Last weekend I was in BuyBuy Baby picking up a gift for a friend and decided it was time to take a good look around and start to think about what we needed for when our baby arrives in the fall.  Walking around the store I was completely overwhelmed by all the different makes of strollers, bouncy seats and car seats.  Its unbelievable how many different makes and models there are.  I’ve been asking my friends with kids about what their experiences have been with the various products and whether or not they are satisfied with their purchases.  I also was told about a fabulous book called Baby Bargains written by Denise & Alan Fields.  I immediately ordered this book and have been obsessed with reading it every night since it arrived. This book covers everything you can think of from rating retailers and manufacturers of baby furniture, clothes bedding, diapers, high chairs, strollers, car seats, even bottles and breast pumps. There is also a section including information on child care options, cost and important questions to ask potential caregivers.  This book is organized by topic and very easy to follow.  I love the fact that they rate things on an A-F scale like in school and they include charts on each topic so you can cross compare brands very easily.

If you are first time parents like me and Darren, I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book.  It will help give you perspective before you go out and register or buy things for your future little one’s arrival.  It has helped me a lot this week and I’m so thankful for having been told about it.