How to customize your free computer desktop background

Today I want to show you how you can customize my free computer desktop backgrounds with your own image. I'm going to be using a software called My Memories Suite. I've talked about it before and really recommend this software if you're interested in digital scrapbooking or making printables, cards, etc. You can hear me rave about it and get a coupon here if you'd like.

In this tutorial I think I went a little overboard with the steps, but I really wanted to make it super clear so you can see just how easy it is to do. Click on any image below to enlarge it.

First up, you'll want to open up My Memories Suite and choose to 'Design Your Own' album.

You'll want to name your album and select 'Landscape' as your album shape.

Select that you want a blank page and hit 'OK'.

This is what your screen will look like now. Click on the camera icon to add a photo. You can also add from the PHOTOS tab on the right-side Control Panel, or the left-side Resource Gallery.

Select the free desktop download image. I recommend using the SMALL desktop background image that I offer. It will fit the screen size better in My Memories Suite.

The desktop image won't fit the full work area so you'll want to stretch it down to fit the screen. A caution will come up telling you not to stretch the image as it will pixelate it. Since these desktop backgrounds are just going on the computer screen and not being printed, that's ok. To stretch the image, use the little gray "handles/boxes" located on each corner and on each side of the image.  Using the corner handles will keep the image in proportion.

Now that you have the desktop image enlarged, you'll want to add your own image. There is another way to do add an image. Click on the camera image on the left side over there. 

Select the folder where your picture is located and double click on the image you want to use, or just click on it and drag it straight onto your layout!

Now that your image is in your work area, drag and rotate it where you want it. You can rotate your image by using the corner handles again (when your cursor changes into a circle arrow you can rotate, or by using the Rotate slider on the Photos panel.

Right click on the image and select 'Send to back' to get it to go behind the computer desktop background.

Now that your image is in place, you can add some text. Over on the right hand side you can click the 'Text' tab. 

Type the text you want. You have lots of options on the right hand side to get that text completely custom. Change the font, size, color, effect, etc. to get it just how you want it. 

You can even add more elements. On mine, I am going to add a star to remember a birthday this month. Select the 'Shapes' tab on the right. 

Again, you can totally customize the shapes, change anything about them and place it where ever you'd like.

When you're done customizing, click on the 'Share Album' tab up top and select 'Export to JPEG'.

You'll just need to do a few more steps. Click next and go through a few options. You shouldn't have to change any of these options as you'll want the image to remain as large as possible. 

Now you're all done! There are tons of extra options with My Memories Suite and it sure is fun to play around with. 
There is a great series of video and PDF tutorials that are listed on the MyMemories Facebook page that can show many more tips, tricks and techniques using MyMemories software if you want to check that out.


If you need help installing the computer desktop, I'll have instructions for that tomorrow when I put out Novembers desktop calendar.

All Leelou Desktop Backgrounds are for personal use only. No commercial use or redistribution.  Please contact me if you have any other questions about their use. Thanks!


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Who Is Your Mom Hero?

As my kids get older, I'm find out more and more that I really have no idea what I'm doing. What kind of punishment should I give? How much money does the toothfairy leave? Is it wrong to give children hotdogs at least once a day? ...I'm kidding!...kinda...

Sometimes things come together beautifully and sometimes we eat cold cereal for dinner at 7:00pm. 

This is where all my super moms come into play. They give the best advice and tips. I'm astounded by so many fantastic moms in my life. Neighbors, friends across the country, moms like you who I have never met, but still can learn from. 

Every mom is a hero. Big time! We are chefs, nurses, chauffeurs, builders, maids, educators, assistants, friends, personal shoppers, face cleaners and diaper changers. We can be found covered in unrecognizable goop and periodically wear our pajamas for days on end (I may or may not speak from personal experience on that one...and I may be wearing my robe right now at 2:30pm) but moms run the show. We get things done the best we can. 

The moms that are the biggest heros to me are the moms that get things done even when it's hard. Whether they have 6 children to tend to at home all day, a full time job to keep them super busy or the moms that are sick and still manage to get their kids to school on time with their hair combed. 

