The Office Playground Blog

Coffee versus Water

I noticed lately that people at work like to drink. Not from the flask in their desk drawer, that’s a whole other blog. People drink lots of two things: coffee and water.

Recently, I blogged about the health benefits of coffee. I have never blogged about the health benefits of water because the blog would look a little something like this:

Health benefits of water: Keeps you alive.

That would be a pretty lame blog.

I am fascinated by these two liquids in an office context. Folks LOVE their coffee yet drink way more water and do not necessarily love it. Coffee is expensive, like $2 a cup at the fancy coffee shops. Sure, you can get cheaper coffee, just because it’s from a gas station doesn’t mean it won’t taste good. Water is free, if your company is willing to spring for it. A water dispenser is ideal and a water fountain, not as much (seems they always wind up broken and/or gross). Does your company make you fill up your water cup from the bathroom sink?

Anyway, you are probably waiting for the conclusion or maybe even the point to all this. Let us see. There is a lot of coffee AND water drinking going on in the offices of today. Sure, people need water to live. Some people think they need coffee to live, but would still be alive (albeit cranky) 5 days later without it.

This blog is titled "Coffee versus Water", and so you’re asking, "Who wins?" That’s easy, water! Water is the basis for coffee so we’re all drinking water either way.

Fine Print: Sorry if you are upset that you will never get back the 2 minutes you just spent reading this.

Bill Ross
The Office Toy Guy
OfficeToyGuy@OfficePlayground.com

www.OfficePlayground.com
Where we make work fun!

April Fool's Day at Work

April 1st (aka April Fool's Day) is only 24 days away. Do you have your pranks all lined up yet? Are you going to let another April Fool's Day go by without nailing a memorable prank at the office? On April Fool's Day at the office, there are only two kinds of people:

1. Those who prank
2. Those who get pranked

Which one are you going to be this year? The choice is yours.

First, some ground rules: please read our blog post from last year about the do's and don'ts of successful Office April Fool's Pranks.

There's a spectrum of Office April Fool's pranks ranging from simple to complex. Just like in life, you get out what you put in. The simple stuff is easy and fast to pull off. However, it gets forgotten within a few days or sometimes in just hours. The complex stuff takes time and dedication, but it's funny and memorable forever. You'll have to balance your desires to be funny with the realities of your available time.

Examples:
Simple – Whoopee Cushion on your boss's chair. Planning & Execution = 1 minute
Complex – Packing Peanuts in your boss's cubicle, Planning & Execution = 1-3 days

If you're thinking a simple prank is all you have the time and money for this year, check out our new Gag Gift Category. Here are some of our favorites:

Squirt Cigarette Pack	Whoopee Cushion - Remote Control	Hand Buzzer
See all of our Gag Gifts here

If you are willing to go the distance and want to create a lasting impression of yourself as an all star office prankster, then you'll need to invest in a more elaborate prank. The possibilities are endless; here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

YouTube Office Prank Videos

We wish you a very silly April Fool's Day!

Bill Ross
The Office Toy Guy
OfficeToyGuy@OfficePlayground.com

www.OfficePlayground.com
We help you play on company time.

Host Your Own Office Olympics

Are you one of the estimated 28 million viewers watching the 2010 Winter Olympics? Do you dream of being an elite athlete competing against the best of the best for the gold? Or maybe you just wish you were there at the games in the heat of the action. I'm a little of both. In the past, I loved to compete in sports and I was fortunate to attend a live event at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

There is really something special about this sporting event that brings the world together. Let's check out the current medal count for the top three leaders. Go USA!

Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
United States	6	5	7	18
Germany	4	4	3	11
Norway	3	3	2	8
(Results as of 8:00am PST, 2/19/10. Source: Comcast.net)

You can get into the Olympic spirit and bring your co-workers together by hosting your own Office Olympics. Compete against your colleagues (and even your boss) for some friendly competition. Pull out your snowboards, ice skates, and bobsleds and let the games begin!

