Ergonomic Workstations for a Healthy Back
May 19, 2016
Ergonomic Workstations Provide Comfort While Promoting Back Health
Taking care of your body is essential for health and wellness, and when you feel good, you’re always going to be more productive. While labor jobs can be hard on your spine and body, sitting all day is really a stress to your lower back and neck. Chiropractors attribute a lot of back dysfunction to prolonged sitting, poor posture, and poorly-equipped workstations. Sore necks, headaches and backaches are just a few of the symptoms that may present when confined to a desk day after day. Posture, exercise and ergonomic workstations and equipment are essential components to back health.
While periodic massages are great therapy and help de-stress you after a week’s work, there are lots of things you can do for yourself to help keep your back in shape and your body feeling good. Of course, if you have chronic problems, you’ll want to consult a professional, but exercising every day, even if only walking 20 minutes helps decompress your spine, as well as providing cardiovascular benefits.
Taking short breaks and moving around during your work day is ideal. Periodic stretching and brief walks get your blood flowing and are good for circulation and your muscles, joints and mental well being. Of course, if you can schedule longer walks into your work day, that’s a good way to break up the day and potentially boost your metabolism.
Making ergonomic changes to your workstation, whether you commute or work out of a home office, can greatly benefit your posture. Ergonomic workstations require optimal computer height, desk height, chair height and keyboard heights – all tailored to fit your body. The top of your computer screen should be about 2-3 inches below eye level for optimal viewing. If it’s too low, the neck and shoulders tend to automatically bend forward to adjust your viewing height. Setting a monitor directly on a desk is probably the most common mistake in computer station setup. A desk monitor stand helps boost the height of your monitor. This inexpensive Monitor Stand adds 4 inches in height to your monitor, accommodates monitors up to 24-inches and, combined with an adjustable-height chair, forms a fairly ergonomic workstation.
The Mid-back Task Chair has a gas lift for easy lever operation and a generous travel range from 17.5 to 23 inches, which accommodates most desk heights. Comfortable arm rests and a sleek contemporary design make this a handsome and functional choice for a home or work office. The chair has superior lumbar support, a comfortable, faux-suede upholstery and comes in a variety of colors from neutral gray to festive Wasabi green for the more adventurous types.
An Adjustable Standup Desk gives you maximum control over your work height and enables working while standing up, which many find preferable to sitting. A front hand crank makes it a breeze to adjust and the smooth glass top is easy to keep clean. The keyboard tray slides out for convenient access and pushes in when you don’t need it. A similar model with a composite top is also available.
Many people have headaches or feel nagging pain and discomfort without really questioning the source. While lots of factors can contribute to head and back pain, if you pay close attention to your surroundings and assess the ergonomics of your workstation and make appropriate adjustments, you may feel some immediate benefits.
by Laurie Halbritter
Jewelry Storage With Umbra
April 29, 2016
My jewelry has always had a way of spreading like bishop’s weed throughout the house – over the vanity, in the cabinet, and on the tables or windowsills (where I absentmindedly remove and leave them). Of course, I may suffer from an organizational impairment, which I am working on in therapy and at my job, but I have risen to the challenge of getting my clutter under control, including my jewelry, with a little help from my employee discount AND from Umbra, one of my favorite companies.
Umbra is a Toronto-based company offering innovative, award-winning organizing and decorative products at affordable prices. One of the unique things about them is that they employ many international designers who bring a diverse wealth of ideas, inspiration and innovation to the creative table. Furthermore, they honor their artists by individually crediting them for their designs. I have to think that honoring and celebrating their designers is one of the secrets to their success, whatever the reasoning behind it.
Employing multiple designers from across the globe means Umbra continually situates itself on the cutting edge of design. Umbra designers breathe fresh life into old ideas, as well as create brand new, inspired, non-derivative, out-of-this-world designs. Their product lines range from bathroom accessories to waste cans to curtain rods (something new). Jewelry storage and display products are extensive and unsurpassed in originality by most competitor products. Umbra jewelry organizing products include jewelry boxes, hanging jewelry storage (including their bestselling Little Black Dress line), and stunning jewelry trees and displays that are as visually intriguing as they are functional.
Here are a few of my favorite Umbra jewelry storage products by category:
Umbra Hanging Jewelry Storage Organizers
Little Black Dress – Sexy and clever, this 39-pocket jewelry organizer hangs right on a closet rod and rolls easily to fit in luggage when traveling. This original Little Black Dress was so popular, they expanded the line with similarly witty jewelry organizing products.
