60 Things To Do Besides Watch TV

I'm on this journey to kick my TV addiction and redirect that time to doing other things.  My first step was to go through all of the shows I currently have on my DVR and delete anything that I could live without.  Drew and I went from recording 49 different shows to 23.  (Read more about that process here.)

My new rule is:

I record all of the shows that I really enjoy and are important to me.  This will help me avoid going into zombie-mode.  With this method, my TV viewing should cut down from about 5.5 hours each day to maybe 2 - a show on my own and a show with Drew.  I need to be prepared with a list of things to do with this freed-up time, or I'll fall back into the same trap.  Y'all know I'm all about a list ('bout that list, 'bout that list, no randomness).
 

1. Read a book - Make sure to have some on hand that you have really been wanting to read as an extra incentive
2. Play with the pups
3. Ride my bike
4. Go for a run
5. Practice yoga
6. Cook up something yummy
7. Study your Bible
8. Take a long bubble bath
9. Practice photography
10. Clean out the closet
11. Plan a yard sale with everything you just purged from the closet
12. Take on a home improvement project - I keep of list of projects on my phone that I could choose from
13. Weed the yard
14. Trim the hedges
15. Clean out the attic
16. Clean out the garage
17. Take a walk
18. Put a puzzle together
19. Play a board game
20. Compile a photobook
21. Go shopping
22. Sew - I have a basket full of items that need work
23. Knit
24. Deep clean my car
25. Do a digital deep clean - delete old files, update software, etc
26. Write a blog post
27. Call my grandmas
28. Visit a craft store and pick up whatever speaks to you!
29. Listen to music and do nothing else
30. Take a creative class - cupcake decorating, photography, etc.
31. Learn an instrument (or relearn if you've gotten a little rusty)
32. Volunteer
33. Plan a vacation
34. Take a dance lesson
35. Give the pups a bath
36. Write in a journal
37. Write a list of goals
38. Take a free online class
39. Practice a new hair or makeup look
40. Clean your fridge
41. Teach the pups a new trick
42. Do a Pinterest project
43. Do a social media cleanse - delete anyone that brings negativity to your newsfeed
44. Take a new fitness class at the gym
45. Plan and iron your outfits for the week
46. Rearrange your kitchen cabinets
47. Comment on a blog post your really enjoyed
48. Plant a garden
49. Be a tourist in your hometown
50. Have a picnic
51. Fix that "thing" in your house that's been driving you nuts
52. Do something you've never done before
53. Go to a new restaurant
54. Do something nice for someone else
55. Babysit a friends' kids so they can have the night off
56. Do a crossword or Sudoku puzzle
57. Go to the park
58. Create a blessing bag 
59. Shop for items to donate to a local school or animal shelter (or both!)
60. Take a nap

Whew!  I think this list is enough to keep me busy for a little while, don't you?  This list is pretty specific to me, so I encourage you to make your own lists.  Any time I find myself without anything to watch on TV, I can easily refer to this list and find something to fill that time.  And the thing is, I'm sure any one of these things will bring more joy to my life than another episode of House Hunters.

What is your favorite thing to do besides watch TV?  

The Purge

So a few days ago, I mentioned that my goal in April is to watch less TV and be more selective about the shows I watch.  I don't know about you, but I hardly ever watch "live" TV.  I DVR everything.  If there's nothing already recorded that I want to watch, I flip to Netflix.  So the first step in my journey to less TV is to sort through the list of shows I record and delete anything I can.  Then, if there is something on the DVR, it's going to be something I really enjoy watching.  If there isn't anything, instead of turning to Netflix, I have to find something else to do:  read a book, play with the pups, go outside, etc.  Anything but watch TV.

I thought it would be fun to share the list of shows I have currently on my DVR list and sort through them together.  Just no judging, okay?  Let's get started.

My "Series Manager" has 49 shows.  Who needs to watch 49 shows?  Apparently I do.  Ooops.

