New Year, New Gear
Back to school shopping is the greatest joy for me. Remembering walking up and down the aisles of Office Depot as I pick out new binders, pens, and post-its for the school year definitely brings the biggest smile to face. The smell of fresh paper, a box of new pens, and starting a new school year brings promise and hope of all the experiences that I am sure to have!
Now that the kids are set up and back to school, let’s take a moment to indulge in that nostalgia for ourselves. With a mandatory return to work, September has brought a new chapter for many people - why not make this transition a joyful one.
Over the years I’ve honed in some essentials that make my day to day smoother. If you’re in the market for some reliable gear, these have made my life so much better over the past few years!
Backpack
This time around I scoured the internet for a backpack that would not just be stylish and have many pockets to hold all my bits and bobs, I was adamant on finding a bag that had a sleeve to put the backpack on a rolling carry on.
Notebooks
My criteria for the ideal notebook is having pages that have a smooth writing surface and have a smooth writing surface. A huge bonus for me are ones that have a pocket to stash stray notes, receipts, etc.
While Moleskine is considered the gold standard, I actually prefer these Paperage ones because their pages are actually thicker! Plus their affordable price point supports my 4 notebooks a year habit.
Pens
Not going to lie, I have different pens for different purposes. If I had to just pick one just one I would go with MUJI ballpoint click pens But here is the full breakdown:
Muji capped pen: for precision writing. This one has a cult following for a reason - it’s phenomenal!
Cheapo ball point (gives me the fastest writing speed for things like morning pages + journalling). I’ve gravitated towards one that I can find at my local walgreens / target so that a new set is never far away
Mildliners
I’m a visual person and I like color coding the shit out of my notes / calendar etc. This set of pens has both a highlighter and a felt tip that make it super versatile.
Tech organizer
Any pouch will do here, but of course given how many chargers we tote around these days, there are lots of fun options out there. I recently gifted the Herschel Burrard Organizer and it has lots of space for earbuds, chargers etc.
That about covers my most essential items! I’d love to hear what your non negotiables are! :)
P.S. If you purchase any of the items I’ve listed above from Amazon.com I may earn a small commission from the sale.
