November 2005

These great looking pewter Pen Holders are available online from Macy’s.com. Each are sold separately: The Eagle pen holder, the Atlas pen holder, and my favorite - the See no Evil, Hear no Evil, Speak no Evil. What can I say, I’m wild about monkeys. I don’t like their philosophy (bor-ing), but they’ve got their cute on. They’re also on sale, along with the eagle and the hottie.

The Palm Pens shown in the picture are on sale for just under $20.oo. Frankly, I’ve never given that much for a pen. Or a bag of pens. Or a box of pens. But if I were in an office situation where people were looking…oh, yeah, I’d want the Cadillac of pens. As it is, here at home, everyone else is using the Staples value box of pens, too, so I’m not losing any ground with my peers. Whew.

The pens are available in Eagle’s green, Raider’s black and Colt’s blue. (My husband has gotten me so hooked on football, now I’m speaking NFLish!)

Everyone competes for our holiday shopping dollars this time of year, so it’s always fun to see who wants it the most. Macy’s is putting up a valiant fight. They have alot of things on their website marked down, and they’re offering an adorable stuffed Scooby Doo or a pair of earrings at a reduced price for orders that qualify.

If you’re serious about staying in touch when you’re on the road (or when you’re just sitting in the local cafe pounding on your laptop,) you’ve probably considered purchasing something like one of the hot new BlackBerries…these things are really great, packing your cell phone, e-mail client, and web browser into one tiny, high-tech package – and unlike a standard cell phone, these beauties sport much more screen real estate, and a much needed QWERTY keypad for easy and fast messaging. Try doing that on your cell!

The RIM BlackBerry 7105t Phone is expected to be a pretty big seller this Christmas season (Oprah gave a ton of them away on her big “Gift” show yesterday,) and I can see why – according to Amazon it features a high-resolution color LCD screen for browsing your e-mail or the internet, SureType technology that allows you to type quickly and accurately (it “learns” as you use it!,) support for up to 10 e-mail accounts, “Push” email that doesn’t require you to get email (it’s just “pushed” automatically to your BlackBerry ,) Bluetooth technology for hands-free use, and apparently it even opens attachments in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Corel, WordPerfect and even Adobe PDF format.

While there are only 13 Amazon user reviews at the time of this writing, so far the RIM BlackBerry 7105t Phone is garnering 5 out of 5 stars…looks like a winner to me!

Get the latest price on the RIM BlackBerry 7105t Phone

Technorati Tags: BlackBerry, BlackBerry 7105t, Mobile Office

I Googled Office Supplies this evening to see what sort of fresh fun I could find to blog about.

I came across a classy looking website, “Touch of Class.” I’ve linked you directly to the Home Office section, though it could just as easily be for any office.

The art and wall accents are some of the most elegant and beautiful ones I’ve seen anywhere and would give a real “touch of class” to any office. It was tough trying to pick out just one item to use as the show part of this show and tell, but these desk plaques were just extra special. Besides how could you ever go wrong with courage, honesty and dream?

When you’ve looked at all the gorgeous office decorations, you might want to look around the rest of the departments. My little mind got so overwhelmed I had to close the browser window, but maybe you’re made of sterner stuff.

I’m a huge productivity nerd. Even when I’m not as productive as I need to be, I can get lost for hours looking at nifty little to-do list apps or expensive Franklin Covey day planners. I can spend hours looking at productivity tools, time I should spend actually doing stuff.

I recently started getting my planner ready for 2006 and I bought some calendar sheets and a few other things I use and put it in a nice 3 ring binder. I probably spent more on putting together my own than I would if I had just bought a pre-packaged one. But, doing it yourself isn’t always about saving money, it’s about creating a tool that works the way you do.

In the many hours I’ve spent looking at useful tools I’ve found some free document templates you can use to create your own system for getting things done, which is more than just a phras. “Getting Things Done” is a crazy popular book by David Allen that geeks have really taken a liking to. It’s very geek friendly but is good for anyone who want’s to do more. GTD, as fans call it, is a way of life. Here are a couple things that you might want to have a look at if you are as into productivity as I am.

