Splash N Boots Review and Giveaway

I promise, we did try to keep little man from commercial efforts and to minimize his television exposure.  That said, commercial images and television still managed to find Jack.  I've come to the realization that as noble as my intentions were, I am not going to keep peanut TV free.  In fact, as a working parent, sometimes you need 15 minutes to get the dishes done, 20 minutes to work on dinner etc.  With a super active kid like little man, finding something that will hold his attention ensures that he will be in the same place without injuring himself.  Somehow, finding quality programing helps ease the guilt I often feel in doing this.

For these reasons, I am grateful to have been offered the opportunity to review a recent DVD and CD release from Splash N' Boots.  Ever hear of them?  I hadn't before the review, yet their work is highly acclaimed, awarded and extremely popular in Canada.  Having witnessed their work, I can honestly say I agree with the hype.

Splash N Boots are the infectiously enthusiastic duo of Taes and Nick Adams.  Their music and programing is very imaginative and energetic.  Lyrics are clever and very catchy--be careful, songs will get stuck in your head--while maintaining semblances of educational content that makes the programing mom approved.  I listened to their "Coconuts don't fall far from the tree" album and their "Act 2: A whole lot of Awesome!" DVD.  The DVD can be described as" a mash-up of over 50 minutes of infectious melodies and hilarious music videos with a plethora of skits featuring dedicated Splash'N Boots fans."  While there are a few random for Canadians only references, and the alphabet ends in "zede", these small things do not detract from the overall enjoyment.  In fact, if your children are like my son, they will likely not even notice. They will be too busy spinning, dancing and clapping along.  Splash N Boots really offers entertaining programming your children will love.

Want to know more: Connect with Splash N Boots:
WEBSITE: www.splashnboots.com
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/splashnboots
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/splashnboots
YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/splashnboots
INSTAGRAM: username: splashnboots

Would you like to give Splash N Boots a try in your home?  Enter my giveaway below.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c6803a8/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Mat Kearney's Young Love

Guest Post from my award-winning wordsmith:

When I was working at the Savannah Morning News, I’d occasionally find a CD sent to the paper from an independent artist looking for a little publicity, not knowing the paper rarely did music reviews. I’d take these discs and pop them into a CD player I kept on my desk. I’ve found a few acts I’ve come to enjoy very much. I’ve also found more then a few that were a waste of my time.

So when Kat told me to listen to this guy I’d never heard of, Mat Kearney, and his album, Young Love, released on Aug. 3, I figured, why not.

While he isn’t among the best random discoveries I’ve made, he’s not bad either. In Young Love’s 10 tracks, plus an alleged bonus track, the forgettable, “Seventeen,” Kearney teeters between accomplished story-teller and meandering and repetitive.

Completely unfamiliar of Kearney when I began the album’s opening cut, the single, “Hey Mama”, I quickly realized Kearney’s voice sounded like the Counting Crows’ frontman Adam Duritz fused with Jack Johnson whimsy with a light pop sensibility. And while “Hey mama” won’t win any awards for complex lyrical writing, it’s a fun opening number, very well-suited for those getting their first taste for the artist.

But after the second track, the satisfying “Ships in the night,” Young Love, takes a dip.

“Count on Me” is heavy on synth drums (which are present throughout the album), lyrics with counting and reciting of the alphabet and children back-up singers. Kearny also has a tendency of slipping to falsetto, which he uses to open “Count on Me.”

The following songs, “Sooner or Later” and “Chasing the Light,” are only slightly better.

But it’s after these misfires that Kearney and Young Love take off.

Kearney goes back to the Adam Duritz well again with great success in “Learning to Love Again,” a nice, acoustic guitar-driven tune.

Next is “Down,” which is as close as Kearney gets to a political statement, as he paints a picture of young people struggling to make ends meet and the hopelessness that comes with it. Kearney’s voice does a nice job painting the picture of pain and desperation and signals that the hardest thing of all may be to keep going.

“She Got the Honey” is much closer to the level of “Sooner or Later” and “Chasing the Light” than to “Learning to Love Again” or “Down.” Kearney rebounds with “Young, Dumb and in Love” about falling in love for the first time.

Kearney closes the album with “Rochester” a song about his father where again Kearny displays his knack for story-telling songwriting. With just his guitar and voice, Kearney keeps the listener’s attention as he tells the story of his father’s life.

In all, Kearney shows talent but he has to develop a more consistent effort.

Three stars out of five.
The product above was made available free of charge in exchange for an honest review.  I received no additional compensation for this review.  I am a member of the One2One Network which provided the product for review.  The opinions contained here in are 100% my own.

Adventures of a Busy Saturday

What do an old house, barbecue and a concert have in common? Our last Saturday of course. After a few month of struggling to find something more important than football to enjoy on a lovely fall Saturday, Rich and I found ourselves triple booked for a change.

First, it was Smithsonian museum day. The Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace was available for tour free of charge. Although I had volunteered there, I'd never had the opportunity to explore the house. It was amazing and definitely worth the cost of admission (even on days when its not free). The home is very well preserved with incredible furnishings. The home has a lot of character. Unlike some museum homes, you can visualize a family living there. The history and family stories add to the charm. Of course there were less glamorous facets just glazed over, such as servants and Juliette's divorce. I think the glazing makes me want to do my own research and discover the unofficial tour information. Overall though, it really was worth the time.
Next, we attended the flying pig barbecue festival where Rich was a "celebrity guest judge." The carnivore had three servings of meat without having to pause for fillers like side dishes. He methodically and seriously approached his task. His professionalism attempted to mask his opinions. Yet I knew his "meat" face, the moment he tasted the winner, even if he tried to keep it in check. Luckily the rain managed to hold off until after we'd left.

Finally, we got back in Doug and were on the road. The Decemberists were playing in Athens and we drove 4 hours to be there. Along the way, we stopped to do some junking (I love antique stores!). We were greeted by many unusual sites including my dad's place-- "Grumpy's Restaurant," a manatee shaped mailbox that was probably as tall as me, and billboards advertising "Free Guns." Only in Georgia...The scenery was nice as the landscapes starts to roll as you head north. I've decided, if I have to live in an old home in Georgia, I want to be in some small town or in the middle of nowhere. In Savannah, no one has much of a yard.

About an hour out of Athens, the sky opened and buckets of rain drenched the route. Driving conditions were scary. We thought of pulling over at the next gas station, but since we were in the middle of nowhere that plan failed.
Thankfully we arrived in Athens in one piece, but then had the chore of finding parking. Who's bright idea was it to schedule a concert in a hall near the stadium while UGA was home and playing a 7:00 game? Seriously, one garage was charging $40. When we stopped for dinner, it was pouring outside. Yet Georgia fans, armed with bulldog red ponchos were joyously marching onward. Who are these people?

After all our trials, the concert was definitely worth the trip. The Decemberists are amazing. Their live performance and stage presence do not disappoint. I was impressed with the crowd they drew--there were many of the expected geeky-chic college students but also an assortment of middle-aged music lovers. They played The Hazards of Love from start to finish without a single pause. That takes talent and a really well-organized road crew. They then came back for a second set which found the crowd on their feet. They closed with an unexpected cover of Crazy on You which rocked.

The four hour drive back to Savannah was definitely not the highlight of the day, but all and all, not a bad way to spend a Saturday.