My daughter recently got a desk in her room. It’s pink. I am pretty anti-pink, which is probably why she likes it so much. When I saw this mouse pad, it had her name written all over it. Plus it matches her pink desk with the pink chair next to the pink bed frame (not that I’m bitter, mind you).

Seriously though, it’s actually really cute, much cuter than the photo here portrays. My husband and I were impressed. It’s small enough to fit on a child’s desk and big enough so that she can use it effectively. The wrist support is firm, yet has a good amount of give to it. Of course, we were most impressed that if you push on the gel, it makes the flowers look like they warp. Kinda like a bad trip from the 70s. (Hey, I’m just sayin’!)

Overall, it’s a well made mouse pad and my daughter loves it. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters.

Pink or not.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I’ve long been a fan of Avery products. Every time I buy an off-brand just to save a few cents, I always end up with paper jams or unusable smudged, smeared, or incorrectly placed labels. Avery products are always well-made and supported by every device that I use in my office. The Avery File Folder Labels are no exception.

Speaking of software and formats, even if the program you have doesn’t support Avery (I can’t imagine which one that would be…) you can go to their website and download templates or even use their website to print! (This one is great because our office includes not only PC’s but also several Linux machines).

Lastly, I was happily surprised to see the inclusion of 2 “Box Tops”. My children’s school does an excellent job of collecting these and turning them in. It is nice to finally see these great incentives on products other than snack food. (oh and if you don’t have kids, yes, we will take your box tops *laughing*)

When is a label not just another label? When it’s an Avery label!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

My first thought on seeing this netbook sleeve was “Wow! Now that looks different!” The knit look for the outside of the sleeve gives it a warm and personal feel. The added texture on the outside gives it a nice grippy yet soft feel. When you open it, the hot pink and very silky interior just shouts feminine.

The interior is very roomy. My netbook (which is purple) fits nicely inside with room to spare for my mouse (also purple). This brings me to my one complaint about netbook sleeves in general: Why don’t you give us a pocket to put stuff in? I’m always afraid that my mouse will scratch the finish of my netbook.

That one complaint aside (which is a general netbook sleeve complaint), this is an awesome netbook sleeve. It is functional and professional while at the same time being trendy and stylish. In a world of ho-hum netbook sleeves this one really stands out.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I have 2 children that can be pretty forgetful. I’ve tried a reminder board in the past, but the messages never really got their attention. I decided to try one more time with the EXPO NEON Markers and Black Board combo.

So far, so good! We’ve been using the set as a reminding tool. I leave messages for the kids, and they leave checkmarks as a response when the task is done. Music practice? Check! Pets fed? Check! Rooms clean? (Ok, this one gets “forgotten” still, but we are working on it).

As an added plus, the markers are bright enough that the kids can leave me a reminder back, and I’ll see it when I’m walking by. (Trip to my friend house tonight? Umm…did I approve that? haha)

Ok, that said, here are my issues with the product (hence the 3 stars):

1.) Packaging: The markers dented the board during shipping. I was hoping it would smooth back out, but it never did.
2.) Lack of eraser: It would be nice if the markers had those little felt erasers on the end.
3.) Non-magnetic markers: We are already missing one marker. The board is magnetic, the markers aren’t. The board comes with 2 magnetic strips, but these don’t stay stuck to the rounded body of the marker.
4.) A hanging hook would be nice on the back. I really don’t like the idea of using the included double-sticking tape on my wall.
5.) The markers DO work on a regular white board. They just do not show up very well. The exception being the pink marker. (Which is now missing)
6.) The board size is just a bit too small. If it was 50% bigger in both dimensions it would be a LOT more useful.

That said, the board is working well for us so far. While the above issues may seem to add up to quite a lot of problems, no one of them is really a deal breaker in and of itself. If you need a small messaging center that is kid friendly, give this one a chance.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

A couple of years ago, I went “dual”. Oh, what a glorious day that was! I now have two 22″ monitors and I pretty much can’t work without them. I need that extra space, it truly does increase my productivity around 20% or so. I get so much more done than I ever did before.

The problem I ran into is that the monitor bases were pretty squat and I found myself looking “down” at the monitors instead of straight ahead. They also took up valuable desk real estate as I tend to have a lot of random junk on my desk.

I went in search of a solution and found several things, but this seemed to be the best bet to not only raise the monitors and give me more desk space, but to also be able to adjust them as needed. I will admit that when this came in the mail, I was hesitant that it was going to support these monitors, but it came together pretty quickly and it works great.

