I love Kiboomu.  But more importantly, my son loves Kiboomu.  We love listening to music, and dancing all silly.  Kiboomu very seriously has hundreds upon hundreds of songs for your child to learn from, enjoy, and be a child.

Kiboomu boasts that “Kids Grow Smart with Music”, and thanks to their many songs, apps, and printables, I think that is most certainly true.

Just check out how much recognition Kiboomu’s Children’s Apps have received!

• “What’s Hot” and “New & Noteworthy” on iTunes
• Showcased on Apps For Children With Special Needs Show
• iLounge’s Top 100 Apps for 2010
• Winner of the Creative Child Toys Award 2010

Recently I saw on Twitter, that Kiboomu had a relaxing MP3 album called Yoga Baby & Me, I was excited to check it out.

You may or may not have figured out by now, I have a sleeping problem.  Or rather a lack of sleeping problem.  No matter how hard I try, I really struggle to turn my brain off at night, and just give in to my exhaustion.  It has nothing to do with being tired.  I am pretty much tired all the time, it is more of a winding down kinda thing.

I was given something I could take at night, but the truth is, I don’t like how groggy it makes me in the AM, and I worry that I won’t be able to hear the baby if he needs me.

The first time I listened to it, I fell asleep within 20 mins!  (Although to be fair, make sure you make a trip to the powder room before you listen to this relaxing music or the water may get to you!)

Yoga Baby & Me is great for so many different things!

• Relaxation at the end of day.
• Quiet Reading/Play time with you child.
• And of course, teaching your child Yoga, or practicing next to your child.

I really really dig this MP3 album.  Anything that helps me gain even just a moment of peace and quiet deserves an EXTRA SQUISHABLE rating! (9/10)

The Giveaway
Kiboomu is offering TWO MP3 downloads of Yoga Baby & Me AND THREE Children’s iPhone Apps!  That is FIVE lucky Family and Life Winners!

How to Win
Entering is easy – all you have to do is the mandatory entry. Extra entries are available but not mandatory. (Open to US/Canada) I will be checking each entry to the best of my ability, so honesty is appreciated!

Mandatory Entry
Head over to Kiboomu and tell me what song is your child’s favorite. You must also be a follower of Family and Life in Las Vegas via GFC, email, or RSS.

Bonus Entries

1. Follow me on Twitter Like me on Facebook. (2 entries each)
2. Like Kiboomu on Facebook. Let them know Family and Life in Las Vegas sent you (1 entry)
3. Follow Kiboomu on Twitter. (1 entry)
4. Help me win a $2000 Blog Grant by voting for me (2 entries – Can be done daily!)
5. Subscribe to my blog by GFC, email and RSS. (2 entries each) (Which ever ones you didn’t use for your mandatory entry
6. Tweet/Facebook/Stumble this giveaway (RT 1x per day).

[tweetbox counter=”true” width=”350″ height=”65″ label=”TWEET ME” content=”5 Winners will be downloading some mommy sanity @Kiboomu @FamilyNLifeLV (2 YogaBabyMe – 3 iphone Apps) EXTENDED 4/12 http://bit.ly/kiboomu”]

This Giveaway is open to US/Canadian entrants only and ends on 4/12 at 11:59 pm PST. The winner will be chosen by WordPress Plug-in “And The Winner Is” and notified via email. The winner has 48 hours to respond or another winner will be picked. Family and Life in Las Vegas is not responsible for lost or missing prizes.

Disclosure:  All opinions expressed are 100% my own and may differ from yours.  While I received a download of Yoga Baby &Me, no monetary compensation was given for this post.

GOOD LUCK!!

Maybe we should stop letting him watch Glee…
What music does your Toddler Love?

When we do watch TV I want to put on something that is fun, entertaining, and educational.

So when we got a chance to review Sid the Science Kid’s new DVD Sid’s Sing Along , I knew my son would love it.

On a day off from School, Sid invites his friends over to play.  The decide to put a show on in the backyard, and each take turns signing their favorite science songs.

My Squishy enjoyed watching Sid and his friends sing.  He even joined in the dancing!

Sid’s Sing Along special DVD can be found at Toys “R” Us, Walmart, Kmart, Amazon, and also at www.theyarelearning.com!

Sid’s Sing Along Special DVD will be available at stores starting February 22, 2011.  It is 60 minutes long, and is being offered at a special one time introductory price of $6.99!!

Squish enjoys dancing along and singing with Sid and his friends.  We give Sid’s Sing Along a SQUISHABLE on the Squishy rating scale!

BUT…

The Giveaway
NCircle Entertainment is giving one lucky Family and Life in Las Vegas reader their very own copy of Sid’s Sing Along to enjoy with their family!!

How to Win
Entering is easy – all you have to do is the mandatory entry. Extra entries are available but not mandatory. (Open to US and Canada) I will be checking each entry to the best of my ability, so honesty is appreciated!

Mandatory Entry
Follow Family and Life via GFC then head over to NCircle Entertainment’s website come back and leave a comment on which coloring page is your favorite!

