Our new WYSIWYG editor is up and running! Featuring an all-new beautiful layout designed to make it easy for you to create content for your website. With these new changes, we have created a video to help understand the new features and layout. If you want to find more information be sure to check out our icon help file and our newsletter article. We hope you enjoy the new editor and we would love to hear your feedback!
Shade of Hope Helps Make Houses Homes
Blinds.com Hosts “Shade of Hope” Fundraiser for the Houston Furniture Bank from Schipul – The Web Marketing Co. on Vimeo.
Coffee table. Bed. Plates. Forks. Chairs. A lamp. Individually, they’re just items on a list of things found in a house. Collectively these items represent what makes a house a home, and when simply having a roof is your main priority, what to put under it takes the backseat. Shade of Hope is putting the spotlight on these details.
About Shade of Hope and The Furniture Bank of Houston
Shade of Hope is a community arts affair created to help raise money and awareness for The Furniture Bank of Houston. The name sounds stately and polished, but the Furniture Bank is modest warehouse tucked away in Houston’s Third Ward, manned by a small group of loving volunteers.
Sunday, July 18, the public will have an opportunity to see the space for themselves during the kick-off event for Shade of Hope. Artists will be on-site creating the artwork to be featured in the upcoming Furniture, Arts and Decor Expo – Show Your heART Houston, which also benefits The Furniture Bank.
True to it’s name, artists for the event will use shades donated by Blinds.com as canvas for their artwork. We attended the artist breakfast meeting at Blinds.com and even had an opportunity to sign the first shade commemorating the event.
The Furniture Bank welcomes donations of furniture and home appliances. Anyone interested in participating or donating to Shade of Hope or the Furniture Bank can contact Esther Steinfeld of Blinds.com.
Preparing for Hurricane Season: Power Outages, Social Media and Communication
This week’s ‘Beyond the Headlines,’ on Click2Houston.com focuses on hurricane preparedness. Host Kim Davis gets tips on power outages, flood insurance and using social media to communicate with friends and family in the event of an emergency from guests Floyd LeBlanc of Center Point Energy, Frank Crystal & Company insurance broker Kenneth Beaman and our very own Ed Schipul.
Now is the time to apply for flood insurance
- The National Flood Insurance Plan has been reinstated by congress.
- Wind insurance in coastal counties is difficult to get. Alternatives include obtaining a homeowner policy excluding wind, then applying for wind insurance through organizations like the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association.
- Talk to a professional, independent insurance broker who knows the details of your contract. Don’t hesitate to ask questions.
*Expert Tip: 45-35% of hurricanes happen in areas that aren’t expected to have them. Once an area is under threat from a storm, insurance companies issue a moratorium and halt the purchase of policies. It’s important to stay current on your payments as you may not be able to reinstate your policy during a moratorium.
Expect power outages during Hurricane and Tropical Storms
- Have a plan that anticipates extended power outages from Severe Weather
- Consider staying with relatives in other areas that may receive power sooner than your area.
- Be prepared to be without power for up to 2 weeks
*Expert Tip: Air conditioning accounts for about 70% of electric bill. To reduce your bill, raise the thermostat or turn off the a/c when you’re not home. Also, change filter every month and use ceiling fans to keep air flowing freely.
Think Ahead for Emergency Planning
- Have an actual road atlas in case you need to evacuate. Map applications on your phone may not work due to communication overload and the need to preserve power.
- Consider services like Yammer.com that allows you to communicate via mass text message for communicating with employees.
- Families may consider Geni.com for locating loved ones following a disaster. It’s not uncommon to lack important details about family members, neighbors or loved ones.
*Expert Tip: Cell towers have their own power generators that permit text messages to work when data packages on cell phones don’t. If you can’t access social media sites via mobile web apps, you can communicate by texting to sites like Twitter. This will alert people outside your area who can use the web interface that you’re ok.
For more information, contact the Schipul offices for help with your social media consulting for your small business or family plans.
Wrapping up our #geekvacay adventure
This month on the Schipul blog has been the month of vicarious vacationing. Sojourning without the sunburn. Flying without the annoying air pressure changes. Traveling without the pesky credit card bill.
Our Geek’s Guide to Summer Vacation Success (aka: #geekvacay) was a fun journey in the techie and not-so-techie elements of having a darn good and relaxing vacay, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we have! Here is a quickie recap of our Geek’s Vacation Guide journey, be sure to read all of our fun posts to help prepare for your own summer adventures:
Our guide was kicked off with a look at how to maximize your Google Map experiences to find those hidden travel treasures, followed by a video camera review and camera bag essentials breakdown. Addicted to your Apple products? We gotcha’ covered with a fun look at the best travel friendly iPhone apps and then a leap into the iPad world with a super list of must-have iPad apps to boot.
