Productopia | Christine Frietchen

November has been a bad month for baby products. On the heels of a huge recall of Maclaren strollers, the Consumer Products Safety Commission has announced a recall of 2.1 million Stork Craft cribs, some of which also bear the Fisher-Price logo. The problem? The cribs' drop-side hardware, according to the CPSC, "can break, deform, or parts can become missing. In addition, the drop-side can be installed upside-down, which can result in broken or disengaged plastic parts."

Before picking up an ebook reader for the holidays, many people were waiting for the debut of Barnes & Noble's Nook -- an ebook reader meant to go head-to-head with Amazon's Kindle. The Nook has now been out for less than a month, and it's already sold out for the holidays. Order a Nook now and it won't arrive before the week of January 4, according to an article in the New York Times Bits blog.

For a laugh, check out our art-house homage, "Une Affaire Humide." While perhaps a tad unrealistic, it does sort of sum up how we feel about product research. We think that "love what you buy" means getting the right product for you - not the most expensive or flashiest gadget, but the one that fits your needs and your budget. See the short YouTube video here.

Shopping for major appliances doesn't sound that Christmas-y, but if your refrigerator is on its last legs, we spotted some good discounts at Sears, Best Buy and Home Depot. All three are advertising French-door refrigerators as part of their Black Friday sales, with sale prices ranging from $798 to $1,399, but not all of them are good bets.

Wal-Mart's leaked Black Friday circular is now posted -- and if you've been following this stuff, you'll see it's chock full of deals that trump pretty much everyone else so far. We'll be posting more in the coming days, but here's a quick preview...

Buying a gift card is simple, but not all cards are alike. Store-issued cards generally don't have any associated fees or expiration dates. But bank-issued cards, such as the Discover gift card or Visa gift card have fees and expiration dates that can turn a good gift sour.

Your best bets are flexible store cards that are good at several different retailers like the Gap GiftCard, which can be used to shop at Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Athleta and Piperlime.com. And among bank-issued cards, the American Express gift card is the best pick; the company recently dropped maintenance fees entirely. Our updated gift card report has the scoop on buying and using gift cards, plus best-bet picks.

Mechanical sewing machines, which start at about $80, make good starter models for beginners and are fine if you mainly want to do mending projects or make simple Halloween costumes for the kids.

However, the most thorough tests of sewing machines suggest mechanical models aren't quite as easy to use as pricier electronic machines, and reviewers note it sometimes take a lot of trial and error to get the thread tension right. In reading reviews of simple machines in the $80 to $150 price range, that's the single biggest complaint we read -- that poor-performing sewing machines frustrate users with knotted-up bobbin thread and needle jams.

The lesson? Check reviews before buying an inexpensive machine. Fortunately, we identified a couple of standout models in our latest sewing machine report.

This is the first Black Friday deal we've seen for a breadmaker: Kohl's, in its leaked circular, is featuring the Oster 5838 ExpressBake at an advertised price of $40. However, read the fine print and you'll see that you'll actually pay $60; the $20 savings comes in the form of a mail-in rebate. If you're the type that sends in rebates, it's not a bad deal, but if not, there are better deals out there on better breakmakers.

The deal: Oster 5838 ExpressBake Breadmaker for $40 (after $20 rebate)

The verdict: A good deal if you're diligent about mailing the rebate

The Maclaren website and phone system were overwhelmed to the point of crashing yesterday as worried parents tried to request repair kits for their strollers. This comes as a result of a massive recall of every single Maclaren stroller sold in the United States over the past 10 years. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, twelve children lost fingertips when they were caught in the strollers' hinges as they were being folded and unfolded. Reaction among parents ranges all the way from shock to apathy.

So far, we've seen a lot of ho-hum appliance deals in early Black Friday circulars -- lots of mediocre coffee makers and hit-or-miss slow cookers. But here's one that's a solid pick if you're looking for a fun kitchen-gadget gift that's not a big investment.

The deal: Oster Rotating Belgian Waffle Maker for $10 (after $10 mail-in rebate)

The store: Kohl's doorbuster, Friday only, 4:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (or until sold out)

The verdict: Fluffy Belgian waffles for $10? Definitely a steal