Here’s an interesting idea: Christmas music just for babies. Lovely Baby CDs has released a Baby Christmas CD. Creator Raimond Lap, a Dutch composer and international music expert, has put together a collection of holiday classics, plus four original Christmas songs, to make baby happy while entertaining the entire family at the same time. You can listen to samples and purchase this CD at LovelyBabyCD.com, where it’s currently on sale for $14.99.

Recently my son and I listened to Rockabye Baby!’s Lullaby Renditions of Queen CD at bedtime. My son is a big Queen fan, and his favorite song is “We Will Rock You”. While he wasn’t enthralled with the lullaby versions of Queen songs (Bohemian Rhapsody was particularly good), I thought they were nice and relaxing, and that they would definitely help put a baby to sleep (they almost put me to sleep lying there listening to the CD!) This would be a wonderful way to relax baby while relaxing Mom or Dad at the same time. You can purchase this CD and many other lullaby renditions (including Aerosmith, Guns and Roses, and Green Day) for $16.95 at RockabyeBabyMusic.com.

This CD of 14 new, original lullabies and childhood songs by Steve Stapley and Lynda Hayes is very soothing, for babies, children, and even adults. Created with a real orchestra and no computers or synthesizers, Sleepy Old Town makes the listener think of old time children’s music and stories. This children’s collaboration between Stapley and Hayes is very appropriate, as they are married with two children of their own. You can purchase this CD for $12.95 at cdbaby.com, or download the CD through itunes at SleepyOldTown.com.

I’m a huge Springsteen fan, so I was excited a few years ago when he released this family-friendly disc of Pete Seeger folk tunes. My kids love this collection, and it is a favorite car CD for the whole family. In fact, our copy has been played so many times that we need a new one. My older daughter already knew a lot of the songs from music class. Songs like “Erie Canal,” brought back childhood memories for me as well. This CD also calmed my very fussy nephew on a long ride to the airport which otherwise would have been miserable. You can purchase a copy for $14.99 at Amazon.com.

The number of children’s musicians most parents can tolerate are few and far between. There are exceptions, however, such as the Laurie Berkner Band. Featured on Noggin, Berkner’s songs are catchy little ditties that parents will find themselves humming along to in the middle of a busy day. Most of her songs have messages for kids as well. On Rocketship Run, for example, there’s “Fast and Slow,” telling kids it’s ok to be fast or slow, that everyone is different. “All Around My Room” features Berkner singing about all the imaginative things a child can pretend in his or her room. Berkner’s sweet voice is soothing to parents and children. You can purchase Rocketship Run for $13.99 at Amazon.com.

As children get older and more independent, parents become increasingly more concerned about their safety. My son will turn 5 in a week, and that’s what can keep me awake at night: worrying about strangers accosting him, or even kidnapping him. Everyone says that things were different when we were growing up, and it might sound like a cliche but I really believe it’s true. We just weren’t aware of the number of child predators and other potential dangers back then.

Safety Tots is a company that creates aids to help teach children about safety. This CD-Rom entitled “What’s The Safest Thing To Do?” is designed for children ages 3 to 8, and presents situations to them in fun, non-threatening terms they can understand. In addition to dealing with stranger awareness, the CD-Rom also addresses drowning prevention, poison control, firearms safety, drug and alcohol prevention, and fire prevention. Winner of a Parents Choice Gold Award in 2002, this product is recommended by educators and parents. It could be used at home to teach your child about safety in a way that’s fun and that he’ll remember, or even in a classroom.

You can purchase this unique CD-Rom for $24.95 at SafetyTots.com. I’m sure it will be worth every penny for the valuable lessons it will teach your child.

As a person who loves music, especially international music, I was very happy when we received this as a baby shower gift. In fact, my twins are asleep right now, listening to this CD as I type this review. The CD consists of beautiful lullabies from countries around the world—ranging from Italy to Brazil to Zimbabwe.

Personally, I find the songs so soothing myself, that on those nights when they don’t fall asleep so easily, the music at least relaxes me and gives me the patience to keep going. I’ve even started using the CD for nap time or when I just want them to relax a little.

I really can’t say enough about this CD. It comes with a beautifully illustrated booklet that has the English translations of the songs as well as some information about each lullaby being sung. You can find the CD on Amazon.com for $15.98. (I’ve seen it cheaper on buy.com, for about $12).

This would be a great gift for a new or experienced parent who wants to expose his/her children to some great international music from the beginning. And if you don’t have the CD yourself, you should pick up a second copy for your own nursery library.

Lullabies are usually the best music to help get your baby or toddler to sleep, but sometimes they can be a bit boring, especially if they’re the same-old, same-old. Rockabye Baby! is a CD with Lullaby Renditions of the Beatles, which would be infinitely more interesting to parents and children, and probably just as soothing as traditional lullabies.