I'm sure you know a heroic mom or see one when you look in the mirror. Share your story and you will be entered for a chance to win $2,500cash from Allstate. Plus four runner-ups will receive a $100 Visa Gift Card. *The five finalists will be chosen from the Entries receiving the most votes.  

One of the most important things any mom can do is purchase life insurance. I just got it last year and feel so much better! Allstate has been helping to protect families’ futures with a range of life insurance products for over 50 years. To get a quote visit  www.allstate.com/life 

Disclosure: This is post is Sponsored by Allstate. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. Official Contest Rules

Share Button Tutorial

Have you ever seen those share buttons at the end of blog posts?
Those little social network icons are a new feature that Blogger came out with not too long ago and they're fantastic to have! When you read a great post that you'd like to tell others about, just click on those links and easily share that post.

I'm going to show you how to get the share buttons on your blog.
For this tutorial I'll be using the new Blogger Interface. If your dashboard doesn't look like the one in the images below, click here to change yours. (Believe me, you'll want to!)

How to add share buttons to your blog:

Go to your blog dashboard and click on the Layout page. We're going to be working with the box that represents your blog posts. Click the 'Edit' button in the bottom right hand corner.

The "Configure Blog Posts" box will pop up and you will see a section that says "Show Share Buttons". Make sure that box is clicked and save.

That's it! You'll now have social media share buttons that will pop up automatically after you publish each post. 

Sometimes if you have a custom blog layout you won't be able to see the share buttons. That's easy to fix though. If you don't see them on your blog still, you just need to do one more step! Click here to find out how to make the share buttons show through your custom layout.

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Free Halloween Printables

Halloween is just a little over a week away so I thought I'd share the free prinables again that I made last year. 

I have 8 little Halloween notes that you can send out to friends and family, make a tag for a Halloween treat, bring to a party or stick in lunch boxes. Last year for my daughters school Halloween party I punched a hole in the corner of the notes and tied some colorful plastic fangs to them with a ribbon.

There is a set of blank notes so you can write your own message and there are some with jokes and greetings already typed in there. Feel free to grab these free printables here.

I also created a fun Halloween banner that you can simply print, cut it out and hang it up on a door, window, wall...where ever you'd like. Get this free printable Halloween banner here.

Hope you all have a great Halloween! Are you dressing up? My kids will be super heros, a witch and a little chicken. My husband and I don't usually dress up, but I dream of having a sweet Mary Poppins and Bert outfit for us to wear one year. Wouldn't that be fun? 

Have you seen this little kid Mary Poppins outfit by Make It and Love It? So stinking cute! She has two more outfits she'll be revealing and I have a feeling a little Bert will be in there. If she dresses up her baby like a penguin I will die of jealousy. So. Dang. Cute. What are you or your kids dressing up as?

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Tell us what you did at recess and enter to win $20,000

I'm really starting to love this day where we get to chat. It's so interesting to hearing what you have to say and getting advice and tips from people all over the world is incredible. Giveaways are a pretty great perk too, right?

Don't forget!

Last week I mentioned  how I'm designing exclusive freebies every Friday for the MyMemories Facebook page. Last Friday I made a fun little mini kit. 

You can download it for free but you only have until Thursday night! If you'd like to grab it, Click here to get it!


When the MyMemories Facebook page hits 10,000 fans, they're giving away an ipad 2 to one of those lucky fans, so be sure to "Like" them for your chance to win.

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I also wanted to remind you that there is still time to download the computer desktop calendar for this month if you haven't already. 

Have a fantastic Wednesday! 

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Blog Tutorial: How To Install A Free Blog Layout

For today's tutorial I have some really easy instructions that show how to install one of my free blog templates to your blog.

I updated this tutorial as I know some of you use the old Blogger interface and some of you are now using the new Blogger interface now. There are instructions and also pictures to help.

Click here for tutorial

I also have another new tutorial that shows how to install one of my free blog backgrounds if you want to use one of those instead of a template.

Click here for that tutorial

There is a difference between the two types of blogs designs but it sounds a little confusing right?

Let me explain the difference between a template and a background.


Blog Templates:

Blog templates come with fun extras like:
-Sidebar Title Image

-Post Title Image 

-Post Divider Image 

-Favicon 

You install a blog template through your blog HTML section.


