Stuff Parents Need

Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

DidiPop’s Latest CD: Everyday Adventures Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

· by · 30 Comments

DidiPop is a delightful children’s music artist, and I’m not the only one who thinks so. Her last album that I reviewed, DidiPop Goes to Hawaii, has a song on it called, “Hawaiian Alphabet Song,” and it just won the grand prize in the children’s category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. That, my friends, is a REALLY big deal! Additionally, it has been submitted for Grammy consideration for 2012. Good luck, DidiPop!

Her new album is every bit as fabulous as her last, and I’m sure it will pick up awards left and right in the next year, too! It’s called Everyday Adventures, and it launches TODAY! It’s got one of Darah’s all-time favorite songs on it (one that is features a YouTube video that has gone completely viral!). Check out The Cool Alphabet Song…you are sure to like it, and your kids will, too!

DidiPop’s vibe is chill and laid-back, but still jam-packed with lots of fun and laughs. She’s an artist I highly recommend because the whole family will enjoy listening to her songs, not just the kids.

Buy it!: If you are looking for a great holiday gift, I recommend the gift of music, and you absolutely can’t go wrong with DidiPop. Everyday Adventures is available for $14.99 or you can buy all the mp3s for just $9.99!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is about a win a copy of DidiPop’s latest album! Hooray!!!

[Read more…]

Making Silly Faces by In the Nick of Time: Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

· by ·

T here’s a children’s musician who has been on the scene for a while named Nick Deysher, and I’m just now learning about him (I know…how is that possible?!). His band is called In the Nick of Time (get it? Cute, huh?) and on September 6th their fifth studio CD will drop. It’s called Making Silly Faces, and I’ve got the inside scoop for you!

First, let me just say that Nick’s last album, People, Places & Things won a Parents’ Choice Gold award in 2010. That’s a HUGE compliment, and based on what I heard from this latest album, I think the praise is deserved.

I would describe the sound of this group as very eclectic. There’s a little something in there for everyone, for sure. Nick has been influenced by a wide variety of artists and states that, “Careful listeners will hear hints of Bob Marley, Johnny Cash, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, The Ramones and many others (even Snoop Dogg).”

I think Nick’s varied taste in music shines through in his own contribution to the art. He seems like a very interesting individual. I was shocked (and really excited) to learn that in addition to putting out critically acclaimed music for children, he also is serves as a preschool music specialist 5 days a week AND serves as a program director and teacher at an after school music program for 4 to 7-year-olds. Wow! That is some serious dedication to exposing kids to music!

This is a great addition to our musical collection, and one I would recommend adding to your own. Making Silly Faces runs 37 minutes, and is ideal for ages 2-8. The retail price will be $14.99. You can buy it right here!

Win it!: Before it even hits the stores, one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will snag a copy of Making Silly Faces! The contest will run until August 18th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Nick would love to be friends with you on Facebook! Like him and come back here to tell me you did for your first entry!

Additional entries:

1. Sponsor love: Subscribe to Nick’s blog, Singing in the Bathtub.

2. Blogger love: Like Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

Be sure to enter the other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of the blog.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary CD for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Music for Kids: Putumayo Kids World Party Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

· by · 80 Comments

Is your little one in need of a fun new YouTube video and song? Here’s a great one!
This is from the fantastically fun new album from Putumayo Kids called Kids World Party. We have really been enjoying dancing around the house to it! It has a wide variety of artists from all over the globe, and it brings home a really terrific selection of different musical styles and sounds.

Here’s a list of the artists and their home countries:
Pakita (France)
Solanna (US)
Famara (Switzerland)
PALO! (Cuba)
Asheba (Trinidad/Tobago)
Sharon Katz and the Peace Train (South Africa)
Tom Freund and Friends (US)
Lucky Ali (India)
Will Street (Canada)
Monedita de Oro (Mexico)
Balentes (Italy)
Eric Bibb (US)
A portion (50 cents) of each album sold goes back to Amnesty International, in commemoration of its 50th anniversary and in support of its work to promote and protect human rights worldwide. I also loved that that packaging for the cd uses no plastic. Way to go on both of these matters, Putumayo Kids!
Buy it!: Kids World Party was released on June 28th and is available for $14.98. If you are looking to bring a global experience to your living room, look no further!
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will snag your own copy of Kids World Party! The contest will run until July 24th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.
Mandatory entry: Have a little listen to the tracks on this cd (you’ll be so glad you did!) and tell me which one you really like!
Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Putumayo Kids on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Google Friend Connect
Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my homepage.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Toe-Tapping Music for Chilled Out Fun (GIVEAWAY!!!)

· by · 22 Comments

I was recently introduced to one seriously great children’s music performer, Hope Harris. Have you heard of her? Here’s what one critic had to say of her, “Hope Harris combines country and swing with a little touch of show music…Harris has a clear and friendly voice that reminds one of Kate Taylor and Patsy Cline.”