Bonus Entries

1. Follow me on Twitter Like me on Facebook. (1 entry each)
2. Follow NCircle Entertainment on twitter.
3. Add NCircle Entertainment on Facebook. (If you would like – tell them Family and Life in Las Vegas sent you!)
4. Subscribe to my blog by email and RSS. (2 entries each)
5. Grab my Button and comment with a link to where I can find it.
6. Enter this giveaway into a Giveaway Linky – and leave a comment with where I can find it (4 entries)
7. Tweet/Facebook/Stumble this giveaway (RT 1x per day).  Sample tweet: #Win Sid the Science Kid – Sid’s Sing Along DVD #giveaway @FamilyNLifeLV & @NCircle a dvd UR child will love http://bit.ly/SidSings ends 3/1

This Giveaway is open to US and Canadian entrants only and ends on 3/1 at 11:59 pm PST. The winner will be chosen and notified via email. The winner has 48 hours to respond or another winner will be picked.

Good Luck!

Squish and I are thrilled to review the DVD The Day the Music Stopped by Juno Baby.

Juno Baby was created by the imaginative Belinda Takahashi, Ph. D. and has a new line of products out for your growing toddler and preschooler called Juno Jr.

“The idea for Juno Baby sprouted when we were expecting our first child. After searching for products that would be engaging, musical and fun, we quickly learned that our options were few and far between. Since necessity is the mother of invention, Juno Baby was born. Once we started, it soon became clear that our new life’s goal was to create and share original, beautiful, thoughtful, inspirational and, above all, fun music for children.” Belinda Takahasi

Juno

My favorite part about Juno Baby is actually what sets it apart from others. The music is all performed by a live orchestra especially for the program. You can really tell the level of love that went into creating each story.

The Day the Music Stopped is a great story intended to instill a love of music, while teaching your child about working together with their friends. After the Shush Machine is accidentally activated, Juno, her brother Rai Rai, and her friends begin a journey to bring music and life back to the town.

Rai Rai was a baby after my own Squishy’s heart. They are both big fans of Vroom Vrooms and Choo-Choos. During the train segment my Squish choo-choo’ed all the way through. The music is really quite catchy and very entertaining.

My favorite part was the Harmony Pond and the Harmonizing Frogs! Adorable, Fun, and easy on my ears!

The Day the Music Stopped also has a Let’s Interact! feature. Squish especially loved this. He danced around and around.

There are other bonus features that get your preschool involved and learning as well!

You can find Juno Baby their website, twitter, and facebook page. And if you act now, you can Get $40 of Juno online store credit for just $20! Hurry, offer expires soon!

I also really love how much Juno Baby gives back to the community. In December they ran a promotion for each time you shared their music (twitter, facebook and more) they donated a DVD to a child in need!

Thanks to all the wonderful aspects of the DVD and the company, Juno Baby gets a Squishy Rating of EXTRA SQUISHABLE!! A treat for any child!

Thank you US Family Guide and Juno Baby for letting us review this DVD! I foresee Squish requesting this video on many days to come!

Disclosure: I received the products listed above from Juno in exchange for this review. No monetary compensation was received by me. This review is 100% my opinion, and may differ from yours.

I apologize for lack of Squish pictures in this review – my camera is missing… probably squirreled away in the Squish Stash somewhere…

A few weeks ago, at the Abc Kids Expo here in Las Vegas – the premier juvenile convention comprised of some of the industries most innovative products, I had the privilege of meeting Susie Tallman. Susie is the founder of Rock Me Baby Records. In 1999, Susie created Rock Me Baby Records as a way to combine her love of music and children.

“Rock Me Baby Records carves out a new path in the market of music for small children,” says Tallman. “The albums provide parents with a contemporary way to introduce the beauty and tradition of nursery rhymes and lullabies.” – From the Rock Me Baby Records Webpage

I had to stop at her booth because as I have mentioned numerous times, my little Squish LOVES music. He has sung himself to sleep since he was born, he started dancing before he could crawl, and his favorite toys are his drum kit and his guitar.

After talking for a while about children’s music and how valuable it is to the development of creativity and imagination in children. Susie gave me a copy of Classical Nursery Rhymes to take home. I was pretty excited – the album has 37 songs on it, and so many nursery rhymes I grew up with. In addition to this album, Susie also has lullabies, and other fabulous music albums for children.

The Review:

I loved this CD. My son loved this CD. It is sweet, silly, animated, and of course classic. The album has so many different tempos and voices on it, it really kept both Squish and me involved until the very end. Often times I found myself laughing at how goofy we both could be while singing along with the music.

I have to admit, it would be hard for me to find fault in good music like this made for children. I believe in exposing children to music at an early age. We have a variety of music in our home for Squish to listen to, and interact with.

But what I really loved about this CD is the many different voices on the album kept Squishy entertained the whole way through. The change in tempos in a few of the songs was really fun. The use of different accents for songs like this Old Man put a new spin on an old classic.

In addition to being fun, the record is also educational, utilizing counting skills, repetition, and international exposures.

Susie really tapped into what children were going to love when she recorded this album. I will for sure be adding Rock Me Baby Records on our list of must have music. On the squishy rating scale we give Classic Nursery Rhymes a Very Squishable!

The Giveaway:

Susie has generously offered 2 lucky readers of Family and Life in Las Vegas their very own copy of Classic Nursery Rhymes!! Open to US and Canadian Entries

Entering is easy – all you have to do is the mandatory entry. Extra entries are available but not mandatory. Please make sure to leave your email in your comment, or I will not be able to contact you about your win, and will have to choose another winner. I will be checking each entry to the best of my ability, so honesty is appreciated!

Go to Rock Me Baby Records and tell me something you learned about the Susie or her music. You must also be a follower of Family and Life in Las Vegas. Please leave one (1) comment saying you have done both of these things. (This is the only mandatory entry. The other entries below are EXTRA.)

Follow Family and Life in Las Vegas and Susie Tallman and friends on Facebook (Please note Susie’s Facebook Page is a music app called ilike.) (2 entries)

Subscribe to Rock Me Baby Records Mailing List (3 entries)

Follow Family and Life in Las Vegas on Twitter (2 entries)

Tweet the following, leaving the link in a comment. (1 entry) (You can tweet once per day for extra entries!)

Grab my blog button and place it on your blog. Spread the word! Leave a comment with the link. (2 entries)

Subscribe to this blog via email and/or RSS (upper right hand corner) (2 entries each)

Put this giveaway on a Giveaway Link up and comment with the direct link to it! (5 entries)

Recently I had the opportunity to review a down loadable music album from Kiboomu.

Kiboomu is company formed by two women, Sherry Segal & Wendy Wiseman, who were both leaders in Canada’s children’s and education industry. Wendy and Sandy brought together their knowledge of music, education, publishing, and entertainment their companies Turmont Publishing and Kidzup Music were thriving.

In December of 2009 after selling their other two companies, they launched Kiboomu. Kiboomu focuses on digital edu-tainment. Combining their knowledge of music and education the company has many education children’s products they offer digitally which allows them to not only be at the top of the rising digital trend, but also help to reduce consumer waste. Educational, Fun, and Eco-Friendly all spell a recipe for success. Add to that talent, and a desire to give back to their community, and you have one amazing company.

I received a digital copy of the album, The Top 30 Preschool Songs, and Squish LOVES it. Both Wendy and her daughter sing on the album, along with several other children, which I personally believe is one of the major appeals to my son. He claps along with the songs, stamps his foot, and turns in circles.

I like how the album focuses on skills a preschooler should be working on. Like numbers, letters, gross motor skills, and repetition. The songs are a mix of classic songs, and others I was unfamiliar with. My personal favorite song is “The Circle song”. I love that I can sit with Squish and work go through the motions with him clapping, stomping, shouting, and counting together. Squishy’s favorite song is most likely “If You Are Happy and You Know It.” No matter what he is doing, when he hears that song he has to stop and clap.

“I would teach the children music, physics and philosophy, but the most important is music, for in the patterns of the arts are the keys to all learning.” – Plato

Teach. Sing. Learn. Give Back. That’s what Kiboomu is all about. It’s about creating music and apps that not only entertain children, but educate as well. It’s about encouraging children to be creative through song and play. But, most of all, it’s about filling a child’s day with laughter while expanding their growing minds in a fun and inviting way. If we can accomplish that, our mission is complete!

A portion of all sales goes toward feeding kids through the Kiboomu Foundation.– Kiboomu Website.

In addition to music Kiboomu also has apps you can download onto your iphone. These are sure to keep any toddler busy!!

I found this album to be fun, creative, entertaining, and definitely Squishy Approved. On the Squishy Rating Scale we give this a Super Squishable!!

(Disclaimer: The above is 100% my opinion and may differ from yours. No monetary compensation was given for this review.)

How to win:

Entering is easy – all you have to do is the mandatory entry. Extra entries are available but not mandatory. Please make sure to leave your email in your comment, or I will not be able to contact you about your win, and will have to choose another winner.

I will be checking each entry to the best of my ability, so honesty is appreciated!

Mandatory Entry:

Go to Kiboomu and tell me something you learned about the company. You must also be a follower of Family and Life in Las Vegas

Please leave one (1) comment saying you have done both of these things.

(This is the only mandatory entry. The other entries below are EXTRA.)

Extra Entries:

(Please enter a comment for EACH entry. So, if it says that an entry is worth 3 entries, please leave 3 separate comments.)

Follow Family and Life in Las Vegas and Kiboomu on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall telling them I sent you! (2 entries)

Follow Kiboomu on Twitter (1 entry)

Follow me on Twitter and tweet the following, leaving the link in a comment. (2 entries) (You can tweet once per day for extra entries!)

“#win a super fun down-loadable children’s album #giveaway from @Kiboomu & @FamilyNLifeLV #giveaway ends 10/24 http://tinyurl.com/292pl59”

Grab my blog button and place it on your blog. Spread the word! Leave a comment with the link. (2 entries)

Subscribe to this blog via email (upper right hand corner) (3 entries)

Blog about this giveaway and leave a direct link to it! (5 entries)

This Giveaway ends 10/24 at 9pm PST. Random.Org will draw one lucky winner. That winner will be notified via email, and has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.