Post-It Laptop Note Dispenser

Need to write a quick note but can't find paper or a yellow sticky? This should help: a Post-It Laptop Note Dispenser, available at Staples and Office Max and likely your local office supply shop.



The three-pack of dispensers (black, pink, green) comes with the accordion-style Post-It Notes that fit inside. The back of the dispenser is coated with a super-sticky adhesive that can be removed and re-applied with no loss of "stickability" and no tacky substance on your laptop.


The design is actually quite simple, something akin to making an envelope with a slit. DIYers will have to come up with an adhesive that doesn't leave marks and remains suitably fresh for re-use, but I imagine there is some compound out there. The best alternative might be to just buy a few packs of these, since they work on refrigerators and other surfaces where you are most likely to need to make a note but don't have a pad handy.

My only thought as I attached this to my MacBook was that I'll need to write a note reminding myself it's there!

Post-it Personal Journal

Target carries a lot of great office supplies and many Post-it products, including this Post-it Personal Journal. Made out of a fairly thick cardboard stock, this holder contains two 4x6 inch 50-count Post-it pad for all your note taking needs, including a 7-day to do list and a regular lined pad.


Semi-pocket sized, it's just a little wider than a Moleskine or Rhodia pocket notebook and so may not be useful for everyone. The sides fits smoothly when closed, so there's no room to slide in a pen or pencil (a Tombow OnBook clip ballpoint will work, however). And the elastic closure band needs to be a bit more robust (i.e., not a cheap hair scrunchy).

Finally, color selection could be better: there were blue Greek coffee shop style patterns and red Animal print-style patterns, but no solid black for the serious or business minded.

If you're looking for something to carry Post-it notes that's refillable and handy, this is a great choice. Finding it may be a bit challenging, as I didn't see it listed on the Post-it website.

So you may have to check out a few places, but for $7.99 it's a handy way to carry your Post-its for quick notes and lists. With a bit of re-tooling (size is okay, color needs some work), this could be a fantastic and fun "productivity tool."

Post-it® Padded Cards

My neighborhood drugstore, one of those old-fashioned mom-and-pop places, doesn't carry much in the way of office supplies. A lot of bubble mailers, Mead notebooks, and Bic pens as well as some of the cute 99 cent stuff like pencil sharpeners and erasers. So I was surprised to see these Post-it® Padded Cards--something I didn't know I needed until that moment. I bought two packs (white plain and lined), leaving the lined yellow-blue-green pack for another day.

I'm thinking this is old stock they've had around for years without anyone really noticing (myself included). When I checked 3M's website I couldn't find any information on the Padded Cards; only when I ran a search did this one reference come up: Post-it® Padded Cards with restickable adhesive allow you to visually organize your tasks and ideas. They are durable, portable, and easy to carry with you wherever you go. Stick important information in planners, notebooks, files, & other organizers. Which makes me wonder how old these are, and whether they've been discontinued.

The Padded Cards are a really great idea. Each pack contains 50 cards almost the size of a 3x5 note card; they are made from a heavy paper stock and are quite thick. I decided to split off cards and stick them in various notebooks (Moleskine, Rhodia, Field Notes) for those times when I want to add something or, more likely, for when a colleague asks if I have a piece of paper to write on. If I'm using a tablet, tearing out a sheet isn't a problem. But lately I've been carrying journals, and it's annoying to rip out a page just to right a sentence or two. Now I can just pull off a Post-it® Padded Card and my journal is saved. This pic shows some of the cards in the back of a Field Notes journal. The pack sold for $1.49 plus tax, and I'll be heading back for a few more packs.

3M Post-It Flag Markers and Highlighters

Taking a trip through the supplies aisle at the local Rite Aid I saw these 3M Post-It Flag+ Permanent Markers and Flag Highlighters, and immediately added them to my cart. With two pens in each pack, one is a highlighter set while the other is a permanent marker. Both have the 3M flags inside the pen, which pops out and can be refilled with more flags. This is a great idea, because often when I'm highlighting I also want to note something else. The flags make it easy to find the important points in a book, magazine, or whatever you're reading. The yellow and pink highlighter set comes with yellow and pink flags; the permanent marker set comes with white flags. They are small enough to be seen but not be obtrusive, which I like. I find the large flags hanging out of books or whatnot to be sloppy and so I don't use them.

In addition to the highlighters, the permanent markers are great for writing. The marker has a small, extra fine tip, so the line definitely isn't broad or unruly for writing. And you can use it to make notes on the flags if you want to add some information. According to the information on the package, the barrel holds more ink that first generation Post-It Flag Highlighters/Markers. And there's a non-slip comfort grip, so holding the pen doesn't get too difficult. However, these black markers definitely bleed through paper, as I discovered when making some notes in a journal. But all in all, these are really great; at $5.49 plus tax, not too expensive for everything you get.