How A Label Maker Will Change My Life
Posted on April 9, 2009 by Miss Britt in Home, Tech
I have discovered the one gift that someone can buy me that will magically change my life forever. In fact, I think if you buy any woman this gift, you will dramatically improve the quality of her life. She’ll love you forever.
I’m sure of it.
I want a label maker.
Strike that.
I need a label maker.
Allow me to share my label making fantasy with you and paint you a beautiful picture of organizational nirvana.
Let’s start in the kitchen. I’ll label all the shelves (inside the cupboards, mind you) with the name of the items that are supposed to go on them. For example – “mixing bowls”, “tupperware”, “coffee mugs”, “weird shit”. Etc, etc, etc.
Then I’ll label the drawers (you know, on the little ledges you can only see when the drawer is open) – “spoons”, “pot holders”, “knives”, “big shit that doesn’t fit elsewhere”. Etc, etc, etc.
Now, because every cupboard and shelf and drawer is neatly and clearly labeled, every single person in my house can put the dishes away. All of the dishes away. Gone will be the pile on the counter of things that “I didn’t know where those went! So I left them for you!” And more than put away – they’ll be put in the actual spots they belong. Never again will I find myself hollering through the house “where is the cookie sheet THIS time?!?!?!”
And peace and joy will follow.
And not just in the kitchen.
I can label everyone’s dresser drawers, too! Because sometimes it is just too hard to figure out that socks go in the drawer with the other socks. But there is no denying a clearly marked label with the word “Socks” typed out in courier font.
OH! And I can label bathroom drawers and medicine cabinet shelves. Surely that will completely eliminate “I just left it out because I didn’t know where it goes” conversations when someone is asked to clean the bathroom! And maybe they’ll even know where to put things away after they use them – because it’s hard to remember sometimes where you got it out from 5 minutes earlier.
OH! OH! And toy shelves! And bins! Never again will I spend 6 hours cleaning a child’s bedroom only to have everything taken out and jammed back into not at all the right places later. Clean rooms for everyone! Forever!
Ah, yes. A label maker will change my life.
Clearly.
Now I just have to figure out which one to buy…
Brother PT-80 P-touch Electronic Labeling System
Apparently, this is the one Martha Stewart herself recommends. It’s supposed to be small and easy to use. Some reviewers complained that it sucks battery life too quickly and the cartridges are $10 each.
DYMO LetraTag Personal Label Maker 11944 Silver
Apparently the battery life on this label maker is better. You have to use two different types of labels – one for paper and one for hard surfaces (like plastic). Other reviewers noted that the cartridges were less expensive and the backing was easier to peel off. The biggest complaint with this one tends to be longevity.
Brother PT-1010 Handheld Labeler with Rubber Grip
This is another label maker by Brother, but it seemed to have slightly better reviews than the one Martha recommends. And it has the option of an AC adaptor, which I like. It’s only $19.99 – which I also like. The biggest complaint with this one seems to be label tape waste – which all label makers seem to do to a point. A few users suggested printing multiple labels on one tape with spaces in between to save tape. I think I can manage that.
So what do you think? I’m thinking I’m going to have my husband buy me the Brother PT-1010 Label Maker for Mother’s Day. And then make him promise to put everyone’s laundry away.
Anyone have better suggestions (or experience with these models) before I finalize my wish list?
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Posted on April 9, 2009 by Miss Britt in Home, Tech
I have that first one on your list. easy to use, inexpensive and intuitive. Intuitive is important for those of us that don’t like to read instructions.
However, I don’t let the labels drive me to distraction. I had a specific purpose and that is the only time it will be used.
One complaint. The labels on the Brother are hard to peel.
@Connie, that’s exactly what the reviewers said too!
I have the first one, too. It’s amazing. Will change your life.
The first day I got it, I reorganized the entire house and Tariq actually put things where they belong because he could READ it!!
Even *he* was excited about it.
Then I made a label for him that said “Husband” and it was downhill from there.
That is a true story.
@Faiqa, husband? I’m so disappointed.
I’m thinking I will make
“funny judge”
“bitch”
“man whore”
stuff like that. You know, useful stuff.
I also have the first one. But I only label things once in a fucking blue moon. So I can’t comment on the longevity.
Unlike Faiqa, my first label read “my love” and I gave it to Gia. Mine wasn’t sarcastic, so she loved it. Ha!
@B.E. Earl, awwww, you’re such a softie.
That old fashioned label maker was one of my favorite toys as a kid. Such satisfaction from squeezing the trigger and hearing that lovely cluck-click of the letter being pressed into the tape, the clacking whirl of the letter wheel, the sharp edges of your masterpiece.
I never made any practical labels, and I doubt I would now. Never SUGAR or SCISSORS, but rather WONDERLUST and SUBLIME INCANTATIONS. Once, I typed out a whole poem. My mom was pissed because I used up all the tape. But my creative writing teacher thought it was clever.
I need to find me one of those again.
@lynn @ human, being, and now I think maybe I was deprived as a child…
I have never thought about it before, but you have completely sold me. I need, I MUST get a lable maker.
Are you sure our families aren’t related? I always say, “you got it out and you can’t remember where you got it from? you take it from the SAME PLACE every. single. time.”
Geez.
@Robina, you mean it’s not just MY family that does that?!?!
I just bought a cheap old fashioned one at Menard’s for like $5 – I only needed it to put our last name on our apartment mailbox.
Then I gave it to my son to play with. We had a lot of made up words taped to his bedroom wall after that. LOL
@Sheila (Charm School Reject), I MISS MENARD’S!!!!!!
I’ve used lots of label makers…you know, at work. Ahem.
Seriously though, I’ve actually used all three and like the first one the best of all…it is easier to use than the others.
@Hilly, so what you’re saying is, you agree with Martha Stewart.
Do you feel dirty now?
I too, have the first one at work. LOVE IT.
I think I would use Arial rather than Courier though.
xo
I have wanted one of those for kind of a whileish. I’ve thought about asking for one for christmas/my birthday, but I always felt wierd about it.
I really need one now, too. It’s OCD heaven!!
add me to the group that has the first one at work. never had an issue with it. brother should send you one to review.