Introduce Your Little Girl to the Fun & Music of The Beatrix Girls Pop-Stars Dolls!

Thank you to The Beatrix Girls for providing a prize pack for our giveaway prize and for sending an additional prize pack to me as a thank you for sharing these fashion dolls and their new music CD with my readers.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Brayden, the purple-haired lead guitarist and songwriter of the pop-star girl band The Beatrix Girls has already been welcomed into our home.  Our 7 year old daughter saw her in the tween clothing store Justice and knew that this doll was what she wanted to spend her birthday money on.  Now she looks forward to adding the other three 12" fashion dolls to her collection.

Each of The Beatrix Girls (Lark, Ainsley, Brayden, and Chantal) has her own personality.  They are all empowered, goal-oriented girls who know what they like and know who they are.  A fun way to introduce your little girl to The Beatrix Girls is to watch the short Beatrix Girls webisodes available on their website, www.thebeatrixgirls.com, like the one below . . .


In addition to Justice stores, you can find The Beatrix Girls dolls at Toys"R"Us, Walmart, Amazon.com, and other major toy retailers.  When you purchase a doll, be sure to look for the VIP pass on the packaging that has a code to join the Trixie Fan Club, which allows your little fan to download free MP3s from The Beatrix Girls and more.

Other fun ways to learn more about The Beatrix Girls . . . 

• Listen to clips of the original songs from The Beatrix Girls' new album Meet the Beatrix.
• Read the official Beatrix Girls Blog.
• Watch music videos and webisodes on The Beatrix Girls YouTube Channel.
• Checkout The Beatrix Girls on Instagram!

Enter to win a Beatrix Girls prize pack . . . 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

TKD Kid Review: Kidz Bop 24 . . . One of the Best Kidz Bop Music CDs I Own!

Thank you to Kidz Bop for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.  All opinions expressed are my own.

I think that Kidz Bop makes a lot of great CDs and Kidz Bop 24 is one of the best!  This is one of the best CDs because they picked the songs very well.

My favorite song on this CD is '22.'  This is my favorite song because I like the rhythm.  Some of my other favorite songs from this CD are 'Feel This Moment' and "Thrift Shop.'  My least favorite song on this CD is 'Suit & Tie.'  It is my least favorite song because the beat is too slow.  Some of my other least favorite songs are 'Don't Stop the Party' and "Ho Hey.'

Listen to a clip of each song before you buy the CD or the MP3 . . .

1. Thrift Shop
2. I Knew You Were Trouble
3. Suit & Tie
4. Beauty And A Beat
5. Ho Hey
6. Come and Get It
7. Feel This Moment
8. Scream & Shout
9. Girl On Fire
10. I Love It
11. Can't Hold Us
12. Heart Attack
13. Mirrors
14. 22
15. Just Give Me A Reason
16. Don't Stop The Party

I think this CD is good for dancing and for playing at parties.  I recommend this CD for kids ages 6 to 11.  You can buy Kidz Bop 24 most places where music CDs are sold, including KidzBop.com and Amazon.com.

What to Do With Your Collection of Music CD's, DVDs, and Video Games After Switching to Streaming Media

My family and I have pretty much gone 100% digital for nearly all of our media needs. Between streaming TV shows, movies, and music, we hardly use any of our CD’s, DVD’s, and even Blu-rays anymore. Heck, many console games don't even need physical media these days!

As amazing as being all digital can be, there is a downside to making the transition: What do we do with our hundreds of media disks? It hurts my brain to think of all the money (and time) that we spent to build our collections. Many titles were only even used once! What an absolute waste. Would you believe that we have DVD’s still wrapped in plastic? Never used? Ouch.

I always wished there was a way to sell my CDs and DVDs to recoup some of that money (and closet space!). Well, now there is a way to do exactly that! musicMagpie.com buys all your old media including CD’s, DVD’s, and video games. The amazing thing about musicMagpie is that it is completely free! They even pay for the shipping and there aren't any fees.

All you need to do is go to the site and enter the barcode on the back of your media, within moments the price they will pay you for the title comes up. You can even use your webcam as a barcode scanner! When you are done you simply print out a label and send it off. Easy as pie!

I started scanning some of my titles to see what musicMagpie paid out (there had to be a catch right?) and I was pleasantly surprised. The Wii games I scanned paid out similarly to what Gamestop offers and the DVD’s ranged from $.50 to $5.00....I own HUNDREDS of DVD’s and CD’s, at $.50 each I would make a fortune for otherwise useless junk taking up closet space.

They even have a mobile app for both Android and Apple to make the process even easier. Just scan the barcode and you’re done!

I know what I will be doing this weekend....

