Introducing the Big Dot of Happiness Blog!

Now you can join SimplyBabyStuff.com and the rest of our sister sites at the all-new Big Dot of Happiness Blog as we share and discuss our favorite party supplies, tips, projects, and recipes—and show you how to incorporate them into your next event, whatever the occasion. At the Big Dot of Happiness Blog, you’ll find all the party expertise you’ve come to expect from our company, brought together in one handy, accessible spot.

So come, be a part of the Big Dot community, and let us help you take your parties to the next level—the Big Dot of Happiness way!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

And naturally, as former English majors and general language enthusiasts (also: nerds), my husband and I are so thrilled that our daughter seems to have such an vibrant inner world. An inner world she loves to share through stories and songs and occasional interpretive dances.

Except. (You knew there had to be an “except,” didn’t you?)

Now she’s in school. For two hours a day. Two hours a day that she’s not in my presence, and, as I’ve mentioned here already, that’s really very hard for me. I…like to know  things. I ask a lot of questions to try to piece together a version of her school life for myself, because I’m nosy, sure, but also because I’m her mama and I desperately want my baby to be ok at school.

I want to know whether she’s interacting with her teachers and the other kids or if she’s sitting alone in a corner (telling stories to herself.) Is she respectful as we’ve taught her to be, or is she running rampant, poking other kids in the eye. (shudder. See what I do to myself?) I wish so much that I could be a fly on the wall, and I’ve cursed the fact that in this technological age classrooms aren’t automatically equipped with webcams so the parents can see the kids and put their own childhood-baggage-based fears to rest. (I mean really. Is it too much to ask? Consider my feelings, School. Privacy laws schmivacy laws.)

So I ask a lot of questions. I can’t help it. I’ve tried to rein it in, I have. And I’m fairly successful…but even at 65% intensity, there are still a LOT of questions being fired her way (gently, subtly, nonchalantly, LOVINGLY, of course.) And this is where the same story telling skills I’ve enjoyed and celebrated so much come back to haunt me…because as far as I know, my daughter attends school with one thousand other kids (in her classroom alone), hangs upside down on the jungle gym in the mornings (she’s usually afraid to even go near a ladder), walks to the library every single day by herself (where there’s only one lonely book on a really big shelf), and has access to a caterpillar playground, complete with leaves to eat, a cocoon to crawl inside of, and wings to wear when you become a butterfly (and are flying around on the swings.)

I go back and forth between annoyance at being thwarted and admiration for her attention to detail. And actually, I kind of hope that last part about the butterflies is true. 

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

This baby shower theme features (naturally) a pretty pink and purple princess dress, a shining glass slipper, and a sparkly golden crown, all surrounded by glimmering stars. Seriously, you can’t get more “It’s a Girl!” than that. And with invitations, banners, party favors, and thank you notes all featuring the Pretty Princess baby shower theme, your guest of honor’s little lady will be welcomed in true, all-out girlie-girl style.

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

This past weekend we visited my parents, and my mom prepared a new salad recipe she said we just had to try. “It’s got corn bread and beans and tomatoes. You’ll love it!” she said.

And love it we did!

So of course, I had to share it with all of you. This salad is a nice change from the typical lettuce/pasta/potato salad categories—it’s a unique dish that will be at home on many shower menus.

It’s got corn bread and beans and tomatoes. You’ll love it! (My mom said so.)

Southwest Fiesta Salad

This salad requires lots of prep work…but it’s worth it, I promise! Remember this recipe calls for a fairly long refrigeration period before serving (2-8 hours)—plan ahead to be sure you leave ample time for the flavors to mingle.

 1 cup sour cream

1 cup salsa

2 medium (2 cups) tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 cup chopped green pepper

½ cup chopped red onion

1 T chopped fresh cilantro

4 cups crumbled corn bread

2 (15 oz) cans corn, drained

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese (or your favorite)

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and salsa, set aside. Combine the chopped tomatoes, peppers, onion, and cilantro, set aside. Combine the corn and beans, set aside. In a 9×13 baking dish, spread 2 cups of crumbled corn bread. Top that with half of the corn/bean mixture, and half of the cheese. Next, evenly distribute half of the tomato mixture over the cheese. Repeat the layers with the remaining corn bread, corn/bean mixture, and cheese—saving the remaining tomato mixture for the end! Spread the sour cream/salsa mixture over the cheese, and then top it all with the remaining tomato mixture. Cover and refrigerate the salad for at least 2-8 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

Yep. It’s true!

