Why All Moms Should Be Listening to Pandora

I love music. Which is funny because I wouldn't say I'm a music aficionado. I don't know who the best bands are and I mostly listen to pop music, but I love having music playing whether I'm working, cleaning, driving or playing with my kids.

But I'm a cheapskate who gets tired of listening to the same thing over and over. That's why I LOVE Pandora.

Pandora is a free service (paid if you don't want ads) that allows you to create your own radio station. All you have to do is put in one artist you like, and Pandora will create a radio station based on that artist. If you like a variety of music, you can add more, whether it's an artist, album or song.

Here are some of the reasons I love Pandora:

• It's free. Sure there are ads, but they only come up every few songs for like 10 seconds. Not a big deal.



What I was listening to when writing this post :D

• You can listen to the music you like and nothing else. If a song or artist comes up that you don't like, you can give it a thumb's down and Pandora won't play it again and will skip the song.
• You can have multiple stations. I have a station for Christmas music, soft music (great for if I'm working and want some background "noise"), pop music, Disney (for the kids), and worship music for Sundays. Whatever I'm in the mood for, I have a radio station to match.
• I never get bored. Back when I used to buy CDs and had a collection of music on my iPod, I would get bored listening to the same songs over and over. It didn't matter that I had hundreds of songs (I know, my collection was pretty small). I like variety. Not only does Pandora play the music that you say you prefer, but it will also bring up music similar to your preferences. It's a great way to find new artists!
• It has just about every artist and music genre you can think of from indie rock to Irish folk to Broadway musicals. Whatever you like to listen to, they're sure to have that type of music available. Try to get that from radio stations.
• You can have it wherever you go ... as long as you have a device for it. You can listen to Pandora on computers, smart devices (phones, DVD players, TVs), and tablets. As long as you have internet access or cell phone network available, you can have streaming music.
• This means it's great for road trips — no trying to find a new station in every new area you reach.
• And my favorite thing about Pandora is ... no DJs! I don't know about you but to me radio stations are filled too much by talking, contests, ads, etc. With Pandora it's almost all music!

Music is good for the soul. It lifts your spirits when you're blue. It makes you want to dance and sing (all good things). It can put you in a better mood. If you haven't checked Pandora out, do so!

(And if you're wondering, no this is not a sponsored post. Just getting out the word because I love Pandora that much!)

Do you have a music app that you love? Tell me all about it. I'd love to find out what other music streaming apps are out there!

(Expired) Two Free Recipe eBooks: Cookie Indulgence and 101 Bread Pudding Recipes

I'm always on the lookout for free ebooks. Remember, you don't have to have an ebook reader to get these freebies. They can be read on computers or through Kindle apps for Android and IOS. Here they are:

101 Bread Pudding Recipes (Secret Recipe Archive Series) is the perfect recipe book if you love bread pudding and features recipes like caramel bread pudding and pumpkin bread pudding with pecans.

Cookie Indulgence: 150 Easy Cookie Recipes features the traditional cookies along with the unusual. Looking for a cookie that you haven't tried? You're sure to find inspiration with this FREE ebook!













Thanks to Happy Money Saver and Books on the Knob for sharing!

Free iPad App: Miss Spider's Bedtime Story

So when my son turned 4, we got him an iPod Touch. I know what you're thinking: "Who gives a 4-year-old such an expensive gift." But there are some caveats, the first being that we got a used one so it was a lot less expensive (and we put an Otterbox cover on it, so over a year later, it's still in great condition).

The second reason we decided on it was we wanted to get him one of those educational products like the LeapPad, but between the cost of accessories, batteries and games, we were able to get the iPod (with a lithium ion battery) and there are tons of free apps that are fun and/or educational.

So every once in a while, there are apps for the Apple family of products that usually cost money that are made free. The nice thing about these apps is you don't actually have to own the item in order to get them free. For example, right now there is a free iPad app available, Miss Spider's Bedtime Story, that's usually $4.99, but right now it's free (though that could change, so don't wait!). Don't have an iPad? No problem. Get it today and if you get an iPad someday, you'll already have the app. All you need is an Apple ID.

This is a great app to keep on your iPad in case you need to keep the kiddos busy or to share with them at bedtime.

Thanks, Freebies 4 Mom and Mobile Savvy Mama, for sharing!