Category: Netflix

A New Year, A New Binge: Our Top Historical, Action and Family Lists #StreamTeam

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We are already almost a month into the new year, hard to believe right. Where does the time go?

You may have set some new resolutions and some of these you may still be holding strong to but others may have fallen to the waste side. My top two goals (I like the term goal better than resolution personally) for 2018 was to focus a bit more of my time and attention on myself and to set (in stone) bi-weekly family downtime.

So how am I helping myself achieve these two goals for 2018, with Netflix of course!

A New Year, A New Binge #StreamTeam

One of my favourite things to do is to watch historical (romance ones are even better) movies and series. I have found that you can learn so much from a great historical movie or television series and once I start watching I can’t stop! They have this incredible way of sparking your curiosity and imagination. After a good binge, I find myself surfing the internet to learn more about that time period, the event that happened and the people. This is “Mom Time” in our house and while my kids tend to make fun of me for my movie selection, these three to four hours a week really helps me to unwind, refocus and be a better wife and Mother.

Here are my top binge picks for parents who love history and romance:

  1. Morocco Love in Times of War: A Duchess leads a group of privileged ladies from Spanish society to Melilla during the Rif War to open a hospital and nurse the wounded. This series has subtitles which actually makes the show even better if you can imagine!
  2. The Crown: A Young Princess Elizabeth marries Prince Philip. As her Father, the King, health continues to worsen, Winston Churchill is elected Prime Minister for a second term. Follow the story of Princess Elizabeth.
  3. Cable Girls: In 1920s Madrid, four women at the National Telephone Company ring in revolution as they manage romance, friendship and the modern workplace.
  4. The Bletchley Circle: In 1952, four women who worked at the wartime code-breaking center, Bletchley Park, reunite to track down a serial killer.
  5. The Red Tent: The story of the twelve tribes of Israel is told through the eyes of Jacob’s only daughter, Dinah.
  6. Land Girls: Follow the lives, loves, highs and lows of four members of the Women’s Land Army who are working at the Hoxley Estate during WWII.
  7. Rebellion: Rebellion is a five-part serial drama about the birth of modern Ireland. The story is told from the perspectives of a group of fictional characters who live through the political events of the 1916 Easter Rising.

A New Year, A New Binge #StreamTeam

My husband didn’t want to be outdone and so he has created his own list for those who want some more action and adventure, so here are his top picks for parents:

  1. Black Lightning: School principal and retired superhero Jefferson Pierce leaps back into action as the legendary Black Lightning after a gang threatens his family.
  2. Taxi Brooklyn: Unable to drive, headstrong detective Cat Sullivan relies on streetwise, French-born Brooklyn cabbie Leon for transportation and help solving cases.
  3. The Punisher: A former Marine out to punish the criminals responsible for his family’s murder finds himself ensnared in a military conspiracy.
  4. Van Helsing: Vanessa Helsing, distant relative of famous vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing, is resurrected only to find that vampires have taken over the world.
  5. The Ranch: Being a pro athlete didn’t pan out for Colt. Now he’s helping his dad and brother keep the ranch afloat, and figuring out how he fits into the family.

Can you see how our nights sometimes turn into fights over what we choose to watch on Netflix? Our tastes are completely opposite! I used to have to watch my shows in the early mornings when everyone is asleep but now I am giving myself the time I need to enjoy and relax at normal hours.

Family move nights in 2017 were planned and executed on the go but I wanted to ensure we were setting time aside for us to sit back on the couch with a pizza, some popcorn and our favourite Netflix shows a couple of times a month (at least!). We decided that twice a month would be our perfect number and Friday’s worked the best for us because we have no soccer and who really wants to cook on a Friday? Not me that is for sure! Our kids were completely on board with this goal and we started it this month and so far, two thumbs up from the whole family. We have watched a really great movie (Camp Cool Kids) and caught up on Fuller House and started some of the original Full House episodes (which hasn’t yet become as much of a hit with the kids as Fuller House is).

A New Year, A New Binge #StreamTeam

Here are our families top picks to binge on for Family Movie Night 2018:

  1.  Fuller House (our family is officially hooked on this show – oh my Atlanta!): The Tanner family’s adventures continue as DJ Tanner-Fuller shares a home with her sister Stephanie and friend Kimmy who help raise her three boys.
  2. The Adventures of Puss in Boots: The famous cat protects the city of San Lorenzo, a mythical land invisible to the outside world.
  3. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The extraordinary Baudelaire orphans face trials, tribulations and the evil Count Olaf in their fateful quest to unlock long-held family secrets.
  4. One Day at a Time: In a re-imagining of the TV classic, a newly single Latina mother raises her teen daughter and tween son with the “help” of her old-school mom.
  5. Camp Cool Kids: A young boy attends summer camp, where he overcomes his fears, stands up to bullies and learns important lessons about faith and life.

