Think of Tash from Gift Grapevine as your Fairy Godmother of Gift Ideas.
She’s the lady to visit when you’re wondering “What do I buy an X year old?”
She blogs about gorgeous gift ideas for babies and toddlers.
Apart from that, she is fun, witty and just plain lovely. And has an awesome taste in music. You need to read more about Tash’s first ever concert experience (it’s a bit cute.)
Today she’s rocking out on my blog and it’s awesome to have her here.
Introducing Tash.

I have nothing but admiration for children’s entertainers. Their music is a wonderful introduction for little ones and we play our favourites regularly. Both of Sam Moran’s Play Along With Sam albums are big winners with my two tornadoes. I realised last year however that things needed a shake-up. I was driving alone not realising 5 minutes into my journey that a kiddie CD was playing and I was singing along with Sam to every single word. Drastic action was required.

Miss T was due to attend her first school disco and I thought it was time to get her acquainted with some of the tunes that might be played.

I would like to formally thank Pharrell Williams, Taylor Swift and Mark Ronson for getting Miss T excited about what she calls “mummy and daddy music”. Not that Handy Hubby and I are huge Swifty fans although I do appreciate her as a great role model for girls (plus she has some damn catchy tunes). I am a big fan of Mark Ronson so was excited to pull out his previous album to play to the kids. Nothing beats a good dance party in the lounge room.

I love it when my tornadoes like the same music as me. Seeing them rock out to Foo Fighters, dance to Chvrches or attempt their own style of breakdancing to the Beastie Boys is great fun (Handy Hubby has been showing the kids too many b-boy clips on You Tube).

Mr TT sings along at any chance, even if he doesn’t know the words. I always get a good giggle when I hear him sing “hot damn!” during Uptown Funk. His current favourites are Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice and It’s Like That by Run DMC (Handy Hubby strikes again).

With this new interest in mummy and daddy music comes many questions. Every time a song comes on the radio I get “what’s this song about mummy?” I make up most of the answers up for fear of heading down a path that will involve subjects a 3 and 6 year old don’t need to know about yet. As far as my tornadoes are aware, most songs are about dancing, telling lies or cuddling.

My early musical memories are of kiddie albums from Patsy Biscoe, Anne Murray and The Chipmunks. My older sisters weren’t too impressed with this selection so intervened and fed me a healthy diet of Countdown, Barry Bissell’s Take 40 Australia, 80s Aussie rock icons like Hoodoo Gurus, INXS and Australian Crawl and numerous 80s compilation albums. 1981 On The Wall, 1982 In The Sun, 1984 Throbbin’ and 1985 Heaps of Hits were a few of the classics in our vinyl collection.

I still have 2 of my favourite kiddie music albums. Alvin did sing a good rendition of Jessie’s Girl…

I have nothing but fond memories of this time and would like to thank my sisters for setting me on a path of musical appreciation. You’ll be pleased to know that my taste now extends well past the 1980s. I hope my tornadoes will remember with fondness their early introduction to music, from kiddie tunes to mummy and daddy music.

I love the musical stage they are now at – bopping along to kiddie music and still innocent enough not to know what the songs on the radio are actually about. For them the importance is in the beat of the music and catchy hooks. It doesn’t matter if it’s Taylor Swift, Dave Grohl, Sam Moran or Justine Clarke. For them it’s all about the music. And that’s how it should be.

Personally, I still have a soft spot for Chipmunk Punk.

What were your first musical memories?

Who are your favourite kiddie musical artists?

What’s your favourite song at the moment and which ones are driving you up the wall?

Tash, I’m totally jealous of you and your copy of Chipmunk Rock.
Thank you for hanging out on my blog.
Pop by her blog or visit her on the Instagram or Facebook.
She also pins!