Sep 19, 2015

September Unboxing of Birchbox, boxycharm, and ipsy glam bag

Sweetie with September's Boxycharm and ipsy 
I have all three of my subscription boxes to reveal in one post at one time for the month of September. I am pleasantly surprised that I didn't feel the need to track down the packages as they all arrived in a timely manner.

A little side note to add is that I am dealing with a reaction from previous makeup/lotions/something in my eye area which I think could have originated from the Olay Regenerist serum from a limited edition box I bought last month. Right now my skin is dry, irritated and peeling as if I burned it and it has been going on for over a week. I threw out the Olay serum. The under eye area is so sensitive, but the fact that it appears to have affected under my brow as well, I do not know what to think at this point. Mascara? Or could it be that the variety of new things I have been trying is aggravating the situation? But it really is focused on the one area so I don't think I can attribute it to any foundations, powders, face lotions. The under eye specific product would be the eye makeup or Olay serum.

Because of this irritation, I am much more interested in more natural and organic ingredients in products and it would be nice to find a facial product with healing qualities!

Onwards to the boxes!
September Birchbox
The first box to arrive was Birchbox. If you want to join Birchbox, please use my referral link here

Included in this box:
Dear Clark Volumizing Tonic- 'Because everything is big in Texas'. Marketed to men?

ModelCo Ultra Long-Lasting Lipstick - A bright red lipstick to give to my hip daughter.

dr. brandt® pores no more® cleanser - This was a selection that I was able to choose to be part of my box. I would enjoy a product that will minimize my pores, and I have a lot of different brands tailored to this need. I have not found anything that I can recommend yet, I am using this sparingly however.

Harvey Prince Hello A tiny perfume sample but it does smell fresh and pretty, though not something I would purchase.

Benefit Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel The trend of brow focus continues. I have minimal brows and never in my forty plus years have I even thought about them. I guess I can start worrying about them now, joy.

The product I wanted was the Dr. Brandt. A small sample as usual, but for the $10 for the box as a whole is worth it. When the products are all samples, it is truly a vague estimate to put a value on it. I view samples as things that are given away for free as promotions, so technically freebies.


September Boxycharm
The Boxycharm arrived next, and this is the subscription that costs twice as much as the others. The reason is because you don't get the teeny samples. The product is full sized and actually gives you something to work with.
The product in September's Boxycharm that I was happy to try first was the Hydromilk lotion, since my skin has been through a lot lately.
The Previse Skincare HydroMilk Hydrating Lotion is valued at $48.00 alone. You need to emulsify this within your palms first though, and I forget to do that first. Tried it for a few days and it hasn't fixed anything as far as my irritated skin goes.
Vasanti Professional Foundation Brush $32 - I finally can throw away my old Estee Lauder brush!
tarte SmolderEyes Amazonian Clay Waterproof liner $22 - something I will definitely use, the tarte brand is a great one to own.
Chella Eyebrow defining gel- $22- my poor eyebrows need defining I suppose. 'Use sparingly'.
Scratch Nail Wraps, in the Lacework pattern for $12 - Very intrigued about these, they came with the little stick needed to smooth on the wraps, along with a file. Already an improvement over jamberry: cheaper, and no heat required!

And a bonus for this box was the Kardashian Beauty Black Seed Dry Oil in a travel size, to provide glorious shiny hair.


September ipsy
And finally the September ipsy glambag. Hooray for no crazy lipstick hues! ipsy is all about samples, so again, no true estimate of a dollar value for the following products, except for perhaps the eye pencil.

Pixi by Petra Brow Powder Trio - cute little talc brow powder.
Acure Brightening Facial Scrub - Use three times a week, so it's something I assume would exfoliate. It states it is Vegan, which is great, sulfate free, gluten free etc.
NAOBAY Natural & OrganicOxygenating Moisturizing Cream - protects, and moisturizes! The first ingredient is water and then tons of things I can't spell or pronounce. There is alcohol as well, so I'm not going to go nuts with applying, though it does have organic plant extracts.
NYX Cosmeticsipsy Eye Shadow Trio - Cute little fall colors eyeshadow, to go with..
J. Cat Beauty#MOTD Waterproof Slide on Pencil for Eyes in Bronze - very bronze at first glance, but it doesn't go on thick and bright. Definitely more of a highlighting type pencil.

Here is my ipsy referral link. So far I still  haven't really figured out what to do with the actual bags, but ipsy is doing well with providing different makeup things to try. A good value so far.

