Get your kitchen organized with Close to Home from Thirty-One

We did a full remodel of our kitchen two years ago. New cabinets, counter tops, paint, appliances, the whole shebang. Well, almost. I didn't realize until recently that in the midst of the remodeling I didn't think about updating the things sitting on my counter that everyone sees as soon as they walk in the kitchen. It was still a random array of pieced together pieces. Looking at the photo above you can see what I'm talking about. Lots of random going on there. When I really took a good look at it I realized I needed help. And that's when I remembered the "Close to Home" line from Thirty-One.

I choose two pieces to help get me started in my quest for a counter top makeover. The first one is called the Close to Home Décor Box. It's basically what it sounds like a long open box. It has wrought iron side handles that make it easy to pick up and move that also give it a little added style. With this new piece I was able to get rid of multiple things off my counter and organize all of the same contents in a much nicer way. And I was also able to engrave the front of the box with my own personalized message making it unique to my kitchen.

The second piece I choose was the Close to Home Caddy. Unlike the other piece this one has three individual compartments instead of one large opening. This made it the perfect piece for organizing my cooking tools. Now instead of a blue crock (which doesn't match anything in my kitchen) with everything all a mess I have everything sorted. I'm sure you can agree it looks much nicer. And for me it's been a lot easier when I'm prepping a meal to quickly get the tool I need to use. Again I personalized with the same message as the other piece so they were matching.

I think sometimes when people think of Thirty-One they immediately think about bags and purses. I know that was the case for me for a long time. But now after making two simple updates with these products I think of them as a place to turn for home decor makeovers too!

This is a sponsored post on behalf of the above mentioned brand. I received product to share my honest and unbiased thoughts. However, all thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brand.

Are you ready to Get Creative™? #thirtyone #GetCreative

Every time I look at this photo it makes me think of a mystery treasure box. You know the kind teachers have for rewarding students? I can remember those days and how excited we all were to find out what was inside each week. If you've not seen this awesome Get Creative™ Case from Thirty-One then let me introduce you to my super special "treasure box". The Get Creative™ Case is part of the Get Creative™ line that was launched this summer by Thirty-One. And it features some of the most awesome organizational products I've ever seen from them. Including this awesome case.

I recently had the opportunity to share the entire Get Creative™ line at a Girl Scout training session and let me tell you those leaders were so excited. I showed them how they could utilize the products in the line to get their crafting supplies in order and make their meetings move along a little smoother. So much better than using canvas tote bags! Okay, okay now to move on and show you what's inside of my "treasure box".

To see what's inside of the Get Creative™ Case you first open it from the Velcro strip on the front. Then you can see down inside the case. But wait...there's more! There is also Velcro strips down each side allowing you to completely open the case all the way to not only see your contents, but also spread them out for use. From this view (shown in the photo) you can utilize the interior pockets for organizing and displaying all of your accessories that you might not otherwise want laying on a table and possibly rolling away. I'm using my case for my stamping accessories. Then anytime I want to stamp I can just grab one simple case and all of my stuff is in one convenient place. Perfect for use at home, or when I go to scrapbook events. And let me tell you this one case is just the tip of the iceberg so to speak when it comes to the Get Creative™ line.

You can check out the entire Get Creative™ line in this awesome video from Thirty-One:

So what do you think? It's awesome right? You can learn even more about each of the products featured in this video right on the Thirty-One website. Please feel free to ask if you have any questions. If I don't know the answer myself I'll be able to get it for you!

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This is a sponsored post on behalf of the above mentioned brand. I received product to share my honest and unbiased thoughts. However, all thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brand.

Design your own purse with Studio Thirty-One

Have you ever wished you could design your own purse when flipping through a catalog or shopping online? Well now you can! Right on the Thirty-One website with Studio Thirty-One. With all of the options available the possibilities are endless. And even after you've designed you're purse you aren't stuck with using it the way you order it because you can always go back and order more flaps, straps, and bodies! Ready to learn more? Then keep scrolling.......

You start of choosing either the classic or modern body style. Both have a full sized pocket that has a magnetic closure and a smaller pocket perfect for a cell phone or keys. And both have an interior zipper pocket and two flat pockets. Honestly the only difference is the size.

