Recommendations – Page 5

Q&A: How To Create a Self-Hosted Blog

August 20, 2014

What process did you go through to create your domain names “http://kvm.cyk.mybluehost.me/website_c466d3f6” and “http://stephaniepellett.com“? I’ve attempted creating my own blog so many times it hurts, but I’ve always gone through Blogger. -Sarah

Just over 3 years ago, I changed over from WordPress.com to self-hosting my blog and it’s safe to say that I’ve never looked back. Hosting my own blog has given me tons of freedom, including the ability to also host my own personal website and the podcast website, with the option to add an unlimited number of more sites if I choose to. By self-hosting, I can also embed many more widgets and add advertising options to my blog. Not to mention I am able to design my websites to look exactly the way I want them to using CSS and HTML. Obviously, hosting costs more than using a stellar free service such as WordPress.com, but for me it offers enough advantages to be worth it. If you’re interested in making the switch too, here are the steps you’ll need to take.

1. Choose a host

This is definitely the most important decision you’ll make regarding your blog. The host you choose will store your website on its servers, while allowing you all the freedom you want in terms of design and content. A host works behind the scenes to ensure that everything on your blog is running smoothly.

My hosting service has always been (and probably always will be) Bluehost. They offer unlimited storage and unlimited registered domains (ie. as many websites as you choose to have). They also have 24/7 support, if you ever need help with your site. I’ve only ever had one serious issue with my site since I’ve been self-hosting – I accidentally left my blog in a state of permanent maintenance mode – and I was able to resolve it over the phone in only a few minutes with a very nice Texan man. He was friendly, smart, and most of all very efficient in solving my problem.

And the best part about Bluehost? It’s so well priced. If you sign up for 12 months, it’s only $7 a month, or $84 a year. If you sign up for longer, as I intend to do the next time I need to renew my service, it can be as low as $4.95 a month. You can learn more about their pricing options here.

I did a lot of research before initially choosing my web host, and I’ve always been very happy with my choice.

2. Register your domain

The next step is to register your desired domain name. “Domain name” is just a fancy way of saying the URL of your blog. Mine, for example is “lifeinlimbo.org”.

One of my favourite things about Bluehost is that I can register domains from inside my dashboard and don’t have to use a third-party service. It’s very easy, and if your desired domain name is taken, they show you other options and their prices right away. I love having all that information at my fingertips. It can be dangerous though – I’ve gotten carried away registering a few extra domains for future projects and endeavors!

Domains usually cost about $12, but can be much more expensive depending on how popular the name is. I also personally purchase domain name privacy protection for my sites. Legally, you must provide your name and address when you purchase any domain, and that information is searchable online. For $10 a year, Bluehost allows you to protect your private details by masking them with their own information. You can learn more about domain privacy services here.

3. Install WordPress

Once you have secured hosting and a domain name, all you really have is a blank webpage. To turn it into a blog, I recommend using WordPress. It is hands down the best website software available, and it’s totally free. Once installed, you can have a gorgeously designed blog up and running within a few minutes, literally.

Through Bluehost, you can very easily install any platform you choose, including WordPress, in only a few minutes. It’s very simple and straightforward, and you can access the installation page from your account’s homepage like in the screenshot above. If you are using a different host, you can download the WordPress software directly from their website and install it yourself.

Once installed, you’ll have a link to a WordPress login page, ex. “http://yourblog.com/wp-admin” where you can sign in and access your WordPress dashboard. Once you’re signed in, you’re in an easy-to-use backend of your blog where you can easily install plugins, see stats, choose a theme, add widgets, write posts and upload photos.

4. Choose a theme

Now for the fun stuff! WordPress offers thousands of free themes, most very customizable, available to browse on their website. You can also find them in the “Appearance” panel of your WordPress dashboard.

There are many other awesome themes on the market, and most are fairly inexpensive. I personally use a heavily customized version of the free Brunelleschi theme on this site.

Choosing a theme can take some trial-and-error, so play around with it and don’t be afraid to switch it up. I’ve changed my theme many times over the years, and I always love a good redesign! If you’re just starting out, I would recommend resisting the temptation to buy a theme, even if it is only $30. Some themes are really worth it (though they tend to be more like $100), but most aren’t much better than a good, customized free theme.

