Work from home survival kit | work from home tips

Here it is, the grand offices of Paige Walker Photography and now Style Duplicated, LLC! This was purposefully left out of my master bedroom tour since it’s not that Pinterest worthy. See that desk on the left? That is Lauren’s. She is the organized, behind the scenes lady that does everything from client communication, booking, invoicing, in person ordering sessions, graphic design, ordering product, packaging, personal assisting, the list goes on. She has been with me for 6.5 years and we hit the jackpot finding each other. Through a bizarre twist of fate over a leopard print chair listed on Craig’s list, we have built a business that is top notch and we have done it right here in my bedroom. Although we do have a storefront studio space, it doesn’t even have wifi, so all the office tasks, which is 90% of this business, are done from here. I imagine if she wanted to get me a coffee cup it would be this:

I also have awarded her with the prestigious “PWP Totes Perf” award and my daughter Kylie gifted her this lucky kitty for her wedding gift which sits atop her iMac. It has since lost it’s tail, but we find that appropriate because her actual pet cat, Stu, sadly lost his tail in a freak unknown outdoor accident. Pour out a little cat food next time in remembrance of Stu’s tail.

Some of these items may make me look a little weird, but after almost 9 years as a work from home person, I have a nice bag of tricks. Click on each item to shop and read the list below to see my thoughts on each item!

1. Nespresso so much yesso. If you haven’t heard me go on and on about this yet, then you are probably new here. Welcome! This gives me the boost I need to get through the day and curbs my appetite. It’s a great price and has so many great espresso and coffee pods as well as the milk frother which is the unsung hero of the whole dang machine.
2. Colorful felt tip pens are a must for writing on my calendar and writing thank you notes to clients. They bring me happiness.
3. Do you know what this logo is? I did not only a mere year ago. What a shame. Podcasts are an essential part of my work day now. What on Earth did I do before I got into this?
4. Nope.
5. I have this in my drawer and it helps keep stuff from rolling around everywhere. Is it organized perfectly? Not a chance, but it is an improvement.
6. There is a good reason this cardigan has thousands of perfect reviews. It’s simply perfect. You will use this all the time, it is the softest, coziest, most blanket-like item of all time besides the Snuggie. Please say you remember the Snuggie?!
7. I sit on this chair about half the time and a normal chair about half the time. They say sitting is the new smoking, so at least with this chair I can work on my core and my posture.
8. If the furry thing isn’t your vibe, take a look at this ball chair! It’s under $60 and free shipping, has fabulous reviews and comes in 5 colors.
9. A huge perk of working from home is that no one has to see how ratchet you look. Am I wearing a bra right now? Absolutely not! These slippers are $15 and would be great for around the house professionalism.
10. Don’t make the same mistake I did and leave your keyboard naked and afraid. This cover will protect from spills and save you from having to replace a keyboard where a third of the alphabet no longer wants to participate.
11. It can be lonely out here in home office land. Sometimes you just want to celebrate and this button does the trick! Push it, listen to that beautiful “cha-ching” sound and revel in your solitary successes. Also makes a great gift for a co worker or a friend who is an entrepreneur or in sales.
12. Our running to do lists are on this board. It is between our computers and it’s hard to drop the ball when your entire task list is written inches from your face.
13. If you aren’t into coffee, or maybe don’t like it in the afternoons, might I suggest Spark! It’s a good energy boost and I really think it helps sharpen mental focus. I would know, my mental focus can get errrrrmmmm blunt? dull? flat? My favorite flavor is fruit punch.
14. Wrist rest for the wrist pain win! I use the mouse so much that I start to think I should drive straight to the ER with a carpel tunnel emergency in my busy seasons. This little squishy kidney has made an enormous difference in my comfort and pain level. I love that it’s silicone so it’s easy to clean. Word of warning: if your kids get ahold of this they will want to poke a hole in it. They can’t help themselves.
15. Posture corrector. This is one of the weirdest items on my little list. I put this on when my back is feeling so slouchy and it makes a world of difference. It helps me to sit with correct posture and helps with neck, back and shoulder pain. Bonus: comes with resistance bands that I actually do use and I’m hoping my back is ripped next time I look at it. I keep them in my desk drawer and bust out a few reps from time to time.
16. The wall calendar above my computer is a must. We use iPhone calendars also, but there is something about having the whole month written out that I will never get tired of. I just look up and there it all is.
17. Water bottle with times. This makes keeping up with your daily water intake too easy. You just make sure you keep up with the time printed on the bottle. If it’s 3pm and I am only at the 2pm line, I better get my drink on. Hydration beast mode!
18. Another very odd contraption, but very useful. My brother will never admit it, but I know he tried to steal this. I found it in his suitcase and I just know he was going to smuggle it back to California with him. What a rat! This neck support makes you feel like your neck is in great alignment and releases tension in the neck, shoulders and jaw. I have even gone to sleep on this when I am desperate.
19. A space heater under my desk is the best! I’m a cold person and love that I can reach down and turn on some heat instead of being miserable.
20. Everyone loves this candle. If you are living and breathing you love this candle. I light candles every day that I am at home working. I love the ambiance and the smell of this candle is spot on! Try it and you will likely have a new favorite!
21. Working from home is just as busy as working anywhere else, I get distracted and my coffee gets cold. This mug is the best for keeping it warm. I get tired of microwaving my coffee 9-11 times a day, don’t you? No? oh ok.

My photography gear is below for those who were interested! For studio lighting I use a Paul C. Buff Einstein and an Alien Bee 400, cybersync transmitter, PLM and an octobox.

So go out there and change the world my fellow boss babes! Working from home and being an entrepreneur can be lonely and hard! I see you, I see your struggles, your sacrifices, your drive. Good job for pushing forward through the discouraging times, the times people side eye you and wonder why you have made this choice, and keep on going because success is sweet and massive success is the ultimate hahahahahaha told you I would do it. I leave you with this:

Challenge accepted.