Earlier in the year I wrote about Cozi and gushed about how fabulous I though the site was for creating lists. I’ve long been a fan of their clean, simple design and layout, their useful and relevant ideas and “how-did-I-live-without-that” tips.

Amazingly, the site just keeps getting better. They have added more content, including an online magazine (Live Simply) and menu planning (Nourish), but have still managed to do so in a way that is easy to navigate.

Two other new features:

• If you have a smartphone, you can now take Cozi with you, as they have launched (beta) Cozi Mobile Access.
• Print your family journal to save as a keepsake or memento.

Still not convinced if you should try it?

From the site:

Wish you had some help organizing your busy family life? Cozi is a FREE online family organizer that helps you manage the family calendar, organize your shopping list and to do list, share favorite memories in a family journal, and enjoy family photos—all in one spot. With Cozi’s mobile access, your information is not only available from any computer with an Internet connection, but also from any mobile phone. All you need to get started is a Cozi account and signing up is quick and easy with no downloads required.

Using Cozi has really helped me stay organized and keep track of my children’s busy schedules. Having it all in one place, without the mess of scratch paper, crumpled notes shoved in my purse has saved my sanity many times.

Let me know if you’ve used Cozi and how it’s changed how you organize your time and family.

photo credit

Is there a topic that you are an expert in? Something that you’ve learned about, studied and now would like to share that knowledge with others? Maybe you want to learn more about a topic.

I’ve pointed out GuideSpot as an online learning spot. It’s a great site for sharing what you know. But did you know that Google also has a similar platform?

“Knol” (Google’s made up term for “a unit of knowledge”) has been around since 2007, and came out of beta in 2008.

Knol makes it easy for you to write and share your knowledge with the world.

• Ease of use
  All you need is an account, a name and a desire to write and we’ll take care of the rest.
• Control
  You specify the level of collaboration you want with the community. Your knol, your voice.
• Community
  You can connect with other experts in your area of interest to share and grow knowledge.
• Visibility
  We value and promote authorship. Great content will be visible on popular search engines.
• Growth
  Sharing your knowledge with the world is rewarding for everyone.

Watch this video for tips on creating a Knol:

Some Knols to get you started:

• Scavenger Hunts – How to Write Fun and Challenging Clues
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 101
• How to Save Somebody’s Life
• Apple Bliss Cookies

Lightbulb Image courtesy of Jacci Howard Bear http://desktoppub.about.com/

There had to be a better way.

There is: ePassportPhoto.com. And guess what? It’s FREE! Not only is it free, but you don’t have to get in your car and drive anywhere to have it taken. It is done right on your own computer.

You take the photo. You upload the photo to the site, where you can easily check for compliance with any requirements:

Once compliance is checked, proceed and preview your sheet:

If it all looks right, you are ready to print them off:

The only charge incurred is if you use the premium service and have them sent to Walgreens. My suggestion, if you aren’t going to print them yourself, is to check Costco and other stores that print photos. Find the best price and send them there. Click on the “download and print” link on the “Basic” option. The photo will be downloaded to your computer, which will allow you to upload it to any photo printing site. Just be sure that their printing meets proper passport photo requirements.

It doesn’t get any easier than that. And best of all, you’re not stuck with a photo that looks like you just ate a bag of lemons and are on your third straight night with no sleep.

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About ePassportPhoto.com:

ePassportPhoto.com is the Internet passport photo booth, and our primary goal to put an end to the passport photo rip-off. We believe that there’s no reason you should have to spend valuable time and money just to get a simple, compliant set of passport photos.

Unlike traditional photo shops, our system currently supports the exact government requirement of over 60 countries, from Albania to Zimbabwe (and many in between, such as Australia, France and Germany). For example, if you’re a citizen of China living in Canada or a citizen of the UK living in the US, ePassportPhoto.com will help you create passport photos that comply with the requirements of your home country.

ePassportPhoto.com was established in 2005 and has served over two million users from 200 different countries and territories.

But you know what? Everyone has something to share. A story to tell. A tutorial to make known.

A lot of you probably already have a blog of your own and that is where you share some of your knowledge with others. Whether you have a blog or not, Guidespot is a site that you will surely find a topic to learn about or you might decide to share with others.

What is a Guide?

Think of a guide as your own visual list and multi-media story. Now think of Guidespot as an online platform where this creative knowledge-sharing converge and form communities around your interests.
Building a guide offers you the opportunity to combine text, links, photos, videos, addresses and maps all in one place without having to use the techy stuff to get it done. Organize the layout of your guide by dragging and dropping the contents to your desired locations.

Getting started is simple:

Setting up your guide is simple:

If you write one, you can make it as elaborate or simple as you like. Add links, photos. Allow others to add things to your guide. Make it interactive. Even if you decide not to write a guide of your own, there are many helpful guides (and some fun/silly ones as well) that you are sure to find helpful.

Examples:

Where to Get Free Stuff on Your Birthday

Best of: phrases, rhymes and memory joggers to help you remember (sometimes useless) information

Haunted Drives and Spooky Spots in Colorado

Be sure to read their FAQs page for the complete lowdown.

Burda Style is a sewing site that has adopted the Open Source philosophy:

While creating BurdaStyle, we were captivated by the open source philosophy: the sharing of intellectual property and allowing the public to adapt it to their specific needs. We assimilated the concept to BurdaStyle, removing the copyright from our patterns. Our open source sewing patterns are free to be used as a base for your own design. Whatever you sew, you can sell if you like. We believe that removing copyrights from our designs will inspire creativity and spawn multiple new designs – and that’s wonderful!

(Summer Dress with a Bow)

Not only is it a site for learning techniques and gathering ideas, but readers can contribute their own tutorials, tips and techniques. The “How-Tos” section is fabulous – with a plethora of instructions. There is even a category for Maternity Wear Alterations.

It is also a community with an active forum and a blog.

Whether you are a seasoned sewer, looking for new patterns, or a newbie wanting to learn some basic “how-tos” Burda Style has it covered.