About The Show
*WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF SIMPLE LIVING WITH WANDA URBANSKA*
How did the *SIMPLE LIVING WITH WANDA URBANSKA television series* – which debuted on PBS stations around the country in July 2004 – come into
being? What was the inspiration for this home-grown project that has
already developed a sizeable following around the country?
Wanda Urbanska moved from Los Angeles to a cherry orchard in Carroll
County, VA – just north of Mount Airy, NC – back in 1986. Married at the
time, she and her former husband were seeking a simpler life. As it
turns out, they were not alone in their pursuit of simplicity back then.
Then as today, people from every walk of life are working to reshape
lives, to “get back to basics,” to build meaningful relationships and
secure, caring communities. We all want to learn how to budget time and
money, how to lessen the environmental impact of our lifestyle on the
planet.
In 1998, Wanda hosted the hit PBS primetime special Escape From
Affluenza, which followed on the heels of Affluenza, hosted by NPR’s
Scott Simon. The success of the two Affluenza specials inspired Wanda to
create the *SIMPLE LIVING WITH WANDA URBANSKA* television series. She
launched a grassroots fundraising campaign locally, which led to
numerous foundation grants, which lead to corporate sponsorship by Smead
Manufacturing of Hastings, MN and NCFI Polyurethanes of Mount Airy, NC.
*SIMPLE LIVING WITH WANDA URBANSKA* offers thoughtful ideas to inspire
each of us to make adjustments to possession-cluttered, time-starved
lives. Whether it’s suggesting that you commit to writing one letter
every week, replacing disposable coffee cups with a travel mug, buying a
seasonal share of a local farmer’s crop or volunteering for a worthwhile
cause, we’ll provide you with small steps that, taken together by all of
us, can make a large impact on your own life and on society as a whole.
*SIMPLE LIVING WITH WANDA URBANSKA* examines what people can do to make their lives easier and more stress-free, from buying products that will last a long time to managing budgets more responsibly. The show focuses on four themes:*environmental stewardship, thoughtful consumption, community involvement and financial responsibility.*
In each of the shows, when you make those lifestyle changes there are
multiple and overlapping benefits. All of these benefits and changes are
little changes, but they add up to a lot when taken together. They are
ways for people to become more thoughtful about the way that we live,
and to lessen our environmental footprint. From Wanda’s home base in
Mount Airy, NC to your home base wherever you live, remember our mantra:*Nothing’s Too Small to Make a Difference.*
_*If you like our show, let your PBS station know. Urge them to give the
program a desirable timeslot and rerun it and previous seasons. Your
voice is important!*_