Little Black Corset – Naughty and nice, this jewelry holder harkens to vintage homemade panty girdle storage assemblies with a modern twist. 23 pockets for storage hold plenty of baubles and 20 additional Velcro straps keep bracelets and other accessories secure.
Little Mini Black Dress – Smaller than the former organizers but with ample storage and sass (4 zippered compartments with 9 compartments), this little hanging organizer rocks for compact, rollup luggage storage.
Umbra Jewelry Trees
Umbra Venus Jewelry Stand – cleverly references the famous Botticelli Venus with the Umbra’s popular dress motif standing in for her. Fashioned in mesh, with plenty of holes for earring storage, the dress sits atop a storage shell and includes additional overhead arms for storing bracelets and necklaces.
Jewelry Tree Stand – Flower – is a simple, yet elegant solution for hanging necklaces and other jewelry. A sparse array of flowers suggests a cosmos patch in summer, realized in a design that is both contemporary and utilitarian. 11 different chromed flowers have four petals each for storing a variety of necklaces and bracelets.
Umbra Ring Holders
Umbra Animal Ring Holders – Compact and minimalist, these little Anigram die-cast zinc ring holders ensure your rings don’t get lost. Made with white bodies and contrasting silver appendages, these little guys are adorable objets d’art. Choose from bunny, reindeer, dog and elephant holders.
Elephant Ring Holder – This chrome-plated elephant ring holder, with its clean lines and minimalist design, is absolutely sublime. Hang rings from either the trunk or tusks.
Umbra jewelry displays are as aesthetically pleasing as they are utilitarian and make fabulous gifts for your favorite vixens, your mother, daughter or any jewelry-loving individual in your life. I’m sure you and your gift recipients will enjoy your Umbra products as much as I have mine.
Designers:
Matt Carr – Little Black Dress
Sung Wook Park and Marcee Ruby – Little Black Corset
Sung Wook Park – Little Mini Black Dress
Luciano Lorenzatti – Umbra Venus Jewelry Stand
Alan Wisniewski – Jewelry Tree Stand
Sung WookPark – Umbra Animal Ring Holders
Joel Yatscoff – Elephant Ring Holder
by Laurie. H
Jewelry Organizers for Travel
April 27, 2016
Traveling, while potentially fun, can also be stressful. Finding secure, yet manageable jewelry organizers for safe travel and TSA issues are always a concern : What size bottles do I need for liquids? How should they be labeled? What kind of food can I take? For people who NEED jewelry, there are other worries, such as customs/inspections and secure storage in hotel rooms.
When passing through metal detectors, you really need your jewelry consolidated into something that’s accessible and easy for workers to pull out, inspect and return to your luggage. Vinyl-pocketed jewelry storage hangers are a great choice as many can be rolled in your luggage and later unrolled and hung from a closet rod in your hotel room.
Hanging Jewelry Organizers
- The Umbra Little Black Corset measures only 8 W by 18.75 H x .5 D inches and has 23 clear pockets for storing jewelry, plus 20 Velcro straps for hanging bracelets and other items. This makes a great travel companion because it provides hanging storage and visibility. With a little luck, the luggage inspectors might NOT excessively paw through your jewelry.
- The Hanging Jewelry Organizer has many of the same benefits as the hanging corset in a 28-pocket design with 14 Velcro straps for accessories. A convenient, swivel hook makes both sides accessible.
- The larger-needs 80 Pocket Canvas Jewelry Organizer is great for longer trips or for the traveler who absolutely adores jewelry. Double sided, with a provided hanger, this organizer can also hold other travel accessories, or you can share it with family members.
Travel Jewelry Cases
Travel Jewelry Cases provide more secure storage for your valuable jewelry and accessories. Hard shell, latched varieties offer padding and protection and may fit in a hotel safe for extra secure storage.
- The Black Faux Suede Jewelry Case has a latched lid and flocked interior to protect your jewelry. It measures 10.5 W x 2.5 H x 7.25 D inches, making it a good fit for many hotel safes.
- The Leather Jewelry Carrier is padded for protection and small enough for onboard luggage. It measures only 8.25 W x 5 H x 1.25 D inches and fits nicely in a briefcase or other compact bag.
Other travel jewelry cases are available on our website, and, of course, we carry plenty of home jewelry storage cases and jewelry cleaning products as well.
by Laurie H.
