Netflix #LilStreamTeam

Today I am handing the reigns over to Leo, my Four year old because this month Netflix wanted to hear directly from my little man to give me a little blogging break! This month was home to two very special days, Mother's Day and of course International Women's Day, so what better way to give Mummy's of the household a break than to hand the blogging reigns over to the kids?

Leo has been ill this week with a nasty viral infection, and was actually off school Monday and Tuesday but when he asked me if he could go to the park I decided it was time to send him right on back to school on the Wednesday... Figures right? He still wasn't 100% but if he was well enough to want to go to the park, he was more than well enough to go to school! 

Flash forward to yesterday where school called me up to go and collect him and insisted that I keep him home until at least Monday, only for him to make a miraculous recovery today, so yesterday while he was still feeling worse for wear, we decided to record a little video for my budding little vlogger to hopefully take his mind off things and make him feel a little better.

It is safe to say that this week has consisted mainly of watching Netflix, so I have taken the opportunity to find out what my #lilstreamteam member has been enjoying recently... Bare in mind that he hasn't been 100% but he still wanted to help record this vlog for you all.

I present my little man Leo...

I am excited to tell you that the lovely Charlotte from Berice Baby and I are hosting a monthly linky for you all to join up with us and tell us what you are LOVING on Netflix. This will be a fun way to discover new shows and films to watch, because lets face it we all have those withdrawals when we reach the end of our favourite shows, and with Easter creeping up on us, we will want to keep ourselves hooked up with the latest and greatest Netflix shows!

I have just watched the new trailer for the Netflix Original Series The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt! That is set to be a must watch on my agenda!

The linky will run on a monthly basis, so make sure to share your favourite watches from the month with us!

You can link up below, and we cannot wait to see what you have been enjoying recently!

This post is in association with the #NetflixStreamTeam, all thoughts and opinions expressed are completely honest and our own.

Netflix: What We Loved in February

Netflix: What We Loved in February...

February has been a busy month on the Netflix front, and this is because I had missed the memo that Pretty Little Liars was back on our screens. The show breaks in season 6 after we finally discover who A is. I hadn't had to wait as long as some to find out, as I discovered the series on Netflix last year and binge watched it season after season until I was all caught up. 

Now Pretty Little Liars is back on our screens, it has picked up 5 years after the revelation and exposure of A (I won't expose who A is just in case you are currently watching the show!). The girls have moved on with their lives, but when they are called back to Rosewood to a hearing that will ultimately decide if A can be released into the world, they are asked to provide statements about how they would feel if this was to happen. With A being pretty close to home (just a small hint can't hurt!) their responses risk upsetting a friend.

With the girls all back in Rosewood, of course it isn't going to be plain sailing, and thank God it isn't because if it really was time for a 'Happy Ever After' then that would be the end of the show, and I for one don't want this to end anytime soon.

The low down without giving too much away is that A is released, but only for a short time before she is found dead. A has been murdered, and guess who quickly become suspects in the murder inquiry? You guessed it! The girls are forced to stay put in Rosewood until the case is resolved, and then it really comes to light how much life for them have changed over the last 5 years. They have jobs, fiances and lives that have gone on without each other. 

If you haven't sat and watched Pretty Little Liars before, I highly recommend this series. You will be on the very edge of your seat and wondering what will happen next. You won't want to turn it off.

90210 is a show I fell in love and watched a while ago, but I decided to re-watch the pilot episode again one evening, and somehow I have got sucked right back into the larger than life lives of Annie, Dixon, Naomi, Adriana and Silver. In fact I got so into it again, that I have just started watching season 2.

For those of you who have not watched or heard of this American series, it follows teenagers Annie and Dixon as they move from Kansas with their family to the wealthy zip code of Beverly Hills. They start school at West Beverly High and quickly meet people who help shape their lives over the next 5 seasons.

I first watched this thinking that I wouldn't enjoy it, as I do with most series in honesty. Of course after that first episode I was hook, line and sinker. Now that I am re-watching it, I am re-discovering story lines that I had completely forgotten. It's just like watching it for the very first time.

