I'm Cathy thinking out loud about things that matter to me.
Sharing is in my nature, and at Cathy Thinking Out Loud I share and link, information, ideas, and people.
A Look Back: 12 Months and 12 Netflix Original Series
Disclosure: As a member of the Netflix Streamteam I receive special
perks for my participation, posts, and sharing. All opinions are my own.
As 2017 comes to an end, I thought I'd take the time to highlight some of the Netflix Original series I had the pleasure to watch over the past year. This is by no means a complete list, but it does give you an idea of the quality and quantity of content created by Netflix.
Pairing your favourite Bollywood movie with the taste of India,
is the perfect way to spice up Movie Night.
Disclosure: Although I have worked with Taj Indian Cuisine in the past in exchange for a delicious meal,
I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.
In our house Friday night is Movie Night. For years it meant the whole family gathered to eat pizza and watch a movie. My kids are adults now, and more often than not it's just my Hubby and me, so I suppose now it could be called Date Night. I love our Friday Movie Night tradition, but after almost 2 decades of Friday night pizza I'm ready to mix it up a bit, both in our cuisine and movie choices. So I'm spicing things up with Taj Indian Cuisine take-out (or delivery) and a couple Bollywood movies.
Vegetable Samosas (a perfect way to start any taste of India dining and movie adventure)
North Indian Salad (a fresh salad made with tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions)
Butter Chicken (because you can never go wrong with Butter Chicken)
Chicken Korma (chicken with herbs and nuts in a delicious creamy sauce)
Alu Matar (Potatoes and peas in curry sauce) Basmati Rice (Indu's personal recipe) and of course lots of their #naantastic naan bread!
My top Bollywood Movie Night picks ...
As I laughed watching trailers for each of these movies I was reminded why I enjoyed them so much. (Just an FYI all of these are currently available to stream on Netflix Canada) Finding Fanny: 2014 (NR) This comic and heartwarming movie tells the story of an aging man who learns the marriage proposal he sent to his girlfriend decades before was never received, and the road trip he takes to find her.
Piku: 2015 (TV-PG) The parent and child relationship is complicated, as seen in the interactions between an eccentric aging father, and his efficient, and opinionated daughter. Put them both in the same car for a long distance road trip and result is a comical clash of wills.
Queen: 2014 (TV-MA) After Queen is jilted at the alter, she decides to travel solo on what was to have been her European honeymoon. Her experiences push her out of her comfort zone, and challenge her to think about who she is, who she wants to be, and how that fits with her traditional family and life in Delhi.
The Lunchbox: 2013 (PG) An error in the usually ultra-efficient and reliable, but complicated Mumbai lunchbox delivery service, unexpectedly leads to a housewife making the lunches, and the soon to be retired widower receiving them, to become become lunchbox penpals.
Mumbai, Delhi, Mumbai: 2014 (TV-14) This movie follows the typical Bollywood rom-com story-line of: boy and girl meet, boy and girl instantly dislike each, followed by a comedy of errors, misunderstandings, coincidences, and of course dancing, that eventually lead boy and girl to rethink how they feel about each other. The story begins with a young woman, who at her mom's insistence travels from Mumbai to Delhi to meet with a potential marriage candidate. Everything is going as planned until she loses her cell phone.
Do you have a favourite Bollywood movie? If so what Indian dish would you pair with it to spice up movie night?
Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about spicing up movie night.
Strategies for ending Streaming Selection Squabbles and Bringing
Calm and Consensus to Family Movie Night negotiations.
Disclosure: As a member of the Netflix Streamteam I receive special
perks for my participation, posts, and sharing. All opinions are my own.
I think most of us have had the following experience: You lovingly plan a Family Movie Night, with visions of family harmony and bliss. In reality the kids argue over what to watch, frustrated you lay down the law and make the decision, at which point the kids stomp off and refusing to participate. This is followed by you watching a movie alone, while eating the snacks you prepared in quantities large enough to serve a family of four. In my opinion the key to avoiding this type of solo-streaming is managing expectations: by putting into place mechanisms to for everyone to have input into the decision making process, and clear rules and guidelines beforehand. An easy way to do this is by using my easy to make DIY Family Streaming Planner (FSP). My DIY FSP will take you no time to make and cost almost nothing. I used recycled paper, 3 mason jars, and a notebook.