Hands up if you love to binge on Netflix shows!

Tell me: what are the top shows you have been bingeing on in 2018 so far?

Disclosure: I am a Netflix #StreamTeam member and receive perks with this affiliation. All opinions expressed are my own.

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A Year In Review: The Ups, Downs and Netflix #StreamTeam

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It is hard to believe that 2017 is almost at an end and to be very honest I am quite ready for this year to be over.

Looking back at 2017 it has been a year of ups and downs for our family. We had some very special moments with our sons that included our eldest making the U14 Ontario Provincial Projects in soccer and our youngest making the competitive soccer team in the age group above him. We added a new member to our family, our little Kay Kay who has become a special part of our family and we were just saying yesterday that we can’t remember life without her little dramatic self. I graduated from McMaster’s Continuing Education Marketing program and I have almost completed my Business Administration (I am a huge believer of life long learning – always push yourself to keep learning and growing).

A Year In Review: The Ups, Downs and Netflix #StreamTeam

Like everyone we have had our downs from our son breaking his leg, damages to our car and roof, an unplanned surgery, a couple of ulcers and purchases that we had to make that were definitely not in the budget.

Urgh life! It definitely never goes as planned, right?

A Year In Review: The Ups, Downs and Netflix #StreamTeam

Throughout the good and bad times, we took plenty of down time together to recoup, rejuvenate and reconnect. We are a family that bonds over movies and television series (although we are all very determined to ensure that it is our movie we are watching on family movie night and not someone else’s choice in the family – so it can lead to a few arguments).

And according to statistics we are not alone! Canadians are ranked second globally for the most members to binge on Netflix every day (yes every single day). I definitely helped this statistic this year while I was off for a month and half after surgery and watched every episode of This Is Us and Fuller House – no feelings of guilt whatsoever that I cheated and watched all of the episodes before my husband and kids.

So what movies brought Canadians and their families together in 2017?

A Year In Review: The Ups, Downs and Netflix #StreamTeam

A couple of these movies made our family list, including Stranger Things (my husband and eldest couldn’t stop watching this), Fuller House, 13 Reasons Why, Atypical and Gilmore Girls. These movies made us laugh, scared us silly and got us talking. There is a little bit of everything for everyone on this list and a wide range of viewing suitability for all age groups.

Another interesting group of series that Canadians enjoyed in 2017 is the savouring category, these are shows that Canadians took their time to watch. They wanted to slow down and enjoy each and every moment of the series. The two my husband and I watched off of this list were The Crown and Atypical. Another two that we enjoyed and took our time watching were Luther and the Iron First.

A Year In Review: Ups, Downs and Netflix #StreamTeam

While 2017 may be drawing to a close (yikes!), 2018 is setting up to be promising and bright and full of more family adventures (and hopefully a little less of the negative ones). I know that Netflix will continue to play a huge role in our family downtime moments. We will continue to be inspired, learn some awesome fighting moves (just joking although I have caught the youngest attempting some pretty awesome feats in the basement after watching several Marvel episodes) and just laugh together. And that is what all families need, time to sit, laugh and be together.

What was the highlight of 2017 for you?

Disclosure: I am a Netflix #StreamTeam member and receive perks with this affiliation. All opinions expressed are my own.

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The Ultimate Travel Must Have for Parents #StreamTeam

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“Are we there YET”

“I am SOOOOOOOOOO BORED!”

“This movie is awful”

Vacation and travelling should be fun and relaxing. For many parents, we also know how stressful it can be with children in tow. They can quickly go from being okay and happy to a complete melt down over the waiting for flights, the movie that they don’t want to watch and anything and everything in between.

The Ultimate Travel Must Have for Parents #StreamTeam

Last holiday season, our family made the almost twenty hour total travel time from Toronto to South Africa. We had one lay over in London. Going there our children were so excited and even though we left at midnight, the kids refused to sleep. While Mom and Dad’s eyes were trying so hard to close, we were hounded with questions of how much longer would this plane ride take, why did the movie selection suck so bad and how badly they wanted to get up and move around. Needless to say by the end of the last twelve hours in the air, both of us couldn’t wait to land.

The Ultimate Travel Must Have for Parents #StreamTeam

The plane ride back was even worse as we had an eight-hour layover in London and the flight back to Toronto was overbooked and delayed due to people trying to bring on more carry on luggage than they were allowed to. We were all exhausted, bored, cranky and uncomfortable. The only bonus to this experience, we learned many valuable lessons on how to prepare for a long flight.

