Not your run-of-the-mill office supplies

A few weeks ago, I shared some fun business card cases, many from etsy.com. By far, I find etsy to be the best resource for non-traditional finds. Whether it's handmade or vintage, it will most likely be one of a kind (or at least very few of the same kind).

Here are some of my office supply picks from etsy.com


Some other great resources for office supplies that aren't run-of-the-mill:

• See Jane Work
• The Office Stylist's Sorting With Style
• Paper Source
• Kate's Paperie
• Muji
• Iomoi
• ProfessionGal's new shop, when it opens (I'm sure it will be on this list!)

Where do you go for office supplies?

New job checklist: part II (or part I)

Now that you know what to update and what to do once you're in the job, let's backtrack a bit. Technically this part precedes that part (and technically this post preceded that post, it just got lost in my drafts), so I'm not sure whether this is Part II or Part I.

So here is the rest of the checklist (the beginning of the checklist?) for your shiny new job.

What to know

• Daily schedule and hours of business, including lunch hours
• Dress code
• Vacation/sick day procedures
• Holiday schedule
• Pay schedule and how to report time
• Performance review schedule and procedures
• Parking arrangements and permits needed (if any)
• Best rush hour route (and how long it takes)
• Available amenities (kitchenette, refrigerator, microwave, water cooler, etc.)

Who to know, aside from your superviser and coworkers

• HR representative
• IT person
• Payroll 
• Administrative staff in your department

Did I miss anything?

New job checklist

You've got the job.  You've transitioned smoothly out of your old position. Now what?

The whirlwind of starting a new job can be overwhelming. Time is a-ticking, though, so make sure you do a few things before the new job becomes old hat.

To help you out, here is a new job checklist (also a downloadable PDF). Some of these should be done immediately (like benefits enrollment) while others are just nice to do eventually (like updating your Facebook).


Update these

• Resume. The best time to add in a new job to your resume is right at the beginning, when the job   description is handy. Though your initial entry may be a near cut-and-paste, it will be much easier to change it as your job evolves than trying to hunt it down later. 

• Emergency contacts. If you have listed a daytime contact number anywhere (for example, kids' schools or childcare, condo associations, etc.), you'll have to swap out your old job's phone number. I usually put in my cell number for personal reasons, but if you're comfortable with it, you can put your new job number, too.

• LinkedIn and other professional and/or social media sites. If you have any personal memberships to professional organizations, or just Facebook, don't forget to update those, too. LinkedIn is especially important to keep up to date – it lets your professional network know where you've moved on to.

Do these

• Reevaluate your retirement plan. Whether you have a plan through your previous employer or a personal account you contribute to (or both!), now is the time to assess your retirement planning and saving. Take into account the benefits, if any, offered at your new job. Things you may consider - rolling over your 401k, increasing or decreasing your annual contributions, or the balance of investments in your portfolio.

• Revisit your budget. Your new job probably comes with a new salary, so make sure you can meet your budget. Or just look at how much more savings you'll be able to squirrel away – that's always good, too.

• Update your references. You've probably already thanked your references and let them know the outcome of the search, but it's always good to keep the lines of communication open. Now is also a great time to reach back out to any new references you approached at your most recent position (if they weren't references already).

• Benefits enrollment. Most employers give about 30 days for initial enrollment in benefits programs, and many will give you a packet of information before you start to begin musing over. Take inventory of what's being offered and find the plans that work best for you.

Once you're in the office

• Get set up. Make sure you have (or will be getting) all the things you need for your new job, such as a computer, keyboard, phone, etc. 

• Meet and greet. Who will you be working with and what will your priorities be? Sometimes your boss will have it all ready for you, but if not, it's a good idea to identify those you'll be working with closely and get to know them and what expectations they may have. 

• Set a regular schedule. Your new job may have different hours than your old one, and though the difference may be small, it could throw a hitch into your regular routine. Try a few things during your first few weeks on the job and find your rhythm again. If your employer is flexible, it may mean customizing your work schedule to your other obligations.

