Thanks to everyone who entered the book giveaway! It was fun to read all of the suggestions and comments.
I think the hands down biggest waste of money was the diaper genie/champ! We are going to give away BOTH copies of the book we received – one slightly used but hey – it’s free!
I also enjoyed reviewing the book over the past two weeks. I was concerned that I wouldn’t get through it or that I wouldn’t enjoy it but I was pleasantly surprised in both respects.
I’ll start with the positive…here is what I LOVED about the book:
- It is very well written; easy to follow, clear and concise
- It is FUNNY! I found myself laughing out loud at much of it and I read it fast considering I have 2 little kids and it takes me a month to browse through my Parents and Real Simple magazines each month!
- The authors actually tested out or personally used all of the products they feature in their book and they have plenty of experience buying things for baby! One of them has triplets.
- There are no specific product endorsements or store recommendations
- They not only tell you what you really need to buy, they tell you WHEN to buy it.
- They have several quick reference lists for shopping and buying information.
Here is what I DIDN’T Love about the book:
- There are no specific product endorsements or store recommendations – while this is a positive in regards to sincerity it is also a negative when you are looking for items you know absolutely NOTHING about. Baby slings, for instance, are a widely varying and obscure product on the market and it would be helpful to know which brands are worth their salt and how they are best used.
- The authors list items as Must have, Nice to Have and Don’t Need…With my first child I actually did purchase most of the must haves bit with my second I realized many of those were just Nice to Have. I think the point of the book is to impart their wisdom to first time Mom’s not as first time Mom’s.
- There is not enough discussion around buying things second hand. I think this is VERY important for first-time Moms to understand. Having a baby costs a small fortune and if you don’t know where to look for good deals you might just go broke before college!
Here is what they missed!
There is nothing about safety gear (aside from baby gates)…there are so many things on the market to aid in baby-proofing your house (outlet covers, gadgets, corner protectors, padded head gearcabinet locks, etc…) and they have missed this section alltogether!
Top two reasons I would actually spend money on this book:
- The section on car seats…go to B&N, Borders or some other local bookseller and read the section on car seats BEFORE YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT BUYING ANOTHER ONE! I believe this one section of the book serves a public service that is invaluable! It changed our plans dramatically.
- The “Baby Brand Pronunciation Guide” at the back of the book. Never, ever sound silly again!
Final Word: Great Book – worth every penny – even for a seasoned Mom!
Okay, enough of the chit-chat…The winners are
#7 April
I have to second the diaper genie. I was a waste, we would aways take ours out after each changing. I ended up donating it to a local church for their nursery.
#20 Rachel *edited* I had snagged the wrong comment for Rachel, Sorry!
The most useless product I bought was an in the car bottle warmer that you plugged in your lighter. It never heated the bottle of breastmilk. I forgot to say that I would love this book because even though this is my third child, I find it even more helpful so I am not wasting money that I don’t have. I’ll have to agree also with diaper genie and nipple shields—waste of money.
Congratulations to April and Rachel! Please e-mail us to claim your books!
