I have been a Netflix subscriber for a few years now since the Xbox 360 added the NetFlix app. I decided to try the Free 30 day trial and I was hooked not by the DVD rental but by the streaming. I believe at the time I thought I was going to need 2 DVDs so I would not have to wait on one when I was sending them back but this did not turn out to be true. The content on NetFlix streaming is not the best but it is good enough for me and my family. I have 4 small kids under the age of 10 and they like the ability to choose the episode they want to watch. Now that they have added the Marvel Cartoons like my favorite The Amazing Spiderman it has been even more enjoyable to sit down and watch some TV with the kids. So when Netflix decided to change the pricing model I had to make a choice. Was I going to pay the extra $8 per month to be able to receive a physical DVD? The answer is NO and here is why.

I do not need physical DVDs to watch a movie. The DVDs that I would have normally added to my queue in Netflix take to long for me to get them and I have better options. I have the original AppleTV and I can rent an HD movie for $5 and start watching it in just a few minutes. I also can go to the Zune video on my Xbox and download or stream a HD movie there too for about the same price as the Apple iTunes movie. I only watch 1 or 2 movies per month that I can not get on Netflix streaming so with the added benefit of speed and HD quality I have no need for physical DVDs.

My kids are the largest consumers of Netflix streaming and I would love to see better family controls added. There are to many Movie titles and posters that I do not want my 3 year old to see but I also like the ability for him to watch Dora the Explorer when he wants. I know there is the ability to added accounts but it does not allow streaming except in the master account. I would like to set the Instant Queue on shows that I know is appropriate. My older son loves to search for new cartoons and it would be nice to lock him in to certain categories so the more adult Anime does not sneak into the TV. I know that Netflix is rolling out the Just for Kids section but this only effects the browser version. I need these controls in the iPad, iPhone, Xbox and Computer versions.

How has Netflix changed the way that you watch TV. Are you even a Netflix subscriber? Tell me in the comments below. I have gone as far disconnected my satellite and cable.

We ran a 5K race this weekend and my wife Jenda told the story much better than I could.  Enjoy!

–Matthew

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Several weeks ago, my family decided we would run a 5K together.  We invited some family friends to run with us, and they excitedly accepted the invitation.  As time drew nearer, the excitement of the run lessened, however, both families thought the other family wanted to run and didn’t want to back out.  So, there we were…all 9 of us, registered for a race that we weren’t really pumped about.  (Granted, as far as I know, no one dreaded the race, we just would not have registered had we not already committed.)

Race day came and everyone partnered with their “running buddy”.  The course was nice and flat and the weather was as nice as it could be for an Alabama summer morning.  I was so excited to have Matthew and the kids join me for a run.  I love to run and I love my family, so to have the two together was simply perfect for me!  I look forward to the time when Scott (my 3 year old) joins us too!

We all finished in great time!  We all had a great time!  It was so fun!  This was very possibly the best race I had ever run (probably because of my awesome running buddy)!  And to top it off, Emma Grace won 3rd place for female 0-9 years and Clay won 3rd place for male 0-9 years.  They both received medals!  This was soooo cool!  Ryan’s friend Dylan came in 4th for male 10-14 years and Ryan was close behind him in 5th place.   The race no one wanted to run quickly turned into the race we couldn’t wait to run again next year!

How about you?  Have you ever wanted to run and didn’t know where to start?  Do you think you’re too out of shape to run?  Have you just decided that you could never run any number of miles, so you aren’t even going to try?  Well, I am here to tell you that if I can do it, so can you!!!  When I first began training 3 years ago, I could barely run 1 minute.  Really!  I would run 1 minute and walk 3 minutes…and that 1 minute was extremely hard for me.

Here are some tips to help you get started!

Walk it out! – If you feel you are not ready to jog or run, you can walk.  Begin walking for 3 days each week for 20 (then 30) minutes, at a pace that gets your heart rate up.  Continue this step until you are able to maintain a fast pace walk for 30 minutes.

Walk/jog intervals – Once you are able to maintain a brisk walk for 30 minutes, you are ready to begin intervals.  Walk quickly for 5 minutes to get your heart rate up.  Then, jog 2 minutes and walk 3 minutes.  Repeat for 20 minutes, then slower the pace and walk 5 minutes to cool down.

Increase/Decrease intervals-  Decrease minutes walking by 1 and increase jogging by 2 minutes until you can comfortably jog 4 minutes and walk 1 minute for 30 minutes.  At this point, I believe you will be ready to begin the Couch to 5K running program.

Couch to 5K – This is a 12 week program that will prepare you to run 3.12 miles.  http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Our life on this Earth is short and for more and more people I see them running on life autopilot.  Life is meant to be lived and experienced and I’m not talking about Skydiving or swimming with the Sharks.  I’m talking about the daily choices that we make either consciously or unconsciously.  We can get into a rut in life were we wake-up, get ready for work, come home and go to bed with no end in sight.  Who’s problem is this?  Government, Our parents or Society?  The answer is that it is our problem.  That is the bad part but the Great part is that we can change it TODAY.  No you can’t wish or dream yourself to health and wealth but you can place in your mind to make the choices that are needed to move towards these goals.