5. Install plugins

A plugin is a program that runs behind the scenes on your blog to add on features. There’s a (free) plugin for almost anything you can imagine! My favourite plugins are:

Jetpack: a package designed and updated by the WordPress team that offers everything from site stats to awesome widgets to custom CSS.
Disqus Comment System: a streamlined, functional system for commenting.
Akismet: protects my sites from spam comments.
jQuery Pin It Button: displays a “Pin It” button when someone hovers over a photo on my site.
LinkWithin: displays other related posts at the bottom of all my blog posts.
WP to Twitter: automatically tweets the title and link of published blog posts.

I do have others not listed here running in the background of my site for other tasks, but these ones would be my top picks for someone starting their website from scratch.

To install a plugin, go to the “Plugins” menu on your WordPress dashboard (right below “Appearance”, see the previous screenshot) and select “Add new”. You can then search for any plugin you wish. You can also browse plugins on the WordPress website.

6. Customize your theme and add widgets + buttons

Most themes these days have tons of customizable options, including the number and position of sidebars, which can make a huge difference in a site’s overall design. Most blogs have one sidebar on the right, for example:

Design Sponge (they actually have two sidebars side by side)
Joy the Baker

Others have two sidebars, one on either side of the content, for example:

I’d suggest taking some time to explore your favourite blogs and make notes on what you like and dislike about each of their site designs. It depends on your theme, but this option usually comes built into your “Theme Options” page.

After that, it’s all about the widgets! “Widget” is the WordPress term for a little box of code that lives on your sidebar or footer and displays content. On my blog, that’s everything you see in the right hand column, from my “Welcome” photo all the way down to my affiliate links and what I’m currently reading. Take some time to explore the widgets that come built into WordPress, such as ones displaying your most Popular Posts, site archives or categories.

Most of the widgets you see on my sidebar are pulled from other websites (ex. Mailchimp) or custom coded by yours truly in HTML. Knowing even a little bit of HTML is immensely helpful when installing or creating widgets, but that’s a topic for a whole other blog post. If you don’t know any HTML, the w3schools website is a great resource. You may also want to check out their tutorials on CSS if you want to do anything like changing the fonts, site colours or link styles from the default theme options.

7. Get blogging!

Realistically, this is the most important step on the list. You could stop after getting hosting, WordPress and a theme, and just get to the point of the whole thing and start creating content. Over the years, my site has gone through a ton of designs and themes and they’ve all built slowly on top of each other as my knowledge has grown and my style has developed. But the one constant is the writing. One of my all time favourite blogs, The Trephine, has one of the most simple blog designs I’ve seen, but she’s gained a tremendously loyal, interested following because her writing is amazing and true. And really, that’s the whole point of blogging.

So ultimately it doesn’t matter if you’re on Blogger or WordPress.com or hosting your own content – the important thing is to write true things down, reach out to others and stay passionate. I absolutely love that John Irving quote: “You’ve got to get obsessed and stay obsessed,” and nowhere is that more true for me than when it comes to my blog. I’ve been blogging (aka spewing my thoughts) for a very long time. The earliest blog post I can find that’s still in existence (it’s on Livejournal and you’re never, ever finding out the name of it) was December 2006, and the post itself refers to two previous blogs that I, in the words of my 15 year old self, “grew out of”.

Safe to say, I’m obsessed and have been for a very long time. Like all things, my interest ebbs and flows, but if I’m ever away for too long I start to feel like I’m not myself anymore. Blogging doesn’t have to be that thing for you, but if it is, hold onto it and forget about what your theme looks like or what widgets you need to choose. You’ll get there over time. If you’re in it for the long haul, it doesn’t really matter how fast you figure it out.

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If you have any more questions about blogging and self-hosting, or widgets and themes and plugins, feel free to let me know in the comments below. Best of luck and have fun!

Please note that affiliate links are used in this post. If you purchase any products recommended, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions are absolutely and always my own.

Book Club | May & June

July 3, 2014

I’m now 8 books behind on my reading goal for the year, and sadly over the last few weeks I’ve only been slowing down! What with all the big changes happening in my life, reading has taken a major backseat. Reading is one of the things that makes me happiest, and always makes me feel like I have all the time in the world (even if I can only read for 15 minutes), but it’s always the thing that’s the first to go when things get stressful. Really, it should be the other way around, and I’m going to try to work on that going forward.

This year, in the spirit of my reading goal, I’m sharing my favourite books every month or so here on the blog. You can see my favourites from the first four months of the year right here.