For the audio junkies out there, our iPod-less tunes for your travels post and audiobook geek out is a must-read (don’t let your eardrums go hungry). Why not complement your music session with a great work out meets sight seeing jog? And of course, we are all security nuts so having your important files backed up on USB and a properly packed car for your road trip is pretty high on our list too.
Want in on other cool travel gadgets to pack? We suggest an awesome travel pillow, your favorite sketchpad, wireless Internet card, perhaps a homemade river radio, your camera and… okay if you’re not into the iPhone Kool-Aid grab that Droid phone too.
Or leave the gadget world behind altogether and learn how to vacation without technology.
On a budget? We know the feeling – learn about ‘staycationing’, finding great vacation deals on the Web, buying into an awesome CityPass, preparing for a ComiCon vacation and taking a long hard look at your vacation options.
Want a different outlook on your vacation this year? Check out the ‘Guide to Vacation Aliases’, travel tips for overseas adventures from a true ‘G’ (for geek) and learning to appreciate the journey – not just the destination.
Thanks for traveling with us this month – we can’t wait to hear about your summer adventures! Keep us posted!
Updated Tendenci WYSIWYG editor on all modules live 7/1!
The Tendenci team is excited to announce that as of July 1st, 2010, at 12pm CST we have released our new WYSIWYG content editor tool to all of the modules in Tendenci.
For the last few months, we have been testing it out in our newsletter module and gathering feedback from you on our Get Satisfaction page. We’ve had some tweaks here and there – and are ready to get this WYSIWYG party started!
Check out this handy blog post to see some of the updates to your content editing toolbox. We can’t wait to hear what you think!
Geeks Guide to Summer Vacation – What’s a vacation?
I develop for a living. That’s about 10 hours a day spent staring at a screen.
My ideal vacation would consist of 2 things. Little technology and even less responsibility.
I haven’t taken a vacation in some time now, my PTO tells me so. This summer or winter I’m hoping to take an all inclusive resort with my dear Kara. From what she’s been selling me, you pay once and then relax. This includes alcohol … hmmm … relax.
The few things I’m hoping to take on this vacation are my wallet (which is really just a business card holder). I’m one of those minimalist freaks. I made the wallet-switch a couple of days ago and I’m more than pleased. My iPhone; it keeps me connected … but it can be turned off. If only more things in life came with an off switch. And some clothes. [Girlfriend assumed].
This is my contribution to a Geeks guide to successful summer vacation. It can be summed up in one sentence. Take as little as possible, that’s it.
Oh wait, plenty of sunscreen. I’m a Mesican but my skin is as white as it comes. Ok, now that’s it.
We’ve been busy looking at several spots [translation: Kara researches resorts about as much as Jay-Z says ‘uhh’].
Were looking for no-kids, relaxing, and affordable; and this is what we found.
Most Popular – Sandals
- Some kids
- Somewhat relaxing
- Somewhat affordable
Thoughts This is the safest bet, my biggest concern here is all the people. It’s also the same vacation everyone takes. Boring.
Most Spicy – Hedonism Resorts
http://www.hedonismresorts.com/
- No kids
- Less relaxing – “Vacation? I thought you said adventure!?”
- Somewhat expensive
Thoughts Wow. They’re itinerary consists of the words MILF, naked group, and tantra. We should give this one some thought.
Most Relaxing – Couples Resort
- No kids – [lots of old people. awkward]
- Very relaxing – I think everyone’s asleep
- Most affordable
Thoughts Maybe we’re too young for this place, wrinkled bodies is not my idea of a vacation. It does look relaxing though.
Code, I can do. Vacations, not so easy. Help … please?
Hurricane Season supply checklist – be prepared!
Basic Hurricane and Safety Preparedness Kits
June 1, marked the beginning of National Safety Month, so we’ve put together a short video on what you can do to be prepared in case of an emergency, as well as a few helpful tips. If you live near the coast, you are well aware that hurricane season is here!! Stock up and stay safe:
Hurricane Preparedness Kit from Schipul – The Web Marketing Co. on Vimeo.
- Food – at least 3 days of food per person and pet. We recommend foods that are easy to prepare and don’t require a lot of clean-up like peanut butter, Freeze dried/ dehydrated foods (available at camping stores0, and sweet treats and comfort foods. Don’t forget a can opener for shelf stable canned goods.
- Lighting– a standard flashlight with extra batteries is a good start. Since lighting is as much a need as a sense of comfort, fun lighting ideas include Glowsticks and Glow-In-the-Dark Stickers.
- First Aid Kit – extra allergy or prescription medication is a good idea. You may want to add old prescription glasses, sunscreen, and mosquito spray to your basic first-aid kit.
- Tools – a Mini crowbar or other multi-use tool , a fire extinguisher and backup fuel (for car, lawnmower or chainsaw) will suffice. Also protective gloves and back-up battery power for tools will come in handy.
- Communication – weather and battery operated radio, power inverter that plugs into you car, cell phone backup battery, and online wireless system (in case your phone is damaged), a wireless air card (for laptop) and a USB to back up documents and keep them safe.
