As the days get markedly shorter and the winter blues taunt, I’ve appreciated little items like Katie D’s chirping bird paper clip holder. At my desk, I’ve also gone the woodland animal paper clip route with the Dozi Paperclip Holder, $24 from the MoMA Store. Ah yes, when I’ve got a particularly gnarly case of the desktop doldrums, I just reach over and give the porcupine a paper clip mohawk, sometimes even a paper clip comb-over, to add a little pop of color and humor to my otherwise bland desk. I also use him as a kind of time-telling fun-dial, if you will. If he starts the week off at mohawk, I know that the weekend is near when his spikes have depreciated to comb-over status, because lots of work must have been done to require all those paper clips! –Sarah C.

The summer is winding down and the winter months are creeping up on us. All those lucky little song birds will fly south to escape the snow while the rest of us are stuck here to suffer the sleety commute. To get you through those winter blues, the chirping bird paper clip holder from Perpetual Kid, $14.99, is a pop of color to brighten up an otherwise dreary desk. Not only is this little guy adorable, but he’ll punctuate any paper clip usage with a happy little chirp. –Katie D.