Category: Netflix

May 30, 2017

Watch Netflix When and Where You Want It #StreamTeam

“If you don’t like how the table is set, turn over the table.” – Frank Underwood

I don’t think my children can ever truly appreciate how far technology has come in the last twenty years (I would even say ten!). I remember growing up having to record on video tapes to be able to watch a show later or just being out of luck if you were not at home at the right time from school or work to watch your favourite show. I used to race home from school in order to watch Saved By The Bell! If you missed a scene on the television, there was no rewind button and you couldn’t just pause a show in order to get a refill or go to the bathroom. I still remember when we received the TMN guide every month and I would plan out my month based on when the movies I wanted to watch would be on!

Netflix has changed the way we watch television. Gone are the days when you were limited to watching series and movies at certain times of the day and month, gone are the days of being unable to rewind and pause and welcome to days of flexibility and watching what we want when we want it.

While Netflix gives us the opportunity to watch television like never before, it the viewers that are determining a whole new schedule for television viewing. Thrillers for breakfast, comedies in bed and learning at night? All of this is possible now!

In our home, it is Power Rangers and comedies before school, documentaries after school (the kids LOVE Growing Up Wild and all of the amazing animal documentaries) and action and thrillers at bedtime, for the big kids – hubby and I – of course! Of course the best part is this can change anytime because we have the ability to watch a wide range of shows, even though our youngest is currently making us watch Power Rangers Super Samurai the entire season for about the twentieth time.

BONUS: Are you in Ontario and traveling this summer? Check out the new download zones before you hit Cottage Country! Now you can stop the tears and frustration during the long drives up to the cottage by stopping in one of the download zones to load up on some great hits. The download zones can be found in these spots and dates:

Canada Day weekend

Friday June 30 at the Bass Pro Shop at Vaughan Mills – 1 Bass Pro Mills Dr
Saturday, July 1 and Sunday, July 2 at Gravenhurst – 101 Centennial Dr

Civic Holiday weekend

Friday, August 4 at the Bass Pro Shop at Vaughan Mills – 1 Bass Pro Mills Dr

Saturday, August 5 and Sunday, August 6 in Huntsville – 37 Main St E

Labour Day weekend

Friday, September 1 at the Bass Pro Shop at Vaughan Mills – 1 Bass Pro Mills Dr

Talk about taking streaming to a whole new level!

How has watching television in your home changed? How do you stream?

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

April 30, 2017

Connecting with Your Teen on Suicide, Depression and Stress Through Television

The teenage years are exciting, scary, unsure, full of changes and can be so hard to navigate – not only for teens but their parents too. Teens are given more freedom but at the same time treated as children. They are expected to make decisions about their future younger and younger each passing year. They have school, peer, work and family pressures just like adults do but without the freedom and experience to make difficult decisions. Connecting with your teen can be an even harder job for parents! We may be out of touch with the reality that teens face or even the changing social scene. We may not know how to start the conversations or even what is important to talk about.

As my son enters into his teen years, I am reminded of my own teen years. They were full of both ups and downs marked by my own depression and anxiety. High school was full of rumours, fights, parties, the importance of getting good grades, getting into university and stress (lots and lots of stress!). I remember the constant pressure to give and be at 100% all the time but still trying to fit in with your peers and give off the appearance of not caring. I worry for my son as he enters his teen years, I want him to know that I am there for him no matter what and that he can and should reach out to those who love him when he needs help.

But how do we connect with our teen about the tough topics, like suicide, depression, stress and bullying? One of the best ways we as parents can understand what teens are facing is watching television series that resonate with them (there is a reason these shows mean so much to them!). Teens want to talk to their parents but can find it hard, finding a common ground like television series can really help open up the tough conversations.

