Talking Out of Turn

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...