Thursday, August 8, 2013

Staples - office supply bliss!

I am thrilled to be working with Staples Canada! I had the opportunity to visit my local Staples store here in Calgary after doing some virtual shopping online. Between the two I think I have managed to see just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the sheer number and variety of office supplies they offer.

Here are some of the fruits of my shopping excursion:


When you think of Staples you might think of the standard office supplies. Things like printer paper, pens and markers, scissors, tape and mailing labels.

Well, of course they have all that (and more... think of an office supply and you will find it there). I remember working in an office years ago, and being the person who ordered office supplies. Whenever we needed something specific, Staples was the solution to our problem.

As a small business owner myself, I know I can count on Staples to have what I need - if I run down the road 5 minutes to the actual store, or do anytime shopping online. So YES, you will find the office supplies you need at Staples.

But there is a lot more fun stuff in the office supply category as well! Did you know they carry the Martha Stewart line of office organizing tools and supplies? I got these great vertical files from that line to replace my shamefully battered, cheap-looking and falling-apart old ones (see picture).

Yeah. I needed those!


Our office looks a LOT more organized and tidy now that we're not storing the files we need handy in cheapo cardboard vertical files. The Martha Stewart ones have cute little labels and are a pretty faux leather. They're extremely sturdy and I know these will last ages and still look good.

This picture from Staples Canada
I was totally crushing on the Martha Stewart wall organizer - but I wasn't sure it would fit in our yet-to-be-renovated laundry/mud room, where I'd want to put it as a catch-all and reminder station.

It is modular, so you can pick and choose what format and functions you want - white board, chalk board, bulletin board, shelves and containers and so on! Is that not awesome?! Maybe once we get that room finished (sometime soon I hope... having an unfinished laundry room is making me crazy!) I will pick it up!

One of the things that has been on my wish list for AGES - I mean, YEARS - has been a label printer. They have gotten a lot more awesome in the years since I first saw them (remember those old ones that pressed raised letters into a plastic strip?).

I finally got this amazing Brother label printer. LOVE. Okay, it's pink and I have to say the "cutesy" design is not really my style - it's sold as a scrapbook labeller and I'm not a scrapbooker at all (though I do appreciate the acid-free labels). But it is so cool. It's really easy to use and I may just have to label everything, everywhere.

I started with some new durable plastic report covers with lots of pockets that I got to hold the kids' medical info. I'm always hiking it to appointments with them and these will make it easier to store and organize all the paperwork that goes along with that.

Next, I think the linen closet and kitchen need some labels.... hey, it's not just for offices!

The final thing on my list was something to keep my two-year-old occupied while I play with my new labeller. Okay, I admit it: I love shopping for art supplies for her. I love watching her explore and discover her creativity.

Staples has loads of art supplies! I picked up some washable paints, a pad of blank paper and some pipe cleaners for her to play with. Hours of fun!

So that was what was in my basket at Staples. It was so fun and easy to find what I was looking for. I love things to be neat and tidy, so it was also inspiring to see all the different tools to get organized in the office and elsewhere.

One last thing. This week I sold a painting (yay!) and we decided to get a new tablet for me to use. I settled on the Google Nexus 7 2nd generation after some research. And guess who had it in stock - Staples! So I picked one of those up as well. Lucky me! I really like it!





Disclosure: I received products to review from Staples Canada. My opinions are my own and honest, and I was not required to write a positive review.