Stuff Parents Need

I am a Netflix Stream Team member and enjoy complimentary streaming services. All thoughts, opinions, and Netflix streaming obsessions are my own. 

A few weeks ago my entire county caught the flu. While that might be a slight exaggeration, there were enough cases to warrant the school system to close ALL of the schools due to illness. I’ve never heard of such a thing in my life!

Sickness is out of control in late winter and early spring, so many of you out there reading this are either sick right now or you will be in the next few weeks (sorry to be the bearer of bad news…).

That’s why I created the “sick in bed” streaming guide for you. These are my personal top picks for streaming movies and shows to tune in to when all you can do is just lay there. Everything on the list is either something I’ve already watched and loved or something on my watch list that I haven’t had the chance to watch yet (I have only been sick for one day so far…I predict a nasty cold in my near future…).

Netflix Originals

1. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt  One of my very favorite shows for plenty of laughs.
2. The Crown   Watch this one when you are fully awake. It is breathtakingly beautiful and absolutely fascinating! I don’t usually watch a series more than once but I’ll make an exception for this one.
3. Anjelah Johnson: Not Fancy  Absolutely hilarious stand up comedian who keeps it clean so you don’t find yourself totally embarrassed by the topic of discussion, even if you are home alone (am I the only one who feels that way when watching stand up?)
4. Stranger Things  I admit that I haven’t watched this one yet, but everyone and their mom LOVES it, so I guess it’s one to watch when you have some free time thanks to germs!
5. A Series of Unfortunate Events  Feeling sorry for yourself? Your lot is nothing compared with the Baudelaire children! Rich set design and who doesn’t love watching Neil Patrick Harris?

Television

1. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend  The frequent break outs into song are just perfect for when you are slightly hallucenating, anyway. Plus, it’s SOOOO funny. 🙂
2. Cheers  I’m currently working my way back through this series and watch it right before bed. Cliffie and Norm just lull me off to sleep with their silly banter!
3. Bob Ross  Definitely the one to watch when you need some help going to sleep. Such a soothing voice! And those happy little trees will help you perk up a bit, too.
4. The Wonder Years  One of the best tlevision series ever!
5. How I Met Your Mother  This show was EVERYTHING to me when I was on bedrest in the 3 weeks before Layah was born. Another Neil Patrick Harris feature? Legendary!

Movies

Let me preface this list by saying that I’m much more of a television series gal than a movie gal. So pretty much all of my picks are old because I know next to nothing about newer stuff. Sorry!

1. The Princess Bride (even the kid in the story is sick as he listens to this tale, so it’s pretty much perfect). And Fred Savage picks up a second nod with this piece, too.

2. The Money Pit  My all-time favorite Tom Hanks flick. That moment where he falls through the ceiling gets me every time! And cheers to Shelley Long for her second piece on my list. 🙂

3. Cleopatra It’s 4 hours long and worth every minute. Besides, when else have you got that much time to give to a movie? Here’s your chance!

4. Clueless  If I’ve got to be stuck somewhere for a while, it might as well be in 1995. This movie is a cult classic for a reason!

5. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe  I love a good fantasy flick and this one is great!

When I’m sick I tend to keep the stuff I’m watching on the light side, opting not to try anything that requires me to think too hard. So those are my top picks for what to watch on Netflix when you are sick. I hope it helps you find some great entertainment while your body heals! If you have any suggestions to add to the list, please leave them in the comments!

One of the things on my to do list as we prepare for our big summer trip to Switzerland is to find books about Switzerland that my girls will enjoy reading now. I have been combing through Amazon and reading lots of reviews to find the best of the best, and to help other families who might be traveling to Switzerland or who might just be learning more about the country. These are my top picks for books that features Switzerland, both in fiction and nonfiction categories. I hope the list helps you find the perfect book!

And if you are planning a trip to beautiful Switzerland, be sure to check out my post about how we got a great deal on airfare as well as other costs we are anticipating in Switzerland.

1. Heidi

This is, hands down, my top book recommendation. Heidi is a classic tale that kids and adults alike will love. Switzerland, itself, is a bit of a character in this book, painted in such rich detail by the author. We’ve read it once before and will read it again before we leave!

