiful sunrise that can be seen from our back deck in the mornings within the context of this post.

Not that I’ve ever witnessed a sunrise from the back deck, because, um, have I mentioned I’m not a morning person?

Rather, I do my best work at midnight and enjoy the peace and quiet that comes with that late hour.

Sadly, the County School Board does not see it my way and they have yet to adopt my plan for the new and improved school day that would begin at 9:00 AM. Instead, they insist that it is in the best interest of the children for the school day to begin at the crack-o-dawn 7:55 AM.

Which means, every morning at precisely 6:42 AM, I am awakened from a deep sleep by my stupid homedics SS5010 Sound Spa alarm clock signalling the start of another day.

I summons myself out of bed immediately, for I know if I do not I run the very probable risk that in between thinking about world peace and the latest episode of Dancing With the Stars, I will fall right back to sleep and will not know another thing until well after 8:00 AM which means that Stevie would be late for school.

Because I also set the alarm on my iPhone for 6:45 AM when McDaddy is out of town, thankfully, that has never happened.

Shortly after rolling out of bed, and just after I pee (I know, TMI!), I grab my morning coffee and wake up the kids.

If I would allow it, my sweet Alex would eat his beloved “brown sugar and cimmanum” pop-tarts every single morning.

As part of our morning routine, but just before heading out the door for school, my two boys somehow end up smearing this mess all over the bathroom.

I have no idea how they do it. I just know that somehow, (in a span of three minutes or less mind you), the McBoys have mastered the art of smearing tootpaste from one end of the bathroom to the other.

Which means I spend part of my morning cleaning cement toothpaste off of the bathroom countertop, the tile, and at least one morning a week from the door. Or the cabinet. Or the mirror.

How do you spend your morning?

You Capture is hosted by Beth over at  I Should Be Folding Laundry.

I hate my alarm clock and I hate the back-to-the-grind schedule. We lay out clothes, pack snacks, and place the backpack right next to the door so that our morning routine goes smoothly.

I am counting down the weeks until Summer.

And I count down the hours until the weekend.

Because the weekends mean family time with my three favorite fellas!

On Saturday, I accompanied this guy,

on a little ride in this,

We tested the waters

and drove through this

and barrelled right over top of these

with ease.

I looked over at McDaddy’s seat and saw what I thought was a leaf,

And then I squealed when it did this, because it hit me that no, it was not a leaf.

So yes, I squealed on a trail ride during another offroading extravaganza, yet again.

And then I smiled.

Because I got to spend the day with these guys,

And that works for me!

Visit We Are THAT Family to see what works for others!

In the near future, I’ll be reviewing another great product.

And maybe, just maybe, I’ll use my charm to persuade the folks at CSN provide a second for a give-away.

Head over to my Review Page to find out more about the product….

What’s That?

Oh, you want a list? Okay, um, sure.

1. Well, for starters, I learned that it really makes no difference what kind of shoes I’m wearing. I am simply a klutz. Period. End of story. Except it’s not the end of the story because the truth is that I can slide down a hill whether I’m wearing flip-flops or tennis shoes.

2. Next, I learned when you get the bright idea to go nosing around a big, fancy neighborhood, you should pay attention to the roads you are driving on or else you might end up driving in circles for twenty minutes trying to find your way out.

3.  When you are in Slowes, er, I mean Lowes with your two sweet boys, you should be aware that there are many, many things to divert their attention from staying with you. AND, if by chance your child gets separated from you, even for a mere few seconds, you can bet the whole episode will teach him (them) a very important lesson.

4. The next time you run across a blog give-away, you should most definitely sign your name on the dotted line because you could win a Razor Rip-Rider, four marble racers, a lifetime membership to Clickin’ Moms, and a $25.00 gift certificate to Chef’s Requested in a matter of months.

YEE-HAW!

5. According to some joker on The View, deep conditioning is the most important thing for great hair. He advises, “Don’t just plop the conditioner on top of your head and rub it in because the body of your hair needs the conditioner way more than your roots do.”

6. With the proper motivation, it is totally possible for two determined gals with a truck-load of ambition and a truck to “waller” a lift-chair into the back of the truck and out of the truck again upon arriving at the destination. In fact, they could start their own business.

7. According to another joker on The View, ‘the cupcake business is dramatic’ – well alrightythen!

Can you tell I’m writing this post while watching The View?

8. Baked ziti is a hit around here. If I had any sense whatsoever I’d fix it every. single. day. because the kids love it!

9. You can put just about anything in the washer. So far today, I’ve washed three pairs of tennis shoes, a DS case, a backpack, and a hat.

10. Everybody Loves Raymond is still one of the funniest shows on TV. Especially Ray’s daddy.

Who knew I knew so much stuff?

Linking up for the first time? Click here for the complete carnival rules. Or just read the Cliffs Notes version:

1. Any time this week, publish your What I Learned This Week post on your blog and link back to my blog. The button is optional, but really, why not?

2. Link up with the Mr. Linky form below this info. Please remember to link to your actual WILTW post, not the front page of your blog.

3. Then, visit the other participants to learn what they learned this week. And, for added excitement, comment, comment, comment!

