You’ve spent a lot of time putting together a baby shower, and you just crossed the last item off your list—party favors. But how do you hand them out? Do you put one on each plate? Do you place them around the buffet table? Do you rig up little baskets to parachute from the ceiling, launching each party favor at guests via basket-mounted micro-catapult?

Well, as much as I love seeing a good parachute/micro-catapult launch, there’s an easier way to make sure your party favors get noticed: personalized baby shower favor boxes.

SimplyBabyStuff.com has super cute favor boxes, available in two different sizes and a variety of designs, making it easy to coordinate them with your baby shower theme. The best part is you can personalize these boxes with a custom message to or about the mama-to-be.

These boxes are so special, your quests might think their party favor is the box itself!

P.S. The larger size includes a matching gift card and satin ribbon!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

A few months ago, I tasted a wheat berry salad at a local restaurant, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. The chewy texture of wheat berries, the sweet tang of cranberries, the bite of a vinegar dressing…I was in heaven. It was good, people. If you’ve never had the pleasure of devouring a wheat berry salad, I’d suggest you quickly move the experience to the top of your list. 

Of course, with the taste of that salad fresh in my memory, I figured I ought to add a wheat berry salad recipe to my own repertoire. I waded through many similar recipes, but I couldn’t find one that was on-par with the yummy salad I’d been day dreaming about. And so, finally, with you all in mind (as well as my own taste buds), I set out to create my own crave-worthy version of the elusive wheat berry salad recipe. 

You’re welcome.

Cranberry Wheat Berry Salad

Wheat berries are simply the entire (hulled) wheat kernel (whole grains, yay!); cooked until they’re soft but still a bit chewy, they impart an interesting—and yummy—texture to a salad that’s a nice break from the ordinary. Add this salad to your next shower menu…your guests will be begging for the recipe (and the leftovers!)

2 cups hard red winter wheat berries

10 cups water, salted

1 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup minced onion

½ cup sunflower seeds

1/8–1/4 cup minced fresh herbs (parsley, chives, basil, etc.—whatever’s fresh)

¼ cup raspberry vinegar (or your favorite vinegar)

2 T good extra virgin olive oil

2 T sugar (or your favorite sweetener)

1–2 tsp salt

Black pepper to taste

Optional: ½ cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds

In a large pot, boil the wheat berries in the salted water until they’re soft but still a bit chewy, about 60 minutes. Drain the wheat berries and transfer them to a large bowl. To the bowl, add the cranberries, onion, sunflower seeds, herbs, and the nuts if you’re including them. Stir to combine everything. In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar and salt in the vinegar and oil then pour it over the salad. Stir well to be sure everything’s coated in dressing, then add black pepper and/or more salt to taste. Let the salad sit, covered, for at least 30 minutes before serving—the longer it sits, the better it tastes! Serve this salad either chilled or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

One afternoon, while I was attempting to put my son down for his nap, my daughter came bursting into the room. Naturally, I was annoyed that she was interrupting the baby’s lullaby, but something in her tone made me hold my tongue, and I’m so glad I did…because what happened next was nothing less than magical.

She was talking so quickly that I couldn’t understand the words tumbling out of her mouth, but I could tell that whatever she was trying to tell me, it was big. And exciting! EXCITING!

Eventually, I was able to help her calm herself enough to deliver her message: “Mama! I can read Sully’s [her brother’s] beach ball book! And I just did! I read it! With the real words! I! READ! ALL! THE! WORDS!”

Now, I knew full well that my just-turned four-year-old hadn’t actually read a book. I knew she’d flipped the pages and recited the words she’d memorized from hearing them over and over again. I also knew she’d been doing that since she was two, and this was not a new skill…But. Something was different. I decided her brother’s nap could wait a bit and we followed her back into the family room to listen to her “read.”

Something has shifted for my daughter. She’s got a new understanding. As I sat and watched her read the book in her hands (all while looking at me rather than the pages), I saw such pride in her eyes. Total belief in her skills. Whether she’s begun connecting the idea that the letters and words she sees around her actually hold stories, or if she’s simply beginning to truly grasp that one day she will learn how to read for herself, I’m not sure. The difference in her perspective could be anything. But I do know that as far as she’s concerned, she can read–only that one book, but she can read!

