office blog

Shhhh, Don’t Say These in the Workplace

by Joi

Things You should never say in the workplace

According to a great article on Career Builder.com, there are 10 things you should never, ever say in the workplace.  Below are the top 5 – click the link to find out why each is taboo and unveil the remaining 5.

1. “That’s not my job.”

2. “I don’t mind helping you with that.” (With a fake smile pasted on your face.)

3. “Don’t tell anyone I said this, but … “

4. “I haven’t gotten a raise, EVER.”

5. “I’m so … stressed out/busy/sick of working here.”

You could pretty much make a case for not saying these things anywhere… not just the workplace. Personally, I’ve always hated the, “Not my job” attitude.  It’s as though the individual wants to raise their lazy flag and thinks this phrase gives them permission to do so.

Chumps.


Sweet! Staples Study Shows Shredders Shred Stress

by Joi

Royal KS7 7-sheet Cross-cut Shredder
I thought this was beyond interesting. One of my favorite companies, Staples, conducted a survey recently that led to the following revelations:

  • 47 percent of respondents felt their stress level diminish after the simple act of shredding.
  • 85 percent of the people felt smarter.
  • 83 percent felt more organized.
  • 80 percent felt more in control of their lives.
  • 92 percent felt safer after shredding.
  • 42 percent felt calmer.
  • 86 percent loved the fact that shredding allowed them to rid themselves of clutter.
  • Nearly half of the participants said that shredding helped them maintain a balanced life.

Maybe we’re onto something here!  Could the innocent-looking Royal KS7 7-sheet Cross-cut Shredder pictured above could put therapists and spa owners out of work?

“Staples’ consumer survey confirms what we have found in our research,” said Consumer Psychologist Richard Feinberg of Purdue University. “Consumers use products like a shredder for utilitarian purposes but then these products have very significant and positive emotional and psychological impacts. These psychological impacts may not even be known by the consumer, but they can unconsciously improve their life. In a world where people are time deprived, increasingly stressed, and feeling more and more out of control, shredding may provide positive psychological fuel.”

I wonder if the feelings of euphoria that come with paper shredding are similar to the joy ride my cat gets when she shreds the daylights out of her scratching post. In all seriousness, there must be something therapeutic about it.

I don’t know if it’s therapeutic or not, but I challenge you to say this post’s title 4 times fast. Just be sure no one else is around – it won’t be your finest hour.

Click HERE to read more about the Staples study and the following link to learn more about the Royal KS7 7-sheet Cross-cut Shredder.

Cat scratching the smack out of a scratching post.

Tasteful Gift Baskets Let People Know Just How Much You Care

by Joi

Mrs. Beasley's Thank You Basket, 30 Servings

Mrs. Beasley’s Thank You Basket, 30 Servings

The gift baskets in this post are from Mrs. Beasley’s Bakery. I was sold even before I saw the baskets. I mean, who wouldn’t want to say they’d gotten a gift basket from Mrs. Beasley’s Bakery. Geez, I’d tell everyone – even people I didn’t know. Sure, they’d whisper about me later, but I’d have homemade frosted cookies, brownie bars, dipped cookies, mini muffins, chocolate truffle cookies, and the like to console me.

Whisper away!

Mrs. Beasley's Connoisseur Collection Basket, 30 Servings

Mrs. Beasley’s Connoisseur Collection Basket, 30 Servings

With the economic climate in the freezer, I’d say the time was perfect for wooing potential business partners and sweet talking existing ones. Of course, these beautiful and delicious gift baskets would also be ideal for showing the boss who loves her (or him).

The extra cool thing about sending extra special gifts from extra special websites? Lean in close, it’s a secret. When you send someone a special, one of a kind gift bought online, you know what they do, don’t you? They go to the website to check it out! Some are like, “Wow, this is gorgeous, I’d like to order one for so and so…” Others, of course, just want to know how much the exquisite gift set you back. Either way, they see that you… well… that you thought highly of them.

You come out looking like a Superhero and they might even share a homemade cookie with you. A nice, tasty way to get an edge in an economy that calls for as many edges as we can find.

Click through either of the links or pictures above to find out exactly what’s in each collection. You can also see the endless types of other baskets they offer. There are Thank You, Get Well, Sympathy, etc. collections. There are also the Miss Grace Lemon Cakes (20 Servings)
, pictured below, that I’m about to die for. Two of these beautiful cakes are sent, and I can practically smell them now. Man, can you imagine, a slice served up with some warm Earl Grey tea…

Miss Grace Lemon Cake, 2 Cakes, 20 Servings

The Office Organization Shop Can Be Your One Stop Shop For Office Organization Supplies

by Joi

OfficeOrganizationShop.com, a leading distributor in online office supplies and products, has launched a new website. You can find trusted name brands and just about everything you need to bring a little organization to your office. That’s always a great thing, right?

