Getting in the Holiday Spirit with The Secret World of Santa

I cannot believe Christmas is only four days away! December has been going by so quickly and the weather is most definitely not Christmassy. It’s actually been quite warm here in Canada and we’ve barely had any snow… All this to say I have been having a hard time getting in the Holiday spirit, but a little Netflix discovery might be the solution to it all. Say hello to The Secret World of Santa.

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This is a French animated series that came out when I was little and I used to watch it every year without fail. It would air every morning in December with a marathon of all the episodes airing on Christmas day. It’s the most amazing and festive show ever! If you speak French then you might recognise it as Le Monde Secret du Père Noël. Every episode follows Santa and his three elves as they get ready for Christmas. The whole series is lovely with cute and funny stories and festive music.    

It honestly brings back so many happy memories and while I think it still airs on TV, I love that I can easily watch it on Netflix this year. If you have kids, are still a kid at heart or are simply looking to get a bit more in the Holiday spirit you have to watch it. As I said, you can catch it on Netflix and I’m assuming it’s available in different countries. You can also get it on DVD from Amazon and it is available on iTunes. Also, if you speak or understand French I highly recommend watching the French version, I just think the voices are much better and it’s a bit more magical that way.

I hope you are all having a wonderful Holiday season. Let me know in the comments below if you have any TV shows or movies you love to watch at this time of the year. 

Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast

We could all use a little bit more magic in our lives and I think that connecting with our child’s spirit is the best way to do that. That connection is all about remembering the excitement we felt about the little things when we were younger. For me the excitement usually comes around Christmas time and whenever I watch animated movies. Now, Christmas is still a few months away, but that also means there is no better time to be watching Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast.

I plan on talking about the whole Disney Fairies/Tinker Bell Movie franchise in a later post because it is one of my favorites, but I thought the latest installment would be a good place to start. It has quite a special story. For the first time Fawn (an animal fairy) is the main character and we follow her as she discovers a strange creature and tries to understand and befriend him. The rest of the fairies are not so sure about the beast, so as they try to capture him, Fawn and her friends come together to save him.

This is a beautiful story about learning the important of not judging others and how we should try to really get to know people before passing judgements. Personally I feel like all the Tinker Bell movies teach such great morals and are truly perfect for kids. That being said, as an adult, I really enjoy them as well because they are beautiful to watch and the stories are always very heartwarming. Also the fairy magic in them always brings me back to when I was younger, I would have loved those movies.

Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast has a great message to teach us all, but that does not stop it from being very funny and cute. The ending is quite abrupt (not that it’s bad), but kids might be surprised to see it end the way it does because you expect to see more. I did shed a few tears, but I would not call it a sad movie, it is just very touching because the relationship between Fawn and the NeverBeast feels very real.

You can get Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast on DVD from Amazon and other major retailers. It is also available on iTunes and Netflix is you prefer a digital format. 

Covert Affairs

Last summer, I slightly dislocated my hip which meant I couldn’t do much for about a month. This led to some intense marathon viewing of different TV shows. At some point though, I ran out of things to watch and was thoroughly bored until I discovered Covert Affairs. While I couldn’t do any physical activity, this show got my heart pumping.

This is a spy show that follows Annie Walker a new CIA operative, as she discovers what it’s like to work in the field. As far as spy shows go, I was really surprised by how realistic it was, the stories were engaging but never too farfetched. There’s a ton of action so it’s never boring and there’s plenty of laughter (especially in the first seasons) because the show’s writers know how to be funny and incorporate it into the world. The cast does a great job at being credible and the chemistry between them all is great. Piper Perabo and Christopher Gorham were real show stealers for me with their incredible performances.

Another thing that I loved is that they shot several episodes abroad, so many of the exotics locations on the show were actually filmed in the real countries. I always appreciate when shows do this as it adds realism to the story and it is beautiful to see on screen. Covert Affairs has fewer episodes per seasons than your average TV show, however it compensates with beautiful locations and stunning visual effects.

If you are looking for new entertainment, I say give Covert Affairs a ago, it’s not girly but it’s not a guys only show either so everyone can enjoy it. The series concluded its final season last year so you can get all five seasons on DVD from Amazon (or any DVD stores), buy it on iTunes or watch up to season four on Netflix. 