If there is one thing that YOU do watch in the wake of this post, it has to be Making a Murderer. I had heard so much about this series that is in fact a documentary following Steven Avery. Steven Avery was imprisoned for a crime he in fact did not commit. He was kept in prison for nearly 2 decades, and was finally exonerated. Avery filed suit against Manitowoc County and several individuals who had been involved with his arrest, and fabricating evidence to put him behind bars.

Shortly after his release, Avery was arrested again in connection with the murder of 25 year old photographer Teresa Halbach who unfortunately for Avery, was last seen on his property. The documentary follows Avery and his family on one of the most speculated cases ever un-veiled. It has certainly got people talking, and I can tell you know that when you watch it, you will be there shouting at the television.

I was sat watching this in the lounge back in January after I was held up following a sports injury, feeling pretty sorry for myself, and I was getting so drawn into it, when I saw that my own Mum had sat down, and she was even more into it than I was!

What's Leo watching?

Our morning routine is that Leo will wake up, toddle into my room and climb into bed. He picks up his Nintendo Wii U remote and will put Netflix on. He can do it all himself and doesn't need me to physically do anything. I'll wake up with my alarm to find him sat watching Horrid Henry, that is his all time favourite show right now.

Leo has his own kids Netflix profile on my account, and this means that all he needs to do is spot his name and associated image on the app so that he can find all of the kids content. This works perfectly for us and gives Leo a level of independence. I'm not worried that he will click the wrong account, he knows that he has his own, and we have never had a problem with him clicking on one of the other profiles and gaining access to content that isn't suitable. He knows exactly what to do, and enjoys having his own profile.

It does seem to mostly be Horrid Henry on his screen at the moment, but he loves The Adventure of Super Mario Bros, much to my horror. I have to say I am not a fan of this series, the music alone drives me to distraction, but Leo adores it. He uses Netflix for films too when he's in the mood and a huge contender for favourite has to be Planes,

In the next post I will talk about upcoming shows and series that I can't wait to watch! That will be live in the next week or so, so check back to hear about shows I am yet to watch, and the latest shows to Netflix!

Netflix Stream Team: August

So things have been pretty quiet around here recently because instead of blogging... I have actually been watching Netflix. So ironically the post I have been planning on writing up about Netflix has been delayed...Because I am to busy watching Netflix. 

You see the dilemma here? 

So tonight I have turned on some music, forgotten that I hold an all singing and all dancing Netflix subscription... Pushed the fact that I quite simply have an addition (maybe a borderline problem that needs addressing), and that I am in so deep into Season 5 of Pretty Little Liars, that I am inevitably growing ever closer to finding out who 'A' actually is!

Over the last few months I have been totally addicted to Pretty Little Liars, I am the kind of girl that simply can only watch one box set at any one time. I feel like I am doing myself a terrible in-justice if I swap up what I am watching, I guess you could say that I am an all or nothing kind of girl. If I do watch something in between my one and only, it may as well be down right cheating and it does not sit right with me. So while I have been completely loved up and feeding my infatuation with Pretty Little Liars, there has become a bit of a back log of things that I JUST HAVE to watch.

The day is fast approaching where this love affair I have going on is going to come to an end. It is going to be a sad day, because I have absolutely loved the twists and turns that have come with this series. Is it just me that get's a little bit attached to a show? To the characters? What I mean is I am going to be really sad to get to the end... Like I said. I think I have a borderline Netflix addiction. 

My mind is already wandering to finishing this post...Hopping into bed with a cup of tea and putting on Pretty Little Liars. This is not helping my case right?

When I finish the series up my next point of call has to be without a shadow of a doubt....Orange is the New Black. I attended the screening back in June and watched the first 2 episodes, and since then haven't had the opportunity to revisit the series just yet, but I am very much excited to. I adore it, I love the humor, the plots, the laughs and all of the characters. I find it crazy to think that the first time I watched the show...I thought that I wasn't going to like it. That very first episode changed all of that forever!

Following on from Orange is the New Black I have a bit of a list that I will be working my way through....Are you ready?

The Originals - I LOVE The Vampire Diaries, so for me this is the most logical next step!

The returned, I don't know much about this one but it keeps standing to me and is one I definitely need to see.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - This has been on my list for months and months! I loved the first two episodes and giggled in all of the right places. Such a great series that I am pretty excited about continuing.

