Personlised Phone Cases
Mobile phones are now ubiquitous. They are a crucial tool for working and many of us will choose to use them in preference to a home computer. The impersonal glossy metal cases are pretty boring and lack personality. Phone cases are a great gift especially if you have a limited budget.
You can buy a whole range of cases off the shelf in different materials from sleek protective highly professional designs through to blingy ‘look at me’ showoff cases. You can use your knowledge of the phones owner to choose something that will be personal and uniquely meaningful to them. Probably the best way to do this is to select a special photo and have a one of a kind personalised phone case printed. Every phone has subtly different dimensions and the locations of the camera and buttons vary so you need to know exactly which make and model of phone you are buying a case for to avoid disappointment.
Smart Mug
Many of us ladies take our time over our drinks, starting with a brew that is far too hot and ending with a drink that is stone cold. Did you know you can now buy temperature moderating ‘smart mugs’ that will keep your beverages heated to the perfect temperature from your first to last sip!!??
You can set your drink temperature with your smartphone and the mug can maintain the temperature of your drink for up to 1.5 hours per charge. It also senses when it is empty and turns itself off. Pop a drink in and it instantly starts to manage the temperature! There are plenty of cheap knock-off versions but the original and quality brand is ‘Ember’ which retails between £70-and £80.
USB Heated Jackets and Blankets
If you sit still for a long period of time the lack of activity often means you get cold. Low tech heating options include slippers, thermal jackets and fingerless gloves but they are all so last century! These days we can employ USB powered jackets and fleece blankets to provide a burst of heat when and where it is needed. These are great for home office workers – they can use these USB personalised heaters without having to change the temperature of their whole home.
Cable Organisers
Home offices tend to contain a tangle of power leads that can easily get mixed up and lost behind a desk or bookcase. This disorganisation makes it a real pain to unhook your computer and its charger when you need to go meet a client or visit HQ. Crawling under tables, banging and scratching yourself to plug in and unplug is not cool. If you know someone who is in this position a really thoughtful gift is a selection of cable organisers to stop cables from changing position or becoming damaged. You can buy generic cable clips that secure loose cables neatly under tables and along floors. Rubber matting strips are great to secure cables if they cross a corridor and cause a tripping risk.
You can buy attractive cable boxes which hide spare cables. These come in a range of materials, designs and price brackets but they can make a huge difference to a small home office making it more attractive and less stressful. Some have charging bays for phones or contactless charging trays integrated into their designs.
‘Cable Bites’ are designed to protect delicate phone and small device chargers. They come in a range of different animals from Winnie the Pooh, pandas, dolphins, penguins and Nemo. Having several different designs effectively marks each charger end uniquely so you never struggle to remember which device they charge. Because of the size of the Cable Bite they will stop chargers slipping down small cracks between the walls and furniture too. They are really cheap so you can buy a mixed bag for around £10.
Foot Rests
There is no doubt that footrests and raisers greatly improve the comfort of a home office and reduce the chance of work-related back and shoulder pain. It is very hard to sit properly at a desk without a footrest (or wrist raiser). Despite being cheap to buy and small, surprisingly few people invest in them. There are professional foot raisers with textured and padded tops which can be adjusted to the perfect height and angle. You can also buy fun under desk foot hammocks.
Humidifiers
Modern heated homes are rarely damp, they can often actually be too dry which can cause dry skin, tiredness and sore throats. My friend swears by her small desk humidifier which, she says, has drastically improved her skin.
You can buy large units that will humidify a whole room or small flat but cheaper desk-based variants are a great option for a gift. The desk versions come in a range of sleek designs and some include the option of adding essential oils to the water reservoir. Prices vary so they can make a good novelty gift or a more substantial present.