Grey's Anatomy

I love television. In fact, love is probably not strong enough to describe how passionate I am about it. Nonetheless, some TV shows leave a more lasting impression than others. The 11th season of Grey’s Anatomy ended two weeks ago and now that the dust has settled, I thought I would share with you my thoughts on a series that is very dear to me.

I discovered Grey’s Anatomy when it was in its fourth season, and started watching season three after a friend recommended it. I still have her note explaining who the characters were because I hadn’t watched the first two seasons. I instantly fell in love with, so much so that as soon as I finished the DVD I had borrowed, I begged my mom to take me to the store so I could get the entire season. Waiting a whole weekend to see what happened next was just not an option.

The premise of the show is that it follows the lives of new surgical residents in a Seattle hospital. Through both their patients and glimpses of their personal lives, you learn and start caring for all the doctors. Life can be complicated but following Meredith Grey can put everything in perspective. I also found all the medical content interesting and as a native French speaker, Grey’s Anatomy greatly helped me improve my English and learn words that were not thought in English class.

I have always been fascinated by biology and so, I wish I had discovered the show earlier because it might have given me the extra push to become a doctor. I heard that quite a few people decided to go to medical school after watching it and I can see why, even though it is far from easy it also seems incredibly gratifying and interesting (you always have to keep learning). For me though, I felt like it was a bit too late to make changes to my school schedule, but had I had that push/motivation before, I would have focused more in math class.

Something else worth mentioning is the music used in the series, it is very unique. You can usually recognize the show simply by hearing its soundtrack because they only use a certain style of songs. You might discover new and less mainstream artists which is always nice.

Even though the more recent seasons of Grey’s Anatomy are not as good as they used to be, it still worth watching if only for those first seasons alone. It is one of those rare television series that will make you laugh and cry and change your perspective on things. I for one, feel much more comfortable being in a hospital (not as a patient) and actually find them calming in a strange way. They feel familiar so I don’t get nervous like other visitors might, because I have a better understanding of how things work there.

You can get Grey’s Anatomy on DVD on Amazon and in stores, 10 seasons are currently available and you can stream them all on Netflix or get them on iTunes. 

Once Upon a Time

Generally speaking, summer tends to be the least exciting season in TV land, most shows have had their season finale and new offerings are quite slim. So I have taken on myself to recommend new shows for you all to watch so you’ll be ready when you feel like binge watching something or when the weather is not on your side.

One that I started (and finished) recently is Once Upon a Time, the story of a small town in Maine called Storybrookes where everyone is actually a fairy tale character but they have no memory of it. Flashbacks allow you to know what happened in the magical world and in the present day we follow Emma Swan as she learns about every character and tries to bring their memories back. The show is full of magic and colorful villains, it is quite funny. Let’s not forget the cast which has amazing actors with great chemistry and comedic timing (Lana Parrilla as the Evil Queen is incredible).

I’m not sure why I never watched it before to be honest, the premise is something I would enjoy (and so would any Disney fans) but for some reason it fell through the cracks. Unlike your average TV show, Once Upon a Time gets better every season. I liked season one but did not thinking it was amazing, however I still gave season 2 a shot and it got better and funnier. In the end I really enjoy going back to childhood fairy tales and revisiting the stories with new added twists.

Watch season one's trailer here.

You can find the first three seasons of Once Upon a Time on DVD both in stores and online and you can also watch all the episodes on Netflix. 

My New Love Affair With Netflix

Oh Netflix what am I going to do with you. See Netflix and I haven’t always had the best relationship, when it first came to Canada I immediately subscribed, but the selection of shows and movies was not very good (especially compared to the American one). Nonetheless, over the last few years I restarted my subscription on and off for a month at a time. The service was never a fixture in my life, but last month everything changed.

While suffering from a case of “I have nothing to watch”, I decided to go back to Netflix hoping to discover something new and boy did it deliver. The number of great shows and movies that have been added is incredible! For the first time I finally get all the excitement around it and why procrastination is on the rise. Everything is just so tempting to watch, even though there are probably more productive things to do. I would say however that, if like me English is not your first language, watching programs in English is bound to improve your skills and is thus highly educational (I probably “study” a bit too much though).

In all honesty I have seen many shows on there, but I made quite a few new discoveries that were great and led to some marathon viewing. My current picks would be:

- Once Upon a Time

- The Musketeers

- The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

- White Collar

If your past experience with Netflix left you disappointed, I highly recommend you give it a chance again, it might surprise you. Also, you’ll know who to blame if my posting becomes irregular.