
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Netflix.
Oh, Netflix. If ever there were an inanimate BFF in my life, it would be you (to those wondering, chocolate would be my lover, obvi)–especially during the summer months. You know, those months when the days are longer than long and the kids are bored-er than bored and the work still comes pouring in. When you work from home, sometimes you need something–anything–to keep them quiet for a few minutes so that you can meet your deadline (and let’s face it, sometimes you need that golden silence even when there’s no deadline hanging over your head).
That’s where my friend Netflix comes in. I loved it before, but now that they’ve launched their family site my love has pretty much doubled. When I’m pressed for time and don’t feel like scrolling through dozens of movies, I can scroll through some of their pre-made playlists. “Quiet Time” is a great one for when I’m working (the girls are particularly obsessed with Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears right now) and the “Are We There Yet?” list is another good one for holding their attention (we’re big Phineas and Ferb fans up in here).
Sometimes when I’m trying my hardest to work from home like a mother and have them all set up with a movie or show, the girls don’t really want to cooperate (um, understatement of the century right there). They’re at each other’s throats because one wants to watch Good Luck Charlie when all the other one wants is to watch Jake and the Never Land Pirates. Booo.
Well, at least until the sun shines gloriously through the storm clouds and I remember that we can stream Netflix to Sam’s (old hand-me-down) iPod. That little bit of magic right there buys me almost a half hour of uninterrupted bliss. Ellie happily accepts the small screen because it means she can touch something of her sister’s that is usually off limits. Sam takes it as a win that she gets the big screen. And Mommy gets to finish her work so that we can go outside and do something fun in the sunshine. Hollerrrr.
That’s not to say that I just use it as a makeshift babysitter. Sometimes (like yesterday) we have a long day and we could all use a little quiet, relaxing time. We make a big bowl of popcorn (and sometimes ice cream with all sorts of fixings), stock up on drinks and camp out on my bed watching a movie. The girls love doing this so much that I almost don’t mind rolling over on popcorn kernels in the middle of the night.
Before I collapse into a a big pile of exhausted mommy at the end of the night, my husband and I have been hitting up the Netflix too. We got into Breaking Bad and Mad Men there and have also had Arrested Development and House of Cards (so good!) marathons that way too. We’d be lost without it.
Are you a hardcore Netflix lover too? How do you use it? Have you checked out Netflix family yet?
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.
Several items of note:
1. Phineas and Ferb #4LIFE (no I don’t have kids…yes, I am 30 years old, what’s with all the questions?!?)
2. In addition to the adult series above (well not adult series…series for adults), may I suggest “Luther” (starring Idris Elba) and “Top of the Lake” (starring Elizabeth Moss). Both most excellent.
3. Netflix is bizarrely a great source of really quality (almost always foreign) horror movies. “Rare Exports” (about evil Santas) and “Troll Hunter” (about…well) are both really great movies that happen to be about monsters.
//end rant
We’re totally going to have to check out Luther and Top of the Lake. I’ll leave the horror to Tim because I (usually) can’t handle it. When it comes to horror movies I generally either think they’re too stupid or am so creeped out I can’t sleep.
Have you guys checked out Orange is the New Black yet? It is SO good. We’re halfway through the season and hardcore hooked.
I loooove my Netflix! We don’t have children, but I think it’s a must for families with little ones, especially with the streaming option for phones and tablets to keep them entertained while out and about. My hubby and I have really gotten in to TV shows like ”The Tudors”, ”Sherlock” and I of course have had my fair share of ”Felicity” marathons. Great article!
I’ve been wanting to check out Sherlock! Maybe we’ll make that the next series we tackle.
And yessssss for Felicity marathons! I’ve heard a couple of people saying they work from home with TV shows instead of music in the background (like Dawson’s Creek or Saved By the Bell). When Sam is back to school I’m totally going to start doing that while the babe naps! I love me some 90s teen TV.