How to Detox from Your Cell Phone

Well, it is the Thursday before Memorial Day Weekend.  It is when we get the first taste of what the summer will bring as the “shoobies” make their way to the Jersey Shore.  This is always a tough weekend for me…. not it isn’t because of the influx of people; it is the weekend I am reminded of the loss of my aunt, Elsie AKA “my buddy” in 1999.  Yes, I squirreled for a moment, sorry back to today’s blog post…………..

Does the picture look like you 99% of the time?  When your phone isn’t in your hand, scrolling Facebook, reading emails or sending text messages, where is it?  I will admit mine is usually close by at least within arms reach.

How often has your Hubby or family or even you wished you could have “phone-less” time!  I mean a time when the phone was either shut off, put away or on “do not disturb”?  Are you starting to sweat at the thought of missing out on notifications?  Are you already picturing the fight with the kids over not being able to talk to their friends?

Most days, my cell phone is on “do not disturb” so the only people able to reach out to me are family.  Why?  So I can stop being obsessed.  So I can work my “at home business” on my time not when ever any calls or texts.  It wasn’t long ago I realized the ONLY time I have been totally “unplugged” from everything (cell phone, computer, tablet) was when we were on a cruise.  It is an automatic switch when I get on the ship, it goes off and it doesn’t come back on until we reach the car on our drive home.  I know a week worth of emails and messages can make your head spin but the truth is, we all need it once in awhile.

If all of these boxes apply to you, you’re clearly in need of a detox

• When your thumb on your dominant hand is sore from all the scrolling
• You look at your phone first thing when you wake up
• A panic attack is around the corner when your battery is running low
• You get anxious when being separated from your phone
• You lack concentration and check your phone too often (even unconscious)

Did you answer yes all (or most) of these?  Then you are in desperate need of a cell phone detox!

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Start with 8 hours of disconnection – you’ll feel restless at first, but getting used to being phone free takes time.  The easiest way is to turn it off an hour before you go to bed and don’t turn it on until you have had your coffee in the morning.

2. Throw a phone free dinner – see how the conversation changes.  People actually talk and listen to each other.  Oh and no photos of food.  Dinner is a no brainer for me.  I don’t do the phone at dinner, especially on the nights hubby is off.

3. Go out in nature and connect to the real world.  The weather is nicer so this is a whole lot easier to do. No pictures or checking your phone.  Depending on where you go for a walk, you may need to take your phone in case there is an emergency.  I carry mine in my pocket when I go for a walk only because of the MS.

4. Set a phone curfew to turn phones off after 8PM and have a relaxing night.  Okay, so this may be a little bit tougher but I am willing to try it.  The problem is when I switch off the phone, the iPad is close at hand to check emails and Facebook.  How do you totally unplug?

5. Grab a magazine, a coffee and go soak up some sun by yourself!  This sounds great in theory but my books are on my iPad which then keeps me connected to the internet if I am close to the house.  UGH!  Solution – I have been buying some old fashioned books at yard sales so I can start reading “electronic free”.  Then I donate them back to the church rummage sale.  A win for everyone.

So, be honest… how many times a day do YOU check your phone?  I’m getting better but it is still a process.  How about you, are you willing to give it a try this holiday weekend?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

July is Sizzling…

It is July, and here at the Jersey shore things are heating up.  The temps are rising.  The “shoobies” are at the shore for the 4th of July holiday.  The roads are congested and the wait for just about anything is crazy.  No need to wait for July’s awesome Thirty One Customer Special.

First up is a HOT new summer time print “Sweet Sprinkles”.  You can get it in the large utility tote, the double duty caddy or the oh snap bin.  Headed to the beach or a picnic?  Turn some heads as you show off your new sweet treats.

Check out this month’s Customer Special.  If you are a Thirty One regular, you know December is when we usually have the “mix and match” deals.  Guess what we are having a Christmas in July special.  With a $35 order, you can mix and match TWO (yes, I said TWO) of these awesome products.  You can pick from the Oh Snap Bin, the Double Duty Caddy, the Swap it Pocket and the NEW limited edition Get the Scoop Bowl Set.