Ok, I think that’s all.

It’s way better (and cheaper!) than therapy and the way I see it is, if I’m going to do dumb stuff, why not share my dumb stuff?

Y’all know I’m crazy, right?

It was not me who came thisclose to letting out a big-ole squeal in the middle of the preaching at church last evening because the stupid underwire in my bra broke through the cloth and jabbed me in the armpit. Not me, because first of all, I don’t squeal.

Ahem.

I did not get all teary eyed during an episode of Undercover Boss last night. I’m not really a crier and I am definitely not an emotional person.

Oh my word, I love that show.

I did not accidentally steal a data cable from a hotel thinking that it actually belonged to McDaddy.

Oh shoot, y’all, no I did not.

I am not the queen of returning merchandise (that does not hold up to normal wear and tear) and I do not have two pairs of shoes ready to be returned.

I am not  at this very minute trying to figure out how in the heck I could have a stupid fever blister on my lower lip at the end of August.

Nope, not me.

Have a great week, y’all!

I am easily entertained as I read the searches that send people to From Inmates To Playdates. And what better way to entertain you, my loyal readers (all eight of you!), than to share those searches. I’ve picked a few to share this time.

Get a load of these…

Knoxville, Tennessee arrived from search.yahoo.com on “What I Learned At The Funeral Home” by searching for can anyone watch an embalming process.

• Hello, Knoxville! I’m not sure if just anyone can watch an embalming process because its not for just anybody. It takes someone with a lot of quirks a strong stomach to watch the process. It also helps if you have a friend who is a mortician. Good luck with your future funeral home endeavors. I’d love to hear what you think.

Laurel, Mississippi arrived from google.com on “Wow! That’s weird. – From Inmates to Playdates” by searching for i tried to remove milia from my face and there is a deep bleeding hole.

• Laurel, Mississippi, I’m glad you’re here but I’m not glad to hear about your problem with the um, deep bleeding hole . Wow, that’s a new one. It’s not everyday someone announces they have a ‘deep bleeding hole’ just before arriving at FITP, Inc. I must admit that using that milia tool didn’t appear to be too difficult and definitely not that dangerous. I’m sorry to say there’s probably not too much info around here to help with the deep bleeding hole but hearing about yours will definitely cause me to rethink using the tool on my self someday. So thanks so much! Good luck to you!

United States arrived from bing.com on “Letters To Crazy People – From Inmates to Playdates” by searching for crazy jeep people.

• Those crazy jeep people are just that – CRAZY. They get their kicks by driving through creeks, over rocks, and straight up hillsides. They are serious about their jeeps and loyal to their peeps. Oh, and with my level of crazy, I fit right in with them.

Elk City, Oklahoma arrived from google.com on “What I Learned At The Funeral Home” by searching for grossest part of being a funeral director.

• What’s up, Elk City? I have no idea what the grossest part of being a funeral director is because, um, I don’t happen to be one, but the grossest part of the embalming process was definitely aspirating the internal organs with a trocar. If you’re interested, you can certainly visit John T. Google to find out more about that, because there are very few people who want to hear about the actual details of the embalming. Thanks for stopping by!

Fpo, Armed Forces Pacific arrived from google.com on “Today on Guantanamo Bay” by searching for no vacancy windward brig GTMO.

• Fpo Armed Forces Pacific how goes it? There was no room in the inn when I was on Guantanamo Bay back in 2009, because either 1. they have very few jail cells, or 2. they have way too many criminals on the island. Either way, I sure hope you don’t have plans to end up in the brig any time soon. I speak from experience when I say jail is not a place you want to be. Trust me on this one.

Middletown, Delaware arrived from us.yhs.search.yahoo.com on “Feeding Me A Line!” by searching for you sold me a line this time.

• Hey Middletown! You have to be very skeptical about anyone who sells you a line because people will tell you anything. You’d be better off to take your money and run. But hey, thanks for popping in on me and my little blog.

Until next time… 

Google away y’all!

So, instead of the ceremonial pictures of my sweet boys, I thought I’d change things up a bit.

This little feller poked his head out of the grass and I snuck up on him from behind. IF he would have decided to jump while I was all “National Geographic Photographer” on him, you probably would have heard me squeal no matter where you’re located.

Because. I. hate. frogs.

Actually, I’m not a fan of anything that makes its home out of doors, but frogs are way up there near the top of my list.

Just under birds.

I snapped about 14 pictures of this booger trying to get all creative with the macro setting, but I never got it to come out just the way I wanted.

Oh Nikon.

You are calling my name.

I’d love to take credit for these beauties, but alas, they are not mine.

Because beautiful flowers require watering, and well, that’s something I neglect to do when I have flowers.

Lazy, much?

While I have no earthly idea what my child is doing, I couldn’t resist this picture of the sun shining betweeen the trees.

And no picture of the great outdoors is complete without a picture of the sky.

You knew that was coming, didn’t you.

If you are by chance the owner of this car, can you call me, please? Mkay. Thanks.

Head over to I Should Be Folding Laundry to see some more of the great outdoors.

NEXT WEEKS CHALLENGE: Mornings