how to download and install new fonts

finding fonts online is one of my favorite things. that might be pretty nerdy, but it keeps things much more original and personal when you need to make something with words on your computer.

i am currently working on a couple of graphic bible verses to hang in our house, and i downloaded all of the fonts i'm using in them for free from websites like fontspace.com and dafont.com. there are lots more. do a search to find exactly what you need.

when you find a font you like, how do you get it onto your computer and into a place where your computer recognizes it as a font? it isn't enough just to download the font from the page. hopefully, these steps will help you download and install your favorite fonts and keep you far, far away from some of those more cliche fonts.

follow these step by step and it should work for you. i do this often enough that it goes pretty quickly, and i'm not any kind of computer pro.

1. getting the font on your computer:
first, find a font that you like. i chose "my turtle" by billy argel. find the download button and click it. (and make sure you are clicking the actual download button for the font and not one in a strategic and tricky advertisement.)


choose the save option in the dialog box and click ok.


it will ask you where to save it. you choose. i usually start with mine on the desktop so they are easy to find.

minimize or close your web browser. you don't need the internet for the rest of this.

2. making the font usable:
find the folder of the font you just downloaded. it will have a zipper on it, because most font files come as zipped files. zipped files are basically compacted files for easy downloading, and they have to be "unzipped" in order to use them.

right click on your folder and click "extract all." (apple users, maybe control click. i haven't dealt with this on a mac.)


it will ask you a couple of questions about where to put the extracted files. figure out where you want them to go and click ok. i usually just go with the default options. you can always move the folder later on as long as you know where to find it.

3. opening your new downloaded font folder:
NOW there will be a matching font folder without a zipper on it. this is your unzipped font. open the folder. it will look something like this:


4. opening your computer fonts folder:
leaving the downloaded font folder where it is, open your control panel (it should be on your start menu). in the search box at the top right, type "fonts." this will appear, or something like it.


click "view installed fonts." it will look like this.


5. copying and pasting your new font into your computer fonts folder:
click your downloaded font folder, in my case, "my turtle," and find the font file. it is a true type font file, the last one listed here (placement will likely be different in your downloaded font folder - that's ok, as long as you find the font file). right click the font file. in the right click drop-down menu, choose "copy."


click your computer font folder. right click somewhere within the folder, but not directly on a font that is already installed (you may need to scroll to the bottom for this). choose "paste."


let it install. check to make sure your new font is in your computer font folder. see "my turtle?"


i hope this helps if you've ever wanted to download a font but weren't sure how to do it. :)

sam at 21 months, levi at 6.5 months

sam is talking SO MUCH. like, constantly.

we have a lot of fun, and we also have some challenges with fit throwing, though a lot of it stems from trying to communicate. i think that will disappear soon and then we will just have the battle of wills type fits. excited about that. haha.

he is not interested in potty training, and i'm giving myself a break on that for a couple more months, though i do ask about and encourage it.

his favorite tv show is super why. if you ask him if he is a super reader, he will nod his head emphatically. (no, he can't read yet lol.)

he loves all things transportation - trucks, cars, trains, airplanes (he says, "airMAIN!"). he can even say "helicopter."

some of the fun words sam is now saying:
alriiiight! (excitedly)
yeeaaah! (also excitedly, i say these things to him when he is doing what he should)
yes (he enunciates this one so well it makes me laugh)
dinosaur...i can't really spell this one how he says it, but it's something i can understand
paci (another well-enunciated one)
nooooooo (whiny...not my favorite word)
he can say all of his letters and numbers 1-10 after i say them, just repeating me. he does have some numbers memorized.
rrwwwwice! (rice)
he can say any color we ask and recognizes some of them.
muck (milk, chocolate milk is his favorite)
juice
moooof (move)
outsiiii (outside)
weevi (levi)
a bee! a bee! (we talked about bees on easter and ever since he says this and then says, "bzzzzzz")
wok (walk)
shoes (usually repeated because he wants to wear them always)
happy
i on't knoooow (i don't know)
how 'bout this? - a very consistent sentence that he uses appropriately
daw (draw)
a-mote (remote)
fowfur (flower)
uh oh!
oh no!
oh gosh!
tactey (tractor)
hooome (home)
house
...he will say just about anything he wants to say. he can be super stubborn (like i've said, that's all from his dad, because i'm definitely not stubborn...ahem) and usually that's what keeps him from saying things.

he can work the ipad on his own - turn it on, slide the lock screen, find his apps, and play them. it is totally crazy since we didn't even have personal (slow, expensive, large, desktop) computers on a broad scale until i was much older than he is now. he plays games with letters, numbers, colors, and animals, and i think they really make a difference.

he loves to run around, dance, climb things (his head has two bruises and several scratches on it), "hop" (stand on his tip toes), bounce/jump (he can't really jump up off the floor yet but he says he is jumping), and snap together and take apart his mega blocks.

he loves books and reading. he knows his bible from the rest and says "bible," though we are still working on the patience to sit through an entire "story" most nights.

he is starting to pretend. he "feeds" us pretend food and yesterday he got his toy keys and looked at me and said, "bye bye!"


levi says a whole lot of dadadada, and he will mimic the sound of "hi" when you say it to him.

he already has two teeth, both middle bottom ones.

he "sings" himself to sleep (a jabbery growly song) and he loves to yell. just yell.

he is excited about life. he smiles easily and laughs a lot.

he is also fussy a lot (the extremes). he doesn't want to be alone in a room even for a minute for me to go pee, and he will sob over it if he is in the wrong mood. even if you're in the same room, he probably wants to be held about 80% of the time, which is even tougher when you have two under two. sometimes he will sit and play by himself with toys or books, and i think as he gets more independent he likes it more.

he does love to sit and play with sam, and sam loves to play with him but doesn't like to share, so we are working on that.

he eats a lot and he loves peanut butter and animal crackers and hates baby food. he is a big boy.

he loves reading books and watching sesame street.

he LOVES his daddy.

he rolls and scoots and spins to get where he wants to, and sometimes to get where he doesn't want to be. i don't think crawling is far off for him.

he CAN sleep through the night, but he will wake at 4am for a bottle if he deems it necessary.

he loves stuffed animals. he chews on them (like he does with everything) and cuddles with them.

he can sit but he falls over if he isn't supported. a lot of times he will "fall" over on purpose to roll somewhere or get something.

he gives kisses (very slobbery), and will reach out and sweetly touch the face of whoever is holding him.


so that's what the boys are up to, and more. i'm tired so i probably forgot something, but you get the idea: they are awesome.