Recently, 13 Reasons Why on Netflix has come under fire from critics claiming it glorifies suicide. The resulting comments and debates hurt me personally as I struggled with depression in high school and there were times where it felt like I needed a way out and that may possibly be the only way out. High school is hard, rumours hurt, bullying hurts and for some when this is combined with mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, suicide can be the only way out to stop all the pain that they are feeling. It is not glorifying suicide, it is laying out the steps that lead to suicide. No one wants this way out, no one wants to feel alone and no one wants to hurt the people they love the most. I feel as though my brain works differently when I am depressed and suffering through increased anxiety. Even little things bother me in ways they would never have before.

Before I let my son watch the show with me, I had to watch it alone. I wanted to see what the hype was about and if it could really help build an understanding and become a starting point for the tough conversations. I was blown away by the first episode and kept watching late into the night. It was raw and honest. It showed how the start of one rumour and the sending of an inappropriate (not to mention out of context) picture started the downwards spiral of one young girl. Teens have access to technology that as parents we never had access to, they just sometimes don’t understand the implications of this technology as we see so many times throughout this series. I didn’t have access to this technology but my son does. We all feel our child will be responsible but this series shows, they not always are and they make mistakes. It helps teens understand the consequences of these mistakes and how it hurts others.

There were so many important lessons in this series for teens from bullying to not standing up for a friend and changing relationships. The honest and raw emotions spoke to me personally. Life in high school isn’t always happy and full of sunshine. Teenagers feel the same pain adults do but have less skills and opportunities to help them through it. Television series like this help teens realize how actions and words can hurt and how quickly situations can spiral out of control. It is also a great tool to use for parents to help our teens understand that we are there for them and want to help them. Kids and parents want to talk, we just need to learn how and have a starting point.

13 Reasons Why is my number one pick for parents to help understand their children and to have a great conversation with their teen about. Here are some more great picks from Netflix that will really help you get the conversation started with your teen:

NOTE

If you’re thinking of watching 13 Reasons Why with your teen and are looking for additional information, here are some resources to help navigate the conversation: 13 Reasons Why Talking Points (created by SAVE.org and the JED Foundation) and the after-show titled 13 Reasons Why: Beyond The Reasons. If you are immediately concerned about a teen in your life, you can find a list of local market resources on this 13 Reasons Why Global Resource Website.

How do you connect with your teen on these difficult topics?

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

March 29, 2017

Break Down Gender Stereotypes with Inspirational Content #StreamTeam

My parents raised me to know that I could do anything and be anything that I wanted to be. They encouraged me to play sports, get dirty and have fun. I was the kid who always came home from daycare and later school with cuts and bruises (and I still have some of the scars on my legs to prove it) and the one who wanted to be first to try everything. I had no fears and I felt safe to be myself, even through some of my crazier phases! My parents never stopped supporting me to be the best me.

It wasn’t until I was older that I started to realize that some people have different expectations for girls and young women. I loved the sciences and wanted to be a surgeon when I was in high school, which my parents fully encouraged me to follow. They reminded me that I could do anything that I wanted and that I should never let common gender stereotypes guide my decisions. While that wasn’t the field I found myself in, my parents supported me and encouraged me throughout my years at McMaster and when I became a parent myself.

When I had my boys, I wanted them to know the exact same security and confidence my parents gave me as a child and young adult. I wanted them to feel free to cry, to show emotion, run, play and dress however they wanted without fear. It was important to me that they see that Dads cook, clean and do laundry and Moms can cut the grass, go to work and can play just as hard on the soccer field as Dad can. That is what I grew up with and it is so important for children to see that there are no rules for boys and rules for girls. We are all strong individuals who need to be pushed to be the best version of us.

An important part of supporting our children is to monitor what they see on TV. While sometimes the content can be okay, other times the content can actually push the typical gender stereotypes we are trying to push away from. It has even been show that girls as young as six can be effected by the gender stereotypes they see on television and it can have lasting affects.

We want both boys and girls to see girls in strong leadership roles – this is not a role reserved solely for boys and girls should be encouraged to be a strong leader. More often than not, films and series aren’t showing enough of this. But if you look hard enough you can definitely find some pretty great content that will help your child understand they can be and do anything they want. If you are looking for great content for your children, check out these top three picks currently featured on Netflix:

A Series of Unfortunate Events
One Day at a Time
Home: Adventures with Tip and Oh

Spending quality time with your children teaching them that they can be and do whatever they put their mind to is one of the most important things you can for your child, whether you have a daughter or a son. They need to understand that there are no restrictions on what they can achieve if they put their mind to it. You can do it every day by sharing roles as parents, supporting your child in their decisions and ensuring they are watching content with you that inspires and encourages them to be their best.

How do you help break down gender stereotypes for your children?

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

February 17, 2017

Are YOU a Netflix Cheater?

Are YOU a cheater? Both my husband and I are very guilty of this awful habit on a regular basis. Whether it be late at night, when one of us is away at work or on a business trip. We just can’t help doing a little bit of Netflix cheating! (Pull those minds out of the gutter, of course we were only talking about Netflix – what were you thinking about??).

Do you cheat on your Netflix partner? Statistics show that you probably are, even if you are quite ready to admit it.

Statistics say that 37% of Canadians are Netflix cheaters when it comes to their favourite shows. While 76% of Canadians admit that they don’t mean to cheat, us Canucks clearly can’t help ourselves! I can say that I am one of those statistics and completely without shame when it comes to my cheating.

So how does Netflix cheating affect our lives? My husband is the type that usually waits until I fall asleep (which most of the time is well before he does) and he keeps on playing new episodes of some of our favourite shows (Luke Cage and Shadowhunters were two series he constantly watched without me). He never even hides his behaviour and doesn’t even try to move the episodes back when we watch it together again as he will start the series as the episode he left off on (or he just tells me what happens and spoils the surprise for me).

For me I am guilty of watching shows behind his back when he is at work and I am at home during the day because I am working a late shift. I was even more guilty when I was off after my gallbladder surgery, I passed my days watching our favourite Netflix series.

So who are the most guilty profiles? We fit in to two out of the three profiles.

Here is profile number one, The Long Distance Cheater:

Profile Number Two, The Sleepless Cheater (aka My Husband):

Profile Number Three, the Sorry Not Sorry Cheater (ME!):

We can clearly see that is far too easy to be a Netflix Cheater and here are some ways to make it up to your spouse when you have been unfaithful with your viewing habits:

let them have a night out on your dime with the boys or girls
take them out to dinner
bottle of wine (always wins me over!)
box of chocolates and flowers
say sorry and admit to your cheating habits (honesty is important right?)

Are you a Netflix Cheater or maybe the victim of Netflix cheating? Tell me what shows are the worst culprits for cheating?

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

February 12, 2017

Stay in With Netflix This Valentine’s Day #StreamTeam

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner now and I am sure you have stressed yourself out with the planning, organizing and even gift buying. In our home, we try to keep Valentine’s Day low-key, especially when it falls during the middle of the week like this year. We go out for a dinner on the weekend before (this year we hit up Swiss Chalet) and then we enjoy the night itself in the house with movies and pizza.

So why not ditch the stress of going out on Valentine’s Day and plan a night in with either a homemade dinner or take out and a huge list of Netflix movies that can suit whatever mood you are in.

Here are the top picks from Netflix for Valentine’s Day based on theme:

If you are looking for a girls night in with lots of wine, laughter and fun, then these picks are just for you! My personal favourites from this list are Brides Maids and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days – I still find myself cracking up when watching these films! I definitely plan on checking out Tyler Perry’s The Single Moms Club. I love Tyler Perry films so I am sure this one will be a hit as well.

If you are feeling lonely, no date, no single friends to hang out with or you just enjoy watching those movies that make you bawl your eyes out (we all get in those moods!), here are your top picks playing now on Netflix:

Maybe you just want a simple love story, nothing too big but not too small either. Netflix has you covered with these top hits:

And for our hopeless romantics (definitely not me but I know a few in my life!), here are the top picks for you:

So don’t go crazy this Valentine’s Day – instead relax, unwind with these top picks that will make your day that much more special. Happy (early) Valentine’s Day friends!

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