First of all, I wanted to say thank you for the great response to my post yesterday! I thought that might resonate with a lot of people, and it certainly did. Just remember to believe in yourself and appreciate who you are and where you are right now, instead of holding off things because you’re afraid of failing or not being accepted.
Speaking of going after goals, does anyone know what today is?
It’s the day registration to the Chicago Marathon opens! If you’re looking for a marathon to run this fall, I HIGHLY suggest running the Chicago Marathon! It was incredibly well organized and they’ve changed the start times, so any complaints you may have heard about the “open corral” are no longer an issue.
Not only is it put on well (as is the expo!) but the course itself is great – you get to run through all the neighborhoods of Chicago, so the change of scenery keeps you entertained. Not to mention the crowds! I only remember one small bit of the course that wasn’t lined with spectators cheering you on. The energy and excitement of running such a big race really kept me motivated and was the perfect choice for my first marathon.
If you want to run Chicago and don’t want to run for a charity, sign up TODAY! It may sell out very quickly! You can see my race recap here for a more detailed explanation of my experience.
So today I have kind of a random post topic for you all.
Ever since I left for college I decided I didn’t want a television set while I’m in school. Don’t get me wrong, I love TV. LOVE. Which is exactly why I chose not to have one, I know myself and know that I’d just watch any random show that was on and avoid getting anything else done.
However, I do still want to watch some TV, especially keeping up with some of my favorite shows like Glee, Biggest Loser, Modern Family, and many more…
First I got Netflix, then I also got Hulu Plus this past Fall so I could watch all of Season 2 of Downton Abbey. Here are my reviews of each!
(Watching Parenthood on Netflix)
Netflix
Cost: $7.99/month
Ease of Use: Very easy. You can search for the show you want to watch, and the most recent show/movie that you watched is always on the top of the front page when you return, and the 3 most recent under the “Instant Queue” tab. Also, the “Instant Queue” tab is where you can find all the movies and shows that you selected to be watched later so you don’t forget about them.
They also organize your main page in sections, such as New Releases and others based on things you’ve watched, like “Since you watched Dawson’s Creek…” haha.
Another great feature? They allow you to rate every show or movie you’ve watched, and they keep a list of everything you’ve seen so you can find and watch old favorites again easily.
Selection: Medium. The selection has gotten better and better over time but obviously they don’t have everything. It’s also older seasons of shows, it usually takes at least a few months after a season has ended for it to show up on Hulu. They do update their new movies every month or so and I’m usually surprised to see some of them on their.
My Recommendation: If you don’t have a television (and even if you do!) I highly recommend Netflix. It’s a great source of old TV shows and tons of movies and I use it all the time. I’ve never gotten bored with it or unable to find something I wanted to watch.
HULU+
Cost: $7.99/month
Ease of Use: Pretty simple, it’s just like regular Hulu, except one great feature is that they save all the shows you watch in one place and let you know whenever there’s a new episode so you don’t have to go searching for it. Otherwise it’s just like regular Hulu.
Selection: Not as great as I expected. When I signed up for Hulu+ I was expecting to be able to watch old seasons of all the shows that they have, however I was surprised that they were so limited in what they were licensed to show. I searched several TV shows that I wanted to watch and none had old seasons available. Hulu itself has a GREAT selection of new TV shows – but that’s free! If there’s something specific on Hulu+ that you want to watch, I recommend doing their free trial month and then cancelling unless you really like it.
My Recommendation: Not necessary. It’s good if you have an iPad, because you can only watch Hulu on your iPhone or iPad if you have Hulu+. Also, it’s convenient for some shows (such as when I wanted to watch Season 2 of Downton Abbey) but other than that I haven’t found myself utilizing it at all. Not worth the $7.99 a month unless you really think you’d use it.
Edited to add: I was not contacted or compensated in any way by Netflix or Hulu Plus, this opinions are entirely my own and based on my own, private use of their services.
Do you use Netflix or Hulu?
Does anyone else not have a television or cable?
Who is singing up for Chicago?!?