Once Upon a Time - This series has been recommended to me time and time again. I haven't yet looked into the story and I don't know what to expect...But between all of these new series, I have a pretty full plate and also lots more to talk to you guys about once I get my teeth sunk into it all!

So if things do go a little quiet, please feel free to drop me a tweet @lovelyleosmummy and tell me that I have lots to be getting on with. I am most likely tucked up in bed after a gym session, relaxing in the bask of the television glow with my favourite companion...Netflix.

Disclaimer: As part of the Netflix Stream Team I am provided complimentary Netflix to meet my addiction. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.

Netflix: Race to Dragons Edge

Back in June Leo turned Four and the very next day we were on board a train to London. Netflix had called upon me and my not so little man to come and celebrate the launch of the Netflix Original Series Dragons Race to the Edge.

In true Netflix style all the stops had been pulled out and we arrived to find that all of the children were being issued their very own swords, axes and shields, much of course to Leo's delight. I couldn't but chuckle as he was lead off to battle, because it was only earlier that morning that I had told Leo to stop sword fighting with his cousin. Of course... Who am I to argue!? It provided the perfect opportunity to find a glass of bubbly to fill my empty hand! (I won't mention that this was an afternoon event!).

Dragons Race to the Edge is the spin of series to the very popular How to Train your Dragon, and both Leo and myself had really high hopes for it. The series picks up in between the first and the second feature film, and in the first couple of episodes that we were lucky enough to view on the day, we saw how Hiccup came into possession of the Dragon Eye. The Dragon Eye is a mysterious object jam packed full of secrets and mystery that ultimately point the way to the undiscovered dragons and the islands in which the Dragon Riders will embark on countless adventures.

  

The children all cuddled up on bean bags, goblets in hand and enough goodies that they could muster and began to watch the new series. It gave me a break from having to make sure Leo was not taking anyone's eye out, hand off or even knocking Hiccups head off as he later came to do... (Sorry Netflix!). The kids were all so engrossed in the show, and it provided the perfect opportunity to catch up with my blogging bestie Lottie over at Berice Baby. In fact we had to step outside of the showing as our giggles were getting louder and louder...In true Laura and Lottie style of course!

After the showing we were free to stick around and enjoy all of the festivities that had been put together in honor of the event, Among the sea of bubbly, the viking theme had really been carried throughout and I was probably just as excited by this fact as the children. Dragon Sandwiches, goblets of tasty juice (Some with eyes floating around inside! I am still not sure what they actually were!) Not to mention the absolutely fabulous Hiccup Dragon Cake! 

We had such an amazing day, and Leo was in his absolute element which is always nice to see. The nice thing about these events is that you get to know everyone, and in turn the kids do to. It's always more like meeting a bunch of your friends, and that means that I can give Leo a little bit more freedom.

Before we left Netflix bestowed a Birthday Surprise on Leo, and presented him with a box of cupcakes. Leo was too excited to get on the train and tuck in, and I have to admit that even I snuck one and they were absolutely delicious! 

A few days after the excitement of the event had subsided, we took in our very own dragon! Since Hiccup arrived we have been having so much fun with him. I admittedly took him out to play before Leo even saw him... So yes it is my fault that Leo still thinks Hiccup can fly...And it is also my fault that Leo gets frustrated when he wont fly for him...

Here is what we have been getting up to!

A big, big, BIG thank you to Netflix for inviting us along to see the new series and for spoiling us rotten. We had a fantastic day as always and Leo still talks about his amazing time to anyone who will listen!

Disclaimer: We were invited along the Netflix Race to Dragons Edge Screening as part of the stream team. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own. 

Orange is the New Black Season 3 Launch Party

Orange is the New Black is back for a third season, and after only touching down in the UK hours earlier, I found myself whizzing across country to the series launch in London. Obviously it was an event that was to amazing to not make it back for, so I made it my purpose in life to get there...Someway...Somehow!

I arrived with the ever lovely Berice Baby who has become my #NetflixStreamTeam right arm, we always have a good giggle together (especially when there are cocktails or glasses of Champagne on hand) Of course luckily for us there was plenty of that to be had!

Berice Baby and I trying to get into character. We may have taken it a little to seriously...

