Product Review: The Little Looster

 image from Little Looster

When Monica of Little Looster contacted me about her product and about a possible review, I was intrigued.  I had never heard of the Little Looster and had a few questions.  She was happy to answer them and has been great to work with through this process.

I wanted to share a little about the Little Looster straight from Monica herself.

"We believe that this "booster for the Loo" will change the way parents, grandparents, daycare centers and care givers approach potty training and the following years that little legs can't reach the floor.

When our kids have the support and comfort, like we do, they don't have any issues using the 'big-potty'.  Since they all have to get there eventually-why waste all that money, time and space on more problems and not the solution?

The Little Looster-booster for the loo, is that solution."

My main question, upon seeing the Little Looster on the website, was whether it would be in the way when everyone else needed to use the bathroom.

I am pleased to say that after 1 week of being in our bathroom the Little Looster has not been in the way at all.  It has actually been quite helpful. 

First, my 5 year old is now able to sit on the potty without his feet dangling.  He really likes that.  I also noticed that when he stands to use the potty he puts his feet in the cut-outs and can get as close as he could before. 

My 2 year old on using the Looster.

The best thing that seems to be coming from having the Little Looster in place is that my 2 1/2 year old, who adamantly refused to use the potty chair, is trying to sit on the big potty now (with the help of a potty seat).  Maybe this was just what he needed to feel like one of his older siblings.  I won't know what to do if I don't have to change diapers anymore.  :-)

After reviewing this product, I would recommend it to anyone. Monica has used all U.S. based companies to make her product which I think is wonderful.  Not only would you be supporting a U.S. based company, but you would also be supporting a mom and her vision.  Plus, this is a product that is actually functional and well-made.  Check out their website to find out even more.  www.littlelooster.com

Thanks, Monica, for the opportunity to review your great product.

For the purpose of this review, I was given a Little Looster to use in my home.  No other monies or compensations were given for this review.  My positive support of this product is only because I actually have tested it.

Product Review: The Little Looster

Mommy, let's take the bumpy road.

On Wednesday my children and I went to a nearby town to run a few errands.  As we were headed home Joshua said, "Mommy, let's take the bumpy road." 

You see, there are two possible ways we could have gone home.  The first way is pretty bumpy which is a result of all of the tractors and farm trucks that travel that way.  The second way is smooth and takes a few minutes less to travel.

We generally go the quicker way, but that day I decided to say "yes" to my son.  We had to go pretty slowly to avoid some major potholes. but were excited to see four wild turkeys in a field.  The kids were also excited when we slowed down to look at four beautiful horses in a fenced in pasture.  While it took us a little longer, we still made it home.

Later that afternoon we were hoping to get a phone call telling my husband he was going to be granted a second interview for a job we really were praying he would get.  However, that phone call never came.  We found out later that the reason he wasn't chosen was because he had less experience than some of the other candidates. 

After finding this out I started thinking about life being like a bumpy road.  Things don't always go the way we hope they will, sometimes there are unavoidable potholes, and sometimes we have to go a lot slower than we would like.  However, we eventually get to where we are headed. 

What makes the bumpy road much more tolerable are the people we are traveling with and having God as our co-pilot.  If everything was always smooth and easy I would have missed out on some of God's greatest blessings.

I am linking this post to Finer Things Friday at The Finer Things in Life because having my family traveling life's "bumpy road" with me truly is a finer thing.



Proverbs 3:5-6  ⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Mommy, let's take the bumpy road.

A Pillow Made from a Doily and Napkins

When I found two brand new green satin napkins at a yard sale recently I knew exactly what I was going to do with them. 

I made a pillow.  The doily on the front was one of my grandmother's.  I inherited quite a few and haven't had enough places to put them all, so they have been in a drawer.  I liked the pillow so much I decided to make another.  Maybe you would like to make one, too.

First, you will need 2 cloth napkins (another yard sale find) and a doily.  In addition, you will need a sewing machine and thread.

The first thing I did was iron the napkins.  Then, I pinned the doily to the center front of one napkin.

