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Throughout this quarantine, a lot of parents have had to turn their home offices into actual working spaces. Some parents, like myself, had to come up with other ideas as to where to place an office.
My husband’s job requires him to be on the phone a lot, so we gave him the actual office so that he can close the door. While I had to get creative in finding a space in our home that could work as an office.
I tried multiple different areas in my house (the basement/play area), dining room, and our bedroom, to set up an office. It took a while and a few times (3!) moving furniture around but I am finally comfortable in my space. I’m using my vanity set up in our bedroom as my office. I just had to move around a few things in order to set it up like an actual working space.
While I found the perfect spot, I did have to move it twice. Where it was originally set up ended up being right in front of our A/C unit once we put it in for summer. My papers were flying EVERYWHERE when it was turned on, so I actually moved it to the other side of the room, but then it was too hot.
I ended up moving it back to its original spot just on the opposite wall. Now that I’ve figured out where I’m setting up shop, I needed a few things to actually get myself organized & somewhat excited to work from home.
Below is a list of my 10 favorite Amazon finds that have made working from home so much easier! And in some cases SO much prettier to look at!
I have a newer MAC laptop that doesn’t have the regular USB ports, so I did have to purchase a few extra things in order for the below items to work with my laptop. If you have regular USB ports, the below two items are not necessary.
- Thunderbolt adapter
- USB HUB with at least 4 ports – this one has individual buttons so you can turn them on/off. This brand is great because there are multiple options for the number of ports needed.
Computer Accessories
MONITOR – 23″ HP LED MONITOR
At my office, I have a full size MAC desktop, so now that I am forced to work on my laptop, my eyes were hating me. I also wear glasses so the strain on my eyes was actually causing me headaches after the first few weeks.
After about 2 weeks working from home, I couldn’t take it anymore…I went and purchased myself an actual monitor and HDMI cable for my laptop. This also helps me because if I can’t have 1 big screen, I like to have two screens while working so I can space out my work & do a few things at the same time.
Now if you get a separate monitor, you’ll need an HDMI cable to connect the two together. I use this Lention USB C to HDMI cable adapter and it was perfect. I like that it has a long cable so you can position your monitor however you like.
MOUSE – WIRELESS/BLUETOOTH
I literally CANNOT stand using a trackpad on a laptop if I am sitting at a desk like I actually loathe using a trackpad. So I purchased this Amazon Basics Compact Mouse and it has honestly been a lifesaver! Just plug it into a USB port and BAM you’re ready to scroll (LOL) This also comes in a few colors so you can pick a color that best suits you or just go with the basic black/silver.
KEYBOARD – WIRELESS
Now that you’ve got your monitor and mouse, you’ll need a keyboard…me, I’m partial to full size keyboards. I sometimes deal with a lot of numbers and I find it’s much easier and quicker for me to type if I have the numeric keypad.
I purchased this multi-device bluetooth keyboard, honestly, I just love the way it looks…it looks like the old typewriter keys. This one is great because you can actually have it sync to 3 different devices, so your laptop, Ipad (tablet), and phone can all hook up to this one keyboard. It’s also rechargeable & comes with a protector cover for the keys as well.
PRINTER – EPSON ALL-IN-ONE
Now depending on what you do for your job, you may need a printer. We were already using this Epson WorkForce WF-3640, so I just moved it to my new makeshift office. But, about halfway through quarantine, this printer decided to up and die on me (I had just bought new ink too!). I went in search of a new one and I didn’t want to spend a crazy amount of money, I did want to stay with the Epson brand because they were really good.
I went with this Epson Expression Home XP-4100, it had everything that i needed it to do and the bonus is that it’s under $100!
DESK ACCESSORIES
MOUSE PAD
I actually just brought home the mouse pad that I was using at the office. I really liked it because it has the gel wrist rest.
However, I noticed that my tabletop was taking a beating so last week I ordered a full-size DESK PAD. I just received this so I haven’t had a chance to ‘play’ with it but the reviews on Amazon are great and just putting it on my desk and feeling it, it’s great quality & super cute. It’s literally just a large mouse pad but it’ll also help keep my keyboard from slipping around.
The next couple of items are dependent on if you have actual files or paperwork that you need to keep out in the open for quick, easy access throughout the day.
FILE ORGANIZERS
Now, if you’re like me, then you need these and you’ll also need a place to store them on your desk. I already had a set of file folders at home (I’m a little obsessed with office supplies…I know it’s weird but hey, we’ve all got our quirks!) so I just needed a place to store them.
I found this cute rose gold metal organizer that also matches the items I use in my actual workstation at my office in NYC.
LETTER TRAY – STACKABLE FILE ORGANIZER
You may not need file folders to organize your paperwork but need something like an IN/OUT box then this stackable file organizer is for you! I actually use this to sort my paperwork that needs to be sent out vs. what I need to file away. The link shows it as white but I got it in a ROSE GOLD color.
LABEL MAKER – PTOUCH
If you’re like me, you’ll want all of your files to be nicely and neatly labeled…now, I have OK handwriting when I want to but it’s not always consistent. So, I like to use a label maker, that way all of the fonts match. We already had this Brother P-touch at home (we had to label bottles for daycare). This one is great because it has multiple fonts, sizes, emoji’s, etc.
FURNITURE
DESK CHAIR – SWIVEL TASK OFFICE CHAIR
This actually took me longer to purchase than I’d like to admit…it was about 3 weeks into quarantine that I realized I needed a WAY more comfortable chair. I was using an old folding chair that is no joke, older than me.
I decided to go with something that will work for long after I go back to work. This chair is great because it comes in over 10 colors and you have the option to add arms or not. I went with the white color and no arms (it wouldn’t slide nicely under the desk with them).
Working from home can be hard so why not make the most of it and make sure that you are completely set up for success! And who says you can’t have cute stuff that is also functional and you can use once you go back to the office.