Summer Must-Haves for Moms

Hey mom, are you ready for summer?

As the school year winds down, we’re dreaming of sunny days, family vacays and all the fun summer brings. The kids may be out of school soon, but it doesn’t mean their schedules slow down! Summer camps, trips and graduation parties can keep your family busier than ever. But don’t sweat it – no matter what your plans are, Thirty-One has you covered with helpful products that were made for busy mamas.

Congrats, grad! Graduation gift ideas

For many moms, the kickoff to summer starts with graduation. Whether you’re the proud parent of a graduate or you’re congratulating a grandchild, nephew or friend of the family, a thoughtful gift is always appreciated. Luckily, we’re gifting experts! And with the ability to personalize almost all of our bags, accessories and organizers, there are thousands of ways to make your gift extra special. Here are a couple of our favorite graduation gift ideas.

Graduation gifts: Packing pals

If your graduate is moving or heading off to college, they’re sure to appreciate storage containers for their new space. The Move It All Bag is a packing all-star – this super versatile drawstring bag can be used to hold clothing, blankets or shoes, plus it makes the perfect laundry bag once your grad is settled in their new space.

What else might your grad be packing? Lunch of course! For those busy days when they need to take snacks on the go, a personalized lunch bag or snack pouch is a must. We love the Around the Clock^®Thermal and the Clear Clip Pouch, which can snap onto their bag or backpack.

Graduation gifts: Adulting organizers

Treat your grad to an office organizer to store their documents, notebooks and school supplies. The Deluxe Double Duty^® Caddy is ideal for keeping their desk organized – just personalize it with their name, monogram or a fun Icon-It^TM and put some goodies inside for a gift basket that keeps on giving. For an extra touch, clip on a Photo Key Fob customized with a favorite picture of you two together. 

Or, go for a personalized pencil pouch, a small but sweet gift they’ll get a lot of use out of. Tuck a gift card or cash inside for a complete grad gift they’ll love! Our top picks? The Get Creative^TM Zipper Pouch or Get Creative^TM Double Pouch.

School’s out! Summer fun solutions

The final bell has rung and the kids are loose! Summer means cookouts, pool days and trips to the lake for many families. The right products can make packing for these outings quick, easy and organized, which means mom can spend less time tracking down beach towels and more time enjoying the fun.

Summer fun: Totally chill cookouts 

Backyard barbecues, tailgates, picnics in the park – if you’re not eating outside this summer, you’re missing out! We love family cookouts, and packing for them is easier with a couple tote bags and a cute cooler bag. The Round About Cooler Tote can hold ice inside, which makes it perfect for keeping drinks and food cool. Use a Large Utility Tote for chips, buns or picnic blankets, and keep napkins and silverware organized in a Tiny Utility Tote. Just like that, dinner is served! (P.S. Love these prints? Check out our New Arrivals!)

Summer fun: Days by the water

For trips to the beach, lake or pool, keep the essentials handy with a bag + pouch duo. Pack up towels, snacks and the kids’ change of clothes in the Everyday Essentials Tote, which we like to call mom’s best friend because it has pockets galore! Toss sunscreen, headphones, phone and keys in the Clear Clip Pouch and you’re ready to lounge while the kids splash around.

Happy camper! Get ready for summer camp

If your kids are headed off to camp this summer, help them pack for the great outdoors with bags built for adventure! Looking to earn some mom bonus points? Personalize their duffle bag or backpack with a cute critter icon and their name for a bag that’s twice as cool (and twice as hard to lose!).

Summer camp: Packed & snacked  

To carry everything on that trusty camp packing list, go for an All Packed^® Duffle or an All Packed^® Mini Duffle (depending on the size of your camper!). For smaller items, clip on an insulated Clear Clip Pouch to store things like granola bars, snacks, sunscreen or bug spray.

Summer camp: Day trip sidekicks

For camp outings spent at the pool, lake or hiking, make sure the kids have a smaller day bag to carry. For younger kids, the Cinch Sacis just the right size, and because it’s a drawstring backpack it’s easy to open and close. For older kids, the Adjustable Sling Backpackhas plenty of pockets for items like their water bottle and phone.

Hit the road! Road trip car organization

After a busy school year, summer is the perfect time to plan a family vacation and get away for a while. Road trips are a great option for those looking to save a bit of money, plus they give you the chance to explore on the way to your destination. The only downside? Fitting everyone’s luggage in the trunk! For a smooth ride, try these travel-ready styles.

Car organization: Trunk bunch

When it comes to efficient packing, the Large Utility Tote is a champ. When topped with a Top-A-Tote^®, it’s easy to stack, meaning you can make the most of your trunk space! Another great overnight bag option is the roomy New Horizons Tote – bonus, it doubles as a cute beach bag!

Car organization: Backseat buddies

The key to any road trip? Snacks! If you have a bit of space, pack a Fresh Market^® Thermal full of goodies for the road. Or, give each kid a Clear Clip Pouch with some small snacks to munch on.  For mom, the Everyday Essentials Tote makes the ultimate road trip bag. It has plenty of pockets for things like tissues, hand sanitizer and wipes, and the roomy inner compartment is great for books and games. Now, where to?!

