Online Shopping Guide

Parenting Books for the First 12 Months

Being a Parent

Being a parent is considered the hardest job in the world, and everyone needs a little help and advice from time to time. There are many books written by parenting experts and doctors to help guide you through your baby’s first 12 months. It’s okay to get advice and help from other people when it comes to raising your child. After all, babies don’t come with an instruction manual. You’ll find many books that can help you with such issues as breastfeeding, teething, nutrition, and parenting.

Parenting Books for the First 12 Months

These books are all great tools for parents who want to do a little research, or get some tips when it comes to raising children
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Mayo Clinic Complete Book of Pregnancy & Baby’s First Year

Mayo Clinic

Hardcover, William Morrow & Company, 1994, ISBN # 0688117619

This book delves into the world of motherhood, exploring issues such as breastfeeding and the changes in a woman’s body. Family issues and parenting advice are also offered.

The Contented Little Baby Book: The Simple Secrets of Calm, Confident Parenting

Ford, Gina

Paperback, New American Library, 2001, ISBN # 0451202430

This book discusses what’s best for the baby, delving into sleeping and nutritional information to help guide you. Many simple strategies are featured in this book that will help parents establish rules and patterns to ensure the continued health and happiness of their child.

The Everything Get Ready for Baby Book: From Buying the Right Gear to Learning the Best Lullabies

Jones, Katina

Paperback, Adams Media Corporation, 1998, ISBN # 1558508449

This book is filled with invaluable advice about selecting a name, a pediatrician, and proper feeding methods. You can start preparing for your baby’s arrival in advance with the advice found in the pages of this guide.

The Mother of All Baby Books

Douglas, Ann

Paperback, Hungry Minds, 2002, ISBN # 0764566164

This book explores healthy infant development, feeding, sleeping, and medical advice for the first year of your baby’s life.

The Joy of Fatherhood: The First Twelve Months Expanded 2nd Edition (Paperback)

Marcus Jacob Goldman MD

Even fathers need help when it comes to raising a child, and there’s no reason that new fathers should be left out. This book offers invaluable advice and tips for fathers who want to have a hands-on role in their child’s early development.

Your Baby’s First Year Week by Week

Glade B Curtis

ISBN: 1555612326

This book takes you week-by-week through your child’s development, offering advice and tips through the earliest stages of your baby’s development.

Rookie Dad: Fun and Easy Exercises and Games for Dads and Babies in Their First Year

Susan Fox

For fathers who want to find ways to connect with their child, this book offers great advice and activities. You want your child to get to know you as soon as possible, and some fathers feel a little left out of the special mother-child bond that arises. This book helps fathers get close to their children, beginning at an early age.

Keeping the Baby Alive till Your Wife Gets Home

Walter Roark

This humorous look at fatherhood is one that new fathers will immediately identify with. This book can serve as a guide to fathers who are inexperienced when it comes to babies as so many of them are.

When it comes to raising your baby, you can never learn too much. Check out some of these parenting books for the first 12 months of your baby’s life to get started on the right foot when it comes to parenthood.

Parenting Books for the First 12 Months / Jacqueline Courtiol

Jacqueline Courtiol, M.A. Ed. is a veteran teacher, mother and business owner. She is the founder/co-developer of Colic Calm Gripe Water a natural homeopathic remedies for relief of infant colic and gas that is recommended by pediatricians, doulas and lactation consultants. More information about colic can be found here: Colic Information.

Get a Steam Vacuum Cleaner for Deep Down Cleaning

Great-looking tailored carpeting and floor covering requires constant work to keep it looking beautiful. A steam vacuum cleaner allows you to make quick work of those traffic pattern areas and anywhere deep dirt collects. You’re not the first person to have dirt tracks through your home and on your carpets. If you have kids, dirt tracks, juice stains and miscellaneous food debris discolorations on your carpet are just the fact of life. With the steam vacuum cleaner however, it’s much easier to keep your carpets looking their best.

The steam vacuum cleaner is actually not steam based, but uses a cleaning solution in hot water to clean your carpet. Preparation and pre spotting is the key to removing the stains and discolorations. You can actually rent a steam vacuum cleaner at your local hardware store or supermarket. These rentals are typically made for two days at a fixed price which is more than enough time to clean your carpets. Although many people pay for a heavy-duty carpet cleaning service
, a steam vacuum cleaner rental is a great idea between those more expensive cleanings.

But the large expense of a steam vacuum rental however is in the cleaning solutions and chemicals. Here are a few carpet cleaning solution chemicals that are a lot less expensive and are claimed to do just as good a job. This is a good time to remind you to be very careful using any type of chemicals.

It’s also important to test all chemicals even those specifically recommended for steam vacuum cleaners before using on your carpet. One quick way to check is to take a white cloth dipped it in the chemicals and rub your carpet in a hidden spot to check for color fastness. If any color transfers to your rag, the dyes used in your carpet will not hold up to the chemical recipes selected.

Here are a few home carpet cleaning recipes that have been very successful.