With special thanks to Sweetie the cat for helping to model my samples.

 

Aug 24, 2015

Unboxing the August ipsy glam bag, Birchbox and BoxyCharm August Subscriptions



Unveiling the Monthly Subscription boxes can be really fun.. or a little downer. But if you look at the total picture, and the total spend, you gotta remember the value.

My first ipsy bag arrived in a timely manner, compared to several complaints on their Facebook page. My personal complaint was the whole personalization thing that ipsy does when you join probably doesn't get considered. I posted earlier about the disappointment between the "potential" items coming in August, versus what I had actually received. And I really don't know what I'm going to do with multiple cosmetic bags. But, at $10.00 a pop, it's still a pretty good investment.

ipsy August $10

Use my ipsy referral link if you are interested in joining.
I joined ipsy because I wanted more makeup options, and the initial sneak peek did have some intriguing non-makeup items such as two different primers, but I didn't receive either one, bummer.

The lipstick from noyah is a pretty color (desert rose), so I got lucky there, but it is TINY. Reminds me of the old days when my mom was selling Avon and we had lots of small lipsticks around the house!

There was from JUARA Skincare Turmeric Antioxidant Radiance Facial Mask. This stuff is pretty lightweight and not muddy feeling; I would love to add this to my daily regimen, but at $35.00 for 3 ounces I don't see that happening.

Skone Cosmetics Luxe Doubler Eye/Lip Pencil in Wine -- Putting a wine on my eyes is perfect if I want the Zombies Ate My Face look. So I attempted the lip function but yeah, wine on my fair face is just yuck. Why is the color wine making a comeback? I received two wine colored items in my other Ulta beauty bag and gave those to my daughter already, as she rocks a Goth look.

Briogeo Blossom & Bloom ™ Ginseng + Biotin Volumizer - this is another blowdry hair product. I would really like to see some product where it is a put on dry hair and style as usual; instead everything is apply to wet/damp hair. Not helpful when every single hair styler is for use on wet hair. This has citrussy scent to it and seems great for those who consider themselves beach babes. Being a land locked working mom, that's more of a long lost dream.



And probably the cutest color ever is Trust Fund Beauty Nail Polish in Elegantly Wasted. I instagrammed my manicure because it was so awesome:
Completely cool to realize this is a Vegan product, and eco-friendly. This nail polish is about $17.00 a bottle but even my manicurist asked where I got it, etc. Since I love it so much, I actually would consider purchasing more from the brand even though in my right mind I would shy away from the price. This nail polish pretty much SAVED the ipsy glam bag for August!


Birchbox August $10

I joined Birchbox too at $10.00 a month though it's difficult to place a real value on the box overall since like ipsy these are sample size. The products as shown in the picture, from left to right:

Macadamia Professional™ Style Extend Dry Shampoo:
I love the dry shampoo idea, and it's the first time I've tried it. I didn't notice any earth shattering difference on my second day hair, but that means it didn't build up and it is probably doing what it's meant to. Not a miracle product by any means.

I also tried the Dr. Brandt microdermabrasion exfoliant and it works well. Never in a million years would I spend the cash on what it's going for in retail dollars ($78 for 2 ounces), so YAY for Birchbox for sharing the love and showing us stuff we could never afford in real life.

R+Co Park Ave Blow Out Balm - I haven't tried yet. For $28 for the five ounces this better be gold but judging from other reviewers I am not going to be too excited to try it. It will have to be on a day that I won't mind my hair is weighed down or crisp apparently.

Air Repair Complexion Boosting Moisturizer
Received a little sample of this, which runs for $20 for two ounces. It's a moisturizer, and nothing fancy. I've used it, it seems to moisturize, and it's pricey.

LAQA & Co.’s lovable lip crayons:  The orange pencil is orange. Very orange. And not forgiving on dry lips. This one went straight to my daughter. Not interested in using it on my cheeks, and not interested in the line in general. Nothing to be considered completely special this month for Birchbox. Moving on..



Boxycharm August $21
Since I became crazed/obsessed over trying new things, I ordered the Boxycharm subscription box at $21.00 a month. I got turned on to this one because of the Coastal Scents Revealed 3 eyeshadow palette, which on sale is $20.00. Damn Facebook for showing me the 'sponsored' page from Boxycharm and making me order my third subscription box.

I like this palette very much -- but I'm still trying to find something that doesn't wind up looking the SAME on my face. There are a lot of nice neutrals here that I look forward to playing with this fall. But it seems whenever I blend something over my primer, it just looks shiny. I am still a work in progress.