From the Website:

OfficeOrganizationShop.com is one of the world’s premier distributors of office supplies and office products that simplify lives in homes, offices and schools. Shop for innovative office supplies including a broad range of office products like file folders, desktop organizers, presentation products, paper sorters, PileSmart® products and more.

Be sure to check out their Today’s Deals feature for special savings on office supplies.

I excitedly noticed that two of today’s special deals involved hanging folders. You have no idea I how much I love hanging folders. Forget about it – they’re too, too cool.

They’re offering the ReadyTab® File Folders, Assorted colors, 50 per box for under $25 and the EasyView™ Hanging Folders, Letter, 10 per pack for under $10.

Be. Still. My. Heart.

Office Organization Shop.com

The Green Office Effect: Office Supplies and Office Furniture with the Environment in Mind

by Joi

The Green Office

Founded in 2005, TheGreenOffice.com is an online retailer that offers a huge selection of office products focused on green alternatives and sustainability. They were the first online retailer to have this vision and were, actually, one of the leaders of the online push for greenery.

With all due respect to Kermit, they show that, as a matter of fact, it is easy being green. What’s more, it’s downright sexy cool.

From The Green Office.com:

Office products. Each of the 40,000 products in our catalog are competitively priced and ranked by “greenness” using our Green Screen system according to recycled content, compostability, chemical reduction, and third party certification. We have done extensive research and product evaluations to determine if a product is Dark Green, Green, or Conventional to give our customers the freedom to compare products and the confidence to shop quickly to balance sustainability, quality, and cost.

All our products are shipped using our next-day carbon-neutral shipping service, free with a purchase of $49 or more. We use industry-leading shipping companies like UPS and DHL to ensure speedy delivery. Then, as part of our commitment to sustainable business practices, we offset (or neutralize) all of the carbon emissions associated with shipping your order from our warehouse to your doorstep.

On The Green Office.com, you can find just about anything you could hope for including: mugs, coffee filters, lamps (such as the Madison Desk Lamp above), cards, stationery, post it notes (whoot whoot), picture frames, cups, snack foods, utensils, bookcases, bathroom supplies, fax machines etc… And I do mean etc. There are so many other things to choose from. I got distracted by my cat or I’d keep listing. She’s eyeing my Starbucks cup and I don’t trust her. I know that look. I taught her that look.

Click through to see all the coolbies at The Green Office.

Bringing Halloween to the Office

by Joi

Crazed Cat
I love Halloween as much as any 9 or 10 year old. The candy, the pumpkins, the popcorn balls, ghosts – all of it makes me feel like a kid at Disneyland.

I’ve been looking around for fun Halloween-themed decorations for offices and here’s what I’ve turned up. First up, there’s the Crazed Cat and the Scary Cat from Shop.com.

From the website:

Even your most superstitious guests will want to cross paths with our Wild Black Cats. At a generous 19″, these frenzied felines bring substantial fun to any Halloween decor display.Spooky cats feature yellow eyes, bared teeth, whiskers, and faux fur. Each Halloween cat strikes a hilariously exaggerated pose. Each cat is alarmingly charming posed on a table or on the floor.

I’d be all for them, but they might just scare the willies off of our real cats. I don’t want that to happen and I have no idea what willies even are.

Spooky Halloween Wreath

I also love the Spooky Halloween Wreath. It looks like something Lilly Munster or Mrs. Adams Family would hang on their door year round. I guess it’s obvious which of those shows I watched the most. I can’t for the life of me think of the mom on The Adams Family’s name. The dad either – or the chubby little boy, or the creepy bald man…. Lurch was the butler, Wendy was the little girl and the hand was called the Thing..or was it an It? Eh, I just flunked Adams Family 101, didn’t I?

Finally, check out the spooks below. They’re probably a bit too much for the office, but how cool would they be out front? Personally, I’m hoping my husband doesn’t buy one of one of these – my overly-caffeinated nerves couldn’t take it. I’m pretty sure I’d either end up on the garage or under the house. I’m reasonable like that.

Black Deluxe Standing Ghost with Flashing Eyes

Black Deluxe Standing Ghost with Flashing Eyes

Gorgeous Sauder Roanoke Student Desk From Staples

by Joi

Sauder Roanoke Computer Desk, Classic Cherry Finish

Here’s one of the gorgeous Student Desks I was referring to in the last post. It’s the Sauder Roanoke Computer Desk, Classic Cherry Finish and would make any student take their work more seriously. Think how proud they’d be to show this desk off!

If you order before October 4, you can save $40 on this beauty. You can still purchase it AFTER the 4th, of course, it’ll just cost you 8 trips to Starbucks, that’s all. Or, as non-Starbucks addicts would say, it’ll just cost you $40 more.

