How to organize classrooms with a pocket chart.

Posted on by Frankye

how-organize-classroom-pocket-charts

Teachers already appreciate classroom pocket charts as a teaching resource. Now, one of our customers shared her idea of using Learning Resources® Tabletop Pocket Charts as a classroom processing center.  From our customer, here’s how to organize class records with a pocket chart:

Breakfast card madness! Current daily method: lay 400 cards flat on a table for “self-distribution/processing.” Now, visualize 11 of these babies in a row with the top pocket for grade and teacher’s name/picture. Student cards will go in the lower 4 pockets; one side of row on tabletop would be K and the other side 1st grade (bigger kids already key in their numbers).

Increased visibility of cards and teacher’s name is a BIG plus, especially the super-hectic first couple of months for us in a new kindergartner’s life. The exterior pocket should be handy for filing cards used that day until setup the following morning.

I’ve seen these charts as high as $22.00 each, so when I saw this ad , I knew it was pretty special. Free shipping over $75.00 is icing on a sweet cake!

What a great idea! Do you have tips or advice on how to organize your classroom? We’d love to see it! Drop your advice in the comments.

Paper Mate Pens / Tombow Correction Tape Giveaway

Posted on by Frankye

Update: We have our Paper Mate Pens/ Tombow Correction Tape Giveaway Winner! Congratulations to Nancy, who said:

I use lots of different colored ink pens to keep grading interesting. Unfortunately, sometimes, even the TEACHER makes mistakes! Therefore, we need correction tape because liquid is yucky!

Enjoy your mess-free correction, Nancy! And good luck with all that grading!

Everyone else, we’ve got a great new giveaway going on right now! Enter Avery Mini Binders Giveaway today for your chance to be a winner!

paper-mate-pens-tombow-correction-tape-giveaway

Time for another Weekly Giveaway from OnTimeSupplies.com! This week, we’ve got an awesome Paper Mate / Tombow prize package for one lucky winner! Enter today for your chance to win:

  • 3-dozen Paper Mate InkJoy Pens: starts quickly without dragging, requires minimal pressure from your hand, and delivers crisp, clean lines every time.
  • Eight Tombow Grip Correction Tapes: won’t peel up! Plus, specially engineered for a solid grip and easy application.
  • Eight Mini Tombow Grip Correction Tapes: mess-free application, and ergonomic design for comfortable use.

How to Enter the Paper Mate Pens / Tombow Correction Tape Giveaway:

  1. Subscribe to Office Ink Blog via email.
    OR
    Follow On Time Supplies on Facebook and share the giveaway on your Facebook page.
    OR
    Follow On Time Supplies on Twitter and re-tweet the giveaway.
  2. Leave a comment on this post telling us why you should win!

Pick up three extra entries and three chances to win by entering on Facebook, Twitter AND the blog. The Paper Mate / Tombow Giveaway ends next Tuesday, September 3. We’ll announce the winner here at the Office Ink  Blog Wednesday, September 4. Good luck!

New Ways Your Job is Trying to Kill You

Posted on by Frankye

new-ways-your-job-is-trying-to-kill-you

We’ve talked at Office Ink  before about how poor ergonomics in the workplace is  bad for your back, your eyes, your reputation and your energy levels. Now, more and more research shows the typical office environments poses other significant health risk to millions of office workers. Yahoo! has helpfully put together a list of all the new ways your job is trying to kill you:

  • Misaligned hips, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and varicose veins: poor workplace ergonomics stress nerves, muscles and bones.
  • Weight gain and diabetes: the chief hazards of getting paid to sit on your duff all day is the sedentary nature of the work. And a stressful work environment further elevates the risk of diabetes. Snacking at your desk doesn’t help either. 

You probably can’t quit your job, real as your fears of varicose veins may be. The best thing you can do to minimize the health risks of a sedentary office job is  is improve the ergonomics of your workplace with properly sized and designed office chairs and desks, take regular breaks to stretch your legs and cut down on snacking at your desk.

