I always have the best of intentions when it comes to videotaping my kids.  I dutifully record school events, milestones, holidays, etc. If I’m on the ball, I finalize the DVDs on my camcorder.  Unfortunately, that is where it ends.  DVD after DVD just sits in the camera case.  I can’t even remember the last time we watched something that we had recorded.

The people at Pixability offer a unique video editing services to solve this problem.  The company provides you with a safe box to ship them the tapes or DVDs from your camcorder, their professional editors work their magic, and you receive a custom-made DVD, which you can preview online before it is finalized and shipped.  Not only does this solve your organizational problem, but it also makes a great gift, for the holidays, family events, or any other time you want to share your memories.

Currently, the company is offering a special promotion for their video editing services.  For $139, you receive your custom-edited DVD, plus 2 additional copies that you can give as gifts.  You can initiate the process, read testimonials, and view samples at pixability.com.

Potty training your child can be a monumental task. Sometimes it seems that he or she will never be out of diapers. In my quest for easier ways to potty train my son when he was of age, I chose the No More Diapers DVD by Consumervision. The DVD comes with stickers and is also linked to a website, where you can download coloring pages and a Potty Diploma.

No More Diapers is a cute story about a little bear’s trials and tribulations in using the potty, but I don’t know how much it really influenced my child’s readiness for toilet training. It’s loaded with songs that are cute, except for one I really didn’t like, in which the little bear sings about how much he likes his diapers. My son started singing this song after watching the DVD, and I thought, great, this idea totally backfired.

The part that did work were the stickers and the diploma, which you can actually do on your own without the DVD. It’s easy to make up your own potty training chart and reward certificate on the computer. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend this DVD as a potty training aid.  If you are desparate for help in potty training your son or daughter, however, you can purchase it for $9.99 at Amazon.com and see for yourself.

The most primal instinct with babies is touch. It’s the first way that babies respond to their world and to the important people in their world.

Parenting Magazine, June 2005, described the Baby Tata DVD as follows: “Soothing touches based on the Indian tradition of parent-child bonding through massage, some giggle-inducing play, and karaoke all come together in a wonderfully produced program starring one friendly masseuse and lots of babies.”

I think it’s a helpful and healthy way to spend time bonding with your baby. The DVD gives you the option of doing a full length 22 minute workout or a quick 10 minute session. If you’ve ever wanted to learn massage, this is a good way start. The baby massage routines are presented by certified Infant Massage Instructor, Monica Doshi LMT, CIMI, NCMIT, who takes you through the Baby Tata routines by demonstrating the basics of infant massage, play, and exercise. This sounds like a great family activity–get everyone involved!

The Baby Tata Infant Massage, Exercise and Play DVD is recommended for babies between the ages of 6 weeks and 18 months. There is also vegetable-based Baby Massage Oil available at the Web site (sold separately).

You can purchase this DVD for $19.95 at StyleBell.com.

I’m going to buy my 50-pack of these disk protectors for every disk in our house. It’s not just children who can be careless with with cd’s or dvd’s - they’re just the ones with an excuse!

The d_skin Protective Disk Skins really make sense for all your children’s favorite movies, video game disks, and musical cd’s that they use every day.  These “skins” fit over the disk and there’s no need to remove them: lasers read right through the film.

You can purchase them for $49.95 (pack of 50) at OneStepAhead.com.

Some men really want to be involved in the new baby experience but maybe they don’t know how to ask? Or what to ask? Well, it’s not just about changing diapers anymore. This 126 minute DVD covers topics from: “What you need to know about feeding, crying, sleeping and diapers” to “Making sense of your changing emotions and unexpected anxieties and fears.”

As experienced or as new moms, we tend to neglect our men.  With all the preparations and celebrations being pretty much oriented toward us, it’s easy to do. It might even be a good idea for you and your man to find time to watch this DVD together, alone. It would probably be a lot of fun, maybe even romantic.

Anyway, give your guy the time and attention he deserves and needs during this important and special time in your lives. It will be time well spent. Price: $19.95 at bambininbliss.com.

My friend recently had a baby and was given these as a gift. The woman who gave them to her leads a mothers group and said that they are the hottest item in the group at the moment. What makes these different from other swaddle blankets on the market is that they are made of 100% cotton muslin. They become softer with each washing and breathe easily. They are also larger than most other blankets at 44” x 44” – this allows you to swaddle even large babies, while the stretch fabric provides a snug swaddle. Another nice aspect of this blanket is that it comes with a DVD that explains how to use the blanket. The DVD is narrated by baby expert Corky Harvey. The blankets come in sets of three, and there are lots of cute prints to choose from. You can buy a set for $42 at lunalullaby.com.