2. Switzerland (Blastoff! Readers)

A perfect nonfiction guide to the country for the 7-9 year old range.

3. Nice Snowing You! (#4 Magic Bone)

Hoping to escape the cold in his backyard, Sparky chomps on his magic bone–only to find himself in snowy Zermatt, Switzerland. He befriends Lena, a Saint Bernard rescue dog with a terrible sense of direction. The two, in search of food, quickly get lost. But Lena and Sparky might just be in the right place at the right time for Lena to complete her first ever rescue mission!

4. Switzerland (Enchantment of the World)

We snagged a copy of this from our local library. Excellent guide to the country and what kids can expect to see there.

5. The Apple and the Arrow

This book is a Newberry Honor Award book winner, and tells the Swiss folk tale of William Tell from the perspective of his son. Perfect for the 10-12 year old range to read independently.

6. Mimi and the Mountain Dragon

In her castle lair, high in the mountains of Switzerland, lives a terrible dragon. In the village below lives a little girl called Mimi. When Mimi finds a baby dragon in the woodshed, she makes a brave decision that will bring joy and peace to the village forever. This heartwarming holiday adventure for the whole family is the perfect combination of magic, adventure, and Christmas cheer.

7. Look What Came from Switzerland

Describes many things that originally came from Switzerland, including inventions, food, animals, sports, transportation, and medicine.

8. Dogs in the Dead of Night (Magic Tree House series)

Beware of avalanches! When the magic tree house whisks Jack and Annie back in time to the highest pass in the Swiss Alps, they discover an ancient monastery filled with monks and Saint Bernard dogs. Annie can’t resist offering to train a wild young dog named Barry, but he is quite the handful! Before the night is over, Jack and Annie will be forced to use some crazy magic!

9. Florina and the Wild Bird

Florina lives in a valley in the Swiss Alps with her mother, father, and brother Ursli. One day, while walking in the mountains, she finds a tiny bird that has lost its mother, and Florina takes the bird home to care for it. The girl and the wild bird soon become best friends. She makes food for it using her doll’s tea set and gives it a special basket for a bed. When the bird grows up, its wings grow larger and it wants to fly. Florina must decide whether to keep the bird or release it to fly back to the mountains.

10. Christmas in Switzerland

Each 80-page Christmas Around the World book includes full narratives explaining the customs of the region covered, photography and illustrations, special sections of native songs, recipes, and fun-to-do crafts.

11. Rollo in Switzerland

This is the third in a series of 10 books for children entitled ‘Rollo’s Tour in Europe’. Each one is a stand alone story. Jacob Abbott (1803-1879) educator and author of the immensely popular Rollo series of books for children, sends his hero Rollo Holiday, his parents, his brother Thanny, his cousin Jane and Mr. George, his uncle, on a geographical tour.

12. The Story of Switzerland

An excellent introduction to the history of Switzerland and the Swiss people. Richly illustrated throughout to enhance the reading experience. I especially love the kindle price for this one!

13. Mandie and the Singing Chalet

The very ancient, very large Swiss chalet Mandie and her friends stay is known for unusual things happening. Will Mandie solve the mystery? Ages 8-13.

14. A Bell for Ursli

“A Bell for Ursli” is a classic Swiss children’s story, with pictures by award-winning Swiss illustrator Alois Carigiet. Ursli is a little boy who lives in the Swiss Alps. He must find a big cowbell so that he can lead the spring procession through his village, so he goes alone to his family’s chalet high up in the mountains. There, he spends a lonely, scary night. Generations of Swiss children have grown up with Ursli but this is the first time his adventures have been widely available in English.

15. Dear Alexandra: A Story of Switzerland

Alexandra, a girl in the city, receives letters all year long from her grandmother who lives in the mountain village of Torbel, Switzerland. As Christmas nears, her grandmother eagerly awaits Alexandra’s visit. Dear Alexandra gives readers a fun and unique insight of a different culture, and a sense what life might be like for a child growing up in Switzerland.