Do you have additional tips on beating the health risks of the modern office? We’d love to see them. Leave your advice in the comments of this posts.

Source: Yahoo! 

Get free office supplies to review from On Time Supplies.

Posted on by Frankye

free-office-supplies

So you’ve probably noticed that OnTimeSupplies.com gives away free office supplies to one lucky winner every week. But there is another way to get free stuff from us. Sign up to be a Product Tester and we’ll send you a whole box free office supplies to review!

We’re into the third round of the product tester program. We’ve shipped out a lot of free office supplies and gotten a ton of great reviews. Here are some of the best.

Elmer’s Glue Sticks Review: smooth glide, no clumps!
Elmer's® Extra-Strength Office Glue Stick The Extra Strength Office Glue Stick did a phenomenal job! Wasn’t greasy or too dry, smooth glide during application with no jolts or needs to stop. Very satisfied with not having to “de-clump” the paper while smoothing two pieces together. Had a great hold, and didn’t make the paper feel too heavy. Non strong smell, easy to use on a large scale basis. For being extra strength it took the same amount of time to dry. Definitely worth the price announced and more! Will not go back to regular strength, these surpassed the test with flying colors!

– NeverMorephotos from Louisiana

Pentel® Jolt™ Mechanical Pencil: nicest pencil I’ve ever used!
Pentel® Jolt™ Mechanical Pencil This is one of the nicest mechanical pens I have ever used. I thought the feel of the pencil was very comfortable and the way the lead came out was very even and smooth. I used it to record several numbers on spreadsheets and my hand was not sore at all, and I was working with it for over 2 hours pretty much none stop. I would recommend this pencil to anyone that has to write for long periods of time. This is an awesome product especially if you have arthritis in your hands it feels very soft and non irritating.

– L Craig from Wisconsin

Pentel® WOW!™ Retractable Gel Pen: feels nice, looks cool!
Pentel® WOW!™ Retractable Gel Pen The triangular design of this pen feels really nice in a medium to large size hand. The ink does not run or smear except on high gloss paper. I really like the locking feature that locks the point out and then you must pus the button on the side to close the pen. And additionally it looks cool! I am going to enjoy using this pen to write out receipts to customers for my handmade jewelry business! Hopefully no one steals this one!

– IDES String Em from North Carolina

We’d love to send you some free office supplies and hear what you think. Sign up to be an On Time Supplies Product Tester today!

Enter the FREE E.S. Robbins Collegiate Chair Mat Giveaway

Posted on by Frankye

Update: We have our ES Robbins Chair Mat Winner, Notre Dame super-fan Sean, who said:

I went all the way down to the National Championship last year to see my beloved Note Dame get spanked by Alabama. Winning a Note Dame chair mat would take out some of the sting. I have been an On Time Supplies customer for several years and love your service. Also the customer service is the best I have ever used. Hope I win!!!!

Congratulations, Sean! Hopefully, your new Notre Dame Chair Mat will take the sting out of Saturday’s game too!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the ES Robbins Chair Mat Giveaway! We’ve got another great giveaway going on right now. There’s still time to enter to win the Avery Mini Binders Giveaway. Don’t miss you your chance to win free office supplies from OnTimeSupplies.com!

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New — and totally AWESOME — giveaway from OnTimeSupplies.com and Office Ink! We’re giving away a free E.S. Robbins Collegiate Chair Mat to one lucky winner! Pick your team and enter the E.S Robbins Collegiate Chair Mat Giveaway today! Continue reading →

How to Prevent Streaking from a Mop

Posted on by Frankye

how-to-prevent-streaking-from-a-mop

Don’t you hate when you take the time and energy to mop your floors, only to end up with ugly white streaks? If you’ve ever wondered in how to prevent streaking from a mop, the Office Ink Blog is here to help!

