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Cloudmagic is even better than Gmail's default search

Categories: featured, technology | Tags: , , , , , ,

If you are a Gmail, or Google Apps Mail account holder, then you already know that Gmail is pretty awesome.

And you probably already know that the search is pretty powerful. I can’t even count how many times a day that I use search to find an email in any one of my three email accounts – which I keep separate to help me compartmentalize work from play.

I literally read about CloudMagic, a simple browser extension,  on Lifehacker at 8:40pm, had it installed at 8:42pm, and it had started indexing and returning accurate search results by 8:45pm. Not only that, but this little browser app lets me search all of my gmail accounts, regardless of what URL I use to log in (gmail.com, mommygeekology.com, rentageekmom.com etc) from one search bar.

That’s right. I can search for an email while reading my Gmail, and I don’t even have to open a new tab. Cloudmagic uses a sweet little drop down that shows me a preview of my search results – which brings back contacts and email across all indexed accounts – and I can see them without ever leaving my current browser window.

If you are using Firefox or Chrome, you need to go install this! It’s a simple browser extension. The passwords for your email are stored locally on your computer, so you also aren’t giving that up to the big bad internet.

I am pretty sure this is going to change the way I work with my email – for the better. Try it, let me know what you think!

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A Day in the Life (A Photography Project)

Categories: General, featured, photoblog |

I was chatting with @tyronem on The Twitter the other day, and he said that he felt like he was going to kick some serious ass that day. I was all for it – and hell, I thought, if he was gonna kick ass, I wanted pictures.

Then a little teeny lightbulb went off above my head. Wouldn’t it be cool if we did a little photo project? Just take photos of everything, anything, all day, for one day. I wonder what that would look like? I wonder how my day would vary from his, or yours?

So, this week, pick a day. Any day. Take your camera and photograph everything and anything you want, for one day. Then, however you want, edited or no, post those photos online for us to look at :)

It’s like driving by your house when its dark and you have the lights on, and creeping up to the window and hiding in a bush and watching you, just because we are fascinated with the way someone else’s life is similar or different than out own. Except less creepy.

We are going to post our pics on Friday. Are you in?

3 Comments

I Run Too Many Websites [Headway Theme]

Categories: about mommygeekology, featured, technology | Tags: ,

I think it’s pretty obvious that I’m a huge Geek.  And I think it’s been made clear a few times that I started designing websites, and I freaking love it. You know what I also love? The Headway Theme. Like, for realz. Super a lot. I cannot explain to you how much I love this goddamn theme!!

I’m a forum moderator for the official Headway forum, and I also design on  Headway almost exclusively at this point. I realized quickly that the ease with which you can create designs was attracting a lot of web design and WordPress newbies – and so we had a lot of questions at a very basic, general level.

I wanted a place for these users to go – a place where they could get the most basic questions answered without someone spouting off instructions that went right over their heads. So I started Headway Beginner.

I’ll be posting tutorials and such there. I may touch on basic WordPress functionality as well, since it seems a lot of Headway newbies are also WordPress newbies, too!

Anyway if you use the theme, or are thinking about it, check it out.

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Taking Requests

Categories: General, featured, making memories | Tags: , ,

I said I would sing on this blog before the end of April, and somehow the middle of April became compressed and squished flat, flying by in hardly a blink of an eye.

In acknowledgement of the fact that I am more likely to keep my commitment if I believe I am being held accountable, I’m taking requests.

What do you want to hear me sing?

7 Comments

Click Clack

Categories: about mommygeekology, featured | Tags:

image

I had a post scheduled for the 14th, but my phone didn’t post it, and I tried to repost and had issues, and then life got in the way and broke my momentum.

But I am back.

I have these black flats with a very slightly pointed toe and a kitten heel that I wear pretty regularly, not only because the are comfortable but because I like the way they sound.

Click, clack. Click, clack.

It feels like my shoes are announcing my presence to the world. My presence, and my importance.

I always associated the sound of click clacking heels with powerful women: teachers, politicians, even other moms, or any grown up business lady. As a kid, I thought there was nothing cooler than the way those heels demanded attention.

These shoes make me feel special.

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Stop, this beat is killing me. No, really.

Categories: General, featured | Tags: , ,

Cascada, an artist whose name I didn’t bother to learn when I first heard this song specifically because it’s a standard pop song and won’t matter in 6 months anyway … which yes, sounds superior and snobby. I have to sound that way no matter how I sing the song to myself in the elevator, because I was a music major. It’s a requirement. They make you swear it on a music theory bible and everything.

Anyway, have you ever listened to this song, and really listen to the lyrics? I think she’s trying to warn us of something.

Evacuate the dance floor!

I’m infected by the sound!

Stop! This beat is killing me!

Hey, Mr. DJ, let the music take me underground.

Obviously by that last line in the chorus she’s given up and decided she may as well die happy and dancing, because no one is listening to her pleas for assistance.

In case you don’t plan to waste precious minutes of your life watching that video, and to help you understand the critical nature of the song, I’ve created these illustrations for you. It acts both as a warning AND a synopsis. TWOFER!

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Never have I ever…

Categories: about mommygeekology, featured, making memories | Tags: ,

Did you ever play “never have I ever” when you were younger? It was a popular way to pass an afternoon waiting in the audience at rehearsals for the school musical or waiting for someone with a car to pick you up from the mall when I was in middle school, then high school.

The game starts off innocently enough. Everyone holds up all their fingers in the air, and you go around the circle stating “Never have I ever…[fill in the blank]” Anyone who *has* done it puts a finger down, and depending on how you play, either all fingers up or down wins.

Once your group gets bored of crap like “never have I ever been to Nebraska” you’ll inevitably move onto the juicer stuff.

