Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

Thank you Janet Kinkade the creator of JK by Thirty-One jewelry for today’s tips. Her ultimate passion is to inspire women and help them recognize their own beauty and potential. Read more on Janet’s blog, and follow her on Instagram!

I love how we set aside a whole day to honor and celebrate the women who raised us. My mom is an amazing mother. She is selfless yet strong – and the most beautiful woman I know!

Mother’s Day holds a special place in my heart because of my own daughter – Belinda.  I remember several Mother’s Days in the past, waking up to handmade gifts she had poured her hearts into making. These moments remind me motherhood is a gift and my favorite job of all despite the fact my “baby” is all grown up.

Thirty-One makes it so easy and fun to find the perfect gift for all of the special women in your life! Here are a few ideas for you:

Save the day with a fun and funny “New Mom Survival Kit”

New moms get so many gifts for baby, why not take this opportunity to put together a cute and creative gift just for her? Help ease her transition – and give her a little chuckle at the same time – with a sweet “survival kit” tucked into a reusable Zipper Pouch or Swap-It Pocket, along with a note explaining each item:

• A healthy snack to keep her energy up!
• Hand sanitizer so she stays healthy. (Moms can’t get sick!)
• Dry shampoo, because regular showers are a thing of the past.
• Yummy-smelling candle to help create calm when she needs some alone time.
• Snickers® bar and Laffy Taffy® to keep her sense of humor.
• Bag of marbles to replace the ones she’ll lose!
• Rubber bands to remind her that flexibility is key!

Take something off her plate with an all-in-one meal kit

You can pack an entire meal inside one of our gorgeous totes that Mom will love to use long after the meal is over! Put all the ingredients for a delicious dinner in a personalized Zip-Top Organizing Tote or Catch-All Bin – or in one of our new Summer Essentials like the Summer Fun Caddy or In the Clear Tote. You can even add some hand-painted soup bowls, a matching kitchen towel and potholder – and don’t forget a bottle of her favorite wine!

Why not try one of my family’s favorite meals: Taco Soup! Most of the ingredients are in cans, so it’s perfect for packing.

Taco Soup
Ingredients:
3 cans of beans (I mix red beans and black beans)
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 can of whole kernel corn
1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 package of taco seasoning
1 package of ranch dressing mix
32 oz. of chicken broth
2 cups of cooked ground beef

Directions: Combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker, and cook on high for 4 hours. (You can cook on low for 8 hours, instead, if you’re going to be gone all day.)

Express your love and gratitude with custom home décor

If you’re looking for a personalized gift that will last long enough to become a family keepsake, look no further than our custom Statement Canvas Pillows, Statement Canvas Wall Art and wooden Close to Home Tray! These gifts can be a creative way to show off her Personality, talk about her Passions and inspire others with her Purpose as a mother. Check out our 3 Ps of Personalization for tips to make a beautiful gift for her home that she’ll always treasure!

Stay close to her heart with a mother’s necklace

Our new Charm Catcher Necklace is the perfect way to design Mom her very own meaningful – and wearable – keepsake! Create a beautiful piece of jewelry (moms LOVE jewelry!) that she can put on every day to remind her of all the joys of motherhood.

Start with our Charm Catcher Necklace in gold or silver tone, then add:

• Family Roots Keepsake Charm, because her family means everything
• Two-tone Wax Seal Charm that represents her number of children
• Round Initial Charm with the initial of the family’s last name
• A Celebration Birthstone Charm in her birth month, or those of her kids or grandkids

What special gift are you getting your mom?  Share it with us, we won’t tell…

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Santa Bundle Challenge

Are you starting to stress about holiday shopping?  Are you worried about your holiday budget?  I have a solution for you….

Check out these FOUR bundles available for a limited time…. You may be wondering why it is a challenge, right?  I’m not one for usually sharing about challenges but Thirty One’s Home Office has challenged us to sell 10 of these AMAZING bundles by December 11th.  Do you think I can do it?

Bundle #1 features our BIGGEST seller, the large utility tote.  A great gift for anyone on your holiday list.  Uses range from grocery shopping, to the beach, to organizing the car or storage.  The Littles Carry Alls are so much cuter than a gift bag.  Add some homemade treats or a gift card and you have the perfect gift.

Bundle #2 is for the traveler on your list or maybe a dancer or cheerleader. The Hanging Traveler Case will hold full size bottles standing up to eliminate spilling.  Some have used it to carry their Bible or planner with their iPad.  The Glamour Case will hold your make-up or maybe those essential oils you need when traveling.  The Mini Zipper Pouch has so many uses – make-up, first aid kit, epi pen holder and the list goes on.  Easy for kids to carry their “stuff” in too.

Bundle #3 features our personalization options.  Did you know 90% of Thirty One’s products can be personalized?  Perfect for those who have unusual names or different spellings for every day names.  Our Canvas Pillow Cover is a great way to celebrate the holidays or as a gift for a new home owner.  This bundle combined with the Littles Carry All and the Mini Zipper Pouch for a total of THREE personalized presents for one great price.

Bundle #4 is my favorite.  We all know a “girl on the go” whether it is a college student getting ready to graduate, a career women, a business owner or a mom.  This is a great set given together but can also be broken up into 3 great gifts.  The Around Town Tote is one of my go-to bags.  This classy bag has lots of room while looking fashionable.  Add the Savvy Sleeve to hold files, up to a 15″ laptop or iPad and planner.  A nice gift for the man on your list who juggles a lot of papers on the road.  The Super Swap It Pocket is the big sister of our Swap It Pocket.  The larger version has handles which allows it to be used on its own.  Organize files, a mini diaper bag for the car, a Bible case, a snack bag or even a purse.

