I have always worked outside the home, but once I had kids my search began for items to make my working mom life easier (dare I say… magical?) While everything I actually NEED to do my job is already at the office, I do have a number of items that help make my day run a bit more smoothly.
Planner: I have used a paper planner forever. I never caught on to the whole iPhone calendar thing. I usually buy my planners at Target, but this year I ordered one from Blue Sky and I love it! It is the perfect size and I love the layout.
Notebook: I always have various notebooks on me. I have been using a fabulous gold glittery spiral notebook for my daily to-do list (yes, I write one every day) and notes for my blog. I also have another notebook for work stuff.
Tea Stuff: I love drinking green tea at work. Every station I have ever worked at has had a water/hot water machine, so I have been doing this forever. I never make tea at home.. so random. Anyway, I have TONS of tea at work. Boxes and boxes of different kinds of white and green tea. I have turned many a co-worker into a tea drinker. I also love loose tea, so I have a bunch of loose leaf tea strainers. (my current favorites are from Ikea, how cute are these little flowers?)
Mighty Mug: So this company sent this to me for free forever ago, but wasn’t obligated to mention it or review it. In fact, I told them this wasn’t something I would review for my blog but that it sounded like a cool idea. The company wrote back saying that I was so kind in my response back that I could just order a mug anyway, no strings attached. Well.. that was very smart of them, since this mug is amazing. Seriously, it does NOT tip over, but is so easy to pick up. (hard to explain) A bunch of my co-workers have ordered themselves a Mighty Mug after seeing mine in action. Since I drink a lot of tea, I have also SPILLED a lot of tea… and this has totally solved that problem.
Emergen-C: I always keep this in my bag and in my desk. I swear these help keep colds away.. and when someone isn’t feeling great I always offer them one. The second I start feeling sick I start drinking these… since no one wants to use a sick day actually being sick! 😉
Six Pack Fitness Renee Meal Management Tote: I recently did a 5-day detox and felt so good after cutting out certain foods that I have dramatically changed the way I eat. (AKA: WAAAYYYY less sugar) I was pretty good about bringing my lunch to work before, but now I always bring all my food and snacks so I don’t get caught without healthy foods to eat. When Six Pack Fitness offered to send me a bag I was beyond excited! It is a tote bag with a cooler already built in! It comes with everything you need: the tote, 4 food containers, 3 ice packs and a vitamin container. When you open the back of the bag, it had 4 compartments. However, my salad container was bigger than the size, so I just unsnapped the separators from one side, which gave me plenty of room. Since I am dropping off kids and even running errands before work, I always had to carry my purse and a cooler bag. Now I fit everything in here and I don’t have to worry about my food getting warm or gross if I have an appointment or something before heading in. The top of the purse is a bit smaller, but it fits everything I need in it and then some. The front part of the bag goes all the way down, to accommodate a laptop, or in my case, a giant paper planner and notebook. There are also three zipper pockets on the front of the bag. It has made my life so much easier!
Chargers: I always keep an extra iPhone charger in my work drawer to plug into my computer when my phone battery gets low.
Flats: I wear flats to work often anyway… but I also wear heels on occasion. I always keep a pair of flats under my desk in case my feet start to hurt or stuff gets crazy. When news breaks, I throw those bad boys on as quick as I can! They also come in handy if I have to run errands after work and I want to be more comfortable. (if you follow me on Snapchat, you know I often do mid-day heel to flat changes at work!)
So there are just a few of my must-haves for work! What are your favorite items to make your work day easier?
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We are so spirit animals! Love your list!
haha love that!! I am glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
That list is so good! I love that meal tote and I was thinking Emergen-C before I read the post! LOL Great minds think alike!
I need to drink one right now actually! Thanks for stopping over 🙂
That meal management tote is amazing! I’ve never seen anything like it…I love that it is chic, but obviously super functional! And yes to the Day Designer…so necessary!
Shannon
Clothes & Quotes
I am so obsessed with this tote, my husband makes fun of me since I love it so much!
Such a great list. I can’t live without my day designer!!
Nothing is better than a good planner!
I’m so stealing your bag at work. That’s so cute.
haha I will fight you for it!
I love that planner.so cute! That bag is so chic ..love that too.! I see you switched to wordpress..just curious if you’ve noticed an increase and traffic and if its harder to manage than blogger?
I am getting a bit frustrated with blogger but scared to switch since I am not very techy…::/
Valerie
I paid a wonderful woman to create my site and move me over, since I am not very tech savvy and I didnt have time to research it. My pageviews went down at first, but it went back to normal after a week or two. I am still undecided on which one I like better, I was with blogger for a long time and I did love it, but it was just too slow.
Love this list – and have so many similar likes for my work environment!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a great workweek!
That meal prep bag is awesome! Totally agree with you on this list!
I love it! It works so well and helps me stay on track with my eating choices! (& saves me money on impulse lunch purchases!)
Love your list! That planner is so cute and I’ve had an obsession with tea lately! LOVE those pods!
Yes and they hold just the right amount of tea!
I have a mighty mug too – love paper planners!
Mighty mug is the best!!
Great list. I love the planner and I am a huge tea drinker, have containers of it everywhere!
I love my tea, and so does all of my co-workers!
This is a fantastic list. I am in LOVE with the bag. How perfect is that!!!! Most of the things on this list would be on mine. I always carry a different pair of shoes if I’m in heels. In the morning when I put them on my feet are fine but man by the end of the day ouch! Thanks so much for sharing.
Yes I feel more motivated in the morning when it comes to rocking those heels and as the day goes on.. those flats look better and better! ha!
I just got my mid-year Day Designer! I looooove it! I am also needing that tote!
I love mine so much, probably one of the best designers I have ever had!
I love my paper planner! I use an Erin condren and it is wonderful.
That bag looks like it might make an interesting diaper bag or just something to use when you need to carry snacks or bottles and some diapers and wipes. I used a TNA gym bag for a diaper bag for the longest time. The only thing that would have made it better is a cooler compartment.
Great list
It could work for many different uses! I love it for work, but I am also planning on bringing it on a road trip we are going on.
I have to get my hands on a mighty mug! I’m a big tea drinker and that mug is great looking!
I used to spill my tea all the time, since I have so many wires and crap on my desk… this mighty mug is amazing!
What a cute bag! I love that idea of having your lunch so easily accessible at work.
yes we have fridge’s too but I was lugging in a cooler bar, my purse, etc.. this has streamlined the whole process!
That bag is SO cool!! I didn’t know they existed. And girl… I’m with you on the paper planner thing! I just can’t get used to Google calendar. I need to write it down to remember haha.
People make fun of me all the time for my paper planner! I could never get used to having that info on my phone
I swear the right planner is key! I would be lost without my planner!
Me too!! I love this one since it has so many different tabs and options
I love your planner and that tote! With your meal management and everything…it really showed how ready you are for the day. I loooooooove it!
yes I need an organized day or I am a mess! I love structure!
I love everything on this list! Especially the tea holder and lunch bag!
Yes the lunch bag rocks! People at work are always so impressed when they see it! ha!
I am really digging that meal management tote! I think I need one of those!
I love it.. it makes my mornings so much easier and I dont have a million bags to carry into work!
Love that lunch bag! I am going to have to look into one for when I go back to work.
I really love that tote! I am going to look into that.
It is super handy and I love how you can change the inserts to customize it however you want!