She does, indeed, have a pure and smooth sound, and I found the tracks on her latest album, Cousins Jamboree, to be very easy to pick up and sing along with (jazz hands optional, unless you are me, in which case they are mandatory). Even with all its personality (and it is packed with it), I really like that this album keeps the vibe relaxed. Not sleepy, by any means, but definitely chilled out.

There are also great lessons to glean from each piece. I was really struck by, “Hang on Friend,” which is all about learning how to stand in line and wait your turn. I hadn’t yet thought about that lesson for Darah, and the fact that we aren’t born knowing how to wait our turn for things!

Here’s a new fun video that features the title track from the album!

Buy it!: Cousins Jamboree is available online for $15.00 and is recommended for ages 3-10. It runs a comfortable 42 minutes and has 16 fun songs!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of Cousins Jamboree! The contest will run until June 7th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

REMEMBER, YOU MUST BE A PUBLIC FOLLOWER VIA GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT TO BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN A PRIZE. YOU MAY SIGN UP THROUGH MY SIDEBAR IF YOU HAVEN’T DONE SO, ALREADY.

Mandatory entry: Tell me the song your child loves to sing the most right now!

My answer: Skidda ma rinky dinky dink is Darah’s favorite song of the moment!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Hope Harris on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need via RSS or email

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my homepage.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary cd for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Every Kid is a Superhero (GIVEAWAY!!!)

· by · 30 Comments

Recess Monkey is a super awesome band that plays music that both kids and adults will love (promise!). The Final Funktier is an album I reviewed earlier, and all the tracks pay homage to space in one way or another. Their latest album is called Flying!, and it is all about how every one of us has a superhero inside.

This is a cd to play when you (or more likely, your kids) have energy that they need to burn. We’ve enjoyed listening to it in the late afternoon, after nap time but before dinner. The last time we listened to it, we were inspired to build an indoor fort while we sang and danced. Darah was positively giddy from all the fun!
Flying! will be available for sale on June 21 for $14.99, and is ideal for kids ages 3-8 (and their parents…promise that this cd will have you tapping your toes). It runs 47 minutes. This is definitely the soundtrack for all our little superheroes in training.
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a copy of this cd before they are available to the public! The contest will run until June 3rd at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.
REMEMBER, YOU MUST BE A PUBLIC FOLLOWER OF THIS BLOG VIA GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A GIVEAWAY. YOU CAN SIGN UP THROUGH MY SIDEBAR IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO, ALREADY.
Mandatory entry: Tell me your favorite super hero (one with or without a cape!).
My answer: She-Ra!
Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Recess Monkey on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Like Stuff Parents Need on Facebook
Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my homepage.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Celebrating Children of All Abilities: Love Me for Who I Am (GIVEAWAY!!!)

· by · 19 Comments

I think one of the very best ways to teach children about differences that people may have is to celebrate them. There’s a new cd out called Love Me for Who I Am by Brady Rymer, and it is all about celebrating children of all abilities. From the website, “the songs will invite deeper understanding and appreciation of children with Autism and other disorders by shedding light on just how much we all have in common.”

As Darah gets a bit older, and makes more friends, I have no doubt that we will come to know a family affected by Autism, learning differences, or being differently-abled. Children are naturally curious, and I expect that Darah will ask questions. When she does, I hope that I’m able to frame differences such as these in ways that are more positive and uplifiting, and breaking out some of these songs will be a helpful resources as she learns that people are different in so many ways, yet also so very similar.

Buy it!: Love Me for Who I Am is an excellent choice to add to any child’s collection. It is currently available on Amazon for $14.73. Five percent of the proceeds from this album will benefit Autism Speaks.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win your own copy of Brady Rymer’s Love Me for Who I Am! The contest will run until May 3rd at 11:49pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me which song on the cd appeals the most to you (samples can be listened tohere).

My answer: Keep Your Wiggle Alive is a really fun one that we are currently enjoying.

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Brady Rymer on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Google Friend Connect (found on my sidebar)

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my homepage.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary cd for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Putumayo Acoustic Dreamland CD (GIVEAWAY!!!)

· by · 66 Comments

It’s time to talk about some new music selections for the little ones!!! Today I’m highlighting Acoustic Dreamland, the fifth CD in the Dreamland series by Putumayo Kids.

Let me back up a bit and tell you about Putumayo Kids! It is a record label that is committed to introducing kids to cultures all around the world through music! They have two primary series: Playground and Dreamland. Today’s feature is the newest Dreamland cd, and it joins a great group of other cds that are already out, including Dreamland, African Dreamland, Asian Dreamland and Celtic Dreamland.

The CDs in their playground collection are too numerous to name, but they have an incredible selection, with some of my favorites being Animal Playground and Caribbean Playground!

Ok, so back to Acoustic Dreamland. You guys, this is such a sweet cd. I adore it! It has this mellow, folksy vibe, and you just can’t help but slow yourself down once you start to listen to it. Quite simply, it is the very best cuddle music I have yet to find! I also like that the songs are pretty easy to pick up, so that you can start singing right along with them. You might even recognize some of the tunes, as the CD includes songs originally recorded by the Allman Brothers, James Taylor, Wilco and Mary Chapin Carpenter!

