Family Movie Night – AKA Surviving Summer in Las Vegas

I’m happy to tell you about Family Movie Night in this sponsored post written by me on behalf of Netflix.

Family Movie Night – AKA Surviving Summer in Las Vegas

Back in Chicago, mid 80’s…. I was growing up. Or, growing older depending on who you ask. One of the things we always looked forward to was Family Movie Night. It was different than what you picture that being now. We had awesome sauce drive-in theaters. My brother and I squished in between my parents on that front bench seat, sitting in the car with the white boxy, crackley sounding speaker hanging on the window. Sometimes, if we begged, they’d let us lay on the hood of the car with our pillows. Man, Surviving Summer didn’t seem so ‘Survivor-ish’ at all… Family movie night happened every other weekend. No working it in, checking everyone’s busy schedules, none of that. It just was. Good times.

Living in Las Vegas, it’s kind of a bummer that we can’t do that with Ethan. It just way to hot. Those speakers would be hard to hear with the windows all rolled up and the AC running. Have you ever been to a Drive-In? Every kid should get to do that at least once! These days though, family movie night isn’t just a couple bucks for a whole car full of people, even for those  toughing it out in the Vegas heat. Going to an indoor movie to see the newest flick, in cool air and comfy seats, dings us about $40 a trip (not counting food or drinks)… Ouch. So, it wasn’t really a stretch for us to switch up our listings of the best kids shows on Netflix I told you about last month to what’s the line-up over on www.Netflix.com/Families. And, switch out piling in the car to cozying up on the family room floor! Pillows and everything!

Once you’re over there, you can check out a whole new set of categories.  Family Movie Night, Are We There Yet and TV for Curious Kids. Now, that last one, Ethan kind of enjoys a lot. He’s all into under water adventures, Pirates, that whole scene. As soon as we started browsing those he started making lists. I love that he’s soaking up info like a sponge. Sometimes, I wish he would stop quizzing me, he’s way smarter than I already.

 The new Netflix.com/Families page is accessible on tons of Netflix-ready devices. Smartphones, tablets, laptops, Xbox’s, Wii’s…. and without commercials. Ethan usually grabs my Galaxy Tablet or lays in his bed and watches on his Wii when it’s not family movie night. Tons of air-conditioned fun for just $7.99/month makes surviving Summer way easier, huh? Oh! You know what else we found surfing around? There’s a couple new sections for the big kids (me) too! Catch-Up TV for Busy Parents or Movies Based on Bestsellers and now, they have started some original series programming. I started watching Orange is The New Black. It’s from the creator of “Weeds” which I loved, loved, loved. It’s a pretty hilarious but heartbreaking series based on the true story of Piper, an upper-class New Yorker who finds herself sentenced to fifteen months in a women’s correctional facility for a crime she committed long ago. Check that one out after the small fry’s are in bed!

How are you surviving Summer by you? Have you planned any awesome family movie nights? Tell me what you’re watching that I should add to my ‘must see’ list!

Netflix.com/Families is a new destination designed to meet your family’s summertime entertainment needs. Parents can find lists of movies and TV shows for all kinds of special summer moments. Visit www.Netflix.com/Families for more information on the best ways to stream as well as videos from families using Netflix. This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Netflix.