Poor Jennifer, first she has to work on her dreaded 30th birthday and then she walks into work to see this. Talk about adding insult to injury. This is clearly another reason everyone should get their birthdays off, or at least take it as their floating holiday!
More pics are posted in the Cool Pics section…Thanks to Tammy for the photos and everyone please keep ‘em coming…
If you want to add some color & life to your cube consider creating a theme. An easy way to get things started is to check out a party supply pack from somewhere like Target. Party packs such as the “Hollywood Stars” have party favors which could easily serve as cube decoration or inspiration if you’re a do-it-yourselfer… Everything is coordinated– from cups & plates, which can be stapled to bulletin boards (use the leftovers for afternoon snacks) to coordinating ribbon & streamers. Also, you can surprise a co-worker on their birthday by creating a themed party. Other cool theme kits we found included: “1950’s Party Supplies”, “All Star Baseball”, “Spider Man”, “Star Wars”, “Penguins”, “Tiki Lounge Party”, and “Crazy Monkeys” ??!!… Well, there’s a ton of choices out there, so go out & get creative!
Another common complaint among cube dwellers is the feeling that they’re getting “cube body.” What kind of effect does long-term sitting have on you? Mary Ann Pavlides, a registered nurse and massage therapist, says her clients have experienced:
Fortunately, combating these problems is easy. Pavlides recommends the following exercises for relief:
Make sure you have an ergonomic chair with armrests you can raise and lower to get the right fit. Adjust your desk or table to a comfortable level.
At SMC, our goal is to give you ideas on how to spruce up your workspace, however every once in a while we like to forgo recommendations and instead celebrate the age old past time of cube pranks. This week we got wind of a string of cubicle pranks that we think are worth sharing. ala Ashton Kutcher, the kids over at MySpace started a PRANK’D series dedicated to having fun at each other’s expenses. Check out the first couple of videos (there are more) for some nicely edited real pranks. Enjoy!
Ok, this product seems a little strange to me, but if you desire to flash back to the Barbie & GI Joe days, there is an “adult” office play set out there for you! The Cubes: Office Settings must be going mainstream because the product is offered through Target, and includes a variety of office figurines and settings including the Copy Center, the Break Room Set, and an Expansion set of office friends. This item is sure to be a conversation piece, just don’t let your boss catch you playing with your “office figurines” too often!
Even if your cube mates are a bunch of idiots and your boss rides you like a pony , cube nirvana is still possible. I found the following quote from Angela Holton, a communications administrator and resident of Cubeland for 11 years, who says existing happily in a cube requires a “bloom where you’re planted” philosophy.
“I keep lots of framed photographs on my desk of friends and favorite places I’ve visited,” she says. “I also am referred to as the ‘Plant Lady’ because of all the greenery at my desk. I’m even considering a small Persian-type rug to place at the entrance of my cube to cozy things up a bit. The way I see it is, if you have to live in a cube, you might as well make it comfortable.”
That’s the kind of spirit we love at SMC, way to go Angela!
Pet Animal Rubberbands! Made from silicone, these unique and colorful rubberbands are shaped like animals. Now when your coworker asks to borrow a rubberband give them the option between a blue turtle or a yellow duck…
The Staple-Free Stapler? This ingenious and space saving piece of equipment leaves your papers metal free! This has to be somewhat environmentally responsible, right?
These fun & unique products are now available at a Container Store near you (or online of course): www.containerstore.com
Is your dreary office cubicle in need of some spice? If so, a new book, Eccentric Cubicle, has your much-needed remedies. Featuring zany and interesting ways to pump some fun into your workspace, Eccentric Cubicle will improve your building and creative skills, while quickly turning your cubicle into an office hot spot. Author Kaden Harris — the unconventional mind behind Eccentric Genius — takes aspiring and die-hard do-it-yourselfers through a highly entertaining gamut of workplace-oriented projects. From destop guillotines and crossbows to mood-enhancing effects and music makers, these interesting builds combine a wide spectrum of basic shop techniques, alternative materials and designs that are guaranteed to bring some fun into any office environment.Specific projects include:
Eccentric Cubicle offers far more than a collection of project “how-tos.” Filled with oblique industrial design, fabrication philosophies and sardonic social commentary, Eccentric Cubicle offers the reader encouragement to adapt, modify, and hack their way through their builds. “The book’s overall intent is to infuse the new-school Do-It-Yourself community with a therapeutic dose of slightly non-Euclidean engineering, classic shop techniques and surreally interpreted physics,” explains Harris. “The projects are intended to make people say, ‘It does WHAT?!’”
As fellow Cube enthusiasts, we’re writing to promote Lifehacker’s Coolest Cubicle Contest, where users can send in pictures of their cubes to be voted on by the public. For the number of people working in a cube these days, this contest is WAY overdue and should should become annual. So here are the details from Lifehacker
We’re looking for the coolest cubicle on the block, and over the next few weeks we’ll feature our favorite submissions every Thursday on Lifehacker. Once the submissions are exhausted, your fellow readers will vote for the cubicle they think is the coolest, and the winner will take home a $500 Amazon Gift Card
While we’re a little bummed we didn’t launch the contest ourselves, we’re in full support of promoting stylish cublicles and commend them for initiating this contest. So bring your camera to work, snap a pic of your cube and submit it. Heck, while you’re at it, send it to us at info@stylemycube.com as well 
Also for all you lucky remoties out there, check out their Coolest Workspace Contest results here.
Let’s face it… every now and again work can get a little monotonous or tedious or annoying or downright painfully boring! Here are some online games that will hopefully help you through some rough patches:
Spin the Black Circle reminds me of those wooden marble labyrinth mazes, except this game has fiery torches, spikes, and spinning walls. Lots of fun!
Sprout, a hand-drawn game by Jeff Nusz, features a magical seed that travels the world by morphing between an apple tree, coconut, and dandelion. Very unique!
The Impossible Quiz is the second (and probably not final) impossible quiz that will delight riddle and puzzler lovers. Guaranteed to prompt a few groans and ooooh’s!
Warbears showcases Polar Bears trying to solve missions around Bedtime City including rescuing gas platforms from attack and stopping bank robberies.
Tower Bloxx challenges you to build tall skyscrapers for your new city and to attract more residents by building straighter, taller skyscrapers.
Peggle is probably one of my all-time favorite online games just for its sheer silliness. If you like pinball, you’ll love Peggle. Go Zen Ball!
