Summer House Party Checklist

Summer House Party Checklist

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As you are preparing to entertain family, friends, and guests in your home this summer, you will want to make a checklist to help keep you on schedule and ensure your parties are a success.

Pre-Party Checklist

  • Verify all Entertainment System Devices and Remotes Are Working
  • Make a Guest List
  • Send Out Invitations and Request an RSVP
  • Decide What Type of Party You Want to Host (i.e., pool party, dinner, brunch, etc.)
  • Decide What Food/Beverages You Are Serving
  • Verify You Have Plenty of Serving Dishes
  • Make a Grocery List
  • Go Shopping
  • Pick Up Decorations
  • Make a Music Playlist
  • Dust, Vacuum, Mop, and Clean

Day-Of Party Checklist

  • Finalize Any Decorating
  • Stock Bathrooms
  • Charge Up Cameras and Smartphones
  • Have Extra Batteries on Hand for Remote Controls
  • Complete All Food/Beverage Prep in the Morning
  • Pick Up Bags of Ice for Coolers and Cold Beverages
  • Set Up Different Trash Bags for Waste and Recyclables

Summer House Party Checklist

Keep in mind, depending on the number of guests and type of event (i.e., 4th of July cookout or a birthday party), the types of foods/beverages you serve and decorations often vary. TIP: If you are not big on decorating, a great way to liven up indoor and outdoor spaces is with some live green plants and fresh flowers!

If you discover your TV and entertainment remotes are not working, you can order new ones from ReplacementRemotes.com or call us at 1-855-5-REMOTE (1-855-573-6683) today to ensure they arrive in time for your summer party!

Family watching Television together

Balancing TV Watching in the Family

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Among a family’s entertainment options, TV watching is often at the top of the list. Balancing the diverse options on the family’s TV can seem challenging, with so many choices from recordings on the DVR to streaming movies over the internet or playing games on apps on your smart TV.

Family watching Television together

To help make sure everyone gets to enjoy their favorites and to help prevent fighting over who gets to control the TV remote, we recommend the following tips:

  1. Limit viewing to two hours each evening after dinner.
  2. While watching TV, put away all other electronic devices, including smartphones.
  3. Allow each family member to choose the movie, programs, or games on a different night of the week.
  4. Make the weekend’s family movie nights, complete with popcorn.
  5. Never leave the TV on as background noise.
  6. Use TV watching as a reward for completing homework assignments and chores around the house.
  7. If you allow your children to watch an hour of afternoon kids’ shows, sit down and watch a few episodes with them to make sure they are age appropriate.
  8. Remember to use parental controls to block inappropriate channels.

After watching TV for the evening, shut the TV off and make this quiet time, with no electronic devices to help your kids fall asleep faster and easier. If you need a new remote control for your TV or other entertainment devices, remember to call ReplacementRemotes.com at 1-855-5-REMOTE (1-855-573-6683) for help selecting the right remote for your devices.

Universal Remotes Versus Factory Replacements

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If you need to replace a TV remote control or other remote that is part of your home entertainment system, you have one of two options: a factory replacement or a universal replacement. To help you determine which one will meet your needs, consider the following:

Factory Replacements

  • Only works with one particular device, but does control all of the features and options.
  • May work with other devices, but only if they are the same brand and, often, only provides limited functions, like turning the device on or off.
  • You may need two, three, or even more separate remotes to control all of your devices.

Universal Remotes

Universal Replacements

  • Easy to control all of the features and options, not on just one but multiple devices.
  • Eliminates the need to have numerous remotes lying around.
  • A wide array of options and choices from basic to advanced learning models.
  • Could include additional features not on a factory replacement, like light-up buttons.

In addition, some universal replacements offer forward-compatibility if you upgrade to a new TV or surround sound system and can be “taught” the various controls and functions of the new device.

In the end, it is really about your own personal preferences, so either choice is acceptable. You can find both factory and universal replacements for your TV and other devices, here at ReplacementRemotes.com. Feel free to browse our selections online or contact us at 1-855-5-REMOTE (1-855-573-6683) for further assistance in choosing the right replacement for your devices.

Watch TV

How to Control Binge Watching and the Amount of Time You Watch TV

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For many people, especially Millennials, it can be rather tempting to curl up on the couch, grab their TV remote controls, and start binge watching their favorite television series. Binge watching has become the new “in-thing” to catch up on shows without having to wait a week or longer in between episodes.

However, binge watching can ruin a series because it can take away from its original appeal. Most shows have several different levels of storytelling:

  • There can be a story for each episode.
  • There can be a story for that particular season.
  • And, sometimes, there even can be an overall developing story for the entire series!

Watch TV

Plus, binge watching can be a major letdown after you finish watching all available episodes. Then, you are forced to wait in anticipation for more new episodes, which, sometimes, are not available until a year later!