Okay, so not everyone has the equipment (and snow) to host a full winter Olympics at work, but there are still plenty of events you can compete in. We know it's not too practical to build a Speed Skating rink in the parking lot. Therefore, we put together some events that you can do in your office.

Competitive Events

Timed Events
See who can find the most objects in the Find It - Sports within a time limit. One person is the player and another verifies the finds.
Liquid Motion Time Trials – Choose a variety of similar liquid motion timers and have each person flip them over at the same time. The person with the timer that finishes first wins. (This one is great because there is no skill required.)

Competitive Sports
Get an Air Hockey Table and players win the best 2 out of 3. Set it up tournament style.
Slingshot Animal Shooting – Fire off slingshot animals for distance and for accuracy.

Skilled Events
The Basket Case Hoop Game is a hoot. We did it at our office during the Office Playground Summer Games; it takes a steady hand to get them all in.
Whack-A-Mouse – who can get the most whacks in.
Dartboard Toss is easy. Set up a dartboard and aim for the target.

Off to the Races
Line up a bunch of wind-up toys and send them racing. Race the same styles against each other or mix it up by doing a variety of styles. Place bets on who will win. (Or maybe not, office gambling is probably frowned upon. And while we're at it, steroids probably won't help participants wind faster.)

Puzzle Solving
Find out who can solve a given puzzle in the fastest time. We recommend the Puzzle Pen for beginners and a Rubik's Cube for puzzle masters.

Design your Own
Be creative and develop your own games to match your tastes and co-worker skill levels. Check out the Sports & Games category to get started.

Once you decide on your events, set up game stations and assign point values to each activity. Have folks go in groups of two or three to each event simultaneously. People rotate through each station and post their scores as they complete a game. Keep a scoreboard on the wall. Tally up the points at the end and award 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. You can also give out consolation prizes to everyone who participates.

Speaking of prizes, adding a reward enhances the competition and encourages people to be more playful and to have fun. You can be creative with your prizes and here are some suggestions:

• An extra paid day off.
• Gift certificate to Office Playground, Inc.
• Extended lunch break.
• Gift certificate for a local store or restaurant.
• Higher end office toys (Zen Garden, Newton's Cradle or Stellanova, to name a few).
• The office toys you used during competition.
• Awards to post on the desk. Who doesn't love bragging rights?

Serve up some lunch or have folks bring a potluck. It's fairly easy to put together some games and it is a lot of fun. At Office Playground, we host an annual Summer Olympics and have a blast each year. And you may remember that hilarious episode of The Office.

Whether you win or lose, we hope you enjoy being more playful at work.

Playfully,

Bill Ross
The Office Toy Guy
OfficeToyGuy@OfficePlayground.com

www.OfficePlayground.com
We help you play on company time.

Winter Blues? Think Beach!

As I write this, I see that it's raining outside... again. My finger tips are a little bit colder than my toes (I'm wearing socks). It will be dark soon and work isn't over yet. Sounds like I've got the winter blues. Do you find yourself daydreaming about summer bliss? Can you feel the warm sand beneath your feet? Is there the aroma of hamburgers barbequing on the grill? Can you taste the cocktail you're having with friends while watching the sunset? Do you still feel the sting of that jellyfish that snuck up on you? (WHOA, time to snap out of this daydream... it just turned ugly).

You can't easily jump on a plane and fly to a warmer climate (chances are flights are grounded anyway, due to bad weather). But, you can use the power of your imagination and some thought management to get through the last stage of winter.

Once again, we're here to help you out. We created a fun list of our best summer themed office toys and put them on sale. Our suggestion is to pick out some of this stuff and play with it at your desk. You can live that summer lifestyle now, in your mind. Thinking of positive things will help lift your spirits. Warm your soul with these playful toys and drift off into another summer daydream. Don't worry, we don't sell jellyfish, just an octopus.