I was to excited to see how season 3 kicked off after thhe action-packed finale episode of season 2 ends with Vee escaping the prison through Red’s contraband hole. Of course fans of the show know that she didn't get very far. Instead of tasting freedom that she had expected, Vee ends up with a mouthful of blood when Miss Rosa hits her with the vehicle she stole.

This was my second Orange is the New Black Premier (I know, I know! I am one very lucky lady!) and Netflix are always more than accommodating, a really great bunch of people who I look forward to seeing each time I visit with them. Of course they do spoil us, we were very privileged when we were directed into the screening rooms to watch the first 2 episodes of the brand new season BEFORE the release the following day, and they did that while feeding us tasty treats and slipping a few more cocktails into our hands! 

Season 3 has been out for a few weeks now, and I am yet to complete watching it! It's completely outrageous on my part, but I am no good at juggling box-sets. When I get my teeth firmly into something I have to watch it all the way through, and at this moment in time I am glued to Pretty Little Liars. That would explain the radio silence that sometimes sweeps over this here blog (I am probably watching Netflix!). 

Of course as soon as Pretty Little Liars wraps, Orange is the New Black is the very top of my list. I can't wait to see how this season plays out, the first 2 episodes have certainly implied that change is imminent, I won't go into to many details as I don't want to detract the surprses that you will discover along the way.

Just know that it's set to be a great season. Enjoy it and don't tell me any of the spoilers if you have already watched it!

A big thanks to Netflix for hosting such a fun filled evening, as always it was incredible.

Happy streaming!

Laura x  

Disclaimer: I was invited along to the Netflix Original Series Launch of Orange is the New Black as part of the Stream Team panel. All views and experiences shared are completely honest and my own.

#NetflixStreamTeam June 2015

Over the past 17 and a bit months I have had the privilege of working with Netflix as part of their #StreamTeam. It's a role that I have thoroughly enjoyed, and one that I am so excited to be continuing with for 2015. 

I watched and enjoyed Netflix long before I joined the Stream Team, so when the opportunity landed in my inbox to get involved with a brand that I already loved, I knew that I had to get involved. From the diverse selection of boxsets and films that are available on demand whenever you want to stream them, to the kids boxsets and family entertainment there really is something for everyone. 

There is new content uploaded each month to keep the variation, and what I love is that the cross over is quite generous. I have never started watching something that I can't finish which for me is an essential part of the service. This month an old favourite of mine has been added, Anastasia, I may have to coax Leo into watching that one with me...Or even just enjoy it on my own! The same has to be said for the Lizzie McQuire Movie which I quite simply adored in my younger teenage days.

In our house Netflix is used from young to old, from Leo who has discovered the New Super Mario Bros boxset in recent months, to my younger brother and sister who have each hijacked my subscription! 

You can imagine my surprise when I couldn't access my own Netflix account because everyone else had logged in on multiple devices!

I secretly took great pleasure in signing them all out *insert evil giggle here* and gaining access back to MY account!

Even my parents have hopped on the Netflix bandwagon enjoying titles such as Breaking Bad and American Horror Story.

It really is a family addiction around these parts, and I for one love nothing more than curling up with my iPad in hand and tucking into the next episode (I do mean episodes!) of the latest box set I have got my teeth into. 

I have most recently discovered Pretty Little Liars, and I only really watched this after deciding to watch the Pilot episode just to see what it was like. I had seen adverts of it on other Netflix content I had been watching and even on the television, but I drummed it into my head that it looked to 'high school' for my tastes. After that first episode though I had completely pushed those initial opinions aside. I was hooked. Within a week or so I had ploughed my way through the very first series, and I am now well on my way with season 2. 

How had I never watched this before!?

Once I begin to watch something I cannot stop, it's like when you get into a good book and you can't put it down until you have read it from cover to cover. I have to admit that I get secretly attached to a series over the course of watching it, and it cuts deep when you reach the very end of a series, and then it's all done. Gone forever and you have to find your next love affair, for the pattern to begin again. 

