Widgetbox is a fantastic tool for sparsing flash, html, blog or website content and sharing in it on another site. For the purpose of this article, we’ll focus on the feeds.

Sharing a feed in the sidebar or column of another site is a great way to get your content out there. Readers can scroll through posts and click through to the site for the full article.

To create a free widgetbox, you simply have to create a user profile then you will have access to many different aspects of the site.

• Click on “create widgetbox” where you will then select the method of which you want your content to be shared: flash, html / java script, blog, website.
• Add your URL (website address) or feed information into the box when prompted.

• The next step will allow you to customize the widget including the widgets header and tag line, colour, size and presentation of your content. I recommend showing a snippet of the article as well as a photo (if you’re articles contain them) since they tend to draw prospective readers that much more.

• once the widget is to your liking you, select “save blidget“
• after processing it is complete, there are a number of social media sites and blogging platforms with coding provided to suit their requirements.
• Simply grab the code you need and input where required; now you’re sharing one site’s content on another!

Now get sharing!

sam {temptingmama} blogs daily at her personal site, Temporarily Me, and also at the brand her new per project Craftastrophe: because not everything handmade is pretty.

image by Mannequin-

Starting a blog can be a daunting task.

What is the purpose of the blog?

Is there a targeted niche?

Do you want to make money from it?

Is it going to be a group blog or individual?

Which platform should you use?

Do you want to be self-hosted or a free site?

A little discouraging when it’s put into perspective, but it doesn’t have to be.

Create an outline of what you’d like to accomplish; make an informed decision.

I won’t tell you what platform to go with, because that’s a personal decision based on what your specific needs may be - but even a bit more knowledge can help you review your options before jumping in, right?

It’s important to know that some platforms have restrictions.

A free Wordpress.com site does not allow its users to advertise, and users cannot change any part of the design without purchasing credits to do so. But a free Blogger site allows customization as well as advertising.

Self-hosting is possible.

Self-hosting can be a little costly depending on what your intentions are for blogging - if you’re going to be an occasional blogger, then you should consider if you’re willing to pay for hosting costs and purchasing a domain when you’re only posting a couple times a month. Is it really worth it to you?

I’ve personally found that self-hosting on Wordpress.org has opened up so many doors for me and helped me learn about design and coding. They also offer drag-and-drop sidebar widgets for those who aren’t code loving nerds like me - I enjoy the tinkering behind-the-scene and avoiding widgets. Going self-hosted does not mean you have to be a tech guru, since many platforms have begun to make the administrative area even more user friendly.

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Sam {temptingmama} blogs daily at her personal site, Temporarily Me as well as at Craftastrophe.

Shopping “robots” search websites to find you the best deals on the products you specify. Up come the results and, boom, you’ve found the cheapest price out there, right?

Nope. I tested eight of the top bots Shopzilla, Shopping.com, DealTime, NexTag, MySimon, BizRate, Yahoo Shopping, and Google Product Search by searching for lowest prices on three popular products: Britax Marathon car seat, the EyeClops Bionic Eye, and the Fisher Price Elmo Live. Not one of the sites delivered the cheapest price on all three products.

All of the bots’ results required resorting according to lowest price. In fact, many of the sites accept payment from merchants to be placed high in the results list regardless of the price they’re selling the item for. Google Product Search is one that does not, but Google Product Search returns also contained some pretty obscure stores that I’d hesitate to shop without checking with the Better Business Bureau.

The results:

Britax Marathon:

Shopzilla:$186 at Amazon Marketplace ($9.99 shipping)
Nextag.com: $186 at Amazon Marketplace ($9.99 shipping)
Dealtime.com: $195 at Amazon Marketplace (includes shipping)
Shopping.com: $198 at A Dolce Baby (free shipping)
MySimon.com: $198 at A Dolce Baby (free shipping)
Google Product Search: $198 at A Dolce Baby (free shipping)
BizRate.com: $198 at Baby Catalog (free shipping)
Yahoo Shopping: $199.99 at Amazon (not accurate)

EyeClops Handheld Bionic Eye Multizoom:

