An Awesome Playlist for Toddlers

Ok, so I know "I made you a mix tape" is so 1996, but toddlers don't know that, so bear with me.

I decided to make Cricket a playlist that combined her favorite songs from the Pandora Toddler Radio stations we listen to, plus some of my old favorites and a few educational ones thrown in there for good measure.  My goal was to find songs that wouldn't drive me crazy and that were at least tolerable from a musical standpoint.  No tone-deaf kids scream-singing or tinny synthesizers and canned vocals.  Blech.

It has a little of everything.  ABC's, Raffi, Elmo, Muppets, and Veggie Tales.  It has a couple of more modern takes on old classics, like O.A.R.'s cover of "Itsy Bitsy Spider" or the "Crazy ABC's" about words that start with silent letters.

The result is a surprisingly awesome CD that even I enjoy listening to.  I liked it so much, I gave it as gifts to all of Cricket's toddler friends and cousins.

So here is my playlist.  Most of these can be found on iTunes.  A couple of them cannot, but you can buy CD's on Amazon or find a couple of them on YouTube.

Cricket's Mix

1.        All I Want is You by Barry Louis Polisar

2.        ABC’s by Ralph Covert

3.        The B-I-B-L-E by Veggie Tales 

4.        You are My Sunshine by Elizabeth Mitchell

5.        Fifty Nifty United States by Ray Charles

6.        Crazy ABC’s by Barenaked Ladies

7.        Pollywog in a Bog by Barenaked Ladies

8.        Alphabet of Nations by They Might be Giants

9.        Little Sack of Sugar by Elizabeth Mitchell

10.      Animal Alphabet Song by The Hollow Trees

11.      Elmo’s Song by Sesame Street

12.      Mr. Sun by Charlie Hope

13.      If All of the Raindrops by Laura Doherty

14.      If You’re Happy and You Know It by Larry Groce

15.      Itsy Bitsy Spider by O.A.R.

16.      Brush Your Teeth by Raffi

17.     Mah Na Mah Na by The Muppets

18.      The Green Grass Grows All Around by Jewel

19.      A Pirate Says Arr by The Backyardigans

20.      Patience by Music Machine

21.      I’ve Been Working on the Railroad by Larry Groce

22.     Walking, Walking by Anne-Marie Akin

23.     God is Bigger by Veggie Tales

24.     Silly Songs Remix by Veggie Tales

25.     Happy Tappin’ with Elmo by Sesame Street

26.     Apples and Bananas by Keith Urban

27.     Roll Over by Charlie Hope

28.     Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes by The Wiggles

29.      Skinny Marinky Dinky Dink by Cooltime Kids

30.      Wheels on the Bus by Ukulele Jim

31.      Baby Beluga by Raffi

32.     Goodnight by The Laurie Berkner Band

33.      Sing by Sesame Street

In case you don't feel like spending the absurd amount of time on this project that I did, which I understand, here are a couple of really good CD's that I got several songs off of.  Just get a couple of these and your toddler will be happy.

Ralph's World

Elmo Dance Songs

Veggie Tales Sunday School Songs

Whaddaya Think of That

Songs for Wiggleworms

I also did a post not long ago about great music for toddlers, and several of these songs come from CD's I recommended on there, so check that one out as well.  Happy listening!

Awesome Christmas Music

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

I mentioned on my December Checklist post that I like to submerse myself as much as possible in Christmas music during the month of December.  It makes me happy and gets me in the Christmas mood like nothing else!  So I thought I would share with you my favorite Christmas albums for your listening enjoyment!

The Birth of Jesus by John Michael Talbot

This may very well be my favorite Christmas album.  The music is just amazing.  If you don't know, John Michael Talbot has a really interesting life story.  He studied several religions and eventually became a monk, but not like locked in a monastery or something.  He started an "integrated monastic community."  Anyway, it's really interesting.  

I bring that up because you can definitely hear those influences in his music.  There are chants, boys' choirs, and an overall liturgical feel to a lot of the songs.  Absolutely beautiful.  I haven't seen this album in stores since I was a kid, so the only place I could find it was on Amazon.  It's worth it just for his rendition of "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent" with a full orchestra and boys' choir.

A Very Veggie Christmas by The Veggie Tales

I was introduced to this CD my freshman year of college by my roommates.  I have very fond memories of trying to make a popcorn chain in our dorm room while laughing hysterically at Junior Asparagus singing, "While by my Sheep."  Kids will love this album, but I loved it long before I had kids.  It's great, and I love that it has some more obscure Christmas songs, like "Ring Little Bells" and "He is Born the Holy Child."

