Stuff Parents Need

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

Cowboy Playground CD Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Do you have a little cowboy or cowgirl in your home? Or do you have a trip planned to the Wild West this summer? There’s a really fun CD that Putumayo Kids has jut put out that will create the perfect setting for an outdoor adventure!

The CD is called Cowboy Playground and it is full of really fun songs that you may recognize, such as Pecos Bill, Home on the Range, Happy Trails and Whoopie Ti Yi Yo.

These are all songs that I know, but that I never thought to teach to Darah. Now that we have this CD, she is learning them and loving them (especially Whoopie Ti Yi Yo, which really makes her laugh). I think this is the perfect music for summer days, and it also brings up a lot of great imaginary play ideas!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of Cowboy Playground!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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

Using Stickers and Coloring Books for Cultural Exploration! GIVEAWAY!!!

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Putumayo Kids, the makers of some of the most outstanding children’s cds that feature songs and artists from all over the world, has just come out with a new way to celebrate different cultures: stickers and coloring books! Woo hoo!

We had the opportunity to review one of their World Culture Coloring Books (they offer Africa, Latin America and Europe, and we were sent Europe). This coloring book is AWESOME, and that’s coming from a coloring book connoisseur (that would be me, coloring was one of my all-time favorite childhood activities). First and foremost, it is an oversized book, which might not make it as easy to travel with, but does make it so much more fun to color in at home. It measures 11.5″ x 14″ AND it is created with eco-friendly soy ink and used a printer that is Forest Stewardship Council Certified.

But the best part of all is that the pictures are FANTASTIC! The images are large enough that a younger child can feel comfortable trying to color, and a budding artist will get to make some really beautiful pictures that can be proudly displayed at home. All the while, there are so many opportunities to talk with your child about the different monuments, outfits and other features shown in the pictures. This retails for $9.95 and comes with 20 pages. It’s a great find, I think!

The second book we reviewed was their Latin America Sticker Collection.  But this is SO much more than a bunch of stickers. It comes with a book that is actually a fold-out landscape meant for you to create various scenes using your stickers (which are reusable). With over 120 stickers included in each book, the possibilities are endless! I really love this book, because it gets the child actively involved in the scene, creating a whole story related to the region of the world. These books retail for $11.95 and make a fantastic gift choice for the sticker (or geography!) enthusiast in your family.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a coloring book AND sticker book from Putumayo Kids! Awesome!

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

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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.

Putumayo Acoustic Dreamland CD (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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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.