You know how you put a pillow on your lap so your computer doesn’t burn you while you work on the couch, but then your laptop fan wheezes and sucks in pillow dust? Stop doing that.

Invest in a lap desk. Here are five options that dramatically increase your ability to work from the couch. Which is what all of us want in the end.

We have a drawer at our house with a collection of slightly broken things — a fully functional iPhone with a shattered screen, a point and shoot that sometimes deletes entire memory cards on a whim, etcetera.

Looking in the drawer, it occurs to me that the convenience of throwing gadgets in my bag is perhaps outweighed by the cost of replacing them when they bang into each other and break. But cases offer the best of both worlds — relatively free-floating gadgets that still work when you turn them on. Here are five stylish options to protect your gadgets without adding too much bulk to your bag. Read more…

(Man I wish I’d had the forethought to post a photo of a laptop on my site before I took this photo.)

How long has it been since you thoroughly cleaned your computer? That’s what I thought.

I clean mine about as often as l spill something on the keyboard. But to keep your computer in good working order, you should scrub it down about twice a year–more often if you like to eat chips while you work. But how do you get everything sparkly without damaging anything? I did a little research.

Before you start, you’ll need some supplies: a large microfiber cloth, a can of compressed air, and a solution of 50 percent isopropyl rubbing alcohol and 50 percent mineral water, and a pair of tweezers. Once you have everything together, shut your computer down (if you’re cleaning a laptop, remove the battery as well). Read more…

I rent a little writing office, and as you probably know I recently acquired an office mate. She was all set to move in when I realized I was embarrassed to have anyone see my workspace, let alone share it. At the time, it was a barren closet packed with boxes and junk I’d dragged in from the car.

Together we’ve been revamping, and slowly the storage closet is turning into a jewel box. Here’s what I’ve learned about making an office into an inspiring space.

1. Take good care of yourself.

It’s tough for an office to be inspiring if it’s not physically comfortable. Read more of 4 Tips for Creating an Inspiring Office.

I have a new post up over on Intel’s Lifescoop site. This one is 5 Super Useful Camera Accessories.

And, in case you missed them, here are a couple other camera-related posts I’ve written for the site:

Five Small Camera Bags for the Casual Photographer

6 Unique Tools for Better Photos

This is me all dressed up for the Mad Men party at Mom 2.0. I’m wearing my hair like this from now on.

I’ve been a little silent because I came home with a nasty cold, but I’ll have photos up soon and a collection of a few of my favorite moments from the weekend.

Hank turned three today. He loves trains, and chocolate, and fire truck sirens. When he sees a new person he says, “Oh, hello friend.” He sometimes closes his eyes when he walks down stairs. If he hurts someone by accident, he kisses it better. He loves to run, and if both Bryan and I are holding his hands, he lifts his feet so we have to swing him. We go to the Academy of Sciences to visit the Daddy Fish, the Conservatory of Flowers for the train exhibit, the Japanese Tea garden for the stairs and the “fishy playground” koi ponds, and the toy store — which he requests by saying “Could we go to the toy store? It is open.” When I drop him off at day care, he finds a friend to hug, then all the kids come for a hug. Sometimes I get one too.

Happy Birthday, little Hank. I sure do like you.