This MicaBeauty gel eyeliner was such a hit with me! It was full size and the box also came with a Seta Eyeliner brush worth $16.00. The brand's website actually has the eyeliner packaged differently and coming with its own brush, and several colors for $35 each. Very tempting!

 Check out this pic of me with the eyeliner and the Coastal Scents palette:
Love this gel eyeliner!

The eyeliner lasted ALL DAY long, isn't that fantastic? I'm talking 12 + hours, and it was still holding its own after my Jillian Michaels workout.

Also in the Boxycharm box was a So Susan Statement Skin pencil which is a type of highlighter stick which would be great for the new strobing highlighting trend. You need to definitely blend it with a sponge otherwise is looks cakey flakey weird.

The blue bottle was a Nios Shield Leave-In Conditioner. Since I am still loving my Living Proof products I haven't gotten around to trying this yet. $26.00 for this which is really designed for those folks who want to protect their scalp from sunburn, which I can see would be a need for those folks with thin or light hair working in the garden or getting a tan. And also another Vegan product, yay!

The Verdict: Boxycharm at $21.00 was fantastic value-wise, with items that I will use and probably love! All of Boxycharm's items are FULL SIZE, and not samples. This August box is worth a retail value of around $115.00.  Boxycharm's website is a little bland though. Not much to see there, so I am hoping they are working on that. And there is no personalization option with this. You get what everyone else gets, the end. 

ipsy and birchbox are good for those pricey things that will be fun to test out but it seems the Boxycharm is the real keeper. This is my first month doing a subscription service at all, so we shall see how my tastes change!  

This post contains referral links = if you join using my referral link I get points to use against future purchases. YAY!

Aug 11, 2015

Living Proof: Online Exclusive: Try 5 New Products for Free! (Plus Free Shipping)




A quick note to let you know of the current promotion my new favorite haircare line is offering.

When I made my purchase a few weeks ago, I bought the PHD Shampoo along with Full Conditioner, the satin serum and the 5-in-1 styling treatment.

I received samples with that order, and so far I have used the Instant Restore Repair which I LOVE for use on the day I am skipping a shampoo day (I try to shampoo/condition every other day so my color lasts a little longer on my hair).

I love the entire line so far of everything I've mentioned, and I've gotten compliments at work as they recognize that something is different. I highly recomment this line, and the samples are a fantastic way to try something new and find a new beauty best friend, such as I have with the Instant Restore Repair. I also love the fresh clean scent of the product!

The shipping is very prompt as well which is another plus for the company.

Yes, it's pricey.. but you're worth it.

Aug 8, 2015

Birchbox Limited Editions


Since I couldn't wait for my first Birchbox subscription box to arrive, I splurged and ordered two exclusive kits that were offered via the Birchbox website this week. There is a special if you order both of these kits you get $5.00 off, which essentially pays for the shipping (*USA), so my order total was $33.00.




Included in this box:

Burt’s Bees® Lip Crayon in Sedona Sands – Full size ($6.39 on Amazon) - I absolutely love this type of lipstick, where it is an actual stick and not the old school sloppy kind. This was the first thing I opened and tried right away. Really nice smooth color.

Cetaphil® Gentle Skin Cleansing Cloths – 10-Pack (travel size, about $4.39 on Amazon)-Cetaphil is the first choice for sensitive and dry skin in my house.

LANEIGE Water Sleeping Mask – Sample size, 20ml-Say what? LOL It turns out it is a cream you leave on overnight, to use once or twice a week, and reviews say it goes a long way to hydrate skin.

Olay™ Regenerist Luminous Dark Circle Correcting HydraSwirl™ Eye Cream – Full size, about $20 on Amazon- Olay is a good brand when you are trying not to break the bank. I've used several of their products and this product is formulated for dark circles, but it also states it is supposed to help with fine lines which is my problem. It's a really pretty pump dispenser and it does go on smooth, but will have to wear it sparingly as there seems to be reviewers who have developed reactions! Update: ME TOO! Stay away from this crap!!!

Rimmel Scandaleyes Rockin' Curves – Full size-$5- I've bought Rimmel products from the drugstore before, and I do like their mascara. What's cool about this is the broken heart brush!
< ---It's got a neat curve to it!

Simple® Skincare Ultra-Light Gel Moisturizer – Full size, about $9, from the sensitive skin experts this restores, softens and smooths skin with multi-vitamins. It's got another pump feature and it comes out like a lightweight gel, and glides on. I wouldn't say it is truly ultra light, unless you use a lot less than I did!