The FSP Users Manual: Start by putting in writing some basic non-negotiable rules and guidelines, which should be kept in your FSP for quick and easy reference. Make sure everyone reads, understands, and signs to acknowledge the rules and guidelines. This single action will save you hours of conflict resolution, frustration, and set the expectations for participation. Rules and Guidelines... 1) Movie and show suggestions must be approved by FSP administrators (aka parents). 2) A different family member will randomly pick from each category. For example: if Thing 2 picks the movie, he can not pick the snack. 3) The family member randomly picking the snack, movie or show rotates. For example: if Thing 1 picks the movie this week, next week the next person on the list picks that category. Weekday show negotiations can be resolved in the same manner, and the reason for the "Show Jar" 4) All family members agree to accept the randomly picked snack, movie or show, and may not opt out because they don't like the snack, movie, or show selected. 5) If a situation arises where a selected snack cannot be provided, administrators (aka parents) may substitute, or pull another snack selection. For example: missing ingredients, or time doesn't allow for a given snack. Idea: Select the snack the week prior so there is time to purchase snack ingredients during the weekly grocery shopping.I don't suggest doing this with the movie or show selections, since it will give the kids time to figure out how to wiggle out of participation if they don't like the selection, or argue over the selection.
Snacks, Movies, Shows. To start pre-select 10 snacks, movies and shows, write them on small slips of paper, fold, and place in the jars. Going forward each family member can add up to 1 new movie and show suggestion per week. Snacks stay constant to ensure availability of ingredients, and preparation is easy, but a quarterly review of snack options might make sense.
A peek at what's in our jars ...
Movies: Nine Lives (2016, PG, Family-Comedy) Here Comes the Boom (2012, PG, Comedy) Enchanted (2007, G, Comedy - Fantasy) Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005, G, Comedy - Animated) Shows: Bindi's Bootcamp (2012, TV-G, 1 season, Reality-Adventure) Merlin (2017, TV-PG, 5 seasons, Fantasy) Roswell (2001, PG, 3 seasons, Sci-Fi - Teen) Drop Dead Diva (2014, PG, 6 seasons, Comedy) Snacks: 1 Minute Microwave Nachos (Top nacho chips with cheese, salsa, and your other favourite toppings. Microwave on high for 1 minute) Pizza Bites (Pizza cut into bite size pieces, served with a variety of dips) Mini Pancakes or French Toast Fingers (Idea: Add the syrup to the batter so they are mess-free (ish) and easy to eat) Hummus & Crackers or Nacho Chips or Sliced French Stick
Still need help avoiding Solo-Streaming? Assuming of course you don't want to Solo-Stream, because there are definitely times when you do, then the tips below may help to reach your streaming goals, and hone your persuasion skills. And who knows, maybe Chef's Table will provide you with some inspired snack ideas for your family to nibble on while sharing a movie, or episode of your favourite show. I know I like it better when we stream together ... sometimes.
Do tell ... how do you settle streaming selection squabbles?
Yep, just me Cathy thinking our loud about the power of persuasion and peaceful streaming selection negotiations.
These days taking control of the Remote Control means we decide:
What, Where, and When we watch!
Disclosure: As a member of the Netflix Streamteam I receive special perks for my participation, posts and sharing.
All opinions are my own.
The evolution of family movie night ...
I had the good fortune to marry a rather extraordinary person. Although right now I'm sure my kids have not yet realize how lucky they are to have a father like him, someday they'll look back and see how he always makes an effort and time to make memories and teach them important life lessons.
That was then ... Movie time started (by their dad) when my kids were toddlers. Friday was Pizza and a Movie night, which meant ordering a pizza, making popcorn and watching a movie together as a family. Sunday afternoon was Male Bonding time, when the males of the household gathered to watched retro shows or cartoons, giving this SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) a well deserved break. This ritual continued pretty much unchanged until the kids reached high school. Even then we still managed to fit in regular Friday Pizza and a Movie nights and the Sunday afternoon bonding ritual. It wasn't that we didn't enjoy spending time together watching a movie, but rather schedules, social activities and homework made keeping these traditions challenging.
This is now ... With one (Thing 1) in college, and another (Thing 2) in university and living in his own apartment, our Family Movie night has had to evolve. It's rare for the whole family to get together and watch a movie, but that doesn't mean we don't want to bond over our favourite shows or a movie. This was evident this May long weekend when Thing 2 (home for a visit) asked me "Where is Dad and my brother?" I said "Downstairs watching a movie". He scowls and heads downstairs at double speed, clearly annoyed they hadn't invited him to join in. Netflix helps to make these family times possible by letting us control what and when and how we watch. In other words our way, and on our terms.
Family viewing in our family is alive and well ...
It could be over some brotherly bonding when Thing 1 stays over at Thing 2's apartment and they binge watch The Office, or The IT Crowd.
Or a Sunday afternoon when Thing 1 and his Dad bond over a few episodes of Sherlock, or a movie like Office Space.
