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Greetings! If you have been procrastinating, the time has come to place your holiday order - from coffee mugs to safety kits, we have it all and I am here to help! Click here more ideas starting from $1. If nothing else, take a moment to read my sanity saving tips to keep you smiling well through the holiday season. Amy
PS If it hasn't occurred to you that your WordPress site is in need of upgrades (and a backup!), click here to read why regular maintenance is imperative.
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 Design Tip #58
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4 Tips to Make it Through the Holidays with a Smile
- It is imperative to stay hydrated while being active. Be sure the mall you choose has plenty of rest stops where you can get a pint and recharge.
- Set a budget and then find all items on drastically reduced clearance shelves - the regular price should match your budget. The proceeds will fund your aforementioned pit stops.
- Go to the mall Friday night after closing and erect a temporary "Reserved for {INSERT YOUR NAME HERE}" sign at the first stall closest to the handicapped stalls. This will ward off unnecessary stress Saturday morning.
- Buy your mother something "gently used" from the second hand store.
Sign it from your brother-in-law.
Happy Holidays!
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Tis the Season for Giving!
Still looking for that perfect item to give out to clients, suppliers and friends this holiday season? See below for some new products we like at price points that anyone will love - but act fast, most items take up to 3 weeks to come in.
Under $1  Belina Ballpoint Belina twist-action ballpoint plastic pen with retro metallic finish and satin silver trim. Twist-action pen function also releases and retracts pen clip.
 Under $3
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Features dual scale measurements, handy pocket clip and built-in deflating pin!
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 Under $4 (with promo code, reg. $5 ea)
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Innovative multipurpose mug with 10.5 oz. capacity and twist-bottom 4.5 oz. capacity storage cup for tea bags, instant coffee, instant cocoa, flavored whiteners, sweeteners, treats, vitamins, loose change, etc.!
Thumb-slide open/close lid, no-slip rubber bottom
Double-wall thermal insulation offers superior performance over foam insulate
All-stainless steel mug; storage cup stainless steel outer shell, inner plastic liner
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Want more ideas? Check out some of our supplier catalogues let me know THIS WEEK if you hope to have items in before Christmas.
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What you need to know about maintaining your WordPress Website
A few years of designing and developing WordPress websites has taught me a thing or two about the importance of system updates and regular backups. Long gone are the days of your service provider hosting and managing your website. Good news, you have access to make copy changes! Bad news, you likely don't know enough about the back end to keep your site in good running order. Here, a compilation of some sites that tell it like it is and offer up some good advice!
- Why run updates?
Running updates, in short, will majorly step up your security (ie prevent hackers from getting in). Be aware though, simply clicking on the upgrade button CAN cause problems with custom design elements and previously installed plugins. In my experience, a quarterly maintenance update should keep you in good running order. Don't leave it too long - I have seen the work of a hacker and fortunately, had a backup at the ready to restore - you wouldn't want to be stuck mid-holiday with a hacked site. Read more
- Why keep a current backup?
This item is most important if you're making frequent changes to your site. Think of it like you think of any other file you're working on and ask yourself, how much work would this be if I were to lose everything? Click here for a step by step guide to taking a backup.
CAVEAT: Plugins are available for taking backups, but be sure to take one that is compatible with your system and make sure (before you install it) that your developer has a relatively recent backup on file until you're comfortable it has installed properly and you know how to run it.
- Why update my content regularly?
If you had me build your website, I would have mentioned at the onset that regular updates to your content are good for SEO. I'd like to amend that by saying they are CRITICAL for SEO. But don't take my word for it, click here for more information. Fresh content is not the be all and end all of successful SEO, but it's a large part of a good plan. Ask me what else you could or should be doing to help your site in search engine rankings.
WordPress Web Maintenance - Holiday Special!
 Let us login, do your content updates, run a system update AND take a backup for as little as $150*! If you're an existing client, mention this ad and take an additional $25 off.
*Min 2 hours at $75/hr. Reg rate is $90/hr; Site maintenance must be booked by December 19th.
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Amy Perzan Merrill is a graphic designer in Calgary, Alberta. Her company, Meringue 3.14, specializes in creative branding and cost-effective print solutions for small business. For more great tips on how you can turn your material into powerful marketing and communication tools, subscribe to "Designer".
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Have you been contacted to renew your domain at the staggering rate of $75 year?
This is a scam! Please disregard renewal messages generated from Notification of Domain Expiration [mailto:noreply@annualurl.com] |
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