Have You Shredded Anything Lately?

I am the family shredder in my home. If it's junk mail, credit cards, and old paper I am the appointed shredder. Up until now I had a handy pair of scissors for credit cards and heavy paper. All the rest of our important documents were shredded on one of the small paper shredders that you can find in a discount store. I can tell you that is not the best way to be safe with important information. First off I always had a pile of papers that needed shredded and never enough time to finish the job. Now with my handy dandy Swingline EX10-05 Light-Duty Cross-Cut Shredder I am able to finish shredding in no time at all.

There are so many nice features on this shredder that I have retired my heavy duty kitchen scissors. It shreds credit cards, CDs and even a paper stack of ten sheets. This is one of the quietest shredders I have heard. I taught ESL in elementary school so I have used plenty of shredders in my day. One important reason in shredding our important documents is to prevent identity theft. Cross Shredders protect your information with the cross cut feature preventing identity theft. I am always worried about identity theft which you already have read in many previous posts.

I have a few more features I would like to point out. It has very easy to use controls. It is compact and light weight. It would fit nicely under a home office desk. The auto reverse feature is helpful for paper jams. The reverse feature can also be used manually. I can not tell you how many times I had to literally pull jammed paper out of our old shredder. I was always trying to feed it more than the three sheets it could handle. Well with this baby I won't have to worry about paper jams. I can stuff it with ten pages and enjoy my free time. One more feature I really need to point out. The left lower corner of the photo below you can see a thermometer symbol. The red light below it indicates the machine needs to cool down. No worry of burning up the motor with this feature.

I have reviewed lots of nice office supplies in the past but this has to be one of my favorite office product at this time. Being my favorite I want to show you how easy it is to use. I also wanted you to hear how quiet it is. I actually ran this while Pooh Bear was sleeping. He slept right through what little noise it made. I shredded a hand full of papers, some paper checks, two credit cards and a CD. You will notice a little blooper in the video. When I shredded the credit cards I should have shredded them in the CD slot. I am still learning ha ha!

See how quick and easy that was. I almost forgot to tell you that in the right corner of the shredder basket is a little container to catch the CD shreds. I like this feature because plastic can not be recycled with paper. Keeping them separate is a nice little feature.  

What do I like most about this product? I like everything. This product ROCKS!

What do I not like about this product? Nothing! I think it is amazing. Of course it would be nice if the shredder basket was pink!

If you have heavier shredding needs may I suggest you check out Fellowes Shredders you might find one that meets your needs.

Disclosure:
I received the above mentioned product to review from Shoplet.com in exchange for an honest opinion.

Surprise Waiting At My Door

When I arrived home Wednesday evening there was a package waiting by the door. This was a big surprise to me because the UPS usually delivers in the morning. I was home all morning so I was just delighted to see this package. What was in the package? Do you really want to know? Office supplies from Avery.  Just check out these awesome goodies.

Look at the large canvas tote bag. I need, need, need this tote bag. I do so much traveling I wore the handles off my last tote. This bag is light weight and very roomy. I like a bag with lots of space. I want you to see how much room is in this bag.

Yes, that is my laptop in there. I have a large 16.9 inch screen and there is lots of room left over. I do not plan to carry my computer in this tote I just wanted you to have something to compare the size with. All zipped closed with my laptop secure inside. Makes me wish it was padded.

What do I like about this tote besides that its very spacious? I like the outer pocket with a Velcro closure. This is perfect when I am on the go and need to grab my pen and pad real quick. I also plan to keep baby wipes, a change purse and a few small toys in this pocket for my grandchildren. This will make it easy to just grab and go, go, go!!

What did I not like about this product? I don't have a real complaint. I only wish it was padded and pink.  Next, I now have a matching insulated lunch bag.