The Ultimate Travel Must Have for Parents #StreamTeam

Our number one mistake? Failure to plan fully for the kids to be entertained. I had packed colouring books, books, toys and treats but what they really wanted was a couple of good movies that would help make the hours pass by quicker. The movies on the plane, while not the worst, were definitely not what they wanted to watch.

So what should we have done? Netflix on the go!

The Ultimate Travel Must Have for Parents #StreamTeam

Now we have the option to download many of our children’s favourite flicks and shows on our iPad so that they can watch them in the air and during layovers (not to mention it would have been amazing for the many car rides we had as we travelled from country to country during our stay). Not only is this the perfect solution for travelling by plane but it also alleviates the headaches that can come from long car rides because lets face it – no one is a good traveller when they are bored and confined in small places. This applies to kids, teens and parents alike – no one is at their best at these times.

The Ultimate Travel Must Have for Parents #StreamTeam

Share with me! What was your worst travelling experience? What did you learn from it? Have you used Netflix on the go downloading?

Disclosure: I am a #StreamTeam Member and receive perks with this affiliation. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Educational Movies that Inspire, Move and Give Hope #StreamTeam

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A good movie can do a lot of things. It can make us laugh, cry, smile and touch our hearts. It can also inspire us to be better people, to learn from our past mistakes and to hope for a better future. This to me is the true sign of a great movie. I want my kids to watch a documentary that helps them understand the world around them, how fragile it is and how to protect it. I want my eldest to learn about our past as a human race and how we need to move forward into the future with respect, kindness and fairness.

I have broken down my top movies and documentaries into two categories: Environmental and Historical. These are two very important categories for me and I think all people in general. It is so important to teach children about our past and how we move into the future as respectful, understanding and thoughtful adults. I love how after watching a movie like this, you run to your computer or tablet and start researching to learn more about what you saw. It could be about an animal, a war, a certain time period in history – it doesn’t matter the what, what matters is that it inspired you to learn more.

So here is my top five in each category (all of which can be found on Netflix Canada currently):

Top Five Environmental Documentaries

Planet Earth 2

This amazing series transports us all around the world learning about animals and nature. It is also the sequel to Planet Earth: The Complete Collection also found on Netflix. We fall in love with the animals and our heart goes out to them during their struggles. Like the penguins trying to climb up rocks or the lizards trying to make it past the snakes after they hatch.

Educational Movies that Inspire, Move and Give Hope #StreamTeam

Blue Planet: Natural History of the Oceans

The sea is an amazing, untouched world full of surprises and some of the weirdest creatures we will ever find. This series explores the entire marine world, from the familiar to those unknown.

Educational Movies that Inspire, Move and Give Hope #StreamTeam

Strange Creatures

The world is full of some strange-looking animals and insects. This series explores this crazy world! These animals may exhibit odd behaviour and show physical abnormalities for a wide variety of reasons.

Educational Movies that Inspire, Move and Give Hope #StreamTeam

Walking with Monsters: Life Before Dinos

Who doesn’t love dinosaurs? They are almost mystical with their power, mystery and brutality. This Emmy winning series takes you back 500 million years when fish, reptiles and sea scorpions ruled the Earth.

Educational Movies that Inspire, Move and Give Hope #StreamTeam

Wild North

This incredible journey explores three areas of Norway: the forests, coastlines and the highlands shaped by the ice age.

Educational Movies that Inspire, Move and Give Hope #StreamTeam

Top Five Historical Movies/Documentaries

Seven Wonders of the Industrial World

This movie series looks at some of the most ambitious man-made achievements of the industrial age including the Panama Canal and Brooklyn Bridge.

Educational Movies that Inspire, Move and Give Hope #StreamTeam

Timeless

In this incredible series (I love love love this one – have watched it twice now), a historian, a soldier and a programmer embark on a time hopping adventure in pursuit of criminals whose goal is to destroy history (and a certain group).

Educational Movies that Inspire, Move and Give Hope #StreamTeam

The Pyramid Code

There is something so beautiful and mysterious about this time in history. Explore the ancients in this series as scientists unlock secrets to the pyramid code!

Educational Movies that Inspire, Move and Give Hope #StreamTeam

Secrets of Great British Castles

England has a deep (somewhat dark) history and its castles hold even more secrets. In this series, follow along with historian Dan Jones as he explores the most famous castles and their infamous inhabitants.