One Week Left in the Staples Office Furniture Sale, Online Only!

by Joi

Staples Furniture Sale - Online Only!

There’s only a week left in the Staples sale on Office Furniture. But, for us that’s plenty of time, right? We’re on top of this! Below are some of my personal favorite finds, along with how much money we can save, IF we act before October 4th.

Comfort® Padded Microsuede Executive Chair, Sand

Comfort® Padded Microsuede Executive Chair, Sand (Save $20)

Features:
Beige padded microsuede
Padded arms
Built-in lumbar support with padded headrest

Global Adjustable Task Chair

Global Adjustable Task Chair, Graphite
(Save $30)

Features:
Contoured back to give you great lumbar support- Seat back adjusts up & down, forward & back for perfect positioning
Urethane adjustable armrests
Choose from over 65 different fabric colors and patterns!

Office Star™ Brown Leather Executive Chair with Cocoa Finish

Office Star™ Brown Leather Executive Chair with Cocoa Finish (Save $50!)

Features:
Brown leather with cocoa coated frame
Leather padded loop arms
Built-in lumbar support

The last gorgeous chair (brown leather, cocoa finish – yeah, that one) comes in black, ivory, and this particular color (cocoa). The cocoa’s my favorite because, come on, how can you go wrong with something that looks like chocolate AND coffee? The cocoa one also happens to cost the least – until October 4, it’s just under $100! The gorgeous ivory chair is another one I love – it’s only $149 for one more week (also a savings of $50!). Hmmmm, we have two computer work stations in our home office, an ebony chair and an ivory one would make a hot black/white theme, wouldn’t they? It’d actually be pretty hot because I have our home office decorated with black and white pictures of James Dean, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, etc.

Eh. I’m sticking with cocoa. What can I say, it’s love. I’ll redecorate. I’ll grab two cocoa chairs and re-do the room with a coffee house theme. Yeah, baby, that’s what I’m talking about.

Obviously, these are just a few of the chairs (guess what I’m currently shopping around for) at Staples.com. You can also save BIG on desks, work centers, file cabinets, shelves, collections, computer carts (like the beautiful Sauder Heritage Hill Computer Cart, Cherry Finish
), wall decor, etc.

If you’re ever going to heed the words of this particular Office Freak, do it this week. The savings are mad. This is THE time to give your office the look and feel you want it to have. After all, think how much time we spend in our offices, whether they’re in our home or not. We should provide ourselves with an environment that inspires, motivates, and comforts us.

Cocoa chairs, start rolling my way! That was easy.


Furniture Showroom Savings

EDIT: I just happened to think (after walking past a daughter sprawled on the floor doing homework), now would be an ideal time to grab super fantastic, functional, and long-lasting Christmas gifts for the students in your life. Whether they’re in grade school, high school, or college – having their own professional-looking desk, work station, computer cart, and chair would serve to motivate them as much as our beloved office furniture motivates us.

Gorgeous Modern Desk Clock is a Work of Art

by Joi

Movado Clock - Modern Pyramid Desk Clock - TCL-148-M

The Movado Clock – Modern Pyramid Desk Clock – TCL-148-M would shoot the “class” factor of any office through the roof. This thing is absolutely gorgeous.

From the website:

Modern pyramid catches the light to show a museum dial with gold-tone accents. Engraving plate and battery included. TCL-148-M Features: *Museum dial *Gold-tone accents *Engraving plate *Battery included Dimensions: 5 1/4″ x 6″ x 2″

Also See:
Far, Far Out Wall Projection Clock
Whatever Wall Clock
Never Late 7 Day Alarm Clock

Handsome Writing Desk From Staples

by Joi

SEI Classic Pecan Writing Desk

A few nights ago, I was in the Living room, watching Ace of Cakes (talk about great tv!) and trying to write out an article for one of my sites during the commercials. I got so annoyed with the whole pillow in the lap routine that I vowed to get a simple, elegant desk for the room as soon as possible.

The one in this post is from my much beloved Staples, so I know it has to be top quality.  There are certain stores that just consistently come through for you and Staples is one of them.  That’s why, when I got up from the bent over, hovering across my make-shift desk, I went to Staples’ website.  I knew they’d have just the writing desk I needed.

This one is the SEI Classic Pecan Writing Desk and, at under $300, my throw pillows will soon be returning to their regular jobs. Their lap desk days are over!

From the Website:

  • Rich pecan finish and classic styling make this desk perfect for any room.
  • Crafted from wood products and veneer with a classic Pecan finish
  • Features slide out keyboard tray and two small box drawers
  • 30″ x 45″W x 23-3/4″D
  • Finished on all sides
  • Ready to assemble
  • 1-year mfr. limited warranty

Writing desks are poetry.

 

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