GBC Badgemates ID Badge Laminator Kit from MyBinding.com {Review & Giveaway}

It's time to admit a secret of mine: I have a thing for office machines.

I'm pretty sure the love affair started back in elementary school with the Ditto machine. The papers were rolled through and came out a little damp with their unique bluish purple ink and that particular smell that can't be forgotten... ahh, the joy that occurred when my teacher would allow me to go to the office to make the copies.

My office machine love has only increased from there, having been strengthened with Xerox machines, fax machines, scanners, and more. One personal favorite, however, was the laminating machine that I used when teaching as well as at my job in the public library system.. Being able to take a sign that would otherwise get crumbled and mangled and run it through, resulting in a crisp, plastic cover was a simple dream come true.

Weird? Maybe. Now you know why it's one of my secrets.

So while I have been able to capture much of my office machine obsession with an all-in-one machine that prints, scans, copies, faxes and more, I had yet to find a way to bring the ability to laminate into my home... until now. My life is complete since the arrival of the GBC Badgemates ID Badge Laminator Kit from MyBinding.com.

An Oregon-based, family-owned company with over 30 years in the business, MyBinding.com specializes in binding machines and supplies, laminators and supplies, 3-ring binders, whiteboards, and so much more. Their large warehouse space is full of over 27,000 products ready for immediate shipment and they staff a stellar customer service department that is ready to answer questions, recommend products, take orders, and anything else you might need.

For me, when this great little laminator arrived, I was already drooling over the possibilities, projects, and large number of uses that it would provide. Being able to easily laminate photos, recipes, small scrapbooking items, flashcards, toy box labels, emergency phone numbers, medical cards, a small chore chart, crafts, and much more — I knew the possibilities were endless!

Along with the GBC Badgemates ID Badge Laminator Kit, I looked over the 20-pack of 5mil GBC Longlife 4x6" Photo Size Laminating Pouches and couldn't wait to get started.

Including everything you need to create five professional laminated ID badges, the GBC ID Badge Laminator comes with a starter pack of horizontal ID badge pouches and five breakaway lanyards. In addition, the 20-pack of 4x6" photo size laminating pouches ensured that I was ready to laminate a wide variety of small items!

I was happy to find the the 4½" size of the laminator made it convenient, portable and that it could be used pretty much anywhere there was an electrical outlet. When it came time to get started, I simply had to plug it in and flip the power switch. From there, I waited a few minutes as it warmed up as I got my photograph and laminating supplies ready.

When the green Ready light was illuminated, I knew it was time to laminate!

The easy-to-follow directions that came along with this Laminator Kit eased any concerns that I may have had and the steps to complete my project were extremely easy.

First, I placed my photo in the corresponding plastic pouch, ensuring that it was centered within the edges:

Second, I placed the pouch into the provided paper sleeve to keep the plastic from bunching or melting onto the laminator:

Third, I fed the pouch and protector into the front of the laminator, where it "grabbed" hold and automatically slowly fed the entire thing through.

Voila! The whole thing came out the other side a bit warm, so I was careful to remove it and lay it out on the counter to open. As I lifted the paper sleeve, I held my breath (in hopes that I hadn't somehow ruined this treasured photograph) and found...

...perfection! I received this photo from Big Sister E's preschool teachers in honor of her graduation, so I'm thrilled knowing that it will now be able to be treasured for years to come (as I don't have a digital copy for a replacement).

I have since gone on to laminate other photos, small pieces of art, and more, and have found that the GBC Badgemates ID Badge Laminator Kit has performed just as well. It is just so easy to pull this out that I know that we can quickly use it for things like bookmarks, magnets, small activity mats, whiteboards, luggage tags, games, recipes, emergency contact cards, and much, much more (and what an essential item to have if you homeschool)!

Retailing for only $29.99, I'm excited to continue to use this Laminator Kit for years to come. Even better? A 20-pack of 4x6" laminating pouches costs a whopping 89¢ from MyBinding.com! Knowing that, I don't have to hesitate or wonder if I should laminate an item and "use up" one of my pouches - for that price, I can order enough to laminate nearly everything in sight!

No matter what sort of binding, laminating, shredding (or more) projects you take part in, MyBinding.com will have the supplies that you need to get them done quickly, easily and inexpensively. And, thanks to their generosity, one person will soon be joining me in laminating and protecting their small possessions, because...

One lucky person will win a GBC Badgemates ID Badge Laminator Kit and a 20-pack of 4x6" Photo Laminating Pouches from MyBinding.com!

(Enter with the Rafflecopter form below. If you have any questions or problems entering, there is a video tutorial found here that can help.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A big thank you to MyBinding.com for providing a GBC Badgemates ID Badge Laminator Kit and a 20-pack of 4x6" photo laminating pouches for me to review as well as for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.