You don’t need to invoke Martha Stewart black magic to prevent streaking from a mop. Giving your floors a streak-free shine boils down to three simple tricks:

  1. Sweep your floor first, then
  2. use the right floor cleaner
  3. in the right amount.

Sweep first to prevent streaking when you mop.

You absolutely must sweep, or even better, vacuum, your floor before mopping to prevent streaking. Otherwise, you’re just going to smear debris around and end up with a streaky mess.

Use the right cleaner to prevent streaking from a mop.

You have to use the right floor cleaner for the type of floor you have to prevent streaking from a mop. I’ve put together a handy little chart below, and included some DIY alternatives you can use in a pinch.

Floor
Method
Recommended 
Laminate Floors Buy: ammonia-free floor cleaner Swiffer® WetJet® Cleaning Solutions
DIY: 2 tbs. of baby soap per gallon of water
Wood Floors Buy: neutral, water-based cleaner for wood floors. Murphy® Oil Soap
DIY: one part vinegar and one part oil
Brick / Concrete Floors Buy: mild, neutral floor cleaner PAK-IT® Neutral Floor Cleaner
DIY: 2 tbs. dish soap per gallon 
Ceramic Floor Tiles Buy: ammonia-based floor cleanerDIY: 2 tbs. laundry detergent per gallon Mr. Clean® Finished Floor Cleaner

Using just a little floor cleaner prevents streaking from a mop.

You can’t prevent streaking when you mop if you use the wrong cleaning solution, or use the wrong amount. For example, ammonia based cleaners will dull the the finish of wood and laminate flooring. And too much soap will leave a residue on all floors. You also need to be smart about the amount of water you use. Leaving too much water on mopped floors slows drying times and results in streaky deposits. Plus, water warps wood flooring. Go ahead and dry your wood floors with a soft cloth after you mop.

Finally, be sure to read the instructions before you apply any cleaner to your floors.  When in doubt, just use  use a mix of white vinegar and plain water. The vinegar provides a little cleaning power, and neutralizes the alkaline in water to eliminate white spots. And while vinegar and water won’t give the best clean on all floor types, it won’t hurt either.

Sources: WikiHow, Real Simple

Avery HI-LITER Highlighters Giveaway

Posted on by Frankye

Update: We have our Avery HI-Liter Giveaway Winners! Two teachers are starting the new school year with three dozen free highlighters!

First up, Amy:

I am an English teacher of 6th graders. Middle school is brand new to them, and they have no idea how much they need highlighters when they get to middle school. We use them DAILY in English class for reinforcement, emphasis, and to add a little “color” to our lives! I would love to win these for my classroom!

And winner #2, Joy:

My anatomy students have a lot of vocabulary with the 11 different body systems and it often gets confusing for them if they cannot sort it. They also come from very low income homes with many being on free and reduced lunch. Many can not afford to buy the extra supplies yet alone the basics such as paper and pencils. Thank you for your consideration and for being so kind and generous.

Congratulation to two great teachers!

As usual, we’ve got another great giveaway going on right now! Head on over the the E.S. Robbins Giveaway for your chance to win a cool collegiate chair mat repping the team of your choice!

Avery HI-LITER Highlighter Giveaway

This week, we’re giving away three dozen Avery HI-LITER Highlighters to two lucky winners! Avery HI-LITERS are perfect for classrooms and offices, thanks to brilliant read-through colors and  molded chisel tips that highlight or underline. Each winner gets:

  • 12 Fluorescent Pink Highlighters
  • 12 Fluorescent Green Highlighters
  • 12 Fluorescent Yellow Highlighters

Enter the Avery HI-LITERS Giveaway now for your chance to win!

How to Enter Avery HI-LITER Highlighters Giveaway:

  1. Subscribe to Office Ink Blog via email.
    OR
    Follow On Time Supplies on Facebook and share the giveaway on your Facebook page.
    OR
    Follow On Time Supplies on Twitter and re-tweet the giveaway.
  2. Leave a comment on this post telling us why you should win!