• Set goals. You probably know what you'll be doing, but now that you're there it's time to set some tangible goals. This is how you'll be evaluated at your first review. Be realistic but don't be afraid to aim high.

• Jump on in! The best way to get acclimated to something new is to just jump on in. Your employer has already shown they're confident in your abilities, now shine!

Download the PDF checklist here.

What do you think are must-dos when you get to your new job?

BYOL (Bring Your Own Lunch)

Last fall, I took on a challenge, tracked on The Daily Muse. I brought my lunch for the entire month of October. Along the way, I learned a few things.

1. My brought-from-home lunches averaged approximately $4.00 per meal. This gives me a good baseline when I go out to dinner, too: if I stick to an $8-10 dinner and save half for lunch, it's almost the same price as a homemade lunch.
2. Large dinners (more than 4 servings) had the lowest per-serving cost. Making a box of pasta with meat and veggies was still around $4 a serving, but a large home-made lasagna (some passed out to friends and eaten over a few days) was closer to $2.50.
3. Having the right equipment made planning – and packing – lunch a breeze.

The equipment in this case falls into three categories:

Storage: Glass containers are great for food that needs to be reheated in the microwave – it doesn't stain or warp as easily as plastic. If you don't need to heat things up, any ol' container will do.

Transport: Depending on the length of your commute, an insulated lunchbag can make sure your food doesn't get into the "danger zone." If your work doesn't have a communal refrigerator, this is even more imperative. Since my work fridge fills up fast, I usually transport my lunch in a small cooler with one ice pack, and then take the container out and put just that in the fridge.

Liquids: Make sure you don't confuse thirst for hunger by staying hydrated during the day. I like a screw-top water bottle for water, but if you prefer ice tea or sugary drinks, try a double-walled travel cup with straw (much easier to clean).

Clockwise from top left: Pyrex 18-piece storage set, snack sacks, Klip-it sandwich box, Built NY BYO Rambler lunch bag, Nalgene Tritan wide-mouth water bottle, double-wall water bottle, Packit personal cooler lunch bag


Are you a lunch toter or do you prefer to eat out? What do you use to bring your lunch?

It's in the (work) bag

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I began searching for a laptop bag. In a "doh" type realization on the eve of starting my new job last month, I pulled out this trusty standby from a box in my closet. The perfect work bag was something I already owned.

This bag and I go way back. I bought it in college when I was interviewing for internships. I used it almost daily back then, and lugged it all over NYC with me in grad school, too. It has a large main compartment (big enough for any folders/documents/books), four outside pockets, two inside pockets and a zippered slot. Not too shabby for a $25 Marshall's find.

What to look for in a work bag:

• Space. It should be big enough to hold everything you need, but not so big you look like you're going on an overnight trip. If you're throwing in a laptop, folders or notepads, look for a bag with dimensions around 9" x 13" x 3". Other things to consider: pockets, inside or outside (personally, I like outside pockets).

• Color. Aside from Day-Glo brights and too-cute prints, I'd say color is fair game. Let your personality show. Remember, though, that you'll be carrying this bag a lot, so it should be something you wouldn't mind your CEO or clients seeing.

• Fabric. Sturdiness is key, but you can also find some great bags in luxury finishes, too, if that's your thing. This one is a thick canvas with PVC trim.

• Weight. Technology is getting smaller and lighter, so help ease the burden on your shoulders by keeping your bag light, too. 

• Shoulder strap. It just makes life easier and frees up your hands.

What does this bag hold on a daily basis?

• Document envelope. It's big enough to fit my supersleek work laptop and some papers, too. I ended up sewing a laptop sleeve for my personal laptop, so I can toss that in if I need it.
• Umbrella. This is Miami, after all.
• Wallet
• Sunglasses
• Make-up bag
• Pens

Apt. 9 Colorblock Tote ($42 Kohl's), AK Anne Klein Small Perfect Tote ($51 Macy's), Sag Harbor Bel Air Shopper ($54 Kohl's)

What do you look for in a work bag?

