Not Exactly Bento’s 2nd birthday is just around the corner, along with the deadline for the 2nd Annual Bento Photo Contest.  I’ve known for some while that NEB needed some work.  A big upgrade to the site’s theme was in order, minor work on its looks was needed, and an update on a long-forgotten idea was in the works.  Many of the changes are now complete, so it’s time to talk about them.

The theme upgrade came with minor changes to the site’s layout.  More than anything, this is really my learning more how to manipulate the code for this site than the theme itself causing these changes.  I’m just going to say a big thank you to Yvo on that, because if it wasn’t for her and a special project then I wouldn’t have figured these things out.  Now, that might have piqued your curiosity.  And I don’t blame you.  I would pique mine too.  However, I’m sworn to secrecy.  I honest.

What this means for you is that I now have room in the side bar to add some features.  We now have a drop-down box for the site’s archives.  I can’t tell you how happy I am about that!  It’s making it easier for me to go back and find posts to link to or to look at.  Sometimes, I need to go back and look at things for inspiration as well.

There’s a blank spot below that.  Soon, we’ll have a link to a fan site on Facebook for NEB.  The page is made.  I just have to make it public…just as soon as I make a graphic for that blank space.

In January of this year, I had announced two new features to Not Exactly Bento: Photo Friday and Tuesday’s Tips.  Now, Photo Friday of course worked.  I take so many photographs, there was never any doubt that it would work.  I have to have somewhere to share all these pics!  LOL!  However, Tuesday’s Tips was announced, 1 post was made, and I never went back to it.  The idea of this series was to talk about behind the scenes stuff with Not Exactly Bento.  However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized a few things.  1.) My interest just wasn’t there for this series.  2.) I realized how much of what I thought I wanted to share with Tuesday’s Tips would be more appropriate shared with Photo Friday.  3.) A new, better thought was starting to circle in my mind.  However, it wouldn’t really solidify until the past month.

Along with the discontinuation of Tuesday’s Tips comes the discontinuation of other things, such as tutorials for The Gimp.  It’s free.  Everyone has access.  But in all honesty, I’m a Photoshop girl at heart.  It’s where I’ll stay.  We’ll just have to find other ways to impart photo editing information here and there.

If you’re wondering about my great idea for another series, here it is: New-t0-Me on Tuesdays.  All you have to do is read this blog for a few days to realize how much stuff I have never tried before.  Some of my adventures in eating have turned out great, like quinoa and lentils.  Some have not been as great, like salmon burgers (shudder) and cauliflower.  Still others have left me scratching my head, like kale.  Oh Kale, you deserve your own post.  I promise, it’s coming on a Tuesday sometime in the near future.

Often as I cook a new food or experience a new food, I want to talk alot about it.  Sometimes alot more than what the post I’m working on allows.  Or maybe what I limit myself to.  I’m telling you now, this series has no fear of dying some slow death.  LOL!  I already have about 5 weeks worth of posts.  Here’s what you can expect with New to Me Tuesdays:

1. Talk about a new food I have tried, such as kale, cous cous, and more.
2. Talk about foods I now eat that were new-to-me since starting bento.  This gives me the opportunity to talk about why something has stuck with me, and give a recipe as well.  There’s a good one on quinoa coming up soon (or so I think).
3. Talk about sweets, snacks, and other delights I’m always giving a whirl.  That’s right!  I admit it!  I have a huge sweet tooth.  And I’m always willing to try something new, especially when covered in chocolate.  I’m also going to use New-to-Me Tuesdays to talk about these.  Upcoming posts will include Caro’s Chocolate Covered Orange Slices, some fudge mint cookies that taste surprisingly like Girl Scouts thin mints but aren’t, and a brand of cookies that are surprisingly tasty.
4. Product Reviews.  I pick up all sorts of food items, like some crackers recently that I now adore, to try.  Things I’ve never tried before that I want to take a bite of and give it a whirl.  I want to make it clear now that none of these are solicited.  It’s just simply a sharing of what I thought about something I bought.

I’m so excited!  Are you?  I hope so.  This is going to be fun.  I’ll probably have more scheduled NTM posts than Photo Friday posts.

There are other things coming as well to the sidebar, but I’m keeping quiet on those for now.  There have to be a few surprises right?

I hope you enjoy the recent updates.  And if you have a great idea, please share it.  I’m hear to listen.