11 Candidates for New Apartment Therapy-ized Versions of Netflix and Chill

Are you familiar with the hot phrase of 2015, Netflix and Chill? It was pretty ubiquitous last year (along with being a little provocative and NSFW, if you’re hip to its meaning). But while I loved the modern turn of phrase, it feels like we need an update for the new year. I’ve taken the liberty of coming up with some alternatives that are more useful (and can be enjoyed with friends or solo.)

Though the hot new trend in time management is doing one thing at a time (versus the commonplace multi-tasking we’ve all been struggling with for a couple of decades), I’m not ready to give up the delirious combination of watching something light and casual on Netflix (or Hulu, or Prime or HBO…) while I keep my hands busy making something.

With Netflix now available in nearly every country on the planet and the news that they will be producing a ton of original content in 2016, it’s safe to say that plenty of people will be letting the warm glow of their screens occupy a lot of their attention this year. Why not get something done at the same time, too? So if you’d like to be more productive in 2016 and you’re just not ready to give up all that TV time yet, here are some possible 2016 updates to Netflix and Chill, which are decidedly less sexy than 2015’s version, but still plenty of fun(-ish).

Pay your bills! (Does anyone still pay paper bills?) If you do have bills to pay and checks to write, plop your paperwork in front of your laptop and make the math much more enjoyable by watching something. Save the tough calculations during commercial breaks so you can really give your finances the right attention.

Everything old is new again! Whip out that vintage George Foreman Grill you hardly ever use and make dinner WHILE you Netflix, RIGHT next to you. Just make sure you grill on a hard, stable and fireproof surface and not put your grill at the end of your sofa. If you fall asleep while watching television you don’t want to catch your house on fire or accidentally grill your foot (is making The Office references still funny/cool?)

If you’re watching shows or movies during colder months, take this opportunity to spruce up your sweater collection by removing the fuzzy “pills” on your favorite woven threads. Bonus! Cover yourself with the sweaters as you spruce them to be warm and cozy while Netflix and Pilling. Below, two effective ways to get rid of that sweater fuzz and how to make sure you store your sweaters correctly after the credits roll.

• Use a Disposable Razor to Clean Sweater Fuzz
• Remove Pills From Winter Sweaters With Sandpaper
• Need-to-Know Tips on the Proper Care and Storage of Your Sweaters

Amazed by beautiful handwriting and wish you knew how to do calligraphy? Sitting in front of so-bad-it’s-good reality television is the perfect time to work on elegant script by hand. Not sure what to write to practice? Work on hand-drawing ballot forms for your very own Oscars party you might be planning later this year.

→ How To Throw a Fun & Fabulous Oscar Party

Why not work on divvying up your most prized possessions in the (very unlikely) event of your early passing? You could prevent future squabbles between your family members. Too morbid of a subject matter? Try putting on some quality television like Six Feet Under to get you into a deadly mood.

Like dreaming of dream houses? So do I. My mom is hooked on browsing the website Zillow (hence the name), but you could browse for home products and inspiring photos on Houzz, Pinterest (or Apartment Therapy) while you watch House Hunters episodes. If anything, the opportunity to prevent yourself from over-thinking the pinning of images and inspiration, instead going on guts alone, could actually be helped by your divided attention.

Your abs! Or your glutes. Or any part of your body you wish was just a tiny bit more toned. Get up off the sofa but manage to stay behind the screen with these moves that will burn calories and tighten.

→ Wellness at Home: Workouts to Do While Indulging Your Netflix Addiction

Have you been cleaning out some of your home’s more terrifyingly cluttered corners during this year’s January Cure? Plop yourself in front of a good show or movie (or move your laptop into a better viewing position from your closet) and use the distraction of entertainment to help you finally let go of something you really don’t need. When you need a break from sitting on the sofa, stretch your legs on over to Goodwill (or an equivalent) to donate your stuff and make your home a little lighter.

→ 6 Things to Eliminate from Your Closet Right Now

Full disclosure, I don’t know anything about the intricacies of brewing beer or distilling liquor. So I have no idea if any part at all is doable in front of a laptop or television screen. But if it is, combine these two passions into a fruitful way to catch up on episodes and make a tasty drink you can imbibe later while catching up on more episodes.

From The Kitchn → Beer School

Are you still in your closet from when I had you decluttering it earlier? Good, because you know what else you can also do in there while you have some great show or movie on in the background? You can pick out your outfits for the week. All that pre-planning will make your mornings go much smoother. So smooth in fact, you could maybe shave some time off your morning routine and fit more minutes of a show in at night.

→ Good Habit: Prepping Outfits in Advance

Budgeting is never fun. (I mean, unless you enjoy it). But you can make it more enjoyable by counting out your money and organizing into envelopes while you practice the cash envelope system of tricking yourself into saving dough. Grab a stack of envelopes and a stack of cash from the ATM and count it out while you laugh it out at a comedy. (Or, if you’re crying from having to budget, you could always combine it with crying from a sad movie to be more efficient with your tears).

→ Smart Savings: Could You Benefit from A Cash Envelope System?

Do you have a idea for another new version of Netflix and ________ for 2016? Share it below in the comments! While it doesn’t have to rhyme, it IS highly appreciated.