I recently felt like my home office had turned into the family dumping ground. Everyone’s stuff from house bills, to permission slips and homework landed on my office. Because the logical place to put these things are on my OFFICE desk, and not in the area of the kitchen I organized with great detail for all personal items to be placed, right? It’s an uphill battle to get these horses to drink the water I’ve led them to, so I decided it was time to force them into organization. Why? Because my cluttered work space has caused me to slack off-I don’t even want to look at my desk, much less work here. I bought a few things to help my family become more organized and keep my desk clutter free!
I find inspiration in the strangest things. I like to use old glasses and unique items to bring interest to my table so when I look at them I smirk, or at least feel like if Better Homes and Gardens were to do a surprise photo shoot of my office, they’d find it interesting too. I have a gold dachshund tape dispenser from Target, a vintage green goblet that belonged to my late in-laws to hold paper clips and rubber bands, and a mesh metal cup for pens. There’s a really cool gold leaf bowl that holds lotions, hand sanitizers, cards, and other miscellaneous things too. I also bought Nate Berkus push pins that look like the earrings I used to wear in the 80’s. Having these interesting things for my mundane items make me feel creative, and glamorous even if what I’m doing isn’t the most glamorous of jobs.
I have a Threshold double layer organizer that acts as a holding station. One layer is for home, and the other layer is for office. This way, I’m not accidentally handing a pile of papers to my client that has a drawing from my 9 year old stuck in there (not that that’s EVER happened, or anything). Even though I don’t need it yet, I also got a Threshold desk organizer from Target. Having this greatly reduces the possibility of my desk becoming too cluttered. Taking these precautions and using these items makes my desk feel more upscale, and forces my family to put things where they belong (otherwise, they end up on my keyboard, and if that were to happen, I’d truly be on monkey tilt).
Working from home can be a challenge within yourself; finding inspiration and motivation on the daily can be a daunting task. But, when you work from home it makes it easy for the other members of your family to take advantage of your workspace and make it their own as well. Setting clear boundaries by using organizers, and using office products that put a smile on your face will both keep you fresh and creative, and your family behind within the parameters you set.