Category Archives: Music

KidzBop 16 & Christmas CD reviews and giveaway

December 8, 2009Contests, Entertainment, Music, New postschristmas, kidzbop, MusicAlicia

My kids love music. whether it’s making music or listening to it. I prefer it when they are listening not making. It gets a little loud and when my 10 and 3 year olds try to form a band in the kitchen.

We’ve been listening to KidzBop 16 a lot lately and I’ll tell you why I’m very happy about that:

I recognize some of the songs (I don’t know whether that’s good or bad)
The kids love to sing along
The music is energizing for the kids and they have a blast dancing to it
KidzBop is great car music. It keeps me moving (awake) and the kids happy while in the car

KidzBop 16 songs include Circus and Boom Boom Pow. KidzBop songs and albums can be downloaded via iTunes. Here is the iTunes link for Boom Boom Pow and from there you can listen to and browse other KidzBop songs.

Here’s the ITunes link to ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’:

GIVEAWAY!

We are giving 8 lucky readers a KidzBop 16 and KidzBop Christmas CD’s. Leave a comment below telling me what your favorite song is right now (any song/artist) and get 2 extra entries if you leave a 2nd comment with your Twitter ID AFTER retweeting this post!

Product review + Giveaway:
slotRadio the instant load music player bundled with a 1,000 song slotRadio™ Mix card

June 1, 2009Gadgets, Music, New postsgadget, MP3, Music, radio, SanDisk, slotRadioAlicia

slotRadio

I’ve been using a really great gadget called the slotRadio when I exercise lately. As you may have read in some of my previous posts, I am a poster girl for adult ADHD. That being said, the slotRadio is a pre-loaded mp3 player.. keyword – pre-loaded. People with ADHD love just about anything that’s ‘pre’ such as ‘pre’school which gets the kids out of our hair for a few hours a day so we can better manage our ADHD and the 5 million things we have to do. Pre-loaded means that you don’t have to choose songs to put on the MP3 player and spend your valuable time transferring songs from your computer to your MP3 player.

slotRadio clips anywhere

The slotRadio comes pre-loaded with the slotRadio Mix including 1,000 songs and you can buy additional cards that slip right into the slotRadio, just like an SD card for your camera does, that come pre-loaded with another 1,000 songs. The slotRadio Mix card that comes with the slotRadio includes Alternative, Rock, Chillout, Country, Contemporary, R&B Hip Hop, and Workout playlists. While I’m exercising I stay pumped with the Workout playlist and when it’s time to cool down I switch to the Chillout playlist.

slotRadio easy navigation controls

More about the slotRadio + slotRadio Mix bundle:

it’s pre-loaded with 1,000 songs
you can buy additional cards
it’s tiny, 2×2 inches!
has a belt clip
comes with earbuds
comes with a storage case
FM radio
1.5” screen for viewing artist and song information
SIMPLE and practical navigation
charges with an included AC adapter
you can use your own microSD™ card with MP3 or WMA files
the slotRadio + slotRadio Mix bundle costs just under $100

Check out the slotRadio website for playlist samples, videos, and more information.

GIVEAWAY!
We have a slotRadio bundle AND a Rock card to give to one lucky reader! Enter a comment below telling me when you would use the slotRadio (workout, gardening, when the kids are screaming..). If you are an email subscriber your email address will be entered twice! Entries accepted until 11:59 June 15th. This giveaway has ended.

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

CONGRATULATIONS to our SlotRadio winner: Kelly H!

CORNEILLE, The Birth of Cornelius CD

March 23, 2009MusicCorneille, Corneille review, cornelius, cornelius review, mom cd review, mom music, music review, the birth of cornelius cdAlicia

I LOVE this CD. I am very picky about the music I listen to. It takes a really good voice to make me happy and I won't waste my time on music that I consider to be less than perfect. A few of my favorite artists are Tori Amos, Cocteau Twins, Enya, and Sarah McLachlan. Corneille's music is not limited to one genre which I appreciate. There is a mix of R & B, soul, and 'jazzy' music on The Birth of Cornelius.

Corneille, The Birth of Cornelius is a CD you can listen to while
driving, taking a relaxing bath, or while fixing dinner. I find it
extremely relaxing and easy to listen to while working. This CD is a moms best friend.

I you feel so inclined to listen to and watch the very handsome Corneille speak french, click over to The Birth of Cornelius website where even if you don't understand a work he's saying, you'll feel the love Hearticon
. And if you can't get enough of Cornelius you can download a nice crisp photograph of him for your desktop! While you're on the website, you can listen to tracks and watch videos.

Corneille's story is one of happiness, sorrow, and reconnection. Corneille was born in Germany and at the age of six his family returned to Rwanda, their country of origin. As a boy, Corneille began to develop an interest in music—initially discovering Michael Jackson and then the great soul artists who would shape his style: Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Prince. When Corneille's father heard him singing in his room as a young boy, his father said to him, ‘That sounds good, it kind of sounds like Tracy Chapman.’ At age 16, he made his first recording, and was selected as a finalist in a music contest sponsored by the state-run television station.

The 1994 genocide claimed the lives of both of his parents. Corneille alone escaped and he made his way to Germany to live with family friends where he spend the next 10 years in denial but never bitter. Corneille is a truly amazing man as you will learn through his music.

Corneille is a Red Cross Canada spokeperson, has been made a Unicef
Goodwill Ambassador, and continues to be active in those and other
humanitarian roles.

SoundSpa™ Lullaby – a must have

March 10, 2008Age 0-1 year, Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Bedtime, Gadgets, Music, Nursery & Room DecorAlicia

Homedicssoundspalullaby I LOVE LOVE LOVE this gadget!
The HoMedics SoundSpa™ Lullaby is a small device that projects rotating images onto baby’s ceiling or wall and plays a variety of relaxing sounds or songs.

First and foremost, the sound quality is amazing. Never have I tested a baby device with such clear and ‘real’ sound.

When Madelyn goes to bed I turn the projector on, play Twinkle Twinkle and set the timer to 45 minutes. The projector brightness can be set to high or low and the volume is completely adjustable. Other options include no projection, playing a sound effect instead of a song, different timer settings, and adjustable projection location.
Changing options is as easy as pushing a button on top of the device or adjusting a dial on the side of the device.

Click the image to the left to view a close up of the controls.

Sounds and sound effects include Twinkle, Twinkle, Rock-A-Bye-Baby, Lullaby and Goodnight, rain, ocean, and a heartbeat. Priced at just $29, this is a must have!

Icon_website2_2 HoMedics SoundSpa Lullaby

Lamaze Dream Screen

August 3, 2007Age 0-1 year, Age 1-3, Bedtime, Gadgets, Music, Nursery & Room Decordream screen, learning curveAlicia

The Dream Screen is one of those toys that looks like something from the future. The clean lines and bright colors of the screen make the Dream Screen captivating. The dual motion screen plays soft
music when activated by you or your baby.

There are three play modes.
The first is a 5 second mode. The music plays and the screen moves when baby swats the little yellow guy hanging down from the Dream Screen. You can also customize music
for baby by connecting your MP3 Player to the Dream Screen. This mode is great because it teaches baby cause and effect.
The second mode is a continuous play mode. When turned on, the Dream Screen will play music and the screen moves for 15 minutes.
The third mode is the MP3 mode. Attach your MP3 player to the back of the Dream Screen and baby can listen to her favorite tunes.

Below is a video of Madelyn enchanted by her Dream Screen. The video is pretty dark because I wanted to shoot the video at night so you can see the Dream Screen lit up. If you look closely enough you will see Madelyn staring at the screen.