TKD Kid Review: KIDZ BOP Party Hits CD

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

In the past, I have gotten a lot of Kidz Bop CDs.  This new Kidz Bop Party Hits CD is my 6th.  Each song on this CD is dance music.  I had fun listening to this CD with my brother and sister.

My favorite song was Party Rock Anthem.  I liked this song because it is fun to dance to.  Other songs that I liked are Boom Boom Pow and Moves Like Jagger.  The one that I mostly disliked was Hey Ya because it didn't have a good beat.  Other songs that I disliked Move It Like This, Get The Party Started, and Who Let The Dogs Out because they sounded weird.  To me, they didn't really sound like songs.

Even though I had fun listening to this CD, I think Kidz Bop 23 is still the best.  I am looking forward to Kidz Bop 24, which comes out in July.

Track Listings:

1. Party in the USA
2. Get The Party Started
3. Boom Boom Pow
4. Move It Like This
5. Party Rock Anthem
6. Tonight Tonight
7. Party Like A Rockstar
8. Let's Get It Started
9. Moves Like Jagger
10. Who Let The Dogs Out
11. Single Ladies
12. Hey Ya
13. Kidz Bop Shuffle

To learn more about this and other Kidz Bop CDs, visit www.kidszbop.com and shop.kidzbop.com, where Kidz Bop Party Hits is on sale for $9.99.

Lisa Loeb's Songs for Movin' and Shakin': The Air Band Song and Other Toe-Tapping Tunes (Children's Book & CD)

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

Get your kids up and dancing with Lisa Loeb’s Songs for Movin’ & Shakin’: The Air Band Song and Other Toe-Tapping Tunes written by Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb with whimsical illustrations by Ryan O’Rourke. This book has a fun selection of songs, activities, and recipes, and even comes with a CD with all the songs sung by Lisa Loeb herself. Featuring classic songs such as "Father Abraham", "Miss Mary Mack", and "Do Your Ears Hang Low?" and even five Lisa Loeb original songs like "Turn it Down (The Air Band Song)" and "Hello, Today".

This book is fun and entertaining and even has yoga poses for children to do with the songs (which are also amazing). I love all the activities and recipes and, of course, the music too. This book is sure to be a favorite in our library for years to come. Kudos to Lisa Loeb and Sterling Children’s Books for coming out with such a fun and truly amazing book. You can buy Lisa Loeb’s Songs for Movin’ & Shakin’ book at most major book retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It retails for approximately $14.95, but is currently on sale for just $7.40 with Free Super Saver Shipping for the hardcover edition.

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.

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: Music For Creative Kids - Volume 1 (CD)

Growing up in her hometown of Ottawa, Canada, Maggie G. was surrounded by a world of music and dance, so it’s very important in her life and she wants to spread that passion to children. The CD, Around the House is the first in a series of discs, Music for Creative Kids. In this fun, entertaining, and catchy CD, Maggie G. shares some new, original songs by her including "Do The Hoover Maneuver", "Dance, Dance", and "The Banana Banana Song". There is not a song on the disc that we didn’t enjoy, and by “we” I mean the kids AND me. I found myself cleaning, doing laundry, and going about my day singing the words to these cute songs.

All the songs are meant to get kids off the couch and to use their imagination and they are themed around household items, chores, and things, which are concepts the kids can really relate to. They really, really loved "The Banana Banana Song" and we’ve listened to it more times than I can count. We’ve also really enjoyed the instrumental versions of five of the songs and turned it into a preschool karaoke time. The CD also came with a coloring sheet which they really enjoyed doing. This CD is meant for ages 3-8, but would be great for any child in your life up to 9 or 10 years old. Even my almost 9 year old loved it and the baby and toddler I care for enjoyed it as well.

Around the House features 23 tracks, runs for approximately 40 minutes, and retails for $12.99. You can purchase it at Barnes & Noble, ChildrensGroup.com, and other places where children's CDs are sold. To learn more about Maggie G., to find out tour dates for 2010-2011, and to hear a preview of the CD online, visit www.childrensgroup.com.

Thank you to The Children's Group for sending us a complimentary sample CD 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.

Review: Sesame Street's "Let's Make Music" (DVD)

Sesame Street Workshop's and Warner Home Video's DVD titled Let's Make Music has quickly become one of my family's favorite DVDs about music. Although most parents are happy to watch Sesame Street anytime with their toddlers and preschoolers, it is rare that the parents would find the show engaging for themselves. This DVD is an exception to that rule.

On this 40-minute DVD, our friend Telly misplaces his tuba and is convinced that he will not be able to make music again without it. Who better to show him that he is wrong than the cast members of Stomp, the amazingly talented percussion performance group?

