Everyone wants to throw an elegant, fun-filled baby shower. Big Dot of Happiness has everything you need from the invitations to the tableware, covering you for adorable décor. But to help you out even more, here are ten tips to make extra sure your shower is everything you want to be:

1. Do serve foods that are easy to eat, like finger foods, if you are not having a sit-down meal. This helps when guests want to mingle, because they don’t have to juggle cups and balance heavy meals on their knees as they sit and chat.
2. Do choose an appropriate theme for the shower. Big Dot of Happiness offers over two dozen baby shower themes, each including invitations, tableware, decorations, and party favors.
3. Do consider including men. Couples baby showers are growing in popularity, and why not? Dads are an important part of a baby’s life too!
4. Don’t send out invitations later than four weeks in advance. Give guests time to shop for gifts. Direct them to Big Dot of Happiness for great gift options, like our new plush monkey dolls.
5. Do include the address of the mother-to-be’s baby registry.
6. Don’t let guests get bored. Big Dot of happiness offers plenty of baby shower games that are sure to rev up the fun.
7. Do keep the shower short and sweet. By packing the event into two or three hours, you’re sure to keep things going and the fun moving.
8. Do seat some organized people next to the mom-to-be for opening gifts. This will help to make sure that she’s able to organize and record her gifts for sending out thank you notes. (Bonus: Order thank you cards when you order invitations to keep the theme going!)
9. Don’t give all Newborn and 3-month clothing sizes. Baby will grow sooner than everyone thinks, and it’s much easier on the parents when they have a little supply ready.
10. Don’t stress! Relax and allow yourself ample time for prep and clean-up. Involve a few friends and family members to assist you in the planning and running of the baby shower. This will ensure that everyone is laid back

Remember that a baby shower is a joyous event. It’s all about celebrating a new life and should never become a hassle. If it does, take a step back and breathe. Refocus on what you want to do, which is give the new parents a great time.

 Posted by Jillian, a Dot-arilla Blogger

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Looking for delicious mini-food to serve at your baby shower, but want to go beyond the veggie tray and cold cuts? Here are some delicious options that are baby-size yet elegant and easy.

• Cupcakes: A perfect substitute for the big cake, cupcakes are small and a huge trend in event catering. Use food coloring in vanilla frosting to match the colors you choose for your theme.
• Finger Sandwiches: So easy! Make sandwiches as you normally would, but trim the crusts off and cut them in half. Another option is to use cookie cutters to make fun shapes like stars and moons.
• Baby Quiche: Buy them at your local warehouse store, like Sam’s Club or BJ’s, in the freezer section and throw them in the oven. Voila! This is also a great vegetarian choice for a main dish.
• Mini-Cheesecakes: These are great and fairly easy to make. Find a cheesecake recipe you like, but instead of needing a spring-form pan and hours of labor, place vanilla wafers in the bottom of cupcake liners for the crust, distribute the filling, and bake for about half the time the recipe calls for. (Keep an eye on them to make sure they’re done.)
• Tartlets: You can buy these pre-made or make them yourself with puff pastry. There are plenty of recipes online for main-dish and dessert choices. These are nice choice because they’re delicate, yet scrumptious.

These ideas are just the start. There are many different foods you can make in miniature with little effort. Also check out your freezer section for hors d’oeuvres that can be thrown directly into the oven.

For a standout table, order one of Big Dot’s diaper cakes, which are inexpensive and make an adorable high impact centerpiece (not to mention a functional gift for the Mom-to-be!). Be sure to check out our baby shower themes for decorating options!

Posted by Jillian, a Dot-arilla Blogger

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MENOMONIE, WIS., April 2010 — SimplyBabyStuff.com, a leading online retailer of baby shower favors, baby shower decorations and baby shower games, introduces two new tableware themes: Monkey Boy and Monkey Girl, featured in a full array of tableware as well as matching party favors, invitations and baby gifts to help party planners create fun-themed baby shower events.

“Monkey Boy” and “Monkey Girl” are the latest original designs created in-house by the company’s expert designers.

“Our designers are crazy for baby shower stuff and they’re constantly coming up with fun new ideas and characters,” says Sherri Yukel, founder of BigDotofHappiness.com, SimplyBabyStuff.com’s parent company. “Monkey Boy & Girl are our newest creations, a cute and cheerful theme to help you celebrate your new baby.”