Twelve Beatles songs are interpreted as lullabies, including Yesterday, Michelle, Strawberry Fields Forever, Yellow Submarine, and Here Comes the Sun. This would also make a great gift for a new baby or a shower gift, especially if the expectant parent is a music lover. You can purchase this unique lullaby CD at BandTees.com, where it’s available for $16.99.

When you become a parent, you hope that your child will, one day, have the same tastes in music that you do. Barring that, you hope that he will not listen to any of the more annoying children’s music that clogs the airwaves. My son first saw Dan Zanes performing his song “Hello, Hello” on Playhouse Disney and was hooked. Since then, the entire family has gone to see him in concert twice and my son even had Zanes sign his copy of the “Hello, Hello” book. Zanes’ music falls into the non-annoying category of children’s music, having a great, folksy beat and lyrics you can remember.

This book illustrates Zanes’ song, which is a happy, uplifting little tune that also teaches listeners how to say “hello” in many languages. Beautifully illustrated by Donald Saaf, the book comes with a 5-song CD that includes, of course, “Hello, Hello.” On this CD, Zanes introduces children to many different styles of music, broadening their horizons. His songs made my son want to learn to play a ukulele!

You can purchase the “Hello, Hello” book and cd set for $16.99 at MiniJake.com. It makes a great gift for your music-loving child.

The Labor Ease Kit is the perfect present for that baby shower present you really want to be unique. Everyone will be giving blankets and outfits to the baby-to-be, but how often is mama pampered with gifts, even with all the hard work ahead of her birthing baby? Why not grab something like the Labor Ease Kit, equipped with Natural Stretch Oil, Natural Labor Companion CD, Mint Herbal Lip Balm, Hot Spot Labor Sock and wrap that up instead of the traditional presents? It’ll show mama you’re thinking of her and, unless she has a very quick labor and starts pushing upon her arrival at the hospital like I did, it’ll come in very handy! I think the CD is a definite asset. I used my yoga music while I was in the delivery room; it can be very soothing. Lip balm always comes in handy and something hot for applying pressure to those painful spots could really make the difference.

This kit is on sale at BananaPeelsDiapers.com for $27.96. It’s a thoughtful gift or just a nice way to honor oneself.

We all know that music has the ability to charm and soothe. The beautiful guitar lullabies by Grammy-nominated guitarist Alex deGrassi are a prime example of the quiet power of music. The CD, entitled “As You Drift Away: Lullabies on Guitar” includes both original themes and melodies gathered from around the world.

Children respond so readily to music. What better way to introduce them to music than by starting in the nursery - or in the womb? When you’re finally able to put up your feet, and baby is still moving around inside, try playing this soothing music near your tummy. Titles include: “The Rain is Pouring,” “Beyond the Night Sky,” and  “As You Drift Away.” You can purchase this CD at the Barnes & Noble Web site: BarnesAndNoble.com for just $9.99 (online price only).

Angel Baby Sleep is a unique spoken lullaby CD that helps create an atmosphere of peace and safety. With words of encouragement and peaceful lullabies, your baby will gently and peacefully fall asleep. Recommended for newborns and up.

I have been in nurseries where an infant will cry and just not stop. All of us ladies are trying our best: rocking, walking, feeding, changing, jiggling…you name it, we’ve tried it. The best luck I’ve had in these situations is to swaddle them nice and snug and sing or hum to them. If you have a nervous baby at home try this: first check that there’s no wet diaper or hunger pains, rashes, diaper pins, etc. Then swaddle your baby, lower the lights, find a comfortable chair and turn on this Angel Baby Sleep CD. And let us know if it works.

CD Tracks Include:

1. Angel Baby Sleep 20:40
2. Sleepy Music: 20:40

You can purchase one for $15.95 at  bambinoland.com.

I’ve endured some pretty horrible lullaby CDs over the years, so I was intrigued when I stumbled upon Rockabye Baby’s adaptation of Pink Floyd songs as lullabies.  The CD includes nine songs such as “Mother,” “Hey You,”  and one of my all-time Pink Floyd favorites, “Brain Damage.” I am definitely curious to hear how these songs have been adapted.

If you, too, are curious, you can purchase the CD for $16.98 at PiccoliniOnline.com.  CDs featuring the music of other favorite recording artists are also available.  Any of these titles would make a great shower gift for music-loving moms and dads.

I’m going to buy my 50-pack of these disk protectors for every disk in our house. It’s not just children who can be careless with with cd’s or dvd’s - they’re just the ones with an excuse!

The d_skin Protective Disk Skins really make sense for all your children’s favorite movies, video game disks, and musical cd’s that they use every day.  These “skins” fit over the disk and there’s no need to remove them: lasers read right through the film.

You can purchase them for $49.95 (pack of 50) at OneStepAhead.com.