It’s not too late to sign up for my first ever web design seminar, Website Tips for Small Business Owners.  The event is taking place THIS Thursday, January 26, from 7-9pm at St. Paul’s Bloor Street.  It’s going to be a casual and interactive workshop, and we’re going to explore the following topics:

Let’s Start with the Basics
An overview of what makes a website attractive, so you end up with a gorgeous site, not a hot mess! Learn the basics of clean layout and website navigation.

Crafting Your Content
Get out that red pen and get ready to cut, slash and edit. We’ll go over some tips on how to write for the web to make sure your message is actually getting through.

Thinking of Going DIY?
Get advice on when you can build a website yourself, and when you’ll need professional help. We’ll look at a few of the DIY options out there (including an overview of WordPress, Etsy, and Shopify).

Don’t Fear the Nerd: How to Find and Work with A Web Professional
Design is a process, not just an end result. Tips on how to find the right web professional for you, and make sure you get the most out of your working relationship.

You’re Online… Now What? How to Keep Your Website Fresh
It might seem like the end, but launching a website is only the beginning. What’s your plan for ongoing site maintenance?

Following the presentation, there will be plenty of time for questions and advice. This seminar is great for small business owners who already have a website (that might need some tuning up), and also for those that are looking to launch a new website.

You can find even more information, and register online here.

A lucky friend of mine received an iPad for Christmas, and I promised I would share a list of my favourite apps for watching videos with her.  And then I thought, why don’t I share my list with all of you?  So here goes.  Note – there are probably a bunch of apps that I’m not aware of, or not using.  So if you see something missing from my list, please share!  Oh, and these are apps that we can get and run in Canada.  I know there’s a VLC player app, but we can’t get it here (for some weird reason).  No Hulu, PBS, Comcast, or Cablevision either.

Apps that provide you with content:

Netflix (free app; content requires a subscription). When Netflix first launched in Canada, it got a bad rap for having inferior content.  But they’ve improved – adding lots of new stuff.  I like the documentaries and TV shows, and Clara likes Sesame Street.  The quality is good and streams fast.  Well worth the small monthly fee.

BBC iPlayer Global (free app; some free content, some paid content). BBC iPlayer finally launched in Canada (yay!). The subscription/paid section is worth it for Sherlock alone.

CBC TV (free). You know, for when you just must catch up on Corrie Street.  Or Republic of Doyle.

CTV for iPad (free).  Same thing as the CBC app – you can watch CTV shows.  Not all the shows from the network are available though.

TEDTalks (free). If you have an extra few minutes, watch a TEDtalk. I’ve never found one I didn’t like.

Apps for watching your own video content:

CineXPlayer ($3.99). Since VLC player isn’t available in Canada (I know, right?), I use CineXPlayer.  It’s a simple app for playing Xvid files on your iPad (you know, the ones that you can’t add in iTunes). Sync up your video collection, and you’re golden. Note – it stores the files on your iPad’s hard drive, so you might hit your storage limit fast.  Easy to take files on and off though.

AirVideo ($2.99). AirVideo streams video content from your computer, directly to your iPad.  It supports AVI, DivX, MKV file formats, converting them and streaming over your network quickly. I love AirVideo because it doesn’t chew up my iPad’s storage space, like CineXPlayer does. Supposedly you can stream online, even when you’re away from your local network. I haven’t tried that yet – I figure if I’m going away (on holiday or something), I’d load up videos using CineXPlayer.  But when I’m at home, and I just want to stream to my couch, AirVideo is great.

I get that question all the time.  And apparently, so does my colleague and client Sue Edworthy.  Sue is an arts marketing specialist / publicist / strategist / consultant / planner, and she has a pretty great blog about marketing trends.  Last week, she asked if she could interview me for a blog post based around the question “Does anyone know how much it costs to set up a basic website?”

Of course, I was happy to oblige, since I have lots of thoughts on the subject.  You can read our interview over on Sue’s blog by clicking here.  Enjoy!

["Complicated Bicycle" illustration by Marc Johns. It has nothing to do with basic websites.  I just like it.]

Have you heard about Ladies Learning Code?  They’re a Toronto-based women-run not-for-profit that organizes workshops for ladies (and gentlemen too) to learn new technical skills.  Their workshops offer great quality instruction, in a fun and hip atmosphere.  And it’s really affordable – the workshops are only $40, and that includes a full day of instruction, breakfast AND lunch!

