Please tell me I’m not the only one who has spent way too many hours trying to find the right WordPress plugins?

With over 25,000 plugins and counting, it’s not too unlike a needle-in-a-haystack search. I definitely prefer to take advice from others who know what they’re talking about.

This is a list of some of the plugins we use and love, which we’ll keep updated as we find new and better options which will show the newest on the top.

So what WordPress plugins can’t you live without?
Let us know and we’ll check them out!

*we don’t do linkups on posts that will be updated frequently

Let’s go, Friday!

OK, dude, doppelgangers seriously fascinate me! How often have you had people tell you that you look SO MUCH like someone they know? There used to be someone I have never met nor seen a picture of living somewhere in Illinois that supposedly looked so much like me. One of my friends sometimes gets mistaken for me and vice versa, but I can’t find any pictures of her that really looks like me at all, so… And finally, various times I’ve had people I’d never met before tell me that I look sooo familiar. I always think this is so weird/funny because I feel like I look a little odd…

Anyway, while it blows my mind that random people look like each other, it’s somehow even crazier when celebrities look alike because the pool is a lot smaller. Observe.

So you know how Abercrombie & Fitch is for douches? (I hope you did, anyway) Well, I tweeted this video earlier in the week when it was still under 50,000 views and at the time of this posting it’s at about 5.5 million (so chances are you may have already seen it), because it’s sorta brilliant with an almost Robinhood-esque vibe. Apparently they’d rather burn extra clothes than give them to people in need, so we’ll show that elitist CEO, Mike Jeffries!

Did you know flying cars are finally scheduled to be a real thing? Yeah, 2015, baby. You know what that means! These will probably be the used cars our kids are driving in the future

And finally, what?!

Source: laughingsquid.com via tico♥tina on Pinterest

and… yes!

Source: amazon.com via tico♥tina on Pinterest

What have you come across recently that begs to be shared???

This week for some freshly squeezed inspiration we’re looking at Mind Tools. They suggest that creativity is a frame of mind.

Often the only difference between creative and uncreative people is self-perception. Creative people see themselves as creative and give themselves the freedom to create. Uncreative people do not think about creativity and do not give themselves the opportunity to create anything new.

So how do you think about creativity? I have friends who don’t think of themselves as creative, but I agree with Mind Tools, I think everyone has creative potential and there are ways you can nurture and grow your creativity if that is something you want to do.

We make the mistake of assuming that good ideas just happen. Or worse still, we get caught in the mind trap that creativity is an aptitude; some people have it, others don’t.

This isn’t about some creative/artist stereotype, but rather learning to implement creativity in all aspects of life.

Break out of thought pattern ruts…

It’s way too easy to get stuck in the way that we think. Mind Tools has some ideas that can freshen your perspective.

How do you brainstorm?

I’m of the opinion that we do too little brainstorming. Maybe it seems to formal to apply to everyday situations? I’d like to see it applied a lot more, however.

I have to admit that I’ve been guilty of being a downer in impromptu brainstorming sessions in the past. I do fine when I’m in the mindset that we’re brainstorming, but if it’s just random everyday stuff I can be too quick to shoot ideas down. I’d like to be better.

Have you ever tried reverse brainstorming?

This seems like it could be a really helpful exercise in some situations. Rather than putting pressure on figuring out solutions, brainstorm ways that you might create the problem or make the problem worse – you’ll be surprised at where this can lead – good brain trick

Challenge your assumptions.

As much as I give people and situations the benefit of the doubt, I know full-well that I’m still in my own head. I still have my own way of thinking, a worldview, that affects the way I look at and understand things. You do, too. It’s so ingrained in us that it’s hard to even understand. I feel like this is one of the reasons that we need other people – to challenge our assumptions. Don’t be afraid of different opinions – look at them as a way to develop your creativity!

What do you think about creativity?
Is it a mindset you’re going to try to foster more?

oooh, little bonus just because I don’t want to wait for Friday. (I wanted to post this last week and it didn’t happen.) The style of this video is dope. Just watch it.

If you’ve been around here, you know that David is from Costa Rica. He grew up as a PK (pastor’s kid), and his parents are still unselfishly working with churches today. For the past 12 years or so, his dad, also named David, has pastored a church plant in El Paso, Texas. I don’t know if you know anything about church plants, but they aren’t exactly a lucrative profession, so when we got the opportunity to give someone the gift of a vision insurance plan through VSP Vision Care, we immediately thought of David’s dad!

In order to better illustrate the importance of maintaining vision health (and also just for fun ), we made a little video to show David’s parents.

Then David explained to them about the VSP benefits, for example:

We’re really thankful David’s dad will get to try out VSP Direct, and look forward to seeing how everything works.

Wondering what VSP can do for you? “Eye” got you covered. VSP Direct costs as low as 41 cents a day and is a great way for individuals and families to have vision insurance, even if it’s not provided through work. Learn more about VSP here.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Raise your hand if you find yourself on the never-ending quest for the perfect set of Twitter tools that will make social media easier… I mean, I just want social media to be easier in general.

There are just so many things to dooooooooooooooo. If you want to actually accomplish anything, that is.

Part of the problem is that everything changes SO fast now, I don’t think even social media “professionals” can really keep up that well, let alone small businesses, solo entrepreneurs, and WAHs who really need to harness the power of it.

When you think you have a system that’s sort of working, one or more of the services that you relied on is sure to be bought out and discontinued, or stop working due to some API change.

What we need is a list that stays up to date so you don’t have to go searching every few months. I’m going to start this out with the must have Twitter tools that we’re using right now – because trust me, we’ve tried a lot of things. Feel free to comment and let us know what you’re using and why and we’ll review it to see if we think it should be added to the list – or maybe replace an item altogether.

Must Have Twitter Tools

Listly by Tico Tina

Must Have Twitter Tools

This will be an ongoing list, updated and changed to accommodate the fast pace of social media movement.

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1. 

   Simple Twitter Notifications That Integrate Easily Into Your Current Workspace

   Along with a dropdown you can use right in your browser to read and reply to tweets, there is also the option to customize notification pop-ups on your desktop. I really appreciate being able to keep an eye on Twitter rather than having to set aside time to try to catch up.

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2. 

   Free Twitter Management Dashboard | Twitter Marketing Tool

   Easy Twitter management - Grow followers & manage multiple profiles with Commun.it.

   I mostly use this to monitor new followers and unfollowers, but it also has lots of other helpful things, like using your chosen search terms to find new leads, giving you a list of people you might want to follow, letting you know who your top engaged users are, etc. #handy

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   I use this 1

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3. 

   Keep Your Twitter Followers In Line

   Once in awhile I'll check this to make sure Twitter hasn't accidentally unfollowed people that I mean to be following and to see if there's anyone I followed to be nice who isn't being nice back so I can unfollow them =)

   I really like the simplicity of the way they break it down.

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View more lists from Tico Tina

So tell us, what are YOUR must have Twitter tools???

*we don’t do linkups on series posts