“It’s a win-win situation”

“Where’s the call to action?”

“At the end of the day, what the customer wants is important”

“Let’s go over the game plan”

“I want to hit the ground running with this project”

“Rather than discuss this now, let’s take it offline”

I don’t know where we get these phrases! But every office around the country is full of people who use them. I don’t believe all “buzzwords” are bad. Sometimes you do want to streamline or optimize a process. I guess we could just say make the process more efficient or faster or better. For some reason when you say streamline little stars go around the word and make it more exciting.

We’ve seen some “buzzword bingo” cards floating around the internet  and we decided to create one of our own- full of phrases we love at Shoplet.com Here’s our recommendations for rules:

1. Print this card
2. Bring it your meeting, preferably hidden  under a bunch of papers so you look important
3. Bring a pen or pencil to mark it. You can even write in cursive over it so it looks like you are jotting notes rather than crossing off boxes
4. If you get bingo, we don’t advise that you yell it. We want you to keep your job. Just poke the guy next to you and point to it. Try to make him laugh and get in trouble instead of you.

You can download the bingo card here on Flickr. Enjoy!

P.s. If you start getting a lot of bingos, you may or may not  be sitting in a meeting at Shoplet.com headquarters.

No this isn’t the first time Shoplet.com has appeared on facebook.  About a year ago we launched “The Green Office” App, which helps you to purchase green office supplies on Facebook.This year we decided to relaunch our presence on facebook, with a whole new look and a whole new mission. We want to hear from you. We want to be friends with you which means listening to your suggestions/ideas, looking at the cool office supplies you find, and getting to know you better in general! If you’d like to join us on facebook, access our company page HERE We hope to see you soon!

Nikes are pretty “in” I would say right now. I see lots of hipster kids walking around with tight pants and giant nikes all the time. Nike is really quite the genius brand, the way they weaseled their way into the skater/hipster crowd. Anyways, I saw this post these sweet paper kicks on this site yesterday and I just had to pass them on. Designer David Browning, an illustrator attending UWE in Bristol, has so many paper creations! I couldn’t believe it. Now that you’ve seen his shoes, check out his cool boxes.

I saved my favorite for last. Pop Up Books!

If you feel inspired, stock up on Color Paper at Shoplet.com.

Here’s the one that’s important. Hand written addresses on the envelopes are a must- they aren’t even optional.  I’ve been told it’s almost offensive to even consider printing off labels and slapping them on. I’ve been lightly thinking about which pens we should use to address the envelopes and then I came across the perfect product : Sharpie Calligraphy Pens.

I always expected anything with the word “calligraphy” in the product name would be way out of my price range. These are only 6 bucks! I went to Sharpie’s website to see if they had any tutorials on the product and sure enough, I was not disappointed.  They provided a PDF  that will help you practice writing Old English Letters!  Click to Download it

This weekend I will be addressing a million invitations and I’ll keep you updated as to how great I feel about the pen after using it extensively (all I’ve done so far is to scribble some cursive on a piece of scratch paper.) Have you tried it? Have any tips you can share? Thanks and have a great weekend!

**UPDATE**

Over the weekend I used my pack of Sharpie Calligraphy pens to address around 300 invitations. Overall, it was a good experience. I used the brown marker at first which really did look like a cheap crayola marker on the label and was somewhat difficult to write with. I actually switched half way through to a fountain pen which was easier to write with but thinner than i wanted. Eventually  I decided to try the markers again and I LOVED the black one. It looked less like a marker and had a deeper, richer color. If you need to address invitations or formal envelopes, just get the single black Sharpie calligraphy marker and you’ll be set! (I actually liked the blue one too, the color was just a little too bright for our invites.)

I’m surprised I haven’t brought up this disney movie before. Beauty and the Beast = my favorite Disney Movie. I came across this article on choosing an ostrich feather duster and the first picture that popped into my head was Babette the feather duster from Beauty and the Beast. Maybe that’s why feather dusters have always seemed so elegant and uppity to me. Anyways, the article is entitled How to Choose the Best Ostrich Feather Duster that I thought I would share with you [Thanks to The Dusting Store for the great tips!]

Compared to other bird feathers, ostrich feathers have long barbs (the branch-like strands that run out from the feathers shaft) that are perfect for picking up dust. The three basic differences in ostrich feather dusters are the size of the duster, the type of feathers used, and the type of handle or casing holding the feathers. Size With ostriches being large birds, ostrich feather dusters can range in size from 10″to 28″ long (including handle). You will want to use the larger dusters for high ceilings or open areas, and the smaller ones for general cleaning around shelves, desks, and tables.

There are 3 basic size ranges: Small dusters in the 10″-14″ range. Medium dusters in the 17″-23″ range, and large dusters in the “27-30″ range. The most popular size tends to be in the middle range between 17″ -23″ (Including handle). Extension poles are also an option. Some ostrich feather dusters are made with a threaded head that can attach to an extension pole to reach ceiling areas, ceiling fans, and other hard-to-reach areas.

Types of Feathers
There are 3 basic types of ostrich feathers, each having different characteristics as follows:

Gray Feathers–Gray feathers (called “drab” feathers) are exclusive to the mature (3-4 years old) female birds, and come from the long growth on the part of the wings as they near the body. Gray feathers are somewhat stark in nature, and less “stringy” than black feathers. Gray ostrich feathers are not as soft as the “black” feathers which come from the male birds. They are still a soft feather, however, and work great for most cleaning purposes…

Black Feathers–Black feathers are unique, softer feathers (compared to the gray “drab” feathers) and are exclusive to the mature male birds. There are about 4 female birds to every one male bird. The black feathers tend to be more “stringy” in nature, and less stark or pointed than gray feathers. Because of this “stringy” nature, the black feathers tend to fill in the head of the duster more, and are a very soft and premium duster. In the natural state, the larger feathers can have frosted tips of a different color (white and beige usually) and can have a blend of white coloring at the stem end. Any ostrich feather that is pure white, or any other bright color, is the result of dyeing.

Floss Feathers–Floss feathers are premium feathers, that are taken from the under-wing covert areas of an ostrich covering the area where the wing feathers attach to the body. These soft feathers make a very soft and unique feather duster–with wavy feathers that can feel like soft fur. Do to where they are found on the bird, they are not as long as gray or black feathers. Type of Handles or Casing There are two basic types of handles or casing. Wood/plastic–Most feather dusters are made with a round wooden handle made of pine, or birch, or similar less expensive wood. The handles are either stained or lacquered. Some handles are made of plastic or other composite materials. Slide Casing–Some feather dusters are called “retractable” feather dusters. Instead of a handle, the feathers are attached to a slide mechanism, and slide up and down inside a plastic casing. When the slide is down, the feathers are protected inside a casing similar to the size of a standard flashlight handle. When the slide is up, the feathers push out and are ready for dusting. These are popular among delivery truck drivers who carry the dusters in their pocket, and then use them to dust off product displays or merchandise when they stock shelves.

So who knew there was so much to know about feather dusters! Hope that helps you make your decision! Head on over to Shoplet.com if you need a new duster for your home or office!

“Shoplet is taking this route and making it easy to switch to green because they see an opportunity; in the last 3 years they have seen demand for these products grow over 700%. “We saw a demand for greener, more energy efficient office supplies and we wanted to provide our customers with the largest selection possible,” says Ellison. “While we see the biggest demand for things like recycled copy paper, we are also seeing more people buying other recycled paper products, recycled notebooks and even bigger items like recycled chairs and desks.” To help with shopping green, Shoplet has a Facebook application that calculates the number of trees saved, energy conserved, and water conserved as a result of buying more eco-friendly products. ”

“As more businesses move toward sustainability they find that they are not alone. Businesses are part of an interconnected supply chain, working with other businesses on sustainability. “We have also been working closely with our manufacturers to help them come up with eco-friendly ways to improve their products,” says Ellison. “HP, for instance, produces increasingly more energy efficient printers using more recycled materials. We try to convey to our manufacturers the demand we see from our customers for more recycled office supplies.” They now work with manufacturers like Smead and House-of-Dolittle that are responding to increased demand by offering whole lines of products made from 100% recycled material. Manufacturers of electronic equipment also see this mainstream demand for more energy efficient products, and are finding ways to incorporating recycled materials into their products and making them more easily recyclable at the end of their life cycle. ”

Thanks again to Fast Company and remember to choose Shoplet for all your recycled office supplies!

Today I’d like to give a shout out to Mr. Gavin Worth who has brought new life to old pieces of cardboard. Yeah we all have torn up cardboard boxes stored around the house and even more at the office. Somehow I always convince myself that I should keep boxes to use for presents or to store things in but in the end I just end up having a pile of torn boxes with items falling out underneath my bed.

Anyways, let’s focus on these works of art. Mr. Worth says about these beautiful paintings
“I’m love experimenting with common materials. I was cutting cardboard for a project one day when I noticed the inherent layers and almost sculptural depth inside cardboard. That coupled with a recent trip to see Japanese paintings at the Asian Art Museum got me good and set to do these. They’re generally all made out of single pieces of cardboard”

These are so simple and beautiful. I would love to have on of them in my apartment. If you’re interested in more of his work head over to his website He does really cool wire sculptures and designs.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I’m all for unique office products especially ones that make life more comfortable. I stumbled across the Uglee Pen this morning and have been thinking about it ever since. The website does look a lot like an infomercial (and I love infomercials) but the pen does look really comfortable to hold on to.

Dr James Lee, the inventor of UGLEE, has made it his mission in life to make a “truly comfortable, ergonomic pen.” Yes he admits that it is not as great as curing cancer but, and I will agree, a pen that will make writing comfortable and protect your from that scary carpal tunnel syndrome is well worth the time.

Our friend OfficeSupplyGeek did a great review of Dr. Lee’s pen concluding- “I really enjoyed writing with this pen, its definitely in a class of its own, and if you have ever had any issues with writing discomfort I highly suggest you give this pen a try.”

I haven’t tried the pen but I would like to offer my shallow review. Yes pens should be comfortable and I am well-known in my family for holding my pen like a cave man which makes writing uncomfortable. I’ve suffered many years with the dent on my ring finger from writing too much and having to stop and rub my hand because it’s so sore. But. I’ve also suffered with bad knees and cramped feet from wearing flats and shoes that have no arch support. Do I ever want to switch over to Crocs or wearing running shoes all the time?

I really do respect comfort but it’s hard for me to fully support something if amcompletely sacrificing style. Crocs might help my knee problems but not feeling respectable about what I’m wearing is not worth it to me. The same goes with Mr. UGLee Pen. Yes I bet it’s a pleasure to use and yes I bet I could write a lot longer and faster with that thing but sparkly lumpy gel grip and a logo that reminds me of Goose Bumps doesn’t really inspire me to switch. I’m just saying.

Sorry if I have offended anyone with my extremely shallow, unqualified review. If you have tried out this pen, fight for it in the comments below! (And if you love Crocs..well I will try to listen to your argument too.)

Sorry that this is turning into a DIY blog; I promise I don’t mean for it to get that way. I just keep finding cool projects that you can do with stuff lying around your office!  Now before I pass on these simple instructions from Apartment Therapy (thanks for sharing!) I need to give the disclaimer that I’m not necessarily assuming you have a ton of extension cords lying around (or even one extension cord lying around) don’t worry I will suggest another use. Also, I am not suggesting that you use a really colorful, girly piece of paper that makes everyone in your office think you are a woose. I think you could use a classy black or solid, dark colored paper that would look very classy and professional.

Here goes:

The version shown on Unclutter struck us as a fine idea, but it was missing a little something-something. Call us extreme aesthetes, but we wanted to make our cord holder a little more attractive (it’s the Martha in us). We had a remnant piece of decorative wrapping paper we thought would do a fine job of fancying up our version of an extension cord holder. All you’ll need is the paper roll, a small piece of wrapping paper, scissors and tape (recommend additional double-stick tape for a nicer finish)

We wrapped our roll using one piece to adhesive the paper to the roll, while apply a double-stick tape at the finishing end for a seamless finish. You should have about 1/2″ of excess wrapping paper length sticking out from both ends when done.

Now cut every 3/4″-1″ cut a slit down to the roll until all you’ve made it all the way around. Apply a piece of tap with a bit hanging off, fold over into the roll and adhesive down.

Here’s where I’m going to use it:

Does it look like this underneath your desk too? Do you accidentally unplug the printer that’s around the corner but somehow plugged into your power strip? I think I definitely need some cord consolidation and someday I will hunt down an empty toilet paper roll to make one. It maybe even be useful in being able to determine which cord is going to which place instead of a big jumbled mess.

How do you keep your cords under control? Would love to get your tips!