How to - Keep Your Mug Safe

We all have that mug that we love to use in the office. Whether it's one you've brought in from home, or just one that you've taken a liking to, coffee and tea doesn't taste the same when it isn't out of your mug.
But what do you do when someone keeps taking your mug? When you come in later than usual, and see your colleague sipping tea out of *your* mug, and you are too shy to speak up?  Or whenever you go to make your favourite drink, your mug is nowhere to be found, only to turn up on a colleague's desk. Oh, they don't know how it got there? What a coincidence...

If you ever have to go through this traumatic experience during your work day, we have some handy tips to make sure this never happens to you again:

1) Buy a mug designed to look dirty:

Looking like it's already had 20 cups of coffee in it, with the standard lipstick marks (this may only be convincing if you are indeed a lipstick wearer, be you male or female), the mug thief may be unwilling to try their luck with this "dirty" mug.

2) Make it clear who's mug it is:

Putting your face on the bottom of the mug will signal to everyone that this is your mug, and that you take this fact seriously. The unsuspecting theif won't realise their mistake, but it will be obvious to everyone else, hopefully shaming them into giving it back!

3) Buy a Disney mug:

This will work a treat if the thief is male. Especially effective will be your favourite Disney Princess, or Frozen! If they do still take the mug, make sure to hum your favourite Disney tune as you walk past.

4) Buy a mug with a lock:

When you're not using your mug, take the lock away with you. No one else will be able to use it, and get a nasty shock if they don't notice the hole!


And if all else fails, put up a sign like this:

How do you overcome the "mug thief" in your office? Let us know @office_fruit