Number five is alive! (Short Circuit, anyone?) I’m using that line because we recently added a helpful little robot to our home — and you know I’m into gadgets. One of my favorite posts ever was the “Super Toilet” upgrade, so a remote-controlled lighting fix felt right at home.
We’ve always been big proponents of having bedside lighting you can reach without getting up. It sounds obvious, but for a while the only light in our first master bedroom was the overhead fixture controlled by the switch by the door. When you’re lying in bed half-asleep, that switch feels miles away. Until we installed wall sconces two years after moving in, every night involved a standoff to see who would make the trek to flip the switch. Picture both of us pretending to sleep to avoid being the one to get up.
Last September we rearranged the bedroom and nearly ignored our own advice. My bedside lamp ended up tucked back in a nook, so it took an awkward stretch of my long arms to reach the switch each night. People asked if it bothered me, and at first I said no. What’s wrong with a little pre-bed stretching? It’s still preferable to getting out of bed and walking across the room.
But over time that stretch grew old. A week or two of it is fine, a month or two gets annoying, and after three to six months I was done with the nightly arm strain. There are worse problems to have, but I’m always up for small upgrades that improve a room’s function. After months of doing the light-limbo before bed, I was ready for a change.
Since we were happy with the room layout apart from that one lamp issue, I wanted a remote solution — something many readers had suggested when we shared the new arrangement. Initially I imagined a Jetson-style system controllable from my phone, since a phone is often the last thing in my hands at night. I even briefly considered The Clapper nostalgia from my childhood. But many of the smart-plug systems I found felt like overkill. Then I stumbled upon a simple three-outlet remote kit that was normally $50 but marked down to $19. Sold.
When the system arrived I was excited to set it up — until I noticed a design flaw. The remote-controlled outlet module is so large that it blocks the other socket on a standard duplex outlet, whether it’s plugged into the top or bottom. Annoying.
At first I was irritated because the outlet behind our dresser powers several devices. But it turned out to be a blessing: I dug an old power strip out of storage, plugged the bulky remote module into that, and then plugged everything else into the strip. That not only made room for the remote device but also let me keep the fan, baby monitor, and other items powered simultaneously instead of rotating plugs in and out. The dresser became a convenient hub of activity.
Best part: the little remote makes the lamp vanish with a tap — no arm straining required. Ooh. Ahh.
Reaching for the remote on the dresser every night wouldn’t be a huge upgrade, so I attached it with 3M Velcro to the side of our bed frame. It’s out of sight beneath the bedspread after we make the bed, but perfectly positioned for bedtime use.
I’m telling you — this is the life.
We put one of the other remote outlets on Sherry’s lamp so she never has to lift a finger to turn her light off either. Her lamp wasn’t as tucked away, but I’m a gentleman — what can I say? It’s a big improvement over the old nightly negotiation of who would get up to flip the wall switch. Now I can sweetly offer, “You must be tired, honey. Let me get that light for you. You just rest.” #madhusbandpoints
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has added a simple tech fix that makes life easier. Any quick, handy updates happening in your house? Do you have The Clapper song stuck in your head now? I do: Clap on. (Clap clap). Clap off. (Clap clap).
Psst — Today my wife is over on Style Me Pretty Living talking about “life behind the blog.”