Would you like the “Sweet Treat” set along with one of the hottest Thirty One Summer bags?  You can get the Large Utility Tote with a Stand Tall Insert, an Oh Snap Bin and a Double Duty Caddy in the Sweet Sprinkles print AND a Style Setter (your choice of print) for $35 when you have a Thirty One party with at least $200 in orders.

I know you have no time to host a party – everyone is on vacation, too busy, kids.  The list is a mile long with reasons why you can’t.  What if I told you, you can and it is easy.  At the baseball field – I will come there.  At the pool – I will come there.  No big presentation, just a party on the go – complete in about 1 hour.  OR how about an online party?  We can do a Facebook party for 31 minutes LIVE or a theme party over 4 days.

OR Would you like to help me launch a new style of online party in July?  It on online and it a combination of LIVE and posts.  You can even join me LIVE if you want.  Help me launch this new style of partying and I will give you an additional $25 credit to spend at your party.  

Maybe you are thinking…. I can do what she does.  I could use an extra $300 per month to help with bills or have for the kids activities or save (whatever your reason), then join my team, the Rays of Hope.  If you join between now and July 15th, enter your first party of at least $400, you will  earn a $31 credit in your back office to use for whatever you want in addition to a $100 commission check.  You have already paid for your $99 Enrollment Kit.  Have a $600 party in the first 30 days and not only will you earn the credit, a $150 commission check but you will also earn $150 in FREE products of your choice.  I will be there to help you every step of the way.

Yes, there is a catalog change coming. So, if you want to wait, join after July 17th and you will receive the NEW (not yet disclosed) Fall Enrollment Kit.  I have seen some of the products and they are AMAZING!!!

Just a reminder this is the LAST month to order from the Spring/ Summer catalog.  So if you wanted the Starfish Splash print and have been holding off – GRAB it!

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Let’s Get Organized

Do you find yourself humming the words to “Let’s Get Physical” by Olivia Newton John?  Or am I just showing my age?

Today is all about some simple tips and tricks to help you clear the clutter in your home or office…

#1 – Upgrade your address book for a classic Rolodex. They’re retro-chic and easy to keep updated.  I know digital seems to be the way to go BUT I really wish I had of kept mine from years ago.  This was an easy way to store business cards along with names, addresses and phone numbers.

#2 – Who still has CDs?  I know we have a lot around the house but I have purged many of them once I found Pandora.  If you still have CDs, purge your CD clutter once and for all.   Have your CDs converted to digital files at riptopia.com. Then Sell or donate the used CDs to use to pay off debt or for a rainy day.

#3 – Have a small bathroom and not a lot of space?  Why not buy a hotel-style hairdryer and install it on the wall.  It will save you space, time and energy in the small bathroom.

#4 – Organize vanity essentials on a vintage tray. Très organized and très chic.

Or you can use Thirty One’s Glamour Case  

or Thirty One’s Swap it Pocket   

#5 Use an extra wine rack to hold rolled-up magazines.

#6 Use cutlery trays in your drawers, but to save even more time, stash everyday flatware in a countertop caddy.

You can also use Thirty One’s Your Way Bin  

#7 Buy 10 pairs of the same gym socks, to minimize sorting.  I do this for hubby and I.  It saves so much time sorting.  Plus if one gets a hole in it, you can just save it to pair with another one later on.

#8 Stash kids’ art supplies on a lazy Susan so everything is easily accessible.

I love Thirty One’s Oh Snap Bins for this too because you will also be able to hang them up on a rack to get them out of the way and off the table.  Still in easy reach if they are needed.

#9 Organize household bills in an accordion file with month-by-month pockets.  I also have one for all or our receipts for tax purposes for the business.  Another alternative is Thirty One’s Fold n File which I use for a mobile office.

#10 Hold onto paint chips, fabric swatches and brochures from your last redecorating session. You never know when you’ll need to reference them. Store them in an accordion file.

What are some of your best tips?  Share them with us for a chance to win…

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Organize with Thirty One

Today’s post is a re-print of a blog by the Joyful Organizer.  I LOVE her blogs and she has some great tips for all areas of your life.  This one talks about what else… two of my favorite Thirty One Gifts products.

The Joyful Organizer has been a fan of Thirty One Gifts for a while now…. Here are some ways to organize things that I commonly find in my client’s homes.  It’s not about replicating what I’m doing here, it’s about thinking about how you can make a difference in your own home and daily life.  Scroll down to enter to win a set of Oh Snap Bins (embroidery included!).I was able to try out a set of Oh Snap Bins.  The patterns range from whimsical and bright to subtle and sophisticated.  Each little bin has a set of snaps.  These come into play if you want to keep all the bins next to each other.  Snap them together and they will stay put.  Each bin also has a loop on it so you can hang it off of a bar or from a single hook.  Take a look at some of the things that would great in this set of totes.  Use them together or separately.  They are shown here on a Command Hook.

The next item I’m going to share with you is one of the greatest bargain’s in organizing products.  The Essential Storage Tote is just $28 and can be used for just about anything.  And I mean anything.  It’s made of a durable material that’s easy to clean, quick to dry and stands up to whatever you throw at it.  The nylon straps are easy to carry and the the base of this tote allows it to stand on it’s own and hold a lot of gear.  Here are some items that can be stored in this tote.  I had fun looking around to find things that were loose in the car, on the floor, etc.

Clockwise from top left:

Clothes-this makes a great mini laundry basket!  Awesome for little kids to carry around

Books-Library books going to and from the library….keeping them in one spot means you’re less likely to forget them.

Gym Bag-Since it’s open and fires quickly, this bag won’t stink!

Dog Gear-I put in my dogs’ life jackets…awesome after a salty swim!

Beach Bag-Towels and pails and sunscreen, go my!  It all fits in here.

Sports equipment-Store dirty, smelly gear that normally rolls around the car in one bing that’s easy to grab and bring to the field.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Low Cost Organizing Tips

Let’s get organized….I may be showing my age but I am humming those words to the tune of Olivia Newton John’s “Let’s Get Physical”.  Anyone out there remember it?

Getting and staying organized isn’t easy.  The new school year has started and the organization plan you had in place for the first week may already be a little off track, right?  All of those pretty pictures on Pinterest look great but sometimes they just aren’t functional for us, in real life.

So, if you’re struggling to conquer clutter once and for all, here are some simple organizing tips to help you get started.  I know and so do you getting organized at home can be easier vowed than done. But even if you’re short on time (and budget), there are dozens of ways you can get your house in order. Here are some low-cost organizing tips; many of them are environmentally friendly, too!

#1 Keep a tray or basket on the kitchen counter where kids can drop off permission slips and adults can put mail requiring immediate action. A second tray can handle lower-priority paperwork.

#2 Don’t waste time constantly topping up cereal-sized food storage containers with dog or cat kibble. Use a metal trashcan to store one bag at a time in rodent-proof style.

#3 Use a recharging station to keep your cell phone, MP3 player and other portable device cords untangled and your gadgets fully charged.

#4 Can’t find fresh garlic or onions? Keep them in clean knee-high nylons. Hang in a cool, dry place.

#4 Post a sheet of paper (or use a wipe board) on the fridge to note groceries and supplies needing replenishing. On grocery day, just grab the sheet and go.

#5 Use small jam jars (or baby food jars) to hold cotton swabs, balls and other essentials inside your bathroom vanity drawers.

#6 A stash of bath towels rolled inside a basket helps, too.

#7 Store kids’ bath toys in a fine-laundry bag. Hang from the faucet ’til fully drained.

#8 Use a shower organizer and just the basics: mild shampoo, conditioner and a body wash.  Stash extra shower products in plastic caddies – one per family member.

#9 Keep cleaning products in a caddy, too.

#10  Got kids? Get large tubs that can be used to deploy toys – and quickly move them out of living spaces when company’s coming.

#11 Don’t hold on to magazines. Just rip out any pages you want to keep for future reference, keep in a file folder, then recycle the rest.

#12 Toss dirty socks into mesh fine-laundry bags. Orphaned socks will be a thing of the past.

#13 Recycle old plastic shopping bags. Store them in an empty Kleenex box ‘til you need them. Great for cleaning the litter box or poop bags if you have pets.

#14 Big, busy family? Paint one entire wall in your mudroom in chalkboard paint so everyone can easily leave messages for one another.

#15 Designate a back-to-car zone by your entranceway, and put anything there requiring to be returned to the trunk – i.e. reusable grocery bags, empties – so the next person to use the car will remember to bring them.

What are some of your best low cost organizing tips?  Share them with us.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!