by Furnishly | Jun 10, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Lighting, Style
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Have you heard about the highly contagious condition known as CPF (aka Cell Phone Fever)? Okay, I made it up, but I know you know what I’m talking about. One person whips out their phone at dinner, and before you know it, everyone at the table is looking down, checking news headlines, responding to texts, or scrolling social media instead of engaging with each other. I try my best not to be a CPF super spreader, but dim restaurant lighting can make it hard to keep my hands off my flashlight app if I want to have a chance at reading the menu. But while I was out to dinner at an outdoor NYC Mexican restaurant a few weeks ago, I discovered these simple (yet super-smart) rechargeable table lamps, and my phone stayed in my bag throughout the entire meal — what a game changer! I needed to know more, and once I did, I had to have one of my own.
My bedroom, which includes my WFH space, has been under construction, and I have been using the (dark!) dining room as an office. A lamp like this one was exactly what I needed to brighten things up without losing the cozy look and feel of the space, so I took the internet to find a style suitable for my apartment. That’s when I spotted this homey version from Kevin Francis Design. It features an adorable shade that makes it look like a miniature, tabletop version of a classic floor lamp. (Mine is white, but it’s available in gold, black, and brown, if those hues are more your style.) Because it’s wireless and comes with a USB charger, the 15″-tall accessory can be used anywhere, regardless of whether or not there’s a power outlet nearby. It gives off just enough light to illuminate the surrounding foot or so of space, and it turns on and off with the push of a button. I placed the metal lamp on the dining room table next to my computer, and not only was I able to see much better, I felt the strain on my eyes lift in minutes.
The company doesn’t make any claims about how long each charge lasts, but I can tell you that I’ve used it for a full nine-hour work day without any issue. At the end of the day, when it’s time to eat at the table again, I move my computer and the lamp aside to the charging station against the wall, and I have my dining room back. In the morning, it’s easy to make it into an office again. It’s amazing what one piece of thoughtful home decor can do!
For me, the best part about this lamp is that it is so easy to move around wherever and whenever I need it, whether I am working outside as it starts to get dark, playing cards with friends in the backyard, or chopping veggies in an unlit area of the kitchen. And right now you can snag this piece for more than 25 percent off, so you can brighten up your space without lightening your wallet! If you need some light in your life (and your home), I have a hunch that this must-have lamp will make all the difference.
Buy: Classic Portable Rechargeable USB Metal Table Lamp, $72 (normally $98)
by Furnishly | Jun 10, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
While I’ve been working from home for more than two and a half years, I stubbornly avoided upgrading my office space until this spring. I like to shift where I work throughout the day (even when I am in the office, I don’t enjoy sitting in one spot for eight hours), so I knew that I wasn’t done refreshing my desk after purchasing a laptop stand and new keyboard. I have a comfy three-seater sofa that I like to sink into and write my posts from, but it still didn’t feel quite right. While this is probably not the best decision for my posture, I prefer it over any other spot (I’m currently writing this article from my couch). However, a few months ago, I realized my throw pillows weren’t cutting it as lap desks, so I went on Amazon in search of a new mobile workstation.
I stumbled upon the LapGear Home Office Lap Desk, which had the most reviews out of any other lap desk I found on Amazon. I liked that it had a dual-bolster cushion, meaning that the desk doesn’t cover your entire lap, ensuring you don’t overheat. Another key feature for me is the black plastic guard at the front of the lap desk that keeps the lap desk from sliding down while typing. Boasting more than 38,000 reviews and a 4.7-star rating, I decided to give it a try.
I ordered the White Marble, but it also comes in five other colors: Black Carbon, Blush Pink, Espresso Woodgrain, Oak Woodgrain, and Silver Carbon. I immediately put the lap desk to use. My laptop is only 13″, so I have several inches of room around the sides and back of the laptop, and the specs say it can fit an up to 15″ laptop. The plastic top of the desk is not slick, which was something I was concerned about — my laptop stays in the spot that I put it in. If I want to shift it, I have to physically push it with my hand. The little plastic bar keeps my laptop from sliding into my lap when my lap desk is at an angle.
It also boasts some cool features, including a little holder for your phone. I wasn’t particularly impressed by this add-on when I bought it, but it’s an easy way to keep my phone within my eyesight without having to reach over and check notifications. The lap desk also has a spacious, built-in mouse pad that I use when I occasionally need a break from my track pad.
Overall, the lap desk has made my WFH days so much more comfortable. I can stretch out my legs across the coffee table or curl up and have the lap desk easily balance on my right thigh. And if you have a couch, you can put the desk on the left or right arm and use it a makeshift tray table — freeing up your lap. I’ve used this on the warmest days of the year and don’t feel overheated — it protects me from the heat emanating from my computer and doesn’t absorb the heat from my body. I’ve never sweated on this lap desk, which I feel like is enough reason to buy it alone.
At just under $40, it’s honestly worth the investment. I use it 5-6 days a week and it seems virtually indestructible (my roommate’s cat has tried to get her claws into the track pad and enjoys sitting on the lap desk to try to convince me to take a break to play or pet her).
Alicia Kort
Senior Commerce Editor
Alicia Kort is the Senior Commerce Editor at Apartment Therapy. She enjoys writing about cool finds and all things organizational. She’s based in Brooklyn and is from the suburbs of Chicago.
by Furnishly | Jun 9, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
Unhappy with your current gig? Want to switch careers or find a new remote position in another company? Here’s the good news: There are currently more than 11 million job openings across the United States, which means your job search will likely lead to at least a few places that may pique your interest.
And many of those jobs are remote. But how do you find those work-from-home job opportunities? I talked to several recruiters who shared seven tips for finding a remote-friendly job.
Explore all options with targeted searches.
When beginning a job search, don’t limit yourself. Make a list of what interests you and what types of positions and companies could check those boxes. Try to discover as much as possible about the potential role and how your skills may be a good fit.
Recruiter Adina David recommends using all available searches to pinpoint which roles are remote, and to determine if your skills match the job description. “The best sites to check out for jobs are Flexjobs, LinkedIn, and Indeed. These sites are great because they’ll help you find positions that are remote-friendly.”
“You can also search on Google for keywords such as ‘remote jobs’ or ‘telecommute jobs’ and you will see a list of all the available jobs on a Google job board,” she says. Searching various sites in multiple ways will help you cast a wider net.
Leverage your social network to find a remote job.
Talking to friends and family, making a list of all potential contacts, and attending virtual events are all ways to connect with people that may potentially help you land your next job. Using your online platforms to reach out to someone in your industry is a good way to create a potential connection.
“Leverage your social network to look for a remote job. Let some of your colleagues and immediate circle of family and friends know you’re looking, as they may know someone in their own circle who’s looking for the same or who works for or with a company that offers a remote job,” says Steven McConnell, director of sales and marketing at Arielle. “This isn’t the time to be reserved and shy — proactively reach out to your connections to get a foot in the door with your ideal company, job, or talent source.”
Spend time updating your LinkedIn profile.
Many companies are scouring various platforms to find good candidates for positions. You want to create a good impression online in case a recruiter or a human resources representative stumbles upon your profile. Think of your LinkedIn profile as your digital resume.
Emma Lindberg, recruiting manager of Advantis Global, says it’s wise to take some time to update your LinkedIn or portfolio. “Have something that showcases all your skills, certifications, accomplishments, and sample work. This will help companies see what you’re capable of and how valuable your work is,” she explains. “This is especially important if you’re asking a recruiter or hiring manager to try and turn an in-office position remote.”
Consider a staffing agency.
Staffing agencies can be a good resource for finding remote-friendly positions. “They not only have job boards, but give you access to communicating directly with recruiters or hiring managers,” David says. “Get in contact with staffing agencies to have them add you to their roster of talent to have remote jobs sent to you instead of seeking them out yourself.”
Don’t limit yourself by location.
Since you’re looking for remote opportunities, you should try to expand your search as much as you can. That means looking at all opportunities across the globe.