Nextag.com: $33.74 at Amazon (free shipping)
Google Product Search: $38.99 at SuperSales (an Amazon Marketplace store)
BizRate.com: $39.76 at Walmart.com (.97 shipping)
Shopzilla:$39.88 at Amazon Marketplace ($7.72 shipping)
MySimon.com: $39.88 at Amazon Marketplace ($7.72 shipping)
Yahoo Shopping: $39.88 at Amazon ($7.72 shipping)
Dealtime.com: $46.90 at Amazon (not accurate. Was really $39.88 at Amazon)
Shopping.com: $46.90 at Amazon

Sesame Street Elmo Live:

Google Product Search: $49.99 at InterstateDeals.com
Dealtime.com: $64.87 at Amazon (free shipping)
Shopping.com: $64.87 at Amazon (free shipping)
MySimon.com: $59.99 at Meijer ($67.94 with shipping)
Nextag.com: $59.99 at Amazon Marketplace (plus shipping)
BizRate.com: $59.99 at Amazon Marketplace (plus shipping)
Shopzilla:$59.99 at Amazon Marketplace (plus shipping)
Yahoo Shopping: $69.99 at KBToys.com ($77.21 with shipping)
Note: Elmo Live is $59.88 at Walmart with free site-to-store shipping. None of the bots picked up this price (It’s $69.85 with shipping)

The lesson? When you do your holiday shopping, use a couple of shopping comprison sites to start your price research, but back it up by checking prices at discount retailers like Amazon, Target, and Walmart. Trusting one bot to give you the best price is a sure way to short circuit your savings.

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Angie blogs at BlogCoach.org and BabyCheapskate.com. She is also the founder of free-baby-stuff site Freepeats.org. Angie lives in Atlanta with her husband, young son, and very fluffy dog. This article is an update of one that appeared last year on BabyCheapskate.com.

photo by GeneWolf via Flickr

Online shopping is now the norm. From eBay auctions, Etsy, book stores, and more, just about everything under the moon is available for online purchase. Many people see the benefits of using PayPal to protect themselves and their money online.

Protect your money

PayPal protects your personal information, such as bank account and credit card information from the merchant, while giving you a piece of mind with their 100% guarantee of protection from unauthorized transactions. Data encryption protects your information, so you can buy with confidence while using your credit card online.

PayPal How-To

Signing up is simple. Enter your information as well as a secure password as you would for any online site. You then have the ability to add your credit card information and back account numbers.

Verify your bank account with PayPal by inputting your information, and PayPal will deposit to very small amounts into your account. When the deposits are complete, you will enter into the site and Voila! You’re set up to buy online straight from your account. Cash. Much better than credit cards piling up with impulse buys, no?

Some of the world’s top brands and stores are set up to accept PayPal, making checking out safer and so much faster. Click, click, click and you’re done!

If you’re buying or selling online protect yourself and always use this site’s services. Most components are free (like when you’re buying) but the piece of mind, for me, is priceless.

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Sam blogs regularly at her personal blog Temporarily Me and also accepts PayPal at her design site, Temptation Designs!

photo credit: temptingmama

I finally realized what all the fuss is about after I purchased my new iTouch a couple weeks ago. I can’t believe I had been missing out on so much!

You can add applications to your device, be it web-based - where the company has created modified pages of their site in order for them to be viewed via mobile device - or applications that can be downloaded directly to the iPhone or iPod Touch. The downloadable applications may be free or require payment, so be sure to read carefully before opting to download!

Ones that I’ve added and love are:

1. Blog Platforms - You can add your blog software, such as Wordpress or Typepad and give updates on the move!

2. Twitterific - because every twitter addict must be able to mobile tweeter, am I right? (follow me!!)

3. Google - this a web based page modified by google. All you have to do is save the page to your home screen and you instantly have gmail, google calendar and google reader at your finger tips!

4. Remember the Milk - another web-based application that I’ve been addicted to ever since Simple Mom wrote about it.

5. Pick and Choose Groceries - Though it’s American-based (Canadians work in metric, not imperial) it’s very handy for creating grocery lists.

Got some you love? Tell us about it!

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Sam {temptingmama}  blogs daily at her site, Temporarily Me.