Take last night for instance, instead of catching up on the multiple blog posts that I have to at least start before I head away on holiday this week...I stayed up until gone 2:00AM watching... Netflix! I think sometimes at the end of a long day, when all is done (or supposed to be!) we just need to lose ourselves in a world of someone else's drama and problems. It's highly addictive and lets face it, when something keeps us on the edge of our seats or curls our toes, we really are one with the moment!

For those of you who haven't tuned into Pretty Little Liars just yet, DO! The story follows four highschool girls after the un-expected disappearance of their best friend Alison. Alison is the leader of the pack, the most popular girl in the school, and hated on equal measure. It doesn't take long for the story to start unraveling with questions and mysteries coming out of the woodwork in the wake of Alison's body being discovered.

You can bet your bottom dollar that once this post is published I will be slipping into bed, iPad in hand, and catching up on my nightly dose of Pretty Little Liars.

What have you been enjoying this month?

Disclaimer: I was sent everything I needed to get started watching Netflix for the next 12 months. I have not been paid to write this post. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.

A Netflix Original Series: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

It’s no secret that I love a good boxset, in fact I love my television and Netflix subscription whole heartedly. When I am not having to endure Leo’s latest favourite film over and over again, I can quite happily slink into bed and plough through my current boxset addiction. When I start to watch something, I blitz it pretty quickly, everything I watch these days is almost always on demand, and when I cast my mind back to the ‘olden days’ where I would have to wait an ENTIRE week for my next fix, I wonder how I survived it.

For the last year I have been on board with Netflix as part of their #StreamTeam, it’s a role that I have felt very privileged to be awarded, and one that I thoroughly enjoy. I was so excited to discover that this role was being extended into the year ahead (Yes I may have squealed!) and the excitement didn’t stop there. Oh no! I was then invited to London to an exclusive Netflix Stream Team event, for the un-veiling of their latest Netflix Original series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

If that wasn’t enough excitement, the invite was for me and me alone. Leo was to stay at home while I was spoilt rotten and pampered in the rather swanky Soho Hotel, where cocktails and wine were on the cards from 12:00pm and massages and manicures were there to be taken advantage of. Not to mention the very attentive staff who couldn’t do enough for you, and that was before Netflix provided everyone with big foam hands to get their attention! Of course it is needless to say that I made sure I enjoyed a massage and got my nails (they were crying out for a good polish after being abandoned for many, many months!) done.

It was a great opportunity to catch up with old friends and make some new ones, I got to see the beautiful Charlotte from Berice Baby and even meet the wonderful Jess from Lily Pod and Sweet Pea. It was such a lovely day, and the three of us hit it off right away and spent the day enjoying the child free time and obviously had one to many cocktails, which of course made playing around with the new Selfie Sticks we had acquired a rather hilarious experience.

With the Stream Team fed and watered it was time to make our way into the screening of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, where we were to be some of the first people to enjoy the new show before it launched on Friday 6^th March 2015.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt centre’s around Kimmy Schmidt, who has spent many years being locked away in a underground shelter, after being abducted by a priest who has brainwashed Kimmy and her new found Mole sisters into thinking that the apocalypse has ended the world, and that they are now the only living beings left.

The series starts with the rescue of the Mole sisters and so begins Kimmy’s journey. After being kept captive for so many years, the world is not what she remembers and she realises early on that it is going to be a struggle to find a sense of normality. The other Mole sister’s want to head backt to their home town’s but Kimmy wishes to stay in New York and make a new life for herself, she knows that going home will mean being seen as a victim, and staying in New York provides the opportunity to carve an entirely new existence for herself.

Unbrakeable Kimmy Schmidt is hilarious, and I thoroughly enjoyed each of the 3 episodes that we watched. I laughed, a lot, and so did everyone around me for that matter. The show was clever and flowed so well. Yes the scenarios are out there, but that’s part of it’s charm. Ultimately the show is about a girl who just wants to fit in and live a normal life, and who out there doesn’t want that?  Of course life has a knack of not going the way you plan for it too, and as if poor Kimmy hasn’t had enough bad luck, she is about to find out just how un-predictable life can be.

This is a series that I am thoroughly enjoying, if a show has the power to make laugh then it’s a winner in my eyes. The show is live on Netflix to stream right now, so if your looking for a new boxset to enjoy, I highly recommend giving Unbrakeable Kimmy Schmidt a try.