Included in this box:

Benefit Cosmetics They're Real! Push-Up Liner – Sample size-This liner is perfect for those who can pull off that thick heavy dramatically lined look.

COOLA® SPF 50 Sport - Mango - Sample size- a sunscreen/moisturizer combo that will be great for skimming the pool and reading outside, watering the plants, etc.

Fekkai Hair Fragrance Mist - Cr̬me Vanill̩e РTravel size, $5- I did try this out already and the mist does fade after a few hours but still a neat idea especially if you are around smokers etc.

GLAMGLOW POWERMUD™ Dualcleanse Treatment – Sample size

GLAMGLOW THIRSTYMUD™ Hydrating Treatment – Deluxe sample size - This is expensive stuff for full size! I should save it to try it out for my dry skin during the winter.

Marula Pure Marula Facial Oil – Sample size- I have a Tarte Maracuja oil and I really don't get what the fuss is about but there are some folks who really think it's awesome. But 50ml of this stuff is $78.00. Liquid gold! I will pay a little more attention to it and use it also on my neck and decolletage which tends to be forgotten about.

NUDESTIX Lip + Cheek Pencil – Full size (shades will vary, I got Blush)- $24 when it comes with a case and sharpener, which I will need to find one for this when the time comes. I tested it and it does glide on smooth and has staying power as it's not too creamy, but I hate that whole 'wooden pencil' smell while applying it. I haven't gotten good at anything other than powder blushes, I need a good blender sponge for when I want to try out different cheek options. The theory behind this line is "natural" and barely there look, which I can relate to.


Really amazing shipping speed considering it was standard as I ordered this on August 4th and it was shipped via USPS Priority mail and arrived promptly on August 7th. I've ordered from places where shipping is more than the $5.00 and they don't offer tracking like they do either.

Even though this product isn't the monthly subscription box, I am already won over by Birchbox. Some of these items I certainly did not NEED, but this is all about trying new things and seeing what will help me age gracefully instead of just getting old!

If you want to join Birchbox, please use my referral link here!

Aug 7, 2015

Aug 6, 2015

Specials at ULTA

Just a quick tip that ULTA is running some great specials right now which I was able to take advantage of.

First off, the easy one: Apply Coupon Code 309350 at checkout for $3.50 off your order, some exclusions apply; ends 8/8/2015.

Secondly, my favorite foundation is on sale.. the mineral powder by Pür Minerals is my favorite stuff. It's Buy 1 Get 1 Free until 8/8/2015:

Choose from Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup SPF15, Correcting Primer or Liquid Veil 4-in-1 Spray Foundation. Plus, this promotion includes Free Shipping!


And then one of the other promotions I used while I was there is the 18-pc Gift Bag with any $19.50 ULTA Brand purchase (while supplies last!). I bought an interesting eye shadow duo and another foundation brush for my pur minerals face powder in order to qualify for the free bag.
Bag available in Champagne or Amethyst

Always check out Ulta's sale and promotion list on their website to achieve maximum savings.

What's your favorite discovery at Ulta? I love the NYX soft matte lip cream in Antwerp! It's not too pink, not too brown, not too nude, not too peach.. so it goes with everything!



Aug 4, 2015

August ipsy Glam Bag Sneak Peek!


Subscription box fun!

It's Sneak Peek time for ipsy's August 2015 Glam Bag!

Looks like we have two lip glosses from Hikari, a lipstick, purple nail polish and black?! nail polish which are all things I'm kinda meh about. Lucky for me I have a teen daughter.

The others look interesting.. Too Faced Hangover Primer  .. intriguing name!

A Cover FX Blemish treatment primer! Excited to try!

Full unveiling to come when I receive the box! Are you excited enough to try it out for $10/month? Use my referral link here and get me some points! 

Aug 1, 2015

Reviewing Living Proof PHD 5-in-1 Styling Treatment



Over the past few months I have used Living Proof PHD 5-in-1 Styling Treatment which was a goodie in an Ulta 18 pc. Beauty Bag.

Living Proof, a brand endorsed by Jennifer Aniston, carries what I would call 'luxury' hair products. This would mean something that I wouldn't normally find at Wal-Mart, Target, or grocery stores and is definitely not a price point that I typically spend for hair products.

My little one ounce sample went a long way, and it helped smooth out my hair's wild frizz and those 'spare' wild hairs. The five benefits are: Smooths, Volumizes, Conditions, Strengthens, and Polishes.

