I have basic cable and pay for Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. We do most of our tv viewing through streaming sites. I love the convenience and variety it offers. It's also nice to be able to hit pause. The best way to watch a show is binge watch it too.
Awhile ago though I was thinking of getting rid of Netflix, it seemed like there was never anything new. I then discovered the site Instant Watcher it is brilliant. It shows you the newest shows added, what is currently new and trending. They also used to show what is upcoming and being pulled soon, but they removed those features. So when I get bored, I check instant watcher for what is new. I wouldn't have known Django Unchained was now on Netflix if it wasn't for Instant Watcher. I also wouldn't have discovered the very creepy show Dark Net last night if it wasn't for this site. So if you feel yourself bored by the options on Netflix, check out Instant Watcher and see what you are missing out on.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Evan's fantastic 8th Birthday at Omni Hilton Head
A few years ago I won two night's stay at any Omni Hotel or Resort. I chose the resort in Hilton Head SC as it is the closest to me and looked amazing. It is right on the beach. I took my son, and my best friend's mother and sister. My best friend had passed away before Christmas the previous year in a drunk driving accident. It was very cathartic. My friend's mom told me that before she felt like she was drowning, but the water had moved from her eyebrows to below her neck from our vacation. It was amazing and fun for everyone. It also made a fantastic 6th birthday present for Evan.
So when I received a $600 gift card from Omni as a part of another prize package, I knew exactly which chain I would be staying at. This time my husband was able to get off of work and come with. We rented a car and headed down. The first night we were there it was very nice and warm and the water was perfect. The next day it was chilly, but my son still had a blast in the pool and we all had fun in the ocean, which was 75 degrees. They have chalkboards leading up to the beach letting you know the sunset/sunrise low/high tide times and the high/low temps for the day and the temp of the water, which is pretty cool.
They had done quite a few renovations since my last visit too. The first time we came, it was nice. When we returned, it was fanfreakingtastic. They changed out the pool area, before there was a tiny kiddy pool, a family pool, and an adult's only pool (which I never checked out.) They upgraded to a zero-entry pool, a kiddy pool, a splash zone, and still have an adult's only pool. One thing I loved is that all the pools and one of the hot tubs now have a special chair so that handicapped people can get in and out of the water. Having a father with MS that is wheelchair-bound it makes me feel good knowing that people like him can have fun with their families on vacation and not be stuck to the sidelines. Also, before they had one firepit, that was ok, nothing special, just a big metal thing. They upgraded to 2 very nice gas firepits. Perfect for making s'mores, having a drink, listening to music by, or just enjoying some peace and warmth. I also loved the giant chess board they had put in. I loved the one at Dreams in the Dominican Republic, so it was good to see another one.
They also have a neat program called the Omni Kid's club, they don't seem to advertise it at the Hilton Head location, but if you ask you get a cool bag with some goodies for each kid with and they also get milk and cookies delivered the first night you stay.
Oh and make sure to remember to fill out your drink request for the next morning the night before and put the time, I got orange juice for Evan and coffee for us, delivered with cream. There is a nice coffee maker in the room, with wolfgang puck pods, but having a big pot and a big thing of cream delivered early in the morning is pretty nice, very luxurious.
As far as I can tell, the rooms were not upgraded, at least not the level rooms I got, but they are great. The smallest (and cheapest) are available in one King + pull out couch, or 2 Queen beds. They also come with a nice kitchenette with a mini fridge(with a tiny freezer), toaster, sink, coffee maker and microwave. They even give you dish soup and rags for washing and a few dishes and cutlery to use. I also discovered, rather guiltily, that if you leave your dirty dishes in the sink, housekeeping will wash and dry them, oops. You also get a table and chairs to sit at and eat. All rooms also include a balcony, which is very nice to sit on and enjoy the sites and smells. You can save quite a bit of money by doing grocery shopping and making your own meals. They have a Publix on the island, which is surprisingly very affordable. I highly reccomend buying some Pluff Mudd and Murphy's English Stout if you visit Publix. Shop the sales they have and you should come out ok.
If you stay at The Omni and are a member of AAA I highly recommend taking advantage of the special offers, you get a discounted rate, and this particular resort had a breakfast option. The 3 of us got a full breakfast buffet for an extra $30/night that would have cost us over $50 otherwise. It basically made our room cost the same as if we did not have AAA. I also recommend booking in advance as the rates do raise as you get closer. You can cancel as long as it is more than 2 days before your booking and rebook, so it's better to do it early on, if you see something lower before than, you can change it.
