His & Hers Home Office Makeover {Giveaway}

(This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Sarah Hirsch on winning this giveaway! Thank you to all who entered.)

Ever since we moved here, our office has pretty much been set up the same old way…. the last few weeks, we decided it was time for a change, thanks to a bit of motivation from Fellowes who sent us a few ergonomic, organizational products. We’ve gradually been making changes over the last few weeks, and it’s finally finished!In the every day, I’m really seeking to be more organized and efficient with every single thing I do. I know Dan feels the same way, even though we both have completely different definitions of the word organized. We’re both a little cluttered (we just like to have all our stuff right there, ready to use), and we both have our own styles and tastes. So, how did we incorporate all of our similarities and differences to make one unique, efficient, running home office? Well, we both essentially have our “sides” of the office. Mine is very colorful….I feel like color gives me energy, and it makes a place feel warm, cozy, and just like home. Dan is colorful, but of course, from a more masculine point of view. Even though our two “sides” are decidedly different, we managed to bring them together in one room….and it works for us.

So, here is before…. as you can see, it was somewhat of a mess. Our desks were piled to the hilt with junk and clutter, and it was honestly so hard to focus. My side….Dan’s side….Dan didn’t have near enough space; he had one tiny shelf, which was starting to bow.  My back was to the door, which I did not like….I actually have a tiny school area in here for Jaden too, and my back was constantly to him. Even the curtains were very drab and way too dark; must have more light. I’m not sure how we functioned, but we did.

Now to show you how we completely made over each side of our office. We completely turned my desk around and moved the file cabinet next to the outside wall. This left the window open, making the room feel significantly larger. We put up a new window treatment, along with a new curtain rod we bought off clearance at Lowes. I took my old, brown lamp and recovered it with fabric and paint. I also covered my corkboards with fabric (craft/diy posts to come later). With small containers, baskets, and trays that I already had or that I bought here and there, mostly on dollar or clearance racks or with coupons, it’s easy to add splashes of color to the office. I like to have soft lighting too, so I added another lamp to my desk, as well as the same stringed globe lights along the bottom of my shelf (I told you I like color….). The lamp is in the perfect spot to shine down on Jaden’s little table too, so he has extra light for crafting and all the things he likes to do.Photographs, flowers, and other pictures help to add the touch of home. Jaden’s school area is also organized with his little table facing my desk now, so we can see each other, talk to each other…. and I’m able to help him and see what he’s doing at all times. We even have a spot to hang some of the kids’ art projects, changing them out every so often. Also, I have my handy dandy Fellowes P-12C Shredder sitting under my desk within arm’s reach. I can’t tell you how often I use this shredder. It’s probably the most useful tool in my office, and it’s kinda addicting.

Dan’s desk is what I’m most excited about in this room. He really decluttered, cleaned out, and arranged it how it suited his taste. He used two Fellowes Smart Suite Corner Monitor Risers to raise his monitors off the desk, leaving room underneath to slide his keyboard under or store other things, so he has deskspace to work on projects. The risers are quite sturdy and support monitors up to 21″. They are meant for the corner but work quite well for against the wall, as well, in his case. He also is now using the Fellowes Keyboard Palm Support with Microban Protection. This helps to make his wrists much more comfortable while he’s typing away. It has a contoured shape and self-adjusting Memory Foam support. It doesn’t slide either. Dan also added a larger shelf, along with a side shelf that meets the larger shelf in the corner. We got him a few organizational boxes/baskets/drawers to help keep his stuff organized and in place. It’s so much easier to put stuff away when you have somewhere easy to stow it. His airplane still flies above his desk, but we added other decorative items to help give his space a sense of home….only in a more masculine sense.We also added our biz docs to the wall in nice frames, and my fave wall art above them that says simply, “Dream.” Knowing that a dream is where success begins….this just felt so perfect. Lastly, we’d been saving for chairs, as mine falls to the floor every time I get up/sit back down, and a few nights ago, Dan’s went to pieces. So, we figured it was time; it was a sign. I’m so excited to work in this office now….it feels professional, but it still feels like home.

What I’m really excited about is the HUGE giveaway that you could possibly win! One MamaBuzz reader will win a complete package of home office products from Fellowes, including the P-12C Paper Shredder, a Mouse Pad/Wrist Support with Microban Protection, a Keyboard Palm Support with Microban Protection, a Laptop GoRiser, and a Smart Suites Corner Monitor Riser. Please leave a comment (see below) to enter, but then be sure to leave a separate comment for each optional way that you enter. This giveaway will end on Tuesday, March 13. The winner will be chosen, via random.org. This giveaway is open to U.S. only (void where prohibited). No purchase is necessary, and the odds of winning are based on a number of entries. Good luck, and have a wonderful day!

  1. What is your decorating style when it comes to a home office? Share a comment.

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(Disclosure: I received 2 monitor risers and a keyboard support, free of charge, from Fellowes, for the purposes of review/home office organization. All views/opinions remain solely my own.)

Feelin’ Glamorous with NICE Jewelry {Review}

The last year I really feel my style or fashion has done a 180…. I guess it just wasn’t as important to me before. Don’t get me wrong, I loved shopping for clothes, shoes, you name it, but jewelry and other accessories were usually last on my list. However, the last year I’ve made it more of a point to accessorize different outfits, especially business attire. This is not something that’s come naturally to me, but I’ve realized, in the process, that down deep inside, I really do love fashion. In fact, it’s something I’ve often daydreamed about, even before this last year of my life….what it would be like to be a designer or to work with a designer, creating beautiful, lovely, feminine pieces of art….because I believe that fashion truly is art.A jewelry line I’ve recently come across, through my job with Collective Bias, is NICE. NICE Jewelry is sold through individual distributors and is based in Mexico. It’s a truly glamorous line that is also quite extensive with something for just about every taste and style. They have items for men, women, and children.

The first piece I knew I wanted to order was a really nice watch for Dan. We flipped through the catalog together, even though this was going to be his Valentine’s Day gift. The watch he chose is so masculine with a modern flair. It came in a beautiful, zippered leather box, strapped to a tiny pillow. The watch has your normal clockface with the time, but it has the date, as well (a very important factor for Dan). The strap is rubber and easily fastens with a small buckle (it could be slightly larger for Dan’s wrist but still fits well). It looks so nice with any outfit Dan wears, either dressy or casual. It has a sporty look that really fits his personality. The only thing Dan mentioned that he might change is to put a glass face on the watch instead of the plastic face…. still, it is a gorgeous piece of work.

Now for the girly pieces that I chose for myself…. First, I chose a beautiful bracelet that has pearl-like beads set against a soft, silver chain. The bracelet fits my wrist quite snugly but still slides up and down as I move. It’s so beautiful with it’s grayish/white pearl-like beads that really add a femininity to the entire piece. It’s rather neutral, so it goes with any dressy outfit quite well. I love the way it looks and feels.

Finally, I ordered these earrings that have a silver tone and are very dressy, accessorizing one of my many black outfits quite nicely. They’re shaped much like a teardrop and almost have the appearance of a locket. I love the hollow inside with the swirls; they give a sparkle. The only thing I’ll have to get used to, and I have other pairs like this too, is the curved closure, as it’s a bit more difficult to get in my ears. The result is totally worth it, though….don’t you think?

So, where can you find this beautiful jewelry, even an entire catalog of their beautiful accessories, including jewelry, watches, sunglasses, belts, etc.? You can find them here. One other thing I should mention is the affordability of their jewelry. It makes for a wonderful gift for a birthday, anniversary…. or maybe even Valentine’s Day. You can also find Nice on Facebook and @ViveNice on Twitter.

(Disclosure: I received the above 3 pieces, free of charge, from NICE, in affiliation with Collective Bias. All views/opinions, however, remain solely my own.)

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