In my experience, potty training isn’t something you can bribe your child into. I’ve tried, of course, but even a gorgeous set of furniture for her doll house wasn’t enough to get my then almost three year old motivated. Then, out of the blue, it was done. That said, there are some ways to stack the deck in your favor, and books and DVDs are one of them. Once Upon a Potty is the series that I had for my oldest daughter, who was much less resistant. The illustrations are fun, and the video is simple and to the point. A cute stuffed doll is also now available. It won’t miraculously train the child who like my daughter, expresses a preference for diapers (I can’t tell you how many times we heard “I want to change it!”), but it certainly promotes awareness of the body and pottying. You can pick up these products at OneStepAhead.com. The book retails for $6.95; the DVD for $16.95; and the doll is $19.95.

Where the Wild Things Are is one of my three year old’s favorite books at the moment. We read it most nights at home, and I’ve seen her cuddled up with it at daycare as well. I just stumbled upon this fun set of stuffed characters from the book, and I know she would love it. Made by Crocodile Creek, it includes four 14 inch stuffed characters: Max, and three “wild things.”

I’m sure we’ll be seeing more and more mainstream marketing of these characters once the movie is released, but I much prefer these true-to-the-book pieces. The set is a bit pricey, though. Expect to pay $94.95 at glammatoys.com. The characters can also be purchased individually.

It’s very rare that I come across a children’s animated DVD that appeals to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, but that’s exactly how I’d describe the Bumblz series of DVDs. Targeted to the age 0 to 6 group, Bumblz is a friendly bee who, along with his friends, goes on adventures and learns life lessons, all along with a great musical beat. Usually when a DVD says it’s for such a wide age group, I’m skeptical. But my 5 year old sat with me and watched the DVD “The Pirate’s Treasure” and was mesmerized, paying close attention to not only the story but also the words to the songs (after each story, the DVD includes sing-a-longs with the words displayed on the screen). The music is catchy, and the stories really do provide lessons that kids will remember. The animation is beautiful as well with its eye-catching colors. This is truly a series that you’ll want to buy for your child no matter what the age and that, I think, he’ll want to watch again and again for years to come. You can view the entire Bumblz collection of DVDs and CDs at Bumblz.com. DVDs range in price from $10.99 to $12.99 and CDs are $9.99 to $11.99. They are also available at Amazon.com.

I’m a huge Springsteen fan, so I was excited a few years ago when he released this family-friendly disc of Pete Seeger folk tunes. My kids love this collection, and it is a favorite car CD for the whole family. In fact, our copy has been played so many times that we need a new one. My older daughter already knew a lot of the songs from music class. Songs like “Erie Canal,” brought back childhood memories for me as well. This CD also calmed my very fussy nephew on a long ride to the airport which otherwise would have been miserable. You can purchase a copy for $14.99 at Amazon.com.

Special Delivery memorializes the day your child was born. This customized story book by Custom by Michelle includes all of the personal details of the day of your child’s birth: what time he was born, the doctor who delivered him, how you felt upon first seeing him, his first visitors, the ride home from the hospital, etc. This is a great idea for a gift for your child, something he can treasure for years to come. You can purchase this unique gift idea for $19.95 at CustomByMichelle.com.

It’s common knowledge that many babies love the sounds of ordinary household appliances: the vacuum cleaner, fan, perhaps even the dishwasher. Niko Chainopoulos of Babysounds has come up with an ingenious idea: record these sounds and put them onto a CD especially for babies. Called “Sweet Dreams: Soothing Sounds for Babies,” this CD has nine tracks consisting of about seven minutes each of sounds of appliances including the vacuum cleaner, hairdryer, dishwasher, washing machine, breast pump, running shower, and fan. The concept behind this CD is that while in the womb, babies hear these sounds on a daily basis. Therefore, these sounds tend to calm fussy babies, it is said, since they are used to hearing them before birth. I’m not sure if this really works or not, but it is a unique idea. If you’d like to try it yourself, you can purchase the CD for $14.97 or download the MP3 for $9.99 at CDBaby.com.

I really like this Organic Sleepy Time Baby Gift Box by GrowInStyle.com. While the price might be a bit much for an average baby gift, at $164, it would be perfect for a family member or best friend who just had a baby. The gift box includes an Organic Cotton Hooded Towel by Kate Quinn Organics, Organic Cotton Sleep Sack by Ceewee Baby, Organic Cotton Monster Wash Mitt by Bebop Baby Shop, Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash by Earth Mama Angel Baby, Angel Baby Oil by Earth Mama Angel Baby, Rainbow Baby doll from Kathe Kruse, and a sleepy time book, Down in the Woods at Sleepytime by Carole Schaefer & Vanessa Cabban. All of this comes packaged in a 100% recyclable gift box, wrapped with recycled gift wrap, recycled ribbon, and a lead-free pewter charm. Just thinking about these wonderful sleep-inducing gifts makes me want to curl up and take a nap! You can view this gift box at GrowInStyle.com.

Cute-ture makes a lot of fun, high-quality infant and toddler products. This sweet little animal book is just another great example of their style. Its pages feature fabric cut-outs of different wild animal friends. The soft pages are easy to grip and make early learning fun. I love the cute gingham binding. You can purchase one of these for $26 at lalaling.com. I think it would make a wonderful gift.

This looks like an ordinary, everyday teddy bear - but wait, looks can be deceiving. It’s actually an MP3 player designed specifically for babies and children. Designed to accompany your child to crib or bed at naptime or bedtime, the Lulla-Bear is a soft, cuddly friend who plays 90 minutes of pre-loaded songs and sounds. Lullabies, nature sounds, and play songs are all part of Lulla-Bear’s repertoire. With Lulla-Bear’s built in, stored USB cable, you can connect him to your computer and upload more songs to his playlist. It has a 512 MB memory capacity, is PC and MAC compatible, and takes three AA batteries (included). The sound quality is excellent, too. This could be the perfect solution if your child is a reluctant napper or becomes fearful or anxious at bedtime. Music soothes the soul, and has often helped my son get to sleep when nothing else would. You can purchase Lulla-Bear for $49.95 at StoreCrowleyJones.com.

Many mamas have pondered whether or not teaching baby sign language is for them. With my first son, I didn’t bother because he was an early talker, communicating his needs verbally to me with no problems. With my second son, I’m not sure which route we’ll take, as he’s not the talker his brother was. While shopping at OneStepAhead.com, I decided to look at the under $10 section and found the Sign About Books, “Going Out”, “Play Time”, “Meal Time”, and “Getting Ready.” All are board books that show you how to sign the words baby uses every day. Best of all, each book is only $4.95. For babies 8 months to 3 years, each book has 40 signs to teach your child, more than enough to get you communicating!

This book caddy from Ecotots is such an inviting way to display books. Right now we have books spilling out of every possible storage space in our girls’ rooms. I love it that this is right at eye level for a little one–books are readily accessible and appealing. You can purchase one for $85 at landofnod.com. A darker wood version is also available, so you can coordinate to your decor.

I love to read to my girls, but there are definitely evenings when it becomes a chore. Those are the nights when I rely on Jane Yolen’s dinosaur series. We love these books. I have fun reading them because they are short, funny, and the rhyme makes them a pleasure to read. It is hard to feel tired or exasperated while reading one of these books. They also teach great lessons about manners, friendship, responsibility, etc. We have quite a few of them (and I can recite many by heart), and I would highly recommend them to any parent. You can purchase “How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?”, the book that started it all, for $16.99 at Borders.com. While you are there, check out the other great books in this series. You will not be disappointed. This is the picture book version. I actually prefer the board book versions for younger children.

I’m always looking for ways to help keep the earth healthy. When it involves making my child healthier too, I’m all ears. Recently I read “Healthy Child, Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home,” by Christopher Gavigan and learned a lot about keeping my family and my home healthy that I didn’t know before. From nontoxic ways to get rid of household pests (like ants, which I’m getting to test out now in my own home), to ways to minimize allergens in the home (I learned carpeting is not the best choice), to recipes for healthy snacks, homemade cleaners, and non-toxic crafts to make with your child, this book is jam-packed with great ideas. It’s definitely a book I’ll be referring to often during the day. The book also features a foreword by Meryl Streep and contributions by public health experts and other celebrity parents. I’d call this a must-read for all parents and those interested in helping to keep the earth as green as possible, and our kids as healthy as possible in the process. You can purchase this vital read at Amazon.com, where it sells for $10.88.

Any woman who’s given birth to at least one baby knows how hard it can be to get those pregnancy pounds off. But who has time for long, involved exercise programs? Fitness and nutrition expert Lindsay Brin has the perfect solution: a DVD fitness program divided into stages of pregnancy and postpartum. Her Moms Into Fitness Complete Pregnancy Fitness Program keeps Mom fit from the first trimester all the way through post-delivery. The first three trimester programs including cardio, toning, and yoga, and the postpartum program features shorter, 10 and 5 minute workout sessions, so busy moms can fit some exercise time into their day. The entire program of 4 DVDs is available for $69.99, or you can buy each individual DVD for $19.99 each, at MomsIntoFitness.com.

Despite the somewhat cheesy title, I really enjoyed reading The Must-Have Mom Manual by Sara Ellington and Stephanie Triplett.  The authors are two best friends who became moms around the same time.  In this book, they share their experiences and offer advice to the rest of us.  The great thing about this “manual,” however, is that Ellington and Triplett never preach, lecture, judge, or criticize.  In fact, the authors themselves have made vastly different decisions about how to be a “good” mom.  For example, one chose breastfeeding, the other chose bottles.  One chose to go back to work, the other chose to stay home.  One chose co-sleeping, the other chose crib-sleeping.  This book is a much-needed reminder that there is no one right way to be a mom.

The Must-Have Mom Manual is a delight to read.  It’s chatty and funny - I couldn’t put it down.  Reading it, I felt like I was having a real conversation with my girlfriends.  While it won’t replace the medical advice of organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, this book will give you an insider’s perspective into day-to-day life as a mommy.  There are practical chapters on choosing day care, postpartum depression, and potty training as well as thoughtful chapters about transitioning to life with baby such as “Dining Out with Your Baby or Child,” “Marriage 911,” and, my favorite, “You Don’t Have to Be Perfect.”  Each chapter concludes with a list of useful print and electronic resources.

I have several friends who are pregnant right now and I will be giving copies of The Must-Have Mom Manual to each of them.  The list price is $17; you can get it for $11.56 on amazon.com.