Daring Greatly / This Spring, I really fell in love with Brené Brown’s ideas and writing. Her TED talks on shame and vulnerability piqued my interest, and I immediately wanted to read this book, which is her most recent. Her talks touch on many of the book’s main points, but the amount of details, quotes and funny and touching anecdotes she includes makes it more than worth a read. I resonate so strongly with her perspectives on things, they feel intuitive and just strike a chord with me. Plus, while her writing style is funny and self-deprecating, it’s also serious and passionate when she’s discussing important ideas. I highlighted a bunch of quotes while reading, but one of my favourites that really sums it up is:

“Vulnerability is not weakness, and the uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure we face every day are not optional. Our only choice is a question of engagement. Our willingness to own and engage with our vulnerability determines the depth of our courage and the clarity of our purpose; the level to which we protect ourselves from being vulnerable is a measure of our fear and disconnection.”

The Promise of a Pencil / I decided to read this book after watching Marie Forleo’s interview with the author Adam Braun. I found the story of his journey inspiring, and his approach very accessible and down-to-earth. Braun is the founder of the global education charity Pencils of Promise, which builds schools and trains teachers by working with local communities all around the world. He builds each chapter around a mantra he’s developed or adopted that guides him in living his life. I liked all of the mantras, but some of my favourites were: “why be normal”, “do the small things that make others feel big”, “stay guided by your values, not your necessities”, and “make your life a story worth telling”. The book is Braun’s autobiography, but it includes a lot of wonderful ideas and perspectives, and I personally found it incredibly inspiring. The whole time I was reading it, I felt like I had all this pent-up energy that I wanted to use to go out and do good in the world.

Thrive / I absolutely adored this book, and highlighted something on almost every page. It’s chock full of meaningful quotes, ideas, and reminders about what it means to live a good life. Arianna Huffington’s big idea is that we need a third metric (the first two being money and power) to define success. She suggests that the third metric is made up of wisdom, wellness, wonder, and giving, and the book explores each of those ideas. To make her points, she includes several personal anecdotes and brings in a lot of ideas from other big thinkers. I resonated really strongly with the book and it gave me a lot of food for thought. As I’m sort of in the process of designing my own life, it helps to have a resource like this one for the other metrics I should be striving towards as I seek out a happy and successful life. I highly, highly recommend. There were at least a hundred awesome quotes in this book, but here are just two:

“Why do we spend so much of our limited time on this earth focusing on all the things our eulogy will never cover?”
“Well-being can’t be measured by money or traded in markets. It’s about the beauty of our surroundings, the quality of our culture, and, above all, the strength of our relationships.” -David Cameron

One other note: it was fascinating how much overlap there was between these first three books – they all mentioned vulnerability, synchronicity, the importance of giving and doing good for others, and they all discussed how human connection is so important for happiness. It was great to see so much cohesion across three fairly different books.

Lost Lake / Sarah Addison Allen is one of my very favourite authors, but it took me a while to get around to reading this, her latest book. I think part of me was nervous to read it, since I’ve read all her others at least 3 times each, and I had worries that Lost Lake wouldn’t be as good. Fortunately, I was wrong, and Allen is as wonderful a writer as ever. She wrote a short story called Waking Kate to accompany Lost Lake, which I read first and it sucked me right back into the magical world that all her books create for the reader. If you want to see whether you’d like her style, Waking Kate is available for free as a Kindle single right here. Lost Lake is set at a beautiful old summer resort in the South with a wonderful cast of eccentric characters, a charming little town nearby, and it’s full of breezy, lovely, summery plans and adventures. It’s a bit of a light read, but for me it was so enjoyable.

Paper Towns / Slowly but surely I’m reading all of John Green’s novels, and I’ve been loving them all. This one is set in the suburbs of Florida, and it’s about a boy who loves a girl. All of Green’s books make me feel nostalgic about different times in my life, this one reminded me of when I was in high school in the suburbs, driving around in my mom’s minivan with my friends, sitting out on rooftops, hanging out in basements, and instant messaging my friends all hours of the day and night. I never pulled as many pranks as they do in the book, but I loved it and could relate to it all the same. I can’t say too much about the plot without giving away spoilers, but I loved how Green kind of attacks the 2-dimensional “manic pixie dream girl” idea by forcing his main character to confront the fact that he didn’t know the girl he “loved” almost at all, he just loved the idea of her and what she looked and acted like.