Freelance Files | Time management

For anyone who thought my desk might actually look like this on a normal day, here is a more accurate picture of my "tidy" desk during the week. And yes, this is after clearing off space.

True story: I opened up this window to type this post around 5:30 p.m. last night. And right now it's 8:30 a.m. and these are the first words on the screen. Although I had some ambitious time management plans when I first started out this freelancing thing, reality has set in. I was always really adept at juggling multiple projects at work, prioritizing what had to get done, and churning out lots and lot of stuff. But fewer deadlines and unclear priorities are a new beast for me (I can take my personal projects at my own pace right? Um...do I ever want them to get done?). Some thoughts on my current time management situation:

• One of the things I was looking forward to most about freelancing was a more flexible schedule. Lunch with friends, more time for hobbies, the ability to join weekday Bible studies. Not to take away from my work time, but mostly because I knew freelancing was not an 8-5 job. Sometimes it's a 12-10 job, sometimes 3-midnight. I don't want to over-plan my day, either.
• Much (ok, almost all) of my work so far is for clients in California. This has been a huge blessing and it's really great to continue work relationships with people I love working with, but has got my hours a little wonky, since they're basically working 12-8. I do really like getting a head start in the morning on them, though...definitely keeps me from more late nights.
• Training for a half marathon has totally thrown my schedule upside down. Exercise was never part of the plan. If you include running time, warm-up/cool-down time, and taking time to eat a nutritious breakfast time, that adds about 1.5 hours to my morning routine 4-5 times a week. 

Things I'm learning about managing my time:

• One to-do list. Rather than the multiple to-do lists I'm accustomed to keeping, since my life is much more fluid and flexible, I'm using just one list. 
• Take breaks when needed. Not just computer breaks (although those are important), but coffee breaks, reading breaks, and breaks from the race of keeping up with other blogs and social networks. 
• Make appointments. If I want to have lunch with a friend, I schedule it days in advance when possible. I also have standing volunteer hours at Dress for Success Miami, which is great to add structure to my day. Not only do appointments help me chunk up my work time and use it better, it also gives me something to look forward to and measure toward during the week.
• Realize I don't have to plan every minute, especially when it comes to my workouts. I prefer morning workouts, but a) it's been hard to get up in the mornings lately (soreness from this new exercise thing doesn't help) and b) sometimes I get inspired when I wake up and sit down and start typing million-word blog posts like this. To keep myself on track, I make sure to put on my gym clothes in the morning and then when I do get to a stopping point, run down to the gym in my building knowing that once I get on that treadmill, it's a bigger pain to stop than it is to keep going.
• Do something. Anything. It doesn't have to be for money. It doesn't have to be for a larger goal. Doing begats more doing, so instead of thinking about my website while browsing blogs, I'm trying to close the browser and start working on the website instead (writing in Word, for example...I know I'll need to open up the browser again to actually do web work). 
• No more caffeine after noon. Iced tea with last night's dinner was a bad move, but I now have a whole pageful of notes and ideas (things I can do right away) that I took on my iPad under the covers. I'm paying for it this morning, though, so time to rein it in. This one's a party animal, can you tell?

What are your biggest time management challenges?

Office Supply of the Month | Whiteboards

As a schoolchild, I was what you'd call a teacher's pet. I volunteered for everything. Sharpen the pencils? Sure! Pass out worksheets? Yes! But my favorite task of all? Erasing the chalkboards. Something about wiping the slate clean in preparation of a new subject or new day was sort of refreshing. The downside? Chalk dust.

The sea change from chalkboard to whiteboard began sometime during my junior high years. By high school, about half of the classrooms had replaced their chalkboards with whiteboards. They were even better. Loads of colors, easier to wipe. I used to a large, colorful whiteboard in my cubicle (Tasks were color-coded by project and person responsible. Deadlines in red, of course), and I'm still trying to figure out how to work a whiteboard into my current setup (likely in the entryway, since the office space is running low on wall space).

History
Whiteboards were invented sometime in the 1950s or early '60s. Their invention is somewhat unclear.  Some think that they were invented by Martin Helt, a photographer who was looking for a wall-mounted option to jot down notes next to the telephone. He found that a sharpie ink on film negatives could easily be wiped off with water, and ran with that idea.

Regardless of their origin, whiteboards were first commercially produced in the 60s, and were initially made of porcelain mounted on steel. Film laminate whiteboards followed soonafter. Whiteboards became popular in the 1980s, led by businesses and then classrooms, once studies began warning about chalkdust allergies and asthma. By the mid-90s, they were the classroom writing board of choice, and the rest is history.

You can use dry erase markers on glass, mirrors, laminated paper, sealed ceramics, metal, or specially treated wood for the same effect.

Uses
Write on them
Draw on them
Distract children by letting them draw on it
Projector screen
Permanent calendar (tape down the grid with thin electrical tape and you won't have to worry about redrawing lines every month...Sharpies wipe off when you draw over them)
Making a cool video
Ok, there are not that many uses for whiteboards, but they can be pretty fun


Fun with whiteboards

Are you a whiteboard user? Do you prefer classic whiteboard, clear glass or mirror, or some other kind of surface?

Home office: Revealed!

It took a few weeks of waiting for our local Ikea to get the Expedit back in stock, but they finally got some more in and my home office plans were saved. You remember my mood board and how my office looked earlier this month?

Well, here's the finished product.

Not to shabby, eh? I love the new set-up, although I'll admit the desktop is rarely as clean as in the photos above (which I took in the excitement of finally getting things put away, before I sat down to actually work). Even though almost everything in this office is old, I love how it came together for a (mostly) clean and inspiring feel.

One of my favorite new additions to this space is my super-chic wall calendar, which I purchased from Sweet Musings Paperie on etsy. I loved it when I ordered it, but when I got in the mail, I LOVED it. I love looking up at Michelle's illustrations throughout my workday for a little pick me up, and there are 15 more months to go. Michelle is offering the New Professional readers 15% off on anything in her shop through October 31. Just enter NEWPROF in the coupon code box during checkout on Paypal and it will be applied to your order.

So...what do you think? Could you work in a space like this?

[Edited to add: Those boxes still between the desk and bookshelf are going to K's office...they are chock full of heavy books so he's taking them one backpack-ful at a time. Once those are gone, that space will be nice and open. Forgot they were still in the photo!]

Five ways to stay productive when you're in a rut

[JonDissed]

We all get into them, and it takes some of us longer than others to get out of them. No, I'm not talking about the backseat of a two-door car (is anyone else completely inept at getting in and out of those?), but a rut. Sometimes it's a mental block, sometimes it's lack of inspiration. But that time doesn't have to be wasted. Here are my favorite ways to get stuff done even when I'm not feeling it.

1. Learn a new skill. One of my favorite ways to tackle a mental block is to pick something work-related that I want to learn how to do and get to work figuring out how to do it. For me, that something usually involves HTML, CSS, and Wordpress (I'm setting up a personal website for my freelancing), which I know will involve a good amount of time spent researching online. Google is a no-brainer.

2. Read up on your field. Back in my office days, I started each morning catching up on RSS feeds of nonprofit communications and higher education marketing blogs. As a result, I began almost every day with a new idea, and I was able to suggest new ways to do things and keep up with chatter at professional conferences.

3. Answer emails or do other "housekeeping" type tasks. Sometimes mental clutter is brought on by clutter elsewhere...your inbox, your desk, your life, etc. Forcing yourself to answer every email that you can in one sitting not only gets those things off your plate, but also lightens the pressure (which sometimes releases your mental block, too). Likewise, organizing random papers can bring to light some notes (and inspiration) that you'd forgotten about. If an abruptly ended conversation with a friend is still weighing on your mind, clear it up.

