I consider myself fairly adventurous when it comes to home improvement and DIY projects.  I’ve tackled some pretty big projects, such as removing the wood spindles on our staircase bannister and replacing them with wrought iron.  I’m pretty comfortable using saws and power tools.  I don’t even mind getting dirty, when the situation calls for it.

Unfortunately, my adventurous nature goes out the window when it comes to installing anything electrical.

Even though I know that I can check (and double-check) that there is no power left going to the wires on which I’m working, the (totally improbable and quite possibly crazy) idea that somehow, someway, the power MIGHT come back on really freaks me out.  Like any wise woman, I save all electrical-wiring projects for my husband.

Don’t get me wrong…I love my husband.  I certainly don’t wish him any sort of harm (this isn’t THAT kind of blog).  I think I just have faith that HE knows what he’s doing and has enough sense to not electrocute himself.  Me?  Not so much…

And while he is often my go-to guy when I need help, Chris does NOT share my love of projects.  Depending on what the project is, he can be quite adamant that he will NOT be helping.  In the 15 years that we’ve been together, I have learned that it’s usually better to do the project on my own.  He’s happier being left to his own devices, and I’m happier NOT having my mojo ruined by a less-than-enthusiastic partner.  (After typing this, I realized that in only four sentences, I used the word “NOT” in caps three separate times.  That should communicate how much Chris does NOT like my projects.)

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Back to my fear of electricity…

During one of my regular perusings of Pinterest, I found this post by Kris over at Driven By Decor.  Now, I’m a huge Pinner, but there aren’t many posts that make me instantly hop online and start shopping.  Her post about her new favorite gadget sent me directly to Amazon (I did not pass GO!) and I ordered this Econo Switch programmable timer:

The Econo Switch is a programmable timer that is installed in place of a standard, interior light switch.  Not only did I install this for our front porch lights by myself (I did have Chris stand next to me during the installation for moral support), but it only took about 20 minutes and it worked right away!!!

There are all sorts of programming options, but I kept it simple and opted for the default program: the front porch lights automatically come on at sunset, and go off at 11pm.  (There is also a manual on/off button; you can turn the switch on and off whenever you like, outside of the programmed setting.)  As part of the set up process, you tell the timer the date and time and it is smart enough to keep track of daylight savings.

I’m not at all technically inclined (I leave that to Chris), so I have NO idea how the Econo Switch is smart enough to “know” all of this.  At the end of the day, it works as promised, so I’m also not inclined to question it!  It does as promised and was easy-to-install (even for someone with a fear of electricity), so I give the Econo Switch Programmable Timer two thumbs up!

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