 

Next, I stitched the doily to the napkin using a zig zag stitch.  I stitched around the outer edge and then a few places in the center.  It isn't necessary to sew every square inch of the doily to the napkin.  Sewing the doily can be tricky so go slow.  

Pin the other napkin to the napkin with the doily being sure to place right sides together.  Leave a 5 inch opening at the bottom to stuff the pillow.

Use a 1/2 or 5/8 inch seam allowance and sew around the napkins being sure to leave the opening from the previous step.  Backstitch at the beginning and end.

Use fiberfill to stuff the pillow.

Pin the opening closed.  Hand stitch the opening.

Isn't that much nicer than just letting the doily sit in a drawer?  I think I might need to make a few more of these. 

If you didn't want to use napkins you could simply cut two squares of a fabric of your choice.  The nice thing about using napkins is that they are already the same size.

I am linking this post to:
Strut Your Stuff Thursday at Somewhat Simple
Handmade Christmas at Proverbs 31 Living

A Pillow Made from a Doily and Napkins

How to Freeze Green Beans

I have been picking green beans a couple of times a week for the past two weeks.  It won't be long before I am getting enough to can.  So far I have filled a gallon zip-top bag full of green beans.  I like frozen green beans, but I prefer to can them.  It is quicker when I am ready to serve green beans and that more than makes up for the time spent canning them.

However, some of you may not have a pressure canner or simply prefer to have frozen green beans.  Here is an easy way to freeze green beans.  I learned this from my mom who was taught this by some country women when she first moved here from the city as a young bride.

Wipe dirt off of green beans, break ends off, and break into the size you like. Do not wash the beans or get them wet. Place in a freezer container or zip-top bag.

When you are ready to cook the beans, wash them. Place the beans and enough water to cover them in a pot. Bring them to a boil. Dump the water off of the beans and add fresh water. Now is the time to add your seasonings. Cook as you like.

This process makes the beans taste like they were just picked.  I have found that blanching green beans gives the beans an undesirable taste when I cook them.  This way has worked for my family for many years.

How to Freeze Green Beans

Accepting Blessings

With a blog entitled "Blessings Overflowing" I would be remiss if I didn't occasionally talk about blessings.  God has blessed my family in so many ways and I never want to cease praising Him. 

A couple of years ago someone wanted to bless us with a gift.  It was such a kind gesture and I know the person genuinely wanted to help us.  We accepted the blessing even though I thought it might end up costing us more money than it would save. 

In the end, it did cost us more money than it saved.  However, I know we would have missed out on several blessings if we had rejected the gift.  We also would have possibly made the giver feel rejected in the process.

Recently, I tried to bestow a gift on this same person, but my gift was rejected.  It was something that, if it had been offered to me, would have made me feel blessed and thankful.  However, this person obviously didn't feel the same way and my feelings were hurt.  In fact, as much as I hate to admit it, I started to feel a little bitter about this rejection.

I don't know why the person rejected the blessing, but this situation has made me think about several things the past few days.

If I could be bitter about someone not accepting a blessing from me, what does this say about my heart?  

How often has my attitude gotten in the way of being able to fully accept God's blessings?

How does He feel when I am upset or bitter?  

Does God feel that I have rejected any of His blessings? 

Maybe I am afraid to know the answers to those questions.  Maybe this person has no idea that I was hurt because I didn't communicate my feelings and desire to help them in a correct manor.  Maybe they didn't know how much joy I get when I am able to give to others even though my resources are often limited.

One thing I do know is that I don't want to worry or be upset about it anymore.  When we are bitter about something we can often lose sight of what is truly important.  I pray that God will help me with my attitude so that I don't reject any of His blessings as a result.  

Psalm 19:14  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

I am linking this post to Motivate Me Monday at The Fifth Street Palace. 

Accepting Blessings

I have a lot on my plate today, but no menu plan.

Since it is Monday I should be posting a menu plan for the week.  However, I am not feeling it today.  I know a few weeks ago I wrote a post about making excuses, so I won't make any for my lack of meal planning.  However, if you are curious about what is going on with me today here it is.