 And really, after witnessing her absolute confidence in herself as she recited that book to me…I was inclined to agree.

“Yes! I heard you read, Sweetie! You read all the words!”

 The baby never did nap that day…we were too busy listening to stories.

Why should you worry about baby shower invitations? Hmm. Honestly, if your shower’s potential guests care at all about the mother-to-be, you could probably send out invitations written on old cardboard toilet paper tubes (with postage due) and still be confident about a good turnout. But baby shower invitations are about more than guaranteeing a sizable headcount.

Really, all the special touches you can pour into a baby shower amount to providing an experience. And your baby shower invitation provides guests with the first taste of that experience. (As well as, you know, practical things like a date, a time, a place and all that).

SimplyBabyStuff.com has enough baby shower invitations to make your party planning-head spin, but finding what you want is easy—even if you don’t know what you want. They’ve got everything from cute-n-cartoony to elegant-n-understated. Looking for a classic invitation with a baby carriage on it? What about a cute monkey? A cute owl? Something trendy? Already know the sex of the baby? Planning a couple’s shower? No problem. You’ll find all those baby shower invitations and more—whatever you need to set the right tone for a terrific experience.

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

For my daughter’s birthday party, rather than making a big cake, I made cupcakes—one batch of vanilla cakes, and one batch of chocolate cakes—and I left them all bare! I arranged the cupcakes on two pedestal cake plates and decorated them a bit with some paper leaves arranged to make the cakes look like flowers.

THEN! I let the kiddos go wild, frosting and decorating their own cupcakes. As I expected, this was a hit with the children…but I was surprised to see just how much the adults loved decorating their cupcakes too. I made plenty of extra cakes, so everyone felt free to go back for seconds (or thirds or fourths…), and most of the adults embraced that opportunity as they experimented to find their favorite, most delicious combinations of frostings and toppings.

I was thrilled to see how well this idea went over with all the guests at our party, and I plan to do it again in the future. However, I think this could be a hit at occasions other than a kid’s birthday party—of course, I immediately thought of baby showers, and more specifically couple’s showers.

When you offer guests the opportunity to top their own cupcakes, it becomes “an activity” that most everyone enjoys…which can be difficult to come by for couple’s showers. I’d suggest, if you’re planning a shower for both Mama- and Daddy-to-be, you consider dropping one of your games, and offer them cupcakes instead!

 Cupcake Topping Ideas

Here’s the list of toppings I offered at my daughter’s party, but really, this list could be infinite—use your imagination and see what creative toppings you can come up with!

• Chocolate Frosting

• Whipped Cream

• Seedless Raspberry Jam

• Chopped Toasted Almonds

• Toasted Coconut

• Sprinkles!

• Diced Kiwi and Strawberries

• Sundrop Candies (like M&Ms)

• Peanut Butter Chips

• Mini Chocolate Chips

 Happy Decorating!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

This past Spring, our family bought a share in our local CSA farm, and each week this Summer we’ve been enjoying a box of fresh veggies grown for us at “our farm.” Along with yummy organic vegetables and berries, our share allows us access to various extras like fresh eggs from free-range chickens and wool from the resident sheep.

Our very favorite membership perks so far are the giant jars of golden honey we’ve received, made by bees that live right on the farm. We go through a lot of honey at our house, so I was very excited when we had our first taste of “farm honey” and discovered it to be beyond delicious. I went on (at length, knowing me) raving about how special it was that we are able to enjoy honey from the bees who collected nectar from, and pollinated, the very plants we’ve been enjoying our vegetables from.

Apparently, my enthusiasm was contagious (and a bit misleading) because now my daughter regularly asks whether the honey she’s eating is “Bee Honey” or “Store Honey.”

 Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

A baptism is a tricky celebration to plan. The ceremony itself is traditionally a pretty low-key affair—solemn even. But “solemn” isn’t a word most people want associated with the party following the church service. You don’t want the party to be some sort of over-the-top family blowout, but you don’t necessarily want church hymns. You want something tasteful and, of course, celebratory.

