The Verge’s Favorite Home Office Keepsakes

return to mad Men Today, the only thing that might interrupt the mundane corporate vibe of a workspace might be a photo of your family, or a coffee mug with a funny saying on it. But these days, especially when we’re working from home, we might have some really interesting, weird, or just plain good-looking items sitting on our desks.

We asked people here edge Something they keep on their desk or office just for fun – because they love it, because it means something special, or just because. Here are some of the answers we got.

Antonio G. Di Benedetto, Business/Transactions Writer

A year ago, my wife and I were forced to say goodbye to one of our two beloved cats, Pouncey. She was a kitten my wife adopted shortly before we started dating, and she was my loving companion for over 11 years, making her a fixture in our relationship. Due to her deteriorating health, our farewell came more suddenly than expected, which made it all the more painful. But beyond all the photos and videos, we have to be reminded of our best girl (with apologies to our eight-month-old daughter), and every time I sit down at my desk, I’m warmly reminded of Pouncey.

Last year, when I received my Meletrix Zoom75 mechanical keyboard from a long-awaited Groupon pre-order, I opted for the built-in LCD add-on because – well, why not? And, perhaps not surprisingly, once I built my motherboard with the little screen inside, I wondered, “Okay, what do I do with this thing?” So, I made it display something boring, like Battery level.

After Pouncey passed away, I rethought the looping GIF feature and decided to put a cute clip of our girls in there. This GIF is just a series of images from a random day, and if you look closely you’ll see that her eyes widened cutely when she noticed me taking a picture of her. We now call it Pouncey Keyboard, and while it’s bittersweet to see her nuzzling around on my desk without feeling her soft fur or hearing her gentle purrs, I love seeing her every day “Our Pouncey girl”.

Sean Hollister, Senior Editor

Whenever I feel a little tired, I have an extra life sitting on my desk. My family bought this The Legend of Zelda Heart-shaped container from a year ago, so it also encapsulates their love! (It doesn’t make much sense if you’re buying it for yourself, so I recommend getting it as a gift.) When you press the button on the front, it lights up, and that’s it. Two AA batteries won’t last you more than a few months, so switch it off when you’re happy again! You can also import a tears of kingdom Version based on newer games.

Alison Johnson, critic

I’m hesitant to put nails in the wall in my office (which is also my bedroom, by the way). So, I ended up with a bunch of little things that I wanted to hang on the wall but couldn’t commit to, like things my kids drew or the tech activity badges that were cluttering my desk drawer. But recently, I’ve started a command tape kick of placing little hooks and clips around the house and started using them to decorate the wall behind my desk.

The clothespin style clips are perfect; I can always swap them out for a new piece of adorable children’s art, and I don’t have to commit to where they will go. This comes in handy if I want to rearrange my office (er, bedroom), and I’ve never had a problem getting them off the wall intact.

Adi Robertson, Senior Technology & Policy Editor

I have a paper planner and planner to record stories and meetings, and TWSBI Eco (Cream Rose Gold and Burgundy Catfish Ink) is my favorite writing instrument. It’s a well-priced pen that’s attractive, not difficult to fill, and feels great to use.

I don’t really like desk trinkets, but I like this Link amiibo The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. I was inspired by how Link seemed to use his superhuman powers to create a better world around him. If he can do it, maybe I can do it too—although I might have to make it happen without a magic arm.

Kylie Robison, senior artificial intelligence reporter

My little Moleskine notebook records my life – which I experience about twice a year. This is where I keep my weekly and monthly calendars and all source/shareholder meeting minutes. I use micron pens because they are the best and I keep them in my Kirby pencil case and I even show them off in them edge Video (see above). I just recently redecorated my entire home office and part of it was a ton of decor, my favorite being the LED Majora’s Mask.

Barbara Krasnoff, Comments Editor

I love Dorothy Parker because of her writing and snarky personality. I even once bought a bottle of gin because it was named after her (and, let’s be honest, it wasn’t bad). So, when I saw her among the many celebrity finger puppets at a book fair a few years ago, I just had to buy it. The Parker puppet has a small magnet on the back of its head so it can easily hang from any metal surface. In fact, when I start working, I take it with me edgeI felt so lost when I accidentally left it behind in the office during the 2020 lockdown. Luckily, Dorothy has stuck around throughout the pandemic, and now she’s back in my home office, smiling sarcastically at me.

Song Qian, senior reviewer

Not long ago, a friend from Beijing gave me this cute cat-shaped desktop note holder as a souvenir. At first, I didn’t know what to do. Then I started adding motivational notes to it, and surprisingly, it worked. After a while, I started printing or writing out the occasional meme. (Why, yes, I did When I really need strength, I put up photo cards of my favorite K-pop stars.

Only recording one note this time helps me stay creative each week. Best of all, it reminds me to take a break and laugh at myself when I get too serious. I don’t know where to buy this desktop note holder, but you can find a bunch of fun note holders on Amazon and Etsy.