You have all heard me say we always pack our lunch when we travel. I do not like fast food. This is just what I need to put a few healthy snacks in for Pooh Bear. It has a front pocket for his little toy cars which he does not travel with out. On the side is a mesh pocket for his sippy cup. The Velcro closure is easy enough for Pooh Bear to open on his own. What do I like about this lunch bag? I like that it matches the tote bag and the easy open closure. What do I not like about this lunch bag? I do not have any complaints.

What goes good with a lunch bag for traveling? A water bottle of course!

I have to be honest I did not think I would like this water bottle. First off it is not glass. I like my glass water bottle. I still had to give it a chance and test it out. I always carry a water bottle with me every where I go. I found this water bottle to be just perfect for carrying around every where, I don't have to worry about it breaking. It has a wide mouth so I was able to add lots of ice cubes  with out having to crush the ice. What do I like most about the water bottle. I like that it is BPA Free and made in the USA. What do I not like about this product? It is just a little bigger than I am use to carrying around. It did not fit in my purse. I did not mind much though. I just put it in the diaper bag instead.

I saved the best for last. A 4GB USB flash drive. Yes, I do declare I am going to treasure this flash drive. I know you are wondering why would I treasure a flash drive?  Well, let me tell you. It was two winters ago. We had lots of snow that year. I lost my flash drive that had photos of my daughters wedding stored on it. I had my entire family looking for this little flash drive. After a week of searching I gave up. About a month later when the snow melted away my son found the drive in our driveway. Do you want to know what this story has to do with this new flash drive? Take a close look at the photo.

The lanyard the drive is attached to is going to be hooked to my purse. This one is not going to get away from me. Very handy dandy for a flash drive. With 4GB this will make it easy to share photos with my children.

Pooh Bear had to check everything out and decide if he was going to let grandma keep any of the goodies.

I received the products mentioned above to review in exchange for my honest opinion. No monetary compensation was received. 

Tape, Tape and Tape!!!

Yes, sir Grandma has all kinds of tape. Shoplet.com my favorite online store for office supplies has given me three very useful tape products to review.
Let me start with Duck EZ Start Premium Packaging Tape. What can I say the brand tells me a lot about this tape. First, I do tons of package mailing. I am the family expert in wrapping packages for mailing. I like to use recycled packaging when possible. So, some of the boxes might be a little worn on the corners and need to be taped securely if expected to arrive at their destination in good shape.
This packaging tape came in a package with three rolls and two dispensers. Nice for me. I will leave one at home and keep one with me when I travel. The tape meets U.S. Postal Regulations. The special adhesive on the tape makes it frustration free eliminating splitting and tearing when restarting the roll.

I started out taping a box I packed for my granddaughters Easter gifts. The tape and dispenser roll easily. I like the sharp cutting tool on the end of the dispenser. No torn or tangled mess. I was able to tape the entire package with out any splitting or tearing of the tape.

It is most important to have tape that sticks well and does not wrinkle up and stick to itself. Using this dispenser I did not have any trouble at all. As you can see by the corner of this box the tape stuck well and did not wrinkle up.

I took the roll out of the dispenser to see how easy it was to reload. I have on occasion tried to refill a tape dispenser only to have the dispenser break or be hard to reload. Well, I had no problems with this baby. It opened easily and was no trouble to refill.

Do I have any complaints about this product? No, I had no problems while wrapping my package for shipping. I am very happy with its ease of use.

On to the next product, Duck EZ Start Premium Packaging Tape w/ Dispenser. This might turn out to be my favorite tape. I love the dispenser. The tape and dispenser are not bulky. It is easy to hold and roll with one hand. I have a touch of arthritis in my hands and believe me when I tell you this tape and dispenser is going to be perfect for the days when my fingers are stiff and sore. I tested this tape on a small package I will be sending to grandpa later this week.

This is the underside. You can see the white roller near the cutting blade. The roller helps to smooth the tape onto the package. I really like this feature.