I was not asked to review this and did not receive any compensation, but I wanted to share the genuinely great time we had for Evan's birthday and hope to return for another, perhaps for his 10th!
So when I received a $600 gift card from Omni as a part of another prize package, I knew exactly which chain I would be staying at. This time my husband was able to get off of work and come with. We rented a car and headed down. The first night we were there it was very nice and warm and the water was perfect. The next day it was chilly, but my son still had a blast in the pool and we all had fun in the ocean, which was 75 degrees. They have chalkboards leading up to the beach letting you know the sunset/sunrise low/high tide times and the high/low temps for the day and the temp of the water, which is pretty cool.
They had done quite a few renovations since my last visit too. The first time we came, it was nice. When we returned, it was fanfreakingtastic. They changed out the pool area, before there was a tiny kiddy pool, a family pool, and an adult's only pool (which I never checked out.) They upgraded to a zero-entry pool, a kiddy pool, a splash zone, and still have an adult's only pool. One thing I loved is that all the pools and one of the hot tubs now have a special chair so that handicapped people can get in and out of the water. Having a father with MS that is wheelchair-bound it makes me feel good knowing that people like him can have fun with their families on vacation and not be stuck to the sidelines. Also, before they had one firepit, that was ok, nothing special, just a big metal thing. They upgraded to 2 very nice gas firepits. Perfect for making s'mores, having a drink, listening to music by, or just enjoying some peace and warmth. I also loved the giant chess board they had put in. I loved the one at Dreams in the Dominican Republic, so it was good to see another one.
They also have a neat program called the Omni Kid's club, they don't seem to advertise it at the Hilton Head location, but if you ask you get a cool bag with some goodies for each kid with and they also get milk and cookies delivered the first night you stay.
Oh and make sure to remember to fill out your drink request for the next morning the night before and put the time, I got orange juice for Evan and coffee for us, delivered with cream. There is a nice coffee maker in the room, with wolfgang puck pods, but having a big pot and a big thing of cream delivered early in the morning is pretty nice, very luxurious.
As far as I can tell, the rooms were not upgraded, at least not the level rooms I got, but they are great. The smallest (and cheapest) are available in one King + pull out couch, or 2 Queen beds. They also come with a nice kitchenette with a mini fridge(with a tiny freezer), toaster, sink, coffee maker and microwave. They even give you dish soup and rags for washing and a few dishes and cutlery to use. I also discovered, rather guiltily, that if you leave your dirty dishes in the sink, housekeeping will wash and dry them, oops. You also get a table and chairs to sit at and eat. All rooms also include a balcony, which is very nice to sit on and enjoy the sites and smells. You can save quite a bit of money by doing grocery shopping and making your own meals. They have a Publix on the island, which is surprisingly very affordable. I highly reccomend buying some Pluff Mudd and Murphy's English Stout if you visit Publix. Shop the sales they have and you should come out ok.
If you stay at The Omni and are a member of AAA I highly recommend taking advantage of the special offers, you get a discounted rate, and this particular resort had a breakfast option. The 3 of us got a full breakfast buffet for an extra $30/night that would have cost us over $50 otherwise. It basically made our room cost the same as if we did not have AAA. I also recommend booking in advance as the rates do raise as you get closer. You can cancel as long as it is more than 2 days before your booking and rebook, so it's better to do it early on, if you see something lower before than, you can change it.
I was not asked to review this and did not receive any compensation, but I wanted to share the genuinely great time we had for Evan's birthday and hope to return for another, perhaps for his 10th!
Monday, October 27, 2014
Oh wow!
Life got so super busy. I have been working so much at my retail job. I recently got promoted, which is awesome. I was unemployed for such a long time, it is a blessing. It is not in my preferred field, but it helps create a work history and good recommendations. It is also nice that if I ever move I can transfer to another location. Evan is now 8 and nearly 5 feet tall! Holy cow! I am only 5 feet tall, that is insane! I haven't been finding many freebies or deals lately, but have been posting quite a few of the low entry giveaways I have been finding on my facebook page. Yet another mommy savings blogger
We have been having some Halloween fun already at a church event and have a few more scheduled for this week. We are also now up to SEVEN inside cats! Wow!
We had to get creative with the Halloween costume as he is too big for traditional children's costume, so I got him some ninja weapons, put him in all black and slapped a bandana on him. I am not crafty and can't sew, so not anything too spectacular, but it made him happy, that is all that really matters.
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