Edition 52: In Search of Elegant Clipboards
And a packing list to help you survive/enjoy your next flight
Greetings, friends! And welcome to Caroline Finds It: my weekly newsletter where I reply to submissions from YOU for objects and products you need recommendations for.
How much thought have you ever given to clipboards? I, for one, have never really thought about them at all, until the last time I needed 6 of them for a book club scavenger hunt and had to rush to my local variety store to buy whatever they had. The clipboards I paid $2.99 for were terrible in more ways than I thought were possible and now I’m upset about being saddled with a collection of bad clipboards that are also difficult to store. Mordechai in Brooklyn’s submission reveals more requirements than I’m sure he realizes and I can’t wait to get into it.
“We host a list of sit down dinners, often with themed conversations with discussion points printed on paper. I'm looking for an elegant clip board, that can be placed on the table alongside the plates (we happen to be using a lot of the palm frond ones you recommended before) - something the discussion papers, perhaps a menu for the evening's food, can be clipped on.”
Dear Mordechai,
First of all, I love this concept! What an organized and attractive way to guide the conversation of a dinner. You’re right, a nice clip board is exactly what you need to corral all of your papers and keep your table tidy. I do think it’s possible to keep your dinner table from looking like a conference room, but first, let’s go over the criteria:
Clip Type
There are two types of clipboard clips. The traditional kind:
And the flat kind:
A traditional clip looks cooler and is useful if you’re clipping a lot of papers, but the bulk of it makes it impossible to store in multiples. For this reason, I am only going to suggest flat clips for you. Trust me — when you’re going to stack them and stash them away you’ll understand.
Materials
There are four primary material options when it comes to clipboards.
Hardboard/MDF - This is the brown composite material that most clipboards are traditionally made of. For most things, these are fine, but in situations where spills and drips are possible, I’d avoid them because they can absorb water into gross blisters that won’t go away even when the material is dry.
Plastic - The benefits of plastic clipboards are that they are cheap, durable, waterproof and can be found in many different colors. The downside is that they are the opposite of elegant.
Metal - All the perks of plastic, but without looking like plastic. These are harder to find, but I think a metal clipboard could look really chic.
Wood - I have been shocked to discover how many gorgeous hardwood clipboards there are available on Etsy! The downside is that they are comparatively expensive, and must have some sort of finish or coating to survive the hazards of a dining table.
Size
Your options here are an 9” x 12” letter size, or a 6” x 9” memo size. Considering that you’ll save paper and table space, let’s go with memo size.
All of this considered, I’ve picked out an option for you in plastic, metal and wood.
Metal
There’s a website called clipboards.com that has a wide selection of aluminum options in many colors for $6.99. They sell a variety of loose wire clips, in case you want to get creative and swap them out. The product photography is atrocious, but I’m sure you can use your imagination. I think this one in “wine” is lovely:
Plastic
Your best bet is clear acrylic, which will disappear into your table and not look too clipboard-y. Here’s an option from Clear Home Decor for $4.99.
Wood
I found a style on Etsy for $15 that appears to require a hole punch at the top of the page, but had a decidedly less corporate look. I suppose it’s not really even a clipboard, but more of a menu holder. If you’re interested in a more traditional wood clipboard, the best price with the most options I’ve found online is here. Heavily customizable, for about $12 each — albeit, a little rustic in style.
“Menu holder” is a good rabbit hole to explore for this request, but the hang-up I kept coming across on Etsy is that most of the good ones are in European paper sizes.
There you have it! Everything you need to know to at least narrow down your options.
A PACKING LIST
Laura in Marietta: “Essentials for a long haul plane trip! I have a 15+ hour flight coming up and I want my body (inside and out) to feel as good as reasonably possible when I hop off the plane to start my adventure!”
I’m the weirdo who has developed the recent habit of mailing my friends and family “airplane amenity kits” ahead of a group vacation and I have a lot of opinions on this! Being well equipped for a comfortable flight can make a massive difference in how much your enjoy the first day or two of your trip, and though a massive bag of Skittles from the airport shop seems like a more fun way to fill your underseat bag, I’d consider some of the following items, too:
Headphone bluetooth transmitter - On a recent group trip, I learned about the AirFly, which is a headphone jack bluetooth transmitter so you can use your wireless earbuds or headphones for in-flight entertainment. No more surprise charges for wired headphones or risk of getting tangled up in cords!
Face Wipes - Ursa Major individually wrapped face wipes are one of my favorite in-flight luxuries. They’re compact and will give you the refresh you need mid-flight.
Face Mist - Airplanes suck the moisture out of my skin, so I like to always have some sort of travel-sized face mist with me to spritz throughout the flight.
Hand Cream - On that same note, hand cream is also essential! I like to get one that has face-friendly ingredients, just in case!
Hand Sanitizer Spray - An obvious essential, but consider bringing your sanitizer in spray form and also using it to also sanitize your TV screen, tray table, etc.
Hydration Tablets - These are available by many brands but they all do pretty much the same thing. My rule is that I bring 1 liter of water per 3 hours of flight, and the first thing I do is pop a hydration tablet into my bottle.
Eye Pads - This is the best way to revive yourself towards the end of a long flight! Cooling gel pads will make you both look and feel refreshed. I’ve found that Patchology eye gels are the best value ($15 for a box of 5).
Eye Steam Mask - I can’t stop writing about these heated aromatherapy eye masks because I do just genuinely love them! If you’re trying to relax or sleep on your flight, they’re a must-have.
Neck Pillow - I personally do not travel with a neck pillow because I don’t think it’s worth the bulk, but my parter does, and has a packable Cabeau one that’s much more travel-friendly than the ones you can buy at Hudson News.
Compression Socks - These can be a pain to wear, but they do really help with circulation and will leave you feeling less swollen when you arrive to your destination. I’ve found that the ones by Comrad are more comfortable and travel-friendly than most.
Jet Set Pills - A wellness advisor recently recommended these to me as an herbal way to combat jet lag and travel fatigue and they really work! There are two pills to help you feel energized when you’re supposed to, and two to help you sleep. The only thing is, they’re pricy at $15 for a one-way pack.
FAVORITE PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
One of my favorite at-home hobbies is making beaded necklaces and bracelets for myself and my friends. I’m obsessed with buying vintage beads on Etsy and crystal ones from Beads of Paradise, and have done a lot of research on clasps that are easy to use and look expensive but discreet. By far, the best option I’ve found are sterling silver magnetic clasps from Nami Charm Supplies. I like this particular option because the prices are good, and there are smaller sizes available, like one in 4.5mm. Truly, discovering these particular clasps has significantly upped the professionalism of my craft and made my life easier by being able to attach my jewelry in a single try.
Is there a product you’re looking for? Submit your request here. See you next week for a fresh recommendations. xo Caroline