So, open up your browser and type in the URL of the site you want to go to or click on a link to an adoptables site if you have one... this is the URL of my adoptables site - just click on one of the links below (they are both the same - one is just a mirror of the other in case one of them is down) and it'll open up in a new window.

Mandy's adoptions

Mandy's adoptions mirror site

I'm using Internet Explorer in these screenshots, so if you're using a different browser, things may look slightly different.

OK, has the page loaded up now?  Good  :o)

The top bit or the first page has usually got a bit of an introduction and maybe the rules or a link to the rules for adopting one of the graphics as a gift.  Make sure you read the rules so that you can be sure that you agree to abide by them.

I'm assuming that you've read the rules and you agree with them?  Excellent!  Now let's find the adoptables!

Scroll down the page until you find a link that will take you to the adoptions... on my site the links are just below the linking logo's

Linking Logo's

Links To Adoptables

Have a look through the list until you find one that you like the sound of, then follow the link... I'm going to adopt a quilt

This will take you to another page with all the adoptions in that category that are available.  There may be a reminder of the rules at the top of the page along with a linking logo although sometimes the linking logo is at the bottom of the page.  If you can't find a linking logo, link the actual adoption back to the person's website.

Scroll through all the available adoptables on that page and follow any buttons or links to go on to other pages if you don't find an adoptable that you like on the first page.  I'm going to adopt the last quilt on the 2nd page

Now we're going to make sure we abide by the first rule I mentioned at the start of this tutorial... we're going to save this gift to our own server.  How do we do that?  Like this!  :o)

Take your cursor over to the adoptable you would like to take and single right click on it.  You'll get a pop-out menu come up with lots of different options available.

If you're using Internet Explorer 6, you'll have a small rectangular box come up in the top left hand corner of the adoptable if it's over a certain size... you can either click on the first button in that box or follow these next instructions - they both do the same thing!  :o)

In the pop-out box, choose the option that says "Save Picture As..." (if you're using Netscape or other browser, it should say something similar)

Now you'll get a dialogue box coming up that asks you where you want to save your adoptable to... navigate to wherever you want to save it and hit the "Save" button

Now you need to find the linking logo and do the same again

Now that we've made sure we've abided by the first rule, we need to follow the second rule.  To do this, make a note of the URL you are asked to link back to so that when you give your adoption to your loved one, you can give them the URL to link back to too.

Now that you've followed all the rules on the site, you have adopted your gift... now you just need to give it to your loved one!!  You can either email the gift, logo and URL to them or you can make a page for them and upload the gift and logo to the page and link the URL back on the page or you can send the gift, linking logo and URL to someone who is making a page for your loved one... there are so many things you can do now that you've adopted your gift... see how many different ways you can come up with!