I liked it so much, I purchased it directly from Living Proof website.

Sample size vs. 4 oz. size
Its function is similar to Garnier Smoothing Milk Anti-humidity, but this 5-in-1 doesn't leave the hair feeling weighed down or sticky, and it makes me feel this much closer to healthy hair. Just put it on before blow drying and style as usual. There are even some tips on the website.

For $26.00 USD I received a four ounce bottle, and with a combined purchase (to be reviewed later) I received free delivery which was amazingly, FedEx. Super fast shipping, and not that crazy smartpost USPS stuff. This was the real deal. For this price, you get what you pay for!

This Texas heat can really dry my color-treated hair, and after the success with the 5-in-1 Styling Treatment I decided to purchase Living Proof's shampoo and full conditioner. I'll review that once I have used it.

Intro to the Beauty Posts!


Product Matter is alive and kicking!!


I am a forty-something full-time mom to two kids and three fur-kids who has little time for shopping. I love shopping online, and I am starting to become very interested in makeup now that the flaws of the aged are standing out more prominently. But to just walk into a beauty store such as my local Ulta can be pretty daunting when you don't know where to begin.

After trying out some samples from an online Ulta shopping binge, I discovered samples really aren't that bad! You can try out new products without dropping a lot of cash on something that just doesn't work for you.

Becoming more and more popular these days are products that are delivered to your door on a subscription basis. I've learned that some companies offer either full-sized products or smaller sample sized products for you to try. There are also many different categories of subscription boxes, such as books, fitness, beauty, makeup, arts.. you get the drift.

I wanted to try out some makeup boxes. For my first experience, I didn't want to drop a lot of cash on something that could be close to a scam (such as Wen by Chaz Dean provided by Gunthy-Renker.)

After doing some research on the interwebs for the best makeup subscription boxes, I decided to go ahead and purchase two subscription boxes from Birchbox and ipsy. Each are $10.00 USA dollars for a monthly sampling. These links are affiliate links which will earn me reward points if you use those links to join. Let me know if you do! 

I will review those here as they come in. I have ordered them in the last half of July 2015 so that I can expect an August delivery. After reading comments on the company Facebook pages, I hope I am not one of those unlucky ones who seem to never receive their boxes in a timely manner.

Time will tell..

I will tag those posts as Ipsy  or Birchbox and Subscription Boxes and probably listed under Beauty and Makeup labels. Work in progress, ladies!

I will do another post so that I can "profile" myself. This will serve as a "before" post, so that I can see how I have changed opinions of products, and how my beauty and diet routines change over time.

Oct 1, 2012

Hidden Valley Ranch.. yummmm!



Thank you to BzzAgent for sending me a free bottle of salad dressing and seasoning packets!

Before moving to Texas I had no idea about how much Southerners love to ranchify! It wasn't until recently that I was hooked, using ranch instead of ketchup for french fries, and my kid loves the ranch with his nuggets.

I tested the McD's ranch versus Hidden Valley with my family, and Hidden Valley won hands down! I really believe that Hidden Valley makes the best ranch dressing out there.

I made the Original Broiled Chicken recipe last night, and it was awesome. I loved it, it was fast and simple yet so tasteful. I had never bought the seasoning packets before, but after using the packet in the recipe I will definitely buy more so I can experiment with more recipes.

As far as the bottled dressing goes, I definitely would recommend the Light dressing to save on calories, as it is still great on taste!

Try the very easy Original Ranch Broiled chicken recipe found here, it was fantastic! I served it over herb and butter rice with mashed potatoes and biscuits. There are other recipes on the Hidden Valley website that I cannot wait to try, Ranch Baked Quesadillas sounding like a perfect snack for a football game!

Sep 19, 2012

Glade Expressions Collection




On the left side of the photo you'll see the new aerosol starter kit, and its refill. I was offered a coupon from BzzAgent and I was able to get a starter kit free ($2.98 value) and I purchased a refill for $1.98.

I was really hoping to be able to use a coupon for the diffuser shown on the right, those would be more user-friendly for my home. If you are an aerosol user however, Glade offers this stylish choice. Once you get the hang of installing the refill you won't have to hide those ugly aerosol cans anymore!

I tested the Cotton and Italian Mandarin scent, which was a light and fresh scent, very unobtrusive. The spray does come out at a full blast, so you would need to be careful not to spray near furniture or around cats!

I am looking for the diffuser, and I would love to try their Fuji Apple & Cardamom Spice scent. You can view the entire fragrance collection here.

