Funky Kidz CD {Review + Giveaway}

All of my children love music, it is a love that they have expressed nearly every day since birth.  When I was pregnant with each of my four children they all responded so well to music and each had their favorites.  That love for music has not died down one bit, as a matter of fact, that love has only gotten stronger.  

My taste in music is very eclectic, I enjoy most genres and I’m very happy that my children have the same taste as I do when it comes to what they listen to.  On any given day driving in the car you can hear a little Eminem (from his latest album), The Eagles, and maybe even some Taylor Swift.  When I was asked recently to review the CD Funky Kidz I was more than happy as I know how much my children enjoy new sounds.  Funky Kidz is a 12 track compilation featuring music that we all know and love kicked up with a little New Orleans funk!  Funky Kidz was also voted 2009 Album of the Year by Creative Child Magazine!

Here’s a little more about Funky Kidz from their website:

A fun-filled musical journey for the whole family!

This musical recording is a compilation of classic children’s songs, familiar to both kids today and parents of yesteryear.  The songs are meant to invoke happy memories of childhood for everyone, while exposing children to the funky, high-instrumentation sound that oozes out of the Crescent City.

As a funky mother of two, I was disappointed by the offerings of children’s music and set out to expose my kids to a variety of musical genres.  From the time they were in my belly, I played everything from hard rock to classical ballads.  My sons, Jake, 9 (assistant producer) and Aidan, 5, took a love to New Orleans funk and so the concept was born… take kids songs and just make them funky.

So here it is. . .play it in the car, at home or wherever you want and jam out with your children; they’ll love it and trust us, you will too!

Executive Producer and Funky Mama,
Lauren Busch Singer

With songs like Somewhere Over the Rainbow and This Little Light of Mine, Funky Kidz brings children the gift of a new sound (with the funky rhythms and melodic sounds of New Orleans) and takes us moms and dads (granny’s and grand pa’s) back to our childhood with the familiar, yet new songs.  As soon as I popped Funky Kidz into the CD player my youngest children were up and dancing to the music and I was enjoying their happiness while also remembering listening to the same songs and dancing along when I was a kid.  Lil Man and Lil Diva loved the music and found a new favorite song (This Little Light of Mine).  You can check out the complete track listing below and found out where to buy this CD for your little ones!



Track Listing:

1. You’ve Got A Friend In Me - Bonerama (2:57)
2. Hokey Pokey – Big Sam’s Funky Nation (3:31)
3. Zip A Dee Doo Dah –Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk (3:10)
4. Yellow Submarine – Papa Grows Funk (2:56)
5. If I Only Had A Brain – Paul Sanchez (2:57)
6. He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands – George Porter Jr. (3:23)
7. Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Theresa Andersson (2:31)
8. Froggy Went A Courtin – The Radiators (5:11)
9. This Land is Your Land – Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (4:17)
10. When I See An Elephant Fly – Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes (2:13)
11. This Little Light of Mine – Ingrid Lucia ( 3:01)
12. Garden Song – Amanda Shaw and the Cute Guys (3:53) 
13.  

Buy it!

You can buy the Funky Kidz CD online at funkykidzmusic.com!  

This CD would make a great gift for the little music lover in your life…and it makes a great stocking stuffer too!  Make sure you check out Misadventures in Baby Raising’s 2010 Holiday Gift Guide for all of the hottest gift ideas for this holiday season!

How would you like to have this CD for your little one?  Well, I have a copy of Funky Kidz to give away to one of y’all my fabulous readers!

Win it:  Mandatory Entry!

Please visit the Funky Kidz website and check out the sample tracks from the album, come back and leave a comment telling me which track you think your kiddos will like most!  This is mandatory and must be completed before any extra entries are allowed!

Extra Entries!

Please leave separate comments for each extra entry!

1 Extra Entry Each
Enter any of the giveaways on MIBR (one comment for each entry)
Comment on any non-giveaway post

2 Extra Entries Each
Follow MIBR on GFC
Follow MIBR via Email
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Join the Funky Kidz mailing list

3 Extra Entries Each
“Like” MIBR on Facebook
Tweet this giveaway on Twitter (up to 3x per day per length of giveaway…be sure to include @Allie_23 in your Tweets)
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5 Extra Entries
Blog about this giveaway with a link back to this giveaway

This giveaway ends on November 19, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST.  One winner will be chosen via Random.org and announced in a separate winner’s post.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me and claim their prize; failure to do so will result in winner forfeiting his prize and me choosing a new winner.

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Music, Music, and more Music!

I have a couple of sick kiddos and very little time to actually sit down and write a post…sorry!  BUT I didn’t want to leave y’all with nothing so I thought well heck it’s Monday…let’s make Monday better with a little music.  So here are a few of my favorite songs right now…enjoy!

Love this song!

Love both of these songs but these two doing a cover of them is genius!  LOVE it!  They have so many more on YouTube so if you like this one check it out…they kick ass!  And get this she is only 14!

Alright guys I’m out…enjoy the music!

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Sex in the City 2 Soundtrack {Review}

Though I have never been to New York City (a dream that I hope to someday fulfill) I have been head over Manolo Blahik’s for 4 New Yorkers for years now!  I'm talking about the ladies from Sex in the City of course, through the years I feel like I’ve become fast friends with Carrie, Samantha (my favorite), Miranda, and Charlotte!  Believe me when I found out that there was going to be a Sex and The City 2 I was over the moon excited about it!
 
When I found out that I would be one of the lucky bloggers reviewing the new Sex and The City 2 soundtrack I was even more excited.  The soundtrack for Sex in the City 2 hit stores on May 25th (and the film followed with it’s nationwide release on May 27th) and features new tracks from Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Leona Lewis, Cee Lo and Dido (love her).  Perhaps the most eye opening performance though comes in the form of Liza Minnelli’s cover of Beyonce’s hit “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)”.  The soundtrack also features the Sex in the City stars; Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon performing the Helen Reddy classic “I am Woman”. 

Tracklist
1. Alicia Keys “Rapture”
2. Dido “Everything to Lose”
3. Cee Lo “Language of Love”
4. Erykah Badu “Window Seat”
5. Natacha Atlas “Kidda”
6. Michael McGregor “Euphrates Dream”
7. Liza Minnelli “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
8. Ricki-Lee "Can't Touch It"
9. Alicia Keys "Emire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down"
10. Jennifer Hudson and Leona Lewis "Love Is Your Color"
11. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim  Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon “I Am Woman”
12. Sex and the City Men’s Choir “If Ever I Would Leave You”
13. Sex and the City Men’s Choir “Sunrise, Sunset”
14. Sex and the City Men’s Choir “Till There Was You”
15.  Shayna Steele, Jordan Ballard, Kamilah Marshall “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered”
16.  Liza Minnelli with Billy Stritch “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye”
17.  Cyndi Lauper “True Colors”
18.  Aaron Zigman “Divas and Dunes”


I have to admit that there are quite a few artists on the Sex in the City 2 soundtrack that I adore; Dido, Leona Lewis, Alicia Keys, but all of the artists and songs are well worth listening to.  My favorite track without question though is “Rapture” by Alicia Keys!  Overall I very much enjoyed listening to the Sex in the City soundtrack, there is a very diverse and phenomenal group of artists who came together and delivered knockout performances and made this soundtrack amazing!

Buy it:  You can purchase the Sex in the City 2 soundtrack online here!

Oh and one last thing!  If you love Sex in the City and SJP as much as I do, I have info. on how you can win a call from Sarah Jessica Parker…all the information you need to enter the contest is here so go check it out!

Misadventurous Mommy gives the Sex in the City 2 Soundtrack?  

**I received the Sex in the City 2 soundtrack from One2One network to facilitate my review…I was not compensated in any other way!

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Green Golly Kids CD {Review and Giveaway}

 *Updated at Bottom With Winner!*

My children love music; from rock and pop to country and blues, they all have rather eclectic tastes when it comes to what they listen to.  There is one genre of music however, that they don’t seem too fond of—classical.  While I can certainly appreciate the beauty and history of classical music, my children prefer hard hitting drum beats and catchy pop lyrics.  That doesn’t mean I don’t try to encourage them to listen and appreciate classical music, it’s just a little more difficult to pull off than say Justin Beiber.
A few weeks ago I was approached to do a review for Green Golly & Her Golden Flute and I was more than happy to check it out—I just hoped my children would be as receptive as I was.  First let me start by telling you a little bit about Green Golly.  Green Golly & Her Golden Flute combines classical music, humor, and amazing storytelling in a children’s CD.  Green Golly (by Flute Sweet and Tickletoon also known as Barbara Siesel and Keith Torgan) introduces children to classical music in a way that my children have never experienced.  Green Golly takes the much loved tale of Rapunzel and gives it a new and refreshing twist. 

“Rapunzel may have suffered isolation and distress during her days trapped in that big old tower, but her alter ego, Green Golly, has a wonderful golden flute to express her deepest feelings and a large stack of music by the world’s greatest composers to explore.  A keen observer of all that whizzes by her window, Green Golly is inclined to rely on her musical abilities to help her unravel the mysteries of life in this funny, engaging tale of romance and rescue, interwoven with works of Mozart, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Gossec, Elgar, Bizet, Chopin, and Copland.

