The Tween and Teenage Years #StreamTeam

Nothing certainly has slowed down since 2017 started and finding some time to connect with the kids and Netflix has been a little more challenging between a working teenager, basketball pep band, cheer, jazz band rehearsals, lacrosse, homework, and even the regular evening routine.

Being a parent of older kids is way more challenging than the little ones. I've been saying for years that I'd take a thousand toddlers over teenagers.  The conversations are more challenging--subjects that aren't always easy. It's difficult sending them off in different scenarios -- in a car with other teenagers or off to overnight camps. Discussing digital responsibility and the permanence of things like that are definitely not part of what I envisioned when I became a mom. Gone are the days of being able to know my weekends are full of all my kids snuggled up watching a movie with us. Now we have to check work schedules and social calendars.  We do still make sure that we connect however, even if it is "just" watching tv together.

I definitely love a classic feel good show or movie and I've totally passed that on to Lily for sure. She is empathetic and feels deeply when watching tv, listening to music, or interacting with people.

We were all looking forward a show this month that would pique the interest of the older kids when we learned that Netflix was doing an original of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.

The older two, no problem -- I knew they'd easily find humor in it and Neil Patrick Harris absolutely didn't disappoint.  We're only two episodes in so far and that's only due to our family schedule! I was very cautious about Lily watching because she is so empathetic and even the premise of the show with the parents could have been enough to impact her emotionally.  We watched the first episode together and talked a lot through it with many reminders that it's pretend and just a show.  She likes it and wants to watch more, but doesn't love it like the rest of us. That doesn't surprise me at all. She's teetering between wanting a little more than "baby shows" as she calls them and still being very young.

We have always been very conservative with our kids regarding tv and movies.  People we know have let their younger kids watch The Walking Dead and we're still pretty guarded about our oldest! Even though in the last couple years or so, we've started to give him more space regarding movies and shows, we still have conversations about what he's watching and why he likes it or why he wants to watch it.  Of course, he just says we're babying him.  There's plenty of time to be exposed to enough difficult stuff in the world, there's no reason to invite it into our home through the television.

You know when you blink your eyes and they go from 1 to 17...

Once again, thank goodness for Netflix! We can always find something for everyone!

Count Olaf’s Dreadful Picks. Only the most handsome, talented, brilliant man of all time could come up with a list this fantastic. Add these titles to your Netflix watch list or risk the most dreadful January yet.

“Witness the greatest act-OR of all time, obviously.” “Any show where cats are eaten must be a good thing.” “The Galra Empire is almost as dreadful as I am… almost.”

“A jungle where everyone fends for themselves or dies. Sounds like a great place for the kids to visit.” “How treacherous must the alien world be to want to leave Earth. I must visit.” “I thought those Baudelaires were pesky twerps, but they don't hold a candle to Degrassi: Next Class.”

Disclosure: As a member of the Netflix #StreamTeam I was provided subscription to Netflix and also exclusive insights or other products. All opinions are my 100% my own and I was already a proud Netflix subscriber prior to this opportunity. Please see my full disclosure.

America's Greatest School Nurse

This post has been sponsored by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare. All thoughts and reviews are my 100% own.

When kids get sick it's rough on everyone in the house. Unfortunately kids don't always have the convenience of getting sick at home.  When they're at school, the school nurse is there to help! My family is lucky enough to stay pretty healthy for the most part although when Lily went to kindergarten last year, she was hit with everything it seemed. Thankfully her school nurse was kind and helpful from smaller incidents like a bathroom accident all the way to a really sick girl who ended up with pneumonia. 

Elementary school nurses are some of my favorite people on the planet!  I still remember my school nurse from elementary school fondly. Her name was Kitty.  She was a huge part of our community and impacted so many of my childhood friends and peers. She was the "mom" we needed at school as kids and I'm grateful it was her.  I vividly remember going into her office in first grade crying because I was sick and it was my 7th birthday.  My mom was bringing cupcakes to school for my class to celebrate. Instead she had to pick me up to take me home. Nurse Kitty sat and held me as I cried while we waited for my mom. It was extremely impactful how caring she was about something pretty devastating to me at age 7. 

Don't think that middle school and high school nurses have it any easier! They are dealing with a lot of different ailments, hormones, medications, and the like that probably makes their jobs sometimes more challenging. School nurses have a tough gig that's for sure! 

Pfizer has decided that it was time to recognize these hardworking men and women and are having: 

America's Greatest School Nurse contest!

*       Does your school nurse go above and beyond in educating and comforting their students? We want to hear about them! Nominations will be accepted nationwide from anyone who would like to honor their exemplary school nurse.

*       One nurse from each state plus Washington D.C. will win a prize valued at $500 and will be entered to win the grand prize: the title of America's Greatest School nurse and a trip for a getaway from school sickness.

*       For more information and to read the full contest rules and submit a nomination, visit AmericasGreatestSchoolNurse.com 
Nominations will be accepted from January 9 to February 23

*       Voting will be open from April 3 to April 16  and the winners will be announced in early May.


Even with great school nurses around, kids get sick no matter how much we try to prevent it. When sick gets real, the pediatric brand of Pfizer Consumer Healthcare are there with 3 helpful tools: 
                   Children's Advil® to help with aches and pains or reducing a fever fast, Children's Robitussin® to help with cough relief and control, and Children's Dimetapp® Multi Symptom Cold Relief helps to ease stuffy and runny noses as well as a bothersome cough.

My sweet little 6 year old's class has recently been plagued by a stomach virus, a bad cough, lice, and a fever over the last few weeks. We've managed to avoid it all...until now.

Sick really did just get real in our house recently.

She finally succumbed to the cough and fever. Thankfully we have successfully avoided the other. 😷 Thankfully we had Children's Advil® and Children's Robitussin® on hand for just these reasons! We've kept her fever under control and her feeling better with Children's Advil®  and she's been able to sleep because of Children's Robitussin® Extended-Release 12 Hour Cough Relief. 

*Children's Advil® comes in several great-tasting flavors, including: Sugar-free Dye-free Berry, Bubble Gum, Grape, Blue Raspberry, Fruit and Dye-Free White Grape flavors. There's also Infants' Advil® White Grape, which provides unsurpassed fever relief (among OTC pain relievers) with a syringe for easy dosing for children 6-23 months.

*Children's Robitussin® Extended-Release 12 Hour Cough Relief to control and relieve symptoms all-day or all- night. Available in grape or orange flavor, for children ages 4 and up. Please note, certain Children's Robitussin® products are only suitable for children ages 6 and up.

For more information please visit Sick Just Got Real™ or on Facebook Sick Just Got Real™