This cd is just perfect for the time right before bed, when we need to start winding down and relaxing. The play time is 31 minutes, which is absolutely perfect. I very highly recommend it if you are looking for some music to play to help set the mood for dreaming!

Buy it!: Acoustic Dreamland is available for $13.10 on Amazon! It’s a great buy!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to have their child’s bedtime ritual get much dreamier! You will win a copy of Acoustic Dreamland! The contest will run until April 19th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me the lullaby you love to sing to your little one!

My answer: Baby Minee from Dumbo!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Putumayo Kids on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need via RSS or email

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my homepage.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

DidiPop Goes to Hawaii, and You Can, Too

· by · 16 Comments

Oh the weather outside is frightful!

DidiPop I’m totally in love with the holiday season, and with the season where fall starts to give way to winter. I embrace the cold (probably because I live in a part of the country where winter is relatively mild). I love to bundle up in the covers, or take long hot baths and even go outside and just enjoy being cold for a little bit! Over time, it makes me a bit nostalgic for the warm days of summer (which is good, because I sort of don’t like summer…TOO hot!). Am I the only one who starts daydreaming about trips to Hawaii in November and December? Yes, I think sunny and a high of 76 sounds quite lovely, and I think I could go for a little bit of that right about now, but just for a few days!

Well, Darah recently got a new cd, and it is so much fun, because it takes you straight to Hawaii, no plane ticket or packed suitcase required! DidiPop Goes to Hawaii is just what the title suggests, a musical trip to the islands!

I’ve got a fun way to give you a preview of what DidiPop Goes to Hawaii is like! This video shows you a mango picker on Maui and gives you some glimpses into the recording of the song, “Mango.”

I love having a little splash of summer in November! It’s fun to embrace the holidays, but I also like to remember all the fun we have to look forward to when the weather warms back up again! And mangoes are my very favorite fruit, too. I always welcome their return to the stores!

Buy it!: DidiPop Goes to Hawaii will be released on Decmeber 14th, just in time to make it into the stockings of good little girls and boys! 🙂 You can pre-order the cd here for $15 or you can download all the mp3s for only $8.99!

Win it!: DidiPop wants to bring Hawaii to you! One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of Didi Pop Goes to Hawaii! The contest will run until December 6th at 11:59pm EST when the winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me your favorite warm weather location! Do you wish you were there right now, or are you enjoying the cooler temperatures? My favorite spot to go is to Destin, Florida, though there’s plenty more beach in this world that I still need to see! And actually, I love going to the beach when it is cold, because I think the blue-gray skies and stormier weather are beautiful!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Sign up for the DidiPop Times, a monthly newsletter (that is super good!). Also, they give away a cd every month! (look in the bottom right corner of the linked page to sign up).

2. Blogger love: Subscriber to Stuff Parents Need by email or RSS

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Intergalactic Awesome from Recess Monkey

· by · 51 Comments

I really love telling you all about great new bands that kids (and adults) will love. If you have avoided “children’s” music up to this point, I really want to encourage you to give it a try. While I’m sure there are plenty of not-so-great bands out there (just as in every genre of music), I have been seriously impressed with what I’ve been hearing over the past 5 of 6 months as I’ve explored different albums.
Today I’m bringing you the perfect album for your little space traveler. Check out The Final Funktier. It has been out since June 15th, and it is, (bad pun warning), OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! The 15 songs on the cd are all have to do with space and science in some way. I have several favorites, already, including Moon Boots, Black Hole in My Room and My Brother is a Satellite.

The sounds you will find here are upbeat and lots of fun. The entire album runs just 34 minutes, which can hold a young child’s attention all the way through. It is a fun journey, and you might find, like me, that you are a little bit sad when the ride is over. That’s such a good sign for cd, my friends!
The members of Recess Monkey have released 6 albums, and in their spare time, they all teach at the same school in Seattle. Isn’t that cool? How fun would it be for your elementary school teacher to be a rock star?! 🙂

Buy it!: If your little one needs some music to accompany him/her on trips to other galaxies, pick up The Final Funktier for $15 or you can buy is for under $12 on Amazon.

Win it!: Fasten your seat belts, one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is about to take off with your own copy of The Final Funktier! The contest will run until August 2nd at 7:59pm CST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is drawn. Limit one entrant per household, please. Open to residents of the United States.

Mandatory entry: Tell me another album from Recess Monkey you’d like to own (search under the Store tab)

Additional entries:
1. “Like” Recess Monkey on Facebook
2. Follow Recess Monkey on Twitter
3. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter
4. “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook
5. Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need by RSS, email or Google Friend Connect (only one extra entry, even if you subscribe multiple ways)
6. If you are a blogger (posted something within the past 3 months) put my button on your blog and leave a url so that I can find it.

Be sure to check out all the other current giveaways, listed on the sidebar of my main page!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post may contain affiliate links.