It might when I'm visiting Thing 2 at his apartment, and he makes me dinner that we eat while watching White Collar or iZombie.
There's a good chance it'll happen when Thing 1 walks in on me watching a Korean TV Drama like Man to Man. It starts with a few minutes at the door making fun of my viewing choices, then moves to a sit at edge of chair asking what is happening and about the back story, and finishes with a fully committed chair sitting and running commentary about the characters and show. (For the record: Mom is not overjoyed having to try to read subtitles at the same time as his commentary, or questions).
Or on the rare occasions the kids aren't around it could be just the Hubby and I watching a movie like Whiskey Tango Foxtrot or a few episodes of Halt and Catch Fire.
Lastly, it could be that all of us watch a show like Daredevil or Arrested Devlop on our own and then have lively discussions about the show over dinner.
With all the options available on Netflix the process of finding some middle ground, and reaching agreement on what to watch has gotten so much easier. As I said ... our way, on our terms no matter who, when, or where we're watching.
Change doesn't have to be a bad thing ... Instead we've adapted out family viewing to fit out our schedules and lifestyle, not to mention budget. Being able to watch what we want on demand has been key to being able to continue this family tradition. To me change means choice, and having the choice to customize what and how we watch is a very good thing! Netflix just keeps making it easier to customize what, when and how we watch ... With options like Netflix-to-Go that allows you to download to your devices many of your favourite shows and movies and watch them without Wi-Fi. *And for those in Southern Ontario heading to cottage country this summer be sure to read the post fellow Streamteamer Jenn of One Heart One Family wrote about a very special treat Netflix has for you on long weekends this summer.
Happy Streaming!
Yep, just me Cathy thinking about the evolution of our family's movie night.
Looking for some ideas for what to watch on Mother's Day? Below you'll find my suggestions for What To Watch this Mother's Day, all of which are currently available to stream on Netflix Canada. Whether you're a mother or not you're sure to be entertained by these mothers trying to navigate the sometimes tricky, often underappreciated, but never dull job of being a mom.
1) Mother's Day (2016, 14A)
2) Prime (2005, PG-13) 3) Tyler Perry's: The Single Mom's Club (2014, PG-13) 4) Freaky Friday (2003, G) 5) Just Go With It (2011, PG) 6) The Family (2013, R)
7) Monster-In-Law (2005, PG) 8) All Relative (2014, NR) 9) Love, Wedding, Marriage (2011, PG) 10) Life As We Know It (2010, PG-13)
Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms, and Happy Streaming to everyone!
Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about what to watch on Mother's Day.
Note: My What To Watch posts are not sponsored, and I do not receive compensation in any form for these. Their purpose is merely to share something I believe is of interest to my readers. Please also note these posts are separate and unrelated to my participation with the Netflix Streamteam. Image courtesy of Pixabey
Grab Your Tiaras People! It's time to Channel Your Inner Princess!
It's hump day and time for another What To Watch Post, and this one is all about Princesses. So find a cozy place in your palace to settle in for a knight (pun intended) of Princess Movies.
Cinderella
Ella Enchanted
Enchanted
Into the Woods
Maleficent
Mirror Mirror
Sleeping Beauty
Tangled
The Princess and the Frog
The Princess Bride
BONUS: Comedy Series:
Galavant (2016, TV-PG, 2 sessions - Musical)
Wishing everyone an enchanting movie knight.
Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about Tiaras.
Note: My What To Watch posts are not sponsored, nor do I receive compensation in any form for these. The purpose of these posts is merely to share something I believe interests my readers. Please also note, these posts are separate and unrelated to my participation with the Netflix Streamteam. Movies Images courtesy of Netflix. Other images courtesy of Pixabay.
As a Netflix Streamteam member I receive special perks for my participation. Opinions are all mine.
Families come in many shapes and sizes, and the dynamics within a family are often challenging and messy, as depicted in the shows and movies I've shared with you in this post. Seeing oneself reflected in movies and series that depict diversity in families is so important if we expect our kids to be accepting of themselves and of others. The nuclear family consisting of a married heterosexual couple with 2.5 children isn't the reality for a large part of the population. One type of family unit isn't better or worse, just different, and with these differences come unique experiences, relationship dynamics, laughter and challenges. Whether you're celebrating Family Day as an official holiday or not, in my opinion family in whatever shape it may be is something to be celebrated. Please Note: Although all of these are about families, and the relationships between family members, not all are family friendly. Shows:(check ratings & descriptions about age appropriateness for your family members) Arrested Development (2013, PG) Schitt's Creek (2016, 14+) The Ranch (2016, TV-MA) Grinder (2015, TV-PG) Life in Pieces (2015 TV-14) Switched at Birth (2015, TV-14) The Fosters (2016, TV-14) Gilmour Girls - A Year in the Life (2016, TV-14) Fuller House (2106, TV-G) & Full House (1994, TV-G) One Day at a Time (2017, TV-PG) Movies: For the Adults The Family (2013, R)
You Again (2010, G) Playing For Keeps (2012, PG-13) All in Good Time (2012, PG) Family Party (2015, TV-14) Grown Ups (2010, PG) The Oranges (2011, R)
Piku (subtitles) (2015, NR)
Just Go With It (2011, PG) 2 Days in New York (2012, R) Love, Wedding, Marriage (2011, PG)
Movies: Family Friendly Angel in the House (2011, G) Meet the Robinsons (animated) (2012, PG) The Parent Trap (1996, G) Zoey to the Max (2015, G) An American Tail (animated) (1999, G) Stuart Little (1999, PG) & Stuart Little 2 (2002, PG) Daddy Daycare (2003, G) Annie (2014, PG) Freaky Friday (2003, G) Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible ,No Good Really Bad Day (2014, PG)
Wishing everyone a fun filled and fabulous Family Day!
Don't be shy ... get social with Netflix on Twitter and follow the hashtag #Streamteam for all our adventures and insights. Happy Streaming!
Yep, Just me Cathy thinking out loud about family.
Disclosure: As a member of the Netflix Streamteam I receive special perks for my Streamteam participation. posts and sharing. All opinions are my own.
(Please Note: My What To Watch posts are not sponsored, nor am I compensated for them.)
For me New Year's Eve means hats, noise makers, a glass of bubbly and counting down to the kiss at midnight. Whether you're celebrating New Year's Eve out on the town, or quietly at home it's all about sharing it with family and friends. For those staying in, why not stream into the new year sharing a movie or two with classic New Year's Eve scenes, some fun New Year's Eve episodes of you're favourite shows, or one of the recently added binge worthy series listed below.
Movies: with New Year's Eve Scenes:
An Affair to Remember
Are We There Yet?
Ghostbusters 2
Out of Africa
Sex in the City: The Movie (2008)
Survivor
The Fabulous Baker Boys
The Waterboy
Shows: New Year's Eve Episodes:
Family Guy: Season 2, Episode 3 "Da Boom"
Friends: Season 5, Episode 11 "The One with the Resolution" and Season 6 Episode 10 "The One with the Routine"
Full House: Season 4, Episode 13 "Happy New Year"
How I Met Your Mother: Season 1 Episode 11 "The Lime"
Mad Men: Season 4, Episode 3 "The Good News"
That 70's Show: Season 8, Episode 22 "The 70's Finale"
The Office (US): Season 7, Episode 12 "Ultimatum"
Recently Added Binge Worthy New Year's Eve Streaming Ideas:
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
Glitch
Halt and Catch Fire
Jane the Virgin
Minority Report
Paranoid
Happy New Year and Best Wishes for 2017!
Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about What to Watch New Year's Eve.
NOTE: My What To Watch posts are not sponsored, nor do I receive compensation in any form for these posts. The purpose of these posts is merely to share something I believe interests my readers. They are separate and unrelated to my participation with the Netflix Streamteam.
After lunch with my friend Dawn from Duelling Designs, a fellow Netflix enthusiasts, and our rather long discussion about fashion and design I decided this week's #W2WW theme would be fashion, style and fashion design. I found a number of fashion-themed movies, shows and documentaries currently available to stream on Netflix Canada. I stopped myself at these 14 but there are loads of movies and shows starring incredible style icons and inspirational style-makers and trend-setters for you to enjoy. Comedy Gold!
Sex in the City (All sorts of stylin' going on in this movie.)
Drop Dead Diva (This is a very funny series that makes you think about what true beauty is.)
Fashion-Themed Documentaries:
The Director: An Evolution in Three Acts (about Gucci's Creative Director - Frida Giannini. I loved this because Gucci has long been one of my favourite fashion brands.
Dior and I (This shows the intensity behind designing a collection and preparing for a show.)
What's your style? and Who are your favourite fashion icons?
Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about style, fashion and beauty.
Note: I have not been compensated for this post, and my W2WW/What To Watch posts are merely something I like to share with my readers. All opinions are my own, and they are not related to Netflix or my involvement in the Netflix Streamteam. Happy Streaming!
The view from here... We stand on the sidelines watching our kids juggle worries, concerns, pressures, and expectations: school, family, friends, dating. They start to push us to the sidelines as spectators rather than participant, or coach. They think we don't understand, like we've never been a teen. Whether we do or not matters little if our teens and tweens think we're clueless and tune us out.
