Show us your messy desk & win FREE TOPS Office Supplies

Posted on March 25, 2013January 26, 2024 by Frankye

Does you desk look like a trash heap? On Time Supplies & TOPS Products want to see your messy desk. Snap a pic & post it on the TOPS Facebook Contest Page for your chance to win the Ultimate Desk Do-Over Kit! You could win all the tools you need to whip your desk into shape for more productive days.

How to enter the Messy Desk Do Over Contest to FREE TOPS Office Supplies:

Like On Time Supplies on Facebook.
Like TOPS Products on Facebook.
Post your messy desk pic to the TOPS Facebook Contest Page with a caption, something like “I have a thousand paper cuts of shame because I’m a piler.” (just don’t get any last names involved, okay?)

Grand Prize: all the TOPS Products you need to organize your messy desk!

Idea Collective Journal

Docket Gold Planning Pad

ClearVue EasyOpen Binder

Poly Index Dividers

Zippered Binder Pockets

Expanding Project Pockets

Rubber Pen Holder

TOPS Jr. Legal Pads

Jr. Legal Pads

Manila Project Jackets

1st Runner Up: mini organization pack of TOPS Office Supplies.

ClearVue EasyOpen Binder

Poly Index Dividers

Zippered Binder Pockets

10-Pocket Project Organizer

Rubber Pen Holder

Docket Gold Planning Pad

2nd Runner Up:

ClearVue EasyOpen Binder

OneStep Index System

Zippered Binder Pockets

File Folder Pockets

Rubber Pen Holder

Jr. Legal Pads

Here are the Messy Desk Contest Official Rules, but it boils down to this:

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO WIN

Eligibility

To be eligible to win a prize, an entrant must: a) have reached the age of 21 as of the contest start date and b) not be an employee of (or be domiciled with an employee of) TOPS Products, RR Donnelley & Sons, and/or OnTimeSupplies.com or its affiliates, advertising agencies or contractors. Contest is void wherever prohibited or restricted by law. Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

Multiple Votes per Person

Starting March 30th 12am CST, fans may submit 1 vote per day during March 30 – April 2 11:59pm CST.

Inappropriate Content

Obscene, profane, provocative or otherwise questionable content will not be considered. We retain sole discretion as to what constitutes inappropriate content.

Rights

By entering the contest, entrants agree to have their submitted name displayed on our website and used by us for any purpose, at any time, without any fee or other form of compensation. We reserve the right to disqualify users, without notice, and for any reason. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. Entrants submitted information is used with permission only by TOPS Products and/or On Time Supplies.

Read all the fine print here.

Exciting things afoot at OnTimeSupplies.com!

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Frankye

This was the best stock photo we could find to let you know that something fun and exciting is just around the corner. Ok, ok, here’s a hint: there will probably, maybe, definitely be a chance to get some free office supplies! Check back with us on March 25^th and get ready for Spring Cleaning season.

Video: How to avoid eyes strain when working in front of a computer all day.

Posted on March 18, 2013April 5, 2021 by Frankye

https://www.google.com/sorry/index?continue=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DvT1N1Pwc50w&q=EhAmADwAAAAAAPA8kf_-OlQIGP2S-4AGIhkA8aeDS0peIEuFDZuPWuE052ruVfo_JXh6MgFy

If your eyes burn, neck aches or vision blurs by the end of the work day, you are suffering from eye strain. Computer-related eye strain is a pretty common workplace complaint. Luckily, eye strain also pretty easy to remedy. This CNET video offers some pretty great tips on improving the workplace ergonomics and reducing eye strain. Most of them involve making a few free, easy changes to your workstation. But there are a few things OnTimeSupplies.com can help you with. These inexpensive office supplies will help you reduce eyestrain while you work.