16. Dog Diaries #3: Barry

Eight-thousand feet above sea level, in the treacherous pass in the Alps between Italy and Switzerland, the monks of the hospice of St. Bernard have, since the 11th century, kept dogs to help them rescue travelers lost in the snow. In time, these dogs became a breed unto themselves, named for the hospice. They are responsible for helping over 2,000 travelers who might otherwise have frozen to death.

17. Angelo Goes to Switzerland

Angelo, the Italian boy of ‘Angelo Goes to the Carnival’, goes to Switzerland and meets Marie-Louise of ‘The Cow Concert’ and ‘The Cow Voyage’. Professor Bartoli, an absent-minded mineralogist, takes Angelo along with him because he likes the way Angelo sings, but the Professor forgets Angelo and leaves him in the mountains. It takes a double feature concert to bring him back.

18. Cuckcoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland

Dive into adventure with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany as they discover an ancient coin and a mystery connected with a cuckoo clock which takes them to the beautiful land of Switzerland. In their quest to solve the puzzle, they unearth some fascinating history and recover a lost fortune.

19. The Photo Book of Switzerland

Great book for kids and adults alike!

20. The Unfinished Angel

Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech crafts a truly endearing story, one that is imbued with happiness, wonder, and an appreciation for all the little things that make life big. In the winding stone tower of the Casa Rosa, in a quiet little village in the Swiss Alps, lives one very unlikely angel—one that is still awaiting her instructions from the angel-training center. What happens to an angel who doesn’t know her mission? She floats and swishes from high above, watching the crazy things that “peoples” say and do. But when a zany American girl named Zola arrives in town and invades the Casa Rosa, dogs start arfing, figs start flying through the air, lost orphans wander in, and the village becomes anything but quiet. And as Zola and the angel work together to rescue the orphans, they each begin to realize their purpose and learn that there is magic in the most ordinary acts of kindness.

I’d love to hear in the comments which of these finds you purchase or check out from the library!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Pearle Vision. All opinions are 100% mine.

This post brought to you by  Pearle Vision. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Stuff Parents Need.

Like so many other moms, one of the things that I have a tendency to put last is self-care. I’m lousy at making and keeping doctor’s appointments, for example. But this year I’m striving to change that and to seek out options that are considerate of my time so that an appointment doesn’t eat up my entire morning.

I found a great option for eye care at my local Pearle Vision. An eye appointment takes one hour, including the time you need to select a new pair of frames (a 15 minute process, for yours truly). I REALLY appreciated the efficient way this store was run. I received a call about my insurance prior to the appointment so that payment details were already handled, and the location did not seem to over-book appointments (as health care professionals are notorious for doing).

My visit with Dr. Rosenthal was very productive, as he explained each step of the eye exam* and also informed me that should I be interested, I could be a solid candidate for Lasik eye surgery (which is not something performed at Pearle Vision, but was very interesting to learn!). He spent time listening to me as I explained my typical work-day, and then gave me some great advice about helping my screen-stressed eyes relax a bit more (tip: Every 20 minutes, look away from your screen for 20 seconds and focus on something at least 20 feet away). It was a good experience and I felt as though Dr. Rosenthal took the time to explain the steps of the eye exam and why they were important.

I selected some great new Coach frames during my visit and was thrilled to learn that Pearle Vision has the ability to have the lenses shipped to the store to be put into the frames. This makes the process much quicker than at eye care places I have visited in the past (5-7 business days versus 14 business days!). I had my new glasses in under a week. Next on my wish list is to get some prescription sunglasses, which Pearle Vision also offers (and they fit for contacts if that’s your preference).

My experience with Pearle Vision was really great! Very friendly staff, attentive and informative exam*, and a fun frame shopping experience that was QUICK! When I picked up my glasses, I actually had more time budgeted into my day for the errand than I needed, which meant I got to treat myself to something extra awesome before it was time to pick up the kids.

Being able to take care of my eyes and take care of myself all before carpool lane time is a major win for this busy mama. If you like to take care of these types of appointments as quickly as possible, here’s a tip for you to make your Pearle Vision experience even faster! Go ahead and get this off your to do list and schedule an eye exam now!

*Eye exams available by independent doctors of optometry at or next to Pearle Vision in most states. Doctors in some states are employed by Pearle Vision.