Rave and Review

It's Time to Dance! Live with Yo Gabba Gabba

As you may know, the Yo Gabba Gabba gang was in my town last weekend.  Having gone to the There's A Party In My City Yo Gabba Gabba show last year as well, I thought I knew kind of what to expect.  But, let me tell you, the show completely blew away my expectations, which admittedly were already pretty high.  It may be that my daughter is simply more of a concert age, or maybe it’s that she’s been a fan of Yo Gabba Gabba so long that they are more like friends than mere characters on the screen, but whatever the case, last Saturday was pretty much the best day she could ever imagine.

Just look at these faces… speechless.
In fact, she was so happy, so animated, and so enthusiastic in her love of the show that she was actually handpicked from the audience to go up on stage for a dance party with Biz Markie.  Yes, that happened.  Be still, my heart. 

At first when the guy from the dance party crew came by and talked to us, I was thrilled – my baby! onstage! – and then after he left and we had already agreed to have her go up the realization set in that my BABY was going to be onstage.  All the way up there.  Without me.  Gulp.

Intermission came and went and the excitement in our row was palpable as my daughter got more and more excited.  A few minutes into the second half of the show and off went my daughter as she was whisked away to the stage with the crew.  I stayed back in my seat for a fraction of a second before I made my way to the front of the stage just in case.  What can I say?  It was the mom in me.  Well, that and the fact that it was easier to get video.

Even without the dance party excitement, the show was pretty much amazing.  The energy, the excitement, everything.  Since the entire event is designed to be interactive, it makes the whole show an experience, not just a concert.  People were dancing, people were singing along, and you really couldn’t help be fully involved… and that goes for kids AND adults.  Basically, just being there felt like I was the best mom in the world, especially when I thought about all the stories she will be able to look back on throughout the years.  You know, when she reminisces about the time she danced with Biz Markie at the Paramount.  Best. Mom. Ever. 

Even if your child is just a casual fan of Yo Gabba Gabba {if there is such a thing}, I would highly recommend the live show.  It's an amazing experience that you truly will be talking about all year long, and it's hopefully going to be our family tradition for years.  You can find the rest of the Yo Gabba Gabba tour dates here, as well as more information about what to expect when they come to your town by visiting yogabbagabbalive.com! 

Also - Don't forget to enter to win our giveaway for an exclusive Yo Gabba Gabba DVD that was only sold at the show, as well as a copy of Music is Awesome 3, now thru November 30th!  You can enter to win here!

We received tickets to attend the YGG show here in Seattle so we could tell you all about how much fun we had.  However, all opinions are 100% ours and no monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! It's Time to Dance! {Giveaway}

Did you read our last year's post about YO GABBA GABBA! THERE’S A PARTY IN MY CITY!?  If you did, you probably remember what a great time we had, how my daughter was absolutely in heaven simply being in the same room as the YGG! gang, and how it was even worth the drive south to Tacoma, WA.  So, I'm sure you can imagine we were even more excited to find that the gang was going to be coming even closer to home this year, stopping at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, WA., which just so happens to be one of our favorite concert venues.

The new YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE! IT'S TIME TO DANCE! tour is underway now and you can check out the schedule at yogabbagabbalive.com.  The tour is presented by Kia Motors and is traveling to more than 50 cities with an all-new show! Come see all your favorites like DJ Lance Rock, Brobee, Foofa, Muno, Plex, and Toodee, with special guests Hip Hop Legend Biz Markie and Razzle Dazzle Superstar Leslie Hall. Sounds awesome, right?

If you remember, I was raving about Music is Awesome! last year, which I must confess is the one and only children’s album I have ever listened to after the kiddos fell asleep in the car.  I can’t help it, it’s got The Shins, The Roots, and a whole bunch of other really great tunes, even if they were sung for preschoolers… seriously. Well, now you can win a copy of the newest release right here, right now, along with a YGG! EXCLUSIVE DVD.  Even more awesome-er, right?

If you’d like to get in on the party, you should check out the Yo Gabba Gabba Live website and see all of the remaining tour dates and pick up tickets today.  Don't forget to brush up on your YGG at yogabbagabba.com

Want to win a CD {Music is Awesome 3} and DVD {KIA MOTORS PRESENTS Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! - Live From Nokia Theatre L.A.} Combo pack? It's Awesome! It's exclusive!

To enter, simply visit yogabbagabbalive.com and tell me the closest Yo Gabba Gabba stop from your home

 And, as always, there are extra entries available!  Please leave a separate comment for each completed.

2 Extra Entries {per follow method} - Follow Rave & Review!  Subscribe by RSS feed, Subscribe by email, become a fan of R&R on Facebook or add R&R to your blogroll.

1 Extra Entry {daily} - Twitter.  Simply tweet the following after following us both:

Does @YoGabbaGabba rock your play room? Enter to #win a great DVD/CD combo #giveaway with @RaveAndReview! http://t.co/m1vvJl2y

2 Extra Entries - Share on Facebook. Simply share this giveaway with a link to the post and tag Rave & Review

3 Extra Entries - Button Love. Place my button in your sidebar on your blog or website with an active link to R&R

3 Extra Entries - Blogger Bonus.  Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post and leave an address where I can find your writeup

1 Extra Entry - Comment love.  Enter any of my other Giveaways and/or comment on any non-giveaway post!

On November 30th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen.  Giveaway open to US and Canadian Addresses.

A big thank you to Yo Gabba Gabba Live for providing the information and giveaway for one lucky giveaway winner.  All opinions are 100% ours and no monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

Orb TV: Music and Videos Where You Want Them

I resolve to... watch TV on my own schedule

This last Christmas, in addition to sharing gifts and cards, our extended family wound up sharing our favorite You Tube videos from over the last year.  Unfortunately for us, this involved a lot of crowding around iPhones, straining to see and hear past everyone since there wasn’t a computer nearby that we could watch them on.   

Like most families these days, most of the videos we watch now are in digital format – whether that is streamed over the internet and watched via our smartphones or computers or it’s from our DVR.  Since we made the switch to digital entertainment and rarely buy DVDs anymore, we have saved a ton of space and money, but the problem lies in how to enjoy our digital files on the big screen where everyone can see them at once.  

That’s where the Orb TV comes in, helping you streamline your TV viewing and make watching shows from a variety of sources effortless and on demand.  In the past we’ve talked about the Orb Music Player and how easy it is to stream our digital music files where we want them, so needless to say, the release of the Orb TV was much anticipated at our house.

Like the Orb Music Player, the new Orb TV is a smartphone-controlled device that gives you access to your computer’s iTunes library, Hulu, Pandora and more and it connects directly to any home television.  This gives you access to your entire digital video library all at once, as well as all the internet has to offer, including that You Tube video everyone is talking about. 

Here’s how the Orb TV works: The Orb Caster software pulls files from your computer hard drive or from the internet and streams it to the Orb TV device, making your videos as well as internet media available for playing directly on your TV.  Then by using your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad or Android device over an 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi connection, you can control your entire digital library through the Orb TV device and enjoy unlimited entertainment at the touch of a button.

What’s great is that even the set up for the Orb TV is easy; you simply install the Orb Caster software on your computer, establish a connection to the Orb TV, and then connect it to your television with the included audio/video cables and a power cord.  Next you install the Orb Controller software on your smartphone and you’re ready to go.  The Orb Caster automatically converts media files into Orb-playable files and works with a variety of different media formats, both online and direct from your computer media, as well as those downloaded from most cameras.  

Besides giving you access to internet videos, the Orb TV also gives you a way to show any home videos or photos you have on your PC, Mac, or your home network.  So, now if you find yourself struggling to describe some amazing scenery from a recent vacation, or something cute your kids did you can simply pull out your smartphone and have the photos or videos playing on your TV in moments.  No more hunting for old camcorder tapes or huddling around a laptop on the kitchen counter, now you can watch from the comfort of your living room.

Controlling your TV directly from your smartphone allows you to pause, fast forward, rewind, and even turn up the volume from a distance without having to learn, carry or store another remote.  Perhaps best of all, every Orb device can support multiple users from multiple sources and you can control multiple devices at a time, essentially giving everyone in the family their own remote for all the Orb devices in your home.  This means that everyone in your family can have personalized access to their own media files easily, even if they are all on different computers, making every connected TV or radio in your home customizable for everyone. 

What’s truly awesome is that by using Orb’s Global Index, you can search for shows and videos just by entering in a keyword and letting them search for you!  This makes it easier than ever to catch your favorite shows without having to hunt for them online.

Another feature I really enjoy is that you can pull up all the same videos, music and photos directly from your home computer and enjoy them right on your smartphone.  So now you won’t have to worry about filling up the limited memory on your phone while still enjoying full access to all your media – and with the inclusion of Orb Live you can even enjoy these media files when you are away from home, which means you can now bore people with your vacation videos from anywhere. 

As with all streaming media devices, the quality of the videos will depend greatly on the internet connection and speed of the computer, which is something to keep in mind.  But, for those who are worried they don’t meet the minimum requirements suggested by Orb, you will be happy to note that we tried the Orb TV on a 5 + year old computer and found the video quality to be a bit less fluid than we are used to, but it was still very watchable.  Trying it on various computers around Rave Central – some even from the laptop graveyard – proved to have mixed results the more we stretched the minimum requirements.

If you’re looking for an easier way to enjoy your media files on the big screen or perhaps you’re like us and your office is not a place you like to hang out on your off hours, you will love the freedom the Orb TV gives you. 

Price: The Orb TV is available now from Orb Networks for $99. The Orb Controller software and the Orb Caster software are available as a free downloads from http://www.orb.com/ and the iTunes store.  ________________________________________
What's included
•    Orb TV hardware
•    External USB power adapter
•    Audio cable
•    Component cable
•    Composite cable
•    USB cable

Find out more at http://www.orb.com/

A big thank you to Orb Networks for sending their Orb TV for review.  All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

Technorati 9R28UQMCF2KH

ThinkGeek for Hard-to-Buy-For Teens

Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide: Day 25

No one wants to open presents on Christmas and find the same old boring presents that you've seen a million times.  I remember one year when I was a teenager that I opened up the exact same present from three different people, which was, coincidentally, a present most of my friends also received.  I ended up returning all three of them after the holidays were over and selecting something a bit more unique for myself.  While I absolutely hated doing that, I didn't like the idea of having the same thing everyone else my age had at the time.

If only I had known about ThinkGeek at the time, I would have spent that money there instead.  I like to think that it would have made my teen years less awkward and that it just might have been the push I needed to make me the most popular girl in school.  Really, how could you not be cool with a bunch of awesome gear from ThinkGeek?

It may be too late for my teen self, but ThinkGeek is now my go-to online store for the most unique gifts you can buy anywhere, and at great prices.  Looking for a pet rock?  Look no further!  Dying for some palm-sized battle tanks?  Dream no longer!

We all know how notoriously hard teenagers are to buy for, so I am really grateful I have ThinkGeek now to turn to while searching for the perfect gift.  Not only do they have a huge selection of items, each one arguably cooler than the last, they also have these great gift finder features that allow you to find what you didn't even know you were looking for.

So, rather than searching through a whole website of coolness blindly, you can simply enter in one or two interests of the recipient and let the ThinkGeek mainframe do the rest.  So, say you have a teen on your list that isn't incredibly easy to buy for {just take a minute and imagine} but you know they like music, you can still get the perfect gift by checking the corresponding box on the ThinkGeek gift finder system.

On that list of musical gifts you will find the Stylophone Beatbox and Stylophone Retro Pocket Synth, which would be the absolute perfect present for anyone who seems interested in creating their own music or already plays an instrument.  Besides being truly unique and memorable, they can literally be hours of fun and just might make for some cool sounding music.  Since entire musical albums were successfully created out of much simpler instruments in the past, I find myself imagining the Beatbox and Retro Synth someday making their album debut as well.

What drew us to the Beatbox and Pocket Synth was their cool retro styling and limitless possibility for entertaining.  Besides being able to make up your own sweet rhythm and beats, both the Beatbox and Synth have an MP3 input built right in that allows you to play along with your favorite music with separate volume controls for each.  Add in different options for distorting and modifying your music and you can see why we all love these little instruments. 

On the Stylophone Beatbox you even have the ability to record your musical masterpieces, a function that really takes cool to the next level.  Try recording your beat slowly and then playing it back quickly to really impress your friends.  Trust me, it works.  If I didn’t already have the ring, I’m pretty sure my husband would have proposed on the spot when he heard my sweet loop I created this past weekend.  Unfortunately my daughter promptly recorded over my masterpiece and now the recording sounds a bit like a cat playing a tuba.  Luckily, she’s cute.      

While it has admittedly been a while since I was a teen, I can still appreciate how much fun it is to make my own music and enhance my favorite tunes.  We have spent quite a bit of time playing with both pocket Stylophone instruments as a family and even though there is a wide age range between us, we all love the Stylophone Beatbox and the Retro Pocket Synth.  I can easily see sitting down with friends and seeing how creative we can get as well as seeing if we were able to produce something truly awesome together, whether that was for its musical or comical appeal.

Besides musical gifts, ThinkGeek has something for every teen in numerous categories, whether they are a Star Wars buff, video game junkie, or computer genius.  Buy from ThinkGeek and you can be sure your gift will be memorable this holiday season and it will, in turn, make you the coolest present giver ever.  They certainly won't be opening the same gift from two other people and definitely won't be returning your present to the store.  Who knows, it just might make their teen years less awkward.  Or, more likely it will just make all those awkward years more fun.    

http://www.thinkgeek.com/

A huge thank you to ThinkGeek for sending the Stylophone Beatbox and Synth to play with this holiday season.  All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review. 

Best Pals 2 Doll Gift Set and Accessories {Review & Giveaway}

Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide: Day 9

I firmly believe that every kid should have a classic rag doll of their very own.  Unfortunately for my daughter, I don’t think I will ever be talented enough to sew her one, which is why I’ve been searching for a special rag doll just for her.  I was absolutely thrilled when I heard about Best Pals, a collection of 16” rag dolls that was inspired by a pair of handmade dolls from 1949 and even more so when I found out we would be reviewing them this holiday season. 

We got the opportunity to review a Best Pals set that includes two soft rag dolls, a tin tea set, and the Best Pals Sing Together CD.  As soon as we got the package open I was impressed with the quality of the dolls and their accessories, from their adorable clothing all the way to their tiny friendship bracelets.   

The Best Pals are soft rag dolls that are identical to the ones made for Kathy and Janet Lennon by their mother and their Nana in 1949.  These special dolls were constant companions for the girls growing up, even when they traveled the country performing as part of the singing sensation, The Lennon Sisters.   Kathy and Janet then created Best Pals to celebrate the love they have for each other and for those special handmade rag dolls of their youth.

Their goal was to give the kids in their lives the joy of having one of these special dolls for their very own.  For them it was all about recreating that magical item from their childhood but what they found was that this return to the classic toys of yesteryear really resonated with many parents and grandparents who were looking for wholesome, high quality toys to give their little ones.  Since we love classics and absolutely adore dolls, the Best Pals set was a huge hit here at Rave Central.   

The Best Pals dolls are soft and cuddly 16” dolls that are perfect for playtime or naptime for little ones.  They come clothed in lace trimmed dresses made with vintage prints like the ones the original dolls wore and even have adorable undergarments.  A lace trimmed set of pantaloons, knit stockings and soft felted shoes are absolutely adorable and really complete their outfits.  Each of the dolls has embroidered faces and yarn hair that comes braided but can be styled over and over.  On each of their wrists is an adorable friendship bracelet just like I remember my dolls wearing.  

Even though I certainly don’t remember the 1950s, or even much of the 80s for that matter, I still can appreciate the vintage quality of the Best Pals dolls as they immediately reminded me of my beloved rag doll, Molly, that I had when I was young.  Now I’m really excited that my daughter will have her own “Molly” to grow up with, and know she will love her Best Pals dolls as much as I loved my special rag doll. 

We got to review Kathy (the brunette) and Janet (the blonde) and now they are both regulars at our daily tea parties and often found snuggling my daughter, each other, or even my son.  Speaking of tea parties, we really couldn’t love the Best Pals Tin Tea Set any more than we already do.  This tea service for 4 is made of sturdy tin and beautifully colored with the Best Pals logo and pictures of the Kathy and Janet dolls.  It really is as adorable as it is fun, and rarely ever sees the inside of its included sturdy cardboard suitcase.   

It’s no wonder Best Pals have won so many awards (including the PTPA Seal of Approval) for their line of rag dolls as they are perfect for snuggling, perfect for displaying, and they are the perfect friend for your little one.  If you are looking for a great classic holiday present for a special child in your life you should definitely check out Best Pals and see their original Kathy and Janet dolls as well as their other multicultural dolls.  They even have a little boy doll for little boys to love and mini versions of their classic dolls, three different CDs, paper dolls, and the awesome tin tea set.      

Price: $25 each for Kathy and Janet, $30 for the Tin Tea Set, $20 for the CDs.  Keep in mind that the dolls and accessories usually ship in 2-3 weeks, so be sure to order with enough time for holiday delivery!

For more information and to purchase, please visit  www.bestpals.net 

 
One lucky Rave and Review reader will win a Best Pals 2 Doll Gift Set of their very own (ARV $100)!

To Enter:  Simply visit Best Pals and tell me something that you learned at the site or a Best Pals product you love!

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review, top of right sidebar (2 extra entries, must be verified to count)

2) Tweet about this Giveaway using @raveandreview and #giveaway with the link to this post (http://bit.ly/93n3Pu) after following (daily Tweet, just post link here)

3) Blog about this Giveaway with links back to this post as well as the www.raveandreview.com home page and http://www.bestpals.net/ (3 extra entries, just post the URL where I can find your writeup)

4) Place my button in your sidebar on your blog or website (2 extra entries, must have an active link to R&R)

5) Comment love.  Enter any of my other Giveaways and/or comment on any non-giveaway post!

6) Email love.  Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne (at)raveandreview (dot) com (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

7) Vote for Rave and Review on Top Baby Blogs, logo in right sidebar (daily entry, just tell me what rank R&R has)

On December 10th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen.  Giveaway open to US addresses. 

Winner, winner!  This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you to all who entered and congrats to: #213 DEBIJOT said... entered pillow pet

Thank you to KatJan for this review opportunity and for offering a giveaway to our fabulous readers. All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

There Was a Party In My City!

Okay, it wasn't exactly in my city, but it was close.  Of course I'm talking about Yo Gabba Gabba Live!, that just made two appearances at the Tacoma Dome in Washington on Saturday.

Wanna know who was at the party?  There was the REAL DJ Lance Rock, the whole Gabba Gang, and even Biz Markie in attendance, as well as a whole room of super cool parents and their adorably dressed tikes.  Also at the party were the multi-talented Keller Williams and Chris Ballew from Seattle's own Caspar Babypants (or from the band Presidents of the United States of America if you’re over the age of 10).

Quick rundown of YO GABBA GABBA! THERE’S A PARTY IN MY CITY!: confetti flying through the air, balloons dropping from the ceiling, free DJ Lance cardboard glasses, and some of the cutest dancing you will ever see.

The concert was laid out like the actual Nick Jr. show with all the familiar segments, but was twice as long to allow for all the dancing and singing of the gang and the audience.  Unfortunately, that hour goes by really quick, and there was a lot of "more please" from our daughter at the end of the concert.  Since Saturday she has continued to recount all the details of the concert to whomever will listen, telling them all about everything she saw and how we danced.

As you can imagine, it was a pretty special day for our little reviewer.  Once we got her into the show and told her what we had come to see, I think she was in complete shock until the intermission when she finally took her eyes off the stage for a moment to play with the piles of balloons that fell around us.  She even got her own 1st concert tee at the merch stand, a souvenir that she has snuggled with, sang to, and even helped me launder this afternoon because she wants to wear it so badly. 

Hubby and I are admittedly quite a bit out of the typical Yo Gabba Gabba demographics, but even we had a great time at the show.  The music was great, the dancing was adorable, and we felt like the best parents ever for bringing her to such a cool place with all her favorite stars!

If you’d like to get in on the party, you should check out the Yo Gabba Gabba Live website and see all of the remaining tour dates and pick up tickets today.  

KIA Motors presents YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE! THERE’S A PARTY IN MY CITY! visit www.yogabbagabbalive.com or www.yogabbagabba.com

I received tickets to see Yo Gabba Gabba Live with my family this past weekend and wanted to tell you how fun it was and how I felt like the best parent in the world afterwards.  If it's coming to your city, you're going to want to check it out!  All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

Orb Music Player Streams Music Where You Want It

Cozy At Home Event - Day 18

If you’re like me, you have an awesome home stereo setup that you almost never listen to.  Since we made the switch to digital music and rarely buy CDs anymore, most of our music library is on iTunes or streamed over the internet. Getting our music out of the computer and to the stereo has been cumbersome at best, especially when you factor in the arguments over whose iPod has the best music on it.   

The new Orb Music Player solves this problem by introducing a smartphone-controlled device that gives you access to your computer’s iTunes library, Pandora, internet radio and more, directly to any home stereo.  Finally giving us access to our entire music library all at once, as well as all the internet has to offer. 

To get started you simply install the Orb Caster software on your computer, establish a connection to the Orb Music Player, and then connect it to your stereo with standard RCA cables and a power cord.  Next you install the Orb Controller software on your smartphone and you’re ready to go.      

By using your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad or Android device over an 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi connection, you can control your music library through the Orb Music Player and enjoy your entire library of tunes easily.  Controlling your music directly from your smartphone allows you to pause the music, jump around your playlist and even turn up the volume from a distance without having to learn, carry or store another remote.

Another great feature of having your smartphone as the remote that I really enjoyed is the ability to play songs from my computer directly over my iPhone.  This is great for instance if you want to search for a specific song but want to preview it before sending it out over the stereo to make sure it’s the one you’re thinking of.   

Once you’ve exhausted your own library of tunes you can move on to the multitude of internet radio stations from around the world that are available as well as having the ability to listen to Pandora or sign in to your Sirius Radio stream.  This is by far the easiest way to get a taste of music that you wouldn’t have a chance to hear otherwise, as well as news and sports which is arguably one of the best features of the Orb Music Player. 

Since the Orb is so simple to connect you can move it to multiple stereos throughout your house with ease.  Or better yet, you can purchase multiple Orb units and play different songs in different rooms all simultaneously from your smartphone.  And, as if that wasn’t enough control, you can also enable multiple smartphones to work all at once.  If each user has a different log in on your network they will also have their own specific iTunes libraries and favorite stations to choose from when using the Orb, which is a great feature if you and the rest of your family have wildly different taste in music. 

The Orb Music Player is absolutely the easiest, most inexpensive way to get your music out of your computer and back throughout your home the way it should be.  And, once you get hooked on the functionality of the Orb Music Player, you’ll want to check out some of Orb Networks, Inc.'s other products and apps that allow you to share music, video, photos and more from your home computer and smartphone no matter where you are. 

The Orb Music Player is available now from Orb Networks for $69. The Orb Controller software for the iPhone platform is available now from the iTunes App Store for free.  The Orb Caster software is available as a free download from http://www.orb.com/.  

Find out more at http://www.orb.com/

A huge thank you to Orb for sending their Music Player for review.  All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

Yo Gabba Gabba! There's A Party In My City! {Prize Pack Giveaway}

I can’t tell you how sad I was the last time YO GABBA GABBA! THERE’S A PARTY IN MY CITY! Tour was making waves and I found out the party actually wasn’t in my city.  For all of you that were as sad as I was that your city was passed by, I’ve got great news… the new tour is underway now and this time it’s nationwide as well as into Canada!  And, as it turns out, they are coming to my city… kind of. 

The whole YGG! crew is going to be live on November 13th mere driving distance from Seattle at the Tacoma Dome and we're going!  I can guarantee you the party is going to be all up and down the 1-5 corridor all the way to the Tacoma Dome and back as we rock out to Yo Gabba Gabba!: Music is Awesome Volume 1.  If you remember, I was raving about Music is Awesome! earlier this year, which I must confess is the one and only children’s album I have ever listened to after the kiddos fell asleep in the car.  I can’t help it, it’s got The Shins, The Roots, and a whole bunch of other really great tunes, even if they were sung for preschoolers… seriously. 

I’m guessing that the whole way there will be an intense conversation about who will be the Dancey Dance special guest or what band will be featured on the Super Music Friends Show, information which is kept super top secret up until the event.  The way home I’m sure will be nonstop chatter about all the partying that we just partook in.  Well, at least until the little one inevitably falls asleep after all that excitement.   

If you’d like to get in on the party, you should check out the Yo Gabba Gabba Live website and see all of the remaining tour dates and pick up tickets today.  

KIA Motors presents YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE! THERE’S A PARTY IN MY CITY! www.yogabbagabbalive.com or www.yogabbagabba.com

 
One lucky Rave and Review reader will win a YGG! Prize Pack!

Prize Pack Details:

BOOK: Yo Gabba Gabba!, Party in My Tummy - Lift the flaps, sing along, and find out what everyone in Gabba Land is bringing to the party!
CD: Yo Gabba Gabba!: Music is Awesome! Volume 2 is out now and I get to give one away!  I’m so excited to hear this album since I love the first one so much.  Volume 2 has music featured from Seasons I, II & III including Weezer, MGMT & Jimmy Eat World.  You can get a sampling of the record with a free download of Weezer’s track “All My Friends Are Insects” A deluxe edition with bonus tracks is now available for pre-order at iTunes.

To Enter: Tell me where you are planning on seeing YGG! There's A Party In My City! or where you wish you were seeing it.

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review, top of right sidebar (2 extra entries, must be verified to count)

2) Tweet about this Giveaway using @raveandreview and @YoGabbaGabba with the link to this post (http://bit.ly/bRxlZh) after following us both (daily Tweet, just post link here)

3) Blog about this Giveaway with links back to this post as well as the www.raveandreview.com homepage (just post the URL where I can find your writeup)

4) Place my button or logo in your sidebar on your blog or website and/or the Cozy At Home Event Button (2 extra entries for each button, must have an active link to R&R)

5) Comment love.  Enter any of my other Giveaways and/or comment on any non-giveaway post!

6) Email love.  Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne (at)raveandreview (dot) com (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

7) Vote for Rave and Review on Top Baby Blogs, logo in right sidebar (daily entry, just tell me what rank R&R has)

On October 22nd at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen.  Giveaway open to US and Canadian addresses only.

Winner, winner!  This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you to all who entered and congrats to:

#22 Erica E said... I subscribe #2

 
A big thank you to the Tacoma Dome for providing us with the complimentary tickets to the event and to Yo Gabba Gabba for providing the giveaway to our fabulous readers.  All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review

Time Out To Rock Giveaway!

My two year old daughter has very discerning musical tastes, which I attribute to the fact that music and live shows are a big part of our life here in Seattle.  While she loves putting my iPod on shuffle and having random dance parties throughout the day, I am trying to get her more interested in age-appropriate music now that she is starting to repeat everything she hears – especially in song.  To do this, we have created toddler-approved playlists so that all her music is in one place and can be turned on at whim.   

Featured on this playlist are a handful of approved songs from my husband’s and my music collections, as well as all the children’s albums that we parents can stand.  One such children’s band that we all love and that I have featured previously on Rave and Review is The Not-Its!, a local Seattle band that sent us their debut album to review earlier this year.  But, this past week we were absolutely thrilled when we received their newest album in the mail and got to experience their music all over again for the first time.  

If you loved The Not-Its! debut album, We Are The Not-Its!, you will be ecstatic to know that tuesday (July 20th, 2010), The Not-Its! are releasing their much anticipated second full-length children’s album, Time Out To Rock.  Following the lead from their first album, The Not-Its! have yet again produced an album that both kids and parents alike can appreciate.  I know that if we hadn’t all been fans of their music before, we certainly would be after hearing the new album.  

First-time listeners will definitely be surprised at the well-rounded and well-produced 4 part melodies that are the Not-Its! signature sound.  The band’s sophomore release is arguably just as catchy and singable as their first album was, and absolutely as danceable.  Their new songs still hold tight to their roots of 90s Seattle rock that I love and have an energy only toddlers can match.  This mix of melodic energy is such a welcome addition to any children’s music collection and is the perfect thing to get you and your kiddos moving together. 

Some favorite tracks include “Green Light, Go!” which just so happens to be my daughter’s absolute favorite game, albeit slightly made up.  Of course, the first time she heard the album, she fell hard for this track and this is the number 1 most requested song in our house these days.  Another huge hit is the song “Accidentally”, which might be one of my favorites, but maybe that’s because I really like hearing my two year old try and sing the chorus.  

Not only are we extremely excited about the new album and really appreciate the 11 new tracks on the kiddos’ playlist, we were also lucky enough to catch the Not-Its! in concert a few weeks back within walking distance from home.  I wasn’t sure what to expect as we walked into the concert, but once we got in and got settled, it was hard to not feel at home. 

The Not-Its! were rocking it live for a massive gaggle of toddlers, kiddos and even tweens, some of which were dressed up like the stars on stage in tutus and stripes.  Even though there were far more people at the concert than I had expected, including many local schools and daycares, the whole event still seemed really intimate and friendly.  When it was time to leave, my daughter was visibly upset that the “dance party” was over and kept asking over and over again when we were going back to the music party.

The Not-Its! played a good mix of music from both albums, and it was really fun to see them perform some old favorites like “Come Play At Our House” as well as getting the perfect introduction to the new album that would arrive in the mail just days later.  Even better is that they really encourage audience participation, which every kid is sure to get excited about.  If you happen to live in Seattle or see the Not-Its! scheduled in a nearby town in the future, I would highly recommend getting together a group of moms and kiddos and seeing the band live.   

If you can't make it to a Not-Its! live performance, you can at least bring home their energy and rockin' beats in CD form and really make your little one's day.  Who knows, you might even find yourself grooving right along to the beat, too. 

http://www.wearethenot-its.com/ to find out more about the band and where you can find them live this year.  If you'd like to check out some of The Not-Its! music, you can go directly to their music index here. 

One lucky Rave and Review reader will win a copy of The Not-Its! new album Time Out To Rock!

To Enter: You must visit The Not-Its! website and comment below with something you learned about the band, a song you liked, or something fun on their website!

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review, top of right sidebar (2 extra entries, must be verified to count)

2) Tweet about this Giveaway using @raveandreview and @The_Not_Its after following us both (daily Tweet, just post link here)

3) Blog about this Giveaway with links back to this post as well as the www.raveandreview.com homepage 

4) Place my button or logo in your sidebar on your blog or website (must have an active link)

5) Comment love.  Enter any of my other Giveaways or comment on any non-giveaway post!

6) Email love.  Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne (at)raveandreview (dot) com (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

7) Vote for Rave and Review on Top Baby Blogs, logo in right sidebar (daily entry)

On August 31st at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen.  Giveaway open to US residents.

Winner, Winner!  This Giveaway is closed.  Thank you to all who entered and congrats to Tara!

 

Tara Fearon said...

Daily tweet
Nofearon@rocketmail.com
http://twitter.com/TaraFearon/status/20130869352

A huge thank you to The Not-Its! for making our dance parties awesome and offering a giveaway to our fabulous readers.  All opinions are 100% ours and no type of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

We Are The Not-Its! Review and Giveaway!

Every parent knows that a lot of kid’s music is practically unlistenable, especially if you happen to be over the age of 5.  My daughter, who happens to fall in the under 5 category, is rather discerning about the music she listens to and even she would much rather groove to something with a more complex and varied composition than most kids songs.  So, what kids’ band does she choose when she’s in the mood to rock?  That would be The Not-Its!, a local Seattle band that’s breaking all the rules and making children’s music not only listenable, but enjoyable.

While we haven’t had a chance to catch the Not-Its! live yet, missing them by mere moments at Seattle’s Bumbershoot last year and again yesterday at their sold out show, we were really excited when their debut album We Are The Not-Its! arrived in the mail a few weeks back.  Since that day we’ve been rocking out to the CD in the car and blasting The Not-Its! tunes via their website when an impromptu dance party happens to break out.   

From sweet and slow to full-on rocking, The Not-Its! are the perfect soundtrack to a short car trip or afternoon playdate, as well as being the perfect go-to mix for kids parties and more.  Some of our favorite tracks include a ditty about camping that we are sure to be singing on our next hike and the much loved and over played “Come Play At Our House”.  The rocking and melodic “When I’m Five” may not make much sense yet to my little one, but she definitely understands a great beat when she hears it and this has quickly become her favorite on the album. 

From the opening theme song all the way to the last track, We Are The Not-Its! four part melodies and full band sounds confident and poised and never over-produced.  This can likely be credited to the years of rocking the Not-Its! have done as members of some of Seattle’s coolest and hippest offerings of the 90s, including Velocity Girl and Servo.  Now lending their talents to the kiddie rock genre, The Not-Its! definitely prove that kids’ music doesn’t all have to be simplistic, repetitive and mind-numbing. 

We found that We Are The Not-Its! is 160% more dance-able than the typical kid’s album, 120% more sing-able, and absolutely more relevant to kids and parents alike.  While we’re not math whizzes here at Rave Central, we do know a great album when we hear one and this is definitely going to be a hit at our house for years and years to come.   

http://www.wearethenot-its.com/

And now for the Giveaway...

One lucky Rave and Review reader will win a copy of The Not-Its! debut album We Are The Not-Its!

To Enter: You must visit The Not-Its! website and comment below with something you learned about the band, a song you liked, or something fun on their website!

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review, top of right sidebar (2 extra entries, must be verified to count)

2) Tweet about this Giveaway using @raveandreview and @The_Not_Its after following us both (daily Tweet, just post link here)

3) Blog about this Giveaway with links back to this post as well as the www.raveandreview.com homepage 

4) Place my button or logo in your sidebar on your blog or website (must have an active link)

5) Comment love.  Enter any of my other Giveaways or comment on any non-giveaway post!

6) Email love.  Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne (at)raveandreview (dot) com (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

7) Vote for Rave and Review on Top Baby Blogs, logo in right sidebar (daily entry)

On March 9th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen.  Giveaway open to US residents.

This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you to all who entered and congratulations to Susan Varney who won the We Are The Not Its debut CD!

A huge thank you to The Not-Its! for making our dance parties awesome and offering a giveaway to our fabulous readers.  No type of monetary compensation was received for this Rave Review.