Staples Canada is hosting a contest, giving us the opportunity to win our wishlist of items we would love to have for a home office, up to $1,000. This contest came along at a perfect time, because I have reached my boiling point with all the chaos and noise around here, and was just starting to draw up plans to soundproof the bathroom and turn the tub into a desk. But they always find me in the bathroom, and Google Hangouts could be awkward with a toilet as a backdrop.

Right now I work at the dining room table, which I thought made a whole lot of sense, given that my fish sticks and chicken nuggets are rarely deemed to be “fancy dining room food.” The problem with that plan is that it’s right above Nerdguy’s office in the basement. He spends most of his days lately on conference calls with Trace Adkins sound-alikes, and it’s impossible to tune them out. When the calls are mercifully over, he comes up to check his personal email on the computer in the living room. His uncontrolled ADHD means that he feels the need to blurt out whatever is on his mind. Just when I get back to my stream of thoughts and start writing, he has a new question or something to tell me. I need a quiet place to write, with a lock on the door, and potentially a moat and dragon.

Our bedroom is ridiculous. It’s huge, but poorly laid out. There is a whole end of it, that is wasted space due to the 3 sets of doors, window, and 2 floor vents around that part of the room. We still have the glider in there that I spent many nights sleeping in with the babies, but now that the babies are 8, the chair is just a docking station for junk. I want to put a desk in there and turn it into my office.

Nerdguy’s meeting is over and now I hear him humming! I need to make this happen.

I have been pinning away on Pinterest, selecting things that will help me turn this clutter catch-all into a productive and pretty workspace. It was really hard to narrow down, but here are my favourites:

Martha Stewart Home Office™ Blair Desk, Walnut Brown

I like how the desk has a big surface on it, but doesn’t feel too bulky, and it matches our bedroom furniture. If we make the room look like a fancy hotel suite, maybe a maid and room service will suddenly appear – that whole “if you build it…” concept.

Martha Stewart Home Office™ Blair 2-Drawer Rolling File, Walnut Brown

I will try to pretend here that I will actually use the filing cabinet appropriately, but we all know I’m just going to stack papers inside it. I can’t help it. But at least I won’t have to see them!

Office Star Mesh Multifunction Task Chair, Black

Comfort and ventilation are everything. I’m sure I saw that embroidered on a pillow.

Sony® MDRNC8B Noise Cancelling Headphones

Just in case the second floor isn’t far enough away from all the sounds. I mean ALL.THE.SOUNDS. I hear every noise. At the same time. Nerdguy has a sweet pair of noise cancelling headphones – but he sings loudly when he wears them. I am sure I could even get my doctor to prescribe these for me, because they have to be medically necessary with the noise level in this house.

Brother MFC-J470DW Wireless Inkjet Multifunction Printer

A printer of my very own that won’t be out of paper every time I go to use it!!

Bushnell Powerview 10X42 Roof Prism Binoculars

For spying on the neighbours of course! My blog will write itself.

Staples® Ballpoint Pens, Retractable, Grip, 1.0mm, Assorted, 50/Pack

These are my very favourite pens in the whole entire world. I regularly buy the 50 pen bucket from Staples, and yet I always find I am without a pen. My bedroom door locks. I will win the pen war.

Martha Stewart Home Office™ With Avery™ Stack+Fit Shagreen Drawer with Inbox, Blue

I love all of the Martha Stewart Office supplies and I am quite sure I have been the cause of at least one “clean up on aisle 3” at Staples due to the drool puddle that has formed at my feet. I have a lot more of her supplies on my Pinterest Board. Just cover your keyboard – computers are not drool-friendly.

Martha Stewart Home Office™ With Avery™ Message Board 21830, Flourish, Blue Border, 14″ x 14″

I will pin my reminders there. Reminders such as “Get off Pinterest and Do Your Work.” Or motivational notes such as “You go girl!” or “Go back to bed – it’s right there!” I’m still working on those. Clearly.

Eight O’Clock® Hazelnut, Single Serve Cups, 18/Pack

Coffee and office supplies. Staples is my dream store. It must be how other women feel at shoe stores.

So that is my wishlist. I could put a pretty sweet office together for $1,000 eh? <—official Canadian content.

If I get tired of working indoors and I decide to share my office with the raccoon and the fuzzy bunnies, I put together an outdoor option too:

Check out my Pinterest board for the links and some other sweet ideas for making an outdoor office for when it warms up. It WILL warm up right?

Make your own wishlist and you could win your own office makeover. Check out the details at Staples Canada. And be quick like a bunny because the contest ends tomorrow – I may have spent a bit too much time pinning.

Designing My Hideout – I Mean My Office With #MakeMoreMakeover