"Spring Forward, Fall Back." The saying has been around for years, given in gracious reminders from friends, family and even colleges to not forget to change your clocks for Daylight Saving Time. The mnemonic phrase taught to us since childhood tells us (of course) how to correctly reset our clocks. At 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in April, we set our clocks to "spring forward" one hour ahead of standard time. At 2 a.m. on the last Sunday in October, we set our clocks to "fall back " one hour, returning to standard time.

The idea first came about through the writing of Benjamin Franklin in his 1794 essay, An Economical Project, on the benefits of natural versus artificial light. It wasn't until nearly a century later that the idea had again been entertained by a London builder, William Willett in 1907. His studies and observations on the matter led to his pamphlet The Waste of Daylight, and soon he proposed the time change to British Parliament in 1916.

During World War I, Daylight Saving Time was observed in the United States in order to save energy and fuel for war production. The federal government again required the U.S. to observe the change throughout World War II. Following the war, the government allowed each of the U.S. states and territories to choose whether or not they would observe Daylight Saving Time. However, this led to mass confusion over the county, especially in the broadcasting and transportation industries. Therefore, in 1966 U. S. Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, establishing a standardized length of daylight savings within each time zone. Any area that wanted to be exempt from the law could do so by passing a local ordinance.

Today, the only states or territories that do not observe Daylight Saving Time are Arizona, Hawaii, the Eastern Time Zone portion in Indiana, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa. There is no specific reason given as to why these areas do not observe the change of time, but for those who do, there are benefits above and beyond it's original purpose.

Most people like having the "extra" hour of daylight, as it seems to give them more time to accomplish tasks or activities in the evenings. There have been studies to indicate that the time change also helps to prevent crime, save lives and prevent traffic injuries as daylight hours are safer for both travel and completion of daily errands or chores. Last, but certainly not least, studies have shown that the country's electricity usage does in fact decrease with the time change. The need for lighting and appliances diminishes as most people will rely on natural light and plan more outdoor activities.

So as we begin to settle into the spring season, it's only rightfully so that we, your friends at Designing Home Lifestyles, give you your friendly reminder to "Spring Forward" and take advantage of all the benefits that Daylight Saving Time has to offer.