Mars Edit Experiment Page

This page documents how we use MarsEdit to build and publish HTML-based pages for Apple Home School. It’s a live sandbox for testing headers, footers, and reusable code blocks.

View the Test Page

Reusable Mini Blocks

These HTML snippets are designed to be saved in TextExpander and pasted into MarsEdit as “Paste as HTML.” Each block can serve as a mini header, footer, or section builder for new pages.

They’re safe, brand-aligned, and include the Apple Home School color palette, typography, and built-in “safe suffix” to avoid MarsEdit lockups.

Mini Headers

Here are a few ready-to-use header templates. Save them in TextExpander using shortcodes like ;hdr-grad, ;hdr-clean, and ;hdr-dark.

<!-- AHS Header · Gradient Hero -->
<header style="padding:88px 0;text-align:center;color:#fff;background:linear-gradient(35deg,#3B5CFF 0%,#8204FF 55%,#FFD166 100%)">
  <h1>Learn. Create. Grow. Together.</h1>
  <p>Simple Apple-friendly rhythms, projects, and templates for joyful family learning.</p>
</header>

Mini Footers

Each footer template can be used to close out a section or page. Remember to end with a plain text note so MarsEdit doesn’t lock up.

<!-- AHS Footer · Legal Dark -->
<footer style="padding:22px 0;background:#0B0D2B;color:#98A3CC;text-align:center">
  <p>© <span id="year-ahs"></span> Apple Home School · Built with ❤️ on Apple Devices</p>
</footer>
<script>(function(){var y=document.getElementById('year-ahs');if(y){y.textContent=new Date().getFullYear();}})();</script>
<p>Notes saved. Code closed.</p>

TextExpander Shortcuts

• ;hdr-grad → Gradient Hero Header
• ;hdr-clean → Clean Light Header
• ;hdr-dark → Dark Banner Header
• ;ftr-links → Simple Links Footer
• ;ftr-news → Newsletter Footer
• ;ftr-legal → Legal Footer
• ;safe-end → Safe Suffix Paragraph

Safe Suffix

This paragraph is the key to preventing lockups in MarsEdit. Always end your post or page with text outside of any code block.

<p>Notes saved. Code closed.</p>

Published via MarsEdit using “Paste as HTML.”
Experiment live at applehomeschool.com/test.

TextExpander: Meet the MAR Codes 🚀

While ChatGPT might like to name things like ;hdr-grad-super-v2 (seriously, what even is that?), I’ve gone full human mode and built something my fingers can actually remember: MAR codes. Think of them as my secret language for super-sonic web creation.

Inside TextExpander, there’s now a shiny new folder called MarsEdit, and every snippet in it starts with the prefix MAR — short for “MarsEdit,” of course. It’s like saying “Hey, it’s time to launch another awesome Apple Home School page!” 🚀

✨ Current Snippet Codes

• MARH1 → My favorite Mini Header (a gradient hero with personality)
• MARH2 → A sleek secondary header (for quiet, confident pages)
• MARF1 → The top-tier Mini Footer (clean, classy, clickable)
• MARB1 → Mini Block snippet for quick add-ons or experiment sections

Moving forward, you (yes, you dear visitor) will start seeing these cool little Mini Headers, Footers, and Blocks scattered all around AppleHomeSchool.com. They’re not random bits of code — they’re my own TextExpander spells ⚡️ Summoned with keystrokes faster than you can say “MarsEdit just published again.”

So if you ever wonder how new pages appear with perfectly styled sections
before I’ve even finished my coffee… well, now you know. ☕💻

Snippet Badges: Because Coding Should Be Cute 💅

Every code snippet on this site now comes with its own Badge of Awesomeness™. They’re not just labels — they’re the digital equivalent of fridge magnets, gold stars, and “World’s Best Dad” mugs.

These badges will show up above code sections in future tutorials and behind-the-scenes pages.
They’re a playful way to tag which TextExpander snippet built that piece of the page — kind of like a secret signature but with way more personality.

So if you see one of these colorful labels pop up, it means a snippet was summoned from the
MarsEdit folder in TextExpander — faster than a toddler can find the one iPad they’re not supposed to touch. 🍎💻

Connected Experiments 🧩

The Mars Edit Lab is where I craft code faster than most people open WordPress.
But it’s part of a bigger creative triangle — the Test Page and ChatGPT Page keep me grounded (sort of).

Fun fact: This section was hand-coded in MarsEdit… while MarsEdit was open inside MarsEdit. Very meta.