	Desk Lamps: reduce eye strain with indirect lighting. Harsh overhead lights aggravate eye strain. Instead, position a desk lamp next to your computer for gentler indirect light. Check out our buying guide for more information on choosing a desk lamp.
	Monitor Stands: reduce eye strain with optimal computer monitor placement. The top of your computer monitor should be at eye level. If your monitor is too low, use a monitor riser or two to raise to the optimal height. FYI: you’ll find a great post on improving the ergonomics in the workplace at the OnTimeSupplies.com Knowledge Base.
	Monitor Filters: reduce eye strain by muting back lighting & glare. The CNET vid actually recommends yellow-tinted glasses. But who wants to go to work looking like a 90’s era boy band reject? Unless you work for Lou Pearlman, use a monitor filter to mute the harsh back light of your computer screen and reduce reflected glare. Get tips on choosing the best filter for your computer screen at the OnTimeSupplies.com Knowledge Base.
	Copyholders: reduce eye strain with properly position reading. Use a copyholder to position your your reading material should be upright and adjacent to your computer monitor.

Source: CNETTV

Video: Color Coding File Folders

Posted on March 15, 2013April 5, 2021 by Frankye

You can consider this a video followup to our post on color coding office files. We got a lot of great information from Smead for that post, and now they’ve put it all together in a quick two minute video. Basically, you want to break down your files into 4-6 categories, and then assign a color to each category.

After color coding, you can identify filing categories at a glance. That makes it a lot easier to file and retrieve documents. Check it out the Smead Organomics video today.

Source: SmeadOrganomics

What are the most Dangerous Jobs in America?

Posted on March 13, 2013January 26, 2024 by Frankye

It’s Workplace Wellness Month and what better way to celebrate than a rundown of the most dangerous jobs in America? Some of the occupations on the list are no surprise — yeah, we kind of knew law enforcement was dangerous work. But there are some surprises.

Top 5 most dangerous jobs in America:

Laborers
Nursing aids, orderlies and attendants
Janitors
Truck Drivers
Police Officers

Together, these five occupations account for 20% of all non-fatal workplace injuries. Most of the injuries are musoskelatal — every thing from broken bones, strained muscles, repetitive stress injuries and the like.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

6 areas of your office with more germs than a public toilet.

Posted on March 6, 2013May 31, 2019 by Frankye

6 Areas of your Office with More Germs Than a Public Toilet

Kimberly Clark Professional performed a study to find out where the germs are hiding in the typical workplace. They identified six germ hot spots and, shockingly, bathroom fixtures are nowhere on the list. Five of the top six are in the break room. That’s right — where you eat!

Top six germiest areas of your office:

1. Kitchen faucet
2. Microwave handle
3. Computer keyboard
4. Refrigerator door handle
5. Water fountain button
6. Vending Machine Button.

Aside from the ick factor, these high levels of contamination cost business money. Sick workers cost the economy $227 billion a year in lost productivity. You can slow the spread of germs in the office break room with regularly cleaning surfaces with disinfectants and by fostering good personal habits in workers. Kimberly Clark offers a few tips that have can have a big impact.

Surface Disinfectant Wipes

Encourage workers to wipe down faucets, microwave handles and other surfaces by placing disinfectant wipes out near highly trafficked areas.

Hand Sanitizer Stations

Reduce the number of germs that end up on surfaces by making hand sanitizer widely available to employees.

Hand Soap

Make sure there is always hand soap available at the office sink. Regularly hand washing is the most effective way to stop the spread of germs.

Sources: The Fiscal Times, PR Newswire, Kimberly Clarke Healthy Workplace Project

How to make a latte & froth milk without a machine.

Posted on February 13, 2013April 30, 2019 by Frankye

I’m always looking for ways to save money without giving up too many of life’s little pleasures. One way I pinch my pennies is by eating out less, and that includes my previously daily latte splurges. Have you been spending less on expensive coffee drinks in these lean economic times? I just found out how to get my latte fix without signing my paycheck over to Starbucks or splurging on a DeLonghi esspresso machine. Lattes are just milky coffee. The only thing you need to make a latte is strong coffee and steamed milk.

