I do not drink enough water. It is an issue. I go about my day doing what I need to do, but I never quite muster up the diligence to remember to drink water. However, that is changing. I went from drinking nearly nothing to drinking almost a gallon a day by simply using this nifty little app called Plant Nanny. The app has a simple premise: drink water, grow a virtual plant. If you fail to drink enough water, the plant will die.

The mechanics of the app are streamlined and easy to use. You pick a plant from their wide array of options that range from cacti to carnations, and then you start drinking water. With a variety of cute pots and backgrounds, Plant Nanny is not only practical but adorable.

Completely customizable, the ability to create a cup of any size or look makes the app simple and effective as it relates to the user’s specific bottle and lifestyle. I was not expecting the app to be as personal as it was, but it was an enjoyable shift from most water tracking apps or systems where one simply inputs the ounces consumed. Plant Nanny makes drinking water not only easier, but more fun as well.

When using Plant Nanny, it is not just you who is drinking, your plant is too. The amount of water varies from person to person, but it is calculated based on body weight. Once this calculation is complete, your plant requires that much water in one day.

The app has an algorithm that reminds you to drink water throughout the day, keeping you on track. I love the reminder because it helps me gradually consume instead of chugging water in a panic at the end of the day.

The reminders are not what really keeps me drinking water; it is this sense of obligation to keep the little plant alive accompanied by an odd sense of guilt if the plant dies. The plants are cute– they have faces and make chirping noises when they are happy.

This app will make you really want to keep your plant alive; it gets sad when you are dehydrated and excited when you are drinking enough water. When one of my plants died, I felt really bad because I let the plant die while simultaneously forgetting to take care of myself.

Plant Nanny keeps me on track more than anything else has. I do not want the plant to die, I do not want to die, so I drink water.

Plant Nanny is sneaky. It guilt trips you into taking care of a plant by taking care of yourself. Starting to change your habits is really difficult, especially when it’s a task like drinking water. It seems easy, but making yourself drink is not always enjoyable and hard to keep up with. Alternative methods like Plant Nanny make big changes less daunting and more rewarding.