The lost and found box

Edvard Categories Lost and foundTags , , , Comments

Because in my family we tend to forget things, to lose stuff and to drop objects – yes, we all are a disaster – I came up with this little idea of mine to try and be less forgetful.

I took a wooden box I had at home and wrote on it “lost and found box”. At the beginning I simply put in there whatever I found on my way, clearly lost or abandoned in the wrong place (I was also a bit tired of tidying up after everyone). Amazingly, every evening there was something in it, but in the morning the box was magically empty. At least I was less of a servant for the rest of the family. 

However, I soon upgraded the use of my “lost and found box” as I realised I was forgetting around and losing stuff too. Because there was nobody else doing my job of putting things in the box, I began to put myself things I had in my hands during the day: instead of putting down a key on a closet, or a book on a table, or some scissors on a shelf, I would systematically drop everything in the box and at the end of the day, in one round, take back all the things to the place where they belonged.

I was so happy about the results of this process that I made everyone do the same and, I am proud to say that today we are way more organised and ordered than we used to be.

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Backpacks – the weight of knowledge

Edvard Categories BackpacksTags , , , Comments

School is all about learning and growing as individuals, about teaching youngsters to be ready to face the adult world. Naturally, on the children’s perspective, it is also about having those items necessary to smoothly work in class. Items that, let us be honest, sometimes are more a fancy treat than really needed. So, we range from all sort of stationery to colourful notebooks and ring binders. 

One of the most important pieces of equipment children and teenagers need during their school years are backpacks for school. These are important in the way that we need to pay more attention when we buy them, compared to the rest of items. In fact, they need to survive daily use, ‘mistreatment’ of lively children busy growing up, travelling to and from school, while being filled with what we could call “the weight of knowledge” – we all know that books are heavy objects. That is why quality is essential. Do not succumb to the temptation to save money on backpacks for school as it will most certainly reveals a mistake. You want quality, and this means that you need to look for the material used; to check for loose, uneven or careless stitching; to make sure you are going to buy a bag that is waterproof; to see that there are a number of departments for a better organisation; to ensure the bag you choose has broad, padded shoulder straps so that they actually help distributing evenly the weight.

Be aware of the bag’s size. While you want backpacks for school that are spacious enough to accommodate all of your children’s stuff. You cannot have a young kid carrying huge backpacks as it will end up causing health issues. So, space yes, oversizing no. Furthermore, if you have young children, why not having a look at backpacks with wheels? You will be surprised to find out that most kids really like them because they allow more weight to be carried with far less effort.

To conclude, when you go to buy your children’s backpacks for school it is advisable that you take them with you. Maybe the operation will become more stressful, and there might be some arguing involved, but remember that it is going to be their school bag and they are entitled to contribute to the decision, not to mention that the arguments may be way worse and longer afterwards, if the child is unhappy with their bag. In the end, it is always good to involve your children in what concerns them, it helps increase their sense of responsibility and strengthen the relationship with their parents.

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Do we need computer chairs?

Edvard Categories Computer chairsTags , , , Comments

I spend a lot of time in front of my laptop because of my job. It has not been a long while since I started working, but I have now a stable job which I love and that I am intentioned to continue (hopefully improving my position too). So, for the first time in my life I have come close to the issue of computer chairs. Well, it is not really an issue. It is more of an object you need to have, as part of your equipment, if you work in an office or from home – basically if you spend a lot of time sitting in front of your computer.

Computer chairs are an important tool. Really. I did not think so until I started working with a computer. Sitting for long periods means higher risk of heart attack (due to bad blood circulation), pancreatic stress and diabetes, muscle degeneration (sitting too long of course means not using some of our muscles which lose their tone), problems with your legs, with your back, neck and shoulders (all leading to pain or ache).

While it is good practice to stand up every once in a while, and do some exercises or movement, it is not always possible. Here come in the computer chairs. They are thought precisely to help the health of many office workers that do not have an option of standing up, moving around or going jogging every three hours. Computer chairs come in many different sizes, shapes, designs, prices. Most of them look very comfortable, but of course, you need to make your checks before buying one. First rule is, don’t go cheap – you will most probably regret it and end up spending even more money to then replace the chair with a better one. So, search for quality, comfort. If you can, try one for a period of time before making the purchase – you can maybe ask a friend or a colleague – this is definitely the best solution, it will help you understand what you need in your chair, what to look for. Always buy from someone who knows what he’s selling and, unless you already know your product very well, don’t order online. 

If you are an employer, and you have to make this purchase for your employees, the same rule applies. Maybe even more crucial for your office, you have to invest in good computer chairs. It is shown by a good deal of research that quality computer chairs ensure happiness among workers. It follows that they work better and are more productive.

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