Talking Out of Turn

We do a lot in the workplace. Besides just our normal job duties, the whole team brings something special to the table. There’s the person that always fills up the water in the coffee machine and the other team member that empties the dishwasher without being asked. Then there are the people that organize the unofficial company-unsponsored happy hours for the team. Pencil Pouches These people are the backbone of the organization and deserve all of the great things coming to them, especially the gifts you get them for Employee Appreciation Day on March 6th. That’s right! You don’t have to be the boss to share a little bit of love to the people that hold it down in the office. Here are a few ideas to share with your colleagues to show your appreciation for all that they do. Colorful Caffeine Cups For the person that goes out of their way to make sure that the single-cup coffeemaker always has water, they deserve a special, funny coffee mug to call their own. Nope...

It doesn’t matter where you’re from, what you do for work, or what jokes you have on your funny coffee mugs , we all share similar awkward moments. They’re all around us, and even if you get a touch embarrassed, it’s nice to know that we all share the same kinds of moments.  Funny Coffee Mugs Awkward moments show us that we’re all human, and to celebrate that connection, there’s National Awkward Moments Day on March 18th. How do you observe such an awkward holiday? Let it all go and laugh at yourself a little bit and see the humor in these moments. The Sidewalk Dance You’re on your way into the office on the sidewalk, and some stranger is approaching your direction walking in the same lane. What do you do? Of course, you don’t just stay the course and allow them to redirect around you. No, instead you turn to the left, then they do the same thing. Uh oh. Maybe try the right side? Now you’re both on a collision course, leading to the awkward sidewalk dance. We...

Who doesn’t love getting gifts? You know the biggest problem? We only get gifts for birthdays, holidays, and a few other times during the year. For both giftees and gifters, that’s not nearly often enough! Giving gifts is a love language, and you gotta express it whenever you can. So, if you are looking for reasons to give your best bud a gift, here are a few times when a random gift is most definitely appreciated. Baby Cards They Just Got a Promotion It doesn’t matter what you do for work—a promotion is a huge deal. It’s also the perfect giftable occasion! With a new role at their work, your bestie definitely needs an upgrade to help them do their very best and crush it. If they work in an office, you should look into getting them a colorful desk set. The best desk sets will have everything they need to look like a boss, work like a boss, and feel like one too, complete with a matching stapler and tape dispenser. They Had a Tough Week All weeks are technical...

The holidays are over, and it’s back to reality. While some people are over the moon about their resolutions and goals, the rest of us are just trying to survive. With no three-day weekend in sight and the holiday excitement over, the office can feel like no man’s land. How do you get it all back in gear? Is it too late to even start on your resolutions? What day is it? Hello, is anybody out there? Desk Sets Getting back to the grind can be tough, so it’s time to break out some surefire productivity hacks. Here are a few to help you get your head back in the game and crush it in Q1. Stay Tidy Sure, it may not be spring yet, but why not get a jump-start on your spring cleaning? Having a neat and tidy desk can do wonders for your productivity and headspace. Don’t believe it? Maybe you’re one of those people who thinks sticky notes everywhere, a pile of empty kombucha bottles, and pens flung around is a sign of genius. While creative chaos has its merits, try actu...

Random Acts of Kindness Day is on February 17th—what do you have planned? Kindness makes the world go ‘round, and it’s the random acts of kindness that can mean the most. Even something small like holding the door for someone or complimenting them on how they ran a meeting can mean a lot. Although random acts of kindness shouldn’t be designated to just one day out of the year, now that you know that it’s an official holiday, you have no reason not to participate. Here are a few fun and easy ways to celebrate around the office.  Pencil Pouches Compliment a Good Parker Parking can be hard. At least some people make it seem that way, so whenever we see someone fit into a tight spot like it was made for their car, it’s worth celebrating. You’ll often hear of people leaving nasty notes for bad parkers, but never does anyone leave a kind one. Do that instead, and bonus points if they parallel parked too!  Give a Random, Practical Gift The holiday season m...

The new year is here, and what better way to close out the first month than spreading some feel-good vibes? There has to be some sort of scientific formula for the relationship between happiness and compliments, right? Maybe not, but until someone comes up with one, we have to assume that a good, genuine, heartwarming compliment has a ton of influence on a person’s confidence, self-esteem, and general happiness. Just think about those times someone gave you a compliment and it made your day—pretty extraordinary, right? Funny Coffee Mugs In fact, there’s an entire holiday on January 24th dedicated to giving compliments called National Compliment Day. Although you shouldn’t have to save all of your compliments for just one day of the year, here are some good ones to spread year-round. And if you don’t have a chance to say one of these compliments to a special person in person, write it out on cute stationery and send it to them!  “Your perspective is refreshin...

