Coffee Break: Padfolio with Pockets

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light brown padfolio lies open on a desk, you can see it has pockets and space for a full-size notepad

I've always been a fan of padfolios for something easy to grab to go to a meeting or when you have to work somewhere other than your office, like a conference room. They look professional, but you can still fit a few choice personal items (tampon, lipgloss) as well as keep any cash or change you might need in there. I also used to add tape flags and post-it notes to mine since I like to leave meetings with a post-it note with action items.

This light brown one from Target's Threshold line looks great — and it's only $15. Score.

Some of our favorite office padfolios for 2025 are below! If you want something monogrammed, check out Etsy, Leatherology, Levenger, Case-it, or (for a splurge), Smythson — you can still find them at Amazon, Target, or Walmart. (Also check out our roundup of executive clutches and leather document holders, as well as women's briefcases!)

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)

78 Comments

  1. I know federal workers are upset about returning to the office 5 days a week, but as someone still in their probationary period, I am very concerned about this OPM memo that requested agencies send a list of all probationary employees by Friday. Has anyone heard rumblings about what they actually plan to do with this list? Fire everyone on it? Fire a percentage? My probationary period ends in mid-March.

    1. Adding that I assume there would also be no severance because I wouldn’t have hit 12 months yet.

    2. No clarity, but I’d honestly assume the worst and hope for the best. Start job searching just so you have a head start. I think the only thing that’s predictable right now is that no one knows what the next 90 days will look like.

    3. I have no connections to federal rumblings but in every private sector job I’ve ever had, a leadership request to compile a list of all probationary employees SCREAMS layoffs are coming. Maybe some of this probationary folks; maybe all. I’m sorry, and I hope that’s not the case for you, but I think it’d be savvy to beef up your resume, check in with your network, and solidify any finances you can

    4. I’m with you – I’m excepted service so I”ve been here for over a year, but still technically probationary. I’m terrified.

    5. Nobody knows yet. And it will probably depend on your agency. I would be more concerned if you are at an agency that Trump hates, and less concerned if you are somewhere like border patrol.

      Federal jobs are just not going to be as secure anymore (or at least for the next four years). Try to build up your emergency fund, and keep your resume up to date. Do the same thing you would do in the private sectors to prepare for potential layoffs.

    6. This is what came out at 3:41 from Bloomberg Government. (We have a corporate subscription, I’m not sure if it’s available to the public.) I’m sorry.

      Trump HR Office Seeks List of Easy-to-Fire Federal Workers

      The federal government’s HR office is directing agency leaders to consider firing career employees hired within the past year, part of plans “regarding critical potential personnel actions.”

      Acting Office of Personnel Management Director Charles Ezell asked agencies Monday to compile lists of probationary employees by Jan. 24, defined as career staff in their roles for less than a year or employees appointed to the “excepted service” within the past two years, according to a memo posted on the Chief Human Capital Officers Council website. He directed agency leaders to “promptly determine whether those employees should be retained” at the agencies.

      Ezell directed agency leaders to send the lists to Amanda Scales, now OPM’s chief of staff, according to a Trump administration official who asked for anonymity to speak about personnel matters. The official said Scales worked recently at Elon Musk‘s xAI, which develops artificial intelligence tools including a chatbot called Grok available to paying users of Musk’s social media site X.

      The HR office delivered the memo to agencies the same day unions representing federal workers filed lawsuits challenging President Donald Trump‘s orders to strip their job protections and assemble a team to cut government spending. Musk is leading an effort, also officially created Monday, to cut federal spending and reshape the public workforce, called the Department of Government Efficiency.

      The guidance allows the Trump administration to begin shrinking the federal workforce without running into job protections for civil servants. Federal employees hired within the past year typically can’t appeal their firing to the Merit Systems Protection Board, the panel that mediates disputes between agencies and their workers.

      The federal government hired nearly 64,000 people that meet that definition in the first quarter of 2024, according to federal employment statistics. That figure doesn’t include employees hired after that time period, or information on how many of them are still working for agencies in 2025.

      The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union of federal workers, declined to comment. OPM officials didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

      Offers Rescinded
      Ezell also directed agency officials to reconsider bringing on staff that signed offer letters prior to 12 p.m. on Jan. 20, according to a separate memo posted on the council website.

      New hires slated to start work by Feb. 8 will keep their offers, according to the memo also signed by Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Matthew Vaeth. New hires scheduled to start after Feb. 8 will not, unless OPM grants a written exception. The same applies for hires without a confirmed start date, they said.

      The directive doesn’t apply to new hires for political positions, roles that change when a new president takes office.

      1. Thank you for posting. Very sad for the individuals involved but in business most people have been through layoffs.The government should be no different.

        1. No words. Every last one of you who are cheering (even couched in “very sad”) for destroying my livelihood, that I’ve worked my tail off to achieve, can rot.

          1. wow. Normal people have to worry about layoffs all the time. What makes you so special?

          2. Yes, they happen. And it’s incredibly unfortunate when they do. Being happy about it happening to other people is a dick move.

          3. 8:31 – normal people only have to worry about layoffs if their company is experiencing trouble with its business, not because it was suddenly seized by fascists and oligarchs hellbent on exacting vengeance on our country while extracting every last drop of profit to benefit themselves before the final collapse. Go fuck yourself.

          4. private companies do layoffs all the time, even when experiencing record profits. You can be upset about the new administration but you sound like you’re living under a rock if you think layoffs in the private sector only happen when a company is in financial trouble

          5. So because some people unfairly experience hard times, you think it is appropriate to gloat about tens of thousands of people directly losing their livelihood? And likely with significant impact to society at large?

            Again, go fuck yourself.

        2. The government obviously isn’t actually different. That said, people make decisions and trade offs to go into government service precisely because what you give up in extra pay and nice office space you make up for in job security and longer term benefits. It’s not that lay offs can’t happen or even that they shouldn’t but they are not supposed to happen like this. I’ve worked at a govt agency during fiscal crises and experienced necessary lay offs, this isn’t that. The people getting laid off didn’t join a tech start up or even a regular private company; not everything is the same nor should it be.

        3. People who work for the private sector get laid off when business is bad. This is just wily nily.

          1. +1 this would be like if your company got a deranged CEO who decided to fire every person who was hired in the last two years. It’s not a “normal” layoff, e.g., tied to an economic downturn or a role being made redundant or something like that.

  2. I’m looking for a tinted lip balm to throw on before I head out the door. I prefer a stick format because I know I won’t bother with sticking my finger into a pot or using a wand applicator. I like a tint somewhere in the raspberry range – baby pink does not work on me – as long as it’s sheer, but I’m most focused an emollient formula.

    Thanks for any or all recs!

    1. I like the Burt’s Bees tinted chapsticks. There are a couple of colors that work well for me, and they are somewhat moisturizing.

      1. Editing to add: I like both the rose and red dahlia colors. Rose is probably the closest to a raspberry tone. It’s definitely not light or baby pink.

      2. I bought these as a dupe for clinique black honey, and I liked them, but I’ll also throw in black honey

        1. Someone here recently recommended covergirl clean fresh in bliss you berry as a dupe and I love it.

      1. I actually love going to the Mac store so will definitely check these out in person. I can’t really get a feel for the colors online.

      1. I’ve been really happy with every Tower28 item I’ve ordered so I may just give this a blind try. Thanks!

      1. Have you bought one recently? Do you like the new formula (that no longer has sunscreen)? I loved the old version (for it’s staying power) but see the new one has mixed reviews.

        1. Yes, and I do still like it, but I wish they hadn’t changed it since I haven’t found an alternative Iikr with SPF.

  3. I know similar questions have been asked before but hopefully mine is very specific. I am in SOHO/West-end area of London this week (staying at Waldorf this week and Nobu next week) and am looking for dinner options that are not super $$$ and is not Dishoom (i’m doing that every day for lunch), but also an easy walk or transit. I don’t have a car and it is cold. Can uber to something extra special but in general have to be back in my room early-ish to get on US calls. SO please tell me if you have had amazing dinners in this area and I can reserve ahead or walk in.

    1. I had a wonderful dinner at Rovi in this area recently. I would say to reserve there but I don’t think it would be super hard for an early time slot (I went early too and I don’t think I booked very far out).

    2. It’s been a few years now, but I had some truly fantastic seafood at The Oystermen near Covent Garden.

      1. As in – types of oysters and fish that I hadn’t encountered in the US before, perfectly cooked. A great way to have more “English” food that wasn’t pub fare.

    3. The River Cafe was the best meal I have ever had in a restaurant and is accessible by the Tube but East end in Hammeramith. I also really liked Ottolenghi’s Nopi, and the Ivy. I absolutely loved Roast at Borough Market when I went a few years ago and fried said that she had the best Indian of her life at Gymkhana. Mercato Mayfair was also fun.

    4. Hawksmoor Seven Dials – high quality steaks with all sorts of lovely side dishes. Thick brick walls and no mobile phone coverage, so bring a book. It’s 2 minutes closer to the Waldorf than Dishoom Covent Garden.

      Yori Covent Garden for very tasty Korean food, just around the corner from the Waldorf.

      IIRC The George in the Strand gastropub is a nice English pub food, go upstairs. 5 minute walk from the Waldorf, a minute past the northern end of the Aldwych cresent outside your hotel.

      Mowgli Street food in Charlotte street, if you want to try a different kind of modern Indian restaurant than Dishoom. 20 minute walk, or hop on the 188 bus outside your hotel to Tottenham Court Rd.

      There’s a nice modern fusion Korean one in Kingly Court, a block with lots of restaurants in a small area close to Carnaby street, if you want to go to shopping at Liberty London, this is next door.

      The tacos at Seven Dials’ market are very nice if you need something super quick. Very little mobile phone coverage.

    5. Londoner here- there’s a ton of good food in that area. Off the top of my head, a few places I’ve enjoyed recently include Kasa and Kin, Honey & Co, and Tokyo Diner in Chinatown. The food court by Tottenham Court Road has a good and changing set of options. There’s also Din Tai Fung next door, but that’s definitely more of a splurge.

  4. Looking for the most delicious things you have made with a cauliflower and a butternut squash, not necessarily together. I love both vegetables, and have a day at home to make something really good.

    1. Roasted cauliflower. Break it into florets and toss with generous olive oil and salt. Roast at 400 degrees until it browns a bit. So good. I can’t stop eating it.

      I like to throw in some cumin seeds or celery seeds with roasted cauliflower but don’t always do it.

      With butternut squash, I roast the halves cut side down until mushy, then scoop out the flesh and make butternut squash soup, or use it in risotto.

      1. i love squash just plain or w salt and butter if it’s sweet. if it’s not it doesn’t have much flavor and you can basically anything with it. i have used it instead of sweet potato in a salad (rift on sweet green harvest bowl) with chicken, goat cheese, brussel sprouts and kale… i agree about roasting the caulflower. it doesn’t have much flavor regardless but when it’s white i find it a little unappetizing….

    2. I love a veggie and cheese galette, and butternut squash is a perfect vegetable for that.

    3. I would roast both, and agree that roasted butternut squash used as the base for a butternut squash soup is wonderful.

    4. I take the seeds and string out the squash. I put foil or oil in the bottom of a slow cooker. I put the squash skin-side down in the slow cooker. Maybe put foil or oil inside the slow cooker so it doesn’t stick. Cover the the bottom of the slow cooker with water; you are creating a moist oven here for the squash. I put butter and a bit of maple syrup inside the cup of the squash. Layer the other half of the squash on top and do the same thing. If you have other spices you want to put in the squash, do that. Cook on low for about 6 hours. When it’s cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh out. Yummy butternut squash. I like mine with dinner sausages on the side, could also work with roast chicken

    5. BUtternut squash soup. I think I used one of the Halfbaked harvest recipes in one of her cookbooks, but she has a bunch of variations online too.

    6. (Weirdly mentioning Ottolenghi for the second time here today) but his squash dish with z’aatar is phenomenal and I always serve it to guests and it is universally raved about. Dead simple.

    7. roasted butternut squash curry. I use the recipe on Cup of Kale (usually with chicken broth instead of vegetable) and it is so cozy and delicious!

    8. Cauliflower piccata from the NYT is pretty great and esp good for cooking slowly while at home.

    9. NYT has this lovely recipe of Roasted Cauliflower, 4 oz pancetta, Castelvetrano olives, parmesan cheese, olive oil – recipe is for 2 people – 1 whole cauliflower – largely a series of roasting/broiling in the oven- all cooked in 1 pan. They call it: Roasted Cauliflower With Pancetta, Olives and Crisp Parmesan

      I’ve been making that periodically when I find especially good cauliflower….

    10. Buttnernut squash wellington! So delicious. Even better if you can smoke the butternut squash first.

    11. smitten kitchen cauliflower cake. but roast the cauliflower instead of steaming

  5. I don’t know, but I and the rest of my uni fellowship cohort are in the same boat. If something happens to this job, we’re still obligated to find a different federal job to fulfill the rest of our service requirement. Finding one job was exhausting and difficult. I don’t want to consider the possibility of having to find another so quickly, in a hiring freeze.
    Stay strong, friend.

  6. anyone visit vietnam and do a cruise on halong bay… that seems to be what everyone and all the sites i’ve looked at recommend for a night or two. open to suggestions.

    1. Yes, did a one night cruise and could’ve done another night. Definitely a highlight and my favorite part of heading north. It was years ago so I don’t have the company booking information, but I went with a company that picked you up by bus in Hanoi and then transported you to the boat. Totally worth it.

    2. It’s amazing and I can’t recommend it highly enough. We did three nights and loved it. I think we used Orchid Cruises but there are a lot of good options.

    3. it was my favorite part of my trip to Vietnam. We did a two or three night cruise with Indochina Junk.

  7. I’m helping a friend apply for jobs and I don’t know what’s appropriate here. He currently has a bookkeeping job that’s 12-15 hours per week, 100% remote. Should he disclose that job in a cover letter for another bookkeeping job that’s 20-30 hours per week? What about during an interview?

      1. why would he not? is he planning on trying to keep it when he accepts a full time position?because otherwise i don’t consider referencing my current employment as ‘disclosing”

        1. Oh, I wasn’t clear. OP here. No, the idea would be that he’d work them both to add up to full-time.

      2. I read it as he was trying to get both jobs. Otherwise, what would there be to “disclose”?

    1. I’d talk about it. If I were interviewing, it would be a point in his favor that he is already doing this kind of work and that my range of hours would work really well for him.

    2. I would. I would assume that a part-time position would be understanding of people having another part-time position, but if New Position wants flexibility on working hours, better to find that out upfront.

  8. This looks like a good option for the poster last week looking for something to carry from meeting to meeting?

Comments are closed.