Thank you to BzzAgent for providing me the coupons to test some of these products for free.

Aug 31, 2012

CoverGirl + Olay Tone Rehab Foundation


CoverGirl 2+1 Foundation Review
CoverGirl & Olay products are a permanent fixture in my home. Some are not always totally fantastic, but they are worth the price for the most part. I would love to have the cash to spend on the expensive stuff from Clinique and Estee Lauder, but that is not always possible. This foundation costs about $14 in my area which does seem a little on the pricey side considering it is CoverGirl.

The newer foundation for CoverGirl and Olay features the Tone Rehab 2+1 product which touts the fine line diminishing/hiding feature as well as evening out skin tone. I certainly have fine lines, and some not so fine lines. I don't really notice a huge difference as far as coverage in that department, so don't buy this for that feature.

BUT.. if you have slightly dry skin, this is a great foundation that help hydrates your skin, and it really blends well for easy application. It is not cakey, and it doesn't make you feel like you are wearing a mask. It is lightweight and softly covers small flaws such as freckles or slight discoloration.

This foundation is indeed luminous =) It gets a little shiny after lunch time, but a little bit of powder touches it up nicely. I was sent the Buff Beige color and I would typically buy the Fair/Light shades so I was skeptical. I was very pleasantly surprised that it looks great still with my skin tone. I don't normally wear liquid foundation as I prefer the mineral powder, such L'Oreal or purMineral. I hate how liquid foundation tends to get cakey and doesn't blend well, but I didn't have that problem at ALL with this one.

My skin is pretty normal, and as I am in my late 30's I have some wrinkles and fine lines. I do not have acne or scarring to cover, I would just need a clean and flawless finish, and this foundation does well in that department. Four stars for smooth coverage, for pretty decent staying power. Minus the fifth star for the shiny effects after a few hours, and the heavier price. Foundation gets an A from me, but gets a C in value considering the cost of the foundation and the features it is being marketed for.

I was offered this product for free via BzzAgent in exchange for a review. I was also sent a pressed powder to go along with this but it was smashed to bits in transportation and had to be trashed before powder got all over my clothes and everything else.

Try out BzzAgent for yourself! I'm proud to be a BzzAgent and so thrilled I received samples and coupons in exchange for my opinion!

Jul 30, 2012

Netflix vs Blockbuster DVD by Mail Service

Once upon a time, I was a happy Netflix subscriber. We had Netflix on our Wii, our I-devices... and we received the discs by mail. Then came the debacle of the breaking apart the streaming from the mail thing and two different bills we would have to pay.. and I would have to set up a new account with the newer company Qwikster.. Whatever it was, it didn't fly.

It didn't fly with Netflix either it turns out. But too late, because they already lost a lot of customers. Like us.
We high-tailed it over to Blockbuster. YUP .. we could go to the store, and get TWO discs by mail gosh darn it! Two discs at a time and only for a dollar more! Fantastico!

Turns out, the discs were cracked or scratched half the time. Then, the local Blockbuster closed. So we had to go further out to get to the next blockbuster store. Not a big deal, cuz we could just change in our mailed discs and trade it for almost anything in the store. Not too bad.

But, when the local store HAS NOTHING new available.. for six months straight.. not so great. And we didn't have the Blockbuster On Demand option for the computer because that would cost even more than the $16/month, so that was not a perk for us.

And the Queue for the mailed discs was ridiculous because everything we wanted was VERY LONG WAIT.

So if we were lucky to get off the VERY Long Wait mode, and move onwards to Long Wait, then Short Wait, and then we actually got the freaking disc many moons later... it was cracked and unplayable.

Insane.

So...

Back to Netflix we go. It's back to streaming on our i-devices, and on our Wii, and my queue was even saved from last year. Easy squeezy.

The only issue is that it took a few weeks to get the settings right in the PS3/Playstation. There is a bunch of technical mumbo jumbo with the software that the option of simply downloading and signing in does not work. (Netflix Help is not actually Help.)
But my husband worked on it for a few weeks, (not kidding), and eventually he got it working.

I am glad Netflix decided to stay the way it was, and sad I jumped ship too soon, but glad I got to see that the grass is not always greener on the other side.

Netflix is the way to go. Instant queue now has the "Kids" option also, which I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Thanks, Netflix.

(*This post was created purely as a Public Service Announcement, for the benefit of my readers. No compensation or pat on the back is expected.)

Sep 16, 2011