Get Two "Kidz Bop 23" CDs for the Price of One!

Kidz Bop 23 was released on January 15th.  There are 16 songs on this CD.  There were many songs that I have not heard of before.  I liked this CD a lot.

My favorite song is "As Long As You Love Me."  I like this song because I had heard it on the radio before and I like the tune and the rhythm.  Another song I like is "Everybody Talks" because it's similar to "As Long As You Love Me."  One song I didn't like was "Locked Out of Heaven" because it has a very slow tempo.  I prefer faster songs.  My 6 year old brother's favorite song is "Gangnam Style."  My 6 year old sister's favorite song is also "As Long As You Love Me."

You can hear a clip of each Kidz Bop 23 song by following the links below or listen to all the clips here:

1. Good Time
2. We Are Never Getting Back Together
3. As Long As You Love Me
4. Want U Back
5. Everybody Talks
6. Let's Go
7. Locked Out of Heaven
8. Wide Awake
9. Live While We're Young
10. Diamonds
11. Too Close
12. Let Me Love You
13. Some Nights
14. I Cry
15. Home
16. Gangnam Style

For a limited time, you can get two "Kidz Bop 23" CDs for the price of one ($13.98 plus shipping) at the Kidz Bop Shop or get the CD plus the MP3 Version Free for $9.99 (free shipping eligible) on Amazon.com.

Thank you to Kidz Bop for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Getting into the Spirit of #Halloween with a "Kidz Bop Halloween Hits!" Fan Video

We are huge fans of Kidz Bop here; in fact, I think we own every CD they’ve made. When we got the chance to checkout the new Kidz Bop Halloween Hits! CD, we didn’t even consider turning it down.

Kidz Bop turns radio songs into kid-friendly versions, so your children can listen to popular music without inappropriate content. I love Kidz Bop too because it’s not as cutesy as other children’s music and some of the songs are even better than the originals, in my opinion. This Halloween version has songs like "Thriller", "Monster Mash", "Disturbia", "I Want Candy", "Ghostbusters", and more. My kids have really enjoyed listening to old favorites along with learning songs they’d never heard before. They’ve held many dance parties while dancing to Kidz Bop Halloween Hits!.


You can purchase the new Kidz Bop Halloween Hits! at most major retailers nationwide. Learn more about this CD or listen to song clips on their website, www.kidzbop.com.


Thank you to Kidz Bop for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Kidz Bop 22 Has Some of Our Favorite Songs on the Radio

Kidz Bop 22 is my sixth Kidz Bop CD.  I like this new one just as much as my other five Kidz Bop CDs.

There are 16 songs.  My favorite is #14, "Somebody That I Used To Know".  It's my Mom's favorite too.  I like this song because of the way it sounds.  I have also heard this song on the radio before.

I also like #1 ("Stronger") and #2 ("Call Me Maybe").  I like those two because of how they sound.  I did not like #15, "Tonight Is the Night".  Here is a list of all the songs on this CD:

1.  Stronger
2.  Call Me Maybe
3.  Starships
4.  Domino
5.  Payphone
6.  Wild Ones
7.  Glad You Came
8.  Drive By
9.  Part Of Me
10. What Makes You Beautiful
11. Dance Again
12. Boyfriend
13. Feel So Close
14. Somebody That I Used To Know
15. Tonight Is The Night
16. Set Fire To The Rain

These CDs would be good for kids 4 and up.  I am really really looking forward to the next Kidz Bop CD.

You can buy the Kidz Bop 22 CD at the Kidz Bop Shop, Amazon.com, and other major music retailers.


Thank you to Kidz Bop for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

"KIDZ BOP Ultimate Hits" Has Been Kid and Parent-Approved

Over the past few years, we have written several KIDZ BOP CD reviews, but the latest release KIDZ BOP Ultimate Hits has got to be our children's favorite of them all.  I would say this is especially true of our 8 year old son who was already familiar with all 13 tracks.  Even I was surprised at how many songs I recognized.

Our son really likes the songs "Dynamite" and "Fire Burning", but his all-time favorite is the first track on the CD "Tik Tok".  Our 5 year old son said he liked all the song and actually danced to every single one of them.  Our 5 year old daughter's favorite song on this CD is "Single Ladies", which is one of my favorites too.

KIDZ BOP Ultimate Hits contains the following tracks:

1. Tik Tok
2. Dynamite
3. California Gurls
4. I Gotta A Feeling
5. Billionaire
6. Party In The USA
7. Break Your Heart
8. Hey Soul Sister
9. DJ Got Us Falling In Love
10. Fire Burning
11. You Belong With Me
12. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
13. Fireflies

You can learn more about this and other KIDZ BOP CDs, including the upcoming KIDZ BOP 22 due to be released on July 22nd, visit KidzBop.com.


