Most of the time I’m pretty take-it-or-leave-it with home gadgetry but this one I actually love – it’s a programmable timer that turns your lights on and off for you. We installed it for our outdoor flood lights and programmed them to automatically go on at sunset and off at sunrise (you can also specify your own on and off times or put it on random mode which is nice for when you’re on vacation). It’s been great because the switch to our outdoor lights is inconveniently upstairs so it was a pain to turn them on and hard to remember to turn them off (so this baby should save us some bucks in the long run!). (post includes affiliate links – see my full disclosure statement {here})
The one that we installed is {this Honeywell Programmable Switch} that has great ratings on Amazon, no minimum wattage required (so it’s compatible with CFLs and LEDs), and a backlit display so you can see it at night. It can be placed on almost any single pole switch that has a neutral wire. My husband will be psyched that I actually like one of his new gadgets enough to share it on the blog 🙂
My other exciting purchase this week? A giant faux tortoise shell. Yes, seriously. I actually almost had a smack-down with a girl at HomeGoods over it (slight exaggeration) who I caught lifting it out of my cart two seconds after I had walked a few feet away from it because she “thought it was an abandoned cart”. Yeah, right lady… Maybe I should add “don’t leave a stellar HomeGoods buy unattended in a cart” to my tips for being a HomeGoods power shopper!
I think this guy is going to find a home on the wall in our family room when I remodel it later this year but I’ve also got a good spot for it in our hall – we’ll see…
And a tidbit for my Connecticut friends – did you all know that we’re getting a new Serena & Lily store in Westport? I’m not sure of the exact date it’s opening but they’re already advertising for job openings so it can’t be too far away. I love, love, love their online site so I can’t wait to see everything in person!
And one other random tidbit to share – there’s a new Nate Berkus line at Target that I checked out earlier in the week:
There were a couple of cool pieces but most of it wasn’t really my style. You can see the entire collection {here} and tell me what you think. While I didn’t buy anything from the new collection, I did pick up one of Nate’s older products that I hadn’t seen before – a cute canvas and white woven basket (update: unfortunately it’s no longer available) that ended up being the perfect size for plopping in a potted plant:
The Target website actually advertises it as being a basket to “store your throw blankets, kid’s toys, or your Architectural Digest collection” which is pretty hysterical considering that a single roll of toilet paper would fill it up (a cute hider of an extra TP roll would actually be a great use for it!).
Hope you all enjoy the rest of the weekend! I’ll be back here next week with (hopefully) the “after” of my nightmarish it-took-forever-to-sand project – see you then!
I need this Honeywell Programmable Switch more than you will ever know. Thank you and your husband for telling us about it. I will be going on Amazon shortly to order one. Thanks again.
I am seriously loving never even having to think about turning on and off those lights and coming home to a lit up house when I’m gone in the evening. Hope you love yours too!
You had me at smackdown! I don’t really love the new Nate stuff either. Although I love his not-Target style. I don’t feel like it’s much different than what he’s done in the past. That tortoise shell, though? Freaking amazing!
Thanks for the tortoise shell love! I’m with you on the Nate thing – love him and his style but his Target collections are starting to all look the same!
Please tell me where I can get the fireplace screen. I love it.
I wish I knew Elaine (it’s super cool!) but unfortunately I don’t – it was used in the photoshoot for Nate’s new Target collection but I know the screen isn’t part of that collection.
Kris,
I have a programmable outdoor lighting program which I love. U might also look into the “Nest” products for indoors. It operates my thermostats and u connect it to an app on ur phone which u can set from wherever u are…out of town, etc. or even from your bed so you don’t have to get up at night. They also have a fire alarm which I’m saving for which has a builtin light for guiding you if necessary. Kinda pricey, but so worth it for your family.
Hi Celeste – thanks for the input on the Nest products – I’ve looked into those in the past but the problem is that we have zone heating and seven (yes, seven!) thermostats in our house so if you know the cost of a Nest thermostat, you can imagine what the total cost of installing them in our house would be! I’m hoping that in the next few years their prices come down and we can get them. Good to hear that you like yours! Have a great week!
The faux turtle shell needs to be named Clyde. 🙂
Clyde…I like it! 🙂
Love the tortoise shell!! And really need one of the programmable timers…brilliant idea! Happy February, Kris!
Thanks for the tortoise shell love and hope this month is a wonderful one for you too!
Oh my goodness, people are crazy! Love the tortoise shell and the story behind it!
Yes, they truly are!!
I bought the tortoise shell too from my HomeGoods all the way out in California! Not sure where it is going yet but I do love it!! Imagine my surprise when I saw your blog post about it. 🙂
That’s so funny that you found it too! I’d actually like to get a second one and hang one above the other. Does yours have the same coloring as mine? It would be great to find one that’s similar in size but different coloring but I’m not sure if HomeGoods will come through or not!
Yes, mine is exactly the same as yours. That was a banner day for me as I found two other gorgeous pieces, a beautiful large silver tray and the other a large glass vase that I had been looking for. Love HG!!
Kris, the cute TP roll hider cracked me up! And how wonderful about your latest project! Xo Kelley Nan
I should take my basket off of my pot and put a TP roll in it in the bathroom that I use just to get a reaction out of him. I can hear the “so we’re even decorating the extra toilet paper now?” comment already 🙂
I love your tortoise shell, does it say who makes it?
Elizabeth – I’m so sorry – I’m just now seeing this months later. The tortoise shell was a HomeGoods find!
Oh my goodness! Everything you put together is genius. I have so many “Pins” of your home, we should be living in carbon copy houses by 2017. I just cannot find a proper wood slice for my wall.
I’d love to find a boatload of cash and have you come to Chicago for a month and just redecorate me room by room. I am so deficient in this category of talents. Lordy.
Your blog saves me a ton though. . . well, sort of . . . decorator wise. I does make me think, and that is a VERY dangerous thing.
Keep sending the good stuff – avid readers/followers LOVE YA!
Kari, your comment totally cracks me up – thank you! Glad to know I have a Chicago area design twin! 🙂 Enjoy your holiday weekend!
The programmable switch is brilliant! I will be ordering one tomorrow. Thank you for sharing!!!
Diana
TheLadyDIY.com
Glad you liked it – hope you love having it as much as I do – makes it so much easier!!