These four bundles are available for a limited time only.  To place your order, CLICK HERE. Need help with your order, feel free to text me at 609-457-4249 or send an email to HopeWs31@gmail.com

Don’t let stressing over holiday gifts ruin your holiday spirit….

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Tips for Saving on National Savings Day

National Savings Day was set up by Capitol One.  A great way to market their business, right?  Despite the marketing aspect, it is a great way to encourage people to gain confidence about their relationship with money.  Believe me I get it!  Savings accounts have come and gone in my life and at the ripe old age of 60, I think I am finally feeling better about my relationship with money.

Most of us are great at collecting sentimental items – pictures, scrapbooks, or jewelry passed down through generations of family.  Why?  Because they mean something to us and they evoke emotion. These collections are the thing which helps me on the days when brain fog and MS lesions cause me to forget.  To same it is just “stuff” while for others it has a different meaning.

Why is it then so hard for us to transfer this concept to a portion of our paycheck every month?  Why is it so hard to pay ourselves FIRST in preparation for a rainy day or retirement?  What if you were to consider a savings account like your junk drawer or the sock basket?  Would it make it any easier?

Growing up my mom had a bottle she kept half dollars in.  When she was at work, if someone paid with a half dollar, at the end of the shift/day, she would swap bills for those coins.  She took the coins home and dropped them in the bottle.  Her savings account when she started working.

Life and my addictions got in the way of my saving money.  From drugs to credit card debt, I always had an excuse NOT to save.  I needed money for bills or groceries or whatever.  I know I am not alone, right?  Does the thought of paying yourself first and NOT touching the money seem crazy?

Here are a few tips which might help you get started on the savings road:

1. Organize your grocery shopping

Being organized when you go grocery shopping can help you save money. Have a list of what you need to buy, and coupons (I’m still working on this one).  Shop early in the week to avoid the stress of over crowded stores.

2. Eliminate one service each year you can do without

YIKES  Scary, right?  We cut our cable bill by almost half.  We went from what seemed like 1000 channels to about 300 although the cable company said there are only 143.  We use our cell phones all of the time.  We have a landline for doctors to leave messages.  So I cut the cost to less than $30 per month.

3. Don’t buy “off the shelf”

There are so many ways to buy things – Facebook, Craigslist are on top.  Then there are thrift shops, yard sales, and church rummage sales.  Surf the web for the lowest price, or upcoming sales.  You may not want to do this for small purchases but maybe say $50 and above.

4. Participate in – and use – your rewards programs

Admit it!  You have tons of reward cards, right?  How many of them do you actually use?  Sign up for them where ever possible, and keep tabs of your points. I love Ebates because the notification pops up about a rebate when I am shopping online at a store which offers it.

5. Sell what you no longer need

Instead of throwing away items you no longer use, try selling them first to make some additional money. Then put the money towards a bill.  We are not allowed to have yard sales at our condo complex so I have tried Facebook and Ebay.  Those require a little bit more time and organization.  When items don’t sell, donate them to a local non-profit and be sure to get a receipt for tax purposes.

6. Buy clothing in thrift or discount stores

I have been a fan of thrift stores for years, since before Belinda was born.  Thrift stores don’t have a huge selection, but you can often come across the perfect item from time to time, sometimes barely used. This is great  for kid’s clothing since they outgrow them so fast.  If thrift stores aren’t your thing, then take a look at discount stores like T.J. Maxx or Marshall’s.

Thirty One’s Soft Utility Tote is perfect for these kinds of trips.  It can be a large purse and then expands to carry all of your treasures home.

7. Buy when everyone else is selling

Retail sales usually fall off in January, so nearly everything goes on sale. Wouldn’t it be better to do the bulk of your buying in January rather than November and December.  Buy your winter clothing in late winter or early spring, when winter items go on clearance.

What are some of your best tips to save money?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

What’s the Buzz in Your Business?

Happy Friday!  I am getting ready for my last party/fundraiser before I start packing for Thirty One’s National Conference in Columbus next week.  We have already seen the Fall catalog BUT I know there will be some more surprises when we get to conference.  I have been thinking about the many uses of our products and how best to showcase them as we get ready for the Fall.  If you are in direct sales, you know the many features and benefits of your products but do you really just want to run down a list for your potential customers.  UGH!  Boring!  I know with a new catalog season, people will be talking anyway but we don’t want them to get bored or only thing a product has one use, right?

Here are some ideas on how to make your product seem more desirable:

Get people talking.  My customers are actually the ones who give me incredible ideas on different ways to use our products.  Then I just start posting them through social media.  I share videos from our Home Office to create a buzz.  Fun pictures or memes in my VIP Facebook group create interest and get my customers talking.  

Skip the long features list.  BORING!  Listen to what your potential customer is telling you about her life and then highlight the products and features of interest to her. Sharing information that is relevant to your potential customer is the key.

       

The same product with 2 different features – organizing your car or your bathroom.

Highlight ease of use.  The easier and more practical a product is to use, the more valuable it will be in the eyes of the customer.  For example, they like our large utility tote, let’s see the options that show its versatility:

Here are just 3 ways to use our large utility tote.

Offer a test drive.  Potential customers love to try it before they buy it.  I find this especially true if a customer is looking for a product to do a specific task.  I offer a PRODUCT EXPERIENCE.  This is NOT a party but a one-on-one with the customer to try out their vision.  How many times have you bought something because you envisioned it doing XYZ in a closet, on a wall,etc. only to find out that it doesn’t fit or it isn’t what you envisioned?  Why go through all of that trouble?  Do a test drive… if it doesn’t work, there is nothing lost but about an hour of your time.  It is does, GREAT!

What are your best tips for making your products desirable to your customers?  Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

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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!