Blogger and Google+ Monopoly

I have been on a mission with my blog concerning comments. I want everyone to be able to comment on my posts not only google+ users. This has been a fight to the finish and alas Google+ has won. For now.

Image source Discus.com

I fought with this widget for 3 hours today, I tell no lies!
I editing code, changed my template, went through blogger and around blogger and still nothing.

Google+ is making it very hard for anyone with a blog through blogger to comment through anything except Google+

What if I hate Google+? What if my readers hate Google+? Are they expecting us to convert people and force them to sign up for a Google+ account?

Now fair! And I will see my way around the monopoly Google has on this commenting system.
I changed my setting in the comments to remove google+ comments and they were all erased, so I had to add it back to get my comments back. What's up with that?

Also I added my site to feed burner, there is life out there beyond Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
I also added my blog to feedly, there is a follow button somewhere on this blog maybe to your right.

I have been excepted on the shespeaks network, it is supposed to be good for bloggers but it doesn't allow you to import your blog to the site like Lucky or Glipho. I Think two blogs is enough.

Disqus.com

Feedburner.google.com

Feedly.com

Shespeaks.com

Luckymag.com

Glipho.com

If you would like info on how to get a feed for your blog let me know and I will do a step by step tutorial.

If you liked this post please like & Share it's free :)

Laurie M.

What happened to the Google join this site button on your blog?

Have you been wondering what happened to the Google join this site button on your blog?

I don't know why they (Google) hid this gadget, when in my opinion this little gadget helps blogs show up in your blogger feed. this gadget is just as important as a Bloglovin button.

Well its still there, just in a different location.

Today I am going to show you where Blogger hid one of our favorite widgets.

1. Head over to your menu in blogger.

2. Go to The layout tab.

3. Go to the More Gadgets tab.

4. Scroll to the bottom of the first page and there she is in all her glory!

Add the gadget where you want her on your blog and your ready to go.



If you like this post let me know, I will create more helpful post like this.
If you are having problems or need a solution let me know, I am always here.

Don't forget to Like and share :)
Laurie, M

Would you stop wearing makeup?

Photo source Eonline.com

Amber Heard
was seen walking her pet pooch on the streets on N.Y wearing no makeup at all and this is all I have been hearing about in the news.

I wear no makeup all the time where are the cameras? Where is a paparazzi?


Okay, okay I am no Amber heard but, I can dream!!

Is this a new trend going around?
Going from the no makeup look to actually wearing no makeup?

I think I would cry. I do understand trends come and go, but I truly love wearing my shadows and blushes, not to mention contour and highlighting.

I don't think I would want to go barefaced even if I had a flawless face like Amber's. Would you stop wearing makeup?

Image source Sukiskincare.com

Amber Heard is a devoted fan of the Suki line of skin care products, created with natural beauty in mind. “I love how lightweight Suki tinted moisturizer is. When working, I often have to wear heavy makeup, so in my day to day life Suki products give my skin a much needed break and flawless glow,”
Source: realstylenetwork.com









So my question to you all is:
If you had perfect skin would you give up wearing makeup?
What do you were on your no makeup days?

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

F.D.A. Questions Safety of Antibacterial Soaps

I found an article online called the F.D.A. Questions Safety of Antibacterial Soaps.

This sounds fair to me.
After years of mounting concerns that the antibacterial chemicals that go into everyday items like soap and toothpaste are doing more harm than good, the Food and Drug Administration said on Monday that it was requiring soap manufacturers to demonstrate that the substances were safe or to take them out of the products altogether.

I never heard anyone getting sick from antibacterial soap.
The proposal was applauded by public health experts, who for years have urged the agency to regulate antimicrobial chemicals, warning that they risk scrambling hormones in children and promoting drug-resistant infections, among other things. Producers argue that the substances have long been proved to be safe.

Why are they testing on animals?
Studies in animals have shown that the chemicals, triclosan in liquid soaps and triclocarban in bar soaps, can disrupt the normal development of the reproductive system and metabolism, and health experts warn that their effects could be the same in humans. The chemicals were originally used by surgeons to wash their hands before operations, and their use exploded in recent years as manufacturers added them to a variety of products, including mouthwash, laundry detergent, fabrics and baby pacifiers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the chemicals in the urine of three-quarters of Americans.