It’s love at the first episode! 

I had such a fantastic day with Netflix and my fellow Stream Team, it was so lovely to just sit back and have my nails done while sipping one of the very tasty cocktails, and it was nice to just have a bit of time just for me. Thank you Netflix for spoiling us all rotten and I am so excited to be on board for 2015!

Disclaimer: I was invited along to the Netflix Original Unbrakeable Kimmy Schmidt Screening as part of the #ScreenTeam. All views and opinons expressed are completely honest and my own.

The Festive Season with Netflix

2015 is upon us and the glitter of Christmas has already been packed away giving way to the dismal bleak January days, but with that said the memories and magic of Christmas are not to far away from our thoughts and that is ultimately what lights this month up.

Leo is now 3 and a half, his understanding of the festive period has exploded this year and he has thoroughly enjoyed being involved in everything that has been going on. We have spent cold evenings curled up in the light of the Christmas Tree and watching family films on Netflix. I came across a film in December that really put a smile on my face, and I couldn't wait to sit down and watch it with Leo. The Cannon version of Hansel and Gretel. As a child this was my favourite film, my Mum had recorded it off the television well over 20 years ago, and I watched it over and over again. It's a film I have thought about over the years, and couldn't quite believe it when it fell into my lap. Leo sat next to me and it was so lovely to show him a film that I once loved so dearly, and it was apparent to see that he to was really enjoying it.

There have been so many great films that we have enjoyed with Netflix over the festive season:

- Mickey's Magic At Christmas

- Mickey's Twice On A Christmas

- I'll Be Home For Christmas

- The Muppet Movie

Christmas can be a stressful time, what with all the last minute preparations and not to mention December being the ultimate month for the lurgy, it sometimes feels like it's one thing after another. Netflix very kindly sent us out a Christmas Survival Kit to help get us through the festive season, they covered every base imaginable and I was really thankful for the goodies once my very own Christmas lurgy set in...

In the survival kit they included:

- A Netflix USB Charger - This little beauty was a godsend, I know keep it safely in my handbag in case my phone or iPad need a bit of juice while I am out and about.

- A pack of A4 Batteries - I don't need to tell you how useful these came in Christmas Day!

- Bear YoYo Snacking Fruit Bars - These made a great alternative to all of the chocolate I felt necessary to demolish over the Christmas period. 

- Sellotape - Because it's inevitable that you are going to run out what with all of the gift wrapping! Suffice to say Netflix were the angel on my shoulder Christmas Eve!

- Jo Malone Candle and Bath Oil - When you are feeling under the weather, nothing quite beats drawing yourself a bath and relaxing by the candle light... Although Christmas was a really busy time, I still found half an hour to do just this!

- Nurofen Tablets - This may have been the most practical part of the survival pack for me, and with the lurgy they definitely helped! 

Thank you Netflix for the very practical Christmas Survival Kit, not to mention the added treats. It really helped me cover every base and thankfully persuaded me to sit down, put my feet up and catch up with 90210. 

Disclaimer: I was sent everything I needed to get started watching Netflix for the next 12 months. I have not been paid to write this post. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.

Celebrating The New Year King Julien Style!

Celebrating 2015 King Julien Style!

With Leo being so young still we knew it wasn't going to be realistic to let him stay awake until midnight on New Years Eve, so when Netflix asked if we would like to celebrate the New Year King Julien style, we were really excited to oblige. 

Netflix wanted to help younger kids to party into 2015 with King Julien's 'New Year's Eve Countdown'. With a little help from King Julien and friends, they created three minutes of high-energy, music-filled fun that lets kids celebrate the New Year no matter what time of day! This worked out really well for us as it meant that Leo got a sense of the fun that bringing in the New Year is all about, but still got to bed on time. 

Netflix very kindly sent us a box full of King Julien party pieces including hats and party blowers, so at 6pm on New Years Eve, we presented Leo with our party preparations and handed over the all important party blowers! 

Having attended the King Julien Screening in December, we were more than ready to party hard with King Julien again, and Leo was so excited by all of the festivities that he could hardly contain himself! 

How to prepare for the big night

1. Draw inspiration of the Mahiki party in December! Boy does King Julien know how to party! If you didn't make it you can catch up with the first few episodes of All Hail King Julien here.

