This title may seem sarcastic, but it’s actually sincere. I found with the latest power outage that there is a lot of joy to be found with a little less electricity.

Have you ever noticed how cozy it is at home when the power is out?
I had so much fun last Friday night snuggling up with my sweetie that I’m strongly considering doing a monthly power outage of my own just to give myself a fresh perspective on the things we take most for granted - power and running water.

If you’re up for a little experiment, here’s all it takes to create a conscious night of energy appreciation and conservation. Special note: Since it’s winter here, I’m going to write this as if it’s wintertime, but feel free to modify these steps as season dictates.

Supplies needed:
Candles, matches, firestarter and firewood (if a. it’s cold out and b. you have a fireplace)

I bought lots of ice for my fridge (to keep things from spoiling) when the power was out. Since this is just for fun, you won’t need it but ice is something to consider in the event of a real-life power outage.

Step 1: Pretend you’re camping
Get yourself into a camping mindset at the get-go and prepare for an adventure.

Step 2: Turn off the heat
Or at least, turn the heat down very low.

Step 3: Wear your thermals (and dress the kiddos for camping), put on a hat.
Have you ever noticed how over-heated we are in the US? I go nuts when I travel to places like NYC and I’m all dressed for winter but I turn into a pool of sweat b/c stores and restaurants and hotels are so over-heated. So here’s your chance to make up for energy over-expenditure elsewhere.

Step 4: Turn off the lights and all appliances.
Yes, that’s right. Be so daring as to ban all electricity for a night.

Step 5: Eat by candlelight.
How romantic?! And how fun for kids.

Step 6: Wash dishes by candlelight.
Make sure you don’t use too much hot water (it’s a precious thing). If you have a double-sink, fill one since with sudsy water and one side with rinse water. Don’t use any more water from the tap.

Step 7: No T.V.
In case you forgot that you opted for Step 4 above, this is just a gentle reminder. Enjoy a board game, snuggle up with a book, a game of cards, or a long conversation with your loved ones. Let yourself just gaze into the flickers of firelight or candlelight and let yourself dream.

If you’ve made it through all the steps! Congratulations!
On the other hand, if this camping out in your own home is just too much, then consider baby bite-size steps like an hour of no power on March 29th, 2008. Light’s Out America is trying to teach all of us to conserve by turning off the lights.
OR
Let yourself simply enjoy the next time the power lines go down and you’re forced to keep the lights out.

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