My Slice Of Office Paradise

One of the fun parts of working in an office is getting your own desk and space. You spend so much of your life at your desk, so you want it to make you feel happy, calm and represent who you are.

Some people have very empty desks, with nothing but bare space and paper scattered everywhere. But I find just looking at their desks very un-motivating and boring, let alone working at it every day.

I consider my desk to be very cheerful and inspiring, and have filled it with things that I love. You should do the same with yours, to help you to deal with the drudgery of work just that little bit better.

What’s on my desk?

• A lucky bamboo- It’s nice to have a bit of greenery on my desk, and it’s probably the coolest plant I've ever seen. I love how the bamboo twists around in a spiral. It’s really easy to take care of too, just one small water a month. You also need to purchase some bamboo fertiliser which you dilute into the water. This stops the plant yellowing. If yours yellows, then give it some fertiliser and it will return to green again quickly. I purchased mine from Bunnings Warehouse for around $15, and the fertiliser was $8.50 there also.

• Pen holder- I purchased this cute one from Typo for around $6. It’s pretty and practical.

• Black desk organiser- I received this as a present, but I know it’s from Kikki K and probably around the $50 mark (look on their website). I love how the rainbow highlighters look against the black! In the back right of it I also have a Kikki K diary and pen which is great for staying organised and on top of things. The green lidded bottle in the front is hand sanitiser, great for freshening up after a dirty train commute.
• Rainbow Post it notes- So colourful and fun to write notes on!

 

• Colourful desk drawers- Bought from Typo for around $15. Great for giving you increased  desk space and for your personal items. The top drawer is filled with little perfume samples, lip balm and hand cream. The middle drawer is filled with mints, gum, cough lollies, pain killers, tic tacs and other lollies to suck on. The bottom drawer is filled with tea bags and food items like biscuits and chocolates.
• Desk bin- Bought from Smiggle for around $10. It saves me having to get up and down all the time to the office bin (we don’t have personal ones), and also looks cute.
• Water bottle- Bought from Kathmandu for around $40. This is a gorgeous green colour (my favourite colour), and it is metal so it stays cool and is better than dirty plastic ones. A bottle is far better than a single glass when your desk is located as far from the kitchen as mine is. It saves you from getting up all the time and from being thirsty.
• Cereal- I have a box of museli at work for when I don’t have time to have breakfast at home. This one’s Carman’s Original Fruit Free Museli, and it tastes so yum and cinnamony.
• Mouse pad- Why not have a super cute looking one? Mine's decorated with olden day tickets. From Typo, $10ish.
  
• Photos- It’s nice to surround yourself with photos that inspire you. I have one of my bunny! Lots of people have their kids/partners/etc also.

• Mug- I have my own mug because I find it kind of gross to drink out of the communal work ones. From Typo, $6.
• Cupcake notes- Its purpose is looking cute rather than anything else! Received as a gift, but you can buy them cheaply from Peter Alexander.
• Blue Leather folder- So practical and gorgeous to look at and feel. Inside is a notepad, and a place to hold papers/business cards/phone. Great for carrying to meetings. It’s from Kikki K, I received it as a present but I know it’s pretty expensive, around the $120-150 mark.

Other tips:

• I have a high heel drawer so I wear flats to work then high heels when I’m here. This saves me a lot of pain and from damaging my nice shoes too much.
• I try to bring food and snacks to work so I don’t have to make full lunches to take to work every single night. I probably buy lunch 2-3 days a week, then bring lunch from home the other days. I generally don’t have to buy snacks because I have my own ‘pantry’ in my desk! I find it fun to bring food that needs to be stored in the fridge or heated up, it makes my day slightly more interesting somehow.
• I also have a calendar hanging on my desk so I can keep track of dates etc.

It’s really all about making your desk a more enjoyable place to be, a place that inspires and motivates you to work.

So what do you think of my desk? Anything I’m missing that I should have? What do you have on your desk?