Groove Kid Nation - Music in Motion CD {Review}

Little Guy cannot stand kiddie music. You know, those cutesy nursery rhyme songs? I tried many fine times to play some of those popular children's CD's (I think you know the brand name I'm referring to?) and he became a different kid. He'd throw his toys, get crabby, and turn into a little monster. On the other hand, he has always been soothed by "grown-up" music (especially John Lennon!) So, when I had a chance to review Groove Kid Nation's Music in Motion, I really didn't know what to expect...

He loved it! The music sounds grown-up, but the lyrics are easy to understand and it's fun to sing along with the Kool Katz band. We don't listen to a lot of soul music around here, but we will from now on - Little Guy is always a happy camper when I play the kids' songs on his Music in Motion CD.

And, while he's being entertained, he's learning, too! The songs really bring the instruments and rhythm of the music to the forefront. Children are invited to dance, nod their heads, and even play air guitar along with the songs - all of which Little Guy enjoys. The CD also comes with a pretty cool little 10-page book. Each illustration features one of the songs on the album and highlights one of the members of the Kool Katz band along with the instrument they play. For instance, on Little Guy's favorite songs is "Fast and Slow". The song features the flute and children must lay down when the flute plays slowly, get up and run around when it plays fast, and stop when the back-up music plays and the flute stops. And so, the corresponding page for "Fast and Slow" in the book features Jasmine on Flute:

Other than being a CD filled with very cool and groovy, Music in Motion does something else: 10% of the wholesale price of the CD goes to CARE, an organization that fights global poverty.

You can listen to the songs and order your own copy of Groove Kid Nation's Music in Motion, and their first album, The Wheels on the Bus, on their Web site, at Amazon MP3, and iTunes. Also, if you sign up for their newsletter, you will receive FREE STUFF: an MP3 of the Itsy Bitsy Spider from the "Wheels on the Bus" CD, an MP3 of Funky Chicken from the "Music in Motion" CD, 2 Coloring Book downloads of the characters from both CDs, and an eclectic EP of their son's heartbeat and acoustic piano. You can also find Groove Kid Nation on Facebook. I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

What's That Smell?! {March of Kindness: March 4}

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So, today I have chosen to do something so totally random that my husband first laughed, then walked around the house with this weird look on his face for a while after I told him: I'm taking a nice, long bath. Not a bubble bath with Little Guy dumping water on the floor and I'm freezing my butt off because his small two-year-old frame has managed to fill the entire tub. Nope. I'm taking a very hot, very long, VERY QUIET bath - all by myself. Yep - my random act of kindness is going to benefit me today!

Now, I know that I'm not the only one out there who rarely takes time to do something nice for herself. (Did I just hear an "Amen" and a "Right On"???) I wear the same old clothes year in and year out. Yeah, I call it "being green" and all, but every once in a while I'd like to have a brand new top, bought with actual tags from a store on it (as opposed to the little thrift-store tags that a senior volunteer has written $0.25 on, ya know what I mean?) And I'd like to buy one of those frozen family meals that you just have to pour into a casserole dish and toss into the oven for 40 minutes. I'd love to go to the library sans toddler and find a nice, comfy chair to read a poetry or short story book in. And I pine for those care-free days when I took long showers and baths, never once suspecting that they'd be swept out from under me the second my littlest guy was born.

I could put my oldest in the middle of the living room floor when he was a toddler with a few toys and a Blues Clues video tape playing and tell him to stay put until I was done taking my shower. Never once did I expect him to get into trouble - and he didn't! Well, if you've read anything about Little Guy, you know that he's one of those curious-types, always testing the boundaries. The second he thinks I'm not looking at him, even when I'm two feet away, he's into something. And hubby, I love him, but he totally underestimates the little one. This just leads to huge messes, owies, and tantrums - for both of them! So, I've been forced to perfect the 7-minute-shower. Not an easy task when you have hair down to your waist. Oh, and I may as well air my dirty laundry right now - I'm lucky to get three showers a week. SO...

From: Sodahead Slideshows

That's why, today, I took the kind of bath you only see in movies. Scented candles everywhere, tons of bubbles, I got out my deep-pore cleansing mud mask and even treated my hair to some badly-needed deep conditioning. I thought ahead and brought my MP3 player with me so I could tune out the inevitable tantrum-like screaming that could possibly drive me from the tub. As the bath cooled, I drained it a little and added more hot water. I fogged the mirrors and window completely. I shaved my legs (the top part, too!) I got out a brush and gave my feet The Treatment. And, as the water drained from the tub, I kept those headphones on and used the sandalwood lotion I bought myself last summer and has yet to open.

Two hours. Two amazing hours!

When I finally emerged from my little spa, I felt like a woman. Not some asexual being whose purpose is to keep everyone else healthy, safe, and happy. Now, the frustrated husband and toddler didn't upset me. I quietly took over - sending hubby into the kitchen for a break and hugging Little Guy until he could tell me why he was crying (turns out Daddy didn't understand him correctly when he asked for the Monster Truck Show and he put in the Hard-Workin' Truck Show.) I even enjoyed cleaning up and sorting the gigantic pile of toys in the center of the living room. I wiped the chocolate from my toddler's hands, face, ear canals, etc., and didn't nag at hubby for giving it to him. He'd have responded with, "Well, he asked for it. What was I supposed to do?!" Uh... not give it to him? Anyway, I skipped that whole argument and cleaned up my baby, hoping he'd take his nap. 

I am not even kidding - THIS is what it looked like after I had cleaned for 10 minutes and thought to grab the camera.

I don't know when I'll get another bath like that. I'd like to say that I'll make time for me and set a goal of squeezing it in once a month for sanity's sake, if nothing else. But I know better. It's going to be a long time. I just hope that I can stretch that 7-minute-shower into 10 minutes, then 20 minutes someday. For now, I'm just glad I chose to perform a random act of kindness for myself!

Why do I LOVE our CuddleTunes Bear????

My little guy is into cars. I mean REALLY into cars. At just over two years old, he can tell you if a car is a Ford, Chevy, Cadillac, etc. He also can tell the difference between a Peterbilt and Mack truck. So, when I was lucky enough to have won a CuddleTunes Bear from a contest on SwagGrabber, I was a little apprehensive about whether he'd like it or not. I even felt a little guilty about accepting my prize because I figured there was, in all probability, a little kid out there who would appreciate the musical bear more than mine. Boy, was I wrong!

 

The CuddleTunes Bear is really a great idea. It's basically an MP3 player built into a teddy bear. The feet hold buttons which control the volume, play/stop, and forward and reverse. A little zipper in the back hides the magic black box which controls everything and a USB cable. When you order your bear, you can download 5 lullaby songs with your child's name featured in them! My favorite is "Golden Slumbers" probably due to the Beatles' version of the song. When my guy heard his name mentioned, he gave the bear a sideways glance, as if to say, "Are you singing to me?!" It was pretty funny, and soon he had the CuddleTunes bear on his lap, listening intently for the next mention of his name.

Something that is especially great about this little bear is you can download your own music to the bear! It has  1GB worth of storage capacity (about 250 songs!) Now, since birth, we've played a compilation of John Lennon's slower songs at bedtime. The problem with using a CD was that, when it was time to go to sleep, we had to go into the other, music-free room to put him down. This always ended up in a protest. Now, with our CuddleTunes bear, he can have his music in bed with him. Another service that CuddleTunes offers is the ability to record sountracks on their Web site. This may not sound like a big deal, but it's great for loved ones who live far away to connect with your child. Maybe Grandma has moved to Florida and still wants to share a special bedtime story with her favorite grandchild? She can simply login to the site, record the story, and then you can download it to your child's bear. If there isn't a special story that you'd like to record, the company offers a story that you can record that introduces the songs.

The bear simply takes two AA batteries. No special $20 battery pack to seach for! And they last a very, very long time. He's been listened to for at least an hour a night since Christmas Day and I have yet to replace his batteries.

Another great feature of this bear is fun for kids and information for you. When the bear is on, a red light in its chest blinks on and off. My son calls it his bear's "heart beep." Cute, huh? To turn the bear off, you have two options: 1) Flip the switch on the box in the zippered compartment of the bear, or 2) hold down the play/stop button for a few seconds until the red "heart beep" blinks fast. The light will go out when you let go of the button and you will know that it's off and not using up power.

The CuddleTunes bear sells on the Web site for $59.95 and comes with the initial five-lullaby soundtrack with your child's name in the lyrics. You can read more on their site, including the text of the story.

You can find out more about CuddleTunes through their Web site, Facebook Page, or Blog.

*** I was not asked to write this review. I recieved a CuddleTunes Bear as a prize in a giveaway. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for them in any way.