Recently in Music Category

I bought this drum set for my daughter's 2nd birthday. Don't ask me why. And yes, I must be crazy. Well, I do know why, it's because she loves drumming and I don't want to squash any potential she may have as a drummer, if that's what she decides she wants to do. But now, the real life practical mom is thinking that it is damn loud when she gets going on this thing. Anyways, if you are looking for a drum set for your tot, and have a good set of ear plugs (and no cranky neighbors), this drum set is exceptional in value and quality. This is not a "toy" drum set, it is the real deal with heavy duty hardware and fixtures. You can even tune it. I did not get the green as shown, I got the red which is beautiful, but not in the picture. I don't even mind it sitting in the family room all the time, it is that good looking! It comes with all the pieces, hi-hat stand, snare drum stand and drum stool - all with adjustable height. The only thing is, my daughter is 2, so she is not able to step on the bass drum pedal properly to give it good sound. But that is not fault of the drum set =) At GP50 Junior Children's/Kids Drum Set with Sticks - Metallic Green for $134.95. Comes in a tightly packed small box (quite amazing, actually) and is easy to assemble.

My husband always wants to take our tots to see shows which is fine except it is so LOUD that I think their little ear drums are going to blow!! A few weeks ago we went to the John Varvatos for Stuart House charity event where ZZ Top played. My poor little 18 month old baby probably lost hearing from it!! These fun ear muffs would have come in handy, and they are made to appeal to tots so you know they will wear them. Peltor Ear Muffs are $18.95. Another cool gadget for the music lover is the Pink Plush Stereo Headphones for quiet music and DVD watching, $24.95. How fun are those?

Have an old iPod hanging around? Yeah, so does everyone, right? This iFrogz iPod case is for the classic iPods, as in the one you will never use again. So if your tot abuses it, no sweat! This case does help to protect it and has the really cool big handles for them to hold it by. My daughters have been using my old iPod, which I loaded with all their favorite tunes, including the entire Mozart Effect series. I also have an iHome Alarm Clock Radio for their rooms, which the iPod pops into. I am working on teaching my 4 year old to wake up with the alarm and get dressed and ready for school before she comes to wake me up. I'll tell you how that goes but a mother can dream =) The iFrogz Tadpole case comes with matching headphones which can double for your DVD player or car media system. It comes in this green or in purple, at Amazon for $15.82, which is a small price to pay to revive an obsolete devise.

I went to The Sports Club/LA last week for an event they were hosting to showcase some of their newest classes and amenities and just had to share some of the great classes they offer for kids!

The Sports Club/LA calls the tot part of their club For Kids Only and they offer activities for kids from 6 months on. All of their programs are focused on fostering self esteem, creativity, and problem solving, and they're led by childhood education specialists. You don't even need to be a member to sign-up your tot for their classes! -- though it's slightly cheaper if you are a member and I have to say, if you're looking to join a gym, this one truly has unparalleled and luxe amenities (everything from spa to tennis-- my two favorites! --and considering I live in Manhattan their amenities are unbelievably expansive!).

Don't you wish there was a place you could take your kids where they could play, take classes, you can enjoy a good meal and get spa services done all at the same time? Sounds like Fantasy Island? This place is real, I went there and wished it was next door to my house. It is the Tree House Social Club in Los Angeles, started by 2 moms (of course), Jeannine Chanin and Tricia Leigh Fisher. The giant space has a tree house in the middle with dining tables to one side and class rooms and additional play areas on the other side. There is a manicure pedicure room, a private spa room for massages and facials, video game room, art room and a room for dance and music classes. They provide babysitting service for an additional fee so you can actually enjoy your spa services, otherwise, you just enjoy your lunch and coffee while your kids run around and play in the big play space, right where you can see them. I had lunch there and the food is excellent! It would have to be for this concept to work because the idea is that moms should enjoy the experience as much as their kids. Mommies meet there for lunch and enjoy real conversation - seriously! They also hold special events like slumber parties where they bring in local sample sales to entertain the moms while kids watch movies, make crafts as well as enjoy the visiting clown or magician. I am sorry to make everyone outside of LA jealous but I had to share this concept so that more of these will open in every neighborhood!! The open Play is $9 and memberships are available starting at $35. For more information visit The Tree House Social Club website.

Desperate for new tot tunes the other day, I ran to Barnes and Noble with the kids and bought a few CDs. Justin Roberts Great Big Sun CD caught our eye. My daughter selected it because she liked the artwork of the sun in a pink (need I say more) sky. I previewed a few songs at the store and couldn't wait to pop it in the CD player. I had no idea the celebrity I had discovered.

Kids go crazy for Justin's sounds and whitty lyrics. His vocals remind me of James Taylor for kids; however, the music is not just for relaxing. His songs are infectious and easy to tap your feet to. Realizing the CD was released in 1997, I figured with music this good there had to be follow-up CDs. Justin has since released four other albums and received numerous Parents’ Choice Gold Awards. Amazon calls his latest release, Meltdown, one of the Top 10 CDs of the year. Cookie Magazine, a Snobby Mom must-have, says it's a "grand slam." Even his videos running on Noggin and posted on his website have been professionally produced by Oil Factory, who has produced videos for Coldplay, Rob Thomas, Gwen Stefani, and Madonna. However, if the awards don't convince you, your children's reactions will. They are certain to jump, jam and jiggle the minute you turn on the music. Justin Roberts available at Amazon. Love it as much as we did? Check out his upcoming tour dates.

Tired of listening to The Wiggles or Dora the Explorer? So was I. Sometimes I seriously wanted to consider wearing earplugs while driving, but I decided that was too hazardous. My breaking point hit when I would fall asleep at night hearing these ridiculous songs echoing in my head. Then my Mom came to the rescue…Don’t they always save the day? She saw Laurie Berkner on television and rushed out to buy the CD for me and my daughter (who was one at the time). We instantly rocked out to her creative, witty lyrics. The CD that made us her fans was her debut album Whaddaya Think of That?. My daughter loved the beat and I appreciated that the songs were amusing with a bit of substance. My favorite song "Can You Imagine?" encourages kids to saving the environment. Now, Laurie has plenty of fun and flat out silly songs too. Listen to "Monster Boogie" from the Buzz Buzz CD. We have since added Victor Vito and Buzz Buzz to our CD collection. None of the CDs disappoint. Available at Laurie Berkner at Amazon.com.