February 22, 2016
I have worked from home part-time and full-time for nearly 5 years now. My home office has varied from a sole desk in a teeny tiny New York City apartment to a large room with tons of natural light in my current home in Durango, Colorado. Over the years, I've figured out what has worked best for my workspace and thought I'd share a few essentials.
First up, a high quality desk chair. I usually work from a modified standing desk (creating using an Ikea hack that my husband discovered), but when I need to sit (and I do a lot of sitting with my embroidery) I need a comfortable and supportive chair. The Aeron by Herman Miller is hands down my favorite task chair. It's a pricey investment, but very well made and with great support. I got mine off Craigslist for a steal.
Having a good lamp is also key. As I mentioned, during the day, I get an insane amount of wonderful natural light in my office, but come sundown, it gets pretty dark. I use this lamp from Lavish Home primarily for embroidery work, but it makes a great task lamp as well.
With lots of paper goods comes lots of inventory: sleeved cards, additional inventory, envelopes, mailers....it's never ending. These metal shelving units have been a lifesaver. I also have a number of wooden wine crates that are so durable and make great storage bins.
I mentioned that I use a standing desk. To achieve the best height for my laptop, I use this awesome stand found on Amazon.
September 08, 2014
I spend a lot of time at my desk and have been making adjustments to ensure that my desk space is more ergonomic. Aside from working on my posture and taking frequent stretch breaks, these three products have really helped to improve how I function at my desk.
Aeron chair with lumbar support
This chair is amazing and hands down one of the best desk chairs on the market. While it is quite pricey, you can usually find gently used ones on Craigslist. I perused listings for weeks and was finally able to locate an unused chair going for nearly half off the retail price!
No more hunching over to look at the laptop screen! This stand keeps my screen at eye level.
A few months ago I began experiencing some weird nerve pain that I associated with using my standard wireless mouse. One of the changes I made was investing in this more ergonomic mouse. It reduces strain on your wrist because you grip the mouse more naturally like a handshake. The pain is now gone!
April 14, 2014
My old school generic Swingline stapler works like a champ, but I'd love to upgrade it to something a little bit more fun or modern. Here are my top five picks.
Ace Pilot Stapler from Schoolhouse Electric
Russel + Hazel Gold Acrylic Stapler
March 17, 2014
I love the roll-up pencil case that I use for all of my pens and pencils. I'm outgrowing that case, though, and have been perusing other options to add to my collection. Here's my top five pencil cases to check out.
Sideshow Press Canoe Pencil Case
March 10, 2014
I could be considered a hoarder of fun and functional pens. I'm pretty sure you can never have too many! Here's a few favorites:
March 03, 2014
With the start of March, I'm kicking off a new weekly series here on the blog called Top Five where I'll share my top five picks in a particular category. First up: letter/mail trays. Where do you stash letters, cards, and other correspondence? I've been on the hunt for a new letter tray for my office and wanted to share my five favorites!
Wimberley Long Tray from Biscuit
Snail Mail Tray for Kate Spade
Pool Blue Letter Tray from Poppin
Large Linen Gingham Tray from Brookfarm General Store