On one typical afternoon after coming home from the park with my girls, my hubby surprised me with an office nook in the corner of our townhouse apartment. I was so ecstatic to finally have a home office space where I could actually set all of my stationary belongings and sit to work.
After about two to three months I’ve discovered that the corner, is actually in a dark spot during the daytime and I eventually migrated back to the kitchen table where there is ample and indirect daylight. I am very finicky with lighting and actually love to be in bright and airy spaces.
Romantic lighting dulls my senses and doesn’t allow me to focus one bit. It’s especially frustrating for me personally, when I go out to eat and have to struggle to see what I am eating because of the poor lighting. Having proper lighting, especially in an office environment will help boost your productivity and reduce strain on your eyes.
So I decided to designate a new space in our home as an alternative office spot, that gets a lot of afternoon and evening sunlight. For this home office space, I actually discovered the option to have a desk that will let me both sit and stand while working, and boy – has that changed my life!
“Proper lighting … will help boost your productivity”
An Observation by Josie
Here is the new office set up in my bedroom, where I bring my laptop when I need to focus and keep the noise levels under control. I generally have my zoom video meetings here, and work into the night sometimes – when I still have energy.
This desk is an absolute beauty, so much so, that my partner has also opted to purchase himself two – TWO – hybrid standing and sitting desks (in black).
The office desk that I am showcasing here, I got for a bargain price and happens to be really nice because the surface is not two pieces – but one solid flat piece of wood. The table moves up and down using a digital touchpad and motor. I can set it to 4 different custom height adjustments to suit my use.
I have it set at the lowest setting, which is ideal for when I want to use my sewing machine, the second height adjustment is set for my preferred seating height. The third and fourth are programmed to set the height of the table to a comfortable standing position.
Tech Upgrades
I’ve always been attracted to the latest and greatest technology on the market to improve my digital game. I admit I suffer from shiny object syndrome.
Handheld Mouse Upgrade
I also got myself an ergonomic mouse that is meant to help keep your wrist in a natural position while you’re working on your computer. I purchased this mouse because I do tend to get carpal tunnel occasionally especially when working long hours on the computer.
Microphone Audio Upgrade
But, I’ve recently started using the talk-to-text function on my PC as well as my Mac computer to make blogging a little bit easier. And if you’ve gotten this far in my blog that is a major tidbit of information that will be useful to you and your blogging journey.
To improve my audio digital performance, I’ve recently purchased an all-white Blue Yeti USB microphone.
This microphone makes my office look sleek and well-equipped. Eventually, the plan is to produce a podcast about the experience of being a full-time blogger-mommy and how I did it.
Youtube is another platform that is on the list for production. I will be sharing month-to-month progress reports on my case study websites, and income reports until the goals are reached.
External Hot Keys Upgrade
Just as you would use some keyboard shortcuts to open up desktop applications or to take a screenshot, this Elgato Stream Deck purchase has been a time saver for tedious tasks such as opening certain website applications.
I have programmed my Elgato to open up my websites /wp-admin/ backends to log in seamlessly without having to type in the whole URL. If I feel like working on one of my website properties today, I just go ahead and click on the option to open it up, and voila, I sign in and can get started with the work.
I also have stored all of the external software programs that I use to produce my content, such as opening photoshop and resizing image dimensions and then saving it with a specific format (typically jpeg at 80% quality for the web with 72 PPI).
And for a little bit of fun with my toddler, I have created a soundboard with different sounds effects and songs. We usually click on the royal trumpets when my partner enters the room – for a dramatic effect.
My Current Wishlist
OF course, because I love new things and all kinds of upgrades – I have a wishlist of stuff I will eventually add to my workspace.
An Ergonomic Office Chair
I once wrote a whole 5500-word review article on ergonomic chairs for a client and after learning about the different features an office chair can accommodate, I decided I really need an upgrade in my life.
My chair preferences would include a white faux leather model that reclines a full 180 degrees with adjustable armrests and adjustable lumbar support of course. So far this model below is what would be most suitable for my home office set-up.
I hope you enjoyed my home office set-up blog and vlog. I will continue to update you guys on the next best investments in equipment I can find. There’s always room for improvement!