Mom, consider summer handled 

No matter what you’re up to this summer, stay organized and stress-free with solutions from Thirty-One. Host a party to earn cute, functional styles for free plus other rewards, or become a Consultant and start earning extra money for summer activities by working from home. Join our mission to celebrate and support women with fun, flexible opportunities!

May is the PERFECT time to host or join……..As an insider, you can help your friends grab some great tote deals at the Terrific Tote Sale starting on May 21st.  

Join our Thirty One family by May 31st to earn the cost of your kit BACK!  It’s Money Back May.  Ask me for details..

 

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Solutions for the Non Tech Person

Today is known on most social media sites as Throwback Thursday so I thought I would share some of the things that used to be in Thirty One’s catalog.  Honestly, I am so glad that some of it is gone.  I did LOVE the letters and the cookie jar though.  I wish they would at least bring back the cookie jar in a future anniversary edition of the catalog….. hmm!

Okay, imagine that you have found the perfect flyer for an event, fundraiser or  party, so you don’t have to recreate the wheel and you want to make into a picture.  What do you do?  What if you found a picture that you want to add words to?  What do you do?  So I am sure that it is not a stretch to picture this, right?  Frustration sets in because you are technically challenged, at least for me it does.  You need it now but the people you reach out to for help are not available.  Thankfully, I have found (with the help of some AWESOME Thirty One consultants) a website that helps me solve these problems.  It is call Zamzar and it is FREE!  It has helped me to take pdf docs and make them into word docs.  It has taken pictures and converted them to word docs. It has actually made me feel like a techy.  Give it a try and you will be AMAZED.

Facebook parties have become all the rage.  On any given day, I have 3 Facebook pages plus events where I need to post pictures and messages.  It was becoming an all consuming task and left little office time for doing traditional income producing activities like making calls.  I tried the FREE Facebook posting programs which were great but they were free and had a lot of glitches.  I know there are a variety of programs out there but I have found one that I LOVE.  It is called CinchShare.  For a mere $10 a month or $100 for a year, you can use this awesome program.  You are able to post to ANY Facebook page where you are the Administrator or that you are the host.  The only TWO down sides to this program is that you can only post in 5 minute increments and you can only post 1 picture per post.  The 5 minute increments can be a problem when doing a Facebook party but I have found ways to work around it which allows me more time to interact with the guests at the party.  Less posts and more relationship building which is a good thing, right?  As far as the 1 picture per post, there is nothing that says that you can’t have 2 posts (or more) scheduled for the same time.  Depending on internet connection speeds of your guests, they may be out of order but they will post at the same time.  Problem solved.

What are some of YOUR favorite programs that make life just a  little bit easier in your business?  Share them with us and tell us why you like them.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

#partywithHope #zamzar #cinchshare #facebook #31 #officesolutions

Are You Organized

I read a quote by a fellow blogger, Cheryl Richardson who is a spirituality and self-help author.  Does this sound like your office (or house):

“Stuff has tentacles. Every pile of paper, cluttered counter, or disorganized closet is filled with items that have cords attached to them. These cords reach out and suck the energy from us whether we’re near the stuff or not.”

I don’t know about you but I would have to agree with her, at least in my office. When my office is cluttered, I can’t think or make calls, or work.  I know a great excuse NOT to pick up the 500lb. phone, right?

What if you could CUT those tentacles?  What if you could purge all of the stuff out of your office (or your home) that doesn’t matter to you.  I have written about Belinda’s saying when I used to get in those “clean moods“.  “Watch out, mom will toss you out if you aren’t attached or have a purpose”.  The truth is when I was done, I functioned so much better.  Some would say it is feng shui.  Others might say I am a nut case. Either way, organization helps us to stay focused and on track.

Here are some options to those organizational problems in your home or your office:

The Your Way Junior Cube, Your Way Cub and the Your Way Rectangle all have lids which can be added to your purchase.  I love that our cubes are solid for personalization on one side while the other side has a clear opening so you can actually see what is inside.  Wouldn’t it be great to just turn the cubes around and put the lid on when company comes to visit?

 

As for your office, the Fold N File can be placed inside our Zip Top Organizing Tote so that you now have a mobile office.  No need to transfer only a few files to another bag – take the whole thing with you.

What if you touched each piece of paper (or email) only ONCE?  I know, crazy right?  The truth is it is possible.  I used this system for years in the non-profit (and corporate) world.  It made life so easy.  I am not sure why I have such a problem in my home office.

This year is my year of systems and organization….I have cubes in the bedroom to keep things organized.  My office looks great with all of the organization products, now it is time to implement the systems I have borrowed from some of my Thirty One sisters.

What will help you get organized this year?  Not sure if our products will meet your needs – how about a product experience.  A NO obligation one hour consultation.  You get to try the products to see if they will meet your needs.  If they do, I will help you find the best deal for you.  If not, it is okay – I will be grateful for the chance to meet some new people and share the gift of Thirty One.

So, who is ready to get organized?  Fill out the contact form and let’s get started.

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Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

#partywithHope #organize #productexperience #thirtyone #CherylRichardson #declutter #joinmyteam