The Hipster PDA, which inspired me to sell my expensive Palm powered PDA in favor of 3×5 index cards. I’ve always used index cards in the past and when I found out about the Hipster, I knew my people had called me home. For me, this is the KISS (keep it simple stupid) solution to productivity and spawned an entire subculture of people who share their own “life hacks” for being productive.

The D*I*Y* Planner is simply amazing. If you want to create your own planner then this is the way to go. Also, these guys put together a template for the Hipster PDA that just rocks your socks. I got goosebumps just thinking about it.

David Seah has created a really good series of templates you can print out, including a very useful to-do list. Unlike other to-do lists, David has turned tasks into a game in which you reward yourself with points making it feel good to complete a sheet and “win the game”. It’s a simple reward, but it works! Check out the The Printable CEO Series, I think you’ll like it.

PocketMod is an online tool built in flash that lets you create your own disposable personal organizer. No doubt inspired by the Hipster PDA, this thing is pretty sweet. It lets you pick from a number of templates to let you quickly create a pdf that you can print and fold or cut to your liking. It’s small, flexible and doesn’t get in the way - the hallmark of a great tool.

Another simple, yet elegant way to keep things organized is with the stylish Moleskine, which is a really trendy notebook that comes in several flavors starting at $9.99 for the pocket size and are worth twice that. I often throw my Hipster inside my Moleskine.

So, go do what I do, spend a few hours looking at stuff that will help you be more productive instead of actually being productive. It’ll feel like you’ve done some work and you won’t feel guilty!

Over at Home Office Voice, Martin has written a post about Voice Over Internet Protocol.

He has a couple of links from eMarketer and Small Business Computing that will educate you as to the many facets of VoIP.

One of the main reasons you will want to go read the whole post is :

” I can safely say that VoIP is here to stay and is in fact a mighty godsend for the usually cash-strapped home business owner - who doesn’t love the potential to cut their telephone bills to shreads. Example: I’ve had one (web-based) home business owner tell me that they went from a monthly phone bill of $185 to $49 in one fell swoop! “

Now, head over and read Martin’s post and you can thank me later.

Decorating any room without paying attention to lamps would be like dressing without paying attention to your shoes. Would you ever do that?

Hell to the no.

The lamps pictured here are all kinds of sassy and sexy. The PINGUINO LAMPS may not be suited for every office, but I’ll bet there are plenty that are just off-beat enough to put these guys to work.

For that matter, they could even take the stuffiest office in the world and give it a personality infusion. Make it loosen up, stop taking itself so seriously and have a little fun. Yeah, I’m going to have to say it - make it lighten up.

They’re available in black and white as well as in blue and white, though I can’t really explain why they’re available in blue and white when penguins aren’t. Cute nonetheless.

I’m worried that I’m spending too much time in our home office lately. Where I once looked longingly at new flat top ranges or king sized waterbeds, I’m now all about office furniture. Desks, chairs, shelves, desks, file cabinets, desks, lamps, desks. Desks make me all kinds of excited.

My infatuation with this beautiful white desk caught me off guard. I’ve always been so loyal to Cherry furniture. Sure, I’d glance at Oak every now and again….who wouldn’t? But I never brought it home. I was, in fact, looking at different Cherry desks when I saw a little image of this
Antique White L Desk
below the larger image of a Cherry desk.

So, I go to the larger picture of the white desk and am instantly smitten. Mentally, I start arranging all of Joi’s joys on the desk: My favorite books, the printer, the scanner, my stuffed bison, my cds, a plant on top. No, my husband would freak if a plant got near the computers. I’m not up to a freaking husband this close to the holidays, so I’ll skip the plant.