1.  The Walking Dead - This one is Drew's; better not touch it.
2.  Doctor Who - My favorite show ever.  It's staying.
3.  Ray Donovan - Another of Drew's shows.
4.  Big Brother - This only comes on once a year, and I usually enjoy it.  It can stay for now...
5.  Project Runway - I've watched this show for years, but I could probably live without it.  Delete.
6. Hard Knocks:  Training Camp - Drew's.
7.  The Mindy Project - Mindy Kaling is a genius, and I love her.  Staying.
8.  Catfish:  The TV Show - This was really good the first season but has kind of lost its magic.  Delete.
9.  Bones:  A favorite.  Keep.
10.  SEC Storied - Drew's
11. Grey's Anatomy - This is one of those I wish they'd cancel.  I've watched it since the first season, so at this point I'm invested.  Keep for now.
12.  Awkward.  - I really enjoy this one and it's about to run its final season.  Keep.
13.  Glee - Well since it just ended, I can easily delete this one.  Lucky me.
14.  Once Upon a Time - Probably my 2nd favorite show.  Definitely keep.
15.  The Goldbergs - Drew and I watch this one together.  It's hilarious.  Keep.
16.  Agents of SHIELD - Drew's
17.  Project Runway All Stars - No Heidi, No Tim, No Nina.  Why do I watch this one?  Delete.
18.  Grimm - This one just gets weirder and weirder.  I could probably live without it.  Delete.
19.  Talking Dead - Drew's (You can't have Walking Dead without Talking Dead, right?)
20.  Rehab Addict - I enjoy it.  Keep for now.
21.  The Following - I could definitely live without this one, but Drew's still into it.  Keep.
22. The Little Couple - They're so fun to watch, but I could probably live without them.  Goodbye Jen and Bill, and Will and Zoey.  Delete.
23.  Game of Thrones - Not even a question.  Keep.
24.  Teen Mom 2 - Is this even on anymore?  Also, I don't think I can name one of them...  Delete.
25.  Faking It - Funny show, but I mostly watch it because of Awkward.  I'll reevaluate this one when the new season airs.
26.  Fargo - Drew's
27.  Food Network Star - Delete
28.  Constantine - Drew's
29.  Girl Meets World - It's a cute show, but I only watch this out of sentiment for Boy Meets World.  Delete.
30.  The Strain - This one was so weird and terrible.  Delete.
31.  Southern at Heart - I love this cooking show, but I could probably do without it.  I've never made anything from any of the episodes, so... Delete.
32.  Hard Knocks:  Training Camp - Didn't we already see this ones?
33.  Sons of Anarchy - Drew's
34.  The Flash - Drew's
35.  Agent Carter - Drew's
36.  Reign - This is one I found on Netflix.  It's really good, but I don't love it, you know.  Delete.
37.  Fixer Upper - I need to do some thinking on this one.  I follow Jo's blog, so I could probably delete.  I'm just not sure.  Still thinking.
38.  Figure Skating - Let's be real.  I only watch this for Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski.  Delete.
39.  Expedition Unknown - This is a really fun show that Drew and I watch together.  Keep.
40.  Flip or Flop - It's a fun show, but I could live without it.  Delete.
41.  Better Call Saul - Drew's
42.  The Pioneer Woman - I like this show and have actually made a few of her recipes.  But I think they are all on her blog too.  I could probably delete this one.
43.  Teen Mom - Keep.  (Hey, I said no judging)
44.  Love, Lust, or Run - Delete.
45.  Dancing with the Stars - Delete.
46.  My Dog Ate What?  - Do I really need to know?  Delete.
47.  Aloha Vet - This show is so cute.  It stays for now.
48.  Wild Hawaii - This one didn't turn out to be what I expected. Delete.
49.  Cesar 911 - Delete.

Whew.  That's a lot of shows.  12 of these are exclusively Drew's.  Probably 7 of them are shows we watch together.  That means 30 of them are all mine.  If I delete the one's I could live without, that leaves 17 shows that are mine or mine & Drew's.  That's a pretty good chunk of shows gone.

Update:  Drew and I went back through the list and deleted a few more.  We're at 23 total shows in our Series Manager.  Awesome!

What are your favorite shows?  Have you ever done a TV purge?

How Am I Really Spending My Time?

Last week we had 3 glorious, beautiful days of warm weather.  I've been getting the itch to "pretty-up" the yard this year, so I spent the afternoon weeding the backyard.  The pups loved having me outside with them while they played, and I loved getting some fresh air.  It was a nice break from my usual routine.

Lately, I've began to notice that I spend a lot of time in front of the TV.  I get home from work around 4:30 and turn the TV on.  It doesn't get turned off until about 10:00 pm that night when we go to bed.  That's 5.5 hours of TV EVERY DAY!!   Kind of ridiculous, right?  What else could I be doing with this time?

Also, I'm not even sure that I really enjoy all of the shows I watch.  I often find myself thinking, "I really wish they'd cancel this show, because I'm tired of watching it."  What the heck?  I'm a grown woman.  I can just not watch the show.

Then Drew started complaining that our DirecTV bill went up again.  We're paying about $125/month for TV.  That's $1500 a year.  Do I really get that much enjoyment from TV?  Probably not.

Just Google "advantages of not watching TV."  You'll get an endless list of articles and blog posts with a million reasons why watching that much TV is bad for your health:  mental, physical, and relational.    (This one is my favorite.)

So I've decided that during April I'm going to try to reduce my time in front of the tube.  I'm too addicted to TV to just throw the thing out, but I can start being more selective about what shows I watch.  After I pick my favorite shows, I can start finding other ways to view them:  Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, antenna for local channels, etc.

Drew's  on board with this idea.  He doesn't really watch that much TV anyway; his only concern is how to catch the Ole Miss games this fall.  That's something we will definitely have to work out.  :)

I probably sound extremely dramatic to most of you, but I realize how much of my time I'm spending just doing nothing.  That's not how I want to spend my life.  I'll keep y'all all updated throughout this journey.  I hope that it leads me to rekindle forgotten hobbies and a happier life.

Do you have an TV addiction?  What about another kind of "harmless" addiction?