netflix – Jellybeans in the City

Regency era romance series “Bridgerton” based on Julia Quinn novels premieres today on Netflix

From Shondaland and Creator Chris Van Dusen, Bridgerton follows Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), the eldest daughter of the powerful Bridgerton family as she makes her debut onto Regency London’s competitive marriage market. Hoping to follow in her parent’s footsteps and find a match sparked by true love, Daphne’s prospects initially seem to be unrivaled. But as her older brother begins to rule out her potential suitors, the high society scandal sheet written by the mysterious Lady Whistledown casts aspersions on Daphne. Enter the highly desirable and rebellious Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), committed bachelor and the catch of the season for the debutantes’ mamas. Despite proclaiming that they want nothing the other has to offer, their attraction is undeniable and sparks fly as they find themselves engaged in an increasing battle of wits while navigating society’s expectations for their future.

Bridgerton is a romantic, scandalous, and quick-witted series that celebrates the timelessness of enduring friendships, families finding their way, and the search for a love that conquers all.

This is the first project among many of writer-producer Chris Van Dusen with streaming service Netflix. Together with Shonda Rimes and Betsy Beers through Shondaland, Van Dusen adapted, show-ran and executive produced the series.

This smart feminist take on Regency England romance unveils the glittering, wealthy, sexual, painful, funny and sometimes lonely lives of the women and men in London’s high society marriage mart as told through the eyes of the powerful Bridgerton family.

“I couldn’t be more excited about being a part of the creative powerhouse that is Shondaland at Netflix,” said Van Dusen. “Bringing these irresistible books by Julia Quinn to the screen, with the fearless and talented team of storytellers I’ve been so fortunate to have worked alongside for so long, is a dream come true. I am grateful to have a home at Netflix, whose commitment to innovative, groundbreaking storytelling is unmatched.”

The series also stars Golda Rosheuvel, Jonathan Bailey, Luke Newton, Claudia Jessie, Nicola Coughlan, Ruby Barker, Sabrina Bartlett, Ruth Gemmell, Adjoa Andoh, Polly Walker, Ben Miller, Bessie Carter and Harriet Cains and Julie Andrews as the voice of Lady Whistledown.

Bridgerton premieres today on Netflix.

Want to lose yourself in the Regency world of the Bridgertons? Check out the best-selling novels by Julia Quinn that inspired the series.

Image and series details courtesy of Netflix.

This post contains affiliate links.

Check out my blog posts about other Netflix shows.

Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix

Have you ever found that while you possess so much stuff that you hardly have enough room for all of them, you still find yourself wanting to acquire more? Have you ever thought that getting a new outfit, accessory or gadget will make all the difference?

Marie Kondo, author of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, espouses gratitude for the things you already have and letting go of those that no longer “spark joy.” Jumping off from the Japanese word tokimeku (“throb, flutter, palpitate”), Kondo advises homeowners to clean in one fell swoop: keep only what brings you joy, discard all other items, and assign a proper place for everything.

For so many of us, there may be a lot of things that hold us back from letting go items that we don’t really need. We could be holding on to them on the assumption that we might need them again in the future, we feel that our possessions are tied in to our identity or we associate them with happy memories from our past.

To help homeowners sort through their emotions, as well as their stuff, Kondo has introduced the KonMari Method. It encourages tidying up by category – beginning with clothes, then books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and finally, sentimental items – instead of location.

In her new Netflix series dropped on New Year’s Day, Kondo visits cluttered homes in the US and advises homeowners on tidying up using the Konmari Method. Among my takeaways from the episodes are:

Greet your space. Before proceeding with tidying up, Kondo takes the time to quietly “introduce” herself to the home. At the same time, she encourages the homeowners to envision their ideal home or ponder their intention for the space. For me, this exercise helps in getting me in the proper and thankful frame of mind, feeling a sense of gratitude for the home for the shelter and protection it provides for my family, and in strengthening a resolution to take better care of it.

When discarding items, thank them for their service. With each item to be sorted, Kondo advises holding them for a while and asking oneself if they “spark joy.” If they do, decide to keep them; if not, discard them. However, rather than just dumping these items in a bin, Kondo encourages homeowners to thank them for their service, for whatever joy they contributed to their lives. I find that with this action, I feel gratitude for the items I say goodbye to and hope that they provide happiness to others, rather than guilt for accumulating so much stuff.

Find a proper home for every item you keep. Ideally, the items you choose to hold on to should be kept where they can easily be seen and accessed. For instance, folded clothes should be stored vertically and miscellaneous items should be placed in clear boxes. This helps the homeowner to easily locate the items and keep track of how much stuff they already possess. In my case, since these items spark joy, seeing them and easily accessing them will only accentuate that joy.

Who would have thought that getting rid of, instead of acquiring, stuff could be a joyful activity?

So, how will you start ensuring that all things in your life spark joy?

How about spreading that joy to others? Your pre-loved clothes, footwear and accessories can be donated to Segunda Mana, while old toys can be given to the Philippine Toy Library. Old books, on the other hand, may be donated to the Reading Club 2000.

Tidying Up with Marie Kondo is now available for streaming on Netflix. If you’re a SKY subscriber, you can subscribe to Netflix and charge it to your SKY bill. More details can be found here.

Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.

Check out some home organizing solutions available on Amazon.com.

Simple Houseware Foldable Cube Storage Bin – 6 Pack

Cardboard Safari Bamboo Organizational Box Set

Utiao Plastic Storage Baskets Organizing in Classroom, Office, Home, 6 Packs(Medium)

Learn more about the KonMari Method with Marie Kondo’s books on Amazon.com.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up (The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up)

Life-Changing Magic: A Journal – Spark Joy Every Day

This post contains affiliate links.

