How Netflix is Still Changing the Way We Watch

April 30, 2015 By Laura O'Rourke 3 Comments

Are you a blogger without a Media Kit? Get your very own personalized media kit here. A great way to start your 2015 blogging year!

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I kind of love technology. I never thought I would be one of those people who would read tech blogs or desire to be an early adopter or that I even would be an early adopter of a few things. I often consider the greater sociological impacts of some of the tech innovations we witness. Blame it on my sociology background, but I just can’t help it. I love watching the world change and people’s behaviours change with it.

This year I feel like there has been a real shift in the Netflix landscape. The story of Netflix is well-known: they started as a movie rental by mail system but evolved into the streaming service we all know and love.

The thing is, most Netflix users have been required to change their viewing habits and expectations when using the service. And on one hand, that’s okay. Many viewers want things to change. We don’t want to be interrupted by commercials and we want to watch when and where and how we want. The whole notion of sitting down in front of a television at a prescribed time each week seems antiquated. Heck, even waiting a week to get a new episode of a beloved program is hard for us now. Netflix gives a freedom that viewers want at the pace we can dictate.

My family has embraced this new landscape of television viewing to the degree that we have completely cancelled cable. The big screen television is still used but not as often or as widely as it used to. My kids primarily use it for Netflix. We watch one thing a week on it as a family. Otherwise, my husband and I are usually watching our preferred shows on tablets, laptops, or even the desktop.

The unfortunate part of this shift in viewing habits can mean that we are left waiting for new seasons to show up on Netflix, even after they’ve been watched and chatted about by our friends. Netflix isn’t the place for new fresh content.

Until now.

Since 2011, Netflix has been acquiring original content. It started with House of Cards, which quickly became one of those can’t miss shows. And Netflix didn’t stop there with the binge-worthy original content. Orange is the New Black was another one of their massive hits.

We’ve been enjoying these and a handful of other Netflix original programs for a few years, but this year I really feel like Netflix is hitting it out of the park with their releases. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, created by Tina Fey, is not just awesome. It might be one of my favourite shows ever. Watching it, I finally felt like Netflix was offering original programming that I could really crave. Meanwhile, my husband was totally taken with Marvel’s Daredevil, calling it one of the best superhero productions and effectively convincing me to binge on it (after I finished Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt of course, which I have also now convinced Dan to watch.) And while I haven’t yet seen Bloodline featuring Coach Eric Taylor Kyle Chandler because I just found out I have a week to watch all three seasons of Veronica Mars before Netflix Canada stops streaming it, I have heard that Bloodline too shouldn’t be missed.

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With all of these programming exclusives (being released of course as full seasons and not week by week), Netflix is quickly defining itself not as the place to go for once-forgotten movies and television, but the only source for certain critically acclaimed, can’t be missed shows. While so many of us are already Netflix subscribers, Netflix is effectively creating a service that people need to have if they want to take part in key cultural conversations. And that’s a pretty cool evolution to watch. Especially when it means that we now have all these great shows right at our fingertips.

“Age doesn’t matter. You can die at any time.” –Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

What is your favourite Netflix Original program?

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I am a member of Netflix’s Stream Team and as such I have been compensated with a complementary Netflix subscription and a few other perks. The stories and opinions are all my own and have not been bought.

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3 Comments

Book Review: The Girl on the Train

April 28, 2015 By Laura O'Rourke 2 Comments

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It is the book that everyone is talking about. It became a bestseller pretty much as soon as it hit shelves earlier this year. It has been heralded as “the next Gone Girl.” I knew I had to pick it up.

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The Girl on the Train is the newest bestselling psychological thriller. The story pivots around Rachel, a witness to (or perhaps a key player in) a murder. Unfortunately, due to the utter breakdown of her life, this murder happened while she was in a drunken stupor, and the whole incident is completely blacked out of her memory. Still, she is certain she is connected to it. Or maybe, she just desires to be connected to something so Rachel inserts herself into the investigation and the life of the surviving spouse.

Paula Hawkins wrote a great debut thriller! The Girl on the Train had me hooked, if not from the first pages then definitely a few chapters in. I especially didn’t want to put the book down once I got midway through the novel. It is a whodunnit that I thought I had figured out, but I really didn’t. I was second guessing characters and fell for characters that I shouldn’t have. As the novel wrapped up, I found myself seriously being affected by the awfulness of at least one character. I was clearly emotionally invested in the story.

Is The Girl on the Train “this year’s Gone Girl“? Maybe. It definitely has you questioning everything you think you know throughout the whole read and has deservedly become a widely read and popular book. But Gone Girl actually seems to leave readers feeling a little ambivalent, unsure if they liked the book (or the ending). I think The Girl on the Train is likely to leave readers feeling more satisfied.

The Girl on the Train is a four star read for me. It is definitely awesome. It won’t make my list of all time favourites, but that just might be because this genre doesn’t speak to me as highly as some others do.

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Have you read The Girl on the Train yet? If not, how come? Everyone’s doing it!

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spacer Moms Reading (or, #MomsReading) is a book club designed for busy Moms in mind. It is an online book club that meets once a month on Facebook to discuss that month’s book. Check out the MomsReading page, Like us on Facebook, or join the Goodreads group to keep up to date with our book choices and the book chats.

April’s book club meets Wednesday night, April 29th when we’ll be discussing The Girl on the Train. Tune in and join the discussion at 9pm Eastern on Facebook. If you can’t join us in April, then start reading our May book! We will be reading The One That Got Away by Simon Wood. The discussion will take place on Wednesday, May 27th at 9pm Eastern.

*all links are affiliate links. Need to get something from Amazon? Consider getting it through that link to help support your favourite virtual book club.

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2 Comments

Cameron at 5

April 27, 2015 By Laura O'Rourke 3 Comments

Sometimes, life gets ahead of me. Even now, when I’m home and able to plan my days (essentially) however I want, I don’t find the time to sit and write and publish. I have been writing (did you see my post on Bonbon Break called Nails, Mascara and Other Reasons I Won’t Unfriend You on Facebook?) but it hasn’t necessarily ended up here. I’m not at a loss for words. I am at a loss for time and energy, it seems.

Cameron turned five in March. Every year, pretty much since he’s been verbal, I have asked him a series of questions on his birthday. I dutifully asked him the questions again this year, and wanted to share them before time slips completely away from me. Sharing it here is for me, for him, for holding on to these memories. These kids grow up so fast.

Plus, Gavin turns three on Wednesday. Luckily he has the latest birthday in our family, so possibly expect his birthday survey results to be posted sometime in early January of next year. Trust me. I’m that good of a procrastinator.

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My favourite food is: Chicken and fries

My favourite sport is: Speed Skating

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My favourite show to watch on TV is: Pokémon and Digimon

The thing I do best is:  I don’t know because I’m good at lots of stuff. I’m good at playing games.

If I could change my name, I would change it to: Nothing. I just want to be Cameron. Or I’d change it to a Pokémon name. Or Mario. Or Koopa Troopa.

My favourite colour is:  Red and Black. I only like dark colours.

My favourite toy is:  My 2DS

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When I grow up I want to be: I don’t know yet.

My favourite snack(treat) is: I don’t know. I have lots of favourite treats. Sour is my favourite. I really like chocolate, gummy, and sour candy.

Food I don’t like: Hot dogs

My best friend is:  Simeon

If you could have any wish in the world, it would be:  Something Mario or something Pokemon.

My best memory is: It’s a very long time ago when I played my 2DS Mario Racing.

Oh, to be five years old and have a one track mind.

It is so fun to see how my precious little big boy is growing up, and how he stays the same.

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3 Comments
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