I have been helping my husband prepare for an important interview today (If you would pray for him this evening at 7:30 p.m. EST. I would so appreciate it.), I need to help my daugther sew her 4-H dress, I helped my sister-in-law sew a dress for her niece this morning, I need to snap green beans and deal with the zucchini and cabbage that I picked, fold and put away the mountains of laundry on my couch, cook, clean, and most importantly enjoy my family.

I wanted to leave you with two songs that I have really been enjoying lately. Have a great afternoon. (If you subscribe via email you will need to click over to this blog in order to view and hear the songs.)

I have a lot on my plate today, but no menu plan.

After the Storm

On Wednesday afternoon we stepped outside to watch a storm roll in. 

The wind started picking up speed.

We watched the sky become more ominous and dark.

Just as the first drops of rain started to fall, we ran back inside.

Once inside the rain fell and the wind raged, yet we were snug and safe in our basement.  We were thankful to be inside until the storm passed.

My son James was pretty nervous about the storm.  It was our fifth storm in as many days, and I thought he was getting more used to them.

You see, James has always been afraid of storms.  When he was a toddler he would hear thunder and run to me.  I would hold him and he would often fall asleep until the storm had passed.

Now that he is older he still gets nervous when it storms, but now he talks instead of falling asleep.  Wednesday was no exception. 

After the storm had passed we decided to take a walk outside.   There was no rainbow.  The sun wasn't really shining.  The storm had simply passed and all was calm.

Haven't we all been through storms in our lives?  I don't mean rainstorms, but the storms that try to steal our joy.  Those that often hinder us from appreciating the blessings we have been given.

However, just like the storm Wednesday afternoon, the storms in our lives don't stay for long.  They usually pass by without a rainbow promising us that we won't ever face problems again.  Often they pass without us feeling the warmth of the sun.  Sometimes we hardly get a break from one storm to the next.

I have been through my share of storms, but I don't ever want to miss out on the blessings that can come after a storm.

Just like my son used to run to me when he was scared of a storm, so should we run to the arms of our Heavenly Father when life's storms are raging.  Through His mercy and grace, we can be blessed after the storm.

Psalm 107:28-29
²⁸ Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. ²⁹ He calms the storm, so that its waves are still.


I am linking this post to Finer Things Friday at The Finer Things in Life.

After the Storm

Sewing with My Daughter

My daughter is in her third year of 4-H and needs to make a jumper.  I already had a pattern (Simplicity 5646) that I thought we would try.  We picked out some fabric and got to work this week.

This dress was just a practice dress, but I think we both learned several new things. 

The pattern required we make 2 darts which I haven't done since I was in 4-H.  Thank goodness for my mom and the sewing manual.

The pattern also called for a thread loop instead of a buttonhole.  I had never done this before, so I tried my hand at making the loop.  I used embroidery floss and looked at this tutorial before starting. We also made our own button by using a button making kit I got for 25 cents at a yard sale. 

Since the dress was a little big at the sides I made thread loops on the sides of the dress to thread some grosgrain ribbon through.

I think the ribbon was a nice touch.  (Joseph wanted to stand with Julia and get his picture taken too.)

My daughter really likes to sew, and does a nice job.  I enjoy helping her, and it is good for me to make sure I know how to do things the "right" way.  We worked on this dress from Sunday to this morning.  I guess this next week will be devoted to making another dress using a different pattern in the hopes it will be good enough for the fair. 

I am linking this post to:
Strut Your Stuff Thursday at Somewhat Simple
Favorite Things Friday at A Few of My Favorite Things

Sewing with My Daughter

How to Freeze Broccoli

Last week I picked 5 large heads of broccoli from my garden.   I ended up with 2 gallon freezer bags full of broccoli.  Here is the process I used to get the broccoli from the garden to the freezer.

1.  Grow some broccoli.
2.  Pick the aforementioned broccoli.
3.  Cut the broccoli into pieces by cutting the stems. 
4.  Wash the broccoli.

5.  Place the broccoli into a pan of boiling water for a few minutes.  This is called blanching.
6.  Remove broccoli from pan and place into a colander.  Rinse with cold water and drain.
7.  Arrange the broccoli in a single layer on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for a few hours.
8.  Place frozen broccoli into freezer bags. 

