Five Things I Brought Back to the Office

Yes, it’s true, I’ve been back 5 days a week to the office. Work for Home really said we had a nice run, goodbye. It’s ok. I’m ok. I know for many remote work is still reality or there’s a hybrid routine in place. Still, with more and more folks going back to the office I wanted to share five things I brought back with me to help as you adjust. And, honestly, if you’re still WFH, these items may still be helpful!

One. A small fan. Sometimes offices are warm, other times we get agitated at work. Sometimes it’s both! For either instance, a small fan is nice to have. I keep this handheld on my desk. The charge lasts forever, it’s quiet, but still gives the right amount of air to cool off.

Two. A wireless keyboard. I purchased this first to use with my iPad, but decided to take it with me to the office and it’s my main keyboard now. I prefer this layout, I can adjust it and move it around better than the standard board, and has a place to hold my phones so I can keep an eye on any alerts. The charge also last forever. I’ve had this board for months and have only had to charge it once.

Three. Acrylic pen holder. I used to keep my pens in mugs, but I ended up with like three mugs sprawled on my desk and it looked messy. This acrylic turnstile holder lets me separate my pens in fours (black/blue; colors; highlighters; and other office tools). I got rid of the mugs and my space looks so much better (and more room).

Four. An electronic mug warmer. I’m sure I’ll use this for coffee now that the weather is turning but for now I use it for candles. My mug warmer lets me heat up my candle so I get the scent without the flame. I really love it and it’s small enough that it does not take up much space.

Five. A mini humidifier. Office spaces are notoriously arid. It wreaks havoc on my sinuses so I brought a tiny humidifier to help with the space. Mine goes for a few hours connected to the USB. I really like it and if you’re into it you could also add oils for scents.

Being back in the space means making it as functional as possible without clutter. These pieces have really helped with that and have made being back 9-5, M-W, not so terrible. And yes, it is a lot of pink for one person. People do comment on that, so caveat on that. However, blush pink is basically a neutral for me but if you prefer something more understated I would go with white to stay away from “generic office vibes”–but that’s just me!