“Monkey Girl” wears a pink bow and sports a trendy color combination of chocolate brown and baby pink, while “Monkey Boy” uses a chocolate brown/baby blue scheme. The tableware collections feature dinner plates, dinner napkins, dessert plates, cups and beverage napkins.

Like all of SimplyBabyStuff.com’s original baby shower themes, Monkey Boy and Girl party supplies are available for purchase a la carte or in money-saving bundles. For example the Monkey Baby Shower Party Pack provides tableware and favors for 32 guests sells for $169.99 – a savings of $58.

Beyond tableware, the theme collections also include invitations, thank you cards, banners, personalizable party favors, as well as gifts for baby such as bath towels and SimplyBabyStuff.com’s own Baby Shower Diaper Cake: a memorable gift of a bundle of diapers arranged to resemble a cake, topped with a satin bow and gift-wrapped in tulle fabric.

SimplyBabyStuff.com’s convenient online store also makes it easy to outfit an entire baby shower event by grouping complementary items together. For example, balloons, streamers, tablecovers and flatware in matching Monkey Girl & Boy’s colors, as well as in lime green and white, which coordinate well with the theme, are all grouped under the same heading.

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What are your theme ideas?

Send your theme ideas to CreativeTeam@BigDotOfHappiness.com!

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Most registries feature helpful lists of favorite items for your baby registry. If they don’t, however, people sometimes forget the most essential items. Here are some items you will definitely don’t want to forget to add.

• Bottles/Nipples: It’s easiest if you ask for an assortment in the same style. That way, you never have to worry which cap fits which bottle.
• Diapers: From Newborn to Size 1, disposable or cloth, you can never have enough in the first months. Our diaper cakes make a great shower centerpiece and are a good way to get your supply started. And don’t forget the wipes!
• Receiving Blankets: Perfect for swaddling baby or a substitute burping cloth. These are also great for warm nights when only a light covering is needed.
• Hooded Bath Towels: Not only cute, but indispensable for keeping your freshly washed baby warm from head to toe after bath time.
• Pacifiers: Unless you choose not use them, you can never have enough of them. Keep a spare in your car, purse, and each room of the house. As your baby grows older, you will marvel at how easily they disappear under couches or other random spots in your home.
• Portable Playpen: The best ones come with a detachable changing table/bassinet, making baby care easy when you’re on-the-go visiting family and friends’ homes.
• Clothes in Multiple Sizes: Babies grow faster than you know, so having clothes ready when it happens is a big help.
• Extra Crib Sheets: If you have a particular pattern in mind for your baby’s crib set, ask for sheets in colors that will go with the set.
• ExerSaucer: You won’t use it for a few months, but once your baby can hold his or her head up (around 4 months or so), it will be essential!
• Baby Swing: The fold-and-go variety is most convenient because you can move it around the house or take it with you for visits. There are many different styles to choose from (with toys, vibration, etc.), but even the most no-frills model is an asset.

            Don’t forget to check out our baby shower gift ideas, which feature everything from layettes to embroidered caps, which you can personalize, for baby. We also carry gifts for Mom, Dad, and siblings to celebrate their roles in your new addition’s life. Enjoy shopping!

Posted by Jillian, a Dot-arilla Blogger

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MENOMONIE, WIS., March, 2010 — SimplyBabyStuff.com, a leading online retailer of baby shower favors, baby shower invitations and baby shower decorations, introduces two new tableware themes: Little Cowboy and All-Star Sports. The new tableware sets feature plates, napkins, cups and a variety of matching party favors to make any baby shower or birthday party complete.

 “We are always striving to find the most unique party invitations, themes and decorations to meet our customers’ needs,” says Sherri Yukel, founder, BigDotOfHappiness.com. “Our All-Star Sports tableware is the perfect place setting to celebrate little athletes, while guest will be delighted, sitting down to our Little Cowboy themed baby shower tableware, with authentic red bandana décor designed to create a casual, home-on-the-range fiesta.”

Featuring favorite, all-American pastimes – baseball, football, basketball and soccer, the All-Star Sports tableware line creates the perfect baby shower for sports enthusiast parents-to-be. Items can be ordered in bundles of 32 or 64 tableware settings (drink napkins, dinner napkins, dinner plates, dessert plates and cups). Party packs for 16 or 32 feature complete party necessities including all tableware as described above, and utensils, table covers, invitations, thank you cards, balloons, stickers, streamers and a personalized banner.