“Never have I ever touched a penis.”
“Never have I ever French kissed.”
“Never have I ever let a boy touch my boobs.”
“Never have I ever given a blowjob.”

My sixth grade self always ended up with no fingers left.

It only got worse in high school:

“Never have I ever given a blow job.”
“Never have I ever been eaten out.”
“Never have I ever been caught by my parents. ”
“Never have I ever been caught by his parents. ”
“Never have I ever kissed a girl.”

But at least if I were to play today, I would have a few doozies.

“Never have I ever woken up, hungover, and not known where I was.”
“Never have I ever slept with someone without knowing their first and last name.”
“Never have I ever wondered if I were pregnant, and guessed that if I were, it was either that guy Matt or his cousin.”
“Never have I ever bailed on rent.”
“Never have I ever had a speeding ticket.”
“Never have I ever thought POW MIA was a black power mantra.”
“Never have I ever agreed to have sex with my (current) boss.”

Ok, comment time. “Never have I ever… ” ?

13 Comments

Sneaky Sexy Time

Categories: featured, technology | Tags: , , ,

I am now lucky enough to own a Kindle*. I never thought I would like a Kindle, honestly. The feel of a book, the smell of a book, was something I never thought I’d want to give up.  However, I’ve realized that there are significant advantages to an e-reader of any kind. Want to hear them? No? Oh, then go read this. Otherwise, here you go:

1. The books are cheaper. Sometimes it’s just a few dollars, sometimes it’s $15+ dollars. Whatever, it rocks, because I rarely read a book more than once, and having a bookshelf full of books I will probably never re-read is irritating.

2. It’s easy to hold the thing in one hand without getting a hand cramp because you are playing/feeding/changing the toddler/baby/baby with the other hand.

3. It doesn’t require wall space, a Target bookshelf that was a PITA to put together, or eventually an ill-organized yardsale.

4. I can read erotica anywhere – ANYWHERE – and you won’t know that I’m reading it. Until I get up and leave the room quickly while reaching to unbutton my pants, that is.

*Yep, that’s an affiliate link to Amazon, but this post is not sponsored. Though it probably should be, because I have clearly outlined the BEST reason to own a Kindle, ever.

12 Comments

Naptime Shenanigans

Categories: about mommygeekology, featured, philosophy | Tags: , , ,

We’ve always had trouble with Cupcake & naps. She’s 3.5 now, and the mistakes that we made over, oh, the last three years are coming back to bit us in the ass, repeatedly, continuously.

A few months ago we finally got to a point where she was falling asleep within 15 minutes or so. We were still sitting in the room with her while she went to sleep, but we could see the light at the end of the tunnel. A time when we could read her a story, give her a kiss and be on our merry way while she put herself to sleep in her bed like a big girl.

Three weeks ago something changed. I don’t know what it was, but something triggered a bad reaction from her, a bad naptime, a bad experience… and now naptime at our house stresses her out to the point that (again) sometime she wakes up, panics, and vomits.

I feel like the worst mother in the world.

I didn’t recognize the signs quickly enough. For the first two weekends after the change, I reacted badly. I threw my own tantrums right alongside hers. I yelled and threatened, I revoked movie privileges and refused ice cream requests.  I cried and I told her I was disappointed in her. I reacted badly.

I should have realized that she was in fight or flight mode. I should have recognized the signs of stress. I should have nipped it in the bud.  Ultimately my reaction those two weeks just made it worse.

It took two and a half hours yesterday to get her to take her nap. She finally fell asleep after I changed my approach. I resolved to be calm – so calm, in fact, that she asked me why I was acting like a statue. I was determined to simply place her back in the bed when she sat up, stood up, rolled over, wiggled around. I resolved to calmly tell her over and over again that this was naptime, not playtime, and that we needed to sleep so our bodies could get a chance to grow and be strong. So we could have a good afternoon. So Mommy could get rid of her headache. So she could watch a movie/play outside/have ice cream after dinner.

It took about 40 more minutes for her to calm down, but she finally did.  I saw her relax, and I took my chance. I asked her if she wanted to try napping again. She agreed, and she was out cold in less than 10 minutes.

I’m trying to focus on the final success, the tactic that worked. I’m trying to focus on the fact that I managed to finally step outside her room, take one minute to sob and one minute to collect myself, and walk back in with a better attitude. It’s hard, but I need to stop getting stressed by her. I am the parent, I need to be in control.

I am trying not to remember that when Geeklet woke up from her nap two minutes after Cupcake fell asleep that I cried like a two year old. I am trying not to remember that half an hour later, when I realized DaddyGeek wasn’t coming back after work because he was starting his night class, that I felt like screaming and I stomped around the apartment for a few minutes, irrationally angry at him.

I’m trying to focus on the good and on improving, because nothing else is worthwhile.  At this point, my little girl needs me to help her stop being scared. And focusing on anything else is just a waste of time.

2 Comments

Novelty

Categories: about mommygeekology, featured, technology | Tags: , , , , ,

There’s something about being – or even just feeling - unique.  It’s pretty amazing. Bounce-in-your-step, smile-on-your-face, buy-your-coworkers-coffee-for-no-reason amazing.

I’m back at Company L, where I worked previously for three years, making my from department to department as new opportunities opened up. I’m back, and with my shiny new title of Business Technology Administrator, I feel special. I’m on the Technology team (IT Department), a small group of three. Two other older (than me) dudes, and myself. Young chica.

A woman in a technology department is still relatively unique, and being 25 years old in this position feels especially fabulous.

But here’s the best part: I have power.

I have keys to all the doors. I have access to all the servers. I have the right to make business decisions about the way our company uses our CRM software, our WordPress installations, and anything else related to business & technology.

There’s just something about being the only girl in this department. The feeling is amplified if I dress up.  I feel womanly and sexy and geekishly delicious.

See?

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