surviving summer vacation: netflix for families

while all the opinions are my own, i am honored to be writing a sponsored post on behalf of netflix.

rainy day movie time...

the nellie clan is traveling. we took a thirteen hour road trip (more stories about his later) with the five kids to connecticut to visit with some friends of ours. these are friends i have known for 30+ years so our memories and our friendships go way back. the kids have playmates and we have great adult conversation. it's a win-win all the way around. 

there is one key difference between the home we are visiting and the home that is our own. our friends have made the choice to not have a television in their house. they do have a computer and a lot of books but no television entertainment. i applaud and respect their choice completely but it is a huge transition for my own children. with the five of my kids at home all summer long, TV time and movie time become a break in all the *quality* interaction that summer vacation can bring. my kids spend time together, play together, swim together and do things individually but they sometimes need time to unwind. that time is often our family movie time. when the youngest two are napping, the big kids will curl up and watch their favorite disney shows together. they seem to need these breaks as well and it gives me a small bit of time in the afternoons to detox from all the summertime activities. 

transitioning to a house without tv has been a difficult switch for my kiddos. there are now eight kids playing all the time and, occasionally, i will find that one or more of the kids need a general "time out" away from all the business that all those kids create. 

add to these dynamics a very sick three year old who has wheezed and coughed horribly since our arrival and we have been extremely thankful that we thought to bring my computer, an ipod and my iphone along for the journey. we have been able to pull up shows on netflix families in various locations around the house and give the kids a small amount of alone time to relax in the midst of vacation chaos.

so sad!

my kiddos are huge disney fans and they love the fact they can rewatch their favorite "handy manny" and "good luck charlie" episodes on netflix. netflix families even has new categories on their website fit for summer like "family movie night", "tv for curious kids", "are we there yet" and more. 

my favorite part of their netflix time? there are no commercials...ever. i love commercial free viewing for my children (and myself). i can allow the kids to watch a show i know and trust and i do not have to worry they will see some commercial content of which i do not approve. 

so, while we are here visiting our friends, we are happily coexisting...her children without tv and mine with. they are having the best time interacting and playing with one another. there times full of battleship and hullabaloo but there are also times for my kids when they can sit quietly and come down from it all. they seem to need that and, frankly, so do i. netflix families lets us have that, easily and on various devices for various kids. that extra little bit of happiness is more than i could ask for. 

www.Netflix.com/Families

Netflix.com/Families is a new destination designed to meet your family’s summertime entertainment needs. On Netflix.com/Families, parents can find lists of movies and TV shows for all kinds of special summer moments.

Visit www.Netflix.com/Families for more information on the best ways to stream as well as videos from families using Netflix.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Netflix.

quilted, oh no they didn't!

i don't know about you, but when i actually get to sit and watch something on television, it is like a little mini vacation. time watching tv means the kids are in bed, the house is manageable until tomorrow and i actually did it all with a few moments to spare. as far as i'm concerned, tivo and dvrs are little gifts to mommies so we won't have to waste time on commercials when we actually get a moment to spare.

unfortunately for me, the other day i didn't get a show recorded and actually had to watch live tv. to my dismay, not only did i have to watch commercials, but this one is the one that was playing. have you seen it?

really? do we want to get real about what happens in the bathroom? i can think of about a million things i'd rather do than to listen to some stranger talk about getting herself clean after she's been on the toilet. what's worse is the flashing words along the bottom saying, "when wet". then, just when i thought i'd seen it all, they started to mention "break through." so much for my bowl of rocky road ice cream and my glass of lemonade.

when did we become okay with discussing our post toilet cleanliness on television...and why was it all females in the commercial? after cleaning the underpants of multiple males in this house, i can tell you one thing, it should have been men talking about needing to be clean and not the females. and what about those poor women who have that commercial on their resumes? if i was an actress, i think it would be right up there with having to list my commerical appearances for hemorroid cream or erectile disfunction medication. there are just some paychecks we should say no to, ladies.

beyond all of that, who was the genius that decided that the best way to promote toilet paper to their target audience was to talk about "what really happens in the bathroom?" don't they know that we moms have a first hand knowledge of what happens in the bathroom and we really don't want to talk about it when we finally get to sit and watch tv? i for one have enough of changing diapers, scrubbing toilets, wiping bottoms, and washing underwear during the day. at the end of the day, can we please not bring in images of breakthrough to ruin my evening snack? i don't think it's too much to ask to keep the potty talk off of the tv and in the potty. anyone?