Dotty Dot Dot FREE Blogger Backgrounds, Reviews & Giveaways: June 2010

Little Looster Review and GIVEAWAY! {CLOSED}

I have ~~a little one~~ a BIG GIRL at home who is just about ready to do some potty training. We've been fading in and out of interest for her little potty chair (Cinderella-themed incentives can only do so much). And then came the Little Looster - "the Booster for the Loo". The creator, Mommy Monica (mother of three) is probably the smartest woman on the planet for coming up with the idea for the Little Looster. It's a C-shaped step stool that goes around the toilet. It's perfect for kids to climb up on their own (because this is very much a "ME DO MY-SEEEELF" stage). When they're sitting on the loo their feet have a place to rest on the Little Looster. It gives kids security and balance. It doesn't have to be moved. It can stay in place around the toilet. OH - and it doesn't have to be cleaned (wahoo!)! No dumping messes from the potty chair into the "big toilet" and accidentally splashing toilet water all over the bathroom. The Little Looster is designed and manufactured in Oregon, so feel good about buying USA!

The Little Looster reinvigorated my toddler's want to use the potty - especially the BIG GIRL potty like Mommy and Daddy! Being able to climb up herself gives her the independence she wants. Having her feet touch something while she hovers over the big potty hole gives her the security she needs. The Little Looster is a great tool for potty training.

How can you get one for yourself? Leave me a comment, or two, or fifty. Give me some potty training tips, because I sure could use them right now! (Contest closes JUNE 30, 2010 at Midnight).

*** Use the discount code "MMM7106" for $7.00 off a Little Looster - ending 7/9/10!!!

Sunshine Award

I got the Sunshine Award from Jess at Sew Craftable. She writes, "I love your blog, and keep up the good work. There will be a link to you on my blog forever =) Thanks for all those awesome layouts for free. =) "

Thanks, Jess!

I nominate these blogs for the Sunshine Award:
Thoughts, Wonders and Dreams
My Adoption Journey
Mommy Snark
Finding Joy in the Journey
Cooking for Little Fingers
UCreate
SwimMom
The Bryant Blogger
Sunnyside Up
Nortons
CraftyRunner
Dani's Family and Fiber Arts

*To accept your award, nominate 12 of YOUR favorites and post them on YOUR blog! Copy and paste the Sunshine ward on your site.

New Blogger "Template Designer" Feature

Blogger has a new feature called "Template Designer". You'll see it where you add and rearrange your gadgets on the "Design" tab of your Control Panel. Go into the new design area (it's all sleek modern black looking) and you'll see that "Minima White" (the best template for using my backgrounds) is no longer a current preset template option. SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?...

You don't HAVE to change your preset template right now if you don't want to (if your background is functioning correctly and you don't want to change anything). BUT if you do want to play around in the new template designer the new preset template that works best with Dotty Dot Dot FREE Blogger Backgrounds is the "Picture Window" template (choose the first square, the blue one). The cool thing with this template is that 1) it works well with the free backgrounds on this site, 2) there are many layout arrangement options, 3) the columns are easily adjusted to any width! FYI - The "Awesome Inc" templates work well too.

When you're done playing with your new template and all of it's fun options in the new "Template Designer", hit the "back to Blogger" button (in the top right corner) and you'll return to your Blogger Dashboard "Add and Arrange Page Elements" area on the "Design" tab which is where you can add your cute and fun FREE background from this site (and add headers and other gadgets). And here's a reminder how to add the background;

Copy all of the Background's code.
Go to your "Design" TAB. (not the "Template Designer"- if you're in the TD, hit the "back to Blogger" button (in the top right corner) and you'll return to your Blogger Dashboard "Add and Arrange Page Elements" area on the "Design" tab which is where you can add your cute and fun FREE background from this site (and add headers and other gadgets)
Click "Page Elements".
Click "Add a Gadget".
Choose to add an "HTML/Javascript" gadget.
Paste your Dotty Dot Dot background code in that dialogue box.
After you save it, you may move that box wherever you like in your Layout tab (even to the bottom) - and it should be easy to remove by clicking "edit" on the gadget box containing the code.
Ta-Da! You have a new background!

*** If you're hard core old school the old layouts are still available. You can still find "Minima White" if you go to your "Design" TAB > "Edit HTML" > scroll down to "Old Templates" > "Select Layout Template" > "Minima White". (Thanks Terri!)

Father's Day 2-Column Backgrounds

<br /><br /><style type="text/css">body {background-image:url("http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l185/ajojo00/1aecc42a.jpg"); background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; }</style><div id="tag" style="position:absolute; left:0px; top:30px; z-index:50; width:150px; height:45px;"><a href="http://dottydotdotdesign1.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src=" http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l185/ajojo00/8f9ee4d2.jpg" /></a></div><br/><br />

<br /><br /><style type="text/css">body {background-image:url("http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l185/ajojo00/f1e94444.jpg"); background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; }</style><div id="tag" style="position:absolute; left:0px; top:30px; z-index:50; width:150px; height:45px;"><a href="http://dottydotdotdesign1.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src=" http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l185/ajojo00/8f9ee4d2.jpg" /></a></div><br/><br />