If you frequent the Janson Media website, your probably aware of how much we admire the contributions of Wanda Urbanska and her sustainable living movement. Spreading her core message of “less is more” Urbanska has been tapped for her expertise by such media outlets as The Oprah Winfrey Show, the Today show, NPR’s All Things Considered and CBS This Morning to champion sustainable lifestyle choices. As the author or co-author of 8 books and the host/producer of America’s first national television series on sustainable living, Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska, her audience continues to grow. Thanks to a recent article on SecondAct.com, we we’re treated to a first hand account of the effect Wanda’s principles had on a North Carolina couple. It’s amazing to see the inspirational real life experiences that sparked a transition to a simpler, more meaningful life and even lead to a new friendship. For more on the story please visit the SecondAct.com website.

A magazine-style series advocating enhanced quality of life through environmental stewardship; thoughtful consumption; community involvement; and financial responsibility. Simple Living, hosted by Wanda Urbanska, addresses such subjects as lowering your carbon footprint, reducing your personal waste stream, buying locally, green building, and reconnecting with nature. In short, taking one’s life back from the grip of consumerism. Each episode makes the case that change is not only possible but inevitable; it urges viewers to adopt the mindset that “nothing’s too small to make a difference.” Wanda will show you how to replace time-starved, possession-cluttered, high carbon-footprint lives with a more meaningful approach. Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska was produced by Simple Living, LLC, and is available for all television, DVD, VOD, non-theatric, and new media markets worldwide exclusively through Janson Media.

About Wanda Urbanska
Wanda Urbanska is the author or co-author of eight books, including Less is More; Simple Living; Nothing’s too Small to Make a Difference; Moving to a Small Town; and Christmas on Jane Street. A graduate of Harvard University, she makes her home in North Carolina, where she is raising her 12-year-old son, Henry.

She has been tapped for her expertise by such media outlets as The Oprah Winfrey Show, the Today show, NPR’s All Things Considered and CBS This Morning to champion sustainable lifestyle choices. She is host/producer of America’s first national television series on sustainable living, Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska, which premiered on PBS stations in 2004. Her work has been published in such outlets as the Washington Post, Vogue, Glamour, Mother Earth News, Natural Home, Shape and many more. Her web site is www.simplelivingtv.net.

Fresh off the heels of its new deal to become a Content Partner with Hulu, Janson Media announced today that the first season of Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska (8 x 30′) is now available for live viewing on the online video service. Seasons 2, 3 and 4 of Simple Living are also set to launch on Hulu.com between late July and August.

“I am so excited about the launch of my series on hulu.com, which will bring our core message of environmental stewardship; thoughtful consumption; community involvement; and financial responsibility to a wider audience. This series — which was groundbreaking when it launched on public television in 2004 — has never been more timely.”

-Wanda Urbanska, President and host of Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska

A magazine-style series advocating enhanced quality of life through environmental stewardship; thoughtful consumption; community involvement; and financial responsibility. Simple Living, hosted by Wanda Urbanska, addresses such subjects as lowering your carbon footprint, reducing your personal waste stream, buying locally, green building, and reconnecting with nature. In short, taking one’s life back from the grip of consumerism. Each episode makes the case that change is not only possible but inevitable; it urges viewers to adopt the mindset that “nothing’s too small to make a difference.” Wanda will show you how to replace time-starved, possession-cluttered, high carbon-footprint lives with a more meaningful approach. Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska was produced by Simple Living, LLC, and is available for all television, DVD, VOD, non-theatric, and new media markets worldwide exclusively through Janson Media.

About Hulu

Founded in March 2007, Hulu is operated independently by a dedicated management team with offices in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Beijing. NBC Universal, News Corp., The Walt Disney Company, Providence Equity Partners and the Hulu team share in the ownership stake of the company. Hulu is an online video service that offers hit TV shows, movies and clips at Hulu.com and other online destination sites. Hulu’s mission is to help people find and enjoy the world’s premium video content when, where and how they want it. As we pursue this mission, we aspire to create a service that users, advertisers, and content owners unabashedly love.

About Wanda Urbanska

Wanda Urbanska is the author or co-author of eight books, including Less is More; Simple Living; Nothing’s too Small to Make a Difference; Moving to a Small Town; and Christmas on Jane Street. A graduate of Harvard University, she makes her home in North Carolina, where she is raising her 12-year-old son, Henry.

She has been tapped for her expertise by such media outlets as The Oprah Winfrey Show, the Today show, NPR’s All Things Considered and CBS This Morning to champion sustainable lifestyle choices. She is host/producer of America’s first national television series on sustainable living, Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska, which premiered on PBS stations in 2004. Her work has been published in such outlets as the Washington Post, Vogue, Glamour, Mother Earth News, Natural Home, Shape and many more. Her web site is www.simplelivingtv.net.

About Janson Media

Established in 1989, Janson Media is an independent content distribution company based in the United States, with a rights portfolio of over 1,500 hours of exclusive programming available for licensing to worldwide television, VOD, DVD/video, and emerging new media platforms. The company has licensed programming to virtually every country in the world, and its clients include nearly every major broadcaster or media company, as well as a wide range of DVD labels and distributors. Janson Media is also a publisher/ manufacturer of award-winning DVDs.

Sustainability advocate, television producer/host and author Wanda Urbanska has been identified by The New York Times as “a spokeswoman for a phenomenon known as the simplicity movement.” In her latest book due May 11th through Krause Publications, The Heart of Simple Living: 7 Paths to a Better Life, Urbanska shares her wisdom in one remarkable volume, laying out 7 clear and inviting paths to the lifestyle for our times.

- The Path to Financial Independence;
- Meaningful Work;
- Housing Happiness;
- Reclaim Homemaking;
- Back into the Kitchen;
- Beating a Path to the Garden; and,
- Reclaiming Ritual & Community for Life.

Wanda’s Urbanska’s simplicity movement grew beyond paperback and hardcovers expanding to the small screen in 2004 with Wanda Urbanska’s Simple Living, the first nationally syndicated television series of its kind. For years, Wanda’s magazine style series has offered thoughtful ideas and actionable tips for viewers to become better environmental stewards and more thoughtful consumers. Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska was produced by Simple Living, LLC, and is available for all television, DVD, VOD, non-theatric, and new media markets worldwide exclusively through Janson Media. Episodes from the TV series are available for online viewing at janson.tv.

“The era of over-consumption is over,” declares Urbanska. “Now more than ever, Americans are embracing values of simplicity, understanding that less is more and finding more meaning in their lives through friends, families and community.” Here’s what the critics are saying about Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska…

Once dubbed “the de facto Martha Stewart of the voluntary simplicity movement,” Wanda Urbanska has carved out her own niche as an expert in simple living, and this five-episode set from the 2004 debut season of her public television series covers a range of topics, from living simply and sustainably in big cities (Chicago and San Diego are featured) to combating global warming. One thought-provoking segment discusses efforts to help contemporary youth—who spend much of their time indoors—reconnect with nature. The last two installments, which cover a “green remodel” of Urbanska’s 1956 ranch home in Mount Airy, NC, bring home the complex issues homeowners might face tackling such projects. The technical quality of the UNC-TV production varies (with repeated shots and some fuzzy focusing), but Urbanska’s energy and enthusiasm more than compensate, and while much of the information is familiar (use compact fluorescent bulbs; dry the laundry outside; compost; turn off the lights; buy local), Urbanska also offers hope for a sustainable future while underscoring the important message of “reduce, reuse, recycle.” As she says at the end of each episode, “Nothing is too small to make a difference.” Recommended. Aud: P. (F. Gardner) – Video Librarian

About Wanda Urbanska
Wanda Urbanska is the author or co-author of eight books, including Less is More; Simple Living; Nothing’s too Small to Make a Difference; Moving to a Small Town; and Christmas on Jane Street. A graduate of Harvard University, she makes her home in North Carolina, where she is raising her 12-year-old son, Henry.

She has been tapped for her expertise by such media outlets as The Oprah Winfrey Show, the Today show, NPR’s All Things Considered and CBS This Morning to champion sustainable lifestyle choices. She is host/producer of America’s first national television series on sustainable living, Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska, which premiered on PBS stations in 2004. Her work has been published in such outlets as the Washington Post, Vogue, Glamour, Mother Earth News, Natural Home, Shape and many more. Her web site is www.simplelivingtv.net.

On this day 40 years ago US Senator Gaylor Nelson gave birth to Earth Day, a day that would eventually become a major catalyst in the spread of awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment. Through its campaigns, Earth day has successfully promoted civic engagement, providing groundbreaking environment education to citizens around the world. Thanks to the work of Earth Day and its growing global reach, more and more individuals, organizations and businesses continue to adopt a moral obligation to become active and make improvements in climate change. In support of this special day, Janson Media highlights several titles from its rights portfolio that advocate for a better planet through stewardship.

The Emmy-award winning six-part series Global Focus: The New Environmentalists (1 x 30′ or 6 x 5′) (Seasons 1-6), narrated by Robert Redford, features intimate portraits of six passionate and dedicated activists from around the world. Producers Will Parrinello, John Antonelli & Tom Dusenbery of Mill Valley Film Group traveled worldwide to capture the triumphs and challenges of environmental heroes who have stood up to government, corporations and other adversaries. Their common goals are safeguarding the Earth’s natural resources from shortsighted exploitation and the long term effects of pollution, and fighting for environmental justice in their communities. These “New Environmentalists” employ a formidable array of weapons to wage their battles. Picket signs, solar panels, legal briefs, garden hoes, spirituality, pop songs, dance and sheer determination are among their many resources.

Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska (39 x 30′) is a magazine-style series advocating enhanced quality of life through environmental stewardship; thoughtful consumption; community involvement; and financial responsibility. Simple Living, hosted by Wanda Urbanska, addresses such subjects as lowering your carbon footprint, reducing your personal waste stream, buying locally, green building, and reconnecting with nature. In short, taking one’s life back from the grip of consumerism. Distributed worldwide exclusively through Janson Media, the series can be seen on your local PBS station in HD. Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska was produced by Simple Living, LLC, and is available for all television, DVD, VOD, non-theatric, and new media markets worldwide exclusively through Janson Media. Episodes from the TV series are available for online viewing at janson.tv.

Meltdown: In the Shadows of Nepal’s Lost Glaciers (1 x 52′) follows a UN-led expedition to look at the escalating glacial melt that is starting to consume Nepal’s high mountain. The film ventures into the region to look at evidence of recent floods and to visit a dammed lake that experts believe might soon release 30 million tons of water onto the 7000 Nepalis who live below it. This provocative film brings a new angle to the issue of global warming. It includes dramatic scenery, an ascent of a 6000 meter mountain and interviews with a leading Buddhist monk, a Nepali environmentalist, local witnesses to disasters, a UN official, and glaciologists and global warming experts.

Earth Day Network was founded on the premise that all people, regardless of race, gender, income, or geography, have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment. Our mission is to broaden and diversify the environmental movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable environment. We pursue our mission through a combination of education, public policy, and activism campaigns. Earth Day Network has a global reach with more than 20,000 partners and organizations in 190 countries. More than 1 billion people participate in Earth Day activities, making it the largest secular civic event in the world.

Last month we announced the scheduling of a speaking engagement with author, TV host, and advocate of simplicity, Wanda Urbanska at the 2009 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Chicago. The ALA has released footage of Urbanska’s presentation (including a brief question and answer segment) for viewers who missed the event. In the video, she discusses the “disease” of overconsumption and the idea of simplicity as a lifestyle, using her own experiences as an example. In a post-speech interview with the American Libraries, Urbanska spoke about her work with libraries and how librarians can advocate for green choices to administrators charged with monitoring the bottom line. Check back with the ALA website in the coming weeks for the full transcript. For more from the woman that O Magazine calls “the de facto Martha Stewart of  the voluntary simplicity movement”, catch episodes of Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska on your local PBS station.

Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska (39 x 30′) is a magazine-style series advocating enhanced quality of life through environmental stewardship; thoughtful consumption; community involvement; and financial responsibility. Simple Living, hosted by Wanda Urbanska, addresses such subjects as lowering your carbon footprint, reducing your personal waste stream, buying locally, green building, and reconnecting with nature. In short, taking one’s life back from the grip of consumerism. Distributed worldwide exclusively through Janson Media, the series can be seen on your local PBS station in HD.

Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska was produced by Simple Living, LLC, and is available for all television, DVD, VOD, non-theatric, and new media markets worldwide exclusively through Janson Media. Episodes from the TV series are available for online viewing at janson.tv.

Janson Media announced today that Wanda Urbanska will be speaking at the 2009 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference to be held in Chicago, July 9th – 15th. The host/producer of the PBS syndicated Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska has risen to become a pioneer in the movement of frugal, conscious, and sustainable living. An author/coauthor of several books on the trend, Urbanska has also been called on for her expert commentary by the likes of Oprah, The Today Show, CBS This Morning and Good Morning America, among others. She can be seen on Sunday, July 12th at 10:30 AM as she discusses how librarians can become advocates for environmental friendliness.

The American Library Association (ALA) is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 65,000 members. The ALA annual conference is notable for being one of the largest professional conferences in existence, typically drawing over 25,000 attendees. The 2009 Annual Conference will take place in Chicago, IL July 9- July 15, 2009 at McCormick Place West located at 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive Chicago, IL 60616.

Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska (39 x 30′) is a magazine-style series advocating enhanced quality of life through environmental stewardship; thoughtful consumption; community involvement; and financial responsibility. Simple Living, hosted by Wanda Urbanska, addresses such subjects as lowering your carbon footprint, reducing your personal waste stream, buying locally, green building, and reconnecting with nature. In short, taking one’s life back from the grip of consumerism. Distributed worldwide exclusively through Janson Media, the series can be seen on your local PBS station in HD.

Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska was produced by Simple Living, LLC, and is available for all television, DVD, VOD, non-theatric, and new media markets worldwide exclusively through Janson Media. Episodes from the TV series are available for online viewing at janson.tv.

Janson Media today announced the worldwide release of Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska, a DVD featuring five introductory episodes of the popular, public television series of the same name. The release marks the extension of the Simple Living brand into the DVD market, where it introduces a message in keeping with the times and the realities of the new economy: frugal, conscious, sustainable living. Simple Living – which made its debut in 2004 as the first nationally syndicated television series of its kind – offers thoughtful ideas and actionable tips for viewers to become better environmental stewards, more thoughtful consumers, fiscally responsible, and involved with community.

These five episodes travel cross country, from Chicago to San Diego to America’s “small town” of Mount Airy, North Carolina, to show you how to live simply in the city or country, to reduce your carbon footprint and fight global warming, to connect with nature and gardening, and to do a “green remodel” of your own home, as Wanda does with her 1956 brick rancher. This sampler will inspire you to reclaim the good life through simple living.

The PBS television series has been hailed by reviewers ranging from the New York Times, which called Wanda “a spokeswoman for the simplicity movement,” to O, The Oprah Magazine, which described Wanda as “the de facto Martha Stewart of the voluntary simplicity movement.” Utne Reader called it “…a kind of This Old House for the American Dream.” “If you feel overwhelmed…” said the Washington Post, “watch the series.”

Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska was produced by Simple Living, LLC, and is available for all television, DVD, VOD, non-theatric, and new media markets worldwide exclusively through Janson Media. Episodes from the TV series are available for online viewing at janson.tv.

SIMPLE LIVING WITH WANDA URBANSKA DVD
LENGTH: Program: 140 Minutes
MSRP: $24.95
CATALOG#: 20388
UPC#: 6-4603203889-7
ISBN#: 1-56839-318-0
RELEASE YEAR: 2009
PRODUCER: Simple Living, LLC
STREET DATE: May 27th, 2009

Janson Media announced today that Wanda Urbanska (host of Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska) has just signed a contract with Krause Publications for her latest book, tentatively titled, “Reclaim the Good Life: Common Sense Wisdom from Wanda Urbanska.” It is slated for publication in May 2010. Wanda’s new book will present solutions for managing money, reducing consumption and debt, while offering wisdom on issues involving work, home, family and healthy living. She’ll draw on her 20-year career as a simplicity and sustainability advocate to help readers establish common-sense habits for survival and happiness – always needed but never more so than during these challenging economic times. In the meantime, consumers can reap the benefits of the simple lifestyle through Urbanska’s nationally broadcasted Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska.

Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska (39 x 30′) HDTV
A magazine-style series advocating enhanced quality of life through environmental stewardship; thoughtful consumption; community involvement; and financial responsibility. Simple Living, hosted by Wanda Urbanska, addresses such subjects as lowering your carbon footprint, reducing your personal waste stream, buying locally, green building, and reconnecting with nature. In short, taking one’s life back from the grip of consumerism. Distributed worldwide exclusively through Janson Media, the series can be seen on your local PBS station in HD.

When O Magazine wrote a timely feature on “voluntary simplicity” in their January 2009 issue, they looked to one of the trends pioneers, Wanda Urbanska (host of Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska), for expert commentary. At a time when the “less is more” philosophy is gaining more popularity, Urbanska’s message is more relevant than ever.

Said Urbanska in the article, “People keep telling me this is just what we need at this time. They want to get back to basics, assume financial independence and environmental stewardship. For the first time, the culture is saying bigger isn’t better. When you are in debt, it’s hard to live with any pleasure. People are starting to feel there is so much more to life.”…

Download a pdf of the full article here.

Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska (39 x 30′) HDTV
A magazine-style series advocating enhanced quality of life through environmental stewardship; thoughtful consumption; community involvement; and financial responsibility. Simple Living, hosted by Wanda Urbanska, addresses such subjects as lowering your carbon footprint, reducing your personal waste stream, buying locally, green building, and reconnecting with nature. In short, taking one’s life back from the grip of consumerism. Distributed worldwide exclusively through Janson Media, the series can be seen on your local PBS station in HD.