Wah Wah Wah Syndrome ... Starting conversations, getting teens to talk, actively listen and hear our words of wisdom becomes challenging. It becomes a daily struggle to find balance between wanting to protect our kids and allowing them the independence to grow and mature. Ideally my kids can avoid some of life's mistakes and learn some of life's lessons through cautionary tales, rather than personal experience. Special Delivery ... How the message is delivered becomes as important as the message itself. It has to be presented in a way teens and tweens are willing to hear it. Movies and shows about teen life, choices, consequences, responsibility and self-worth can be very effective message delivery tools, and a great way to connect, bond and start dialogues with your tween or teen. Middle School & High School: In my day ... In my opinion may of the issues were the same, as were the challenges of parent-teen communication. When I was in high school (back with the dinosaurs) we had to deal with bullying, drugs, alcohol, suicide, teen pregnancy, sex, birth control, STD's, sexuality and social status. The fact is we started to deal with these issues in middle school. There were expectations and pressure regarding academic performance, marks and career choices. As well as expectations and pressure in regards performance in extra-curricular sports, arts, music. My parents limited my time on our land-line phone rather than a cell phone. My school had cliques and groups: the popular kids, jocks, keener smart kids, geeks, stoners, and punk rockers. That was then, This is now ... What has changed is the reach and the 24-7 access social media and the internet allows. In my day our circle of friends, influences, resources and support were largely limited by geography. Both have their pros and cons. Not only does the internet and social media open up new avenues for predators, and ways to bully, it also opens up ways to find support, and access information and resources. Bonding, Dialogue and Finding Common Ground: Below I've listed some shows and movies that might help to start dialogues about issues that face teens and tweens today. Many deal with the real issues facing kids today, without sugar coating. Some are examples of what not to do, or poor judgement and choices. We can't pretend these issues don't exist. We need to provide our kids with information to make good life choices, and model tolerance, acceptance and empathy. We know we need to be involved as parents, and movies or shows can help us to understand and relate to our kids, provide common ground and work as a great segues to conversation. Watching them together can also be a way to bond with our fickle tween or teen. Separate and Together: I recommend watching these yourself so you are able to decide which are best for the kids to watch on their own, together with you, or just for you to watch to gain some insight and perspective on the pressures and issues facing teens today. Shows: Switched at Birth (TV-14) (family, parenting, disabilities) The Fosters (TV-14) (parenting, interracial same sex parenting, family, adoption, teens, sexuality, LGBT)
Life Unexpected (PG) (parenting, teen life, single parenting) Dance Academy TV-PG) (pressures to succeed, competitive dance) Freaks and Geeks (TV-14) (acceptance, tolerance, empathy, teen life) Friday Night Lights (TV-PG) (competitive sports, pressures to succeed, parenting, teen life) The Secret Life of the American Teenager (teenage pregnancy, sexuality, teen life) Hjordis (sub-titles) (TV-14) (bullying, acceptance, empathy) About A Boy (Series) (TV-PG) (acceptance, single parent, adult role-models)
Movies: Family Party (TV-14) (family, culture, expectations, academic success) White Frog (NR) (special needs, Asperger's syndrome, labels, family, death, grieving, LGBT, parenting) The First Time (PG-13) (teen life, sex, dating, relationships) About A Boy (Movie) (PG) (single parenting, suicide, role models, acceptance, bullying, peer pressure) Mean Girls (PG) A Girl Like Her (PG-13) (bullying, suicide, teen life, social media, acceptance, peer pressure) Prom (PG) Boyhood (14A) Easy A (PG) (teen life, acceptance, peer pressure, relationships, dating, sex, labels, stereotypes) Breakfast with Scot (PG) (stereotypes, labels, single sex families, LGBT, acceptance, friendship) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl(PG-13) Ender's Game (PG-13) 4 Minute Mile PG-13) (mentor, life choices, grief, teen life) Billy Elliot - The Musical (NR) Man Up (NR) (teen pregnancy and parenting) Paper Towns (PG-13) A Birder's Guide to Everything (parenting, death, grief, remarrying, friends, teen life) How do you start challenging conversations and dialogue with your kids?
Happy Streaming!
Look for the #Streamteam hashtag and Netflix_CA on twitter to follow along on the Streamteam adventures.
Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about parenting teens.
Note: As a member of the Netflix Streamteam I receive Netflix and a streaming device free of charge for the purpose of my Netflix reviews and posts. All opinions are my own. Images for The Fosters and Glee courtesy of Netflix.
