friday fun finds: netflix and the kiddos

I am so thrilled to have this opportunity to share my experience as part of this sponsored campaign from Netflix. While Netflix is sponsoring this post, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

about a week ago, a friend of mine asked if i could watch her sweet children while she attended her father's funeral. i was so thankful she had asked me and was absolutely willing to help in any way possible. her sweet babies are close in age to my own kids so i knew exactly what was in store for me. while my friend and her family took part in a sweet remembrance of her daddy, i sat in a little room in the back of the sanctuary with her babies where we were still able to see and hear the service but we were not seen and heard. it was perfect. the parents had so much on their plates that day that i was just grateful to be asked to help...and i came armed with a charged ipod and my netflix app. (if you're unfamiliar with the app, it's a free app and can be downloaded on multiple devices. for basic streaming, the cost is about $8.00 a month.)

the funeral service was so far over the sweet 2 and 3 year olds' heads that they were quickly antsy and needing a distraction. i passed over my iphone and the sweet little technically savvy ones jumped right on the netflix app without batting an eye. i hadn't spent a lot of time looking through the toddler programming but, seriously, i could have kissed someone in their corporate offices that day. when had netflix added a bunch of disney programming? i was so happily surprised and spent the next four hours (funeral and reception combined) moving from "mickey mouse clubhouse" to "mater's tall tales" with other pieces of disney in between. when their four year old brother joined the viewing, we just kept the party going with other choices. i have never been more thrilled with an app in my life (not to mention thankful that i came with a phone fully charged.)

armed with my new bit of netflix knowledge, i continued my love affair with the app over then next week when both of my youngest came down with a horrible virus and high fevers. the poor babies were miserable and didn't want to do anything but lay on the couch or on the recliners, snuggle and watch tv. i was able to keep them both happy with netflix again and the sweet ones loved having control of the tv viewing as well as my iphone (just for sick occasions). they were so well occupied that i actually had a chance to shower (i know, shocking!) and get some laundry done. again, i felt i should be laying a big thank you kiss on someone in corporate those days as well...if for nothing else than time to shower!

he finally got his chance...

i know it sounds as if i only use netflix as a form of childcare (sometimes that is the case, i'm not going to lie). the truth is that while i am thankful for the programming that allows me to get some things done, we also do movie night at our house and use netflix movies so we don't have to go out and rent anything. netflix has a dedicated kids section that has family favorites appropriate for children ages 2- 12. all content is selected with help from common sense media to provide ratings, reviews and information so i can easily make choices for my kiddos. as i am typing this, my kids are cuddled up together watching "the lorax" that we are streaming through our nintendo wii. they are spread out with pillows and blankets all over my family room and these moments are some of the most peaceful ones in our crazy lives. movie nights are moments when we get to be "that family"...the ones who post pictures of their kids hugging each other and holding hands on their way to school. while my kids aren't cuddling with each other, they are all in the same room and no one is trying to beat anyone else with a pillow. i'd say that's pretty much a hallmark moment for my family. all of this love and tolerance and i didn't have to leave my house to get a movie...that is nothing short of miraculous. 

so here is my public thanks to netflix. thanks for adding the new disney programming. thanks for the shower. thanks for making me a superhero when my friend needed help. thanks for entertaining my kids when they were sick. thanks for providing me with a great movie night with my family when i didn't have the energy to run one more errand today. thanks for making me look good. tell me who needs kissing in corporate. i'm on it.

what are you watching on tv with your family? netflix has family favorites from disney, disney jr., hasbro, cartoon network and dreamworks that are available to stream anytime, anywhere. and streaming is easier than you think! download the free app on your ipad, click on the netflix app on any gaming device, go to the website on your computer – and you’re in business.

check it out here!

this is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of netflix.

saying goodbye to cable television

when we moved to a different state about a year ago my husband had this *crazy* idea that we should give up our cable television. i thought that he had lost his mind! i don't watch a ton of tv, but i do love my "friends" on grey's anatomy, desperate housewives and modern family....with a few reality shows thrown in for good measure (don't judge). i loved the idea of saving $100 or more a month, but really? no cable?! was he losing his mind?!

the reality is that we did it. we broke up with our cable company and now have entered into a committed relationship with hulu plus, netflix and roku. with the addition of these three into our lives we are now only paying around $14 a month and i still get to hang out with my "friends".

here's how we did it:

• roku. the only thing that you have to buy outright is this snazzy roku player. it connects to your tv (sort of like a dvr) and enables you to link to hulu, netflix and amazon (more about this later). It is only $99.99 and there is no monthly fee. however, i believe that if you have certain dvd players they will do the same thing.....but i am not techie enough to know for sure.

Roku 2100X XDS Streaming Player 1080p

•hulu plus. for $7.99 a month you can watch programs from your tv (via roku) or through any computer. because you are a member there are only limited commercials (although i think there shouldn't be any) and you can "subscribe" to your favorite shows just like you do with your dvr......the downside is that they are not available until the day after they are aired....so if you are one of those people that have to watch something live, this is not for you. also, they don't have everything. there are some shows and networks that are not available and some that can only be watched via the web. annoying....but when i am only paying $7.99 vs. $150+ i can't complain too much. anything that i am truly desperate to watch that they don't have i simply watch online. easy-peasy.

this link should give you 2 weeks free. 

http://hulu.com/r/_WTWSw

•netflix is the final piece of our puzzle. i am a little mad at them for changing their pricing plans recently, but for $9.99 a month you can still watch all of the movies that you watch instantly. they are adding new content daily and we have so much fun recently watching all of the old seasons of ally mcbeal and mad men (they also have fantastic content for the kiddos). they offer a one month trial for free. 

the bottom line is that getting rid of cable isn't easy and this plan certainly does not have all of the bells and whistles that cable (and your dvr) can offer you.....but if you are like most of us right now and are trying to cut back on your monthly spending this may be something to at least try. paying under $20 a month has made a *huge* difference in our monthly budget that is for sure.

anyone else made the switch?