RHOK'n the Keywords

Ever want to know what brings people to the RHOK? Well,

every once in awhile I like to know too. It's very entertaining.

Below are our most recent "keywords", or words that people

searched with to find us as they were typed in. They are in order

of popularity, from most used to least.

phenomenal woman- Why yes. We all are. Thanks!

healthy friendships- That is us! Wow, people are smart.

Skinny Girls with stretch marks-

Well, hmmmm. I don't know about the other girls,

but this doesn't apply to moi.

a house divided- None of those here. Though we are

a blog divided.

funny face book about unfriending- Did we cover this?

grief images- What are these exactly?

how to look like a swimsuit model-Tell me. I need to know.

catchy phrases answer face book survey- Of course.

Get ALL your catchy phrases here.

hand- Foot?

how to get sorority recommendations- It's not easy, kids!

loss of loved one- Unfortunately, yes, we covered that.

mini champagne bottle labels- Do we have these?

photos of spring- We do have lots of photos.

Spavinaw state park- FUN.

summer bucket list ideas- Yes. This exists.

TISSUE PAPER SPIRIT STICK IDEAS- Now,

I have no clue about this. How does one make a

stick out of tissue paper, anyhow?

100th birthday cake black and white clip art images-I am sure

you came here by extreme accident.

blue hole Oklahoma- FUN. FUN. FUN.

Brooke Decker- Had to google her myself.

bully- We don't like them. Be nice.

Do you ever take a minute to marvel over how people find you?

You definitely should. See how fun(ny) it is? It can also be an

ego boost. I mean not just one, but over 19 people searched for

phenomenal woman to find us!

Enoy searching!

Mrs. Sinclair

 

aka the phenomenal woman

In Your Neck of The Woods: Good Bye, New Facebook, Guest Posts- A Plethora

Today we say good-bye to the In Your Neck of the Woods meme. We are currently are thinking of some ideas for the future in way of a new meme. But, we would like YOUR input! Please comment and leave some suggestions for us to discuss!

Meanwhile, in my Neck of the Woods, I've become a "developer" for Facebook. Really, I wish that was as important as it may sound-like come with salary, but it doesn't. It just means I can see the new timeline that is soon coming and mess with it BEFORE others. And I can show it to you, because well, I can screenshot.

It's kind of like a blog/MySpace less the crap. (Just to prove the point MarkyZ wouldn't like me to say this, the whole second half of this sentence appeared in broken code for no reason whatsoever, randomly- and I did not notice till this morning, after it had been up over 7 hours. Hmmmm. I did not know his power was so vast!)

I've been a member of FB for 4 years, 5 months and 9 days. I've been here since all my friends were Canadian. I've been through many a change. None of them really bother me. This one doesn't either. But, I am a little more tech savvy than the average person (I think). I am NOT so sure the older generation is going to be down with it, but it looks very good to me!

You can also go way back easily. Like when my kids looked like this:

and I was posting about Christmas. You can move back very quickly to catch up with people, and starting from when born, you can see when all your family (confirmed as so) came along, then you graduated, etc., etc. It's so cool. Really it is. Don't be scared. 

_____________________________

Next up, I am here to unveil the NEW button for guest posters which you will be able to have for your page when you guest post here and are Housewife for a Day!

Just click the Guest Post tab and see how to do it!

**We have had a lot of requests for tees! Please know the FASTEST way with the most selection of types and sizes is to visit our Cafe Press store. You can click over right to it using the link at the top left of this page! **

Thanks for coming by today!

Mrs. Sinclair,

 Facebooker

Say Whut?

Hey YGLT! Are in one of my circles? We can huddle up anytime. Just don't forget to +1 my posts. If you are not in my stream, but have accepted my request that we be friends publicly (or vice versa), you could poke me instead just for fun. Just don't post all over my wall okay? That's like graffiti, and I'd have to report you.

When I am not in your top news, you might find me all a flutter and tweeting my latest news. I've got Klout so I use it. But you know tweet speak has picked up so much in the last few months though, most of us all stars turned over to the less crowded  (well at the moment) IG. Did you know you can also TG? Well, you can.

Stumble, not tumblr, on four square around and get glue. Can't you digg it? YNK!

Oh, how very pinteresting. Posterous even, YKWIM? ROTFLMBOPMP.

FYSIGTBABN,
Mrs. Sinclair,
playin' WWF like

hotter than APIAPS

There's An App for That?

Seeing as I am usually the resident "technical" housewife, I was thinking a geeky gadgetry post was over due from me. After all, I do not like to disappoint.

So I thought I'd see if we could take a look in a day in the life of-like kind of way. I just updated to an iPhone 4 so, I am a little giddy. Also, my son changed the pass code on our iTouch and then forgot it. Has this ever happened to you? Well, you have to call in to apple and then do a complete restore back to nothing. So, I had a lot of restoring to do, which is what got me thinking about all this app business. Are we on the same page now? OK, good.

