Office Makeover & some FUN with Ban.Do

Happy Monday loves!I am super excited to be sharing my home office makeover today. For my office revamp, I partnered with my friends over at Ban.Do. You guys have heard me rave about them a million times before. I'm a long time customer and fan. Ban.Do's founder, @JenGotch, is an incredible human who I've learned a lot from. She talks a lot about mental health and self-care, as well as what it's like to be a business owner. Check out her podcast Jen Gotch is OK Sometimes.I've been a longtime Ban.Do planner user. Along with other tools I use, It's really helped me stay organized. If we're honest though. I'm a sucker for stationary and anything super cute so I knew I really wanted to bring a lot of those feel-good elements Ban.Do offers into my office. Let's jump right in!

BEFORE

We completely gutted our home. We ripped out all of the carpets, painted everything white, and really brought some light into the house. Chase and I both work from home, so it was very important for us to have space where we could spend our day. Chase has his own office and his reveal is coming up soon after we actually revamp it. For now, it's just his disk, our Pelaton, and some podcasting equipment. More on that later!

THE GOAL

You guys have heard me discuss my anxiety and depression on several occasions. It's something I've learned grow through and learn from. However, it isn't always easy to manage. Especially working from home. My goal was to create a bright and inviting office so that I felt good when I worked, and not like I hated everything. I added some plants, artwork, and colorful pieces that made it feel the way I usually want to feel even when I don't. 

FURNITURE

Before I go into small deets, I'll get the big stuff out of the way. My desk is the Zarek Desk from Cost Plus World Market. The chair is the Smoked Black Bi-Cast Leather chair from... You guessed it! World Market. How could I forget my baby credenza back there? This is the Langley Street Gardner 2 door accent table from Wayfair. We purchased an actual credenza via Craiglist, but I found it was too large for that small space back there. I saw this one and saw that it had a built in area for a record player/vinyl. I fell in love and had to have it.On the wall, right above my desk, there is the Organic Edge Wood Shelf from WM with black brackets.

WHY PLANTS?

If we're being honest, I've never had a green thumb. Nor do I now. In fact, Chase's nightstand serves as the rehabilitation center for all of the plants that I kill. They make me feel really good though. Some of the plants I have actually work as quality air control. I'll save my plant details for another time. I did, however, think that this tip I'm about to give you was worth its own section.If you are good at plants, support your local nursery. If you are not good at plants, like me, and you value your coins, purchase them at Home Depot. They come with a one year warranty. You're welcome.Most of my planters are from Ikea, but this one right above which is my favorite is the Explorer Planter from O-M Ceramic x Shop Ban.Do. I am getting better at plants though! I've found great help in Lauren + Sophia's book, "Leaf Supply - A Guide to keeping Happy Houseplants." Listen, I'm commited.

IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS

This part is most important for me. As I mentioned, I partnered with Ban.Do to bring in all of the finishing touches to my office. Otherwise, it'd just look like a wooden rain forest. I chose all of the pieces that made me happy when I looked at them. *Small tip* If you're going to share a space with it for several hours a day, you should love it.I chose everything from my sticky notes to the pencils that I use. I needed all of the pieces in my space to be on the same energy level as me. But also I needed it to be cute. Like how cute is my Serious Businesswoman print? When I look at it, it makes me feel so proud of how far I've come. I've been working for myself for almost 9 years. HELL YES!I'm obsessed with my Ceramic coffee mug, but I'm even more obsessed with my glass Confetti Bottle. I recently went on IG to tell you guys about how much I hate water. This makes it way better. Plus, reusable glass bottles are way better for the environment. I still don't LOVE water, but I really feel like I'm on my way.