As produced by Randall Keith Horton – chosen by Duke Ellington as his composing and conducting assistant, succeeding Billy Strayhorn – the heart of Green Golly & Her Golden Flute is the gorgeous sound that world class flutist Barbara Siesel creates, making music by some of the greatest composers of the 19th and 20th centuries come alive with an impeccable sense of style and phrasing.  Add to that the frolicsome energy and fun of Keith Torgan’s storytelling and guitar playing, and you have an album that’s truly something extraordinary in children’s entertainment. Torgan fairly dances through the voices of the new characters he’s created to grace the beloved old tale, from Vlotek the Gypsy to Mousey Tongue. “

As I mentioned above my children are not too fond of classical music so I was very anxious to see how they would respond to Green Golly.  On a car ride to the grocery store I decided to pop in the Green Golly CD for my youngest children.  Honestly I expected them to ask me to turn on their music, but was amazed to look back a few minutes into the CD to see them completely engaged and enjoying the funny story and beautiful music!  I too found myself smiling and laughing at the humorous way the story was told, of course my favorite part was the music, and it was amazing.  I knew Green Golly was a hit when we arrived at the grocery store and my son told me—“No mom I not go in…I listen to this.” I can only assume that meant he liked it!
Buy it:  You can purchase the Green Golly CD online here.
One lucky Misadventures in Baby Raising reader won’t have to wait to purchase the CD because I have a copy to give away to one lucky winner!
Win it:  To be entered into this giveaway please tell me which piece of music from the CD you think your child(ren) would like best (track list can be found here.)  This is mandatory and must be completed before any extra entries are counted.
Extra Entries:  Please leave separate comments for each extra entry option.
Follow MIBR via Google Friend Connect:  2 extra entries
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Grab MIBR’s button (located on the sidebar near the bottom):  2 extra entries
Follow MIBR on Twitter:  2 extra entries
Tweet this giveaway on Twitter (please include @Allie_23 in your tweets and please leave the link to your tweet in the comments):  2 tweets per day per length of giveaway
Become a Fan of MIBR on Facebook:  2 extra entries
Share this giveaway on Facebook:  2 extra entries
Enter any of the other giveaways on MIBR:  1 extra entry per additional giveaway entry
Blog about this giveaway with links to this post:  5 extra entries
This giveaway ends on Thursday June 12 , 2010 at 11:59 PM EST.  One winner will be chosen via Random.org and announced in a separate winner’s post (winner will also be emailed).  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me and claim his prize, failure to do so will result in winner forfeiting his prize and me choosing a new winner.

And the Winner is?

May 29, 2010 3:50 PM 3

Romapr

Following MIBR via Google Friend Connect #2

Congrats!  You have 48 hours to contact me!

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Little Music Lovers Review and Giveaway!

All of my children love music, remember this post? When my oldest daughter was a baby I had a hard time getting her to sleep at night. I either had to rock her or walk around with her for hours…and neither one is something I remember fondly. One day on a trip home from her grandmothers she was being fussy so I decided to pop in a Lullaby CD and within five minutes she was sleeping. From that point on we played music whenever she went to sleep and it never failed. (FYI this method worked with all but one of my four kids).

When I had the chance to try out the Little Music Lovers Sampler CD (part of the Smart Music Series) I was very excited. Little Music Lovers sampler CD includes tracks by Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, and several beloved lullabies. The Little Music Lovers Smart Music Series for kids includes four CD’s; Smart Music for Story Time (Beethoven), Smart Music for Activity Time (Bach), Smart Music for Play Time (Mozart), and Smart Music for Bedtime (traditional lullabies).

I have to be honest and tell you that my children are used to pop and rock music. When I first put the sampler CD in they looked at me like, “Uh mom that is not Britney Spears!” (Yes I know how bad that sounds). While the kids didn’t seem to care too much for the music at first they soon began to sway and spin as it played in the background! I noticed that both of my youngest children really seemed to enjoy the sampler cd music as background noise (a welcome change from Nick Jr I might add) and I loved the fact that they were listening to Bach and Beethoven!

Buy it! You can purchase The Little Music Lovers Series at BarnesandNoble.com!

One of my wonderful readers is going to win their pick of one CD from the Little Music Lovers Smart Music series!

Win it! To be entered into this giveaway please tell me which of the four CD’s you would like to receive if you won…easy peasy! This is mandatory and must be completed before any extra entries are counted!

Extra Entries: Please leave separate comments for each extra entry!

• Follow Misadventures in Baby Raising via Email, RSS Feed, or on Blogger…2 extra entries each!
• Follow me on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway…1 Tweet Per Day = 1 Extra Entry Per Day!
• Save money on your Holiday shopping…join me on Blastoff http://ppl.blastoffnetwork.com/allisonproffitt …5 extra entries!
• Become a Fan of Misadventures in Baby Raising on Facebook…2 extra entries!
• Follow Misadventures in Baby Raising via Networked Blogs…2 extra entries!
• Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post…5 extra entries!
• Enter any other giveaway on Misadventures in Baby Raising…1 additional entry per entry into another giveaway!
• Comment on any non-giveaway post…1 extra entry per comment!

This giveaway ends on Friday November 13, 2009 at 11:59 PM EDT. One winner will be chosen via Random.org and posted in this post! Winner will have 48 hours to contact me and claim their prize. Failure to do so will result in winner forfeiting prize and me choosing a new winner.

US Residents Only!

Good Luck!

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