I lived for years until my mind was opened to the daily choices I was making.  Sure they were not “bad” choices but they were unconscious choices that left me tired and without energy.  I was on autopilot and the relationships with my kids and wife could feel it.  I came home and sat on the couch until dinner was cooked and the kids wanting to play with me and I would tell them “maybe later” but later never came.  The kids stopped asking and it starts this bad compound effect.  Jenda and I have always had a good marriage but now since my change in choices we have a GREAT marriage.  So how did I wake-up to these unconscious decisions that were dragging on my life?

The simple answer is that I started to workout everyday.  When I started I was doing it to prove that I could complete a workout program if I had someone telling me what to do.  I had no idea that this choice was going to lead to a whole lifestyle change.  I started by choosing to workout everyday.  If you do not workout it is because it’s a choice that YOU are making.  It is very easy to pass the blame like, I was too busy with the kids or I was at work to late.  The simple daily choice of working out started a flood of positive brain chemicals that made me feel better.  When I felt better I showed up to my family different and they started to feel better because I was engaged in their lives.

One example happened this last weekend during the July 4th Holiday.  Jenda and I were driving to town with the kids to go to the store and take the kids out for lunch when she said “Why don’t we go to the beach this weekend?”  If you have traveled with any amount of kids much less the 4 young ones that I have then you know how tiring that can be.  The old me would have said “Ahh that is to much work, maybe next Holiday.”  Instead I agreed and we turned the car around to quickly pack our clothes to head down to Jenda’s sister condo.  Now by making a simple choice to workout our family now has more memories and even better stories to share.

You can start making the choices to change you life today.  My suggestion is to find a workout program that you can commit too.  For me it was P90X and then Insanity.  You might want to run a 5K but whatever it is you must choose to start.  If you are struggling with changing your choices please email me at matthew@matthewhillis.com so I can help.

There is an epidemic in this country that I am sure you are aware off and that is the trend of obesity with our kids.  Yes the adult population has also grown in girth but the scary statistic is what is happening to our kids.  Think back to when you were a kid.  I am not blaming anything or anybody but ourselves.  Yes outside forces can have an impact on us and our kids but I am responsible for me and you are responsible for you.  Our kids however do look to us and our actions in how they learn to live and take responsibility.  So I want to give you some fun examples and ideas on how you can make activities for your kids fun.

This past weekend I ran my first individual duathlon.  A duathlon is were you run, bike, run.  This particular event I had to run 2.5 miles, bike 10 miles, and run 2.5 miles again.  While I was training for this event my oldest son Ryan (9) and his friend wanted to do the race too.  We learned that you can also enter a duathlon as a team.  So my wife Jenda jumped in as the bike leg of the event.  They were called the speedy 3 and even worked on t-shirts to wear while they ran.  They had a great time with all the excitement of the race actives and getting to cheer on the other members of the team.  Your child might not be ready to run 2.5 miles but there will be other local events you can all do as a family.  If you are looking for Duathlon’s and Triathlon’s in your area go to www.trifind.com

We ran the duathlon on Saturday and on Sunday I took my oldest boys Ryan and Clay to my favorite indoor rock climbing place in Birmingham 1st Ave Rocks.  I had purchased a livingsocial coupon a few months ago and it was going to expire today so we got in the car and drove down to have some fun.  The particular type of rock climbing is called bouldering.  I am by far no expert but I do know that is is a lot of fun.  I am amazed by how fast my boys can climb to the top before I even get my shoes on my feet.  Bouldering walls are only 12-14 feet and there are very large crash pads that you can fall on so there are no harnesses.  The challenge is to follow the colored tape to the target at the top without touching any other holds that might have different colors.  The difficulty levels go from climbing a ladder to turning sidewise upside-down while holding on by your pinky.  It is not a fast paced activity because everyone takes turns watching and helping others figure out how to best climb.  Look for a local indoor rock climbing gym in your area and give it a try.  It is so much fun.

Organized sports are great and I played them throughout my childhood but they were not my most memorable.  One game that I learned to play in College is called Ultimate Frisbee.  To play all you need a a frisbee and an open field.  The official rules call for a football sized field and each team to have 11 people.  You can also play with just 3 on 3 and make the field smaller if needed.  The rules are that  you have to pass the frisbee within 10 seconds of catching it and you cannot move while you hold the frisbee.  To score you will need to pass the frisbee to a person while they are in the endzone.  Ultimate Frisbee is like soccer and football thrown together with no tackling.

If you have very young kids like I do then just getting outside or going to a park to roll a beach-ball around is a lot of fun.  Kids know how to naturally just go outside and run.  Go with them and run and play like they do.  It is tiring to play as hard as a 2 or 3 year old but oh so fun.  It is ok to act like a kid again.  I figure as long as I play like a kid then that’s how I will feel.