The holiday season is finally here! As you’re running around looking for gifts, you’ll likely notice how your loved ones each fit into different categories. From your college friend who lived off ramen and now runs a food blog to your mom who lives for funny cat pics, we all have our thing. Pencil Pouches Chances are you probably know someone who has it all together—almost to an annoying level. They have a list for everything, and everything always has to be just so to keep it on schedule. Even though it can be a joyful headache to travel with them, they keep the trip in line. This holiday season, here are a few fun, cute gifts to celebrate their dedication to organization. All the Small Things Earbuds, lip gloss, bobby pins—what do all of these have in common? They love to wander off just when we need them most. Lost in-between car seats. Lost at the bottom of a tote bag. Just plain lost everywhere—it can be a real vibe killer. Luckily, some genius way back whe...

It’s that time of the year. You’re rushing around from store to store, crossing everyone off your holiday shopping list. Mom? Check. Your happy hour partner in crime? Check. Your S.O.? Check. Uh-oh, you forgot someone. Yup, it’s the person you drew in the office Secret Santa. Who are they again? What do they like? Should you just get a gift card? Cute tote bags You’re a great gift-giver, and you’re better than the cheesy coffee shop gift card. Although it can feel like the office Secret Santa is backing you into a corner—seemingly always picking the one coworker you know the least—with some creativity, you can still win! If you find yourself in this predicament, here are some surefire fantastic gift ideas. Note-Taking (and Doodling) Essentials Much of our writing time is spent with a keyboard, but there’s still something to be said for putting jotter pen to notepad and writing out your thoughts. Some people think the mind-hand connection helps us remember better,...

We all have those unfocused days when we feel like we’re off our game—for some of us, it might even last all week. You know the day when you just can’t seem to get anything done even though you’re physically sitting in front of your computer and supposedly hard at work. It can be tough to get into gear some days, but that salary isn’t going to earn itself!  Desk sets This is even truer towards the end of the year, when we have sporadic days off, and all that’s on our mind is surviving another family dinner. No Interruptions Day typically falls on the last real workday of the year, December 30, so you can close out the year with a bang. It’s a day dedicated to getting stuff done and managing the chaos that is the modern workplace. Whether it’s the official day or you just want to focus up on the job before the new year, here are some easy tips. Make a Real To-Do List Some of us are perennial to-do listers and cross everything off with ease. For the rest of u...

We all have our habits, some better than others. Whether it’s grabbing a piece of candy from the front desk when you walk into work or cleaning your workspace every evening, sometimes we don’t even realize we have them. But did you know that they’re a force to be reckoned with when you push them in the right direction? What habits could you pick up that could get you to your goals faster and make you happier? Here are a few that are worth giving a shot! pencil pouches Replace Screens with Pages Smartphones and computers are super cool, and most of us can’t even make it through the day or hold down a job without staring at a screen. The thing is, it’s not the best for our eyes, and we could all use a digital detox from time to time. Instead of scrolling social media before bed or binging yet another episode, try picking up that book you said you would finish months ago. Even just 20 minutes of unplugging every night is a step in the right direction. Plus, blue light...

It’s the final stretch of the fall semester and officially go time for your favorite student. Gone are the “I’ll make up for it on the next one” tests: the final projects and exams are quickly approaching. If you’re within arm’s reach of a student, give them a hug—they could use it.  Funny Coffee Mugs If not, here are a few fun gifts and thoughtful things you can do to help them finish strong. Fuel Them Up with Coffee Learning, partying, and being broke pretty much go hand in hand with the college experience. So what’s that one thing that basically all college students could use a little more of? Coffee. It’s that magic liquid that powers them through the days, and if they can get it for free, even if it’s bad, they’ll take it. You can treat them to a coffee date next time you’re in town, or look for alternative coffee-delivery methods. Shop around for funny coffee mugs online and include a gift card to their favorite local coffee shop. They’ll get a chuck...

Who says work shouldn’t be a party? Sure, most of us don’t love trading our days for money, but work isn’t all that bad. Hopefully, you do something you love, and the drag to Friday isn’t unbearable. Maybe you’re even one of those people who loves Monday mornings! Cute Bags Either way, if you’re stuck staring at gray cubicle walls all day, it’s time to add some glam to your workspace. Here are some quick and easy things that will make your desk the hottest spot in the office. Add Some Life to Your Desk You might be the life of the office holiday party, but does your desk live up to that fun-loving reputation? Bringing a potted plant to your desk is an easy way to add some life to your workspace. It’s also a cool way to show the office that you’re a caring soul with a heart for nature. Whether you go with a succulent, cactus, or something with leafy foliage, choose something that makes your heart happy. Just make sure it’s a hardy plant that can survive the wee...

In the modern age, lots of skills and habits have fallen out of fashion. No longer do we need to figure out how to wash our clothes by hand or tie a horse to a stable (unless you work with horses). Heck, who even remembers how to send a fax anymore? Even with that in mind, some things never go out of style, and there are plenty of “old-fashioned” skills worth knowing and learning. Here are just a few that might come in handy.  cute pencil pouch Cursive Writing Your grandma is right—cursive still has its place in the world. If you ever want to write a fancy letter or declaration, you’ll want to do it in cursive. There’s just something about those beautiful, hand-drawn loops that tell the reader that the message was crafted with effort and love. You don’t always have to use it, but if you’ve lost the skill since elementary school, it’s worth brushing up on it. Practice makes perfect, so unzip your cute pencil pouch , grab a jotter pen and get to scribbling! ...

It doesn’t matter if you’re a pro dog walker or a CEO, we all have a common enemy: the seemingly endless to-do list. Every day brings a new set of challenges and little things to get done. Some of us cross items off the list with ease while some of our today lists turn into tomorrow lists. If you’re going to get your entire checklist done in a day, you might as well make it October 30 th , Checklist Day. If you missed that item on your list and the day has come and gone, it’s all good! Any day is a good day for checklist clearing. Here are some tips for tackling any to-do list, anytime, anywhere, any day of the week.  pencil pouches Start Off with a Win Sometimes just getting started on the to-do list is the hardest part. You show up to work half-awake, fire up the computer, and immediately see a huge list of things to get done. It’s basically like staring up at a mountain. You gotta take the first step though, so why not do something easy? Getting that first...

Lots of people like to brag about how much they work, wearing their stress on their sleeves like a badge of honor. But life’s too short to spend all of your time thinking about work, and if you aren’t unplugging your brain and giving it a break on the weekend, you’re missing out. If you struggle to leave work at the door, here’s how you can take a much-needed brain break this weekend.  cute tote bags Get Outside and Look at Plants and Stuff The concrete jungle is the result of innovation and productivity, but if you spend all day everyday inside, you’ll lose touch with Mother Nature. And while that succulent on your desk might help a bit, it can’t replace the experience of mindlessly wandering through a park or garden and taking in the plants, fresh air, and all that good stuff. Unplug your brain, pack a snack in one of your cute tote bags , and get outside. Your brain will thank you for it. Find Your Zen Maybe you’re already the master of chill and love to ...

Summer is over! Chances are you’ve already put away your flippy floppies and sunnies in favor of flannels and ankle warmers. When we were kids, there was like no worse feeling than seeing back to school ads come on TV. It signaled the beginning of the end—the forlorn conclusion to the best time of the year and the beginning of school.  If you still have those thoughts about fall, remember that you’re grown up! For real. We’re adults now, and there isn’t a summer break. There is, however, a never-ending limit on the fun we can have. Our lives know no seasonal bound, so cheer up! Here are some of the super fun things you get to look forward to doing this fall. It’s a Pumpkin Spice Kinda Life Might as well get this one out of the way. For at least the last few years or so, pumpkin spice has been inescapable in the fall, and we’re not even mad about it. From pumpkin spice cookies, candles, pumpkins, and the legendary pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin spice is everywhere...

We all have those mornings. You know the ones where gravity won’t let your eyes stay open, your back hurts, and nothing wants to go your way? Mondays are a typical culprit. You might show up to work every day ready to kick some serious butt, but today, it just isn’t happening.  So, what do you do besides complain and procrastinate your way through the day? Here are a few ideas to shift into the next gear and power through. Coffee First First things first, nothing gets done before coffee. Yeah, you can say that you want to cut back on your caffeine, but we all know that’s probably not going to happen. While you certainly don’t want to overdo it, if you had a long night and feel a little groggy, it might be because you haven’t funneled enough of that sweet (or bitter) bean juice into you. Whether you’re a latte lover or you like your coffee black and bold, get your morning boost before you start the day and see if that doesn’t perk you up. Bonus points if you ...

How often do you spend a day just for yourself? No, those 30 seconds of deep breathing in the elevator aren’t enough! You wouldn’t want your mechanic to spend just 30 seconds tuning up your car, right? Well, your body and your mind need maintenance too. So you—yes, you—should spend more time on yourself. Even the most selfless people need to be selfish from time to time, and that’s what self-care Sunday is all about.  Yes, It’s Really All About You Being “selfish” turns off a lot of people, and for the most part, that’s good! We never want to be seen as selfish, but a little dash of selfishness is necessary for self-care. Are you a nicer person to be around before or after your morning coffee? How about on 4 hours sleep versus 8 hours? You bring more to the table when you take care of yourself first. Give yourself permission to cut in line and put yourself first on Sunday. Monday morning you will thank Sunday you for it! Take a Social Media Break Instagram, F...