 Adorable Little Cowboy western party supplies and baby shower tableware is a great way to create that casual, home-on-the-range fiesta or barbeque. Cowboy and cowgirl guests will mosey on over to the party table to admire the authentic blue and red bandana paper plates, napkins and cups. Celebrate that special day with this cowboy inspired theme from the wild, wild west.

 Both of the new tableware styles can be paired with a wide selection of complementary party decorations, party favors and gifts such as diaper cakes, balloons, candy favors, placemats, return address labels, name tags, candles.

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Whether you’re the new mommy
or the grandma-to-be,
our gorgeous NEW sashes
will have you jumping with glee!
Stand out in the crowd
with our FREE personalization,
These sashes are great
for any special celebration!
Having trouble writing a message?
We have some ideas to propose…
or choose your own unique saying
because anything goes!

Personalized Message Ideas:

Mommy’s Little Boy
Hot Momma Lisa
John, Me & Baby Makes 3
Do not open until 05-28-10
Baby Bump
Coming Soon: Baby Anderson
Nicole, Arriving 06-07-10

Shop our new mommy-to-be and grandma-to-be sashes @ BabyShowerStuff.com!

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Shop our best selling themes…
You’ll love them as much as we do!

Planning a Bridal Shower? You will love our Bridal Silhouette Purple theme! The theme features a beautiful bridal silhouette with a dark rich purple that will leave an lasting impression on your guests.

Throwing a Birthday Bash? Check out the hottest theme of the year, Modern Ladybug. This cute little ladybug will crawl her way into your heart. What little “ladybug” wouldn’t love to have this themed birthday party?

Celebrating the arrival of a new baby? Be a party planning hero with our Mommy Silhouette baby shower theme. The Mommy Silhouette theme is an elegant yet modern way to welcome a new baby! Your baby shower will be sleek and stylish with our fun whimsical silhouette design.

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MENOMONIE, WIS., February, 2010 – SimplyBabyStuff.com, a leading online retailer of baby shower invitations, baby shower decorations and baby shower favors, introduces Fabulous 5, a new baby shower game that provides five fun-to-play baby shower games on one, beautifully printed sheet, in “it’s a girl” pink, “it’s a boy” blue or neutral lime, for those keeping baby’s gender a surprise.

“We have put a modern spin on baby shower games with our Fabulous 5 game by adding personalization and having 5 games printed on one beautifully designed sheet,” says Sherri Yukel, founder, BigDotOfHappiness.com. “With our Fabulous 5 personalized, pre-printed baby shower game, the hostess spends less time organizing games and more time enjoying the party. In addition, we offer great ideas for prizes and gifts to create the perfect baby shower.”

The Fabulous 5 shower games can be personalized with the name of the mom-to-be and each game sheet comes with five games: Famous Families – Match the famous celebrity with their child; Oh Baby! – See how many songs, phrases, or movies your can think of that use the word baby; Who’s Your Mommy? – Guess the name of each of the animal baby’s mommy; What’s Mommy Wearing? – Be the best at remembering what the new mommy is wearing and Baby Busters – Decide if the 20 pregnancy statements listed are fact or myth. The minimum order for Fabulous 5 is 20 cards.

In addition to the Fabulous 5, SimplyBabyStuff.com features a variety of unique baby shower games. “Sweet Mess” baby shower game comes with four candy bars for melting in diapers and 24 player sheets. “Bun in the Oven” pull-tab game includes 20 cards per pack and is the hottest new baby shower game in town. Always a favorite among shower goers, “The Clothespin Game” includes 24 clothespins in colors to complement any shower.

Baby shower themes, banners and tableware in a variety of styles add that extra special touch and because no shower is complete without gifts and party favors, SimplyBabyStuff.com offers some of the most unique shower favors, gifts and prizes available on one site.

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Check out our new squiggle baby shower and birthday tableware. New Little Cowboy Tableware and All Star Sports Tableware is available at BabyShowerStuff.com, SimplyBabyStuff.com and SimplyBirthdayStuff.com! The new tableware coordinates with our Little Cowboy and All Star Sports baby shower and birthday themes. We are now accepting preorders, the estimate arrival date (ETA) is March 10, 2010.

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