NOTE:   I don’t expect anyone to read this forever long post.. It’s mostly for myself to stay on track a bit.

For me – I need to develop staying on track a bit better.  Part of doing that for today is by posting my list of what needs to be done here and coming back through the day and updating it.

I also babysit my cousin’s two little boys (1yo and 4yo) and this morning they already appear to be a HAND FULL…. Baby screaming and crying all morning since the moment dad dropped him off – said he was like that all morning.  My own kids get home between 2:45 and 4 (9yo and 14 yo).  So my goal… to somehow get this all done by 2:30 today (mind you as I type this the baby is having a temper tantrum and screaming as usual – think I might lose my mind…. Would love to start making enough money not to watch them anymore…. I am just so beyond the little kids stage and need to get my life with my own family back – it’s really hard to have someone else’s kids in your house 10 hours a day!)

Also my 14 yo is very close with a friend of hers (15yo) who was hit by a car in January – in a coma for several weeks, etc. and has been recovering – she’s been there with him through it all.  Now he has been having a hard time with so many things emotionally in his life since his recovery and is currently at the hospital again for suicidal thoughts.  So – after 5 I will be going to the hospital with my daughter to visit him for a few hours – and then back to the grind after 9:30 sometime when kids are finally settled in for bed.  [not that you needed to know all that – lol]

As you can see I have LOTS to do before I can feel “at ease” with moving onto IM; but jotting it down this way too helps me get it organized and not forget what else needs to be done – many times at the end of the day I feel like I still know I have so much to be done – any below items if they are completed are not ongoing – so just need to get them completed!

Update @ 10:20-11:20: note to self – take Ibuprofen to deal with screaming and grumpy baby today!  Days like today which I did Yoga or something to calm the nerves…  baby is FINALLY napping!  Phew!  Crossed off completed tasks.  Took slightly longer to get below done – chatted with some of my designers via Yahoo.  I like to keep lines of communication open with them as much as possible (: 

Decided to precook dinner so if the afternoon is rough with the baby again I have that done at least ahead of time and won’t need to eat out after our hospital visit later.

Chatted with one of my designers today and it’s so encouraging when they love where they are at: “i see you are so so active amy.. i love having boss active with promoting the store”

My list for today (mostly related to my online scrapbooking site):

1.       Dreamweaver – format the new product newsletter to send out

2.       Send new product newsletter (xcart)

3.       Send announcements via Yahoo Groups

a.       Ps I HATE Yahoo group mail (receiving it) but obviously ppl out there read it b/c I see a difference in sales when we send to it versus not.

4.       Post @ DST?

5.       Check forums – address anything going on there – reply to posts, etc.

6.       Trim the forums – simply the forums – this will make it easier for new users to feel more welcome to the site/community and not be so overwhelmed.

7.       Gallery – users have commented on it being slow.  Check in if this is an issue that was fixed last week or do I need to still address it – upgrade forum?  Compatible with our vbulletin?

a.       Yes, still lagging – requested more input for specifics as I can’t duplicate the issue

8.       Backup databases (forum/store) – after 5 when I got to the hospital – takes an hour to download from the servers

9.       Update tutorials links in the forum header

10.   Main site newsletter – format it – challenge.

a.       Work on setting up new site-wide newsletter; recently switched from using phplist to madmimi

11.   Link new newsletter sign ups to the site

12.   Weekly Newsletter – layout of the week.

13.   Check with Designer A,B about hosting challenges/chats at the site

14.   New Designer A- QC [Quality Control]

15.   Create a page that tells our customers/buyers what we look for and use as guidelines in our QC of the products/designers

16.   Create my own layout for the newsletter challenge (site-wide)

17.   Reminder to Designer A – retirement Ad

18.   Reminder to Designer B – retirement Ad

a.       Note she decided to NOT RETIRE – yea – love her work!

19.   Tweet/FB fan page all new products posted in the last day

20.   Zoomify for DesignerA’s new release on Friday

For Wed/Thursday
(I don’t have to babysit on Thursday so have a house with no kids so am hoping to be done with many things by the end of the day then)

1.       Personalized store designer blinkies

2.       Gallery issue; upgrade – see if it corrects the issue?

* have checked this myself and it hangs on adding comments - opened a support ticket with our hosting maintenance providers.

3.       Check forums – address anything going on there – reply to posts, etc. (everyday)

4.       Create Biography images for designers/team members

5.       Get profiles/photos from new designers/team members

6.       New site banner for advertising at other sites

7.       Hire someone to send out our Yahoo and other adverts – this will clear my schedule several hours a week. – Research on who we have chosen already completed.

a.       Have opted to put this on hold.  I have gotten input from the designers in my store and they like that the store owner is active and the one promoting and can be more personalized that way, etc.  will need to just make sure I section time on Tuesday and Fridays to promote.

8.       Artisian Magazine?  Return email .

9.       Return email on interview for me/site

10.   Check my SA subscription for designing – when does it end – anything new to obtain?  Print off articles/tutorials for future reference if my membership lapses.

11.   Work on future blog posts and schedule them.

12.   Post my challenges to DST

13.   Go back over old poll results to make suggestive change to our site, etc.

14.   WORK ON CONVERTING REST OF THE SITE to Wordpress ASAP!

15.   Post to designers about QC beginning on June 1

16.   Logo/button to be placed on all products already QC’d on the site

17.   Store-wide/site creative team call?  How would this work, details, structure, etc.

a.       How many don’t have a team right now? And would designers feel the need to even use the site-wide CT?  input from designers on this.  Tried once before but lack of accountability and participation it fizzled out.

For next week/2 weeks sometime:

1.       Upgrade our store to a more current version (do this in a subdirectory of the site)

2.       Make sure what the robots.txt file is listing

3.       Redirect pages on the store/site – especially with switching locations of the tutorials on the site.

4.       Video tutorials?  Install camtasia

5.       Offer online classes  - prices, content?  Interest?

6.       Work on linking/return linking other’s blogs to ours, etc. [blogroll] with our new site format being all wordpress

7.       Surely there will be something!

8.       Downloads/site subscription area- major need of attention!