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As always, you can see all the books I’ve read and plan to read on GoodReads. Also, if you have any great book recommendations for me, I’d love to hear them! Let me know in the comments below.

You can see my favourite books so far this year here, and my favourite books of 2013 here.

Greener Beauty Products

June 19, 2014

Over a year ago, Laura and I recorded an episode of the podcast about green beauty and skincare products. At the time I was doing pretty good in the shower department, using Live Clean shampoo and conditioner and Dr. Bronner’s as body wash. I still love both products but just haven’t been able to find them in Korea.

Unfortunately back then I wasn’t doing so great in the makeup and skincare department, and I still wasn’t until a couple months ago. I found it harder to make switches with my makeup, mostly because I buy new makeup so rarely and because I didn’t know where to start. It seemed like all drugstore makeup was icky and full of chemicals and that all potentially eco- and body-friendly makeup was expensive and hard to find. Poor excuses, I know, but they still managed to hold me back.

When I moved to Korea and started using iHerb, I realized that in addition to great pantry staples, I could also use the website to buy healthy beauty products at drugstore prices. It had always bugged me that I wasn’t avoiding putting certain toxins onto my face and body, but I just hadn’t made the jump. Happily, I now have and I don’t see any reason why I’d go back.

Resources

If you’re considering transitioning to a greener skincare or beauty routine, make it just that: a transition. You don’t have to overhaul your entire collection of products overnight – you can start small. The next time you run out of something, try replacing it with something greener! In our blog post, we linked to the above graphic as seen on Elise’s blog. It’s such a great resource for these kinds of changes because it makes it simple to check labels for the worst toxins when you’re looking for new products. If it doesn’t have one of those bad guys listed on the package, you’re probably safe.

We also linked to EWG’s Skin Deep cosmetics database, which rates products based on their safety in a number of categories. I’ve since learned that the database uses an imperfect rating system with many inconsistencies (read more here and here) but nonetheless I think it can be worth a check as well before you make a new purchase, as long as you take the information with a grain of salt.

And of course you needn’t go to iHerb to get these products. A lot of companies are aware that customers are starting to want products free from parabens and SLS, so more than ever you will probably be able to find great options at the drugstore!

Beauty

I’m happy to say that I’ve switched out lots of my beauty products and now most of the things I use on a daily basis are free from the most harmful toxins, but they still work wonderfully! I’m still currently in the market for a greener concealer and liquid eyeliner.

Physician’s Formula Super BB Cream: I’d fallen for BB creams last year because I loved the all-in-one nature of them, but had been using a not-so-green one. I recently switched to this one and I’m pretty satisfied overall! It’s not a very heavy coverage but it does what it’s supposed to and it’s a good green option.

Honeybee Gardens Pressed Mineral Powder: I’d never really used powder before, but I’m liking this one. For days that I don’t feel like using the BB cream, this gives me a (very) light coverage option. I’ve never been one for foundations, but I like that this makes me look just a little more polished.

E.L.F. Cosmetics Mellow Mauve Blush: This blush does unfortunately contain one toxin, talc, but it’s very cheap and works pretty well. I would probably choose another colour next time because this one doesn’t show up very well on my face.

Physician’s Formula Organic Wear Mascara: I love this stuff. It works exactly like a mascara should, but it’s free of all those yucky chemicals. This is a really great product.

Sierra Bees Organic Mint Burst Lip Balm, Alba Botanical Terra Tints, LUSH Santa Baby Lip Tint: I don’t often use lip balm, but I keep the first two in my bag and I’ll use those if my lips are feeling chapped. The LUSH tint I got as a Christmas gift -it’s very pigmented and good to use as a lipstick.

Skincare

As it stands now my shower products aren’t overly green, but my next purchases will be. I’m using Tresemmé shampoo and conditioner and a Korean brand of lavender body wash. I use Johnson’s Baby Bedtime lotion and my own homemade, completely natural deodorant. Depending on the day I wash my face either just with water or with a Korean brand face wash. I’m planning to start washing my face with oil (learn more about that here) soon.

Thayer’s Rose Petal Witch Hazel toner: I just started using toner for the first time about a month ago and haven’t noticed any real changes in my skin. But it helps me get off all my makeup and the smell is nice, and it makes me feel like my face is very clean after I use it. I’ve been using it with these organic cotton rounds.

Queen Helene Mint Julep mask: I didn’t realize this had methylparaben in it, so I probably won’t be buying it again. I’ve also never used a mask in my life, but this product had gotten such good reviews and is very cheap so I gave it a try. Overall I don’t think it did much for me, but I’ll keep doing the treatment every once in a while.

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I’m planning to keep exploring greener options and incorporating the good ones into my daily routines. It’s fun, and it’s good for me and my body!

Do you make an effort to use greener beauty and skincare products? Do you have any tips for choosing them or specific products to recommend? I’d love to hear which ones you like in the comments.

Note: while this post contains a couple of affiliate links, mostly I linked to the iHerb product listings (which I am not currently an affiliate for) so that you can find out more information about the products.

Book Club | March & April

May 19, 2014

One of my new year’s resolutions this year was to read 75 books, like I did last year. We’re 4 1/2 months into 2014 and I’m currently 6 books behind on that goal, according to my Goodreads page. But it’s okay! As I’ve said before, I knew it would be harder to read as many books this year since for a good chunk of last year I was travelling and/or without a full-time job. When I was preparing to come to Korea and after I first got here, my literary life took a backseat. Happily I’m back to it, and I’ve been reading some seriously good books. In the spirit of my reading goal, I’m sharing my favourite reads on the blog every couple months. You can see my favourites from January & February here.

Turning Pro / I’ve read Steven Pressfield before (at the recommendation of one of my idols, Marie Forleo), specifically The War of Art, and I loved his writing and perspective. If you’re somebody that does any kind of creative work, I think reading The War of Art is a necessity. We all need to learn how to fight resistance and deal with other blocks that stop us from being helpful and doing our best work. Turning Pro runs in a similar vein, but it’s about the moment we start acting like professionals when it comes to the work that we do. Professionals meet their deadlines, get themselves the right equipment, don’t make excuses, and treat whatever it is that they’re doing like it’s serious, meaningful work (because it is!). You can see a great interview between Marie and Steven about this topic here.

Bird by Bird / Anne Lamott writes about writing in such a down-to-earth but inspiring way. She talks about how writing is hard, how all writers struggle with so much self-doubt, how getting yourself to write is a battle, how writing is one of the most wonderful things in the world, how there are many beautiful motives for writing, and how getting published isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. She also gives a lot a truly practical, helpful advice for how to get your writing done. This is a book about how to write, but in some ways it’s also about how to live a good life. She writes: “I think this is how we are supposed to be in the world – present and in awe.”

The Art of Possibility / As I was writing this post, I was struck by how much this book was about abundance, so much so that I had to go back and amend my Abundance Ideas post to include it. It’s a wonderful book about changing your paradigm, looking at the big picture, and seeking out the possibility and potential of every person or situation you encounter. Some ideas that really stuck with me:

“Who am I being that they are not shining?”
“How will I be a contribution today?”
“Every problem, every dilemma, every dead end we find ourselves facing in life, only appears unsolvable inside a particular frame or point of view.”
“The naysayers pride themselves on their supposed realism.”

Daily Rituals: How Artists Work / An easy read, and a fascinating one. It’s a collection of the daily habits and routines of a huge number of creative people – artists, writers and scientists. I was struck by how many of them had extremely consistent and often rigorous daily habits, allowing little room for variation. A lot of their days were automated so they didn’t have to spend energy making little decisions about what to wear or what to eat. They made time for all the things they thought were important but didn’t waste time on anything unimportant. It surprised me how many of their routines were similar across all types of creativity: they rose relatively early, ate more or less the same thing each day, spent 3-4 hours working solidly on their projects, took long walks, read a lot of books and spent time with their families. Seems like the perfect life to me! It reminded me of that quote from Gustave Flaubert: “Be steady and well-ordered in your life so that you can be fierce and original in your work.”

Looking For Alaska / I absolutely sped through this novel. It’s a pretty sad book and it made me a little angry, but it was so well-written that I didn’t even mind. The premise of kids in boarding school gets me every time, and the book pulled me in really quickly. John Green is such a wonderful writer (and awesome human being) and I’m excited to read the rest of his books. I read The Fault in Our Stars almost a year ago on the plane to Paris and it made me cry and feel all the wonderful nostalgic and perfect feelings, so I have no idea why it took me so long to read another of his books. I’m a huge fan.

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As always, you can see all the books I’ve read and plan to read on GoodReads. Also, if you have any great book recommendations for me, I’d love to hear them! Let me know in the comments below.

PS. See my favourite books of 2013 here!