Ladies Learning Code is hosting a WordPress for Beginners workshop on January 14. If you’d like to attend, registration begins at 7pm TONIGHT. Follow this link to register. When they ran this workshop in November, it sold out fast.

If you do sign up, then I’ll see you at the workshop. I’m volunteering as a mentor to help out. I’m really looking forward to it- should be lots of fun.

[photo of the November WordPress for Beginners workshop from the Ladies Learning Code blog]

Say what you want, but I am pro-technology for kids.  Of course, I think there should be limits placed on the amount of time a kid spends with a smartphone in their hands, but in general, I’d much prefer to see a child playing with n iPad (and actually interacting with it) than just passively watching TV. Everything in moderation, right?

Anyway, if you don’t mind sharing your smartphone or tablet with your kid, you might want to try some of these apps out:

There’s a Monster at the End of This Book is an interactive story app based on the Sesame Street book of the same name.  My nephews (aged 3 and 6) can’t get enough of this one.

Don’t Let the Pigeon Run This App features a make-your-own story and drawing tool, all based on Mo Willem’s hilarious “Pigeon” books.  We’ve played this with our 9 month old daughter, but mostly Ian and I just like to play with it ourselves.  That pigeon is a riot.

Elmo Loves ABCs for iPad. Seriously, what kid doesn’t go nuts for Elmo?

I haven’t tried it, but Swiss Miss recommends Count the Animals, an app for toddlers and pre-schoolers learning to count.  It comes in 16 languages!

For more kids’ app recommendations, check out this article that the NY Times just ran in their travel section.  And of course, check out BestKidsApps.com where you can search for the best apps for kids of different ages, search by different prices, different types of apps, etc.

Oh, and PS – if you’re going to let your kid play with your iPad, you better get a really good case for it so they don’t break it.  I have my eye on the iGuy by Speck Products.  Isn’t it adorable?

[image above by Flickr user speedye]

If you’re on Facebook, you’ve probably noticed some of the recent changes, and you may have heard that there are even more coming.  One of the more nifty changes is the “timeline” that you can enable on your Facebook profile.  It will be available to most users in the next couple of weeks, so you can wait to see what it’s all about, or you can get a sneak peak now.  There’s a screen shot of mine, above.

To enable the new Facebook timeline feature, follow these steps as outlined over at Mashable.  It’s really not that hard or technical.  The most difficult part is signing up for Facebook mobile, which you can promptly disable after you’re done playing with Timeline.

This past Saturday, we flew on Porter Airlines from Toronto to Newark, in order to get to the apartment we rented in Brooklyn.  We could have flown another airline that would take us to JFK or LaGuardia airports, which are much closer to Brooklyn… but we chose Porter specifically because we’ve had great experiences with them in the past, and we trust their high level of customer service.

I was very apprehensive about flying with baby Clara, who is just over 5 months old.  Before our trip, I googled air travel tips, trying to find as much info as I could in advance.  I even called the airline’s customer service line and asked all kinds of specific questions (exactly how much baby formula can you take with you?  can we bring our own bottled water for mixing the formula?  can we gate check the stroller AND the car seat? etc etc).

In the end, the flight went swimmingly.  Turns out I had nothing to worry about.  Both Porter and Clara were amazing.

Now that we’ve done it, I’d like to share some tips with you, if you’re interested.  (click on those three little dots below to continue reading)

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See… I told you I couldn’t stay away for long!  I saw this list of the Best Travel Websites Ever on the Guardian’s website and had to share.  It really is the best roundup of “insider” travel websites I’ve seen in a long time.  Peruse, and enjoy!  (I might be back soon with more info about a few of these that are personal faves.  Otherwise, I’m still on holiday!)

Have you signed up for Groupon Getaways yet?  The service hasn’t launched, but you can join, so you’ll get the deals when they do launch.  Groupon Getaways is a partnership between Groupon and Expedia, and will feature special travel deals, often at 50% off or more.  For more info, read an article about Groupon Getaways on Budget Travel’s blog.

I read about this iPhone app in the Globe and Mail last week.  It’s a guide to wines and wine pairing, which is really nothing new.  But what’s cool about this app is the barcode scanning function, which will definitely come in handy next time I’m standing in the LCBO staring at bottles, trying to pick one that’s not the same-old, same-old.  Just scan the barcode of a bottle and read reviews.  It will even tell you where the wine is in stock at LCBO locations.  Amazing!