You Deserve It: How to Make Life at Home Easier with This 1 Thing
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The #1 Way to Make Your Life Easier: Phone Holder
We’ve shared a lot about commercial and industrial uses of flex arms — but what about the home? In my experience, that’s where some of the hardest work gets done. Need to check my credentials? You wouldn’t be the first. Here’s where I’m coming from.
I am a mom working and caring for my kids from home, requiring me to juggle a lot of different balls (which I know many of you can relate to, especially right now). For the most part, managing my three kids and professional activities can be quite hectic! I’m always looking for ways to make my days more efficient and productive. In what seems like ages ago, before the pandemic, all of my meetings were in-person and required daycare. That all changed this March when our family, along with the rest of the world, shifted into a daily routine intertwined with online everything.
So how does a busy household manage an online presence at work, cook dinner, AND make sure the kids are entertained? By getting some help from flex arms. I’m serious. They haven’t made a flex arm that can tuck in an over-tired seven-year-old, but other than that — these things work. How so? I’m glad you asked.
Hands-Free Meetings Changed My Life
With COVID-19, the word “Zoom” catapulted into our lives, becoming a household name overnight. We all had our moments, and watched others experience theirs, whether it was being muted when you wanted to talk, unmuted when you didn’t want the group hearing those chaotic moments, or taking the camera with you into places never meant to be seen by the human eye. Yeesh.
Regardless, digital meeting spaces are here to stay. I personally had every single organization I was involved with switch to online-only meetings. And truly, they aren’t going away. (If you want a fascinating look into online meeting trends, check out Microsoft’s report from April or Zoom’s letter, stating growth from 10 million daily users to 200 million this spring). The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for virtual meetings is expected to be 9% over the next decade. Crazy, right?
What I found I needed for all of the hours I spent in virtual meetings was somewhere to put my phone and tablet. My kid’s dollhouse as a phone holder and mount was just not cutting it. Fortunately, Moffatt’s mountable phone holder was exactly what I needed to effortlessly participate in virtual meetings. All it took was a quick magnetic sticker on the back of my phone and a satisfying click when it attached to the surprisingly strong magnet fixed to the flex arm. A ball-and-swivel joint allows me to easily adjust the orientation of my phone while the flexible arm puts it at the perfect angle and height.
Using this phone holder frees me to use both of my hands to take notes and focus on being fully present during my meetings. The flex arm stays in place thanks to its mount and holder, making sure I don’t ever have to mess with it during the meeting. Going forward, I cannot imagine doing another virtual meeting without my phone holder. It ranks just behind coffee in the “super productivity aid” department.
Stepped Up My Cooking Game
I’ve seen more opportunities to cook for my family in the last few months since we’re home so often! That’s sorta great news, but also means that I have to change up my meal prep if I’m going to make food that my kids actually, you know, eat. That means going back to recipes and not just relying on my hallmark sloppy joe for the eight millionth time (though I have to say there is nothing wrong with my sloppy joes!).
Anyway, if you are like me, the majority of your recipes are on your devices. According to a 2015 study, 59% of millennials use their phones when cooking. We can only imagine that number has grown. If you are also like me, you’ll have experienced the pain and anguish of leaving your phone or tablet in a vulnerable position on the counter and having it spilled on way too often. I mean, if I’m being totally honest ONE TIME is too many.
I also find myself frustrated at the amount of time it takes to pick the phone back up, unlock it, and find the recipe again — which is essentially like combing an endless beach, looking for buried treasure inside those lengthy blog posts. Why we have to know the life story of the person teaching us how to make lemon chicken, I’ll never know. All that being said, finally mounting my tablet was the absolute change I needed to make to keep my sanity.
I had no clue how much more stress in cooking related back to my phone until I began mounting it on a flex arm. The first thing I did was put my phone at eye level. No, duh, right? As they say, hindsight is 20/20. Instantly, there was no more strain on my back or eyes leaning over the counter when my hands were too full of food to pick it up. I could glance at the recipe near my workspace effortlessly. Who would’ve thought that cooking could be so much more enjoyable just by fixing my phone problem? Plus, I’m sure the guy who fixes our phone is happy not to have to deal with rogue spills anymore. Bonus.
The Babysitter You Didn’t Know You Had
My kids earn some media time during the day, so in the afternoon they can sit down to watch a show together. For the most part, we have a phone, laptop, and tablet to share as a family during the workday. I prefer setting up the laptop, as it is easier to put on a coffee table for three children to view at once. But there are many times when I have work to do on the laptop and the kids end up wanting to watch something on my phone or tablet.
In the past, this required one child to hold the phone, while the others looked on over their shoulders. The phone is usually resting in their laps, so each head and shoulders are slumped over in order to view. Also (and maybe my kids are the exception) a battle royal usually ensues over who gets to hold the phone. Nothing about this setup was good. A phone holder was a blessing straight down from heaven. It had proven effective for my professional meetings, why not allow the kids to use it for their screen time, right?
Turns out I should have been doing this for years. With a weighted base or a clamp that easily attaches to my coffee table, this phone holder relieves them from hunching over it and can now sit up on the couch. We also have kept more peace, since there is no longer a battle over who is the one holding the screen. Thank goodness for phone holders and mounts. For real, they act as literal peacekeepers in this house.
In light of COVID-19, more families than ever will be beginning/continuing the school year online. If a tablet or phone is the device being used for learning, consider a flex arm phone holder for your student. This easily frees up their hands for taking notes and participating in their virtual classes. Making it hands-free will also relieve their posture, with the ability to position it exactly at viewing level. I know this school year has a lot of unknowns, but take it from me, this is one way to make life a little easier.
If you’re curious on how a flex arm or two can completely transform your home life, check out our store for an easy-to-peruse selection of device and phone holders.