by Melanie

Lesson Learned: Never Update your WordPress Theme

January 15, 2015 in Office by Melanie

Share this so you can find it later:


wordpress-update



Tuesday night after I got home from a meeting and the kids were all in bed for the night, I sat down to do a little blogging… and that’s when the nightmare started.

Let’s rewind a bit to the end of 2013 when I was just starting Forty Eighteen. I spent a LOT of time finding just the right wordpress theme for the look I wanted. I didn’t want to spend a million dollars, but I wanted some flexibility. Being able to customize it was a must, and there were some features I wasn’t willing to budge on. After a lot of searching and trying things out, I found the perfect theme for me. And the best part??? It was free! It still had tons of options and plenty of flexibility that you would normally expect from a fancy theme that cost a pretty penny, but mine was free and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

This miracle theme came with a warning. It was out of date and a new version would be coming soon. You could pre-order the premium version of the new update and get some extras. But the free version had everything I wanted, so I didn’t bother with it. I didn’t think much of the update. I figured I would see it when it was available.

Fast forward to Tuesday night. I logged into the admin side of my blog and found a few available updates waiting for me. For the first time EVER, one of them was the update for my theme to the new version! It’s time to update, baby!

This is where the nightmare begins. Like a complete IDIOT, I just clicked update. I didn’t look at the theme page, check out the demo, try out the live preview, or even look at screenshots. I figured the version I had was so wonderful that the update would be like that only better.

I cringe when I think about how naive I was.

The update finished and activated, I clicked on “Visit Site,” excited to see how amazing my blog looked now.

Everything

was

gone

 

 

GONE!!!

 

I’m pretty sure I stopped breathing. ALL OF THAT WORK!!! My header was gone, replaced by my blog title in a generic font. My sidebars were gone, replaced by nothing, absolutely nothing. All of my features and customization were gone. I had a generic title and a post and that was it. I was absolutely sick.

What was I thinking??? I know better than that!

I started frantically hitting ctrl+z hoping by some miracle that I could just undo that last little bitty change I had made to my site.

Did you know ctrl+z doesn’t work in every situation??? Aargh!!!

Google will know what to do! I started searching for how to rollback to a previous version of a WP theme. Surely I wasn’t the only one who had made such a colossal mistake, so there must be someone out there with a you tube video explaining how to recover all of my hard work.

Nope. Aargh!!!

Time to pull up my big girl panties and deal with it. I decided it was time to get to work. I had made this moronic mistake and now I had to live with the consequences and recreate my blog. But when I got to work I realized that some of my no-budge features weren’t even options in this new and “improved” version. Aargh!!!

Fine. So instead of recreating my blog with this new theme, it was time to intensify the search for the old version. Wonder of wonders! I found a zip file of my old version of the theme! Hallelujah!!! Time to install it.

The folders already exist. Installation failed. Aargh!!!

The folders already exist? Oh, that’s right, of course they do! I have to delete the current version of the theme before I install the old one. But when I clicked on the theme, “Delete” wasn’t even an option.

Back to Google! Unfortunately, Google told me to do exactly what I had already done to find the delete button. Luckily, that’s when I had an epiphany. I couldn’t delete the theme I was using! So I switched to another theme, and the delete button magically appeared. I clicked delete, accepted the warning that I wouldn’t be able to undo it (believe me – I know ctrl+z doesn’t work in theme installations), and watched it disappear.

That’s when it hit me… I just lost everything! All of my customization and settings and code that I had spend so many hours tweaking was all gone. Aargh!!! I felt sick again.

Oh well, too late to do anything about it now. I installed my zip file and miracle of miracles it worked!!! I clicked on “Visit Site” and stopped breathing again. My header was back, but my sidebars were still gone. Aargh!!!

Oh well, at least I have the right version of the theme now, so I know I can get it all back. Time to put on those big girl panties again and get to work! I started setting up my sidebars and recoding things. Then I scrolled down a little farther as I was moving things around and noticed EVERYTHING at the bottom of the page in an “inactive sidebar” section. I didn’t lose everything after all!!! Yippee! Wahoo!!!

It was 3:30 am by the time I got to bed. After a night of drag and drop, cut and paste, code and tweak, I was pretty proud of myself for fixing my major screw-up. My site was back – and I even made a few of the changes I had been thinking about making for awhile.

Most importantly, I learned a very valuable lesson: NEVER EVER update my wordpress theme!

Have you made any colossal mistakes lately?

Interested in some more lessons I have learned?

I attended my very first blog conference last year and learned how to rock it.

blog-conference-tips

This little trick I learned has saved my sanity every school day morning.

morning-rush

When I learned what my family wants from our family home evenings, I was able to make it a better experience for everyone.

Improve your Family Home Evenings with this free printable from Forty Eighteen

I learned that my young kids are great at cleaning their rooms when they have some direction.

clean-your-room-chartWhat have you learned lately?

Share this so you can find it later:


by Melanie

9 Health Challenges to Kickstart your 2015

January 3, 2015 in Craft Room by Melanie

Share this so you can find it later:


9-health-challenges


Feel Great in 8

  • make healthy choices
  • small fee to join
  • following the “rules” earns you points
  • top earners win prize money

30 Day Clean Eating Challenge

  • eat whole, clean meals
  • no refined sugars and flours
  • no prepackaged or processed foods
  • tips for success

Simple Green Smoothies

  • drink one green smoothie every day for a month
  • recipes and shopping lists emailed weekly

Weightless Workout Challenge

  • no weights required
  • video tutorials
  • beginner/intermediate/advanced workouts

3o-Day At-Home Crossfit Challenge

  • no gym or equipment necessary
  • detailed workout schedule with rest days

Fit Food Challenge

  • daily health challenges
  • email reminders
  • weekly meal plans

Drink Your Water

  • drink 64 oz water every day
  • printable calendar

30-Day No Sugar Challenge

  • guidelines and tips for success
  • shopping list
  • Facebook group with recipes and support

4 Week Health Challenge

  • daily health challenges
  • free eBook with email sign up (totally worth it)
  • add one new habit each day as you go along

Want to improve your health this year? What are you doing to get started?

Share this so you can find it later:


by Melanie

2015 Resolutions

January 1, 2015 in Craft Room by Melanie

Share this so you can find it later:


resolutions-pin


One little word that strikes fear in the hearts of so many.

Resolutions

When did that become a bad word?

I guess I’m just a weirdo, and I do things a little differently when it comes to setting resolutions, but I LOVE it. I absolutely love a new year and a fresh start. I love thinking about where I want to be a year from now.

I have been known to set 84 resolutions in one year. Yes, 84. Of course, I wasn’t successful with every single one, but when you set that many you’re bound to get lucky with at least one, right?

I’m not quite that extreme anymore, but seriously, I love it. And I will happily set resolutions every single year of my life.

So here are my resolutions for 2015 (I’m keeping it down to 5):

resolution1

1. NO shooting in auto

I have been learning how to use my fancy camera, and it feels like I’ve cracked a secret code. So now it’s time to really get serious. This year I will only shoot in manual mode. I can’t wait to see how much I learn and improve (Surely I will improve, right???) by this time next year.

resolution2

2. Hugs, lots and lots of hugs

There are days when I finally collapse into bed and honestly can’t remember if I took time to cuddle with each one of those sweet little people who call me mom. I should never EVER have a day when I don’t hug and love on those precious girls every chance I get.

resolution3

3. Date like we’re in college again

Once upon a time Steve and I were young college students who were madly in love. We made time for each other and spent every moment we possibly could together. Then we got married and got real jobs and bills and had kids and a million things pulling us in many directions, often away from each other. We still have all of those grown-up responsibilities, but this year I want to act like those college kids more often, still madly in love and spending every moment we possibly can together. Sometimes that needs to be out on the town, away from those adorable kids of ours.

resolution4a

4. Hone healthy habits

You know there’s got to be some kind of health goal in this list, but this isn’t about a drastic diet or unreasonable exercise plan. It’s all about habits. And not just physical healthy habits but also mental health, spiritual health, emotional health. There are a bunch of little habits I want to work on, but I’ve learned that when I’m more disciplined in one area, that discipline bleeds into other areas of my life and I do better in other things, too, so it will all work together.

resolution5

5. Learn something new

Sometimes I feel like my brain is turning to mush. It is frustrating to remember when you used to be really smart and not feel that way anymore. I was a fabulous student all throughout school, but now I struggle to find simple words to complete basic sentences in day-to-day conversations. It’s about time for me to wake up my brain and really work on learning something new and challenging. I have a few projects in mind that will require me to learn some new skills. It will be hard, and I’m excited to get started.

Do you set resolutions? Tell me what you’re planning to accomplish this year.

If you want some help with your resolutions, here are a few things you might want to check out. I break just about every one of the experts’ rules, but I love the way I set my resolutions.

keep-resolutions

This is a great reminder of what is really important and where I need to be spending my time.

spend-time

Happy New Year!!!

Share this so you can find it later:


by Melanie

Top 14 Posts of 2014

December 27, 2014 in Office by Melanie

Share this so you can find it later:


As this first blogging year comes to an end, I am loving looking back at the year’s highlights and favorite posts. It’s like the People’s Choice Awards of Forty Eighteen. Thank you so much for sticking by me through the thick and thin of it all – even when it has been awfully thin. Without you there wouldn’t be a top fourteen of anything. A lot of bloggers post their top 10 posts of the year, but of course I have to put my own little twist on a long-standing tradition. So here are the top 14 posts of 2014.

top-14


1. Teaching Primary Music: Seek the Lord Early

seek-the-lord-early

I was primary music chorister for exactly 3 months before I was called to the stake primary presidency and asked to train the primary choristers. Eek!

2. Teaching PrimaryMusic: Love Is Spoken Here

love-is-spoken-here

A song about love on heart signs for Valentine’s Day. Oh so clever, eh?

