Ease the pain of holiday lights with LightKeeper Pro

"One light goes out, they all go out!"

There's a reason hanging lights ranks right up there with visiting in-laws for the holidays, neither is going to end up going well.

Unless, of course, you have the LightKeeper Pro - you didn't think I was going to say great in-laws, did you?

In all seriousness, hanging lights inside or out is a major chore for anyone who decorates for the holidays. And with the vast number of lights, that doesn't just mean Christmas lights anymore.

This year with so much else going on we down-sized our decorating a bit. The traditional 10-12 foot tree is a mere 6 feet. So I figured it would be a breeze to hang lights on - I mean, no ladder needed!

Lights, as you know, have a mind of their own. I tested strand one, all is well. Strand two, no lights at all. Then strands three and four, same thing no lights. Blood starts boiling. Taking deep breaths, I took out the LightKeeper Pro and started testing bulbs, fuses and circuits to make sure the electricity flow was actually happening.

This gadget takes a bit to understand, and their directions say that very clearly. Once you do, testing is a breeze.

The key features of the LightKeeper Pro are:

• The LED Head Light helps visibility in light repair.
• The Audible Continuity Detector traces the circuit to the point of interruption.
• The 3-way bulb puller helps release tight bulbs from their sockets.
• The Bulb & Fuse Tester tests both indoor and outdoor mini lights.
• There is a spare bulb compartment in the handle for storage of extra bulbs and fuses.

I did end up tossing the three strands - even the LightKeeper can't produce miracles. However, this gadget saved me time, my husband's sanity and my manicure. Not necessarily in that order.