Nanny to Mommy

The internet is filled with many things, from fun online games to educational stories. However, it’s also a melting pot of inappropriate content that can be harmful to kids. As a parent, it’s important to be aware of the dangers that exist online, so you can protect your children from them. One potential hazard is watching videos that are not age appropriate.

Many streaming services, like YouTube, Netflix, Sling TV, and offer kids’ channels with shows and movies that are appropriate for younger audiences. However, there is also a lot of content on these platforms that are not meant for kids. This can include videos with violence, swearing, and sexual content. To help keep your kids safe while they stream, keep reading this guide.

Looking to learn HOW to lower your cable or satellite bill? Then this post is for YOU! With the inflation of our grocery bills and the crazy market, I thought I would update this post with EVEN MORE streaming options available for ways to save big!

We bought a new house back at the end of August 2016. We have a bigger home that comes with a larger mortgage payment. So we were going through our bills and thinking of what we could get rid of. We routinely do this anyway. We decided to not only drop our gym member ship (that we hadn't used in months) as well as drop satellite. So I know what you are thinking: You just made the switch to cable, but nope we completely pulled the plug and now we are saving more than $100 a month on television.

***This post was originally written in 2016, but I thought I would update it with what we are using now, new pricing, etc.***

We were criticized by our family when we first decided to do it. "How are you going to watch the Olympics?" "How are you going to watch 'A Christmas Story' all day on Christmas?" Serious questions, y'all. And at first, we hadn't worked out all the kinks yet. My husband did a lot of research and now I want to share all of our tips and tricks to help you save over $100 by breaking up with cable/satellite for good!

Since my family has broken up with cable/satellite, we are always on the search for apps that have kid-friendly entertainment and if it is FREE then that is better. I removed YouTube Kids from my kids' tablets back in February and I do not regret my decision at all. But it was a free platform. In my search for new apps for my children, I found Kabillion.

With all the many options available today, Kabillion stands out as a reliable and safe destination for quality children’s entertainment – a place where parents can feel good about their children spending time. In fact, this outstanding platform is the only independently-owned VOD network to be ranked among the Top 10 Kids Free On Demand networks in the U.S.!

Inspired by the popular ‘80s animated series, DreamWorks She-Ra and the Princesses of Power tells the epic story of an orphan named Adora, who leaves behind her former life in the evil Horde when she discovers a magic sword that transforms her into the mythical warrior princess She-Ra. Along the way, she finds a new family in the Rebellion as she unites a group of magical princesses in the ultimate fight against evil. For the honor of Grayskull and in celebration of its early release thanks to fan excitement, we can enjoy 13 half-hour episodes on Netflix now!

"Hay" there, equestrian enthusiasts, animation aficionados and adventure addicts, have you checked out Spirit Riding Free, available exclusively on Netflix yet? The series, inspired by the Oscar®-nominated film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, follows the heartfelt journey of a gutsy 12-year-old girl named Lucky who befriends a wild mustang whom she aptly names Spirit. With her two best friends (and their horses) by her side, Lucky and her friends explore a world filled with endless rides, magnificent horses and never ending fun! Together they’ll push their own limits, harness the power of friendship and discover what it truly means to be free.

Each episode of Spirit Riding Free will be filled with frontier adventures and fun -- from inclement weather like flash floods and blizzards, to human malfeasance from train robbers and banditos, to kid-centric capers like treasure hunts and secret sleepovers. And some stories will even be told from the horses’ point of view!

I am one of those parents that thinks watching television is good thing for your family. I actually think it can be educational and a unique teaching tool. We have even used shows to help my daughter deal with bullying. And we love our family movie nights. But I do like to know what my daughter is watching because I don't want her to watch something that she is too young to understand or something that will give her nightmares. So I have created my tips for kid safe streaming.

I was recently invited to be a part of the Netflix Stream Team, which I'm very excited about! Netflix is a service that allows you to stream movies and television shows for a low monthly subscription fee. You can stream on your wireless device, smart TV, and some Blu-ray and DVD players, as well as game consoles, like Wii and XBOX. Each month I'll write about a different selected "theme" and include recipes and crafts for fun with the entire family.

This is my first month and this month's theme is "Mini Milestones".