Productopia | Family & Pets

Those calming breaths you learned to do in childbirth class? They'll come in handy in the baby superstore aisle, too. That's because baby products are a $9.8 billion industry in the U.S. with hundreds of new products added to the line-up each year. To save money, it pays to buy products that do more than one thing or that can be converted to something non-baby-related later. Here are four baby products that can give you your money's worth. Read more

Roughly 73 percent of child car seats aren't installed correctly, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. There's a good reason -- car seats are complicated.

There are lots of decisions to make that can affect your child's safety in the event of a crash, including which seat to buy based on your child's age, height and weight and the best fit for your vehicle, where to put the seat, whether the seat should be rear- or forward-facing, and how to tighten the car seat properly, says Eileen McDonald, program director at the Johns Hopkins Children's Safety Center in Baltimore, Maryland. To make matters worse, 20 percent of parents wing it, neglecting to read any instructions on how to properly install their child restraints, according to a recent NHTSA survey, which interviewed 4,167 drivers at child restraint inspection stations across the country. Even those who do read the manual don't always get it right. Here are five of the most common car seat installation boo boos: Read more

Ahhhh ...  to have a baby like a celebrity. Money is no object. You don't have to create a budget to afford all the necessary gadgets and still buy diapers. Baby manufacturers beg you to accept (and be seen and photographed with) their products; creating a tacit endorsement without having to pay those pesky client fees. The paparazzi hound you and your little bundle with every step you take, every stroll you make...

Okay, maybe that last one not so much, but these strollers have that covered. All in this line up include canopies that completely cover your little paparazzi magnet. What they usually don't include -- in spite of price tags that can top out at $1,500 or more --  are basic accessories like cup holders, but if you can afford the basic package, you can spring for another $30 or so. These six strollers are often photographed cradling the diapered darlings of the rich and famous. Got a few bucks to spare? You can stroll in style too. Read more

Most parents like to give their little sweetheart something for Valentine's Day, just to show how much they're loved. This year, forget the candy and toys and give the gift of reading.

Reading is not just about knowledge or academics. The act of reading to a young child creates a bond of closeness and shared interests. It also shows them that learning can be fun and engaging. However, choosing a book for a child is not as straightforward as it seems. Getting and keeping kids interested in reading can require some trial and error, but it all starts with a great book. Here are a few picks for children of all ages that may become so popular your kids will be reading them -- or gifting them -- to their kids. Read more