Thank you to KIDZ BOP for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Review: Dancing to the Kidz Bop 20 CD

Because the air has been so hot, humid, and unhealthy outside, the children have been cooped up in the house quite a lot.  Blasting some Kidz Bop and letting loose was just what they needed.  Out of all the Kidz Bop CDs we own, Kidz Bop 20 might just be our 7 year old son's favorite.

Out of the 16 songs on this CD, there was only one that he did not care for . . . "Never Say Never".  It was not the actual music that he did not like, but rather the subject matter.  This particular song is very obviously about L-O-V-E and that's just too icky for a boy his age.

My son's favorite songs on the Kidz Bop 20 CD are "Price Tag", "On The Floor", and "Rolling in the Deep." As far as music goes, I think I'm still stuck in the 80's and 90's, so although I enjoyed the music, I only recognized one song.  My son, however, recognized the majority of them because pop music was the school bus driver's choice of music last year.

All the songs on this CD were fun and upbeat with not one ballad.  Even our 4 year old twins enjoyed dancing to them.  This is a great CD for a rainy day or a long car trip.

Kidz Bop 20 is now available for purchase on CD and digital download at most major music retailers.  You can listen to clips from each song on KidzBop.com.


Thank you to Kidz Bop for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Review: KIDZ BOP Sings Monster Ballads CD

KIDZ BOP, a mega-popular brand of music geared towards children ages 5 to 12, released a new CD last month . . . KIDZ BOP Sings Monster Ballads.  I am not quite sure if it was me or my children who were more excited to receive this new CD, which includes so many songs that I consider to be some of the best ballads ever.  My 7.5 year old son had not heard of most of the songs, but he loves KIDZ BOP, so he was very open-minded.  Our 4.5 year old twins just like whatever their cool big brother likes.

This CD starts off with the song "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" with Poison's Bret Michaels on guitar and his daughters Raine and Jorja Michaels on vocals.  Some other songs I love, sung by the KIDZ BOP Kids, were "Heaven", "High Enough", "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)", "The Flame", "Wind of Change", and "Love of a Lifetime".  My two favorite ballads, however, were "Is This Love" and "When I See You Smile".

Even though this CD contains only ballads, my children did not let that stop them from letting loose and dancing.  They had so much fun and clearly appreciated the guitar in many of the songs.

One thing that I truly love about this CD is that the songs are performed in a style very close to the original recordings.  Not that credit should not go to those who try to put their own spin on songs, but I very much like that my children can hear these songs similarly to how I did for the first time.

KIDZ BOP Sings Monster Ballads on CD retails for $13.98.  You can hear previews of each of the 15 songs on KidzBop.com and can currently purchase this CD on sale on KIDZBOPShop.com, Amazon.com, and many other major music retailers.  A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this album benefits the American Diabetes Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.


Thank you to KIDZ BOP for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Review: Kidz Bop 19 CD

My 9 year old son, Avery, loves Kidz Bop, and has for a while. Every time a new CD comes out, we have to listen to the previews and download songs on iTunes as soon as we can. So, when I got offered the opportunity to try out Kidz Bop 19, it was a no-brainer. Avery was so excited when the CD came, which was so cute. He immediately headed to his room to preview the CD and stayed there until it was completely finished. He was so excited to hear some of his favorite songs, such as “Dynamite”, “Just the Way You Are”, “The Only Exception”, and “Cooler Than Me”. I really like the Kidz Bop songs as well because it’s music that I like that is also suitable for children to listen too.

Kidz Bop 19 is for sale now and retails for $13.98 on www.kidzbopshop.com, which, for a limited time, buys you 2 CDs for the price of one.


Thank you to Kidz Bop for sending us a complimentary product sample to base this review upon.

Review: "What Are the Odds?" CD by Monkey Monkey Music

Monkey Monkey Music is a children’s music program by Meredith LeVande. We received the CD “What Are the Odds?” to try out with the daycare children. This CD features 16 great, cute songs designed for children ages 2-7 and runs for about 46 minutes. I can emphatically say that they loved it!

After hearing the CD for the first time, I overheard the children singing in the playroom, “What are the odds? Let’s count the odds…” It was so cute! Their favorite song on the disc is Wheels, which a super cute rendition of The Wheels on the Bus, one of their all-time favorite songs. Frogs Eat Butterflies and of course What Are the Odds? are their other favorites.

The CD is so cute and danceable that they really don’t dislike any of the tracks. If you have children who love music, as mine do, they’ll love Monkey Monkey Music with Meredith LeVande. The songs are cute, but not annoyingly so, catchy, and super fun.

Visit MonkeyMonkeyMusic.com to learn more about this music program, its CDs, and where you can find the Monkey Monkey Music videos. You can also order the Monkey Monkey Music CDs right on this site, as well as find fun free online children's games.

Thank you to Monkey Monkey Music for sending us a sample CD free of charge to base this review upon.

Review: Kidz Bop 18 CD

All my children's favorite music CDs have by far been the ones of pop and rock songs sung by children. We own several of them and they have always won over any cutesy music CDs. My 6.5 year old is quickly approaching "tweendom" and the new Kidz Bop 18 CD is perfect for tweens.

Regardless of age, my two boys had a blast dancing to Kidz Bop 18. My oldest was excited because he did recognize some of the songs. His favorite is the second song "Baby" because he said that he had heard it before on the Kid's Choice Awards. I, on the other hand, only recognized about two songs. Does that make me old? My favorite song was "Evacuate the Dancefloor" because it had a techno sound to it and reminded me of the days when I use to go dancing (you know, way back in the early 90's).

I think the songs on the Kidz Bop 18 CD were innocent enough, although there were themes of love and breaking up. I do not believe there was anything harmful for my children to hear. If you would like to hear snippets from each of the 16 tracks, visit KidsBop.com and KidzBopShop.com, where you can find a wide array of music CDs and DVDs, such as the Kidz Bop 18 Dance Moves DVD.

Thank you to Kidz Bop for sending us a sample CD free of charge to base this review upon.

Review: Laughing Pizza Music CD & DVD

If you've seen Laughing Pizza on PBS, then you'll be happy to know that this kid-friendly band has recently released a new music CD and music video DVD. "Let's Go Play!", the title track, is my 6yr old son's favorite song from both the Let's Go Play! CD and the It's Pizza Time DVD. I have to say that I agree. It is a great song for getting your feet and body moving.

This parent-daughter trio offers a wide range of songs and musical styles, including pop and country. The lyrics are suitable for children, but the music is main stream. This is perfect for children who are too old for cutesy children's songs. Second to "Let's Go Play!", my favorite dance song on this CD would be "Rock Girl".

I was surprised that the DVD featured almost a completely different list of songs than the music CD. There were two music videos that stood out to me. The first was "Breakfast Jive". Both my children and myself stopped dancing to watch the video, which featured animated eggs with legs. It was so well-done that we were all captivated.

The other video that stood out to me was "Daddy". Both the video and the song were very moving tributes to the first man a little girl falls in love with. In fact, I told my husband that this was the song he was going to dance to with our daughter at her wedding (in 25 years or so).

The energy from Laugh Pizza's music is contagious. It got the whole family (my husband included) up and dancing. I cannot remember the last time all five of us were laughing and giggling so hard and having fun without a care in the world.

You can find both this Laughing Pizza CD and DVD in the Laughing Pizza Shop, on Amazon.com, and at other retailers of children's music.

Thank you to Laughing Pizza for sending us a sample CD and DVD free of charge to base this review upon.

Review: Alvin and the Chipmunks "The Squeakquel" Soundtrack (CD)

Something my children and I love to do is to turn on some music and dance 'til we drop in our living room. We usually get to do this about once a week sometime between breakfast and lunch. Last Sunday, we had a little free time before the afternoon activities began, so we took the opportunity to pop in the new soundtrack to Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, which contained 15 songs sung by The Chipmunks and The Chipettes.

I was excited to listen to this CD with my 3yr old twins and my 6yr old son because it seemed like a fun way to introduce them to some of the songs I listened to when I was growing up during the 70s, 80s, and early 90s. I have to say that the song "You Really Got Me" was a great choice for the first track on this CD. It really got everyone moving.

The song I was most curious to hear was The Chipmunks' version of Foreigner's "I Want To Know What Love Is", a song that I consider to be one of the greatest love songs of all time. The way the Chipmunks sang this song was actually cute and made it suitable for young children and tweens. Although the subject matter of many of the songs on this CD were a little more mature than my children can understand, none of the lyrics were inappropriate.

The songs my children enjoyed the most were the upbeat ones. My 6yr old's favorite was "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)", which I find ironic because he probably has no idea what a record is. He liked this song so much that he even asked to listen to it again when the CD ended.

You can find this Chipmunks movie soundtrack on Amazon.com with Free Super Saver Shipping. You can also download one or all fifteen tracks on iTunes.

Thank you to Rhino Entertainment for sending us a sample CD free of charge to base this review upon and for the WB Word of Mouth for hiring me to participate in this project.