Beach in a Box	Cool Sun	Dolphin Stress Toy
Pineapple Stress Toy	Exec. Sandbox - Day at the Beach	Inflatable Palm Tree
See more Summer Desktop Toys

Celebrate the spirit of summer without mosquito bites, sunburns or jellyfish stings. (You do know the home remedy for neutralizing a jellyfish sting, don't you? Remember that episode of Friends? Eewwww.)

Bill Ross
The Office Toy Guy
OfficeToyGuy@OfficePlayground.com

www.OfficePlayground.com
We help you play on company time.

Drink More Coffee and be Healthier

Coffee can be good for you! That's super news because if you're among the 108 million Americans that partake in coffee daily, you're going to drink it anyway, right? Now you can say it's for your health and not because you just...NEED IT! Since coffee is such a huge part of office culture, we wanted to give you some bullet points on the health benefits from coffee. (Remember, I'm not a doctor nor am I an expert; I just really love my coffee.)

Reduced Diabetes Risk – After analyzing data on 126,000 people for as long as 18 years, Harvard researchers calculate that compared with not partaking in America's favorite morning drink, downing one to three cups of caffeinated coffee daily can reduce diabetes risk by single digits. But having six cups or more each day slashed men's risk by 54% and women's by 30% over java avoiders. (Source: Web MD)

Other diseases and health problem reduction – At least six studies indicate that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's, with three showing the more they drink, the lower the risk. Other research shows that compared to not drinking coffee, at least two cups daily can translate to a 25% reduced risk of colon cancer, an 80% drop in liver cirrhosis risk, and nearly half the risk of gallstones. (Source: Web MD)

And even more healthy benefits – There's also some evidence that coffee may help manage asthma and even control attacks when medication is unavailable, stop a headache, boost mood, and even prevent cavities. (Source: Web MD)

Just a little side note folks: Of course, I recommend talking to your doctor about your own situation and whether or not coffee is right for you.

With all the benefits of coffee, there are bound to be some downsides. But, with my simple-to-follow guide, they're easy to overcome:

1. Bad Breath – eat a mint
2. Brown Teeth – brush them more often
3. Coffee Stains – don't spill it
4. Expensive – make your own and bring it to work

If you're a coffee fanatic, consider the Coffee To-Go Cup Stress Reliever. When you get your new foam coffee cup, put it on your desk to remind yourself and others that you are such a health nut, squeeze it to relieve stress throughout the day, and admire it because it's cute.

 

Cheers!

Bill Ross
The Office Toy Guy
OfficeToyGuy@OfficePlayground.com

www.OfficePlayground.com
We help you play on company time.

Top image courtesy of Brianna Privett.

Groundhog Day at Work

What do you think of when you hear Groundhog Day? For me, I think of Bill Murray and Punxsutawney Phil from the famous 1993 movie. The movie is classic and I give it two thumbs up (aren't we all film critics at heart?). For those of you who have never seen Groundhog Day or need a refresher, here's the quick plot from Wikipedia:

Self-centered and sour TV meteorologist Phil Connors (Bill Murray), producer Rita (Andie MacDowell), and cameraman Larry (Chris Elliott) from fictional Pittsburgh television station WPBH-TV9 travel to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities with Punxsutawney Phil. Having grown tired of this assignment, the small town, and his crew, Phil grudgingly gives his report and attempts to return to Pittsburgh when a blizzard (which he predicted would miss the area) shuts down the main roads. Phil and his team are forced to stay in town an extra day.

Phil wakes up to find that he is reliving February 2. The day plays out exactly as it did before, with no one else aware of the time loop, and only Phil aware of past events... Read more

Do you work with people who are not aware of the time loop they are in? Is your job like Groundhog Day, where you do the same thing over and over? Now you can stop being like Phil Connors and avoid living your life like the movie Groundhog Day. Here are a few fun tips for shaking up the routine:

1. Mix up your office space – Spin your keyboard and monitor around and sit on the front side of your desk. Put your garbage pail on the other side of you. Change the position of all your pictures. Turn your name tag upside down.
2. Take a different route to work – Don't drive directly to the office. Instead, go the long way, take streets that don't make sense or drive up and down the block a few times. Just leave a few minutes earlier and cruise.
3. Alter the lunch menu – What kind of food never occurs to you? Eat that! Do any local restaurants serve Swedish Meatballs or Buffalo Burgers?
4. Flip your personality – Just for the day, behave the total opposite of your normal personality. If you are a bit ornery, be extra sweet to your colleagues. If you typically drive hard, be chilled and laid back all day.
5. Visit strangers – Make some new friends. Simply get up and start walking around. Find people you don't know (at your company or other tenants in the building). Say things like "Hi, happy Groundhog Day!" Then, see where the conversation goes from there (don't expect too much, these people are strangers after all.)

I think you get the point. This time of year, work can be a bit of a grind. It's up to us to break the pattern and avoid the doldrums of corporate life. You don't have to operate on autopilot. On the contrary, you can have a little bit of fun during the day. So come on, be whacky and be more playful. There's no better day than Groundhog Day to start mixing it up! I mean, why not?

Playfully,

Bill Ross
The Office Toy Guy
OfficeToyGuy@OfficePlayground.com

www.OfficePlayground.com
We help you play on company time.

Image courtesy of Melissa.

Top 10 Toys that Promote Creativity

How important is creativity in your job? Being "creative" and thinking "outside of the box" are huge business buzzwords these days. We don't claim to be business consultants who can help you creatively "re-engineer, re-organize or re-invent" your business model. We do claim to be experts at playing with creative toys at work. We believe that if you can express creativity with desk toys daily, the bigger picture stuff will fall into place naturally. To make sure you have the right creativity toys on your desk or meeting room table, we have compiled a list of our Top 10 Toys that Promote Creativity.

Often, it's hard to have a breakthrough moment when you are focusing too hard on finding a solution. By playing with toys, you actively work your brain while giving your subconscious a chance to come up with the answer. With these fun office toys, you can maintain a clever and productive mind while creating sculptures, shapes or designs from putty, magnetic art, or buildable puzzles. Have a pumped up brainstorming session with a fun shaped wipe-off board. Take your drawings and doodles to the next level with a pin art board, magnetic drawing board, or Wikki Stix.

Check out our Top 10 Toys that Promote Creativity. What will you create?

		Magnetic Cubism
		Human Pyramid - Color
		Thinking Putty - Chameleon
		Wikki Stix
		Ball of Whacks - Red
		Incrediwall - Talk Bubble 24x18
		Executive Sandbox - Day at the Beach
		Finger Drums
		Etch A Sketch Keychain
		Pin Art - Metal 5x7"

Are you inspired? Send us a photo of your creation using a product from Office Playground for the chance to win a free surprise gift. Send entries to officetoyguy@officeplayground.com by 2/28/2010. Click here for more details.

Playfully,

Bill Ross
The Office Toy Guy
OfficeToyGuy@OfficePlayground.com

www.OfficePlayground.com
We help you play on company time.

Celebrate Valentine's Day at Work

Love is in the air... especially in your office. Are you feeling it? Lately, we've all been through some trying economic times together. Do you feel love for your co-workers and customers who are weathering this storm with you? Maybe you even get that warm and fuzzy feeling when you cozy up to the conference table with your team on a rainy day. Everywhere you look the experts are advising businesses to invest in their employees and to give them rewards and reminders of how important they are to the success of the company.

So, why not have a Valentine's Day celebration at work? Be open with the love and appreciation you have for your job, your colleagues and your customers. Here are some ways to bring back that loving feeling to the office:

1. Decorate your cubicle, lobby and office with a few Valentine's Day decorations.
2. Tape a big red paper heart on the refrigerator in the break room.
3. Leave a Valentine Heart Stress Ball on everyone's chair.
4. Have a company lunch. If you can't convince your boss or HR to spring for it, hit a restaurant and go Dutch or bring a bag lunch and have a potluck in the conference room. Just be together.
5. Encourage everyone to wear Valentine's Day colors (hint, RED) to work. For those that do, draw names to win prizes.
6. Rent a cupid costume so you can shoot bows and arrows at single folks to create a love connection. (Ok, we're just kidding about this one.)

