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Layoffs due to the recession have created a wave of consultants, freelancers, part-timers and other home-office workers who must use their living space as their work space. For this ultimate test of work-life balance, here are a few essentials to make the job easier.

Coffee Break

Clock in and grab a cup of java made fresh by the cup with the Keurig Office Pro Brewing System. Select from 27 varieties of pre-packaged single-serving K-Cups of assorted coffees, teas, and hot cocoa to satisfy family and guests. You don’t have to brew a whole pot when you’re working solo, and though the K-Cups may seem a bit expensive compared to coffee by the pound, but they are actually economical because you don’t waste coffee by making more than you want since most other brewers require you to make at least two cups to get the right taste. Plus you can find the K-Cups reasonably priced at discounters like Costco and Bed Bath and Beyond. The machine is easy to operate and doesn’t require much cleaning, so you can focus on work. $129.00. www.kuerig.com

Ready Headset Go

With the Sennheiser OfficeRunner Wireless Headset, you can wander through the house, put in a load of laundry even get the paper from the driveway, all while taking a business call. This uber headset features impressive high definition sound quality and allows users to talk on the phone as much as 400 feet away from the phone’s base station, and the noise-canceling microphone cuts most background clatter, perfect for home-office multi-tasking. The sleek and stylish headset weighs in at a mere .78 ounces, so you barely know it’s there, and the black cube charging station base looks attractive as it is non-cumbersome on a smaller desk. The set can be coupled with an optional handset lifter that attaches to the desk phone and allows the user to remotely lift the phone handset off the cradle so that an incoming call can be answered when the user is away from the desk. One downside is that it requires a corded handset, the kind with a curly cord that plugs into the phone, so it is not compatible with cordless handsets. Set up is fairly simple, once you get all the parts out of the elaborate packaging, and if you have any difficulties, the nice folks at 1-800-headsets will patiently talk you through it. $299.95. www.headsets.com/OfficeRunner

Good Connection

A great mate for the OfficeRunner headset is the Uniden D1688-2, which offers the best of both worlds with a corded phone base and two cordless handset companions – expandable to 12. It features DECT 6.0 technology for clear, interference-free talk; digital answering system; large, lighted display; and a keypad and full duplex speaker phone on the base, perfect for the small office. $79.99. Staples, Target, and retail stores nationwide.


Hook, Line and Ringer

Separate work and home with the 6.0 DECT VTech DS6151 two-line phone system with a handy dial pad and speakerphone on the base and handset, along with hold and mute buttons. The digital answering system features selectable ring tones and a dedicated mailbox for each line and remote retrieval to get messages when you are out. Expandable to up to 12 handsets. $79.95. www.vtechphones.com

Comments to date: 1. Page 1 of 1. Average Rating: shopgirl    beverly hills 12:26pm on Thursday, March 31st, 2011  the kitchen in our office has the keurig and I love it! Your Name: Your Location: Vote: Choose 1 - Dreadful 2 - Poor 3 - Fair 4 - Good 5 - Excellent Your Comment: Security check *