5 Great Non-Gadget Gifts for Web Workers
December 3rd, 2007 (6:05am) Anne Zelenka 15 CommentsTweet This
Samuel offered some Great Gadget Gifts for Web Workers but I have enough stuff in my electronics closet. Here are a few non-gadget gift suggestions for the web worker in your life:
Slippers that look like real shoes. This is an ideal gift for home-based workers who wear slippers all the time but want to “dress up” in the morning before beginning work. I found a pair of slip-ons that are as comfortable as slippers but can go to the grocery store if required.
A cozy sweater. Every workplace I’ve been in, including my own house, keeps the heat low to save on utility expenses. A space heater keeps the feet warm. Combine it with a fuzzy wool or cashmere cardigan and your web worker is ready to burn through email. Add fingerless gloves to warm the hands without eliminating the ability to type.
A great pen or ten of them. Personally, I love purple gel pens. But get whatever makes your darling doodle. Caution: when you give them to her don’t say, “Do you really need more of these pens? They’re really expensive.” Yes, she needs those pens.
An balance ball chair to sit on. With an exercise ball, your web worker will be forced to align his spine, practice balance, and build his abdominal muscles as he works. Sitting on a balance ball can reduce back pain too.
A really, really nice notebook. It doesn’t have to be a Moleskine. How about a journal from Paperblanks? Or a Levenger Circa? Those have this cool punching system so you can add and remove pages as you want.
What do you want this holiday season that doesn’t require electricity?
Web Work 101: How To Escape The Cubicle
About Circa: I love Levenger, i really do, but Circa pales next to a comb binding system. A comb binding 6 page punching machine can be had for about the same as the Circa 8 page punch from an office supply store, and probably more cheaply if you look around.
Once you have the punch you can buy zip bind spines that support easy addition and removal of pages. I like these spines because they add just a little more rigidity than the spineless — literally — circa system.
Finally, when you want to archive your papers, you can move them to a traditional comb binding. That’s something i found frustratingly absent with the circa system.
So, comb binding: an open system supported by multiple vendors, rigid spine, easy to change page ordering in bound documents PLUS a permanent binding option.
Pens! Best gift ever. I like the Uni Jetstream – as a lefty I find most gel style pens smudge, but the Uni Jetstream doesn’t. It’s really nice to write with.
As far as the exercise ball goes – I worked with one for over a year and found that my productivity declined. I’d recommend a QUALITY computer chair.
The slippers idea is great.
I’d like a nice big coffee cup.
How about a plane ticket to Koh Samui?
I would love an affordable, well-built and ergonomically correct desk chair that doesn’t look like it came from the set of Alien. But I’ll take a balance ball.
Cashmere. Anything in cashmere! :)
Good pens? Yes! Nice notebook? Please and thank you! A sweater? Meh. I’ve never used one of those balance balls, so I can’t comment.
But I draw the line at slippers that look like shoes. If I’m wearing slippers I want either ones that look like a bears feet, or the faux-lambskin lined with wooly goodness kind. :)
Uhm, wouldn’t it be nice if the author actually sourced where we can all get these things??
In lieu of the ball, I would love to have a special pillow for my backrest so I can sit closer to my laptop. It’ll also come in handy when I want to take a nap at my desk.
Notebooks, of course, come in handy. I remember my must-do list when I write it down.
Now that’s funny, I can see it now. I’m working at home and some one comes to the door with a package and I answer it in my shoe slippers, lol!