June 2008

British Bulldog Puppies on a Park Bench, 1994 Framed Photographic Print
(Mirrorpix)
Buy at AllPosters.com

I read an article a while back about how closely related happiness and health were.  Somewhere between extoling the virtues of a happy marriage (which I completely agree with) and extoling the virtues of saving money (which I completely ignored), the author said something really interesting.  He/She (I guess I ignored the name, too) said that we should fill our homes with things that make us happy. 

I glanced around and realized that I’ve certainly done that.  Animals are one of the rare things that I love as much as coffee, so there are animal-themed goodies here, there and everywhere.  I’m also all kinds of wild about movies and the golden age of Hollywood, so there are Audrey Hepburn, James Dean and Marilyn Monroe Prints on the walls as well as I Love Lucy memorabilia. 

Every member of my family loves books, so there are countless (filled) bookshelves as well.  Agatha Christie even has her own shelf.  She rubs that in Grisham’s face from time to time. 

Basically, our home is filled with things that make us smile, so it’s a fun place to be.  The same mindset should be adopted in one’s office, whether it’s a home office or not.  Just because work has to be done within the walls shouldn’t mean that the office can’t have some life and personality.  Bonus points if you cause it to mirror your own personality.

Putting a little creativity into your decorating will put a little more happiness into your world - even your work world. Take for example the print at the top of this post. It makes me smile every time I look at it. I’m flipping mad about bulldogs, anyway. In fact, we have an invisible one named Duchess. It’s the only kind of dog our cats will allow us to have. And even then she’s only allowed in certain rooms.

Click through the Bulldog Puppies to see other bulldog prints. There are countless other categories as well, of course. Just keep browsing until you see something that makes you smile. Then, find a spot for it in your office and make a date with future smiles!

Pretty, Pretty, Pretty. This beautiful burgundy executive chair screams class, originality, and comfort.  
 
The Burgundy Executive Chair would be perfect for anyone, of course, but it has a particular fondness for men and women who have more to offer than the average person.

Designed for the big and tall person, this chair offers a 500 pound capacity.  It features a swivel seat with pneumatic height adjustment, tilt lock and tilt tension on a five-star oversized base with dual hooded casters for added stability.

The Burgundy Executive Chair stands out in a crowd and looks all kinds of classy.  Just like the person who calls it home for 40 hours a week.

Click the link below for a video featuring a trainer that’ll get you in tip top office shape fast.

http://www.webmd.com/video/exercise-at-your-desk-overview

Hmmmm.  I’ve been feeling a little run down and haggard lately - I’ve been blaming it on seasonal allergies.  But as I was preparing this post, it hit me - I haven’t been inside of a STAPLES in over a week. I’ve been as busy as the Hogan’s lawyers, though.  Fool!  I know the dangers of not getting my regular STAPLES fix.  Eh, I’ll remedy that easily enough this afternoon.

1.  Get a McDonald’s Kunk Fu Panda happy meal. (LOVED this movie! I AM Tigress - you can be whomever you want to be, but dibs on Tigress. When it hits DVD, I’ll be first in line.)

2.  Pull into my STAPLES parking space, go in, answer to the questions of “Where have you been?”

3.  Shop. Shop. Shop.

As you know, ather’s-Fa  ay-Day is coming up and STAPLES is a great place for one Office Freak to shop for another and for baby freaks to shop for daddy freaks.

If you don’t have a STAPLES near you or if you’re one of those people who prefer to shop from home (that’s cool, too) - you’ll want very much to check out Staples Office Supplies online.  They’re smack in the middle of a killer sale for dads and grads.  The sale ends on the 14th, though, so you’ll need to shake a leg.

You’ll find savings on:

• Mp3 Players - you can save up to 30 percent
• SmartParts 7 inch Digital Frames are an sale for $39.00 - they’re regularly closer to $50.00
• You can save $200 on a Navigon 2100 Portable GPS!
• You can save $200 on Dell Inspiron 1420 Notebook PC’s
• Handsome chairs are on sale - marked down between $20 and $40
• Jabra Bluetooth headsets are marked way down. The Jabra BT2010 is down to $19.99! That’s a 50 percent savings.
• Monitors and Notebook PC’s are also on sale.

Of course, just because Dads and Grads are in the spotlight doesn’t mean you can’t do a little shopping for YOU.  After all, you were once a grad, right?  And you either are a dad, had a dad, or know a dad.  Hey!  This is your month!  Celebrate! Grab a happy meal, buy some STAPLES goodies, and see Kung Fu Panda.