TOP 10 MUST HAVE to Be Spring Ready

Springtime is here – well maybe finally!  I know it has been a mix bag of weather here in NJ….

Whether you are planning a spring break getaway, a casual day out, or an at-home room refresh, Thirty One has your warm weather organization needs covered.

Check out these new spring faves and more in Thirty One’s Spring Catalog!

FOR ALL KINDS OF GETAWAYS

1. Deluxe Travel Tote:  This new fave keeps your spring break travel accessories clean, dry, and organized. Pack it with the outfits and swimwear you need for your trip. A bottom compartment makes packing travel extras easier than ever before.

2. Day Away Backpack:  Stay prepped on your next hike with this brand-new go-to. Interior pockets and snap tabs for extra space mean you always have room for out-and-about essentials.

3. Insulated Bottle Crossbody: Cool water – yes, please! Make sure your water is always crisp and refreshing with our new insulated design. Bonus: The travel-friendly crossbody means you can stay hydrated without the hassle.  These are a HOT item and on the TOP 10 for must haves for the Spring.

4. Packing Cubes:  Organize your suitcase with cubes to keep your clothing safe and secure. The front mesh panels add breathability, so your items stay fresh over long trips.

FOR DAYS SPENT OUT & ABOUT

5. Fold-Over Lunch Bag:  Take snacks on the go with this new lunchtime fave — while supporting a great ­cause. For every Fold-Over Lunch Bag purchased between March 1, 2022, to August 31, 2020, Thirty-One is donating a portion to our partners at Girls on the Run®. (You can learn more about the impactful work GOTR does here.

6. Pick Up & Go Tote:  Get to the seaside early with packing and pick-up ease. This new fun fave helps you stay organized on your next spring beach day. Bonus tip: fill it with towels to keep your sand setup put together and dry.

7. Insulated Bucket Tote:  This on-trend spring essential takes snack storage on the go. Have healthy snack options on hand whenever you need them, whether on errands or your next midday meeting.

FOR REFRESHING YOUR HOME OASIS

8. Small & Medium Rope Baskets:  New rope baskets –available in two sizes – keep at-home accessories together with ease and style. Fill them with notebooks, sunglasses, hand towels, and more to make sure everything has a designated place.

9. Mini Carry-All Caddy:  Your desk has never looked so organized! Use this fave to keep all your pens, pencils, and other home office essentials in one convenient place.

10. Small & Medium Reversible Bins:  Get ready to have two on-trend looks in one. Now you can stay organized and stay on top of home style trends with reversible style options.

Feeling overwhelmed by all of the options?  Have a budget and don’t know where to start?  Email or message me on Facebook and I will be happy to help you.

Be sure to email on my Thirty One email by signing up on my website, find me on Facebook at Hope’s Purse Closet which is my VIP group or on Instagram.  Click to be a part of my MONTHLY GIVEAWAY by answering the survey

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

 

Products shown are from Spring 2022, available from March 1, 2022 – August 31, 2022. For more information about product availability, go to my website:  www.partywithHope.com

How to Conquer Laundry Mountain

Happy Monday!  If you are a busy mom, I’m sure the weekend included some (or many) loads of laundry, right?  I am always amazed at home much laundry we have in our house when there are only TWO adults.  Some days I feel like there is more than when I was a single mom with a baby.  

Do you have piles of clothes around the house? Are you constantly feel overwhelmed by the never-ending cycle of keeping clean clothes in the dresser drawers?

Most of us know our family needs clean clothes but we also hate doing laundry so we procrastinate. And procrastination makes doing laundry even more unpleasant so we continue an ugly cycle, and unfortunately it’s not the spin cycle.

Here are 3 tips to put a stop to the cycle….

#1 – Create a Routine

Let’s face it, kids produce a lot of laundry, right?  No matter the age, it seems like they product PILES of laundry.  The easiest way to stay on top of the endless mounds is to make laundry a regular part of your schedule.

I used to do the Monday, Wednesday, Friday routine when it was just Belinda and I.  Now, I do the Monday Friday Method.   Some may need to do the Once-a-Day method.  Whatever the need, put it in your routine.   Start a load first thing in the morning, move it to the dryer after breakfast and fold it in the afternoon.  When I worked outside the home, I would start a load as soon as I came home from work,  move it to the dryer after dinner and fold it before going to bed.

I will admit my current Monday Friday method would get lost, if I didn’t write it on in my planner.  

#2 – Organize the Baskets

I know you don’t believe laundry could be pleasant, right?  It is when you have control over it.  Let’s be honest, picking up the dirty clothes then sorting them is an effort BEFORE you even begin the washing/drying process.  The Peaceful Mom suggests gaining control by designating baskets for each type of laundry load you do. Of course, the toughest part could be getting everyone in the house to follow the rules.

The 3 Basket Method works like this: darks (colors might bleed), lights (colors will not bleed), towels (washcloths, rags and towels need to be washed in hot water). If you have a lot of white clothing you may want to add an additional basket for those clothes.

