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Illum-Alarm

My trusty little American Girl alarm clock. I’ve had this thing forever. I think since the fourth grade? Anyways, I love it. I’ve used it in my dorm room and everything.


It projects the time on the ceiling with cute little flashing stars. Trust me, it comes in handy. During ALL kind of situations.

Unfortunately, the LED lights for the projection time have slowly burned out. It started with a few lines missing and now you can’t tell the time at all. I AM SO SAD. (Don’t judge haha)

I searched high and low in my room and actually found the original owner’s manual that came with it. It was called the Illum-Alarm from American Girl, but I can’t find it online ANYWHERE.

I have found the other ones Oregon Scientific made on Amazon. But I want STARS! And the purple one is sold out 🙁

Maybe I’ll buy the blue one…

I did find the “newer” version of the American Girl alarm clock that was released when I was in 5th grade. My best friend got that one. I might just break down and buy it. bahhhhhhh

Okay, sorry for the rant.

Does anyone else have an item from their childhood they just can’t part with?

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28 Comments

Midwest Prep

I had the American Girl Doll alarm clock when I was a girl too!! I absolutely loved it but parted ways with it a few years ago — I'll never forget how fun it was to light up the ceiling with the time!!

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Anonymous

Aw, now I want one. They should make them again… it's cute.

There are some things I don't want to let go of either. I started organizing them in decorative boxes, scanning old notes/letters/photos, and organizing them.

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Kristi

I have problems throwing away notes I took in classes. You never know when your history or literature notes will come in handy.

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VLS

I remember that alarm clock! Don't worry I haven't been able to part with my American Girl treasures either 🙂

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Christine Qs

i still have my daughter’s American girl Alarm clock too, does anyone know how to set the time for the alarm?

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Katie

I had the same alarm clock! I think I might have it somewhere. My roommate this past year actually used hers to like you! I do miss this cute alarm clock.

As in terms of things I can't depart with…I have every single homework assignment, quiz, test, project, drawing, etc. from preschool to the present…I think it must be a fire hazard.

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Ashley

This made me start thinking…and I have SO much I can't get rid of.
All my old drawing, doodles, notes, planners…

Plus a significant amount of clothing. I'm currently wearing shorts from 6th grade from our 5th grade "graduation" to middle school (at the same school…we'd just be in the building connected to the lower school) and a t-shirt from a horse show that I rode in a decade ago. I just reorganized all my drawers and closet space and there's literally a drawer full of stuff I don't even wear but refuse to get rid of.

And horse show ribbons I'm not even sure what class they're from or horse they were with. Underneath my bed is a disaster zone, neatly organized to trick unsuspecting individuals into believing I don't actually have EVERYTHING down there.

Plus I still have all the things like the Furby etc. just because I put them in the loft ages ago and never gave them away.

My mom informed me the other day that she thinks I'll be on Hoarders by the time I'm 80. She tried to clean out the drawers I devoted to every drawing/painting I ever did.

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Annabel

I can't part with my hair bows and ribbons! These bows date back to 1994! I hope its okay that I still wear some…

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prepfection

I wish I had little treasures from my childhood. I moved like a dozen times before turning ten though, so so much of that little stuff got tossed.

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Anonymous

Old shirts? Make a t-shirt quilt.

Old clothes? Make a patchwork quilt.

Both quilt varieties can be cute, and save a lot of space. They work well for raggedy clothes that have no other use, but still have meaning to you.

I, too, wish I had more childhood trinkets.

When I have a kid, I want to:
– Save t-shirts from their entire youth, and have a t-shirt quilt made for their h.s.. graduation.
– Get those "1st grade" (etc.) scrapbook/memory binders that let the kid write in their favorite things, colors, etc. each year. They are books, so they don't take much space, but also hold little notes the kid writes, photos, artwork, etc.
– Make photobooks- one per kid per year.
– Have the kid decorate a few treasure chests throughout their youth, to save things they want to keep.
– Ask them (and ask them again later) what they'd want to save for their potential future kids, and what means a lot to them. My parents threw away a ton of my stuff without asking, and that sucks. The stuff they did save wasn't what held my memories, but now I'm stuck keeping that,…. otherwise, I'd have nothing.
– Do a fun "interview" with the kid each other on a video.
– Make a family home video for each year, highlighting vacations, first steps, holidays, etc.
– Make a photobook of each kid's artwork.

On thing I didn't do well as a kid was sort out what was meaningful, and what wasn't. Organize and categorize important momentos. The other thing was being asked what was important to me and what wasn't. It's disprectful for your older kid/teen/college kid to through out their childhood stuff without asking what they *really* want to keep. Parents need to respect their kids memories (and, of course, help them to be organized and not be gross hoarders).

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Anonymous

I still have that alarm clock and came across your blog googling for it because my lights are starting to burn out too!! I am devastated!! I've had that alarm clock since 5th grade and it came with me through all 4 years of college! I just can't trade it in for a blue one… I want the purple! :o(

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Anonymous

Why not try searching amazon.com or eBay for a replacement clock like the one you currently have.

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Anonymous

I have that same alarm clock! The snooze button is missing and the cord is messed up but I have the other one with the night light. I wish they'd make that alarm clock again. It's my favorite1

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Christine Qs

love that alarm clock , don’t even have a cord but it always works for decades. Just don’t know how to set the alarm, i forgot🤔

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Anonymous

I had the 2nd alarm clock and I stumbled across this post because I was looking for a place to buy it online!!! Where did you find that picture?

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Anonymous

Do you know the name of the light purple one on the bottom ?
I had that one forever but it has slowly broken and I want a new one badly !

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puzzle piece

This is so funny – i have the same purple american girl illum alarm clock. I think i got it as a christmas gift in like 3rd grade and have used it ever since. I am now a senior in college! Haha. I just ran a google search to see if you can still purchase the alarm clock, sadly doesn't look like it, but nice to know other people loved it too 🙂

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puzzle piece

I have had the original purple one since i was in 3rd grade and now I'm a senior in college too! Haha! I ran a google search for it cause i was afraid it would die soon and wasn't surprised to find it scarce. Ah well

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Lindsay

How do you set the alarm on the clock? I took the batteries out and the clock reset itself.

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Erin

To set the alarm, you use the 24hOFF button. Hold it down for 3 seconds and the alarm time will flash. Use the up arrow button to set the time, and press 24hOFF to enter it. Ensure the bell has appeared on the screen. Pressing the bell button toggles the alarm on and off. I have also had this alarm clock since 3rd grade (17 years OMG!). Never used the projection much.- that feature stopped working years ago but my clock is otherwise going strong!

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Audrey

I actually have that alarm clock too!! Lol and it still works! I was actually wondering how to set the blasted alarm for it? I lost the manual to time.

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Erin

To set the alarm, you use the 24hOFF button. Hold it down for 3 seconds and the alarm time will flash. Use the up arrow button to set the time, and press 24hOFF to enter it. Ensure the bell has appeared on the screen. Pressing the bell button toggles the alarm on and off. I have also had this alarm clock since 3rd grade (17 years OMG!). Never used the projection much.- that feature stopped working years ago but my clock is otherwise going strong!

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Megan

YESSS!!! I feel like i may have been the only person who found this page organically from searching “american girl doll projection alarm clock” in Google haha but I COMPLETELY AGREE! I am in somewhat the same boat! I’ve had mine for 15 years now and I’ve trained myself to wake up to the high pitched frequency but now the buttons are starting to not work and I just went to Google where I can buy another one. So I feel your pain! If you find anything, let me know!

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Karaleels

I used mine all the way through college as well! The led projection on mine died out a few years ago too and I was so sad that my mom bought me a new one the following Christmas, but it’s the blue non-AG version.

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Susie

Please help in setting my American girl doll alarm clock, it still works I just need instructions how to set it

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