14 Stylish Backpacks for Grown-Ups

Feeling like you need some new desk accessories to get ready for back-to-school season? So do we! We created some awesome leather mouse pads inspired by Grovemade. We hope that this DIY inspires you to make work and school more fun!

Materials:

– ¼ inch cork sheets

– leather

– paper plate

Tools:

– ruler

– spray adhesive

– scissors

– hot glue gun

– pen

Instructions:

Let's get making!

First you need to prepare your mouse pad. Spray your cork with spray adhesive and then adhere your leather, smoothing it out and pressing it firmly to the cork. Cut off any extra leather. Now you're ready to get creative!

First cut out your mouse pad. We went with a circle for our first shape. Trace a paper plate (or anything that is the correct size and shape). Cut out your mouse pad using a pair of sharp scissors.

Pencil Holder

To create a pencil slot, cut a second piece of leather, using the mouse pad to get the correct measurements. Place your pen on top to see where you would like it to sit.

Staying away from the edges, cut two even slits approximately one inch long. Make them parallel and about ¾ inch apart. Slide a pen through the slot and glue the leather to the top of the mouse pad. By keeping the pen in the slot while you glue, you’ll ensure a good fit.

Claw-tooth Heart

There are so many ways you can go with a free-handed shape, but we chose a heart.

Draw your shape on the back of your cork and cut it out.

We added individual triangles to the edge rounding the backs to fit the curve of the heart. You can cut out any shapes or extra pieces that you want to add to the pad. Just glue them on. Keep in mind that you want a smooth surface for your mouse, so it’s best to stay away from small cutouts in the center of the mouse pad.

Pocket

For our final mouse pad we added a corner pocket to hold small supplies. It’s the perfect size for a flash drive, paper clips or a mini clothes pins.

Once again, we cut out our shape. This time we made a rectangular mouse pad. Use a ruler to keep your lines straight.

Determine the size, shape and location of your pocket and then cut it out of your extra leather.

Glue the sides leaving one edge open. You’re all ready to add your desktop goodies!

So fun!

Now you have yourself a fresh new mouse pad to liven up your desk. Let the new year begin!

Here's How Often You Should Cut Your Hair, According To Professionals

I’ll admit it — it had been eight months since my last haircut. My hair had lost its shape, my layers were nowhere to be found, and my ends were begging for mercy. Life got busy over the last few months and I was neglecting my haircare like never before.

My hairdresser could immediately see that I was beyond due for a cut and said I needed to get more taken off than I was hoping. I was definitely disappointed — I'd been working on growing out my hair for a while now, and it just felt like my hard work had completely gone to waste. He explained that getting consistent haircuts is the key to growing out healthy and strong hair, rather than letting it grow and grow until it eventually breaks. So let's dig into the top three things you can do to avoid this scenario!

1. Just Get The Dang Haircut

Also avoiding a haircut like I was? You might want to schedule one at your nearest salon. Like my stylist said, when you wait too long between trims like I did, you risk your hair becoming heavy, dull, and lifeless. When the hair is dry or even dead, it’s nearly impossible for it to hold a curl or style, essentially collapsing on you and taking on more and more heat damage all the while. I know the pain of spending time on a blowout only for it to fall minutes later — it’s the worst.

According to Jack, getting a haircut every 10-12 weeks is the best time frame or your ends will pay the price. Between blow-drying, curling, straightening, sun, and weather, our ends get dry and start to break without the proper care. Getting consistent haircuts allows hair to bounce back, shine, and perform the way we want in a healthy way.

2. Leave-In Conditioners Are Your Friend

His top piece of advice to keep your hair looking and feeling hydrated between trims? Invest in conditioning treatments. Jack swears by the Olaplex conditioning system, specifically the No 3 Hair Perfector. Made with patented OLAPLEX Bond Building Technology™, this conditioning treatment repairs and prevents damage in as little as three minutes. No 3 promises to reduce breakage and visibly strengthen hair, so it’s the perfect assistance to keep ends fresh between cuts. Another conditioning treatments I’ve used and loved for years is the Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask, which is designed to restore moisture, elasticity, and shine to dry hair.

3. Switch Up Your Shampoos

Switching shampoos frequently is a pretty hot tip that I honestly hadn't thought of. Our hair gets used to the same products and grows tired of them, resulting in lackluster locks. Jack’s advice is to switch brands after finishing every bottle of shampoo to bring life back to your hair. Have two brands that you’re loyal to? Even switching back and forth between them after every bottle should make a big difference in your hair. I’m a huge fan of the R+Co Dallas Biotin Thickening Shampoo, which makes my hair look thick and full, as well as the Moroccanoil Hydrating Shampoo, which is so hydrating and gives so much shine.

In the end, navigating your back-and-forth relationship with haircuts often feels like a rollercoaster ride between wanting that fresh look and cringing at the receipt. Luckily, by using conditioning treatments and switching up your products,, you can keep your locks healthy, shiny, and full of life between trims. But take a newly learned lesson out of my book: don't let your ends pay the price for procrastination and just book the haircut.