Check out a few of our Valentine's Day items below:

Heart Stress Toy	Captain Smiley - Hot Pink	Inflatable Heart
4 Wheel Timer - Hearts	Smiley Dude Stress Toy - Red	Love Notes Ball
See our entire line up of Valentine's Day gifts here

Remember, fun Valentine's Day themed office toys last longer than chocolate and won't make your pants too tight.

With much love and appreciation,

Bill Ross
The Office Toy Guy
OfficeToyGuy@OfficePlayground.com

www.OfficePlayground.com
We help you play on company time.

Bring Toys Not Donuts

Are you still bringing donuts to meetings? WAIT! You don't need to do that anymore. There's a better way to get everyone energized and excited at your next meeting. It's simple: bring toys, not donuts.

We all know that donuts are bad for you and the sugar crash is a serious downer. Bringing donuts to meetings is like saying, "Here, I hope you all feel sick for the next 5 hours and act like zombies all afternoon." Donuts only take a minute to eat, give you heartburn and require an extra workout to burn off the empty calories. On the other hand, a good office toy is long-lasting, stress relieving and brightens up your workspace.

Note the health considerations of Donuts versus Toys:

Have some fun at your next meeting and bring a box of office toys. Who knows, maybe you'll impress your boss so much, you'll get further in your career (we make no guarantees).

Instead of a dozen donuts
Image Credit: Emran Kassim
Bring a Stress Ball Box	Or a Meeting in a Box	Or a Desk Toy Box

Be more playful and bring some fun and health to your office...Bring toys, not donuts!

Playfully,

Bill Ross
The Office Toy Guy
OfficeToyGuy@OfficePlayground.com

www.OfficePlayground.com
We help you play on company time.

New Year's Resolutions or Vices?

Now that 2009 has come and gone, I'm thinking about my 2010 New Year's Resolutions and how much I really can't stand them. Everybody resolves to do the same old feel good self-improvements, such as lose weight or learn something new. You don't usually hear New Year's Resolutions like "I'm going to take up smoking" or "I've decided to eat cake every single day." What if your New Year's Resolution was to start a new vice?

Of course, I'm not recommending you actually start a vice in 2010 (we want you to be happy and healthy, after all). Just be a little more playful this year and have some lighthearted fun with your co-workers. As a joke, it would be funny to tell folks you have a New Year's Vice. We assembled some of our best vice related office toys to assist you in your quest to bring humor to the office. Put some of this stuff on your desk to get a few good laughs.

As you reflect on the past year, can you honestly say you enjoyed it as much as possible? Did you smile enough? Have you shared enough laughs with the folks in your life? Now is the time to relieve yourself of some stress and have a bit of fun. Are you going to start a New Year's Resolution or adopt a New Year's Vice?

Playfully,

Bill Ross
The Office Toy Guy
OfficeToyGuy@OfficePlayground.com

www.OfficePlayground.com
We help you play on company time.

Be the Best Secret Santa Ever!

Image Credit: Michael Wade   What is the most embarrassing thing that can happen to you at work during the holidays? Sure, getting too drunk at the company holiday party, telling the CEO he looks like Screech and photocopying your behind are all pretty bad. But, we're talking about never being able to live down being a lame Secret Santa. Maybe you didn't even want to participate in the first place. Some people don't believe in Santa anymore. Yet, we all still stand in line to pick one of our co-worker's names out of a hat. You don't have to dread the workplace Secret Santa. The Office Toy Guy wants you to embrace it! This year, your co-workers will refer to you as the most amazing Secret Santa gift giver in company history. Or, at least they will think you are really cool and thoughtful for getting them such an awesome gift. OfficePlayground.com is ready to help you be the best Secret Santa gift giver you can be. Check out these unique gift ideas for your next Secret Santa exchange and really nail it this year!