Get three entries and three chances to win by entering on Facebook, Twitter AND the blog. The Avery HI-LITER Giveaway ends next Monday, August 19. We’ll announce the winner here at the Office Ink  Blog Wednesday, August 21. Good luck!

How to remove adhesive from metal, plastic, glass, and clothes.

Posted on by Frankye

UPDATE 6/22/2018: Since first publishing this article in 2013, we have received LOTS of great suggestions from our customers about what works and what doesn’t. Thank you! So, we have incorporated your feedback into a new and improved guide about removing adhesive residue.

Click here to read our updated article on this topic and take the hassle out of removing stickers, labels, tape from various surfaces at work and in your home!

how-to-remove-adhesive-from-metal-plastic-glass-and-clothes

Removing the sticky, adhesive residue left by stickers and tape can be a pain. Sometimes, scraping the adhesive off with your finger nail just doesn’t do the trick. Office Ink shows you how to remove adhesive residue from metal, plastic, vinyl and clothes.

How to remove adhesive from metal

To remove adhesive from metal, try using rubbing alcohol. Really, we should just go ahead and declare good old isopropyl the hardest working man in your medicine cabinet.  In addition to removing removing adhesive from metal, alcohol removes cleans hands, removes dry erase marker stains and even revives dried out pens. To remove adhesive from metal, just rub the stain with a cotton ball soaked in alcohol.

Bonus tip: You can also use baby oil or rubbing alcohol to remove adhesive from metal.

How to remove adhesive from plastic and vinyl.

So the object in warm, soapy dishwater, then wipe the adhesive stain away with a soft cloth and vinegar.

How to remove adhesive from glass

To remove adhesive from glass, you need to break out the big guns. Try acetone nail polish remover first. FYI:  glass is one of the few office & household surfaces acetone won’t damage. So don’t try it on anything else.

Rubbing acetone on the stain will probably do the trick. But if doesn’t try WD-40 next. Lubricant will break down the adhesive and is easy to wash off glass.

How to remove adhesive from clothes

There are a few methods you can try to remove adhesive from clothes. First, pre-soak your garment in hot water with a stain remover, then launder as usual. If your stain remains try spot cleaning with:

  • One tablespoon of  laundry detergent mixed with two cups of warm water water.
  • One tablespoon of ammonia mixed with two cups hot water.

If neither solution removes your adhesive stain, fold your garment in half so the stain faces inward, with a wet paper towel between the two layers. Let that sit for an hour, then spot clean the adhesive stain with a soft cloth and an alcohol based hand sanitizer like Purell.

Got a can’t-miss stain removing tip? We’d love to hear it! Post your suggestions in the comments.

Sources: TLC How Stuff Works, Good Housekeeping, Discovery How Stuff Works

Back to School Giveaway Winner

Posted on by Frankye

back-to-school-giveaway-winner-banner

We have our Back to School Giveaway winner! But before I tell you who won more than $500 in FREE school supplies, I need to thank everyone who participated. Your enthusiasm made the 2013 Back to School Giveaway the best one yet!

Back to School Coupon Code Bonus Prize

As a thank you, we’re sending all eligible Back to School Giveaway participants a coupon code good for 10% off anything you want at On Time Supplies.com! Keep an eye on your email folks! Your coupon code is on the way!

Now for the part you’ve been waiting for. The 2013 Back to School Giveaway Winner is… Continue reading →

Tips for working from home from the On Time Supplies telecommuters.

Posted on by Frankye

tips-for-working-from-home-office-ink-blog

I have to tell you, working from home is pretty sweet. Not having to start my day with a grueling commute is truly a blessing. Not that working from home doesn’t have its challenges. You have to work a little harder to stay motivated, productive and connected with your colleagues. The staff at On Time Supplies are old hands at this. We all work from home every day, and most of us have been at it for years. I’ve rounded up some of our best tips for working from home successfully. Continue reading →