1. Go to the local janitorial supply and pick up pre-mixed carpet steam vacuum cleaning solution by the gallon

2. 3 teaspoons of cheap, non moisturizing clear dishwashing liquid, 1/4 cup of ammonia, and 1/4 cup of vinegar to 2 gallons of water.

3. Use equal portions of very hot water and Windex window cleaner. You can buy Windex or plain window cleaner by the gallon at your local janitorial supply store. Just find any window cleaner that has ammonia in the ingredients.

4. Pre-treat your carpets, using a spray bottle with very hot water in an oxygenating bleach such as Oxy-clean. I personally have used regular chlorine bleach and hot water in a 1% solution on my light gray carpets to make them much brighter. [10 parts water and 1 part bleach]

Remember that whatever steam carpet cleaner chemicals you select be certain to rinse your carpets thoroughly. The key to keeping your carpets cleaner longer is to remove all of the soap and chemicals used to clean them. Many steam cleaning solutions can act as a dirt magnet making your carpets look dull and dirty much faster.

Using a steam vacuum cleaner rental can be much less expensive than having a service in to clean your carpets. If you clean your carpets at least twice a year however, it may be worth while considering the purchase of your own steam vacuum.

Get a Steam Vacuum Cleaner for Deep Down Cleaning / Abigail Franks

Abigail Franks writes on a variety of subjects which include family, health, and home. For more info on steam cleaning your carpets visit the site at http://www.best-vacuumcleaner.com/vacuum-steam-cleaner-reviews.html and http://www.best-vacuumcleaner.com

Womens Designer Watches for Autumn

Now with so many clothes designers in the watch market place, we are starting to see seasonal launches to quench the public’s insatiable need for new designer watches. But the question is, which designer watch will you be wearing this autumn and winter?

With only a few of the big designer watch companies launching their autumn winter ranges so far, we can tell you that bling is still definitely in this autumn and winter. But the days of having one watch for all occasions are now well and truly over with designers like Chanel, Gucci and Dior leading the pack of exclusive designer watches. For Chanel, the J12 still reigns supreme as the watch choice for superstar celebs, with the black ceramic version being one of the most popular options. This style comes with a large price tag and this makes the likes of the Chanel J12 and Gucci wrist wear inaccessible to many.

Companies like Guess, Diesel, DKNY and Emporio Armani are creating watches that are more accessible with their prices ranging from £70 to £350 meaning the consumer is able to build up a collection of designer watches to fit with the styles of the season. This autumn/winter the new products from these companies are diverse and eclectic with all tastes catered for.

The Emporio Armani watch brand has a long history of creating high class designer watches at fantastic prices and this is no more evident than in the 2007 autumn/winter collection. Many of the women’s watches are now diamond set and, as diamonds are a girl’s best friend, we suggest the AR3156 as the Armani watch to wear as it possesses a sufficient amount of bling and comes with a reasonable price tag of only £350. This Armani watch is the most fashionable and stylish diamond watch you will see this year.

Companies such as Guess have been creating a stir with their Swarovski crystal encrusted watches, for example the Prism and the G-mix to name but two. It isn’t hard to see why. These watches have the bling effect of diamonds without stretching your purse strings.

DKNY have also continued on the Swarovski crystal bling theme this autumn and winter with a range of watches that are full of bling. The watches to look out for this season are the NY3959, a watch that blends the style for large watches with the bling effect and the NY3972, which takes bling style to another level with its black pvd case and black crystals.

For those who are not into Swarovski crystal and prefer a chunky, bold style, Diesel’s new launch encompasses the most dramatic styles, including the DZ5093 and DZ5095, which really capture the imagination with a plastic polymer casing making them colourful as well as bold.

Police on the other hand have created a watch for those women who love the look of black ceramic watches like those by Rado and Chanel, but without the problems that ceramic watches can have in respect to durability. The Navy and the NavyII both have PVD plated steel cases and bracelets which give the same effect as the ceramic but at a much reduced cost. Both of these watches have already been seen in many a glossy magazine as the most wanted watches autumn and winter 07, so don’t be surprised if you can’t get your hands on one this Christmas.

This season’s watch launches have been diverse with bigger watches player their part as well as those with the bling effect so now is a perfect time to buy a watch and with this guide you will be able to stay ahead of the crowd.

Womens Designer Watches for Autumn / Erin Ryan

Erin Ryan is a freelance writer for online designer watch specialists Hot Watches

Accessorize your Home Affordably With Some Tricks by a Professional

Do you have to spend a fortune to accessorize your home? Not if you know what you are doing and where to shop.

Home accessories make a space functional, fun or dramatic depending upon your style. Rather than throwing all types of accessories bought on impulse, start out with a plan. Home accessories bring a room together and should serve a purpose to balance the color scheme, the scale of the room and enhance the theme of the room.

Make a list of the sizes and shape of the things you think you need and get color samples from the paint store to match the colors you will be shopping for. This is a lot easier and a lot more portable than dragging a pillow or a picture around with you to the store.