Let's Make Music shows the audience that formal instruments are not needed to create music, but rather almost anything that makes a sound can be used to make music. Examples illustrated on this DVD are everyday objects, such as pots and brooms, as well as parts of the body, like one's hands and feet.

This DVD retails for just $9.99 and would make a fun educational addition to any toddler's or preschooler's Easter basket or Christmas stocking. You should be able to find it most places where Sesame Street DVDs are sold.

Thank you to Sesame Workshop for providing a sample DVD free of charge for us to base this review upon.

We Had a Busy, But Wonderful Christmas

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas Eve and Christmas Day! Ours was extremely busy with lots of stops to make. It was exhausting, but we created some great memories for our three children.

I will share photos this weekend, but wanted to leave you with our kindergartner's performance of "Jingle Bells" . . .

Giveaway & Review: The Jimmies - Trying Funny Stuff on DVD (2 Winners) [CLOSED]

My kindergartner and two toddlers have always preferred children's songs that resemble main stream music over anything that is too cutesy. That is why the music brought to us by The Jimmies was a big hit with my children.

Last month, The Jimmies released a DVD titled The Jimmies present Trying Funny Stuff, which consists of music videos, a live concert, and karaoke music. Although my children are a little young for karaoke, they did thoroughly enjoy the music videos. They were very visually appealing to young children.

The majority of The Jimmies music is upbeat and covers a wide array of genres. On this one DVD, pop, folk, rock, Latin, country, just to name a few, were all represented. The songs also cover a wide range of subject matters, such as the names of animals, the names of musical instruments, how not to spread germs, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. These are all topics children can relate to easily.

Although my children loved to watch the music videos, the live concert footage lost about 2/3 of their attention. They still enjoyed the music, but they no longer wanted to give the TV screen their undivided attention. I personally cannot sit through a televised concert either, unless it is a highly choreographed show.

You can only find this DVD at your local Barnes & Noble bookstore or on BarnesAndNoble.com . You can also purchase The Jimmies newest music CD Make Your Own Someday on GimmeJimmies.com .

Thank you to Sacks & Co. for sending us a sample DVD and a sample CD plus providing two DVDs for the contest prizes.

What you can win:
Two lucky readers will each receive a copy of the Barnes & Noble Exclusive "The Jimmies - Trying Funny Stuff" musical DVD.


Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. addresses 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. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.


How to Gain Entries:
Visit The Jimmies Bios Page. Then leave a comment telling me one fun thing you learned about any one of the five band members. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND GimmeJimmies.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4) Friend me on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 2 extra entries, share the link to this contest post on Facebook. Then leave TWO separate comments with the link to your Facebook profile.

6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Thursday, December 17th, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Giveaway & Review: Rockabye Baby CD (2 Winners) [CLOSED]

I first heard about Rockabye Baby! shortly after the twins were born. Even though they are not infants anymore, I was still very curious about this series of lullaby renditions of popular rock songs. I wondered if it would be music suitable for unwinding for both me and the kids.

The DVDs I received to review were Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Aerosmith, of Guns n' Roses (which recently hit store shelves on November 10th), and more of The Beatles. I was pleased to find that there were some of my favorite songs represented by each group on all three CDs.



1) For an adult to listen to some of these familiar songs, it is very difficult to suppress the urge to sing along. In my case, that would probably reverse any of the serenity achieved by playing the lullabies.

2) All the music is played by what sounds like xylophones in a music box style. If played softly, I think it would definitely lull a person to sleep, babies and adults alike. I know I had to turn the music off at two different times because I was starting to get a little drowsy.

3) Although of the three groups I prefer Aerosmith, my favorite lullaby of the bunch is "Sweet Child O' Mind" on the Rockabye Baby Guns n' Roses CD. The melody is so beautiful.

You can sample each song from all 29 Rockabye Baby! CDs on RockabyeBabyMusic.com prior to ordering. These CDs would make great gifts for both new and expectant parents this holiday.

Thank you to Rockabye Baby for providing us with both review products and contest prizes free of charge.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive an Aerosmith Rockabye Baby CD and a second reader will receive a Guns n' Roses Rockabye Baby CD.


Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. addresses 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. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.


How to Gain Entries:
Browse the selection of Lullaby CDs available by Rockabye Baby. Then leave a comment telling me which CD (other than the 3 reviewed here today) is a rendition of songs by one of your favorite artists. Also, if you have a preference, please note whether you would prefer to win the Aerosmith or the Guns n' Roses CD. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND RockabyeBabyMusic.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4) Fan Rockabye Baby on Facebook or Follow Rockabye Baby on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with either the link to your Facebook profile or your Twitter profile. You can earn 1 extra entry for doing each.

5) For 2 extra entries, share the link to this contest post on Facebook, making sure to show a thumbnail of the product or the sponsor's logo. Then leave TWO separate comments with the link to your Facebook profile.

6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!