Last updated on April 25th, 2021 at 10:40 am
January’s a time for new resolve and resolutions—even for those of us who claim we don’t make any. Flipping the calendar to a new year does something to us, giving us a figurative reset button—a chance to do away with unneeded things holding us back and try once more to become the people we’re meant to be.
Netflix Canada was right on track with their January prompts, asking the Stream Team to outline some of their resolutions for the year ahead!
Now, if you know me, you might find this a tad problematic—after all, it’s already tough enough for me to come up with 100 new resolutions every year—so I thought up some ways I could still join my Stream Team peers as they geared up for a new year with new views.
First, I thought to give my family some resolutions of their own, little things they could do to make all of our lives easier. However, Sarah reminded me that unless I yearned for permanent residence on the living room couch, that might be an approach to reconsider. (Don’t think I won’t get you to stop throwing your toys, though, Little Man!)
Then I considered resurrecting an old blog idea of mine and repurposing it—”I Don’t Do Resolutions”, a tongue-in-cheek ode to those who believe themselves so perfect that they don’t need some self-reflection to see what they could do better… but my heart wasn’t in it, preferring to focus on what good I can do in my life over the ills people focus on in theirs.
Finally, I did the only thing I could—write a post about Netflix Canada and a little black box, telling the story of how they’re changing my life with far more than shows.
What’s small, comes in a black box, and can replace three consoles and fifty games with its Netflix app?
I joined the Netflix Stream Team at a strange time—two posts in and it was Year Three, where the stakes were higher and our digital media benefactors aimed to immerse us even deeper into the sheer wealth of programming they offered. There was plenty right in line with my interests for a better 2016, like Soul Surfer which I’d seen before at a church retreat; and the Planet Earth collection, once owned on DVD (you know—back when optical media was the thing), but it was the Year Three Stream Team welcome package that’d change everything.
If you follow anyone else on the Stream Team, this’ll be far from a spoiler for you, but I don’t think you realize how happy I was when I came home to the 4th gen Apple TV released last October and a Sony HT-CT80 Sound Bar to give my TV a much-needed upgrade. Many would simply see this as yet more cool swag that’s par for the course with the #BloggerLife, but for a couple of parents quickly realizing that kids and really good at taking up space with hordes of stuff… every little victory we can get to reclaim some space is more than welcome!
Let me refer you back to an item on The 2016 100:
41) If we’re just using it to watch Netflix ANYWAY, replace the Playstation 3 with an Apple TV or Roku 3 or SOMETHING.
It’s been nearly five years since we got married — five years since my baby brother got me a Playstation 3 as a wedding gift, thinking it was the best thing in the world. I remember making an EB Games cashier’s day with the stack of games I bought shortly afterwards, getting ready to game like the good ol’ days, where I’d bask in the TV screen glow well into the night.
But Casey the Husband is a far cry from the man I’d been as a bachelor, all that free time finding ways to fill itself, none of it including animated avatars trying to complete complex three-dimensional puzzles on my screen. And once kids came into the mix years later, my consoles, games and DVDs were little more than eyesores, eating up precious energy and space that could be put to such better use.
So while I’ve little to offer Netflix Canada as far as new resolutions, I’m happy that they’ve helped me knock one off my list that’s sure to keep on giving as this family keeps growing!
And as for you out there in need of a solid fix when there’s nothing good on cable, don’t fret—Netflix has plenty planned for the year ahead… but why not start with some of what you can expect this February?
That said, The Making of a Murderer‘s not going to watch itself, so I’d better get back to it!
Happy streaming, tout le monde, and I’ll see you when I look at you!
Until the next,
*Disclaimer: I’m a member of the Netflix Stream Team, a group of bloggers posting monthly on the new things Netflix has to offer, which often involves interesting monthly packages promoting their freshest shows and movies! I just tell my family I’m watching copious amounts of TV for work. They buy it. For now.