3. Food Storage Your Family Will Actually Eat

food-storage

This completely changed the way I thought about food storage.

4. Six Simple Pasta Salads

6-pasta-salads

To qualify to be on this list, these pasta salads had to be super simple and delicious. Mission accomplished.

5. Brown Sugar Carrots

carrots

I hated cooked carrots as a kid, but my kids cheer when they see these on the table and they eat every single bite.

6. Kiss Under the Stars

kiss under the stars

That’s my idea of a great date.

7. U-Pick Farms Tips and Tricks

you-pick-tips

All this never-ending snow out my window has me wishing for farms full of ripe berries and red tomatoes.

8. February Visiting Teaching Notes

2-14lost-web

I don’t like to go visiting teaching without a treat and a great thought, and I love this one.

9. Favorite Popcorn Balls

popcornballs

I made these at least 5 times a week every summer when I was growing up.

10. Simple BBQ Menu

marinade

I would happily BBQ every day all summer long and never get tired of it. This super easy marinade kicked off a week of simple BBQ recipes.

11. Go Clean Your Room

clean-your-room-chart

Chuck would go into her room and stare at the mess, completely overwhelmed, until I made this chart for her. Now she knows how to clean it and gets it done much faster. I’m a huge fan of kids cleaning their own rooms.

12. Can you fire a tooth fairy?

tooth-fairy silhouette

I’m pretty sure we have the worst tooth fairy ever.

13. Creamy Corn Salad

creamy-corn-salad

I don’t remember what on earth made me try these ingredients together, but it’s one of my absolute favorite salads now.

14. Chicken Vegetable Soup

vegetable-chicken-noodle-soup

This homemade chicken noodle soup is full of veggies and is the perfect comfort food for chilly nights.

Did your favorite post make it to this list?

I have been planning and prepping for 2015, and I am so excited to share another great year with you and make even more friends along the way. Here’s to an even better year at Forty Eighteen!

Share this so you can find it later:


by Melanie

Toffee Cheesecake Bars

November 28, 2014 in Kitchen by Melanie

Share this so you can find it later:


Now that Thanksgiving is over, it’s time to think about Christmas treats! But before we get started let me remind you about The 12 Days of Christmas Wish Lists to help you find the perfect gifts for everyone on your list. Find the first day’s wish list HERE and follow the links to find the rest. I love finding the perfect gift for everyone I love.

Now on to the treats. Every Christmas when I was a kid, we would put together plates of treats to give the neighbors. I have fond memories of piling everyone into the car with our hands full of plates, running up to doors and delivering our favorite holiday treats.

christmas-plate

As soon as Steve and I had a family of our own, it seemed only right to carry on the tradition, but of course I couldn’t just fill the plates with the same things year after year. It’s too much fun to try new things and find new family favorites.

Toffee has been and always will be my favorite holiday treat. My dad makes it just like my grandma, and it’s a true labor of love as he singes his eyebrows getting it just right. After the almond-filled toffee sets up, he melts a huge Hershey bar over each side and sprinkles chopped almonds over the whole thing to finish it off. Mm, mmm. My absolute fave.

I always have to have some toffee at Christmas. I don’t live close enough to get some from my dad every Christmas, so on the years I decide to keep my eyebrows and don’t make my own I need another toffee fix. These Toffee Cheesecake bars are just the thing. Not only do I get my toffee fix, but… cheesecake.

Mmm, cheesecake.

toffee-cheesecake-bars


Toffee Cheesecake Bars

Crust:

  • 1 1/4 c flour
  • 1 c powdered sugar
  • 1/2 c cocoa
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 c butter

Filling:

  • 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 pkg (8 oz) toffee bits, divided

Start with the crust. Combine the flour, powdered sugar, cocoa and baking soda. Cut in the butter until it gets crumbly. Press into a 9×13 baking pan. You don’t need to worry about greasing the pan because 3/4 c butter. Seriously. Toss that in the oven and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

While your crust is cooking, it’s time to make the filling. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese until it’s fluffy. Then add the milk, eggs, and vanilla. Beat that all together until it’s smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the toffee bits and pour it all over the hot crust. Toss it back in the oven and bake for another 25 minutes, still at 350, until it’s set and the edges just begin to brown.

It’s starting to look amazing, right? Pull it out of the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes. Then sprinkle the rest of the toffee bits (1/2 c) evenly over the top. Let it cool completely and toss it in the fridge for a few hours until it’s cold. Then serve it up or slice it up for your neighbor treat plates.

This is a great treat to make ahead for parties since you can just keep it cold in the fridge and pull it out when you’re ready to wow your guests. And really, what could be better than cheesecake and toffee?? Yum!

What is your favorite Christmas treat? If you’re looking for some new ones to try, I have joined with some fabulous bloggers to share some Christmas goodness today. I see a few I definitely need to try this year. If you find a new favorite, let me know!


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Share this so you can find it later: