Posts in Office supplies
Framable postage stamps

A recent set of forever stamps released by the US Postal Service is so beautiful they could be framed. These stamps depict “Life Magnified” in stunning micro-photographs. In fact this sheet is so lovely that you can buy the sheet without the usual perforations (which means they can’t easily be mailed), but perfect for framing. If you need a stamp, they look great on envelopes as well and are valid “forever.” — KK

Office suppliesClaudia Dawson
Big illuminated mute button

The MuteMe button is a large illuminated physical mute button that plugs into your computer with a USB cord and sits on your desk. When your mic is off, it glows red. Press the button to unmute and the light changes to green. No more “We can’t hear you, you’re on mute.” — MF

Inconspicuous bookmarks

Levenger Page Nibs (50pk, $20) make all other bookmarks look primitive. They are beautifully made — stamped and made of copper. You just slide one on to the page and click it into place. They are paper thin and won’t damage your books. I find these are so useful for marking recipe pages, and passages I want to scan. — CD

Office suppliesClaudia Dawson
Easily compare shipping rates

I use this Online Shipping Calculator when I want to find the cheapest and/or fastest way to ship a package. If you type in your package dimensions, weight and the FROM and TO city, you can compare online shipping rates from USPS, UPS, and FedEx. The prices are not exact, but close enough to help you choose the best shipper. [If you have a better online rate comparison tool to recommend, please let me know] — CD

Best label maker

Two kinds of people in the world: those who put labels on things and those who don’t. I am a labeler. I’ve long had a Brother battery-powered portable labeler, but the new Brother PTD450 is even better because it can connect to my computer via USB, which I find much easier to use if I have a lot of labels to make. Just import the text. All Brothers use the same P-Touch family of waterproof tapes in multi-colors and widths. — KK

Elegant bookmark

I was coveting this Swedish anchor bookmark ($40) back when it was just a Kickstarter and this year I finally bought one for myself. The Page Anchor is made from 316L stainless steel and weighs about 8 ounces and has only one purpose — to hold a book open perfectly flat. The craftsmanship is so beautiful that it feels like owning a piece a jewelry. — CD

Hide drawers underneath your desk

I’ve had my IKEA BEKANT Motorized Standing Desk for almost 3 years now with no issue, my only complaint being it has no drawers. Luckily, I found these self-adhesive small hidden drawers (TuTuShop Under Table Drawers, $15/2pk) that I was able to stick underneath the table to keep my favorite pens and sticky notes close by. To see how I install and use them check out this week’s Recomendo Short on YouTube. — CD

Superior color printing

In my experience laser printers are superior to inkjet printers for precision, speed, and reliability. If you are an occasional printer, laser is the way to go because they don’t clog up. Until recently, however, color laser printers have been out of reach in price. But now a new crop of inexpensive color laser printers are available. I am really happy with my HP Laser Jet Pro M255dw, which does 2-sided color printing for $300. Cost of replacement toner, per page, is similar to ink. — KK

Office suppliesClaudia Dawson
Personal mini-heater

I work best if my office room temperature is at least 74 degrees Fahrenheit or more (and I can’t be the only one, read: “Women want the office to be warmer. Science now backs them up”). The days of arguing with my husband over the thermostat are over, because I bought myself this AmazonBasics mini heater ($20), and now this perfect-sized, 500-watt heater sits on top of my desk and keeps me warm while I work, and this is my favorite thing right now. — CD

Virtual background for Zoom meetings

I recently conducted an interview in Zoom with over 200 people in the audience, and a colleague who watched later told me I should not be Zooming to a large audience with my bedroom in the background. But instead of moving my computer set up, I bought this  a Webaround Portable Greenscreen It’s a 56-inch circular chair-mounted background and it works perfectly with Zoom’s Virtual Background setting. You can use any photo as your background. Here’s a before and after photo of me without and with the greenscreen. — MF

Best lap desk

One thing that has been making my workday easy and versatile is this very comfortable, useful lap desk by LapGear ($35). On it, I can fit my 15" Macbook, my mouse, and my phone. Which means I can easily switch up my workspace by moving it to my comfy chair or couch and still be productive. I am loving it and should have bought one sooner. — CD

Really big mousepad

On a recent episode of the Cool Tools podcast, our guest Jane Metcalfe recommended the BUBM Office Desk Pad, a 31-inch x 17-inch mouse mat ($12). I have a desk with a glass top and didn’t like how the cool glass sucked heat from my arms and wrists, so I bought the mat and it turned out to be a great purchase. It feels like textured leather and looks nice. Best of all, it provides excellent insulation between my wrists and the glass. — MF