- Atlas – It’s important to follow the secure hurricane routes recommended by officials. An atlas will help you navigate in case you need to go off the beaten path.
- Storage – keep everything in one safe place and don’t cheat and use it in the meantime. A nice backpack or storage bin is easy to grab and go and make sure items (like batteries or canned goods) are rotated out for freshness.
How can we help you stay safe during hurricane season?
Feel free to contact us (info@tendenci.com or 281-497-6567) for additional information or for help putting together your Hurricane Preparedness Kit.
Helpful Emergency and Hurricane Preparedness Sites
Photographic Memory
As I mentioned in my recent post Pack Your Sketchbook, I enjoy bringing home personal, visual souvenirs from my travels. I prefer a souvenir that isn’t the cookie cutter tourist-y items that the (insert your destination city here) locals sell you. However, the souvenirs I enjoy are something you can create that will last much longer than the standard I Love NY tee.
That being said, bring your CAMERA. Take pictures, shoot video, capture memories and remember the good times because unlike the title of this post, most of us do no have a “Photographic Memory.” I try to capture as many photos as I can without compromising the trip itself. On my recent trip to New York City, New York I brought along two cameras. The first being a Canon 5D (Thanks Ed) and the second was my good ol’ Canon G10. If you want some good pointers about what to pack in your camera bag… read Ed’s post. If you don’t have a fancy DSLR or a high end point and shoot, use what you have. The quality of the photo doesn’t matter as much as actually capturing the memories.
I could go on and on about the benefits of packing your camera. Instead, I’m going to let some photos from my recent trip to The Big Apple do the talking:
Deal Alert! A Geek’s Guide to Vacation Deals
I use all kinds of web tools to keep me updated on the things I need to know about – if it’s hitting the web, it will likely grace my RSS reader, Twitter, Facebook news feed, or be sent to me via Gchat from a coworker.
So why not use those same tools to help plan your vacation? Stay up to date on Travel deals and all the best from the cities you visit by following these feeds, tweets, and generally geeky online resources!
And if I left any out – let me know in the comments!!
Travel Tweets!
- @flyfromHOU is primarily updated by an API that auto tweets every time a fare price is down from the average. But there is also a team behind the magic giving the inside scoop on travel tips. There are accounts like @flyfromHOU for most major cities, all linked from farefinder.com.
- Kayak.com is not only a great deal comparison site – they have a great Twitter account too @kayak. Content includes great posts like top 5 cities to celebrate 4th of July, tips for making international phone calls, guide to summer music festivals, and (my favorite) a sneak peak at Harry Potter World a week before it opened.
- When Southwest Airlines is having a fare special, they are sure to post it on Twitter ~ don’t miss out! Follow @SouthwestAir for the latest on fare sales! Or add Southwest’s DING! widget to your desktop to alert you of great fares.
Alerts – Feed your Travel Bug
- Travel.yahoo.com allows you to set up automatic notifications any time the price of a flight to city X goes below Y dollar amount. To get started, log in and click “Set up Destination Alerts” and add those far away cities you’ve been meaning to visit!
- My favorite of all favorite newsletters Daily Candy feeds your inbox with “the latest in fashion, food, and fun.” Subscribe to the newsletter for your city (there is a Dallas newsletter, but sadly Houston is left out), or subscribe to the general newsletter and choose which topics you want to see (Travel, Deals, Weddings, City based, for kids, etc. etc. etc.). DailyCandy spotlights unique travel destinations, tips for saving money away from home, and offers special deals to their subscribers.
What about Staycation deals?
My favorite sources for Houston deals are @HOUCheap and @htowncheapeats. Follow both for the ultimate in food, drink, and play specials in Houston!
Travel on!
~QCait
Your Key to the City… CityPass!
Last year my family joyfully discovered CityPass… the kiddos were finally old enough to enjoy all the museums and attractions our fair city has to offer and so, we decided to take a few days off and make a staycation of it.
Upon researching the CityPass, I was even happier to discover that CityPass is offered in a multitude of really awesome vacation spots… New York, Seattle and San Francisco to name a few. And new to the list, Southern California! Yes, that’s right, Universal Studios, Disneyland, and the San Diego Zoo… plus a whole lot more are now easier to afford.
For the cost of a family of four to visit any 2 local attractions’ you can purchase a CityPass and gain access to at least 6 of the big name museums and local city draws.
Plus no waiting in lines (really… Space Center Houston, locally just known as NASA, has a special line just for CityPass folks.) It made site seeing with the kiddos just a little bit easier.
Another really cool feature is the pass lasts for 9 days… have some time off stacked up, don’t want to rush through your visit, no worries… you can wrap your travels around 2 weekends.
So, from this mom to you… I pass along the gift of the CityPass. Thinking about vacationing this summer’ I suggest picking your spot from one of the those listed on www.citypass.com
Happy Summer!