Shopping on line is easy and it is fun, but beware that the colors that are shown are not always true. At Barbara English Designs, www.barbaraenglishdesigns.com we have found quite often that rugs, bedding, drapes or other decor items look different when they show up at your home than they did on your computer. If samples or swatches are available and it is a major purchase, get those first and then order.

You do not have to shop at the most trendy and expensive stores for the great accessories. Shop in those places to get some great ideas and then make a trip to your discount stores to see if there is anything similar for sometimes a third of the price. You might even find something that you like better and your budget will always go further if you are economical on the accessories.
Save your bigger bucks for durable furniture or fabulous artwork that will really make an impact.

Stay away from cutesy. Too many people make the mistake of conglomerating one look all over the house. Craft shows can inspire an impulse purchase, but how many wooden cows really work in a home? Beware of overloading yourself with too many small accessories. Vary the size and shape and pay attention to the theme of the room.

If you want to do nautical, invest in the unexpected. Try antique stores for parts from a ship or beach resort. If you want to surround yourself with luxury, don’t be afraid to use that fabulous shawl you saw in a dress shop over the corner of a chair.

Some of the best accessores are really used to bring colors, textures or scale of the room into balance. A neutral color scheme can pop with two red pillows. Wooden furniture that does not match can make sense if accessories of the same color are placed somewhere else in the room for balance. A dark chair in a room with light furniture can work if dark baskets or pottery grace the room.

Large spaces require large accessories. Less clutter is critical and if you have collections of things, group them in the same space together rather than spreading them all over the house. That way they can be appreciated for all of their similar differences as a collection without looking cluttered.

At Barbara English Designs, www.barbaraenglishdesigns.com we have worked with thousands of clients who were not sure how to accessorize their homes. Balance, scale and avoiding impulse purchases that don’t have a place are all things to consider.

Accessorize your Home Affordably With Some Tricks by a Professional / Barbara English

Barbara English is an interior designer in Atlanta with 22 years of experience in residential and commercial design. Her portfolio includes celebrities, atheletes and entrepreneurs. She works in Atlanta and has traveled the entire United States on projects ranging from primary residences to vacation homes at various beaches, ski resorts and mountain retreats. Visit her website at www.barbaraenglishdesigns.com

Cellular Shades Vs. Pleated Shades, a Battle Royal

There are a lot of fairly confusing terms when it comes to window treatments. Like, what’s the difference between a shade and a blind? Or, what is the difference between sheer shades and cellular shades? If you walked into a window blinds store today, you would probably be overwhelmed and forced to take the advice of a salesman who just wants a bigger commission. While I will not try to clear up all the window treatments mysteries, I will enumerate the differences between pleated shades and cellular shades, also called honeycomb shades, so that when and if you become interested in purchasing them, you will be armed with the information you need to make an informed decision.

First, it is fair to say that pleated shades and cellular shades are like cousins. They both have similar looks with crisp pleats, kind of like the bellows of an accordion. Both come with the usual upgrades like Top down, Bottom up, cordless, continuous cord loop, and even motorization. Just to be clear the cordless option allows you to raise or lower the shade by pulling on the bottom rail, a good option if you have children. A continuous cord loop is basically a clutch mechanism that keeps the cord at the same length when you raise or lower the blind so that the cord isn’t either way up high or all the way to the floor. The Top down, Bottom up option is just like it sounds, you can lower the top half of the shade or the bottom half of the shade, or both. Additional options for both shade types include a wide variety of colors and fabrics, as well as light filtering or privacy liners.

One of the main differences between cellular and pleated shades is their inner construction – the stuff between the pleated fabric. As I mentioned both can come with liners of varying opacity, but cellular shades have a honeycomb structure between the pleats that act as an efficient insulator for hot or cold conditions. When I lived in the Northeast, cellular shades were a common window treatments feature because of the cold, cold winters. But, they work just as well for hot climates. Pleated shades will help insulate too, just not nearly as well.

Other differences between cellular and pleated shades are that cellular shades come in a variety of pleat sizes. In fact they come in six varieties: 3/8”, 7/16”, ½”, 9/16”, ¾” and 1 ¼”. The size pleat you choose really only depends on the look you want, the most common being the ¾” and the 3/8”. Cellular shades are also available in single, double and triple cells; the more cells, the greater the cost but also the greater the insulation. So, if you really want an energy efficient home keep this in mind as you shop.

The difference in cost between pleated and cellular shades is dependent on how many cells you choose. The difference in cost between a single cell cellular shade and a pleated shade, assuming you went with the same options, is fairly minimal, approximately 20%. As you move into the double and triple cell varieties the cost difference gets quite large. But, if you consider the long term energy savings attribute and can afford the cash outlay, double and triple cell cellular shades are the better choices, even if you don’t live in a place with huge temperature extremes.

Both types of shades look nice but, if you can afford it, I would recommend the cellular shades over the pleated shades for the insulation they provide. – David Brooks

Cellular Shades Vs. Pleated Shades, a Battle Royal / David Brooks

David Brooks is a customer service specialist at Blindsgalore.com, a internet retailer of window treatments, blinds, shutters and shades.