“Limiting your search to jobs within a specific area only narrows your options. Remote work means you can work for an employer from anywhere in the world regardless of where you are. Hence, it is best not to restrict yourself and make your job search local. International jobs are also most likely to be 100 percent remote,” advises Stella Scott, cofounder EasyPaydayLoan.
Always be respectful and professional.
Whether it is an email, a phone call, or an in-person meeting, try to bring your best self when you communicate. In many instances, hiring managers are making their first impression based on how you present yourself digitally or in a brief conversation. A solid initial impression will be particularly important when trying to land a remote-friendly position, where most of your communication with colleagues will be digital.
“It’s important to be humble and professional, and show respect for others and the company. No matter how confident you feel about your qualifications, never badmouth others or the company. Always be professional, and never be rude or insulting,” says David.
Do your best to be ready.
Although there are many remote opportunities available, the demand has also increased for these jobs. That means there are likely several candidates eyeing the same remote position — but don’t let this dishearten you.
“All you can do is work to strengthen any weaknesses in your candidacy: Polish your application structure, boost your video interviewing skills, put your free time towards self-improvement, and reach out to interesting companies to introduce yourself,” says Fabrizia Zanca, a recruiter at Remote. “This is a turbulent time, and you never know when a great opportunity will present itself. Do your best to be ready.”
Rudri Bhatt Patel
Contributor
Rudri Bhatt Patel is a former attorney turned writer and editor. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, Saveur, Business Insider, Civil Eats and elsewhere. She lives in Phoenix with her family.
Follow Rudri
by Furnishly | Mar 30, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
Along with the pandemic and the subsequent Great Resignation, droves of American professionals entered the world of side hustling. Nearly 70 percent of Americans put in extra work beyond their day jobs. And while the extra cash doesn’t hurt, not having boundaries with work does. Poor work boundaries can result in additional stress, burnout, and resentment toward your work. Trust me, I know from experience.
I was a full-time freelancer between 2020 and 2022. I recently went back to the corporate world but continue to side hustle after 5 p.m. While it’s far from easy or intuitive to “make it work,” there are boundaries I’ve learned to put in place for my productivity and peace of mind.
If you’re curious about picking up additional work or becoming self-employed and want to avoid common patterns of burnout and time mismanagement, consider the following tips I’ve sworn by over the last few years.
I had “untouchable” days.
When you’re freelancing or owning your business, it’s natural for every day to turn into a workday. In the first few months of gig work, I worked seven days a week and anywhere between six to 14 hours per day. As one could guess, it led to early burnout in solo entrepreneurship. At the advice of a friend, I began to implement “untouchable days” or “untouchable personal hours.”
The days would vary depending on the season, but I often kept Saturdays and Sunday mornings protected at all costs. For me, protection looked like not responding to texts and emails and communicating such expectations with clients.
It simplified planning in both my personal and professional life. I knew if I wanted to spend time with a friend or indulge in a self-care day at the spa, I had a block of time in which it could take place. Similarly, I knew the answer if a client asked about availability on an untouchable day.
I felt more empowered to say “no” when I had clearly defined guardrails around my time and energy. My advice to early entrepreneurs is to choose an untouchable day of the week to disconnect from work.
I prioritized “life” in work-life balance.
Previous to freelancing, I thought WLB (work-life balance) was a one-size-fits-all solution. You get a couple of hours in the evening and some time on the weekend. And if you miss it or can’t log off, oh well, there’s always next week to try again. But in practice, WLB is much more personal and the stage of life a person is in will determine what they prioritize.
Learning to redefine work-life balance in a way that was advantageous to my mental health was the key to maintaining healthy work boundaries. I shifted my mindset of seeing life as a reward to work. What I do in my “off hours” is more important than when I’m “on the clock.” Last year, this looked like regular phone dates with out-of-state friends, a personal rule to keep more plans than I canceled, and planning activities I could look forward to during the week.
I kept email off my phone.
Before freelancing, I had an unhealthy relationship with project management tools, my work email, and felt immense pressure to be “on” during off-hours. Being accessible 24 hours a day was partly a result of not wanting to miss anything important, but I believe it was mostly about a deep need for external validation.
