About six months ago, I decided to get TV again after years of not having it. For the first time in ages, I watched daytime talk shows and Cosby Show re-runs and E! rundowns of celebrity gossip. It was fun for awhile, but now I’m experiencing the problems I originally had with TV. For one thing, it is boring 75% of the time. For another, I am getting what I call TV dread–a creeping, vaguely sickish feeling that comes over me when watching a show, a sense that this just doesn’t represent me. It’s like the emotional equivalent of eating too much junk food–you just don’t feel well after overindulging.

That said, when I like TV, I really like it. I love The Office and Heroes. Both shows are clever, well-written, and watching them is a valid use of my time. And while I have access to those shows without paying for cable, there is a host of other shows I like, ranging from Project Runway to American Idol to Gilmore Girls, that make keeping TV worthwhile, at least for now.

Still, I was irritated enough to call and get my cable package reduced. And I’m considering another option: The TV Cozy.

The worst problem with TV is how easily it becomes a habit. It’s such a convenient way to unwind that I find myself watching it almost without thinking about it. So, I had this idea awhile back–a decorative cover for your TV that makes watching it more deliberate. If you have a TV Cozy, you have to get up and take it off before watching TV, which means you also have to consciously think about whether or not to watch.

The only other person I know of who had this idea was Stephanie at the Little Birds Handmade blog. This is her version of the TV Cozy, which I think is pretty cool:

Unfortunately, Kyle is not into the idea of my making a TV Cozy. He seems to think it would be a big frou-frou craft project, a TV version of this:

And maybe he’s right. Maybe instead of making an elaborate cover for the TV I should just exercise a little more self-control. But still, I think the TV Cozy is a good idea for someone, somewhere.

UPDATE: There is a pattern for the TV Cozy in the current issue of Blueprint Magazine, which you can look at here. I don’t know if I like how they did it (looks too much like a pillowcase), but with the right fabric or some embroidery, it could be cool.