First, you have to wake up. Now, surely you know there is an alarm on your iPhone. Did you know there is a Sleep Cycle alarm clock app? It tracks your sleep cycle and then wakes you up at the optimum time based on your body's sleep cycle. Totally not kidding. It's 99cents.

Next, you may want breakfast. Well, for free you can get the Breakfast Maker app. You can cook all the things you want! How cool is that?  Well, really cool. Also, you will lose weight unless iPhone 4 materializes things from thin air. Or you can think about breakfast while playing for fake money on Breakfast Slots. That's free too, because, well, IT'S FAKE MONEY.

By now you might need to shower. Ever have an extreme desire to know what type of Shower Personality you are? Never fear. There's an app for that. Guess what? It's free. BONUS. Or, if you seem to forget when you bathe, there's an app for that too. It's the Time to Take a Shower app!

Time to get dressed! If you don't have good judgement and possibly no mirror in your home, get the Go Try It On app. OR, just get it for kicks if you like to tell people they have no taste. Personally, that is my favorite use.

Ready for a snack? Try The Snack App. This is actually a kind of useful app if you are counting calories or carbs. It's free, so that makes it all the more better.

Need a bathroom break? Bored? Get the iPoo-Bored while you poo app. Oh, yes. There is.  And, if you happen to have trouble peeing in a public place, there's an app for that too. Get Help Me Pee! Also, for more bathroom fun, there is iPee Urinal Games. Yes, 12 year olds have taken over making iPhone apps.

Lunchtime? Why not use the 20 Minute Deeply Relaxing Sleep With Hypnosis-Ideal Refreshment for Lunch app. Yes, that is the title. You can check. Or, maybe you don't know where to eat. Use the Lunch Roulette app, which also is actually kind of useful!

Do you need to buy a new washer and dryer after lunch? Get the Save Benji's app. This is a very useful app. Simply scan the bar code of any item where you are and it will tell you the competitor's prices all around you.

Next up, a little afternoon time wasting. How about a game of Fruit Ninja, or The Heist. This may make you tired. You could revisit the 20 minute hypno app, or maybe start a round of yawning with the Addictive Yawn Starter app. Or, maybe utilize the Brainwave Power Nap app.

Traffic on your way home a concern? Just use the Traffic Light Changer app. Or, use an app that is not for entertainment only and get traffic.com. It says it will help you for real, not just as a joke to impress your friends with fake ninja light changing skills.

Need a workout? Get the Work-Out app. OR you can just LOOK more buff  & tough by getting the 'stachetastic ULTIMATE app. I'll let you check that one out on your own.

Dinner anyone? Use What's for Dinner. Or possibly WTFSIMFD.

OK, now I am just getting tired. I am sure you are too. Use the Sleep Machine app to send you to lullaby land. If that is not your cup of tea use the Sleep Pillow Ambiance app instead. Or read all about tea using the Tea* app, and be bored to sleep.

Using Talking Tomcat 2 to say goodbye,
Mrs. Sinclair

who spends WAY too much time in the APP store

For the love of pete, BCC!

This post is half tech savvy and half extreme pet peeve.  But, I figure all the people driving me NUTSO with the lack of BCCing, well maybe they just don't know how. I am giving them the benefit of the doubt. But, it's 20 fuh-reakin' 10 people. My kindness will only go on so long. 


Now, I shall explain BCC with the help of wikipedia. In the context of correspondence, blind carbon copy (abbreviated Bcc:) refers to the practice of sending a message to multiple recipients in such a way that conceals individual email addresses (mentioned in "to" field of the mail) from the complete list of recipients. 


This shall not be confused AT ALL with carbon copying. In the context of correspondence, carbon copying, abbreviated cc or c.c., is the technique of using carbon paper to produce one or more copies simultaneously during the creation of paper documents. With the advent of email, the term has also become to refer to simultaneously sending copies of an electronic message to secondary recipients.


I don't like to get emails with 100 email addresses I can see. Especially from people IN CHARGE of emailing large groups. Not only is it a privacy issue but, hello, it is as annoying as those vuvuzela things at world cup soccer. Oh, yes. It IS.


When I get one of these messages on my iPhone for example, I am forced to scroll through hundreds of names before even getting to the message part. By then I don't want to read your message. Because you are ON MY LAST NERVE.

So, here is a little tutorial which works in Outlook and Outlook Express.

In your compose mail window, you may not see a BCC option, but don't be discouraged.

Click View and All Headers....then....

Voila! Success. Then choose or paste in your recipients.  In GMAIL there is a little ADD BCC link to push right below your "TO" box in compose mail. See how easy it is?

Then I don't have to see this:

I will happily take any questions or provide help in this matter so we can make the world a better BCC place!

Oh & also, the winner of the Simply Serena photoshoot is........

AND, who was the number 2 commenter?  

Marilie 1 week ago

how about the "craziness" of working with needle, thread, fabric & trim all day.....Yes, I run with scissors!!!