4. Do whatever it is you're avoiding. Just get it over with already. In journalism school there's a saying...write your first draft, delete everything but your last paragraph, and write your story using your last paragraph as your new lede. It doesn't work all of the time, but the point is that sometimes you know your first version is going to suck, so you might as well get it out of the way. For me, that means opening up Microsoft Word and writing...whatever. Sometimes it's stream of consciousness journaling, sometimes it's a blog post, sometimes it's fiction.
  
5. Exercise. I put this last because it's my least favorite of the list. This may not work for those committed to a desk from 8-5, but if you have the flexibility and freedom, get your body (and your brain moving. Even a brisk 15 minute walk can help clear your head. Outdoors and along the water preferred. 

How do you get out of a rut?

Office Supply of the Month | Sticky notes

I can't believe it's taken me a long time to get to one of my favorite office supplies ever, but I think it's mostly because I see sticky notes as less of an office supply and more of a life tool. It's true—in my home office, I have an entire desktop organizer dedicated to various sizes and colors of sticky notes

Those white drawers on the left by the lamp are exclusively for sticky notes. Flags go in the top drawer, small rectangular notes in the middle, and regular 3"x3" notes and specialty notes (stars, footballs, etc.) on the bottom.

I use sticky notes for everything: edits on documents that I don't want to mark up, to-do lists, makeshift index tabs, directions, addresses on shipments (for ops staff to send), cleaning my keyboard (sticky side down). Although my home supply is typically the smaller stuff, at work I also like the lined kind (about 4"x6") or even the large wall-posted sized ones for meetings and brainstorms. Adhesive + paper = endless possibilities.

History
Sticky notes were (not so intentionally) invented in 1968 when 3M chemist Dr. Spencer Silver developed a pressure-sensitive, reusable adhesive. Initially, 3M struggled to find a use for this new discovery, and it wasn't until 1974 that Art Fry, one of Silver's colleagues at 3M, came up with the idea of using the adhesive on strips of paper to use as a bookmark in his church hymnal. In 1978, Fry began marketing the product under the brand Press n' Peel, but the sales were disappointing. Post-its were officially introduced into the U.S. market in 1980. Post-it flags came soon after in 1987. The patent for Post-its expired in the 1990s, opening the door for other manufacturers to get in on the sticky note market.

In case you're curious, 3M has a fun timeline of fun facts about their Post-it product on their website.


Uses
Bookmark
Marking notes and comments
Art
Index tabs
Sticking reminders or inspirations quotes in high visibility places
Makeshift lint roller
Label things temporarily
Flipbook
Measurements


Fun with sticky notes

What are your favorite uses for sticky notes?

There's an app for that

The last few apps I used on Tuesday evening.

I have a confession to make: I'm addicted to my smartphone. It's the first thing I pick up in the morning and the last thing I check before I fall asleep.

At last check, I had 61 apps on my phone, including the ones that came pre-installed. Here are some of my faves! Just for reference, I have a Motorola Droid (first gen) and all of my apps were free. 

Connecting

• Gmail/Email. Since the Droid has a Google operating system, Gmail is the default email application. The other email app supports multiple accounts from various servers, and I use that one for my work account and Hotmail account.
• Twitter for Android. I like the official app for my personal Twitter account.
• Facebook. I'm not nearly as active on Facebook as I am on Twitter, but I check Facebook often just to keep up on what's happening and see pics of my friends' kids (yes, I actually like when people post those).
• Messaging. More of a function than an app, I prefer text to phone calls (or really short emails).

Productivity

• Toggl. This time-tracking tool is a great way to keep track of how much time you spend on projects (useful for billing or as reference). It also syncs to the web-based site.
• Astrid Tasks. Keep your to-do list on hand, add deadlines and reminders, and mark them off as you go. I use this more for blog ideas or to-dos that need alarm reminders.
• Evernote. Like Pinterest before Pinterest. You can add photos, audio, text notes, and webpages and tag them into different categories. Plus it syncs with the desktop app.
• Hootsuite. I use Hootsuite to keep an eye on multiple Twitter accounts for work. I wish the mobile app had better Facebook Page support (the web-based one is great).