2. Prepare your party music playlists in advance 

3. Find a disposable camera for the kids to play 'paparazzi', it will keep them occupied and is a great way to capture the night! Just make sure to have your own camera ready to capture the “New Year’s Eve King Julien countdown” so you can play it back to the kids in later years

4. Share your party countdowns with us! social to #KingJulien #StreamTeam

5. Don't forget to Have Fun!

Here is a short clip of  Leo and I counting down to the New Year, just before Leo was put to bed and waved a fond farewell to our 2014 adventures.

Thank you Netflix, we had a great time!

Disclaimer: We were invited to party with King Julien and sent party goodies and a camera to share our evening with you. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.

All Hail King Julien - A Netflix Original Series

Being part of the Netflix Stream Team is an exciting role, and this year we have absolutely loved getting involved. Over the last year we have absolutely loved Netflix and the television content available for the entire family. I have indulged in countless box sets and Luke has enjoyed the film selection, where as Leo has been glued to the variety of kid's content.

It is no secret that Leo is a big fan of Madagascar, so when I had a family invitation to the screening of the new Netflix original screening of 'All Hail King Julien' that just so happens to star everyone's favourite characters from Madagascar, there was no two ways about it, we just had to go along!

The event was held at Mahiki in London, and as soon as we arrived we found ourselves with a virgin Pina Colada each in a very special Pineapple Cup, Leo was very impressed and looked every bit the sophisticated Londoner parading around the swanky cocktail bar with his tipple in hand.

We were one of the first people to arrive, and it very quickly began to fill up with our fellow Stream Team friends and familiar faces that took me a while to place. Pixie Lott, Jamie Winstone, Donna Air, Oliver Cheshire, Jo Wood, Wretch 32, Denise Lewis, Portia Freeman and Jasmine Guinness were all in attendance along with their families, and it was lovely to see such a great turn out!

While being treated to a number of delicious beverages and watching Leo have such a fantastic time jumping around on the bean bags that had been provided for the kids, we were previewed the first 2 episodes of the brand new 'All Hail King Julien' series, and if that wasn't amazing enough, we even got to meet the very real, smooth moving King Julien himself! 

Leo sat among all of the other children as the first two episodes were shown, he laughed and thoroughly enjoyed the new series, and I know that when Netflix releases the first Five 22 minute episodes on the 19th December, we will be enjoying them again and again! Leo said that he really enjoyed All Hail King Julien and it was apparent that he found Julien himself very comical.

All Hail King Julien is set long before the Zoosters arrive on Madagascar, when King Julien holds court. The colourful cast includes fan favourites Mort and Maurice, along with a host of all-new jungle dwellers as they take on the craziest adventures and wildest parties the jungle has to offer! 

What do Netflix say about the all new series?

'Keeping tune with the dance-crazed taste of its lead character, the humor of ALL HAIL KING JULIEN is backed by a pulse-pounding original score that includes a brand-new, infectiously upbeat theme song.  The series features a talented voice cast that includes television legend Henry Winkler (Happy Days) as Julien’s regal predecessor, Uncle King Julien, alongside Emmy-winning actor Danny Jacobs as King Julien, Andy Richter (Conan, Arrested Development) as Mort, Kevin Michael Richardson (Family Guy) as Maurice, and India de Beaufort (One Tree Hill) as Clover, the king’s special-ops expert.

ALL HAIL KING JULIEN joins the hit series Turbo FAST in a growing lineup of Netflix original animated productions from DreamWorks Animation.  By the end of 2016, DreamWorks Animation will debut 10 additional new series on the world’s leading Internet TV Network.'

We all had a super day, Leo meeting King Julien was exactly the same feeling as me getting to meet THE Pixie Lott, kind of surreal coming face to face with one of your favourite popstars in the ladies toilet I can tell you! 

It was plain to see just how much fun Leo was having, he practically disowned us from the moment we arrived until the moment I told him it was time to make our way home. His exact words to me when I told him it was time to leave were 'No Mummy! Wait! *Insert hand stop signal here* I playing!'. With that I got the hint that he had no intention of leaving any time soon...

Leo spent the afternoon dancing with King Julien and learning the very special dance routine, I couldn't believe my eyes when he got involved on his own accord! My 3 year old normally shy's away from such activities! 

All Hail King Julien is going to be a fantastic new addition to the already fabulous collection of children's content, and we absolutely love all the Netflix offers it's subscribers. We as a family wouldn't be without Netflix these days, and we are very excited to see the show go live on the 19th of this month!

Make sure you tune in! You can watch it right here from the 19th!

Disclaimer: I was invited along to the All Hail King Julien Screening, but all views and opinions are completely honest and my own.

#NetflixStreamTeam - July

Summer is upon us and Leo has just broken up for his very first Summer holidays. It is hard to believe that this tie next year my little man will be preparing to start reception at first school. With the 6 week break here we have been making plans to get out and about and make the most of this special time, with my Birthday coming up this Friday I decided it would be great to head along to the cinema and enjoy the new Planes feature! Of course having 6 weeks to keep little one's entertained can be a mammoth task, but there are plenty of options that we can take up in order to have fun and teach them while the homework is on hold!

This months Netflix theme is of course 'School is out for Summer!' and in honour of the Summer break they have put together some great content that will help us keep the kids entertained and learning while we try not to pull our hair out:

How to let your kids play and learn:

 Check out the list of titles to stream on Netflix which will keep the children inspired throughout the holiday. Titles for younger kids include Scholastic’s The Magic School Bus whilst Planet Earth, The Life of Mammals and The Secret Life of Birds are great options for the older children and even adults.

For the little ones:

For the older ones:

At this moment in time Leo is still loving the Thomas the Tank Engine selection that is running on Netflix. This has to be my number one trick on a Sunday morning if he does decide that he is going to wake up at the crack of dawn with the birds. Another aspect that we have been really enjoying is the opportunity to enjoy family films together cuddled up in bed on a weekend evening. We cheekily get in the popcorn and a few naughty treats, we then cuddle up under the duvet and enjoy a film together. 

For me this month I am still working my way through Gossip Girl. I am ever so slightly addicted and have just hit season 4. 

I hope everyone so far is enjoying the summer break and that the kids are all on their best behavior!

Disclaimer: I was sent everything I needed to get started watching Netflix for the next 12 months. I have not been paid to write this post. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.

#NetflixStreamTeam - June

'Me' time becomes pretty scare when you become a parent. It is natures way of telling us that we can forget doing anything for ourselves, well for the first couple of years anyway! Now that Leo is getting older I seem to be getting a better balance, and I have even found myself with some spare time to do things.. for ME! 

I have recently started the gym and once Leo is in bed I have been treating myself to an hour or so out of the house. I guess that's the one benefit to having to move home, I now have built in babysitters, and as I have tucked Leo up in bed, and read him his bedtime story, I don't feel guilty about doing something completely for myself. 

Up until I found this new found freedom my evenings would be spent curled up with a new Netflix Boxset, and to be honest even these days I do love nothing more than a quiet evening with my favourite boxsets.

With June seeing the arrival of Season 2 Orange is the New Black, I very quickly demolished each episode. Now I am more than ready for season 3 to hit the screens! Last month I was invited to Soho to view the screening episode of Season 2... Along with the cast! Yes I was actually in the very same room as Taylor Schilling and Jason Biggs. Jason Biggs for me is someone I have grown up watching on the television, so it was a surreal moment to actually almost meet him!

When Leo isn't around there are a number of boxsets that I have thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish, one of the ones on my 'must watch list' at the moment is Gossip Girl. This is a series I actually started to watch a couple of months ago, and for some reason I just didn't get into it straight away. Fast forward a couple of months and I cannot get enough of it, I am still on Season 1 at present but I am pleased to see I have 5 more seasons to enjoy ahead of me.

24 is another show that I just LOVE, no matter how many times I watch this series I can still enjoy it again and again. I have recently caught back up on all of Jack Bauer's bad days in anticipation of the latest season coming around. 

I will end this post with a selection of my favourite Netflix selections that I enjoy when I do get some coveted time to myself...

Disclaimer: I was sent everything I needed to get started watching Netflix for the next 12 months. I have not been paid to write this post. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.