Flag

1 person liked this.  

Congrats Marlie! Email us or facebook us for Serena's info!

Happy E-Mailing!
Mrs. Sinclair







PS: While I am at it, if you are a common commenter on blogger and do not have an email linked to your profile- people CANNOT comment back to you.  And maybe you'd like to hear from someone. It could be beneficial. So, go in right now to your blogger profile and make sure your email is in there. OK? Yes, I am bossy, remember?

RHOK'n Photo Edits

Some of you have noticed my photo edits and asked about how I do them.  So, I'll do my best to make it our very first tutorial here at the RHOK.  First, a little background.  I have always enjoyed taking photos and was a photographer in high school for the newspaper and yearbook, then I was even a paid photographer for The Daily O'Collegian at Oklahoma State. This was back in the day when we developed our film and printed pictures in the dark room.  Now that seems like the dark ages!  I have a degree in Journalism/Advertising and minored in Graphic Design. The point of that background info is to point out that even though I have the skills and own the software- I DO NOT USE PHOTOSHOP. Nope. If I type something in ALL CAPS people, I mean it.  This will not involve photoshop whatsoever.  Frankly, it scares people.  It's expensive. And well, you can do a lot of cool stuff with out it.

What I do use is a free software called Photoscape. And sometimes I also use Picnik. I do pay for the premium version of picnik, because I love the extras. But, it can be free too!

Now, let's do a little tutorial.  First, we'll use Picnik to enhance. Then we'll finish it off in Photoscape.  We are going to use a picture of my girl- because, well, she really likes her picture taken. So, I have a lot on hand.

First the raw picture:

It's okay, but could use some touch-ups to be more eye-catching. So, first I would start in Picnik. After, the obvious photo uploading, rotating and/or cropping you would choose the CREATE tab, then TOUCH-UPS.  I always first choose EYE BRIGHT. (there are many more cool touch-ups available I am not covering, but you can play with- like for wrinkles, becoming more tanned, blemish removal,  & airbrushing, just to name a few.)

Then I adjust to brush size 28, and 64% lighten, leaving your fade at default 50.

Zoom in and ever so carefully, just run the little circle over the white and the iris of the eye.  Then, if teeth are showing, run over those too.  (There is another section for whitening teeth- but really, the eye button does the same thing and you're already there.)

And, now, viola, you have bright eyes and teeth. Now, choose MASCARA.  This tool will in fact make it look like you have lucious black lashes- however, it's actually a tool for vibrance in general.  I also use it to enhance the lip color and freckles, in addition to the eyes.

See the difference? Now, choose the EFFECTS tab and we will apply a vignette-which is just a fancy term for adding black around the focal point so it pops off the page. I always reset the defaults to full size and strength.

And, then you have this finished product to compare to the original below.

But, there is more!  I usually apply a frame or other enhancement.  And this is when I prefer my Photoscape.

You choose editor at the top, then find your photo from your hard drive.  Then, choose the photo.  Select the frames choice menu.

I really like to apply the pocket, which looks like this:

Then, you can also apply the fold frame, which just looks like its laying in a stack of pictures. To add multiple frames on to one picture, simply click the photo+frame button. Below, both pocket and fold are applied:

Now, pocket and wedding:

And, pocket and tape:

You can do all kinds of stuff!  Photoscape is best explored by just playing around!  I also love it because it has a screen capture feature. You can capture any screen easily, even on sites that don't normally allow it. (Shhhh!) 

I hope this helps you with your adventures in picture editing. Feel free to leave questions and I will get back to you! To me, things are best learned hands on, so get busy! We may even host a little photo contest at the end of summer.

Happy snapping!
~Mrs. Sinclair~

Disqus: I'm not talkin' high school track

Ok, so I'm sure you all have encountered the Disqus- you know the new commenting system a lot of bloggers are addding to their blogs for commenting. Some love it, some hate it. I'm here to tell you why we use it.

Simply put, disqus allows you to easily interact with your commenters. It allows you to provide them feedback, or even chat back and forth. How many times have you wished you could respond to a comment, only to find you couldn't!?!  It also lets you "like" things, a faster form of flattery-yet still meaningful.  I mean, despite the inital set-up, there isn't much not to love about it. The Mashable himself even talks about it taking over the commentsphere. I think it's here to stay! 

Another excellent point, if you are looking to increase your own little ol' page rank, then you should be happy to use a system such as disqus- mainly because it adds your link to that many more places out in the world wide web. Just think of the powerhouse you could become!

The best way I have found to get used to something is to try it hands on....so go ahead. At the end of this post try our disqus out and comment away. Go for it.  It isn't scary at all.  Make an account and then you'll be set, if you haven't already. This can be your trial and error.  I'll respond to all of you who try it out! This is social media, right?  Let's all be social and comment!

Sincerely,
Your semi-tech savvy housewife
Mrs. Sinclair