Background usually scrolls

Blog Background:

A blog background is a stationary image behind your posts and sidebars. Some have free coordinating blog headers.

You install a blog background through your sidebar.


Background doesn't scroll

Both are extremely easy to install and take less then a minute!

I will have some new blog layouts a little later this week, but feel free to head on over and grab a new look for your blog! We have some fun Halloween and Fall designs to choose from!

       

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Free Birthday Party Printables

I have a fantastic group of e-friends and they seriously rule. We send each other dozens of emails every day, chat on the phone or Skype and most of us have only met once in real life. Some of us haven't met in person at all, yet we get to bounce ideas off each other, get advice, vent and most of all help each other out every single day. I'm always amazed by technology and the people I now know because of it.

I've been pretty swamped lately and am desperately trying to catch up on everything. My girls at Peonies and Poppyseeds took note and came to the rescue! They made an adorable birthday party pack and we're giving these printables away for free today!

Super cute hu? Feel free to print these bad boys off and create one fantastic party.
This kit includes:

• 4 water bottle labels
• 4 blank tent label cards
• 8x10 subway art printable
• 3 cupcake wrappers
• 3 fry boxes
• 3 patterns of party rounds - great for cupcake toppers or as favor tags
• 1 Birthday banner

The kit used is from my Fresh Start digital scrapbook kit. You can grab it here if you so wish :)

-Don't know how to use the printables? Click here for some tips!


-All Leelou Printables are for personal printed use only. No commercial use or redistribution.  Please contact me if you have any other questions about their use. Thanks!



Be sure to visit Peonies and Poppy Seeds and tell them thank you for making these awesome printables. They have lots more ideas and freebies on their site as well!

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Use Omega-3? Tell me how and win $500!

For the past few months I've been hearing lots of chatter about Omega 3 and DHA. To be honest, I had absolutely no idea what that meant. A few weeks ago I got the chance to learn a little more about it though and it's definitively something worth talkin about. So listen up!

We all want to eat well and especially get our kids to do the same, right? I don't think I've mentioned it much before, but I am a lousy cook. Like, extremely super badly horrible in the kitchen. I throw away pans annually. I'm domestically challenged. And blame genetics.

So I'm taking baby steps here to become a better cook and a more health conscious mama. I found out that Omega-3 is a "good fat" and can help support brain and eye health. I'm no doctor but that seems kind of important to have. DHA is primarily found in fish though, which poses a problem for the Leelou house because fish and I are not fans of each other. 

I've been talking to other moms and it seems that I'm not alone here. Lot's of kids (and moms like me) don't eat much fish either. I've been trying to think of ways around this and realized, while I have a hate hate relationship with most fish, I happen to love tuna. And so do my kids. 

We are huge fans of tuna melts and so I've been rockin' some amazing cheese smothered tuna for the last few months. My kids gobble it up.

 

I found this more exact recipe here, but I usually just mix up the tuna how I like it (with about 15 pickles of course) and then pile the tuna on pieces of bread. Sprinkle grated cheese on top and broil it for several minutes in the oven. The edges are all crispy and the middle of the bread is still kinda soft. YUMMMMMO!

DHA and Omega-3 isn't just found in fish, even though that's a great source. Can you think of anything you make that has it? If so, make that more often! It's good for you and especially little kids!

Let me know how you get Omega-3 into your families diet and you can win a $500 Grocery Shopping Spree!


This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon.  The opinions expressed by me do not necessarily reflect the view of the Horizon Organic brand.

New Blogger Interface

A few months ago, Blogger came out with a new interface that changes the look and some functions on your blogger dashboard. I really love these new changes! It's super easy to get the new interface and well worth it. 

I'll be doing tutorials to show you some of the new features but first, go change your look if you haven't already! 

How To Get The New Blogger Interface

Go into your Blogger dashboard. On the top right side there is a link that says Try The Updated Blogger Interface. Click on it!

Your screen will change to look like this.

You can play around with the settings and check out the new features. If you don't like the new interface, you can easily switch back to the old one by clicking Switch Back To The Old Interface.

Eventually this will be the only interface Blogger will offer and they will do away with the old look, so I recommend getting this updated one. Lots of blog tutorials are on their way!