*Important tip: The key to going about your life and day successfully is just minding your business, moisturizing and drinking water.*

Speaking of staying hydrated and moisturized, I love me some Mario Badescu Rose Water facial spray. A great tip I learned from @JenGotch is that keeping it around in your office is great for when you need a refresher. It wakes you up, helps your skin and makes you feel good. I'm probably as obsessed with her energy as I seem. I thought it was fitting to add one of my fav quotes of hers to my letter board for the office tour.See, it really is all in the details. Honestly just looking at this image makes me feel good. Get yourself a Letter Board and quote some motivating stuff on there. You never know when you'll just look over and get the pick me up you didn't know you needed. If you want to go a little further out, get yourself a self-care shelf. I have my sage, a journal, and Khalil Gibran's book, "The Prophet."

*FUN tip: It feels good to make others feel good. Grab yourself a set of cards for different occasions and send them out when you want to say hello or tell a friend you miss them.

STAYING ON TASK

I can throw confetti everywhere and have the best playlists ever. If I'm not organized then it means nothing. For the last couple of years, I've been using the Ban.Do Agenda and now wall calendar. Having a wall calendar is the best because I have it right next to my desk where I can look at it at a glance. The agenda is my favorite because it looks amazing, and I can take it anywhere. Each year I usually get a small travel one and a desk one. I honestly just find any excuse to grab them.

WELLNESS

Recently, Ban.Do launched a wellness planner which I think anyone and everyone needs. Especially those of us who have struggled with anxiety or depression. And even those of us that just want to learn how to take care of ourselves a little better. There are tools to help you reach personal wellness goals, some advice, amazing artwork in partnership with some rad artists, and STICKERS!I really love the section on water. You can place stickers on the water tracking portion of the planner and I'm highly motivated by stickers. So here we are, drinking hella water out of my glass confetti bottle.So there you have it, friends. Make your space your own. Just because I run a successful company and I work a lot doesn't mean I have to have an office I don't care for. I don't' work on my walls and the decor isn't a part of my job, but it makes me feel really good. And if I feel good, then I work well. If I work well, then my clients are happy with my work.Go get yourself some velvet pink curtains like the ones I got from IKEA. Light yourself a candle or turn on your diffuser and do your best!

*FUN tip: If you're tired of being indoors, grab your laptop and work outside or go to your favorite coffee shop. Make sure your laptop is protected. I LOVE my garden party sleeve, and it doubles as a purse, so I can throw my cards and key in there.

Q&A

The next couple of weeks I'll be answering your questions about working from home. I received way more than I anticipated I would, so I'm going to make that its own post. But for now, here are some questions on the topic of space and decor.Q: What do you do with all of your papers? How do you keep them organized?A: I have a paperless office. The only papers I use are my sticky notes and some loose paper for jotting down notes. Once I'm done with that I just toss it. I scan everything into Evernote.Q: What are some necessary desk items?A: You absolutely need a good water bottle, something to take notes with and that's pretty much it. I try to keep my desk clean for the most part. If my desk is cluttered, then I can't concentrate and I just end up doing nothing but Pinteresting or staring at the wall.Q: Where can I buy affordable but chic home office furniture?A: I love me some Cost Plus World Market. There's also Living Spaces and IKEA. If you're just looking for misc pieces or random pieces, Marshalls and Homegoods are amazing!Q: How do you create a space that inspires you but isn't distracting?A: I sort of answered this somewhere up there, but it's a great question. All of the items in my office make me feel good. Playing Street Fighter also makes me feel good but I can't put our PlayStation in my office. I would never get any work done. Add little things that make you smile but don't have an actual purpose. My wall prints look good, but I can't play with them. My self-care shelf is pretty, but I can't spend hours utilizing it. As the queen of A.D.D, I totally understand. Distractions happen sometimes though, so it's okay.A very special thanks to my friends over at Ban.Do who really made all of my office dreams come true. This place feels like my own pink jungle and I couldn't love it more if I tried.I'll leave you with this wisdom: In the words of Mindy Kaling, "You're a warrior, and your warrior name is Beyoncé Pad Thai."

GO KILL IT, BB.

xx*PS You NEED this Ban.Do x Realm tee that says "Strong Female Lead." Trust me!