I never really used baking soda, until I've read how every day things could be harmful, from soap to household cleaners. This book is so informative, who knew that you could use baking soda as deoderant or that it could be a fabric softner, and a drain cleaner?

I've tried many of the suggestions on this book and they work, they really work! Baking soda is not only for baking but for cleaning so many things. Baking soda works great as a fabric softener, I've tried it and my clothes came out very soft and much cleaner!

Very informative, this book is small about 100 something pages, but filled with so many tips, its worth the money. Using baking soda as a cleaner is frugal and much more better for your health and the environment.

Many household cleaners now contain chemicals that are toxic to the body; and baking soda is very environmental friendly, frugal, and fun to use, and it really works as a cleaner.

This book gives fabulous tips on cleaning with baking soda! I must reference this book weekly. It is exciting to use these tips - they're cost efficient and inexpensive. Highly recommended!

I absolutely loved this book! I am searching for ways to live frugally while also saving time and this book offers many, many useful tips on ways to use Baking Soda for products I usually spent a fortune on. My favorite is the recipe for automatic dishwasher soap. I went from spending approximately .08 a load when detergent was on sale cheap to less than a penny a load. This is the kind of information I need. If you are wanting to cut costs in running your house, the savings from cleaning solutions alone will pay for the book several times over!

As parents, we often hear that it's important to bolster a child's self-esteem. But how? And how is "self-esteem" different from "self-confidence" (or, in the extemes, "arrogance")?

The best way I've seen it described is: "A child gains self-esteem when they feel valued by the important people in their lives." And I think the best way to make a child feel valued is to let them know that you're constantly thinking of them in an affectionate way.

And that's what this book is about. It's full of ideas - each one of them small and easy to implement - that show them just that. I was very impressed by the variety of the ideas and how on-target they are. And once you've done enough of them you really develop your own instict for how to generate new ideas.

If you try the suggestions in this book, not only will your child feel special, but you will too. When doing the activities in the book, you will build a closer relationship with your child. These activities remind you of how important it is to spend time with your child and how important it is to recognize your child's individuality. These activities also bring out the creativity and fun in your child.

Most of the activities are hands-on...like making things together. Some are about doing things outside, and others are about communicating together. All of them are really great.

Gave this book as a gift and Nana loved it!

This book is really cool! (to use California Grandmother Speak.) As a grandmother who lives where the surf meets the turf, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ideas that I can easily use to enhance my joie de vivre approach to grandparenting. This book offers imaginative suggestions and a full bag of tricks-it's fabulous!

Here we have a book for the new parent(s), with a collection of games and activities to keep pace with your baby's changing abilities during the first year of life. The author provides a guide to play that will ultimately capture and hold (she says so) your baby's attention. There are traditional and contemporary suggestions suited to tailor-make your changing infant with helpful developmental information in 3 month increments, so you can track those milestones for the memory books.

There are games like bed bouncing (our girls' favorite) to playback, to puppet play and rattles. Then as you move on to airplane baby, clap hands, fancy feet, roll over, peek-a-boo, and all the other neat stuff, plus some really cute words to sleep by and lullabies, and others. A wealth of information for all of us. This author is the best!!!

This book has loads of games that parents can use to play with their newborns. Some games are for use during certain practical activities such as a song you can sing while bathing your baby, and pointing out the different parts of the body. There are also games for simply passing the time. Parents usually have time to spend with their young ones and it might as well be entertaining for all! I buy this book for every expecting parent I know!

This book is very good for new parents and old. Even if your child IS a newborn, it will give you lots of great things to do with your child as they grow older.

For the brain dead, for those who need to practice for spontaneous moments, for those who just need one more little idea because the well has run dry, this little book is a nifty package of ideas on how to let a child know that he is loved.

I don't mock this book, 101 Ways to Tell Your Child 'I Love You' because it is pretty handy. (I put myself in the second category, those who need to practice spontaneity). Neither do I make fun who might find the book useful because we could all use a new idea occasionally. I suspect there are many people who don't need this advice on a day-to-day basis, though may occasionally just be stumped for a new idea, but for the rest of us, the book offers its promised 101 tips of sending an unmistakable message of love to a child (and could be adapted for grown-up children, I think.)

Aside from the good ideas, the major strength of this book is that it doesn't lecture but instead delivers ideas in very short doses, one or two sentences at the most, an idea per page, with easy-to-do suggestions. Some require a little more effort than others, such as preparing "coupons" for a hug or a kiss, but most are extremely easy to do, and require only a moment or two of time, and the desire to show love.

There is something for everyone here, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, stay-at-homes or career parents, or anyone who wants to deliver the message to a child. Not every idea will be of interest to every person, but even a handful of them, tried occasionally or often, will help a child get the word.