Here are the details the website gave for this beautiful desk:

• Oyster White distressed finish
• Hardwood solids and veneers
• Extra wide keyboard tray
• Power center with data ports
• Ships fully assembled, 31″ wide doorway required

“… features an extra wide pull out keyboard, a closed door CPU compartment, and a built in power center with data ports. The hutch has shelves behind both glass doors for extra storage as well as center storage for CD’s and books.”

Le sigh.

When I’m working on something particularly thought-provoking, I love to piddle and diddle with something while I think. Very often it’s during the piddling and diddling that I experience my brain storms, (or at least showers) This ball bearing desk game from UncommonGoods would be an uncommonly fun way to do a mental “rain dance” to summon the brain storms.

From the Website: “Turn the Archimedes screw and the ball bearings head uphill to a groove that delivers back to the bottom to start the process over. You can add or remove ball bearings for absorbing variety, and watch the perpetual motion ’til your arm wears out.”

The next time you feel like disengaging from the world while you play with something shiny, you’d have just the thing!

If you’re main office is the front seat of your 4-door sedan you might want to consider adding a handy GPS/PDA combo to your arsenal of productivity-related gadgets. Not all of us mobile-office types have the luxury of owning a car with a built-in GPS system, but with something like the Garmin iQue M5, you can have have the benefits of both a PDA to remind you of your next important appointment with a client, and a GPS system to get you there on time without too many unneeded turns and backtracks.

Here’s what Garmin has to say about their iQue M5 GPS & PDA–

The iQue M5 is perfect for today’s mobile professional who wants to get from the boardroom to the hotel without asking for directions. Featuring the latest Microsoft® Pocket PC software, Windows Mobile™ 2003 Second Edition, the iQue M5 supports portrait/landscape screen orientation for easy viewing of documents, videos, and web content. It’s powered by a 416-MHz Intel® PXA 272 microprocessor, and it also provides the user with 64 MB of RAM, 64 MB of ROM and data back-up protection. The embedded Bluetooth® transceiver allows the user to establish a personal-area network with computer systems and Bluetooth-enabled devices such as mobile phones, other PDAs, and printers. Check e-mail and view documents—then sync seamlessly with your laptop.

Of course, that’s the manufacturer talking, so while you might want to take it with a healthy dose of skepticism, the iQue M5 does seem to be keeping owners happy, with Amazon’s user reviews giving it a healthy four out of five stars. And while the iQue M5 is more expensive than a standard PDA, the benefit of a handheld GPS system may well make it worth your while, particularly if you spend a whole lot of time with your nose buried in a Thomas Guide…

Get the latest price on the Garmin iQue M5 Integrated Pocket PC and GPS

Technorati Tags: GPS, GPS PDA, Mobile Office, PDA, Garmin iQue M5

While researching the subject, I came across a really good article, Before You Buy Business Gifts on About.com. The author gives some great advice - several things that even I wouldn’t have thought of. < /sarcasm >

There are all sorts of wonderful gift ideas to choose from: calendars, chocolate, coffee, gift baskets, gift certificates, books, desk accessories…. They’d all make gifts that the average person would love to unwrap.

But, if you’re the sort of santa that thinks outside of the gift box, you might want to give a gift that will definitely cause you to stand out. Originality just might be the ticket.

Think about the person you’re getting the gift for:

• Is he or she a sports fan? Do you know their favorite team (Broncos, UK Wildcats) or their favorite sport (golf, Nascar)?
• Are they really into a certain group (U2) or performer (Kanye West)?
• Would they jump at the chance to see a Broadway show?

If any of these ring true with the people on your list - concert, sporting event, or theater tickets could have them thinking sweet little nothings about you all year long. That can be a good thing, right?

TicketSellers.com lays everything out for you - the who’s, the where’s, and the when’s. Ticket Sellers.com’s online ticket inventory includes over 7,000 events at over 500 venues nationwide, including all professional sports teams, Broadway shows, national touring theater, as well as major touring bands and performers.