After experiencing a burnout crash in 2020, I learned one of the many things I have control over is who has access to me at any given point. I had to be the guardian of my energy, and I decided, “You get me access to me for about 12 hours a day — I think that’s enough.” (People didn’t always appreciate my boundaries. But I did.) Now that I am back in corporate America, I keep email and work-related tools off my phone.
I was honest about my bandwidth.
I once heard a friend say, “Deliver or communicate.” They were exhausted from a work project that was stalled due to a lack of transparency, communication, and accountability on a collaborator’s end. The solution? Either deliver what you’ve promised or communicate why you can’t.
Admittedly, it remains one of the hardest habits to practice. In western culture, there can be a sense of shame in accepting that (gasp!) I can’t do it all. But let’s face it: Clear is kind. Allowing clients and collaborators to know what to expect and when to expect it gives back a sense of control and understanding. I’ve learned that not only is communicating clearly kind to others, but it helps us, too.
I became more selective with the projects I took on.
When I first began freelancing full-time, I followed the money in every word. I said yes to projects I wasn’t excited about, yes to unrealistic deadlines, and yes to a cycle of burnout for quite some time. I think this is an unavoidable phase of early-stage entrepreneurship, at risk of sounding jaded. However, as my credibility and client load grew, I was able to be more selective with the work I agreed to take on as a freelancer.
This privileged boundary allows me to do a gut check with myself. I know that if I’m lackluster about a project, it will show in my quality of work or, at times, my professionalism. Learning to say no to projects (and people) has saved me time and emotional labor. Sometimes setting boundaries cost me opportunities, but in hindsight, I believe I was buying something priceless: my peace of mind.
by Furnishly | Mar 24, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.
Whenever I’m looking for a new place to live, there are two words that are guaranteed to grab my attention: open floorplan. I grew up in a Colonial-style house, so the concept of being able to cook in the kitchen while hanging out with family and friends in the living room still gives me a thrill. But as our homes have had to work overtime as schools, offices, gyms, conference rooms, and everything else over the past couple of years, that coveted open layout doesn’t seem so great anymore. Raise your hand if you’ve had to lock yourself in the bathroom to take a Zoom call in private sometime over the past two years. Yeah, me too.
Short of a demo and remodel (and I live in a rental, so… no) or getting one of those folding screens (not my style), I didn’t think I had many options other than to find a camera angle that didn’t show toilet paper. But happily, I was very wrong! The Anywhere Blind Room Divider from editor-favorite brand Umbra is my simple, stylish solution to the privacy problem.
We’ve long sung the praises of Umbra for their game-changing solutions to pesky household issues, and they’ve done it again with this room divider. It’s designed with two vertical tension rods that you install (no tools needed!) from floor to ceiling, 4′ apart. (If you can grab some help, it’s much easier as a two-person job.) Since the rods are adjustable between 7′ and 10′ high, they can work for nearly any room. Next, easily attach the opaque, polyester curtain between them. Once it’s all assembled, you can create a window on the top or bottom, or extend it to its full length for complete privacy.
The genius of this divider is in its versatility. Use it in place of a window shade to block the bright afternoon sun. Put it in a dorm room to create a place to change clothes in private. “Install” it next to your desk to keep the distractions at bay during the workday. It’s called the Anywhere Divider for a reason! And if you decide you want to move it to another spot (or a new apartment), just turn the tension rods counterclockwise, and they’ll loosen right up — with no damage to your ceilings or floors.
And here’s my absolute favorite part: While the divider succeeds beautifully at creating a separate space when you need it, it’s very easy to keep out of the way when you don’t. Just push the curtain accordion-style all the way to the top, and in a couple of seconds, the room opens up again. I was nervous that the tension rods would seem awkward with nothing between them, but after a day of getting used to it, I barely notice them.
At first, $110 might seem like a lot to spend on a nice-to-have like a room divider. But trust me, after a few days of experiencing its benefits, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.