Here are just a few:

See how many words you and your child can make from the letters I-L-O-V-E-Y-O-U.

Leave surprise love notes in unexpected places, such as the bathroom mirror or the front door.

Mail a letter or a card to your child, even if you haven't gone away. Getting mail is a special event for children.

Go for a walk in the moonlight, or in a new snowfall or even a warm summer rain.

Make a heartshaped I LOVE YOU puzzle. Write your message of love on the cardboard and then cut it into pieces so your child can put it back together.

Wake your child with a kiss.

Let your child "accidentally" overhear you singing their praises to others. (My daughter pretends to object to this, claiming she hates it when parents talk about their children with other parents, but, luckily for me, I see the secret smile of pleasure.)

And, the clincher: Make a will naming a guardian or executor. It is the most loving and thoughtful thing you can do for a child.

I've personally tried many of these, and found them hugely helpful when just a simple "I love you" isn't enough. Some I'd actually thought of myself!!--such as making up a simple song featuring her name or going for a walk in the rain or moonlight.

She quickly caught on to one little ritual I started, which was to list two or three or four things I loved about her, or that she had done especially well, each night as I tucked her in. Very soon my list was interrupted with, "And what else?" "And what else?"

Kids love love is the message I take from that. It's so simple. Offer this book to anyone who has, or once was, a child.

This is an excellent book. It goes into a great amount of detail on how to "baby proof" your home, particularly your kitchen and bathroom. All advice is explained simply and concisely, and drawings are included as well. The book also talks about child safety products a parent can buy and guidelines for purchasing infant items such as walkers, strollers, and toys. Information is also included about outdoor safety, holiday safety, and poison prevention. I highly recommend this book to anyone concerned about child safety.

I thought this book was a great thing to have. I think all parents should get one. I really reccomend it. I am a babysitter myself and I ordered this book not knowing it was for parents. It has all the information that I needed to know.

If you buy this book your life will be a lot less hectic. The tips are great. They're easy to read, intersting, and easy to use. I found this book very helpful.

"The Best Baby Name Book...In The Whole Wide World" by Bruce and Vicki Lansky is not only a well researched and helpful resource for choosing a name for your baby, but it is an entertaining read as well. I have had this book for well over two decades now and I am holding on to it to pass along to my own kids when needed (whenever that may be..I am still waiting!) My copy was published in 1979 and had ONLY 10,000 names to choose from but I see now that this updated version now has over 13,000!

The List of names, seperated by boy and girl and listed alphabetically contains the main entry name, variations of the name, the meaning, source(Greek, Hebrew etc) and several different ways to spell it. For example my name,,,Laura (Latin) "Crown of laurel leaves" fem for Lawrence...Lara, Laure,
Laurie Lori, Loretta, etc. You can spend hours pouring through this section.

What makes this book a keeper and especially unique is all the great tidbits of information you'll get before you even get to that list. Some of it is laugh out loud funny as well. A great intro by Erma Bombeck, a list of the most popular names in the world, tips on "How To Name Your Baby", a Legal guide, Celebrities' real names(Did you know that Boris Karloff is really William Pratt?)and "fascinating Facts" are some of the informative sections included. In fascinating facts, there's a section called "Truth Stranger Than Fiction" which might have you laughing so hard, you may have the baby right then and there(maybe best to pick a name before reading this part).Names like Farmer Slusher, Nebraska Minor and Newton Hooton might give you ideas of what NOT to name your baby!

But the best part for me was a worksheet that was included with the book. It has lots of room for making choices. List all of Mom and Dad's favorites than move on tho the Final Choice worksheet, where you can also rate the names, and see how the whole name looks on paper. This section makes this quite a keepsake! When I look at back at some of the names I almost went with...well...thank goodness I didn't.....

Have fun with this great book if you're expecting or give it as a gift to someone who is. It will be greatly appreciated.
Enjoy......Laurie

I've always been interested in baby names. I found this book to be quite helpful, because it doesn't go overboard with the alternative spellings. I guess it's good to have options, but it gets overwhelming, and this book is well-organized when it comes to that. The print is bold and somewhat large, so it's easy to read. You should buy it if you need to find a name or if you just find names interesting.

Though slightly outdated, _The Best Baby Name Book_ is still a good resource for baby names. Not only are there things to consider when naming your baby, there are stereotypes, fascinating facts about names, birthstones and flowers, a baby name worksheet and over 13,000 names to choose from. Each name is listed with it's origin, variations and nicknames clearly visible and easy to understand. I found quite a few interesting and beautiful names. Definitely one to keep around when you're making that important decision!