Educational Movies that Inspire, Move and Give Hope #StreamTeam

Note: The next two films I feel are an important journey for children and teens to learn about. These movies may be suited to older children and teens. Use your own discretion when watching them with children but I do feel they add a lot of value, education and understanding.

Auschwitz: The Nazis and the Final Solution

Like its title suggests this series tackles one of the worst times in recent history, World War II and the holocaust. This series explores Auschwitz, the site of one of the largest mass murders in history. Please use viewing discretion but also weigh the importance of this subject in learning.

First They Killed My Father

I was very excited for this movie to premiere on Netflix. It focuses on the story of a five-year old girl who tries to survive during the rise and reign of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. I am sad to say that I did not know enough of the events that happened during this time and this really opened my eyes. I cried and it encouraged me to research and learn more.

Movies are a great way to learn and to understand past and present. What are some of your favourite educational films?

Disclosure: I am a #StreamTeam member and receive perks with this affiliation. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Trick, Treat or Binge: Top 10 Child Friendly Halloween Flicks #StreamTeam

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Halloween is by far my favourite holiday of the year. I begin decorating our house in the middle of September (although my husband  makes me wait to decorate the outside until after Thanksgiving weekend) and begin working on crafts with my youngest around the same time.

Trick, Treat or Binge: Top 10 Child Friendly Halloween Flicks #StreamTeam

I love the feeling of Halloween, the spirit, the colours and just the all around fun of the day and the excitement leading up to it. Family adventures to the pumpkin patches and hay rides complete the month!

I completely understand and can appreciate when some children are scared of the holiday. The monsters, ghosts and scary characters can definitely be overwhelming for some children (and adults too!).

 

Movies are a great way to introduce children to this holiday but you have to be careful about what you choose to let them watch. One scary movie can ruin the whole night for a child, trust me I am still traumatized to this day by Child’s Play. I can not walk out of a room that has porcelain dolls unless I walk out backwards so that I can ensure that doll isn’t going to come to life and attack me.

Here are my top ten child friendly Halloween flicks for you to enjoy before the big night hits:

Hotel Transylvania

The owner of Hotel Transylvania, Dracula, does double duty as an overprotective Father as an unwelcome suitor pays attention to his daughter.

Trick, Treat or Binge: Top 10 Child Friendly Halloween Flicks #StreamTeam

Hotel Transylvania 2

In the second edition of this hilarious cartoon movie, Adam Sandler players the over protective Dracula. His daughter and son-in-law have a baby, Dennis, and Dracula will do anything to prove that his Grandson is a vampire. This hilarious movie is full of monsters and grossness that your child will love.

Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman

In this spooky feature-length film, Alvin, Simon and Theodore stage a production of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and things begin to get creepy!

Trick, Treat or Binge: Top 10 Child Friendly Halloween Flicks #StreamTeam

Casper

A doctor who specializes in ghosts is hired by an heiress to rid a house of ghosts. His daughter befriends a friendly ghost that lives there. This movie is one of my favourite from my own childhood!

Trick, Treat or Binge: Top 10 Child Friendly Halloween Flicks #StreamTeam

Coraline

Curious Coraline unlocks a door in her family’s home and is transported to a new universe that strangely resembles her own but  better!

Trick, Treat or Binge: Top 10 Child Friendly Halloween Flicks #StreamTeam

Monster High: Ghouls Rule

After learning that Monsters and Normies used to spend Halloween together, Frankie and her pals rally together the groups for a frightful good time!

Monster House

Three friends uncover the secret behind a scary abandoned house in their neighbourhood that seems to have a personality of its own and eats people!

Trick, Treat or Binge: Top 10 Child Friendly Halloween Flicks #StreamTeam

ParaNorman

When an army of zombies invade a small town, it is up to an odd boy who has a knack for talking to the dead to save the day.

Trick, Treat or Binge: Top 10 Child Friendly Halloween Flicks #StreamTeam

Power Rangers Super Samurai: Trickster Treat

When a Nighlock invades the Power Rangers dreams and turns them into nightmares, the Rangers must figure out what is reality and what is an illusion.

Scooby Doo

In this live action feature, Scooby Doo and the gang journey to Spooky Island, where a magical force has been awakened that could destroy human kind.

While these Halloween flicks are geared for younger children to late childhood, here are some that may be suited for an older child or early teen:

  • Goosebumps
  • Monster Trucks
  • Are You Afraid of the Dark?
  • R. L Stine’s Mostly Ghostly

What is your favourite Halloween movie of all time?

Disclosure: I am a #StreamTeam member and receive perks with this affiliation. All opinions expressed are my own.

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