I have been using Post It notes for a number of years now and I honestly don't know what I'd do without them. As I'm sure most of you know Post It notes are small pieces of paper with a small strip of weak adhesive glue at the back, which allows the note to be applied and removed from surfaces easily without leaving behind any marks. The classic Post It note is square, coloured yellow and measures 7.6x7.6cm. Nowadays though Post It notes are available in a wide variety of colours, shapes and sizes and some even come in their own fancy holders. They are available to buy in major supermarkets and stationers and the prices start from around £4.00 for a small block.

The Post It note, like many inventions, came about by accident. A scientist at 3M in the USA was attempting to develop a super strong adhesive but instead created a low-tack, reusable glue, which could be attached and reattached to surfaces. It took several years for people within the company to take the product seriously but has now become one of the company's most recognisable products.

Post It notes were invaluable whilst I was a student. I would write small snippets of information onto these and stick these around my room to help with my revision. They were also really good as temporary bookmarks as you could use these to mark useful pages in a text book or folder. There are small 'bookmark shaped' notes available in a variety of colours for this purpose although I just tended to use standard sized ones. They would also help me plan out my work as I would use one every day to write a 'to-do' list which I would then stick somewhere prominent and tick off the tasks as I completed them.

Nowadays I tend to use these mainly at work although we do still have a block at home where we might write a message for other members of the family. Looking at my desk at work yesterday I saw just how reliant I am on these notes on a day-to day basis. My computer screen and desk are lined with Post It notes with things I must remember to do. Looking around the office it seems I'm not the only one that finds these so useful as my colleagues too have a number of Post It notes on the desk. I work as a scientist and find they are great for scribbling down quick ideas I may have about experiments I should try or new areas of investigation. They are also great for writing down messages I may receive whilst I am on the phone and I even have a block at home by the phone!

I find the Post It notes are of a really good quality. The paper is thick and can be written on easily. The glue doesn't leave any marks on the surface it adheres to and I find that a note can be moved and reapplied 5-6 times without losing any of its stickiness.

As things become more and more computer based the Post It note idea too has moved with the times and electronic versions of these are available. On my Vista laptop I have a small electronic Post It note on the toolbar which I use regularly to write down things I must remember to do whilst using the laptop, such as which bills I must pay. These notes can be moved around the screen and stuck anywhere on the Desktop where they remain until you delete them - even when the computer is switched off. I also have an application called 'Colornote' on my HTC which is also an electronic Post It note and it allows me to write reminders and lists of things I must do.

Overall Post It notes have become invaluable in my everyday life. There are so many uses for them and they really keep me organised both at work and home.