Congratulations Trisha on being a proud new grandma! Trisha is our Wholesale Sales Specialist at Big Dot of Happiness.  Everyone at Big Dot is very  excited about the arrival of her new bundle of joy. We recently had a chance to catch-up with Trisha to see how being a grandma is going and here is what she had to say…

What is your grandchild’s name? Amara Lily Suckow

When was your grandchild born? January 2, 2010

How big was your grandchild when she arrived? She is little princess! 6 lbs. 11 oz and 19 inches long

How excited were you about being a grandmother when your daughter told you she was pregnant? Elated with JOY!!! I was on the phones taking customer calls and my daughter, Vanessa, called in pretending to be a customer disguising her voice placing an order. After she selected her invitations, I asked, “Who is the Lucky Mommy-To-Be?” She excitedly announced in singing “Vanessa Suckow! Vanessa Suckow!” I totally flew out of my chair!

What is the best part of being a grandmother? I never thought I’d feel a greater Love and JoY than being a parent, but to my amazement, I am overwhelmed this exhilarating feeling of gratitude! Words just can’t explain! I received a card from baby Amara’s Grandma Suckow that says it all! “Grand Kids are God’s Gift for Growing Older!”

If you could give another grandma a tip, what would it be? I would advise other Grandmas to know that although we feel we are the “Expert Parents”, our children live in an information age and just like our wardrobes have changed so have the latest trends in parenting! Which is a good thing, right?!

Did you throw a baby shower for your daughter? If so, what theme did you use? Did we ever! We used the Trendy Mommy-To-Be themed squiggle shaped invitations and received many compliments! We also used the Trendy Flower tableware, banner, and mini wrappers. Knowing Vanessa was expecting a baby girl, we just had to add the “It’s a Girl” themed large candy bar wrappers and the Sticky Notes as favors.

What is your grandchild’s favorite toy or activity? Amara is just 10 days old so eating and sleeping and being cuddled are her favorite! Of course, I am thinking that that her favorite activities will be visiting Grandma Trisha and Grandpa Tim!

What are your favorite things to do with your grandchild? The #1 thing on my Bucket List is to spend as much time as possible with Baby Amara and create simple memorable moments with her and her family!

What is your favorite product on SimplyBabyStuff.com and why? I now have 2 favorites! The personalized banners are awesome for adding an extra special personalized touch to a celebration. And…. after seeing how the Mommy and Daddy-to-be both lit up when they saw their baby’s initials on the tiny little infant cap, it is definitely a favorite! Ohhh! That’s another picture I must get of Baby Amara!

Anything else you want to share about being a Grandma? YES! “Grand Kids are God’s Gift for Growing Older!”

If you’re planning a baby shower we have plenty of baby shower invitations to choose from!

Our All Star Sports Baby Shower Invitations is a great pck if you know the baby is going to be born into a sports loving family! Of course, our invitations can be personalized and white square flap envelopes are included!

Traditionally baby showers are given to first time moms, but now friends and family are celebrating a mother’s second, third, and later children with a baby sprinkle. A baby sprinkle is a small shower to celebrate the arrival of a mother’s child and the growth of her family. Baby sprinkles are a fun party to “sprinkle” the mom with little necessities and a light “sprinkling” of gifts. Typically when a mother has their second or third child they already have all the larger items they need for a baby (crib, car seat, stroller, etc), but she will still need the little necessities for her new baby (diapers, baby bath, baby lotion, bottles, outfits, etc.). Another great gift idea for the mom is a massage or manicure, this will encourage her to have some quality “me time”.

At SimplyBabyStuff.com some cute Baby Sprinkle baby shower themes are the Baby Girl is Blooming and Couples baby shower theme.

Here are some cute wording ideas from Creative-Baby-Shower-Ideas.com for baby sprinkle invitations:

Little babies are so much fun
(mother/father name)’s having another one.
Their second baby is on the way
We hope you’ll join us on this special day.

Baby smiles and giggles galore
_____ and _____ are having one more
Big Sister _______ has plenty to share
This is only a “sprinkle” to show that we care
Please join us to celebrate before Baby is due
They’ve got lots of pink, so think plenty of blue! (if it’s a boy!)!
Pins, Diapers, Bottles Galore
(mothers name) & (father) are having one more!
Big (sister/brother) has plenty to share
This is a “sprinkle” to show we care.
Please join us to celebrate the baby due
We still don’t know if it’s pink or blue!

And the Tradition Continues…

A couple of years ago, we started a new tradition at my house. It’s tough to find something that everyone in the house might enjoy doing together, so I thought it might be fun to create ornaments with my kids for our Christmas tree. One year, we bought wooden snowflakes and covered them in glue. Then we decorated them with different colors of glitter. It was a mess, but a lot of fun! This year we did a variation of this by using pinecones and applying glitter to them. I bought red ribbon to hang them with and they turned out great! It doesn’t have to be anything quite as messy, though. You can buy pipecleaners to create anything from candy canes to snowflakes. My kids aren’t old enough to help me with this yet, but I’ve also created fabric ornaments that give the tree a “country” feel. This is a tradition that has been fun for my family and I hope you try it, too. You might be surprised how talented your family is at creating these memorable ornaments!

Posted by Kari, Designer of Dots – Graphic Designer

Be a party planning hero in 2010 with these hot new baby shower trends. Your friends and family will be amazed at your party planning skills.

Do It Yourself: 2009 was the year of do it yourself, but we do not see this trend going away. 2010 will be a even bigger year for do it yourself ideas. SimplyBabyStuff.com has a great selection of do it yourself ideas including personalized die-cut tags, empty glass canister jar, diaper cake forums and more! Here are some do it yourself ideas from our customers.

New Modern Designs: Traditionally baby shower themes are pastel blue, pink and green colors, this year say hello to vibrant bright colors and modern designs in 2010. Some of our new designs for 2010 are Monkey Boy, Monkey Girl, Ducky Duck, Mommy Silhouette, and All Star Sports.

Looking for some fun baby shower games to play? The Pacifier Game is one that can be played throughout the entire baby shower.

Every guest gets a pacifier necklace when they arrive. Throughout the baby shower, If you say “BABY” and someone hears you, that person gets your pacifier necklace. At the end of the shower, the person with the most necklaces wins!

At SimplyBabyStuff.com we have been going bananas over our Monkey Boy and Monkey Girl baby shower themes. Our monkey baby shower invites, favors, banners and placemats have been flying out the door. We see a new trend happening…monkey baby showers. The monkey boy and monkey girl theme has an adorable little monkey swinging through a tree branch and bright vibrant colors. The monkey girl and monkey boy baby shower theme is the perfect way to celebrate the new little monkey in your life.