I love that I now have a taller clearance under the monitors, gained more space and no longer have to strain to see the monitor. The best part is that I’m able to arrange them how I like. I prefer my monitors slightly tilted in towards each other and these are highly adjustable. I will say that if you have your desk too close to a wall, this won’t work. I’ve always had mine pulled back a little bit so it’s a non issue, but if you do, note you’ll need to be willing to pull back a bit.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I’ve been using Mead products for over 30 years. My husband works and volunteers in many local schools, and sees students and teachers both still using Mead products. So, I asked him to put it through the paces and let me know what he thought… we weren’t impressed.

If this 3-Pack is representative of the rest of Meads products, I have to ask: Why?

First, here is what I like about this product:

The plastic cover is durable and the back cover also seems built to last.

Now, what I don’t like:

The lines on the paper are almost invisible. Is this some attempt to save money on ink? No wonder legible handwriting is going the way of the dinosaur.

The perforations are non-existent. Seriously, I tried on several different pages to tear out the paper along the “dotted lines”. Not happening. Either the entire page tore out of the spiral, or the paper itself tore. I tried removing the frayed edges after the fact, nope. Once again I ended up with a torn page.

This new feature is odd. It is supposed to make it so you can use both sides of your notebook at the same time. Couple of problems: 1.) The ring binding in the middle of the notebook is still in the way. 2.) These little tabs aren’t going to last. Maybe if they were made out of the plastic on the front cover and not the box board on the back.

I think instead of re-inventing the wheel, Mead should go back and look at what is really important: lines you can see and pages that tear out cleanly.

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Product Description

Durable, dependable Five Star poly-cover notebooks are equipped with twin pockets for additional paper storage. Perforated pages tear out clean, and Spiral Lock wire binding prevents coil snags. BONUS 3-Pack passes savings to online buyers, affording three solid color covers perfect for home, school, and office.

Need new business cards fast? Don’t want to pay for rush printing and shipping? Then these cards could just be what you need.

I had no problems setting up the cards to print. Of course, as always, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind:

1.) Do not tear the cards apart when you are done. “Snap” them apart by bending them toward you.
2.) Place one sheet in your printer at a time.

Yes, these tips are printed right there in the instructions. But looking through the 1 and 2 Star reviews on Amazon, I think a few people missed those helpful tidbits before they wasted paper and ink.

Of course, I didn’t need the whole 80 for my emergency card run. Now my son gets some nifty new Math Facts flash cards!

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From the Manufacturer

Premium, Professional Quality

Paper thin cards with jagged, perforated edges? Just because you print your cards yourself doesn’t mean they have to look homemade! Avery’s unique, patented Clean Edge® technology enables these business cards to snap apart from the sheet, leaving completely smooth, non-perforated edges… just like professionally printed cards. Plus, they are made from thick, stiff cardstock, so they are durable and also feel like premium cards. And you can print vivid color graphics and sharp text on both sides.

(Yes, this is a review for labels, Dy)

When I first saw the Avery 45280 labels I thought, “What is the use for those?” As it turns out, there are quite a few reasons for these labels to exist. A long time ago, in offices all around the world, these individual and hand written labels were the standard. However, they have long since been replaced by sheet fed, laser printed labels. Those sheets are great for doing a database merged mailing label run, or if you just need a lot of labels all for things going to the same place. But what about when you just need one label?

The Avery 45280 labels come on a pad similar to Post It notes. There is one label per page. You simply fill out the label, tear it off the pad, and apply it to whatever you are sending. The pad is small enough to fit into a drawer or supply box, but not so small that it is easily lost or misplaced.

With the now standard laser printed labels, you have to keep to keep an entire box or risk crumpling a page. You could always risk using that page rather than throwing it away, but digging the labels out of your printer is no fun when they come unstuck. You could always just print one label and save the rest of the page for later, but this is a time-sink and a hassle. You have to reformat the standard label printing matrix every time you need a simple label. Avery 45280 Labels remedy both of these issues.

The only problem with the labels is that they are not something you will be using every day. Depending on how often you really plan on handwriting your mailing labels, you may not want to spend the money. Additionally, on most letters you could simply write (or print) on the envelope itself. Still, there are times that these labels will come in handy and for that they are well deserving of a 4 star rating.

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Technical Details

* Avery classic labels now available in an easy to use pad – designed to go anywhere you go!
* Compact 3″ x 4″ design means easy storage and accessibility.
* Pads are clean and efficient, with less waste.
* Durable backing card lets you write directly on the pad
* Just write, peel, and stick.