Decorations can help you strike the right balance. SimplyBabyStuff.com offers many beautiful baptism decorations to help you achieve a festive, yet tasteful look for your reception. There’s no need to go over-the-top with your décor, but a few well-placed items will help your reception feel suitably festive—and help ensure a joyous celebration for your little one’s milestone.

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

This salad is a favorite in my family, and it’s always a crowd-pleaser. There are many variations on this salad floating around out there, and it’s likely your family has it’s own version. However, for us it’s such a staple—at showers, picnics, dinners, you name it!—that I thought I’d share it with you all, on the off-chance that you’ve never had the pleasure of tasting it!

Bok Choy Salad

This salad calls for full heads of both Bok Choy and leaf lettuce—it makes a LOT of salad. If you’re short on time (or just don’t feel like chopping), or wish to make a half-batch of this salad, you can substitute bags of classic salad mix (with lettuce, carrots, and cabbage) for the Bok Choy and lettuce. Use 32oz of mix for a half-batch of salad, or 64oz for the full recipe.

1 head Bok Choy, washed and chopped

1 head Lettuce, washed and chopped

8-10 scallions, washed and chopped

2 pkgs ramen noodles

2 oz sesame seeds

2 cups slivered almonds

4 T butter

Dressing:

¼ cup red wine vinegar

½ cup sugar

¾ cup oil (your favorite for dressings)

2 T soy sauce

In a LARGE bowl, combine the Bok Choy, lettuce, and scallions, set aside, or store covered in the refrigerator. In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Break apart the ramen noodles into small pieces, leaving some larger hunks (about the size of a lima bean), save the flavor packet for another use. Add the ramen noodles, sesame seeds, and slivered almonds to the skillet, and sauté them in the melted butter until they’re golden brown. Set them aside on a paper towel to cool, and then store them in an air-tight container until you’re ready to use them. While the ramen topping is cooking, combine the dressing ingredients in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil and cook until the sugar dissolves. Cool the dressing and then store it in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. 

When you are ready to serve the salad, combine the lettuces, the ramen topping, and the dressing in a LARGE bowl. Toss the salad until everything is coated well in dressing. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

Our family spent this past weekend at my parents’ house, and when we arrived, their grammy had a very special surprise for our kids…a monarch caterpillar in an aquarium! Eva (my daughter) spent the weekend carefully feeding the caterpillar fresh milkweed leaves, and checking regularly to see whether it was eating or not. She gave it a name (Crocodile Flower), and we got to take the baby caterpillar home with us to observe.

Right now, Crocodile Flower is only a teeny tiny caterpillar, but as long as we take good care of her, and offer plenty of fresh milkweed, we’ll be able to watch as she grows and grows and then creates her chrysalis. In about three weeks or so, Eva and I will be able release our beautiful monarch butterfly into the wild.

The other day, she and I were discussing a veterinarian office we’d seen, and she asked me whether the animal doctor took care of caterpillars too. I told her I didn’t know, but that I thought most vets cared for pets like dogs and cats and bunnies and things. Eva thought for a minute, and then she announced “I am going to be a caterpillar doctor when I grow up.”

A noble profession, indeed.

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

A baptism is an important moment in many new children’s lives. In most cases, families and friends will gather after the service for a reception—often this is the very first of many celebrations to come in the child’s life, and many parents don’t know where to begin.

Luckily, there’s a very simple answer to that question…begin with the invitations! The right baptism invitation can help honor this very special occasion in your child’s life, so be sure to take the time to choose just the right baptism invitation to suit your tastes and set the mood for celebrating such an important milestone.

SimplyBabyStuff.com offers a large selection of baptism invitations to choose from. They offer many styles from quirky and cute to classically understated, and each one can be personalized with your child’s name and ceremony information, which makes them keepsake-quality invitations. Your friends and family members will be honored to be a part of this important moment in your child’s life—be sure they’re aware of all the details of the day by sending the perfect baptism invitations!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger