The Silly To-Do List Alternative That’s Replacing My Paper One

Personally, it’s hard to imagine life without my various to-do lists. If I don’t write something down in some way or put it in my calendar, I’ll forget it was ever on my mind. I’ve gotten a lot better at remembering to write down tasks I want or need to do, but now sometimes I get overwhelmed because I have too many items on my list. 

To combat this, I’ve started trying to make additional to-do lists that are smaller and more time-sensitive to help me prioritize, but they’re often hard to keep track of. I recently learned of a to-do list I can actually wear on my body, and it sounds so smart that I wish I’d thought of it years ago.

You’d be forgiven for thinking a “wrist notepad” is some new kind of wearable tech, but the reality is much simpler — and much more fun. A wrist notepad is exactly what it sounds like: A notepad that goes around your wrist. More specifically, it’s a blank list in the form of a slap bracelet that you can write on, and it doubles as a ruler, because why not? It’s fun, nostalgic, and genuinely useful. It reminds me of a football wristband that coaches wear to remember plays, but it’s just for stuff I need to do around the house.

You can see the wrist notepad in action in this video by content creator Taylor Rae. She slaps the chunky yellow band onto her wrist in one satisfying motion, then fills out the checkbox list as she goes about her day, using a pen to write “buy eggs,” “water plants,” and so on. You don’t need a charger or a special pen, and when you’re done you can easily erase what you’ve written with a dry cloth. Some commenters mentioned that they’d have a hard time remembering to always keep a pen around, but Rae says that she “clipped it on the band and it stayed put!” I could see this being perfect for a regular day of chores or for a time when you’re moving around the house trying to remember everything you need to get done that day. Simply remember a task and write it down. 

If you’d like to turn your wrist into a to-do list, there’s a colorful six-pack of silicone wrist notepads for $14.49 on Amazon. It’s water-resistant and 2 inches wide, making it perfect for short notes.

But there are many other options, including finds from Etsy that come with matching colored pens.