I’ve always been fortunate to have a home office both in this house in Alberta and our BC home. I’ve always worked my blog business out of that home office and loved having a door I could shut and walk away from at the end of the day. Even though I have a laptop I never really moved around with it simply because all the “tools” I needed were in my office and it just made more sense to work there on a regular basis. However as my chronic pain has gotten worse, especially over this past year, I have found myself working from my bed more often, as sitting for long periods of time really aggravates the pain. So you can imagine how frustrated I would get just as I got myself set up and comfortable in my bed to work only to realize I needed something from my office. I was constantly yelling at my kids to go get this or that for me. They were thrilled as you can imagine.
Then in July my friend and contributor, Angie, wrote a guest post here, titled How to Organize a Portable On-the-Go Home Office and it was a total duh moment for me. Duh as in why haven’t I thought of this before.
Seriously I’m a little slow sometimes. I was all excited to get started especially when I remembered that I even owned the exact same black bin that she used. That bubble burst pretty quick though when it dawned on me that I had just dropped off that black bin to the thrift store just the week prior! Eeesh 🙁
So I had to wait until the next time I was in the city (our organizing pickings are pretty slim here in my little town) in order to come up with an alternative solution.
My daughter and I were at Winners (love their basket selection!) and I explained to her what I was trying to do and she is the one that found this awesome divided bin ($9.99!) for me to use. She’s such a smarty pants. I instagrammed a picture out the same day.
You’ll also notice there is a pretty black basket there as well. The divided bin fit perfectly inside the black basket so the plan was to use them both together and have the handles to carry the portable office around. It became pretty clear to me though that the black bin was more of a hindrance as it was too big to fit on my nightstand whereas the divided bin fits perfectly all by itself. So the black bin got put to use in my closet instead. I corralled everything I regularly use when working and got my bin organized.
Mine includes things like my password book, camera cord, my planner (I switched to the smaller size), my list notebook, pens, pencils, highlighters, calculator, glasses, glass cleaner and sticky notes. The divided sections just make me so happy!! It’s the little things people, it’s the little things.
Now I move that around with me wherever I am, whether I’m working in my office, my bed or my new comfy chair in the living room. I feel less chaotic and more in control of my day which as a result makes me much more productive.
Do you use a portable home office? What type of bin do you use for it?
Linking up at Home Stories A to Z
Jody @ Mommy Moment says
I have an office and then I usually end up taking up half the dining room table – and I have stuff everywhere – I need to minimize….now I have my thinking cap on.
Sorry to hear that your pain has been so bad…Hugs!
Laura says
Thanks Jody! Yes stuff seems to spread without a bin or basket of some kind for sure.
Carrie says
I love your divided bin! It looks like the expensive Martha Stewart Ones I’ve seen at Staples for about $30! I love baskets and wanted to use something I felt okay leaving out in the open all the time, so I asked for a wicker magazine holder for Christmas last year. It holds quite a bit and I just keep a cup on one side for pens and highlighters. It’s great because it’s really sturday and has a handle to carry it from place to place. It came from Amazon. Here is the exact one I use: http://www.amazon.com/Household-Essentials-Banana-Magazine-Natural/dp/B000P69N7A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379523096&sr=8-1&keywords=wicker+magazine+holder
Laura says
Oh I like that Carrie! That looks like an excellent choice for a portable home office, thanks for sharing it with me 🙂
Bridget Woodward says
Love this idea!! Just what I need!!Thank you!
Heidi says
I love this, great idea! I need to do this for at home!
I have a portable office for outside the home using my Thirty One Timeless Beauty Bag for mini catalogues, notepads, pens and business cards and a Fold n File in an Organizing Utility Tote for files. Works so well. 🙂 And I know you like your Thirty One tote. 😉
Laura says
Yes I definitely LOVE Thirty-One! Would love to see a picture of yoru bag set up as a portable office, sounds awesome!! Email me if you’d like 🙂
Heidi says
If you need an outside of home solution visit my web page: http://www.mythirtyone.ca/Heidi
Anna says
I homeschool, but this year it’s more like travel schooling. I put together a portable “desk” in a big zippered binders that has all my pens, highlighters, white out, scheduling book, notes, and other misc. office supplies.
Sarah @ An Inviting Home says
I love this idea and I currently have a tote just like Angie’s that would work great. It is currently holding our diaper changing supplies (which is also perfect to tote around wherever needed.) Potty training our youngest is on the horizon and now I know the PERFECT use for it next! 🙂
~Sarah
Laura says
So glad you got the idea before giving it up to the thrift store like I did. What was I thinking????
Jenn (Student Mom) says
Brilliant idea! I’m shifted from the boy’s room (desk) to my room (dressing table) to the lounge (my beautifully restored rocker) and a portable station would be… beyond out of this world.
Lauren @ Mom Home Guide says
That’s great. I tend to work on my laptop in the main area of my home, instead of in my home office. So, my “office” really consists of a wicker basket that holds my three-ring binder (with important papers and info), pens, etc.
Nolie says
I need to go shopping like NOW! Our old house my office was right off the front door so was nice to have a real office. Now my desk in in the basement with my desktop computer but I do most my work from the laptop upstairs since I do need to be around the kids. I have bills, notes etc EVERYWHERE. This is a great idea to get our office type stuff organized and claim back my dining room table from piles.
Laura says
Ahhh yes those poor dining room tables tend to be a clutter magnet don’t they?
Nolie says
They sure do, good thing we don’t eat at ours.
Laura Miles says
I wouldn’t necessarily say i have a “portable home office” but I do have bins that i use in different areas to help hold my supplies. In my boys’ room i have some large bins that go under their bed and hold all of their toys and junk. In my home office, i have bins stacked up on the floor right next to my desk that act as filing cabinets, it’s pretty convenient!
Jamee @ A New Kind of Normal says
This is a great post! I also deal with chromic pain which required me to pursue disability earlier this year and leaves me bed bound more often than I would like. A friend of ours built me a table on wheels that can stay at the foot of the bed or I can roll it up and use it as a desk! I think it is called an occasional table at IKEA (we found the building instructions on pinterest and it was super easy to build). The table makes writing in bed so much easier but I feel like I am constantly having to get up to fetch some type of office supply but creating a bin like this would be awesome! Thanks for sharing! I will def be following your blog!
Peg says
Hey guys I’m a organized junkie too, which is why i invented the Porta laptop office. I was moving my laptop from room to room. I kept leaving pens, post it’s, highlighters, etc. all over the place. I just got tired of the mess. If you want to see it go to portalaptopoffice.com Happy Organizing!
Tari says
Awesome article! I would love to find a bin just like that, any ideas? I’m in the states. I’ve scoured the internet ever since I read this article today and no luck so far. Thanks, just subscribed to your blog and became a FB fan as well.
Laura Wittmann says
I’m not sure where you can find a bin like that but I do know that many people use this type of bag for carrying things around the house. I really want one myself! http://amzn.to/1KsxU6j
Laura
Tari says
Thanks Laura! I was trying to help my daughter find a portable set up for the office she’ll be working in and hauling things back and forth since for awhile she’ll be able to do some of her work at home. I think she’s settled on some Thirty-One from a friend of ours who sent her the June special. She’s looking at getting the zipper top tote and in June there will be a small carry around, similar to what you bought to set your divider down into–this can go inside th bag she’s thinking about. Thanks that bag link you sent looks good too!
Laura Wittmann says
I love Thirty-One bags!