Freezing your garden harvests is easy.  Be watching for more freezing and canning tutorials as the summer progresses. 

How to Freeze Broccoli

Swimming Suit Alteration

Remind me next year that I need to attempt to make my daughter's swimming suit myself.  Let me tell you why.  I am not sure who thought it was a good idea to have the neck lines of little girls swimming suits plunge to their navels because it is not the look I want for my 10 1/2 year old daugther.

OK, that is a slight exaggeration, but the swimming suits all seemed to be designed to show off more of my daughter's skin at her chest than I would prefer.

Here is the swimming suit we picked out.  It was 50% off and had colors my daughter liked.  It had a skirt with it, so I knew there was fabric I could use to make some alterations.  However, the neck line is a little revealing, don't you think?

Here is what I was able to do.  I took a piece of the skirt off and used it to make a panel that I stitched onto the "V" part of the neckline.  Once I sewed it in place I cut it close to the stitching line and that was it.  I sewed the skirt back together and was amazed that it fit my daughter perfectly.  Thankfully, she is skinny and the skirt was too big to begin with.

My daughter looks cute in the suit and I am not worried anymore about the neckline.  I still think I will try to make her suit next year.  Mom, do you still have that pattern you used to make me a swimming suit a few years ago?  (No, comments about how long those "few years ago" actually were.)

Swimming Suit Alteration

Menu Plan for the week of June 13th.

After not posting a menu plan for two weeks I am ready to get back into the swing of things.  Before I tell you what we will be eating this week I wanted to share a recipe I made for Memorial Day.  This dish can be used as a side or even a main dish. (I am pretty sure this is my great aunt's recipe.)

Ranch Beans

1 1/2 lbs. Ground Beef
2 (16 oz.) Cans Pork & Beans
1 (16 oz.) Can Kidney Beans
1 Package Onion Soup Mix
1 Cup Ketchup
2 Tbsp. Mustard
1/4 Cup Sugar

Brown ground beef and drain.  Mix together remaining ingredients.  Add ground beef.  Bake in a casserole dish or crock for several hours.  (I prefer to cook the beans in my crock pot for several hours on high as opposed to the oven.)

I also wanted to share that I made Passionate Homemaking's Whole Grain Tortillas last week.  My kids and I liked them.  I had never made whole wheat tortillas let alone soaked tortillas.  I really need to do more research about the benefits of soaking grains.  Baby steps...

Supper Menu Plan

Sunday-Leftovers

Monday-Baked Fish, Fried Zucchini, Baked Potatoes, Peaches

Tuesday-Grilled Chicken Breasts, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli, Pears

Wednesday-Homemade Pizza, Salad, Breadsticks, Apple Slices

Thursday-Zucchini Casserole, Salad, Fruit Smoothies

Friday-Grilled Pork Chops, Macaroni & Cheese, Green Beans, Fruit Cocktail

Saturday-BLT's, Coleslaw, Applesauce

I am linking this post to Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan for the week of June 13th.

Spur of the Moment Fun

I tend to be a homebody.  I am trying to work on it, but it isn't easy for me.  I am comfortable out here in the country where things are pretty quiet.

I had known my husband was going to be going about an hour away to a meeting for a few weeks.  However, it wasn't until Wednesday morning that I really seriously contemplated the children and I going with him. I decided we could surely find a way to keep occupied for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, so we went.

Let me just say that I am so glad we went.  I got to talk with my husband for a total of 2 hours while we were driving.  That was a blessing.  We also stopped by the bulk foods store where I can get 50 cents/pound whole wheat flour and other baking necessities.  This meant we didn't have to make a special trip just to go there.  This was yet another blessing. 

However, the most fun was had after we dropped my husband off at his meeting.  We headed to a state park that was just 5 minutes from where my husband's meeting was.  It cost us $5 to get into the park, but it was well worth the price.  We ate a picnic supper and then had some fun.

I could never put a price on the memories we made Wednesday evening.

I am linking this post to Finer Things Friday at The Finer Things in Life because an impromptu trip with my family truly is a finer thing. 

Spur of the Moment Fun