By altering your binge-watching habits, you can stretch out your favorite programs longer and get more enjoyment out of them.

  • Watch only one but no more than two episodes at a time.
  • Allow a full day to go by before watching another episode (i.e., every other day).
  • Find more than one series you want to catch up on and alternate between them.
  • Limit the amount of time you binge watch programs each day to that of a full-length feature film—so, no more than two-and-a-half hours a day.

By changing your binge-watching habits, you will discover you get more enjoyment out of your favorite programs and look forward to future episodes. For universal and TV remotes and related accessories, call ReplacementRemotes.com at 1-855-5-REMOTE (1-855-573-6683).

get togethers

Spring Gathering Checklist

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There are all sorts of different checklists you can use when planning parties and get-togethers in the springtime, from checklists of things to do, to lists of cleaning chores, to lists of things to check that are functioning correctly, like these following items.

  1. Remote Controls – Whether it is for the TV, sound system, or outdoor projection system, you want to make sure all the remote controls work correctly and get new batteries or a replacement remote if they do not.
  2. Home Entertainment Systems – Make sure the TV, stereo, and other connected devices are working correctly and that there are no wiring errors. Also, to keep guests safe, make sure no wires are left running across the floors and are properly bundled and covered.
  3. Indoor/Outdoor Lighting – Check to verify all lights work and there are no burnt-out bulbs that need to be replaced.
  4. Cooking Appliances/Warmers/Grills – If you are preparing food for your guests, make sure all your appliances, warmers, and grills are ready to go.
  5. Pool/Hot Tub Heaters, Filters, and Pumps – If you have a pool and/or hot tub, confirm the heater is working, the filters are cleaned, and the pumps are cycling correctly.

get togethers

  1. Fire Pits/Patio Heaters – For gas appliances, make sure to have plenty of gas tanks on hand, unless they are directly connected to a gas line. For wood burning heaters, clean them out ahead of time and have plenty of dry hardwood available for burning.

By taking the time to make sure all your items are working correctly, you and your guests will have a great time at your spring party! Please feel free to contact ReplacementRemotes.com at 1-855-5-REMOTE (1-855-573-6683) today for replacement remotes and other related accessories.

Commercial Breaks to Your Advantage

Use Commercial Breaks to Your Advantage

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The average hour-long television show has about 14 minutes of commercial breaks. What are you doing with that time? Flipping through other channels with your remote control or passively watching commercial messages while waiting for your show to come back? Why not put that idle time to good use?

Commercial Breaks to Your Advantage

By using those 14 minutes of commercial time for easy household tasks, you can keep from having to set aside another time to do them. This will improve your personal productivity and free up more time during your day for more important activities. Here’s a list of a few things you can do during commercial breaks:

  • Plan your day – Make a list of everything you need to do tomorrow. This will help keep you organized and allow you to make better use of your time.
  • Make your grocery list – Take advantage of a commercial break to make your shopping list for your next grocery trip. It’ll save you from having to do it later.
  • Respond to emails – Use the short commercial break to respond to emails you may have left unread or unanswered during the work day. Also, clean out that inbox.
  • Tidy up – Toss your socks in the dirty clothes basket, put away DVDs and books, and perform a few other minor cleaning tasks.

Replacementremotes.com is a provider of new and refurbished TV remote controls for a wide variety of televisions and other electronics. In addition to remotes, the company also provides TV stands, accessories, replacement product manuals, lights, and other accessories. The company also operates a repair service for remotes and other devices.

Greatest 80s Television Comedies

Six of the Greatest 80s Television Comedies

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If you’re a member of Gen X, the TV comedies of the 1980s probably hold a special place in your heart. It was a great era for television comedies, as the network sitcom hit its peak and cable began to innovate and take comedy to new places.

Greatest 80s Television Comedies

It’s tough to pick out the best comedies of the 80s because there were so many, but here are a few that we would stop and watch if we saw them the next time we were flipping through channels with our TV remotes:

  • Cheers – The definitive TV comedy of the 1980s, whose influence can still be felt in modern comedies, such as It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
  • Married with Children – This risqué comedy signaled the beginning of an edgier age of comedy and the deconstruction of many old sitcom conventions.
  • Moonlighting – An innovative detective comedy known for its great writing and quirky cast, including Bruce Willis.
  • ALF – Any child of the 80s will always love the furry alien from Melmac.
  • Golden Girls – Featuring four older women living together in Miami, the Golden Girls entertained while also getting audiences to think more about issues such as aging and equality.
  • Full House – A much-beloved family-friendly comedy which has found new life in a modern revival that has won a new generation of fans.

Replacementremotes.com sells new and refurbished TV remote controls for a wide variety of televisions and other electronic devices. The company also provides TV stands, accessories, replacement product manuals, lights, and other accessories. The company also operates a repair service for remotes and other devices.