Classic body dimensions: 8.5" H x 12" L x 2.5" D
Modern body dimensions: 12.25" H x 12.5" L x 2" D

Once you've chosen your body style you'll need to pick out your flap (or flaps if you can't decided on just one to start with) and if you want personalization. The nice part about ordering online is that you can use the personalize tool to get a good idea of how your personalization will look on your flap before you order. It definitely helps with visualization for colors. I did a couple flaps with personalization and one without for variety. As you can hopefully see at the top of each flap is half of a zipper. The other half is on the purse body. That's how you connect and change out the flaps. Once attached the flaps also have magnets that keep them flat to the front of the purse so your belongings inside are secured.

And once you've finished up your flaps it's time to pick out straps. Honestly I never knew that would be so hard either. Not only do you have to pick colors you also have to decided if you want them to be crossbody or shoulder straps. Crossbody straps are 54" long whereas shoulder straps are only 23" long. So you have to decide how you plan to carry your purse. For me that depends on WHERE I'm carrying my purse. When I go certain places I like to carry my purse across my body because it makes me feel safer. So I usually go with the crossbody straps and just shorten them up if I want to use it as a shoulder strap. All straps have metal clasps at each end that allow you to clip them on and off of your purse body. They hold securely to the purse so you don't ever have to worry about them accidentally coming off.

It doesn't mater if you match your straps and flaps to your purse body or prefer to have them in contrasting colors Thirty-One has something that will fit your personal style. I got these before they added a bunch more excited colors to their line up. Now they have a black and coral body as well as many more flaps and straps to choose from. Guess that just means this gal needs to go shopping again!

And just in case you were wondering they even have wallets that match several of the purse flaps too!

If you ever have questions don't hesitate to reach out I will always do my best to answer anything I can, or find the answers if I don't know them.

This is a sponsored post on behalf of the above mentioned brand. I received product to share my honest and unbiased thoughts. However, all thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brand.

Craft Room Make-Over with Thirty-One: Part Three - The Final Product

Thank you for taking the time to join me along this three part series featuring a make-over of my new craft room! In case you missed part one or part two here are my previous post links: Part One: Shelves & Part Two: Pegboard. One of the best parts of this project for me has been finding ways to better organize all of my supplies so they are easy to access. It's been great finding things I had forgotten I had too!

For my final step in the make-over I utilized some more products from Thirty-One, but this time not on the wall. This time I used them for the desktop and the floor. The best part of my desktop products is that they all have a handle making them portable and easy to move. Featured in the photo above from left to right are the Littles Carry-All Caddy (two are shown), Mini Catch-All Bin, Double Duty Caddy, and a standard size Catch-All Bin. These are all great for organizing projects and supplies in them. I especially love the Double Duty Caddy (the one with the ice cream cones) because it has two sides to it where you can put supplies and a nice handle in the center for carrying it. I was able to put three plastic cups on each side of this one to organize things like different types of markers, colored pencils, and other supplies. This is so much nicer than our old system of using pencil boxes stacked up. They took up so much more space and weren't nearly as convenient. I also love the Catch-All Bin because we can use it to take a larger project to another part of the house or on the go to work on it. All of these products could also be stored up on a shelf too which is nice too.

And last but definitely not least are the two products I used to help me organize some piles of fabric. I  had purchased some bolts of fleece marked down cheap a few months back and before now had no where that seemed logical to store them. I didn't want to take them off the bolt and fold them up, and now I'm glad I didn't. They stand up perfectly in a Stand Tall Bin. Plus with the long handles it's really easy to move them around if needed. The shorter bin is perfect for my finished projects. Throughout the year I work on making fleece scarves and pet toys for craft shows I do in the fall and this is a great place to toss them as I get them done. Both bins stand up perfectly on their own whether they are empty or full. This is great because I don't have to worry about them collapsing.

And in case you were wondering how it all looked together once I was done here's a final photo of my make-over project. One thing I've always liked about Thirty-One is that their new patterns look great along side old patterns. This makes it nice because you can add in fun new patterns (like the Lotta Colada pineapple pattern) and they don't stand out like a sort thumb!

To give you an idea of how much I enjoyed this project I've already hung a second pegboard and put up another set of shelves on the other side of the room by my computer desk. I loved having all of my crafting supplies organized so I figured why not do the same with the rest of my space. It's still a work in progress, but let me tell you from the parts I already have done I'm loving it too!

PS: I actually got this idea from a Thirty-One catalog, so don't think just because something is in a catalog it's hard to do. This project was super easy, and honestly I spent more time deciding where to put everything than hanging the shelves and pegboard.

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of the above mentioned brand. I received product(s) in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts. All thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brands.