They will still be available for purchase?
The proposed rule does not require producers of the soaps to take them off the market immediately. The F.D.A. has given companies a year to produce data showing that the chemicals are both safe and effective. If they cannot prove, the chemicals will need to be removed from the products, the agency said. The rule is open for public comment for 180 days. It does not apply to hand sanitizers, which will be considered separately.

30 years ago?
Federal regulators started to look more closely at the chemicals in the 1970s, with the F.D.A. first creating regulations to control them in 1978. But very little has been done since, public health advocates complain, partly because of agency slowness, but also because of industry lobbying.

Its everywhere?
“These chemicals interfere with the regulation of the human body,” he said, citing studies in animals. The chemicals accumulate in ground water and soil, and one study of human breast milk found the chemicals in the milk of 97 percent of the women tested, he said. “The fascinating thing is the public has not taken note of this issue.”

This is the only good news about this whole mess.
“In some instances, these products have been found to be critical in the reduction of infection and disease,” the groups said. They said they intended to file comments to the F.D.A. “reaffirming” that the use of antibacterial wash products does not contribute to antibiotic resistance.

The full version of this article appears in print on December 17, 2013, on page A21 of the New York edition with the headline: F.D.A. Questions Safety of Antibacterial Soaps. 
Written By SABRINA TAVERNISE
Published: December 16, 2013
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/17/health/fda-to-require-proof-that-antibacterial-soaps-are-safe.html?hp&_r=0

This will change many products we use and love if these findings are tested and true.
I personally think a year is too long to keep selling a product that could be bad for anyone.
Do you use products with triclosan as an ingredient? I know I do.

Please like and share :)
Laurie M.

Benefits of the Elf Brush Shampoo

We all love our brushes, they are the most important tools any makeup junkie can have.

They help me create my looks as well as make the ritual of putting on my face so much easier.

I don't know where I would be without my coveted brush collection. Cheap or expensive I love them all.

To keep my brushes in like new condition I wash them weekly.

As I have been doing this for years now, I have begun to dread brush washing day.

It hurts my back sitting at the sink for 45+ minuets.

I did the olive oil and antibacterial soap mixture, but sometimes it would leave my brushes feeling oily and I would have to rewash them the next day. And the drying time with this mixture I didn't care for either.

I was looking for something new, something to make my weekly ritual easier.

On a resent trip to Walmart I picked up a bottle of the Elf Brush Shampoo.

I used this shampoo on all of my brushes that were dirty at the time cheap and expensive. I found that the formula is watery and I was a bit worried, but I continued anyway.

When I really noticed what this shampoo can do was with my MAC 219 brush, the small white brush.

I had some electric blue shadow on it, I thought okay this $3.00 shampoo ain't gonna do crap on this brush.

I was gladly mistaken. It became white as snow once again. The product claims to be antibacterial, removing all traces of makeup from your brushes. And it does!!

After washing I laid them out to dry using my Brush Guards for the larger brushes and laying flat the smaller ones, such as the 219 brush.

About 4 hours later I needed the space I put my brushes on to dry, so I picked them up to move them and noticed they were completely dry! I got a little nervous thinking, okay I messed up all my brushes, it's over!
upon checking them I realized they were all dry and in better condition then then before the washing!

I truly love this brush shampoo and will continue to use it.

Benefits of the Elf  Brush Shampoo.

1. It is watery so you won't need to add that much water.
2. It works quickly no need to over work your brushes.
3. quick drying time, washed and rinsed well in the morning, ready for a evening out.
4. Packaging is easy for travel and dispensing is very controllable.

Thanks for reading and have a great day!
If you enjoyed this post, please like and share or leave me a comment
I would love to hear your views on this amazing product!

From house to home

I am sitting here staring at the screen, worried about the fact that I have been away for so long, My YouTube channel has been dormant but steadily growing subscribers right now I stand at 171 subscribers.

My blog themakeupsquid.com I stand at 50 followers of the blog, 174 follow my bloglovin profile and through Google I have 67 followers.

I have gotten some products sent to me to try out, but they are at my old address, I am having them forwarded here.  I also got a perk from klout that should be coming in I will have that forwarded also.

My camera is in the garage buried in a box under other boxes so I can't film anything. I am worried about my blog getting lost in a sea of other blogs.

I find myself posting here most of the time because I have nothing worthy for themakeupsquid.com.
I added some affiliate links on the side bar, they are getting clicks here and there but nothing special.

I am worried I have clouded up the side bar, I have to figure out a way to make it look, not so much like a circus. I have been considering changing the layout again, not the banner I love the banner, but the lay out itself I feel needs a redo.

I think I am going to make the links smaller. I have ideas for posts, but I am unable to get them on the blog at this time. I really need some type of notebook for post ideas.

I need to take this step by step. A blog is like a new house or apt. Its a blank canvas that needs love and some decor. Nothing will stay in its original place, but as time goes on, everything will find its permanent place and become a home.


How to take my blog from house home?

Goals: 
Change blog layout.
Stream line the affiliate links.
Format my posts.

Laurie M.

How to be a house guest holiday edition!

We all love our families and can't wait till holiday time to get together for that last week of December and share this special time with the people we love. The tree, the kids, the snow and the moments that we will always remember for years to come. But, sometimes it doesn't always go as planned.

I mean what about the wet towels on the floor in the bathroom, your husband busting up a suit case leaving his clothes everywhere, the guys ransacking the kitchen, the kids finding the candy-cains before they get to the tree and your kid is the culprit! The man of the house forgetting his job of removing the snow from the walkway because his brother is in town. Not only is the visiting family in a uproar, but also the host family.

Kids are moved from their beds and transferred to a pull out, the bathroom becomes prime real estate, late hours waiting for the kids to sleep so you can actually have a cocktail or a adult conversation without hearing she pulled me, he's touching my stuff.

This can all be very overwhelming and even though I love my family and would do anything for them, visitations can go wrong in the blink of an eye. A question you ask your spouse could cause the other couple to go into a shouting match!! Believe me I know I lived it!!

Before you cancel your family gathering I am going to offer you a survival guide on

How to be a good guest holiday edition:

1. Include yourself and your family in daily chores.
Dishes, taking out the trash, preparing meals, running to the store, cleaning up.
This will ease some of the tension if everyone works together.

2. Keep the kids happy
Rotating who keeps the kids busy with stories, games, silly conversations, holiday crafts, movies, etc..
This keeps the noise down and gives every one a break from being a referee.

3. Keep your stuff in your given area.
Keeping your luggage and personal belongings in a designated area keeps the house from looking like baggage claim of an airport and it helps so you don't leave behind your favorite pajamas when its time to go.
And the host will appreciate it more then you know!

4. Don't change their life styles
Many people live different ways, I say to each their own. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. If they eat at 5pm you eat at 5pm. If they don't give their kids a snack before dinner, hold back on the snacks for your kids if any. You don't want to put the family out of sync and you don't want a child to cry when you leave, only because you gave them cookies when the parents said no.

5. Offer your awesome services
Cook a meal, watch the kids while they do some shopping, take the kids to see a holiday movie while they gift wrap. Make your presence valuable not burden some, you do want to be called back next year!!

6. Don't bring up the past
If your family is anything like mine, you know there are certain topics not to bring up, because Christmas will just be canceled after that. If these subjects come up, do your best to skip to something more lighthearted.
You don't want your brother staring you down because you brought up his high school sweet heart do you?

7. Make yourself scarce
Get out of the house for a day if staying more then a week.
Take a drive, go shopping. Do something that will keep you and yours out of the house for a few hours.
Cabin fever with family never ends well.

8. Don't take up to much time of a spouse
Brothers are brothers. Sisters are sisters. Don't take them away during the whole visit from their spouse the holidays are a special time especially for couples, give them their space. If a lovers spat breaks out let it pass, they will mend things on their own.

9. Be like Switzerland
If a argument breaks out and they are asking for advice, the best advice is just to listen and let them blow off steam. Listen to your brother as he claims his wife is a bitch. Listen to your sister as she screams her husband is a ass. Don't take sides, just listen. They will think your nuts and walk away after a while of you not responding to them. Better to be nuts then the reason for a fueling a dying fire.

10. Have fun!!
The holidays are a special time for everyone, a time where memories are made and moments cherished.
Don't bring your worries to the festivities, leave them at the door. A New Year is beginning! A second chance don't let the last year effect the next one. Enjoy your family, friends and holidays!!

I hope this little guide helps! Share this post if you like it, It helps me out and makes me happy :)

Laurie M.