Check out my blog posts about other Netflix shows:

4 Things I love about the New SKY On Demand Box

When I joined the company over a decade ago, SKY has just introduced digital cable TV. For almost all of its subscribers, cable TV means a coaxial cable is connected directly to one’s TV. Since the signal is analog, the TV reception is sometimes grainy and, compared to today, the channels available were limited.

Fast forward to today, and digital TV is the norm. It is now common to see set-top boxes attached to the TVs; these process the digital from the cable and produce clearer pictures on the screen. And because the channel capacity on the digital network has expanded, more channels and shows are available, some are even in high definition.

Coinciding with the technological developments in cable TV is the growth of over-the-top or what we sometimes call video-on-demand streaming services. Online services such as Youtube and Netflix expand our content choices in ways unimaginable ten years ago. However, these are mostly viewed using mobile devices (and therefore in smaller screens), and oftentimes can’t be enjoyed by more than one person at a time.

Enter the new SKY on Demand Box.

I’ve been excited about this new product development since I first heard about it and I’ve been anticipating its launch for some time now.

So please allow me to sing a few of my praises for the new SKY on Demand Box. 🙂

It lets you watch cable TV channels, Netflix and Youtube, all in one device.

Since the new SKY on Demand Box can connect to the internet and includes Netflix and Youtube among its launch apps, your TV viewing choices now cover all of your favorite cable channels, all the shows and movies available on Netflix in your area and all the clips uploaded on Youtube.

Want to catch the premiere of a new episode of Asian horror anthology Folklore on HBO? Check! Want to binge-watch the much-raved-about Outlander series on Netflix? Check! Want to learn makeup application from an online tutorial on Youtube? Check!

It basically turns your TV into a smart TV, helping you get more of the shows you love.

It lets you catch up on the shows you missed.

Couldn’t make it home in time to catch a show as it airs? Or is someone else hogging the TV when your favorite show comes on?

No worries: if the show is one of the titles available on SKY on Demand, you can watch the latest three episodes using the SKY on Demand app, which is included among the box’s launch apps.

Or you can also set your box to record the show even when you’re not at home as the box has a Personal Video Recorder (PVR) function. And guess what: even while someone else is watching another show on the TV, the SKY on Demand Box is recording the show you’re not watching so you can view it at your leisure. No need to fight with hubby or the kids over the remote, yeah?

It comes with a companion app that extends the box’s functionalities even further.

By downloading its companion app (available on the App Store and Google Play) you can use your phone as your TV’s remote control, privately listen to the audio of the show you’re watching using your phone’s headset (no need to settle for almost-mute audio levels just because someone in the room is studying or sleeping), or watch cable channels on your phone.

It’s now available in Metro Manila.

New subscribers of the One SKY Unli Fiber Broadband + HD Cable TV plans only need to pay a one-time installation fee of Php1,999. New subscribers of selected SKYcable plans, on the other hand, need to pay a one-time installation fee of Php2,999.

Existing SKY subscribers can call the Customer Service hotline +63 2 381 0000 or visit any of the SKYzones or SKY offices in the metro.

To inquire about the new SKY on Demand Box, call the SKY Telesales hotline +63 2 4180000 or visit mysky.com.ph/sodbox.

Why you should watch Outlander

Historical romance received some flak a few years back, with the genre often dubbed as “bodice-rippers” by some of its critics. However, the genre has produced several notable oeuvres, one of which is Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander which has been adapted into a TV series by Starz starring Catriona Balfe and Sam Heughan.

Outlander begins in 1945, when Claire Beauchamp Randall, a British World War II nurse, is on a second honeymoon with her husband Frank in Scotland to reconnect with each other after being separated by the war. While exploring the mystical standing stones in Inverness, she is taken back to 1743 where she meets her husband’s dastardly ancestor Black Jack Randall, the series’ main villain, and the dashing Jamie Fraser, the young heir to the Scottish estate Lallybroch who is in hiding among his MacKenzie relatives following some misadventures involving the British forces occupying Scotland at the time. Circumstances forced Claire and Jamie to marry each other (despite Claire’s prior marriage to Frank in the 20th century), and the two found themselves falling in love amidst the challenges brought about by witchcraft accusations against Claire, Black Jack’s wicked intrusions in their lives and the upcoming Jacobite rebellion.

Outlander is a highly complex and engaging show which deserves your binge-watching hours due to the following reasons:

A complicated love story. Claire and Jamie come from very different time periods which shaped their very different points of view. Things are further complicated by Claire’s conflicted feelings for Frank whose existence she must protect by ensuring that his ancestor Black Jack Randall does not meet his demise until he has already fathered a child.
A strong and smart female lead. Claire uses her wits, her knowledge of history and her medical background to navigate and survive 18th century Scotland. She is outspoken (sometimes to her detriment) but she stands by her principles and has an overwhelming drive to help others.
A hunky and “woke” male lead. Jamie Fraser is a product of his time, with a strong inclination to protect his loved ones, particularly the women in his life. He even took a flogging to protect his sister from rape. However, as he gets to know Claire, he grows to appreciate her independent nature and even believes her when she confesses her time traveling.
Sex scenes that are hot but not lascivious. Outlander’s sex scenes are often said to be made for the female gaze as opposed to the male’s. The camera lingers on Jamie’s physique as it does on Claire and the on-screen love-making are in turns hot, tender and funny.
Writing that does not shy away from and builds on the shock value. Black Jack Randall is among the darkest characters on TV and his dealings with Jamie, particularly in the episode “To Ransom a Man’s Soul,” is riveting yet almost painful to watch.

Outlander episodes are available on Amazon Prime. Not yet on Amazon Prime? Start your 30-day free trial today!

Check out my blog posts about other TV shows: