Coffee Break: Bamboo Cable Management Box

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The main reason I bought this box that holds a surge protector / power strip is because one of our cats loves chewing electrical cords and iPhone cables, and they were getting mangled. I bought it at the end of last year, and though it was more than I was hoping to pay when I was looking for something like this, it's very well-made and I'm really happy with it.

So, obviously, the power strip goes inside the box — and then there's one slot on each side for the cords to go through. The only thing I wish were different is that the lid is pretty loud when you close it (unless you put it down gently), but that's not a big deal.

Not only does this box protect cords from my cat's teeth, but it makes everything look tidier, too.

In case you can't tell, the little things in the image with the red gift ribbon tied around them (why?) are cable ties.

This cable box is $45.95 at Amazon and is available in the pictured “cherry brown” as well as black and a few other options. It has a one-year warranty.

This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

Sales of note for 2/14/25 (Happy Valentine's Day!):

  • Nordstrom – Winter Sale, up to 60% off! 7850 new markdowns for women
  • Ann Taylor – Up to 40% off your full-price purchase — and extra 60% off sale
  • Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + 15% off (readers love their suiting as well as their silky shirts like this one)
  • Boden – 15% off new season styles
  • Eloquii – 300+ styles $25 and up
  • J.Crew – 40% of your purchase – prices as marked
  • J.Crew Factory – 50% off entire site and storewide + extra 50% off clearance
  • Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – Flash sale ending soon – markdowns starting from $15, extra 70% off all other markdowns (final sale)

Sales of note for 2/14/25 (Happy Valentine's Day!):

  • Nordstrom – Winter Sale, up to 60% off! 7850 new markdowns for women
  • Ann Taylor – Up to 40% off your full-price purchase — and extra 60% off sale
  • Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + 15% off (readers love their suiting as well as their silky shirts like this one)
  • Boden – 15% off new season styles
  • Eloquii – 300+ styles $25 and up
  • J.Crew – 40% of your purchase – prices as marked
  • J.Crew Factory – 50% off entire site and storewide + extra 50% off clearance
  • Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – Flash sale ending soon – markdowns starting from $15, extra 70% off all other markdowns (final sale)

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

87 Comments

  1. At the risk of potentially outting myself, I would love the hive’s thoughts! Nonequity partner in big law. Not where my heart is, although I hoped to maybe angle for at least a state or federal court judgeship someday and staying a traditional attorney until then seemed to be the best track for that. A regulatory type counsel position is opening with a trade association that I like, and pay and benefits sound better than anticipated. Not clear it’s full-on GC work though. It seems to be getting off the regular lawyer track regardless. But I know I’m not meant for big law, maybe any firm really. I hate billables and collections, the constant angst about building a book (particularly when my firm seems to be focusing heavily on corporate M&A work and I am in litigation). With the understanding that I’ve given you only a smidge of information, do you have thoughts? Is getting this type of job foreclosing the traditional lawyer path? My heart says I can’t plan my life around the off chance that one day I can be a judge. Thanks in advance for humoring my rambling.

    1. Why aren’t you going for that judgeship now? Screw your courage to the sticking post and make the big push and see if you can make it happen?

      1. No spots open for foreseeable future and even then the political climate is such that it’s gonna be a while before I would be considered for any appointed spots. :/

        1. Referring to state more so than federal. My market is crazy small so fed spots are like four leaf clovers at the end of a unicorn rainbow.

          1. With the huge caveat that it’s probably different in your state I’d get involved in local politics asap if you’d be interested in being a state court judge.

    2. Have you considered a move to another firm that is more litigation focused? I’m not sure a firm that is transactional focused is the best launching pad for a judgeship anyway. You want to go to a firm that has put some judges on the bench.

      1. A bit, but not bringing much of a book with me so not sure how attractive I am. May be worth talking to a head hunter about. My market is very small. Thank you for your thoughts, I need to think through this.

    3. Although in house billing is different from what private practice billing, many corporations are requiring their attorneys to track time. FYI. Maybe check first.

    4. I have some experience going regulatory counsel in an association and back into practice (although not a judgeship!). Feel free to drop me a note – crossedpaws10 at g mail.

  2. I know this question gets asked occasionally but my search skills are failing me. Where on earth can I get a nice, modern/sleek black top that is not frilly/prairie style or Work-style/ button down? As an example, I like the Ramona top from Modern Citizen but it’s sold out in my size.

    1. I can’t seem to find exactly what I’m thinking of, but I’ve gotten a lot of top ideas from HelloKimlet on IG.

    2. I’ve been getting that sort of thing from Banana Republic Factory lately.

        1. They have sales pretty often (tops are just under $50). I hesitated at first due to the price, but have bought more than I should have!

      1. comment in m0d, but see Nordstrom, halogen cap sleeve satin blouse, or free people night owl bodysuit

  3. I’m looking for guidance on how to approach divestment from Russia when interviewing for an international role. I’m in the process of interviewing for a job supporting international clinical trials at a multinational pharmaceutical company. The company has operations in Russia and isn’t on the Yale list (as having changed what they do as a result of the war or not having changed what they do). The role does not include travel to clinical trial sites.

    1) How much involvement in Russia is too much? If this were a luxury goods company, it’d be easy to say any continued operations in Russia is too much. However, I think it could be better to continue a trial for a lifesaving drug than to abruptly stop. Should I draw the line at starting new trials in Russia? Somewhere else?

    2) When is the best time to ask about the company’s approach to operations in Russia? If the company is continuing totally as normal, I want to send the signal that they’re losing talent over their actions.

    1. I would ask this at the first interview with real decision makers (as opposed to a 15 minute phone interview with an HR person). See what they say and then determine how you feel about it. Frankly I think it looks good that you’ve done some research into their position on this, it shows that you’re serious about the role.

      1. I was about to marvel at the utter and willful uselessness of your reply to OP but then I realized that — despite its brevity — your comment wonderfully showcases your profound lack of character, so it’s actually a highly effective comment. [golf claps]

        1. I don’t think this is fair to that commenter—asking her this question isn’t a sign of a lack of character at all, it is a relevant question for the applicant to consider and for anyone giving her advice on how to proceed. We all make decisions about our values, our careers, and spending, this is just one example and I don’t think it was wrong for the commenter to raise this question.

          1. From the context of the original post it’s obvious this is a serious issue to OP, so yeah, Anonymous @ 3:06’s comment is snark worthy of dismissing.

          2. It is obvious from the context that this is a serious issue for the OP, which is exactly why I asked. It was not clear whether the OP chose to apply to get this information and possibly make the point or is seriously interested in the job as long as the company is doing what she considers ethical in the face of atrocities.
            I do, though, bristle any time someone refers to themselves as “talent”. But since i have mostly heard it applied by men, I am sort of glad to see a woman using it.

        2. FYI, this response doesn’t make you look as witty or clever as you think it does.

      2. I really want the job, but not if it’ll have me supporting activities I find unconscionable. If the company was selling luxury goods in Russia, I wouldn’t have applied. Clinical trials work isn’t so clear to me.

        1. I would go further and say that stopping clinical trials and refusing to sell life saving drugs to Russians is actually unconscionable. I’m all in favor of the Netflixes and McDonalds of the world pulling out of Russia, but killing people by cutting off necessary medication is flat out wrong, in my opinion, and I would expect a lot of push back if you expect most people to support that.

          1. I feel kind of confused about the details. Is the idea that we shouldn’t support Russian pharmaceutical companies poised to make big profits? Or is the idea that we shouldn’t be paying Russian people to participate in trials? Are these clinical trials sick patients potentially gaining access to medication? Or are they trials with healthy volunteers? (Usually when I am thinking about the ethics of clinical trials, I’m thinking about whether it’s ethical to go out of one’s way to find healthy people poor enough to want to participate!)

    2. Do you want a job or to score imaginary political points? The right time to address this is never.

        1. If you are OP, why did you ask the question if you didn’t want honest responses? This isn’t an echo chamber.

          If you aren’t OP, why don’t you step back for a minute and realize that if multiple people are asking the same question, it’s likely one that’s worth consideration by the OP? Stop trying to police what people do and don’t get to ask about in an open forum.

    3. Regardless of you moral stance which is yours to figure out, I would probably lean towards business focused questions when interviewing. Do they anticipate disruption of their operations in Russia due to the war, the increasing hostility of the Russian government against foreign entities? Are they prepared for sanctions to impact their operations (travel restrictions, money transfer restrictions, blanket business bans)? How much would this disrupt their business?
      This will be plenty to signal to them that you have concerns.

    4. Agree to ask at your “real” interview, not your screening interviews. It shows you have researched the company and are up on current events. I’m sure the company has been pressured to divest so it’s not like your bringing it up out of the blue.

    5. The best way to get this information is to discuss with someone who is there and knows what’s going on and who you know will give you an honest take. If you don’t have a direct contact, ask someone you know to introduce you.

      I think an interviewer is not going to want to comment to an applicant about a potentially controversial position the company is taking, for a variety of reasons. You might also put the interviewer in an uncomfortable position if they are personally in disagreement with the official company policy but don’t want to get into that with you in case it gets passed to the wrong person, or to air internal politics and disagreements about the issue. For example, what if your interviewer strongly believes the company should divest and is advocating for that, but the top leadership is leaning against divesting? I agree that this is something you might want to know, but I don’t think asking in an interview is the best way to get that info.

      I’ve been on the other end of this, when junior people interviewing at my government agency ask about our opinion on a new policy at our agency to show they’ve done their research, but the most senior person in the interview has one take and the more junior people have a different take, and no one wants to discuss it in front of the applicant, and they just get a non-answer.

      If you are applying for a C-suite level role where making this decision would actually be your job, then disregard what I said and absolutely ask.

    6. You sound kinda clueless. The clinical trials databases list trial sites. You can look this up for yourself before your interview.

  4. I saw the link in the sidebar to the threadjack by the poster who was shocked to learn that most people don’t have to walk on eggshells around their partners (from 2/24). I wonder if you are still here, and how you are, and whether anything has changed? And I’m sending you hugs because I have a suspicion you need them!

  5. This is a great looking box and I want a cord solution like this to work for my house, but my three year old loves nothing more than a new treasure chest and I cannot imagine that he would withstand a temptation such as this. Maybe we can get something like this in a year or two…

    Or hey maybe I can just buy this and give my kid a new treasure chest?

  6. After six years with my current boss, I’m beginning to realize how much I’ve internalized her ineptitude as my own poor communication or inexperience. It’s like being in a bad relationship, but I’m not confident whether there’s someone better out there. And unfortunately I cannot break up with her and be single for a while, hah. What do you think makes a good (or even great!) manager? I’m particularly interested in examples of how a manager can provide resources and support, like good staffing on a team or adequate direction.

    1. First, this is the best time in a decade to be job searching. There’s definitely something better out there.

      Second, the qualities I’ve admired most in managers and tried to emulate:
      – Be results-oriented and offer flexibility as long as work gets done
      – Set clear expectations and communicate them frequently
      – Advocate for your staff – for compensation, resources, reasonable workloads, etc.

    2. My boss is amazingly supportive. Trusts and respects me as a person and a lawyer. When I screw up (we all do) she helps me bury the proverbial body and reminds me that I don’t, in fact, stink at my job. No win is too small for her to celebrate, no failure is too big to move past quickly. Recently I had to tell her her expectations were way too high on something and it was messing with the team. She listened and went to the higher ups and explained why they needed to adjust their metrics and how they were burning out the team. She’s just fundamentally on our side which is awesome.

      Oh and yes she buys us cool appropriate holiday gifts – still love my yeti mug, boss! There are bosses out there like this I promise.

    3. Good manager traits
      * Let your staff own and present their own work
      * Have your staff’s back
      * Deal with your problematic staff swiftly and head-on so that your good staff don’t suffer
      * Do not manage to the lowest common denominator
      * Do not micromanage – let your staff lead
      * Be available when staff need help but not all up in their business
      * Treat professionals like professionals

      1. My boss is really well known for my projects, and how they’re presented: fabulously designed with clear ideas and great flow. It’s all mine and I’m not gonna lie it’s a little disappointing to see my projects up on the screen over and over and over again without my name being on that last slide.

  7. Going anonymous for this, but I swear I’m not a troll. I’m in my early 40’s, take care of my skin/body/botox/etc. but I believe that in my early 50’s I’d like to get a facelift. No pressure to do this from my spouse, this is entirely my decision. I’m beginning to set aside a few hundred dollars a month and the same amount from any yearly bonuses. This amount would come out of the money I set aside for things like shoes/coffees/nails/blowouts/etc. which I already cut down on quite a lot during the pandemic. I expect this to grow to somewhere between $40-$50k by the time I’m ready to pull the trigger in 9-10 years (which likely won’t cover all of the costs but I’m confident I could pay the rest off easily). This will not in any way impact our larger savings and retirement goals. We have an agreement to discuss any individual purchase over a certain dollar amount, and this also wouldn’t meet that threshhold.
    Having a ‘big’ savings goal like this typically works well to motivate me (instead of those cute shoes you can stick $100 in your facelift fund!). The problem is that I’m frankly, a little ashamed to admit this to my spouse as it’s super vain and not for a ‘good’ cause. But I know I would feel weird if my spouse suddenly revealed he had $50k set aside in a fund he didn’t tell me about. Would you tell your spouse about your goal? Or stay mum until it reaches a certain level? Neither? Other thoughts?

      1. This. Also I’ve said it before, but I don’t think vanity is a huge character flaw. You can be kind, smart and generous and still want to look like a million bucks. It feels like the world still judges women by their looks but then calls us vain when we try to look our best. I simply refuse to be shamed for vanity.

        1. Good point. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. It comes in so many flavors!

      2. I think it’s actually easier to say this now, before you are ready to do it, when it seems like a far off plan. I used to joke about getting my boobs “put back in place” when I was 25 when I was old but I probably wouldn’t do it now ;).

    1. I get why it feels uncomfortable, but I would tell. If the situation were reversed and I suddenly discovered my spouse had thousands of dollars hidden away, I would be concerned. And it’s not like you’ll be able to get the facelift without him knowing, so you’re going to have to tell him eventually!

    2. I would tell them about it. It’s going to look a lot more weird if you just randomly have $50k lying around than if you start mentioning you’re saving for it. My husband thought me spending money on Botox was unnecessary before I got it the first time, but he saw how much happier and more confident I was after getting it and now he doesn’t bat an eye. It’s not about anyone else, it’s about you feeling like your best self. I think the more you talk about wanting something the more your partner will be more supportive even if they aren’t at first.

    3. Yeah I would tell. DH and I have a pretty hands-off approach to money, and generally buy what we want without discussing with the other person but $50k is a huge purchase and unless your income is very high (I’d say close to seven figures annually) I can’t imagine spending $50k without discussing it with your spouse.

    4. I’d want to ease him into it, surgery for anything other than serious illness is a big mental hurdle for some people. You don’t have to have a formal sit-down, just mention that you’re setting aside funds for a long-term health goal (some may debate that categorization, but I stand by it) and go into the requested level of detail without making it seem like a huge hairy deal.

      I’m saving for a rhinoplasty; my nose is an absolute trainwreck and we’ve never had that kind of spare cash before this point in our lives. I’m 43 and hoping to have it done in five-ish years.

      1. I’m telling my husband a rhinoplasty is my delayed 40th birthday gift to myself. My nose is a nightmare and my ENT is (by his own admission) not a great plastic surgeon so I’ve got a consult for his suggested doctor over the summer after all the other options didn’t work. In case you’re also considering it, nasal turbinate ablation only works if the tissues doesn’t grow back, mine helped for about a decade but grew back enough to become problematic in my late 30s…then pandemic. Sigh.

        1. I got rhinoplasty for my 30th birthday. My only regret is not doing it for my 25th. Life is short. Do it as soon as you can!

    5. I would tell. Both having a secret pot of money and planning for a significant medical procedure are things a spouse should know!

      1. Agree. Neither the money nor the procedure is a huge deal, necessarily, but keeping it a secret could make it a huge deal.

    6. How much do you generally share? Do you have any common goal that would be affected?

      I would start with setting up the savings account/sinking fund.

      Talk about savings and sinking funds in general. Talk about common expenses, and what is private money for the two of you. Do you do expensive sports? Traveling? Talk about your personal monies in addition to your shared ones.

      And talk about grooming, beauty ideals, personal ideals and goals, equipment for sports, tailoring, professional standards etc.

      Don’t keep the conversation to “surprise!” ten years from now. But also, for now, it’s okay to just have a sinking fund for personal developement, whatever that means to you both. You don’t have to commit right this moment to future plastic surgery. But you can commit without reservation to having a sinking fund to use for personal health, fitness and wellbeing goals.

    7. You need to tell. I think it would be really weird to stash that much money away without telling a spouse. And, at the end of the day, it is a pretty big-deal procedure. You’re not asking for permission but you do need to let your partner into your thought process.

        1. I think it depends on your area? The billing office for the surgeon I’m seeing for a rhinoplasty consult told me to expect at least $12k. He was referred by doctor friends of ours, and works mostly in Boston so I’d imagine major metro areas are higher. If a nose job is 12k I’d guess a full on face lift would be at least double?

          1. Somebody close to me had a lower facelift and lower eyelids a year or so ago and it was in the $12K range. I can’t imagine any add-ons that would get it up to double that. When I had my upper eyelids it was less than $1500,

          2. I think a nose job is actually a more complicated surgery in a lot of ways. I wouldn’t think a face lift is twice the cost.

  8. Opinion: Danish shortbread is, in fact, a good enough substitute to break my chocolate addiction.

    Quandary: What’s the next step healthier afterward? Nuts and dried fruit?

      1. Is shortbread more nutritious than chocolate? (I would have guessed the reverse! I’m embarrassed how much of my dietary iron and magnesium comes from chocolate alone.)

        1. I think you’re right, but the caffeine in chocolate was becoming a problem for sleep, and I wanted it even when not hungry. Shortbread is much less addictive for me, so that was step 1. But now I want a healthier snack!

          1. That’s interesting. I can generally take or leave chocolate but I would eat shortbread all. day. long.

            But yes, nuts are dried fruit are very nutrient dense. Just watch out because they are also VERY calorie dense.

      2. If you bake, it’s pretty easy to up the nutrition by baking with white whole wheat flour and including more fruit and nuts. This works for cookies, muffins, brownies, etc. Not a justification to eat huge amounts, but adds some nutrition to fun foods and still pretty tasty. These fruit and nut bars are actually really good, though I admit to throwing in a handful of chocolate chips when I make them (they’re also easy to make vegan or gluten free by substituting the flour or using flax for the egg): https://www.davidlebovitz.com/fruitcake-bar-recipe/

    1. Danish shortbread, while delicious, is a poor substitute for chocolate. I think it is worse! Chocolate has some nutritious characteristics, and the fat in it is ok. What about Yasso yogurt bars? They are about 100-150 calories each, low fat, yogurt has good bacteria, and they come in lots of different flavors. If you don’t eat dairy, there are non-dairy options out there. Too bad chocolate keeps you awake–it is the best!

Comments are closed.