In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening

By the time evening rolls around at our house, we're lucky to be sitting upright. There are some days a woman just wants to sit and vegetate in front of the television.

But there are still tons of things that need to get done. How can you strike a balance between relaxing for the evening and being productive? What a crazy concept! Have you really thought about all the things you could be doing while you enjoy your favorite shows?

Try some of these TV-multitasking ideas and see what works for you.

* Craft. We've been making little dresses for our Ladies' Jubilee while watching TV and movies. Doing something mindless with your hands, like knitting or stamping, leaves you free to think about your show.

* Sort a drawer. Pull out a kitchen or dresser drawer and bring it into the living room. Keep a trash can nearby.

* File paperwork. Shred during the commercials.

* Bond. Cuddle on the couch with your husband. Set up a play area with the kids. Take time to groom and love on your pets. Interact while you're watching.

* Write a letter. A what??? That's right, pull out a note card and hand-write some letters. Brighten someone's day in just a few minutes.

* Search your files for new recipes to try this week. You don't normally have the time to dig through all the clippings and books you have, so flip through while you're watching TV and make out a grocery list during the commercials.

* Plan ahead. Grab your calendar and plan your day tomorrow. Make a list (!) of what you need to take care of, what errands you need to run and what meal you'll cook. Ironically you'll probably think of more the longer you sit there.

* Exercise. If you truly get motivated, you can do some bicep curls, lunges or just sit-ups and push-ups while you watch. Commercials breaks are a set time, so you'll know how long you have for your mini-workout.

Comments

  1. JennyMarch 14, 2010 at 1:03 PM

    I was so blessed in the last few weeks with gifts from family and friends for my birthday, I killed an entire pack of thank-you notes on Saturday! This is off-topic as I didn't have the TV on as I wrote, but I just wanted to say that, as a way of "giving back," I used a poetry anthology (a gift from my husband) to pick out and copy for each person a poem (or excerpt from a poem) that I thought would resonate with them. In this email world, we all need to re-discover the joy of putting pen to paper!

    ReplyDelete
  2. LauraMarch 14, 2010 at 2:43 PM

    Amen! Similarly, I abhor the idea of electronic books...there's nothing like paper in your hand to make you appreciate literature. I hope you won't mind if I steal your poetry idea. Love it!

    ReplyDelete

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