Happy November, everyone! Today marks the end of “Spooky Season” and the first foray into the last two months of the year (aka the “Holiday Season” for many). While the updated 2022 T.G.S. Holiday Gift Guide won’t be released for another couple of weeks, we have spent the past few months bringing in favorite gift-friendly items that should be well-stocked through the end of the year, including a fresh batch of goods from Hightide Japan! Currently we have all Hightide and Penco products in stock, including the favorite Hightide Sandglasses in 30, 15, 5, and 3-minute intervals, in all the colors we could get our hands on. To read more on how you can incorporate an hourglass into your daily workflow as a non-disruptive “analog timer”, check out this post here.

The versatile folding metal bookstand is one of my most-used desk accessories (yes, it even holds a tablet). It folds flat to easily slip into a bag.

We’ve also restocked favorites such as the marbled melamine pen trays in both the rectangular and round (pictured above) shapes, the folding metal bookstands in nearly a dozen different colors, and the Penco “Perfection” bullet ballpoints, all of which make insanely good ideas for those looking to get a jump on the gifting season.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands shown, including Hightide and Penco.

Over the past few years, one of the most popular items in our shop has been the Hightide Hourglass. I often have people remark that they would love to add one of these beautiful pieces to their desk setup, but they don’t know how they would use it. I thought it might be helpful to offer a few examples of how I either personally use this analog timer, or how other people have indicated that they use them day-to-day.

Timing Work Sessions. As someone with a fairly sedentary day job that requires relatively long hours researching, writing, and drafting, I’ve come to appreciate the importance of taking regular breaks to stand, walk around, and stretch. Setting the hourglass next to my laptop is a calm, non-jarring reminder to stop working every so often and get up!
Mindfulness or Breathing Exercises. I’ve had several people tell me that they love to use the hourglass as a focal point while they meditate or practice mindfulness exercises.
Journaling or Morning Pages. I’ve used my 30-minute Hourglass to get myself back into the habit of journaling or writing morning pages when I don’t feel like it. Pick up a pen and a notebook or pad of paper, turn the glass, and write whatever comes to mind until the sand runs out. Most of the time I don’t stop at 30 minutes.
Cooking Timers. While I’ve never personally done this, I’ve had people tell me that they use the three and five-minute hourglasses as timers for cooking eggs and steeping tea, among other things.
As a Simple Reminder of Time Passing and the Need to Appreciate the Moment. Whether as a formal Memento Mori or simply a reminder that time is fleeting and you need to do whatever it is that you really want to do with your life, even a small hourglass can serve as a subtle prompt to keep you on track.

Hightide Hourglass Size Comparison — From left, the 30, 15, 5, and 3-minute interval hourglasses!

Personally, I can’t stand using my phone as an alarm. While of course it’s sometimes necessary (for example, when you need to be somewhere important and you can get into the zone and just not notice the hourglass), I find any sort of alarm or alert jarring and disruptive to flow and concentration. An analog timer like an hourglass is a much gentler, more serene method of timing that I I actually enjoy and look forward to using. So tell us, if you’ve purchased one (from us or elsewhere), how do you use yours? I honestly love to hear how these products are put to work in the real world!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop currently has hourglasses (or “sandglasses”) available in four different intervals (30, 15, 5, and 3 minutes), and multiple colors. Of all the colors, I would have to say the Amber is my favorite, followed by the Green or Turquoise, though of course it’s a matter of personal preference!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all products shown, including Hightide Hourglasses and other accessories.