Dependable and Classy Need to play it a little safe while making a good impression? Give a Zen Garden, Newton's Cradle, Kinetic Motion or Liquid Motion. Zen Gardens Newton's Cradles Kinetic Motion Liquid Motion Vulgar and Irreverent Do your co-workers appreciate low brow humor? Are your company's policies a little loose? Share a chuckle over our Vulgar Stuff and Desk Toys. Vulgar Stuff Desk Toys Cute and Cuddly A desktop plant or an animal toy will win you the cutest gift award. There are many adorable items in Desktop Gardening and Animal Toys. Desktop Gardening Animal Toys Stress Relieving If everyone is stressed out in your office, you can't go wrong with a Stress Ball, Stress Reliever or Foam Stress Toy. Stress Balls Stress Relievers Foam Stress Toys Silly Yet Practical Sometimes goofy can be useful. Give a Funny Office Supply or Gumball Machine for a fun twist on the regular. Funny Office Supplies Gumball Machines

You don't have to be a lame Secret Santa this year. Just make your picks, place your order and we'll get that awesome Secret Santa gift to you really fast. We wish you the best at your holiday office party and may you be remembered for your non-lame Secret Santa gift and not for dancing with a lampshade on your head. Lamelessly, Bill Ross The Office Toy Guy OfficeToyGuy@OfficePlayground.com www.OfficePlayground.com We help you play on company time.

Bad Chips and Dip

It's ok to admit that you don't like all of your co-workers. There always seems to be certain people who are geniuses at irritating you. Would you like to learn a surefire way to get them to leave you alone? Serve them bad dip. Here's how it works:

The Preparation
Start with some basic ingredients used for making a tasty dip: sour cream, salsa, plain yogurt, guacamole or cream cheese will do. Next, add some not-so-tasty ingredients like pickle juice, suicidal hot sauce, cod liver oil, grape jelly, etc. At this point, most recipes instruct you to season to taste. Well, you sure as heck aren't going to taste this stuff. So, go heavy on the bad ingredients to be sure the dip tastes really, really horrible.

The Placement
Neatly display the bad dip in your work area along with some chips. The chips don't have to be bad, but using stale chips would be a nice touch. Now, you wait for annoying co-workers to approach.

The Payoff
Those little mooches will soon come around looking for the free food. They always do. They'll slither up, sniffing and eyeballing your snacks. They will ask you for some. With a big smile you nod your head. Don't feel guilty. After all, you didn't offer it to your co-workers. They sought you out. Cherish the precious payoff when they take that huge reckless bite of bad dip.

The Act
As the targeted co-worker begins to chew their first bite, they will recoil from the horrible flavors attacking their taste buds. When they say, "AGH! THAT'S AWFUL," you burst into tears, grab the dip and yell, "That's my grandma's recipe!" Then, run to your car and go home for the day.

The Rewards

1. Your obnoxious co-workers will never come around again.
2. You get a free half-day off work.
   (Maybe you should watch some cooking shows.)
3. You'll never need to make food for the office again.
4. Everyone will be extra nice to you for a while.

Make some bad dip and watch your lame co-workers eat it. It'll make you laugh.

Bad dip making is just one more tool in your corporate survival toolbox.

Sincerely,

Bill Ross
The Office Toy Guy
OfficeToyGuy@OfficePlayground.com

www.OfficePlayground.com
We help you play on company time.

Image courtesy of Megan Soh.

Your Guide to the New Halloween 2.0 at Work

Has anyone else noticed that Halloween is rapidly turning into Christmas in terms of celebrating the "season"? I drove my kids around last night to look at Halloween lights on houses. Remember when people only put out pumpkins and a few decorations? These days, we’re seeing full blown lights on the house and haunted scenes in the yard. Folks set up life-sized skeletons, mummies, monsters and graveyards. We went by one house that displayed a lifelike werewolf on the roof and a Psycho shower scene behind their front window. Talk about getting into the spirit. I can't decide if these people are cool or crazy, but either way, next year I'M IN.