Another way to organize laundry is by child.  Each one gets his or her own basket for dirty clothes, then wash a complete load of only his or her clothing.  When the drying is done, the child can take the basket of clean clothes to his room, fold it and put it away. Okay, I can hear the skeptics now.  It takes practice.  Of course you also take the risk of clean clothes not getting put away and dirty clothes being thrown on top of clean.  What is your best solution for this struggle?

#3 – Recruit Help

I will admit I was not very good at this.  Belinda didn’t do laundry or put her clothes away.  I tried it for a little while BUT the result was more trouble then it was worth.  As a single working mom, I picked my battles and laundry was not one of them.  The downside, when she went to college she was clueless on how to do laundry.  Opps, I squirreled.

The truth is teenagers can help but even Toddlers can help match socks and fold small items like washcloths and their own pants or shorts. They can then carry the clothing to their room and put it away in a drawer.

Children as young as 4 or 5 can fold towels and clothing. The clothing may not be folded according to your standards but the point is to get your children involved.  It will teach them responsibility and hopefully work yourself out of a job.  Believe me, no one is going to open your linen closet and judge you for a few sloppily folded towels.

Children between the ages of 10 and 12 can start washing their own laundry. Post a written list of the steps and provide lots of supervision until they get the hang of it. (‘No, we don’t add bleach to the load with jeans.’) Then leave them on their own.

I challenge you to pick a laundry system. Since it takes time to develop a routine or a habit,  write a note to remind yourself or set an alarm on your phone or put it in your planner.

Which system do you prefer to use for laundry –  once a day or once a week?  Share with us your best laundry tips.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Your Why

SURPRISE!  This is not about your business WHY, it is about your WHY for any goal you set.  Today, it is about your weightless goal or journey.

Is the Easter candy gone?  Do you fear that the effects will linger for a few days or even weeks, right?  Maybe you are beating yourself up for “relapsing” into the chocolate nirvana?  Maybe you are trying to figure out how to get back on track?

TRUTH:  My favorite Easter candy was always “stale” Peeps.  I know, crazy, right?  I was excited that they only came around once a year and I allowed for them as I traveled my weightless journey.  Fast forward to goal and maintenance.  NOW the dreaded Peeps are around every corner and available all year long.  The excitement has worn off but the habit is still there.  So I need to remember why I wanted to reach and maintain goal weight.

If it was due to a health crisis, I would do whatever it took to maintain my weight.  I would avoid the trigger foods that would send me on a binge.  The reality is that I don’t have a health crisis.  I just have lost my motivation.  As long as I stay in a certain weight range, I fit into my jeans and feel pretty good so why worry, right?

But what is the real reason that I want to maintain my weight and maybe even creep a little lower than my goal weight?  When I see the numbers on the scale reach a certain point I feel good: emotionally, mentally and physically.   It motivates me to eat healthy, drink more water and now that the weather is turning, maybe even start walking again.  My outlook changes and I feel like I can do anything, and I know you feel the same way.

So here are three steps that will help you right now:

1. Find your why — Why do you want to lose weight? Is it to improve your health, reduce stress, sleep better or set an example for your kids? Figure out the “why” behind your decision to make it a priority in your life.

2. Make it fun — “No pain, no gain!” is so NOT true.  Try new foods.  Make your plate colorful with lots of veggie.  Allow yourself a treat that fits into your weightless program.  Find activity that you enjoy, like: biking, walking, swimming, yoga, paddle boarding, belly dancing, rollerblading, jogging… Team up with a friend and work together.

3. Plan — Plan your meals.  Schedule your exercise.  Don’t try to change EVERYTHING at one time.  Planning doesn’t need to take a lot of time.  If you are a schedule person, take 10 minutes at night to plan the meals for the next day.  Pack your lunch for work.  Schedule activity at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes.  Talk a walk at lunch time.  Park further away when grocery shopping.  Pull out your calendar right now and start planning.

There’s nothing more empowering than taking control of your life. Choose to be decisive and, selfish. Feel good, look good, and set an example for your children.

Who is ready to take charge on their weightless journey?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Dezigns by JJ

Saturday Spotlight is on: Dezigns by JJ.  I met Joan at a vendor event back in November of last year.  It was one of her first but I fell in love with her wine stoppers…

I bought a few for Christmas presents but I will definitely need a few more now that I am doing Thirty One Wine tasting parties.  These cute wine stoppers are the perfect gift for that wine drinker and add some wine glasses for a complete gift idea… of course, don’t forget a bottle of wine.

I LOVE the saying on her website:

“The individual is as free to be afraid of a new venture as to be eager for it, to bear the consequences of his/her mistakes as well as his/her achievements”

Joan will be glad to do custom orders too… I really liked some of the Disney themed ones for the kid in all of us.

Here is her pricing range:

• Wine Stoppers are$10.00 to $14.00
• Glassware is $12.00
• Baskets are $35.00-$40.00
• Bottles are $25.00
• Ornaments are $10.00

 

 

You can also check out her Facebook page: HERE

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!