SimpleLiving Topics

BACK TO BASIC COOKING Strawberry Buns & Spreads GREEN MONEY SAVERS Say Hello to Spring and Goodbye to the Dryer! NATURAL BEAUTY PRODUCTS FAMILY - NATIONAL TV OUT WEEK! ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANERS FOR THE HOME They are cost effective and safe the planet! Debbie’s Bio I have many roles but my favourites are being a mom to my incredible two year old son, an aunt to my wonderful nephews and a wife to an awesome husband who encourages me everyday. I love being at home with my son and to be able to watch and participate in many of his life journeys. I enjoy taking long walks in forested areas and grabbing a free minutes to write in my journal. I am a woman that dives into many new adventures. I love to sing and dance but many walk out the door with my singing performances. As well, I love to participate in activities that energize the mind, body and spirit. My desire to write simple living articles was the lack of information on natural homemade products. I did a great deal of searching and experimenting before I felt confident to write about alternatives to commercial products in the home. This search has been great and continues to feed my mind with wonderful ideas to decrease commercial products in the home and increase products made from nature and the heart.

Family

Turn Off Your TV for One Week

National Television Free Week is usually the last week of April every year. However we challenge you to turn off the televisions and think of creative and innovative entertainment for the family for ONE week (try it, you'll like it!)

I have planted this seed in many of my families and friends minds and have received much resistance with incredible reasons why they cannot participate in this wonderful activity. Only 7 days of turning off the television and people are already going through withdrawals. This exercise will be a great learning experience this year; I am caring for my son and 3 nephews for the entire week. The children’s ages are 2,3,6, and 8. We are already thinking of creative ideas to entertain ourselves. My eight-year-old nephew and I brainstormed and came up with some great ideas to keep us busy.

Have a walk after dinner with the family. Bring a soccer ball and have a little game.

Get everyone in his or her pajamas and star gaze. Make your own telescopes.

Have a card game tournament.

Get out those dusty board games and have fun. I love playing connect four with the boys. Everyone’s minds are actively thinking up the next strategy.

Have an early night and wake up everyone before the sunrise and watch it together sipping his or her morning juice on the front step.

Write a book with the children. Begin with a theme and have everyone contribute. You will get some amazingly funny details. Have everyone draw pictures for the book.

Get in the habit of writing journals every night. Give each person their own book and take a few minutes each night to write about their day, dreams and fears.

Make your own television show.

Go to the local library and get some great books. Read for an hour or two in the evening. (Start a weekly book club with the neighbours and their children.

Begin an interesting hobby such as knitting or radio building. The sky’s the limit.

This is just the beginning of things you and your family can do when the television is turned off. Forget all those excuses and turn off those televisions. Keeping the television off will save you few dollars in money but will generate hundreds of creative ideas to be enjoyed.