The tape rolled easily and I had no problems with tearing or splitting. I am keeping this dispenser for my self. I won't be sharing this with the family. Frustration free is the perfect description for this product.  Do I have any complaints about this product? Hmm, maybe the dispenser could come in color choices. I would love to have a pink one.

This tape review would not be complete with out this last tape product! Zebra Printed Duck Tape has become Pooh Bears favorite right out of the box. Pooh Bear actually claimed the roll and would not let it go until I promised I would make him a zebra. You will see that later.

I can't begin to describe all the projects I have plannedfor this awesome tape. First and foremost it is just perfect for all sorts of repairs around the house and farm. Second, duct tape is the ultimate crafters dream tape. This tape is made for tearing with your hands. It is strong durable and conforms to uneven surfaces. 

 My friends do you think I can make a zebra from a tp tube?  I have got to try or Pooh Bear is going to badger me until the days end.

Grrrr. The tape split. That usually does not happen unless you have a two year old grandson hanging around your neck while you are making a zebra.

Peace at last. Now, let me see what I can do with this lovely Zebra Print.

You have got to love this print!!

My daughter in law is going to love her present. The bow is reusable. I even made a matching mini card. Do I have any complaints about this tape? No, no and no. I can't think of any complaints.  

Disclosure:
I received the above mentioned products to review from Shoplet.com in exchange for an honest review. No monetary compensation was received. 

Review: Avery Heavy Duty Ring Reference Binder, Note Tabs & Binder Spine Inserts

Grandma Bonnie's Closet has been given the opportunity to review an Avery Heavy Duty Ring Reference Binder, Avery Custom Binder Spine Inserts, and Avery Note Tabs from Shoplet.com. Anyone needing office supplies should check out Shoplet.com for their convince and great selection. I received the package yesterday and immediately opened the box. My first impression "oh, great heavy duty! This will be great for my son." You see my son is a junior in college and he is a very organized person that would love to try this new heavy duty binder. Next, I noticed the package insert said, "ONE TOUCH EZD" hmm I found that this means the rings open and close with one touch!! I tried the one touch mechanism multiple times. I have had my fingers pinched numerous times in the past from hard to close ring binders and I wanted to be sure this was not going to happen with the one touch claim right on the label. My fingers are still intact and happy! 

What do I like about the product? 

1. It's easily opened and closed with one touch.

2. It's PVC Free.

3. It's Green. (made from 80% post-consumer waste)
4. It has four pockets instead of the standard two.
5. It's an Official Box Top Education Brand.


What I do not like about the product. 
1. It's to large for my needs. (It has a 400 sheet capacity.) Although it would be great for most students.

Now, for the Avery Note Tabs. This product was hard to describe at first. How would I describe it? It's like a sticky note, sticky flag and a binder tab rolled all into one. This is how to use the  Avery Note Tabs . You place one on a specific page with the tab to the outside. Now you can write on the note body or tab with most writing instruments. 

What do I like about the product?

1. It won't damage documents or lift ink.

2. It's durable & repositionable.

3. It can be used on textbooks, notebooks and organizers. 

4. It's an Official Box Top Education Brand.

What I do not like about the product.

I have not found anything I do not like about this product! I am actually going to give them to my son to use on the college textbooks we rented. Because they are rental textbooks he can not use a hi-lighter on the pages. This will be the perfect solution for this problem.

Last, the Avery Custom Binder Spine Inserts. The binder labels are made perfect for the Avery Heavy Duty Ring Reference Binder. With these inserts you can create professional looking binder spines from your printer right at home. 

What do I like about this product?

1. The spines are on perforated cards that allow for easy separation.

2. Avery has templates for creating custom inserts at Avery.com

3. The inserts are printable on inkjet or laser printers.

What I do not like about this product.

1. It would be great if this product was made from recycled material.

You can find these products and more like this at Shoplet.com.

Disclaimer : 

The above office supplies were sent for review by Shoplet.com The opinions in this review are my own. Grandma Bonnie's Closet did not receive monetary compensation for this review.