It’s My Imagination

Wordpress Automatic Update

I DID IT! I actually managed to update this blog to the latest version of Wordpress all by my self! I have to say, it feels quite amazing, particularly because I am so technically challenged.

I saw those dreaded words when I logged in to my blog’s dashboard, “a new version of Wordpress is available, please update now”. My stomach was doing the typical flip flops at the thought of having to do anything technical to this or, even worse, my other blog. Every time I’ve ever attempted to do something major like this myself, something has gone dreadfully wrong. So, the last few times that updates were needed, I either chose to ignore the message, or I begged and pleaded several blogging friends to complete the process for me. Thankfully, they obliged.

This time though, I opted to take the plunge. I have the Automatic Update plug in and it walked me through everything! I even understood everything it told me to do, it was in plain English, not Geek speak. It performed a necessary backup of my data, deactivated my plugins, installed the latest version of WP and then, even re-activated my plugins! It all took less than 10 minutes before I received a message saying my blog had been updated. The last thing I had to do was click to re-activate the plugins and I went merrily on my way.

I’m giving myself a big pat on the bag and thanking everyone who ever told me to install that plug in!

Wordless Wednesday – Hot Pink Toes

Web Hosting Reviews

I finally got both of my blogs up, running and current with all the latest versions of Wordpress and all the newest plug-ins. Both of my blogs were frozen and my webhost locked me out because they said I was “pounding the box”. I’m not an IT person in any sense, so I have no idea what that meant other than it was synonymous with frustration! Both of my blogs were running on outdated versions of Wordpress, but, other than that, I couldn’t see any problems that would lead to what my host did. I was beyond frustrated, I wanted to completely quit blogging.

Thankfully, a blogging friend came to my rescue and figured out how to get into my host account and get everything updated. Then, remarkably, the web host unlocked my account and I was back up and running. This to me was a very poor showing of customer service. Please understand, I pay money to my web host, it is not a free account. I think I deserve better treatment.

Since then, I’ve been looking for a new web host and I really sit up and pay attention when I see a site like webhostinggeeks.com that does web hosting reviews. At their site I can compare all the features and prices of a variety of web hosts so I can find the one that will best serve my needs. I can even read actual reviews of the different companies before I sign up with them. This saves me from having to make a long term commitment with a company I know little about. If that weren’t enough reason to check out the webhostinggeeks, their blog is full of beneficial tips on how to choose a web host, free or otherwise, and how to reduce costs. I would definitely utilize their information before committing to a web host!

House Painting

We updated my daughter’s bedroom just before school started. These are not necessarily colors I would have chosen, but, she’s 13 and has her own ideas! She loves her new look and I’m happy because it all looks fresh and clean. It was the first time we painted her room since moving in 2 years ago and the walls were dirty and filled with holes. Here is the before and after.