SimplyBabyStuff.com has a sister website called SimplyBirthdayStuff.com, and it’s absolutely brimming with invitations, decorations, tableware, and party favors—with dozens of themes to choose from! If you’ve got kids, you’ve got birthdays…which makes it so comforting to know you’ve also got SimplyBirthdayStuff.com.

 Check it out!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

And, of course, I love the food. Autumn food—the beginning of comfort food season. After a Summer of fresh cool veggies and outside cooking, I’m ready to retreat to my kitchen. I crave the scents and flavors of breads in the oven and soups bubbling on the stove, and I don’t usually wait long to dive straight in to soup season.

However, with little ones in the house, soup can be a tricky meal to serve—it can be piping hot, and tough for kiddos to keep on the spoon. But both my husband and I are major soup fans and leaving it off the menu would be a hardship, so I’ve come up with a few tricks…

When I serve soup to my kids, I toss a handful of frozen veggies into their servings—this brings the temperature down in their bowls while adding some extra veggies. My daughter loves selecting her “add-in” vegetables, and eats them happily—especially when she’s the one who chooses them. If your child is vegetable-adverse, you can freeze cubes of pureed veg and pop one into the bowl—it will disappear into the broth, cool the soup, and add way more vitamins than a plain old ice cube. 

My one-year-old son loves nothing more than to feed himself, which usually ends up in some pretty epic messes…but we reach a whole new level when I serve him soup. There is just no way he’s going to keep broth on his spoon, but I really want him to consume the (yummy) nutrients it holds. Enter my secret weapon: couscous.

I simply pour his serving of soup into his bowl five minutes before mealtime, stir in a tablespoon or two of dry couscous, and cover it until we’re ready to eat. The couscous soaks up the delicious broth, and all I have to do is give it a quick stir to fluff it up before I serve it to him. Simple, delicious, toddler-friendly soup!

Mmmmm. I’m thinking some good old chicken noodle soup is in order very soon. Welcome, Autumn!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

That nip in the air (and the giant cooking pumpkin sitting on my counter) are telling me it’s Autumn. And therefore it’s time for pumpkin bars! So lets get to it, shall we? This is a classic pumpkin bar recipe, just like your grandma used to make. It’s simple to prepare, and the bars always disappear quickly from their pan. Your shower guests will rave, and you’ll be a hero. I promise.

Happy Autumn!

Classic Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

4 eggs

1 cup oil

2 cups (15 oz) pureed pumpkin

2 cups sugar

Frosting:

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese

6 T butter, softened

1 ¾ cup powdered sugar

1 tsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease (or spray with cooking spray) a jelly roll pan, and set it aside. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the first five ingredients and set aside. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs then stir in the oil, pumpkin puree, and sugar; mix well. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, and stir until just-combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack while you prepare the frosting.

With an electric mixer, beat together the butter and cream cheese until the mixture is smooth, then add the milk and vanilla to the bowl. With the mixer on low, beat in the powdered sugar bit by bit until it’s all combined, adding a bit more milk if needed to achieve your desired consistency. 

When the bars are completely cool, spread on the frosting and serve. Store these covered in the refrigerator if you’re going to be keeping them more than a day or two. 

Enjoy!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

…Baby Showers certainly fall into that category. What a better time to celebrate than when a new little life is about to come into the world. When the new parents’ love and excitement and anticipation are spilling out all over the place and are completely infectious. THAT is definitely a time that calls for “large.”

Which is why it is no coincidence that www.SimplyBabyStuff.com offers a staggeringly large collection of very large banners. All original, all customizable, and all absolutely adorable, any of these banners will help create a larger-than-life, over-the-moon, can’t-contain-our-excitement atmosphere at your next baby shower celebration. 

All you need to do is put your enthusiasm into words!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

As usual, SimplyBabyStuff.com has got your back! Along with seriously extensive collections of decorations and tableware and favors to choose from, they offer an impressive selection of Baby Shower Games. From enduring classics like Baby Shower Bingo to the very unique, such as Baby Shower Scratch Off Cards, you are certain to find just the perfect games to entertain your guests, and be sure your shower will stand out in their memories.

(Pssst! SimplyBabyStuff.com even offers a few game prizes! Seriously: your guests will think you’re a party-planning genius.)

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

At SimplyBabyStuff.com, you’ll find dozens of beautiful baby shower invitations to browse through, and (this is the best part!) thank you notes, decorations, favors, and tableware to match. You can even purchase coordinating address labels to really carry your baby shower theme through!

All of the baby shower invitations at SimplyBabyStuff.com can be personalized, making them a wonderful keepsake for Mama-to-be, and extra impressive to all your guests. Start your baby shower out on the right foot with invitations from SimplyBabyStuff.com!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger