Netflix Stream Team

Like millions of other Americans, our family has a Netflix subscription.

AND like millions of other Americans, we love it.

I became highly disinterested in cable TV sometime after Grace was born.  All my favorite channels started to have marathon after marathon of shows I didn’t like.

Any shows that did seem appealing to me were aired at times that I couldn’t watch them and, since we didn’t have a DVR, I just fell completely out of touch with what was on TV.

EXCEPT for the shows that were available on Netflix.

 

 

Because Netflix allows me to stream full seasons of my favorite shows commercial-free, I’ve become completely spoiled.

If it’s not available on Netflix, I pretty much don’t watch it.

Commercials drive me bonkers and I don’t have patience for waiting a whole week between episodes of the shows I love most.

Well, except The Walking Dead :)

But even in the case of The Walking Dead, I might never have become a huge fan had it not been for Netflix.  I was skeptical about the whole plot originally (I mean zombies??? Come on!) but because I was able to watch a bunch of episodes commercial-free and then start binge watching them once I got hooked, I became a huge fan.

I know, I know, zombies.

BUT it has an incredible cast and the character development and relationships keep me coming back for more!

I digress…

We are big Netflix fans over here.  Every one of us.

Thanks to their Kids Only profiles, Grace and I can scroll through show options worry-free because I know she’s not going to see anything inappropriate.

Some of her favorites are…

 

This one surprised me because she’s such a girly-girl, but she caught pirate fever!  I like it because of all the counting and learning elements.

When it comes to manners, hygiene, and general good behavior, this one’s a favorite of mine and Grace & Avery love it too!

 

I only recently learned that Daniel Tiger is a descendant of the tiger on Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood which was a childhood favorite of mine.  Mr. Rogers was such an awesome dude.

My favorite outcome of this show has been the “You can take a turn, then I’ll get it back” song that encourages kids to share.  I’ve been singing it rather frequently lately, and I think Grace is starting to understand how true it is!  Sharing is such a battle with siblings, so having an arsenal of things like this jingle is really helpful.

I try to limit the time that both Grace and Avery watch TV because no matter how good the shows are, my girls get whiney and irritable if they have too much screen time.

I also don’t want them exposed to the slew of marketing out there in the form of commercials.  Even the preschool cable channels have tons of commercials ranging from toys to geriatric medical supplies to pharmaceuticals.

Grace gets irritated (like me!) with commercials and just plain doesn’t need to be exposed to all of that advertising.

Netflix is a great solution.  We pick what we want from their Kids Only section and I know the girls won’t be bombarded with ads.

As far as Andy and I are concerned, we love to find a mutually enjoyable show and watch the heck out of it together snuggled on the couch.

Now that he’s in his 3rd year of medical school, his study schedule has become much more manageable.  It’s like we get a little bit of “normal” before he starts his crazy residency schedule.

In the spring we really fell for this show…

 

Parks & Rec is hilarious and super quirky.  It kind of reminds me of The Office, but isn’t nearly as cringe worthy.

Amy Poehler is brilliantly funny and lovable and I cannot get enough “Ron Swanson” (played by Nick Offerman).  I mean…

 

LOL!

Once we’d watched all of the Parks & Rec that Netflix had available, we began searching for a new show to watch together.  We tried 24 for two whole seasons, but it just dragged on too much for us.  I think it should have been called 12 and covered 12 hours of a day rather than the whole 24! Ha!

After hearing rave reviews, we checked out House of Cards…

 

It’s definitely a show for mature audiences and we fast forwarded a few scenes that were outside of what we are comfortable with, but at the end of the day it’s a fantastic political drama.

Kevin Spacey is extraordinarily cunning and the cinematography is beautiful.  There were episodes that actually made me jump up off the couch in total shock.

Both seasons were gripping.  You just didn’t know exactly what to expect.

I could go on and on about more of our favorite shows, but I’d love to hear recommendations from other Netflix addicts!  What are you hooked on?  What have your favorites been?

Let me know and I’ll be back next month with more of our favorite picks :)

 

Disclosure: I am a member of the Netflix Stream Team and will be sharing monthly tips and stories about how my family uses Netflix on a regular basis. As a member of the Stream Team I was provided with welcome kit including a voucher to apply towards my Netflix account. I was not otherwise compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.