I've almost got the same setup as yours, mav14. I'm also using CEC via HDMI coupled with Keymap Editor to further customize the remote, albeit limited. CEC is convenient since you won't need extra hardware (remote/IR), but there's a bit of response lag compared to an external IR/remote setup. I got a cheap IR/remote and it works great too. Openelec feels a lot snappier. :-)
A few tips for new RPi users:
1. Make sure you're supplying adequate power to your Pi. Power supplies rated at 5VDC 1.5A to 2A are best. And make sure your Micro USB cable is thick enough and able to handle 2A+ currents. This is the usual bottleneck that's often overlooked. B+ models feature a brown-out detector and the red power LED flickers if not enough current is supplied to the Pi. This should be a steady red light.
2. Use a powered USB hub when connecting USB devices requiring high current draws (i.e., external USB hard disks, etc.). No need for this if you're only using a wifi adapter, keyboard, mouse, flash drives, other low power devices, or external drives/devices with their own power supplies. The B+ normally allows 600mA total, but can be set to 1.2A with a bit of hacking/tweaking.
3. I found cheap USB wifi adapters (PHP 300+) from CDRKING that work well (better than Edimax, etc.). You can also use antennas with higher dBi ratings with these wifi adapters. This is great if your house/location is big or spans 2 or 3 floors.
