Goal 85. No TV or Movies for a whole weekend

Hi Friends! This week I've had some difficulty getting my posts up at their usually scheduled time. This is why I am glad this is just a hobby and not my job. Hopefully next week I can be a little more organized.

This past weekend we didn't watch any TV or movies. And I don't think my husband noticed. We enjoyed a great weekend, and want to share with you some ideas for how to have your own tube - free weekend.

photo by autowich on Flickr

One thing we have to explain is this - we did not have a screen free weekend. Our computers do so much for us, that are both helpful and fun, so avoiding those for a whole weekend would certainly take a lot more effort. But we didn't just swap out watching the television for watching marathons of shows we download on itunes. We avoided those too.

1. Plan or go to a party - This weekend we got to go to a birthday party for our dear friends baby, who is now 1! A party is a great way to spend time with friends and near-by family, plus it helps you focus on connecting to real people, thus avoiding TV. If you haven't been invited to a party this weekend, why not throw your own! A full-out dinner party, board games and nibbles, or just dessert and catching up. Another great way to spend time with people is to invite them for Sunday lunch. 
2. Go outside - A surefire way to avoid TV for a whole weekend is to go camping! It is great to be in the outdoors and not even be tempted by our sedentary past-times, which I think is why so many people enjoy camping. But, if weather would not permit camping, or you have other commitments, try going on a walk. Even just a half an hour around your neighbourhood after dinner distracts you from flopping down on the couch to digest and then getting sucked in for the rest of the night.
3. Make it hard - One of the ways that we avoid watching too much TV is that we don't have a television and watch all TV shows online. I use a website called Sidereel to keep track of my favourite shows. Since organizing my shows this way I find that I naturally avoid just looking around for things to watch and am much more purposeful in what I actually do watch. Avoiding all the advertisements and just the ease of flipping through channels really makes watching TV more of an actual choice, not just a habit. 
4. Get ahead on work - This doesn't sound like what you want to hear? Well, maybe its not, but using your weekend to get ready for the week sure takes a lot of pressure off those weeknights. Whether your version of getting ahead means actually going to the office (or school for my teacher-husband) or just simply prepping food for lunches and ironing your clothes, being ready for the week takes up most of our Sunday night, and makes Monday morning go a lot smoother. 
5. Get committed - Another way to connect with friends, or possibly make new friends is to be involved. Attending your kid's sports games, taking your own classes (exercise or otherwise), joining book or interest groups and being involved in your church will help you spend your time on worthwhile activities connecting with the people around you. 
6. Work on a project - Want to plant a garden? Re-paint your bathroom? Be the kind of mom who does cool crafts with her kids? A gourmet brunch-maker? The weekend is a good time to do this and more. 
7. READ - Yeah, I sound like your mom. Well, she was right. 
8. Listen to podcasts, audiobooks, music - Maybe you just want some background noise? Well, TV is actually much better at being the focus, not the background. It is really hard to actually be productive with a TV show on. Hey, they're actually designed to be looked at. A podcast isn't. It's designed to just be listened to. So it makes good background noise. Go figure. Same goes for audiobooks and music. 
9. Plan some margin time into your weekend - Give the activities in your weekend good margin, so that you can actually be restful. Give yourself time to be a bit late getting home, a moment to stop in at a cute shop or pick up some extra ingredients for a yummy dinner. Give yourself a chance to explore, even the common places in your life, like the grocery store or that park by your house you just never have time to stop at. Instead of whizzing through your morning routine exactly like you would do it on a weekday morning, go a bit slower, taking your time, getting lost in what you are doing or in following a tangent. Simply build in time to do whatever interests you in the moment, instead of rigidly following a schedule. Or be like my dad and whiz through whatever you want to accomplish, and then spend all afternoon just following your whims and interests. Just not ones on TV. 
10. Sleep - Sleep in, go to bed early. Much simpler when the TV isn't distracting you. 

Do you ever avoid watching TV? How do you spend your time?