Screen-free Week - happening NOW!

When we moved into our home almost 20 years ago - we did so on a tight budget.  We had been renting previously and enjoyed cable tv.  We didn't watch tv a lot - but probably more than we needed to.  It was easy to let our daughters sit down to watch their favorite shows, knowing they were occupied and allowing me uninterrupted time to get things done around the house.

So when we made the move - cable tv was one thing we felt we could do without to save some pennies.  I will admit - the first couple of weeks were a little tough - but I am so glad we made that choice and stuck with it.  Now don't get me wrong.  We still had tv and we still watched it.  But we went from having many channels to watch to having two or three.  Our choices were limited, so it became very easy to limit our time sitting in front of it.  Even then, we set limits on how much tv our girls could watch.  I remember them figuring out which shows were the most important to them - which ones did they REALLY want to watch, and which ones suddenly weren't as important when they had to pick and choose.

It wasn't long before amazing things began to happen in our family.  We spent more time doing things together.  We played games inside and outside!  We went for walks, rode bikes, roller skated, played badminton, went to the park, went swimming.  We found ourselves sitting around the table after meals just talking.  So many things became a part of our lives that we hadn't 'had time for' previously.  Even though our girls had both been good readers prior to this - they now had more time to read.  It was wonderful to walk by the living room and see them curled up somewhere with a book in their hands.

And now - all these years later - it does my heart good when we go to our daughters' homes and see the stacks of games they have collected.   And when we asked once what family traditions meant the most to them - one of the things on the top of their lists was playing games together as a family.

So I encourage you to take the pledge!  Turn the tv off for a week.  Do something different as a family during those times when you would normally be parked in front of the tv.  And on top of that - you  won't have to listen to all of those annoying commercials!   You could take it a step farther and turn off your electronics also.  No computer games, youtube, facebook, gaming systems.  What would you accomplish if you weren't spending so much of your time 'online' or watching tv?  

See what it does for your family.  I believe it changed ours for the better!  


Take the Screen-Free Week Pledge! | Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood

The Project

That's what we took to calling it.  A project we started four weeks ago to help friends get their house ready to sell.  It's being shown tomorrow - so we finished up almost everything tonight, just a few little things - but it is show worthy tonight. 

This is the sink in the laundry room.  Don and Brad had already cleaned the sink a little before I tackled it.  It had layers and spatters of dried paint and other unidentified stuff.

One hour later - 1/4 can comet - 1 decimated scrub brush and 2 thumb nails that are now 'toast' = it's clean!

We won't talk about the casserole dish that was used as a paint pan.....Sandi - Ethan owes you a new one!

Almost every room ended up with at least 'something' painted.  Sometimes it was the whole room, sometimes just some touch up.  The deck needed quite a bit of touch up painting also - and it's HUGE!  Don and Brad did a GREAT job!

Say prayers for a quick sale!

The granite guys did an excellent job.

dining room

Love the tile in the bathrooms

This is our favorite room up stairs now

General Conference Study

I was perusing some of my favorite blogs the other day and saw a picture that just made my heart happy.  I don't know if it was the different colors that had been used, or the fact that my scriptures are beginning to look a little like this and I had just never thought of doing this with my conference edition of the Ensign - but I almost got giddy! 

See what I mean?  Looking at this Ensign just makes me happy!  I'm thinking a lot of personal revelation is happening with this kind of study of the talks from our prophets and apostles.  I don't know about you - but I could use some personal revelation right now.  There is something weighing heavy on my heart and I can't resolve it on my own.  I need some help. 

If you would like to feel the peace that comes from listening to modern-day prophets and apostles, I invite you to listen to the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this weekend.  Saturday and Sunday.  You can find the link here: and check on General Conference.  You can stream it on your computer, you can listen, or you can print off written transcripts of the talks that are given.  

I found this wonderful picture here:  and I think you should check it out.  You can download printables to help you study and take notes while conference is happening.  I think I'll just wait for my Ensign to come and will mark it up with pretty colors.  I may buy my markers tonight when I go shopping.  Thank you 'Simple Inspiration' blog.....I love your Ensign!

And - if you want to make Conference a time of celebration - check out this blog post from Emily Freeman found here.  I'll give you a hint:  it involves candy!  I'm all in!

Have a great week and a fabulous weekend.