Christmas by Mannheim Steamroller

This is the classic Mannheim Steamroller Christmas album.  They've made a bajillion others since, and they're pretty good, but this one is the best.  I have listened to these songs literally every Christmas that I can remember.  They're classics.

A Christmas to Remember by Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra

This one is so random, but it is one of my faves.  I got this one originally in a 3 disk set of old-timey Christmas music from Walmart like, ten years ago.  The other two CD's are ok, but this one is just amazing.  I guess it was an old radio special that Sinatra and Crosby did one year.  It's them just basically hanging out and occasionally singing Christmas songs.  They chat about random stuff, drink toddies, and eat pizza, all on the radio.  It always makes me feel like I'm just chillin' with them on a random Christmas evening.  It's super cool.

A Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi Trio

Of course, the Charlie Brown movie is a classic, but a couple of years ago, I got the soundtrack, and I've come to like it just as much!  You get all the awesome songs without having to watch all the kids be total jerks to poor Charlie Brown for absolutely no reason at all.  Plus, since most of the songs don't have words, this is a great one to put on when you have people over or have other things going on.

Noel by Josh Groban

You've probably heard several of Josh Groban's songs on the Christmas radio stations, but the CD is full of good ones.  He does a great version of Little Drummer Boy and several others, and there's even an original song.  

My only complaint with this CD is that he does a version of "I'll be Home for Christmas" where he plays recordings of military men and women sending their greetings to their loved ones back home, and I absolutely cannot listen to it without sobbing like a baby.  (If you know me, you know that I can't even thank someone for their service to our country without crying.  I don't know why.  I just take it very, very seriously.  Probably has to do with Brian being in the Army for 11 years.)  As a matter of fact, if I hear the first few notes, I run into the room yelling, "NOPE!  NO!  SHUT IT DOWN!" until I can turn it off.  Brian swears he's gonna burn me a new CD that doesn't have that track on it someday.  

Christmas by Michael Bublé

This was the #1 Christmas album a couple of years ago, so most people have heard it, or at least some of the tracks off of it.  It is a really great CD.  He does a great job of having fun with the songs ("Santa Buddy, slip a Rolex under the tree...") but still makes them singable.  He has a great voice that is reminiscent of old style crooners like Nat King Cole, and he even manages to make "Blue Christmas" and "All I want for Christmas is You" into songs you won't automatically turn off!

Christmas Eve and Other Stories by Trans Siberian Orchestra

Of course, the singles off of this CD are amazing.  Their hard rock version of the "Carol of the Bells" ("Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24") is an international phenomenon, and their Christmas version of Pachebel's Cannon is pretty cool, too.   However, the coolest part of this album is that it tells a story.  The songs go along with narration in the liner notes (which they read aloud if you go to their concert) that tells an amazing, beautiful story.  It always touches my heart.  Get the CD and spend an evening listening to it and reading along.  It's worth it.

Chantez Noel

This is a CD I got when I taught my French classes, and I still love it.  It is a collection of Christmas songs in French.  Some of them are traditional songs, and some are just translated, but they are all great.  This CD has my favorite version of "Noel Nouvelet" ever.

I also have a couple of Pandora stations that I love.  Their Christmas Radio station is a great mix of different kinds of Christmas songs, with more variety than the normal radio stations.  They also have a Christmas Jazz station that is really nice background music for parties or just during the day.

What are your favorite Christmas albums?  Any new ones I need to pick up?

Awesome Music for Kids

Cricket loves music.  Every morning, after breakfast, she walks into the living room, finds the remotes, hands them to me and says, "Do do do?" while shaking her tiny baby hips.

D'aww.

Anyway, I love music too, but a lot of music designed for kids is mind-numbingly terrible, and I believe that quality is more important than quantity when it comes to the arts in general.  I'm on a never-ending quest to find good music that she enjoys and that won't make me lose my ever-loving mind.  Here are some options I've enjoyed so far.

(This post contains affiliate links, and I receive a small percentage of any sales at no extra cost to you.  I am not otherwise compensated for my recommendations.  These are my opinions alone.)

Putumayo Kids: World Playground

I saw this CD at Whole Foods, and it caught my eye every time I walked past it, so I finally got it.  I'm so glad I did!

It has songs from all over the world (except, oddly, Asia) sung by actual musicians instead of being scream-sung by semi-tone deaf kids like most children's music.  It uses indigenous instruments and different languages, and Cricket LOVES it!  I love it too, because even though we listen to it over and over in the car, it's not super annoying!

Scripture Rock

I've had this one since I was doing puppet team in high school, and it's still fantastic.

All the songs are straight Bible verses, set to catchy tunes and sung by adults, sometimes with kids in the background.  Again, this is a CD I can listen to over and over and not get sick of it.  Plus, I like the idea of Cricket being exposed to all different kinds of music, and not just lullabies and acoustic guitar.

Sing-Alongs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George

This one has been around awhile, but it's great.

The songs are cute and most of them are upbeat, and of course, listening to Jack Johnson makes you feel like you're around a campfire on the beach at twilight, so these are good for times when you need to relax.

Crazy Praize

Spelling errors notwithstanding, this is a great CD.

I used this one in my classroom for six years, in two different children's churches, and I still love it.  This is actually "Volume 2" and I've never heard Volume 1, but I bet it's good too.  This one is sung by kids and adults, and the songs are upbeat, entertaining, and just plain fun!

Songs in French for Children

A sweet friend gave this to Cricket when she was born.  It's great.

I actually have several French kids' CD's from my time teaching French at school, but I particularly love this one.  It's got all the classic French kids' songs like Alouette and Sur le Pont D'Avignon, but it has a bunch more that I hadn't heard before, which is fun.  It is sung by kids, but in French, that doesn't seem to bother me.  There are also a ton of songs on this CD, so it plays forever, which is nice!

Lullaby

We don't use this one as much as we used to.  For a while when Cricket was little, it was like a magic sleeping aide that caused her to fall instantly into a deep slumber.  Now, she sleeps just fine on her own, but it's still a great CD.

I will give you a warning though:  this is such a soothing, peaceful CD that there is a good chance it will put YOU to sleep if you're too close to it, or if, for example, you can hear it through the baby monitor.  Yup.

Pandora Stations

We also love to listen to Pandora Radio.  We have a Roku player, so we can play Pandora on our living room TV, which is a great central location.  Plus, we get WAY fewer commercials on the Roku than when we listen to Pandora on the computer.  They have TONS of great kids' stations.

• Pampers Baby Lullabies
• This has been one of my favorite kids' stations since Cricket was a baby.  It plays a great mix of kids' songs like Elizabeth Mitchell's "You are My Sunshine" and everything Ravi has ever written, but it also plays kid-friendly "grown-up" music like Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Iz (which I'm pretty sure Pandora is contractually required to include on every station for children).
• Rockabye Baby!
• I was so excited to find out this was a station!  I've wanted to get these CD's that have acoustic versions of adult songs for a long time, but I could never justify spending the money.  Now, I don't have to!  We can listen to lullaby versions of Pearl Jam, Metallica, and Journey 'till our heart's content!
• The Muppets (Children)
• It's Muppets.  Need I say more?  (They also have a Sesame Street station if you want to get more specific.)
• Ziggy Marley (Children's)
• Cricket loves Calypso/Reggae music, and for a while I had a Reggae station that I would play for her, but I always ended up turning it off because the cover art on the TV was explicit or the lyrics were just not something I was comfortable with.  This station, on the other hand, is island music specifically geared for children.  Win-win!
• Putumayo Kids Radio
• Remember that CD at the top up there?  The World Playground one?  Well, they have a whole series of those, and their own radio station!  It doesn't just play their stuff, though, which kind of disappointed me.  I usually end up having to turn off this station when it tries to play music that makes my ears bleed Dora.
• Schoolhouse Rock
• This is my favorite station right now.  They play Schoolhouse Rock songs, of course, and they play a great mix of kids songs sung by bands we used to listen to in high school, Disney songs, and regular kid-type stuff. 

Of course, there are lots of non-kid specific stations and CD's that we love, too.  (Try the Ashley MacIsaac Pandora station if you like crazy awesome bagpipes and fiddles.)  But this is a good list.  It would take you a while to get tired of all of these.  I know I'm still enjoying them!


By the way, did you catch that up there?  Bands we used to listen to in high school are now doing kids' songs.  On one hand, I am pretty sure this is a sign that I am old.  On the other hand, that is really awesome news, which is also probably a sign that I am old.  But seriously, it was kinda neat when Jewel did her album, but now They Might Be Giants has like, four albums out, and they're all smart, funny, and catchy.  Barenaked Ladies, the most unfortunately named really good band, has a kids' album out called Snacktime, and it's really great!  They play a lot of these CD's on that Schoolhouse Rock station, which is another reason I love it.

Oh, and the lead singer from Presidents of the United States of America?  (You know.  The band that sang "Peaches.")  Yeah, he now goes by the name "Caspar Babypants" and is a full-fledged kids' musician.

Check out this CD.

This album is Schoolhouse Rock songs covered by famous bands like Better Than Ezra, Blind Melon, Moby, and Lemonheads.

We are officially adults, my friends.

My Awesome Playlist for Jogging

I have started jogging because I desperately need to get in better shape and jogging/walking is free.  With the weather warming up, I just put Cricket in the jogging stroller and off we go!  Plus, Brian and I are doing a 5K in June, and I really want to at least jog most of it, so I want to get ready for it.

(And by jog, I mean shuffle along in a bouncy kind of way that is almost certainly faster than my walking speed.)

I love to listen to music while I jog.  Actually, it's pretty much the only way I can keep going.  I can get a runner's high like no one's business if I have the right music going, but if I'm just listening to myself wheeze, I'll stop after a few hundred yards.

I have found several lists of "The Best Running Songs" or "The Best Playlists for Marathons" or whatever, and mostly, they are all crap.  They may have songs that stay at certain beats per minute, but when it's Adele, I don't care if the beat is 120 BPM, that song is not going to motivate me to run anywhere, unless it's to the freezer for a pint of Ben and Jerry's.

So I made my own, more awesome playlist, full of songs to kick up your adrenaline, lose yourself in lyrics, and help you get mad at someone or something or society in general.

Oh, and by the way, I have pretty weird taste in music, so these are not all one genre, most contain profanity, and the performers are usually pretty skeevy.  Don't say I didn't warn you.

1)  "Let's Get it Started" by The Black Eyed Peas

First of all, the song is CALLED "Let's get it started."  Second of all, most of the song has Wil.I.Am in the background going, "Runnin' runnin' and runnin' runnin'..."  How can that NOT be on a running playlist?!

2)  "Stronger" by Kanye West

"That that don't kill me can only make me stronger?"  Yeah.  That's what I want to hear when my legs go numb.  Also, it's got a killer beat that you can pound pavement to.

3)  "All I do is Win" by DJ Khaled

A total ego boost when you need it.  Great beat, too.  It makes you feel awesome just listening to it.  Sometimes I even put my hands up when he says to.  'Cause I'm obedient like that.

4)  "Break Stuff" by Limp Bizkit

This is a classic.  Even if you've had a great week, this song will get you angry.  My running is usually fueled by rage, so this works well for me.  But like I said above, just...so much profanity. 

5)  "Remember the Name" by Fort Minor

Really, I only like the chorus, and then I usually skip to the next song, but it's good enough with just the chorus to include on the list.  It was on the preview for the recent remake of Karate Kid, so that's awesome.

6)  "Lose Yourself" by Eminem

This is just an amazing song, and when it gets to the part where he says, "Success is my only #$% $#%$#% option.  FAILURE'S NOT!"  I get a huge adrenaline rush every time.  See?  Even just thinking about it.

7)  "Wake Up" by Rage Against the Machine

Actually I have several Rage songs on my running playlist, but this one is my favorite.  It makes me all mad at The Man every time.  Also, it's the one from the end of The Matrix, which is extra cool.

8)  "Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine

I had to add this one, too, because it might be my favorite running song of all time.  Tell me you can't run an extra mile listening to "*#$% you! I won't do what you tell me!"

9)  "Du Hast Mich" by Ramstein

It's all in German, so you don't have to worry about language, although I had someone translate it for me one time and if I remember, it's like, 80% gibberish and 20% profanity (which is not unlike most pop songs out there, actually).  But the beat is undeniable.  It practically runs for you.

10)  "Dragula" by Rob Zombie

This kind of dates me a little to admit that I still like this song, because it was super popular when I was in high school, but it's worth it.  It's another one from The Matrix soundtrack, and it's great to run to.  I think  it's about something horribly shady involving the devil, so don't listen to the words.  Trust me.  Just run.

Cool down:  "Live Your Life" by T.I with Rihanna

Makes you feel great about everything, and gets rid of all the anger you were running with.  Every time I hear it, I'm like, "You're totally right, Rihanna.  I will keep steady gettin' that paper!"

I have others, like anything by Linkin Park, but those are my faves.  What about you?  And don't say Adele.