Of course, that steamed milk froth is the tricky part. Luckily, Folgers Coffee shows you how to froth milk without a milk steamer in a quick video. All you need are is hot milk and a hand mixer and you’re in business.

Got a tip on how to jazz up a cup of coffee? We’d love to hear it! Leave your suggestions in the comments.

Source: FolgersCoffee.com

Valentine’s Day Desktop Backgrounds: cute, FREE eye candy

Posted on February 11, 2013April 30, 2019 by Frankye

Valentines Day desktop backgrounds are the perfect eye candy — they don’t cost anything and are naturally calorie-free. Celebrate the sweetest holiday with new Valentine’s Day wallpaper for your desktop. Check out our gallery of work-safe desktop wallpaper backgrounds, and if you see something you like:

Click on the image to open the desktop-sized version.
Right click to save.

Free Valentine’s Day Wallpaper for Desktops

Feeling inspired? You can find loads more Valentine’s Day desktop backgrounds at PS Delux and Better Homes and Gardens. And if you can’t choose just one (because that would be like choosing on piece of Valentine’s Day candy) try John’s Background Switcher. It’s a free wallpaper manager that lets you rotate through backgrounds and pulls images from Flickr, Facebook, Instagram, Google Image Search, and more.

Sources: PS Delux, Better Homes and Gardens

Does Natural Hand Sanitizer work as well as Purell?

Posted on February 8, 2013July 1, 2019 by Frankye

Natural hand sanitizers have proliferated the market in recent years. But do alcohol-free hand sanitizers work as well as traditional alcohol based products like Purell Sanitizer? Research says no, as demonstrated in this ABC News Report. Alcohol does a better job of breaking down bacteria and cleaning your hands. The most effective hand sanitzers are at least 60%. Make sure you use enough — your hands should take at least 15 seconds to dry after using hand sanitizer.

Recommended Hand Sanitizers

Each of these hand sanitizers are at leat 60% alchohol:

Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer

Kleenex Instant Hand Sanitizer

Clorox Hand Sanitizer

Soap & Water –still better than any hand sanitizer.

Washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with plain old hand soap (and drying them with paper towels!) is still better than hand sanitizer. That’s because hand washing kills viruses as well as bacteria, including cold & flu viruses. You don’t even have to use anti-bacterial soap to kill the most common germs. As long and you thoroughly wash and dry your hands, you’re good to go. Still, hand sanitizers are better than nothing. Just save them for when you can’t get to a sink.

Buy Purell Hand Sanitizers at OnTimeSupplies.com

Copy Paper vs. Printer Paper: what’s the difference?

Posted on February 6, 2013February 6, 2013 by Frankye

When you are shopping for office paper, you may have noticed that some paper is labeled copier paper, or multipurpose paper, and some is labeled printer paper (also caller color copy and laser paper). Ever wondered what the difference is? I did, and did a little investigating.

Turns out there is a difference. Standard copy paper is a thinner than printer paper — 20 lbs. a ream vs. 24+ lbs. a ream. The only time you’d notice the difference is when printing a large image. Since printing images deposits so much ink on the page, you end up with a wrinkly, blurry mess when you use thin copy paper. So, use cheaper copy paper for every day printing of text documents, and save your more expensive printer paper for graphics-heavy documents.

Source: LifeTips

How to enter the Messy Desk Do Over Contest to FREE TOPS Office Supplies:

Grand Prize: all the TOPS Products you need to organize your messy desk!

1st Runner Up: mini organization pack of TOPS Office Supplies.

2nd Runner Up:

Desk Lamps: reduce eye strain with indirect lighting.

Monitor Stands: reduce eye strain with optimal computer monitor placement.

Monitor Filters: reduce eye strain by muting back lighting & glare.

Copyholders: reduce eye strain with properly position reading.

Top 5 most dangerous jobs in America:

Top six germiest areas of your office:

Free Valentine’s Day Wallpaper for Desktops

Recommended Hand Sanitizers

Soap & Water –still better than any hand sanitizer.