Organization

• Calendar. This syncs automatically with my Google Calendar and the calendar tied to my work email account (in Outlook).
• Key Ring. One of my favorite apps ever--it keeps track of all my membership accounts, like Safeway, Ulta, Southwest, Sephora... I noticed recently there are exclusive deals on here, too...good to know!
• Diet & Food Tracker (Spark People). From time to time, I like to track what I'm eating just to make sure I'm not over-doing it. I've been using the Spark People website for years, and the mobile food tracker is just as good as the one online.

Reference

• Dictionary.com. Handy. Just handy.
• News and Weather. Pulls from Google News, with the same categories.
• Weather Channel. I program all my favorite places so I can see the weather in So Cal or Miami at a glance.
• Shopper. Great for reading specific product reviews (just scan the barcode) or checking prices elsewhere.
• Gas Buddy. Much less planning needed to use this mobile app compared to the website. Wish I'd had this sooner.

Fun and games

• Yelp. The filters on the mobile app are much more limited than the website, but definitely a handy tool when you're traveling to a new city.
• Fandango. Check out movie reviews and playing times.
• Words With Friends. No explanation needed.

One of the things I like about the Droid is that I can place shortcuts to web bookmarks on my home screens, which in some cases works just as well as having a dedicated app, thanks to some great mobile websites. My favorite bookmarked sites are Google Reader, Google Docs, and ESPN News. I also use my phone camera a fair amount (most of my weekly link photos are cell phone pics).

I put out some feelers a while back on my Facebook page about your favorite apps. Here are some of the responses:

Realtor.com and Urban Dictionary - Amy B.

The Onstar My Link app, FB and my bank's app. You can take pictures of checks to deposit them! - Kathleen M.

What are your favorite smartphone apps for work or for fun?


*This is not an advertisement for the Droid or Android operating systems. It's just the only smartphone system I know.

Office Supply of the Month | Highlighters

If you're anything like me, you love color coding. Seriously, I think I may need an intervention. One of the best inventions in color coding ever: highlighters. I've got green, yellow, purple, blue, and orange at my desk, and it's not uncommon for me to use all those colors in one document (usually while reviewing and trying to understand--not an editing tool).

History
A highlighter is a felt-tip pen filled with transparent ink. Felt-tip pens were first invented in 1952 by Sidney Rosenthal, who attached a wool tip to a glass ink bottle. In 1962, Yukio Horie of Japan took the idea further by creating a fiber-tip pen (using bamboo fibers) that used dye instead of ink. In 1963, the Avery Dennison company introduced their "Hi-Liter," which was a fiber-tipped pen with translucent ink. While initially the Hi-Liter was available in pastel colors, the company introduced a flourescent yellow in 1978, still the most popular highlighter color today.

Uses
Marking up documents
Drawing and art
Giveaways
I used to color my nails with highlighters before my mom let me use fun colored nail polish. Anyone else?

Fun with highlighters

I'm a huge fan of How It's Made. And guess what? They've covered highlighters. Enjoy!

Are you a fan of highlighters? What is your favorite color?

Office Supply of the Month | Pushpins

I love a good bulletin board for its utility and versatility, and no bulletin board would be complete without pushpins to secure things on it! Also known as thumbtacks, map pins, or drawing pins, these small supplies pack a lot of punch into a tiny piece of metal. It is basically a short pin or nail with a rounded or otherwise enlarged head for easy insert and removal using your fingers. They work best when used on a porous but somewhat dense surface (not great for those padded cubicle walls).

There are a few notable differences between thumbtacks and pushpins, and even among pushpins there are several varieties (map pins being among those). In daily vocabulary, however, they're often rather interchangeable (unless you work in the office supply business, I suspect).

• Thumbtacks generally lie flat. You push them in with your thumb.
• Pushpins usually have a plastic handle of some sort.

History
The invention of the pushpin is usually credited to Edwin Moore of Pennsylvania, and dates back to 1900, although some reports identify his invention as what we now call the map pin. The modern pushpin is often credited to Heinrich Sachs of Austria (1888), Johann Kirsten of Germany (1902), or Mick Clay of England (1903). Mass production began shortly after, and the rest is history!

Uses
Posting things on walls, bulletin boards, and other pin-able surfaces
Making nail-head lined things (using the single nail head-type pins, not the trim that comes in a strip)
Making art
Jewelry display
Mark places you've been on a map


Fun with thumbtacks

Or make your own decorative thumb tacks [Project Orange].


What are your favorite uses for pushpins? Favorite types?


_____

Completely unrelated

Sweet Cassie over at Oh, Say Can You Say? gave me the Versatile Blogger award last week! I'm supposed to share seven random facts about myself and tag 15 other bloggers to do the same. Since I've shared facts on here several times already, I'll be doing my (all new) things on Facebook this time and instead of tagging other bloggers, I'd like you to share something each day in response to my fact! If you'd like to see which bloggers I enjoy the most, just click on over to my blogroll--I could never narrow it down to just 15.

Office Supply of the Month | Adhesive tape

This month's office supply isn't really just relegated to the office. I keep it at my desk, in my toolbox, in the living room, you name it. It's the sticky stuff! There are a multitude of tape options to choose from: clear tape, packing tape, duct tape, masking tape, double-sided tape, painter's tape, paper (washi) tape, electrical tape, surgical tape.

History
Tape is pretty simple. It all starts with adhesive, which can take on natural or synthetic forms. The earliest found adhesive substance dates back to 4000 BC and is believed to be made of tree sap. In the centuries following, other adhesives were found and made, most commonly from fish and fish parts, but also from animal bones, milk, rubber, and starch. The first patent for an adhesive was issued in Britain in 1750; many others soon followed.

Other fun dates:
1921 - The Band-Aid is invented by an employee of Johnson and Johnson.
1925 - An engineer at the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (now 3M) creates masking tape to prevent the bleed-through common to cloth-backed tape when spray-painting automobiles.
1930 - A clear tape called Scotch Brand Cellulose was invented by the same 3M engineer.
1942 - Johnson and Johnson creates duct tape, a waterproof and super-grippy tape, for use in World War II to seal canisters and repair equipment in the field. Duct tape is basically cloth tape coated in polyethylene.


Uses
Sticking things together
Taping up a hem
Labelling your lunch
Water/smudge-proofing (tape over ink)
French manicure guide
Tape over wires to avoid tripping
Taping down a collar
Repairing things
Painting
Reinforcing holes in punched paper
Lint roller (roll a piece of tape adhesive side out, slip over finger, and roll over clothes)
Keep belt ends down
Decoration
Clean between keyboard keys
Fix shoelace ends
Taping a heel tap back on


Fun with adhesive tape

What is your favorite kind of tape? Your favorite use for tape?

Office Supply of the Month | Binder clips

I have a confession. For the longest time as a kid, I had no idea what binder clips did. In fact, I was a bit scared of them. Could. Not. Figure. Them. Out.

Now, I love them. I love that they can hold way more than a paperclip without the permanency of a staple. I love how they come in various sizes so that you can choose just the right one that sits nearly flush with your papers without sticking out awkwardly. I love using them away from the desk. But enough about that.

History
Louis Baltzley is credited with inventing the binder clip in Washington D.C. in 1910; a patent was granted in 1915. Back then, the most common method for binding larger amounts of paper together was punching holes and sewing them together.  Not exactly a very versatile solution. 


Uses
Binding things together
Desk-side cable management (via Lifehacker. I do this at home.)
To keep toothpaste rolled from the bottom up rolled (I do this, too)
Makeshift clipboard (binder clip + thin, hard surface)
Hanging a packet of things
Chip clip
Duvet cover clip
Wallet
Keep trash bags from slipping down
Refrigerator beer stacker

Fun with binder clips

What are your favorite binder clip uses? Favorite binder clips?