The Watch That Saves My Life Every Day

I love, love, LOVE this watch!! I recommend it to any and all of my clients who have issues with time management, ADD or being easily distracted.

I do believe it has saved my house from burning down countless times, as well as helps me parent my easily distracted kid.

The reason this watch is so different from any other watch is the "Countdown Timer" feature. (A feature that is, alas, not on the men's version of this watch!)

The countdown timer works simply: just press the upper right button once and it will set an alarm to go off in one minute. Press it twice and it will go off in three minutes. Press it thrice (LOVE saying thrice!), and it will go off in 5 minutes. You can press it up to seven times in a row to get an alarm up to 30 minutes in the future. (You can also set one alarm each day for a certain time: say you need to take a pill at noon each day.)

This little feature saves me from burning down the house when I leave the stove to go get the mail. I set my watch for one or three minutes, and if I get distracted by a neighbor, weeds or simply a squirrel (SQUIRREL!!) it starts beeping on cue and I remember to go back inside. I don't even have to look at the watch–I simply press the button and count how many times I press it.

It helps me parent because when I am being implored to let someone stay at the park "Just a few more minutes!" I can set my watch to 3 or 5 minutes and when it goes off, well, that's it. Can't argue with a watch like you can with your mom! (Well, OK you can argue, but it's a wee bit easier to say, OK, time's up!"

I know it's not the most stylish of watches. It harkens to 1978 very loudly. (Which was when, by the way, I bought a different digital watch with a seconds timer so I could time the prints and film I was developing in the darkroom. Oh, yeah, that dates me....)

The silver is a bit dressier and is the one I graduated to after I first bought the black plastic one. The gold one just looks a little too brassy for me, but it might work for someone. I wear mine every day and the finish does not seem to tarnish or wear off. They are also "Water Resistant."

All can be found cheaply online at Amazon (around $15) and I've seen them every so often at K-Mart or CVS for up to $25.00. Even the top price is well worth it in my estimation.

Casio Women's LA11WB-1 Daily Alarm Digital Watch

I receive no compensation from Casio or any other entity for my recommendation for this watch, nor do I sell this watch. Occasionally I give this watch to a client!

Closet Clock

I am often humbled by my clients because they come up with the greatest ideas (and jealous because I didn't think of them first!).

While talking with a client today (I had suggested she put up more clocks in her home office) in our phone coaching session she mentioned that she had also put a clock in her bedroom closet.

What a fabulous, simple solution! She has a walk-in closet and she says sometimes she loses track of time in there because she gets busy organizing it. This helps her keep track of the time (just like in her office) and keep her more aware of how much time is passing.

When I googled "closet clock" I got a number of interesting items. While you certainly can use any kind of clock in your closet, I was curious to see if there were any clocks expressly made for closets. (Oh, maybe one that lights up would be nice!)

I thought the one pictured above would be funny whether you are a man or a woman. (You probably need a really healthy sense of humor if you are a man!) It's called "The Closet Closet Clock."

The other great idea I saw was using a weather clock in your closet. Now, these are a little cluttered-looking to me. I like a simple large clock with a big numbers and a easily seen hands. But a weather clock serves a great function–letting you know how to dress for the day! I often turn on the news in the morning to see what the day's weather is going to be or check my iPhone (but it's rarely in my bedroom since I sync or charge it with my computer in my home office) for the local weather forecast. (Click on images to be taken to the website where you can buy this clock. I'm not affiliated with any of these sites.)

Or you can just go with cute!
(This came from a great blog article on closet organizing at Fabulous After Forty.)

Or why not hang one of your many watches (I know you have them) up on a nail? I don't really have much wall space in my closet and the little strip of space I have would be perfect for a watch. (I found actual clocks that look like giant watches online. This one is a plan/components to make one yourself. I think you can find vintage ones on e-bay and Etsy.) Dad's or Grampa's giant old watch you inherited might be perfect for this.

 

Tom Hatton saves you the time (ha ha!) by making and selling these giant watches on Etsy:

What a wonderful design element for a man's closet!