Do you notice the growing amount of shelf space reserved for Halloween paraphernalia in the stores? Sure, there has always been candy and costumes. But today, the shelves are packed with all sorts of Halloween props and shenanigans. The entire month of October is dedicated to the last day of the month. Just like the entire month of December is geared towards Christmas day. Halloween is on a serious tear right now and I say bring it on.

This rapid adoption of Halloween spirit as the major contender to Christmas spirit started me thinking about what it means to people working in an office. Here are my predictions of what Halloween will be like in the coming years for the corporate world. I call these predictions Halloween 2.0 at work:

Halloween 1.0 - Plastic spiders on a chair
Halloween 2.0 - Real spiders in a drawer

Halloween 1.0 - Wear a costume on Halloween day
Halloween 2.0 - Wear costumes all throughout October

Halloween 1.0 - Dress up as a witch
Halloween 2.0 - Practice real witchcraft at your desk

Halloween 1.0 - Cute little happy Halloween cards from co-workers
Halloween 2.0 - Big Halloween bonus checks from management
                         (just kidding, that won't happen)

Halloween 1.0 - Collecting treats from your co-worker’s desk
Halloween 2.0 - Smashing pumpkins over your co-worker’s head

I hope this guide helps you be on the cutting edge of this booming holiday for years to come. What will Halloween 3.0 entail? Real chainsaws? Who's the boss now?!

Happy Halloween!

Spooky Wishes,
Bill Ross
The Office Toy Guy

www.OfficePlayground.com
We help you play on company time.

Image courtesy of Suzie T.

Stealing Food at Work

The purpose of this blog post is not to endorse stealing your co-worker's lunch. We are simply offering advice on how to be successful at it.

Times are tough and your company is cutting back; it's up to you to create your own perks. Stealing your co-worker's lunch is wrong, but you're not likely going to go to jail if you get caught.

Speed – You can't linger around in the kitchen. Get in and get out. The ideal kitchen or break room has two doors. You should enter through one, snatch a free snack, and exit through the other.

Greed – Don't kill the goose that laid the golden egg. Don't steal food every day or from the same person over and over. We understand that certain people have better food than others, but exercise restraint.

Mix it up – If you work in a large company, spread out your efforts across all kitchens, break rooms, conference rooms, reception desks (free fruit or candy), etc. By spreading out, it'll be hard to identify the totality of your work.

Redirects – Once in a while, bring your own lunch and put it in the refrigerator with your name written on the bag. Your co-workers will think "the lunch thief can't be him, he brings his own." Little do they know you're just that hungry that you'll eat yours AND theirs. If the office is on to you, you can secretly eat half of your sandwich and then make a big scene, "HEY, WHO ATE MY SANDWICH!"

Image courtesy of Stacita.

How Scary is Your Office?

It’s the time of year where ghosts, witches and goblins are making plans for their favorite day of the year, Halloween. Have you let them visit your desk yet?

Halloween isn’t just for children dressed as spooky (or sometimes adorable) creatures, going door-to-door asking for candy; you can have just as much fun at work! This year, bring the spirit of Halloween to the office. Here are some ideas for making your workplace "spooktacular"!

• Decorate your desk or cubicle walls with a row full of smiling pumpkins
• Host a number of spooky Halloween contests: Scariest Costume, Jack-o-Lantern Carving, Pumpkin Seed Spitting, and Best Decorated Desk
• Hide fake giant spiders in your co-workers’ desk drawers
• Ask each of your co-workers "Trick or Treat?" Give those who say "treat" a piece of candy; pull a fun office prank on everyone else
• Host a Halloween Fright Wind-Up race
• Bring a large bowl of Halloween candy to share or bake a batch of Halloween cookies

Adding a little Halloween spirit to your workplace can make your day a little more exciting and everyone a little happier. Try out some of our ideas and let us know how it goes!

Image courtesy of Elvia Dametto.