Might seem like obvious things to own, but you’d be surprised how many fledglings forget to buy basic office supplies for their first new nest. Today’s post is all about some basic items you should always keep on-hand. It’s not an exhaustive list, of course, but it’s a good start.
Pencils and pens – keep point-down in a cup for easy access and weed your supply regularly; if a pen doesn’t write, toss it
Pencil sharpener and/or spare lead & erasers – as with pens, don’t let your mechanical pencils run out of lead and replace eraser heads as they wear down
Permanent markers – thick- and thin-tipped black Sharpies should reside in both the office supply cache and in the kitchen
Sticky notes – being able to slap a Post-It reminder on something can help keep you organized
Scissors – keep one in a drawer in the kitchen, and have another pair stashed with your other office supplies
Binder clips – not only are these useful for holding stacks of paper together, but binder clips can also double as bag closures, cable ties, shelf hooks, and more
Paperclips – the wire can be reshaped to serve multiple functions
Tape – regular gift-wrapping tape in a sturdy dispenser, plus refills
White school glue – Elmer’s school glue adheres to more than just construction paper, and can effect all kinds of home repairs
With the exception of those which should live in the kitchen, find a specific location for all your other office supplies to call “home”: a basket on a table by the front door, a drawer in the computer desk, etc. Little’s more frustrating than needing something simple and not being able to find it because you don’t remember where you put it!
Because I’m an artist and a nerd and love buying office/school supplies like some women love buying shoes, my office supplies stash also includes highlighters, double-sided tape, Sharpies in every size and color ever invented, Crayons, colored pencils, washable markers, staplers, hole punchers, labels, and more. What’s your must-have office supply for around the house?
Fresh from the Nest 
My must-have office supplies are composition notebooks, journals, sketchbooks, pens, Frixion erasable pens, colored pencils, and pencils. I also have a planner, lots of post-its and Sharpies. I use and prefer composition notebooks because they are cheap (unless you buy fancy, pretty ones, which I’m guilty of doing) and I tend to use them for all kinds of record keeping. I also feel composition notebooks are easier and neater to store, but that could be me being weird. My Frixion erasable pens are awesome and erase pretty cleanly. I never thought about keeping white school glue on hand and am interested in hearing about the effect on home repairs.