Craft Room Make-Over with Thirty-One: Part Two (Pegboard)

Last week I showed you how you can utilize products from Thirty-One to get things you don't use very often up and out of the way. This week I am going to show you ways to use some of their other products to keep things not just out of the way, but also in reach. We do a lot of crafting so there are supplies that we tend to use alot. And of course we want those supplies within reach and not tucked away up high on a shelf.

I'll start at the top left where you can see three Oh-Snap Bins all "snapped" together. You can purchase these individually and they have a nice snap on the side you can use to hang them on their own, or snap them to their neighbor like I did. I felt like by attaching them together it gave each of them a bit more stability hanging and they didn't move as much. Just below the Oh-Snap Bins is the Hang-It Pocket Organizer. It's really just like it sounds, an organizer full of pockets. I love this because the bottom pockets are big enough to hold our sketchbooks. Another great use for this one is to hang off the side of a loft bed. My daughter has one that holds her book, flashlight, tissues, and other things she likes to use while up in her bed.

Next up I added two Hang-It-Up Key Fobs. It's little hard to tell from the photo but one has safety pins hanging from it and the other has o-ring clips. The key fobs are nice for organizing because it keeps small parts organized and easy to access. Next to those I have a Hanging Traveler Case and a Fold-Up Family Organizer. Both have multiple pockets making them great for organizing supplies. Plus if my daughter wants to take her fabric crafting or painting supplies with her to a friends house she can just take the entire case down and everything is ready to go.

Here's a photo of how the shelves and pegboard look together. Super organized and nice and colorful! I love having things where I can visually see them yet they are out of the way keeping our work space clean. The best part about Thirty-One is that they are always coming out with fun new patterns that are bright and cheerful! For my project I've used their Sweet Sprinkles, Lotta Colada, Patio Pop, and Charcoal Crosshatch patterns which I think all mesh together quite well.

In case you missed part one where I featured products to help you get things up and out of the way on shelves here's the link.

Make sure you watch for my third and final post next week where I will be featuring some products that are good for your desktop and more!

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of the above mentioned brand. I received product(s) in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts. All thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brands.

Craft Room Make-Over with Thirty-One: Part One

Thank you for joining me in this three part series featuring a make-over of my new craft room! After clearing off lots of unorganized pictures and trinkets off the wall I was finally able to start making the room mine! I had my husband hang two shelves and a pegboard to help me with my quest to get things organized and easy to use. First up I am going to be featuring some awesome products from Thirty-One that have helped me get some things I don't use very often packed up and out of the way. There's no reason to clutter up your work space with things you don't use very often. So pack them up and get them out of the way!

Thirty-One has all sorts of products that are perfect for helping get those barely used things up and out of the way. By using a variety of products from their line I was able to get lots of stuff packed up and out of my way. I even used my super sweet ice cream Deluxe Utility Tote to hold probably 50ish balls of yarn. I'm sure you're wondering how right? I used vacuum bags to shrink them all down then stacked the bags inside of the tote. Now all my yarn is safe and clean, and out of the way until I need it for future projects. Beside the utility tote is a Your Way Cube with lid and Mini Storage Bin. Both great for storing bulk items. Plus the cube has a fun chalkboard surface so you can list the contents inside.

On the second shelf from left to right are the Your Way Rectangle with lid (also featuring the chalkboard surface), Double Duty Caddy, Fold N' File, and Your Way Display Bin. The Your Way Rectangle with lid is another great place to store things up and out of the way. I'm using mine to store my extra Cricut cartridge cases so they are all in a nice row for me to easily look through them. And the added lid keeps them dust free. I love using the Double Duty Caddy for crafting projects and all of their accessories. This one has our wood burning kit as well as other tools we need when we craft on wood surfaces. The Fold N' File is another favorite of mine. The handle in the middle makes it easy to carry around and the outside mesh pocket gives me easy access to smaller things. I'm thinking I'm going to use this one to store "in the works" yarn projects. It's big enough to hold my yarn and the project as I'm working on it. And the outside pocket can hold my hooks, scissors, and other necessities. And finally the Your Way Display Bin. I'm letting my daughter use it to store her new craft kits. The boxes fit perfectly inside of it and we can still see what all kits she has at a quick glance for her to pick one to work on.

It honestly amazed me how much I was able to pack up and move out of my way and I haven't even filled all of my Thirty-One products yet. You can really do a lot more with space like two shelves when you have the right tools. Rather than just randomly stacking things you can sort them and make them easily accessible. And make it look good too while you're at it!

Make sure you keep an eye out for part two where I'll be showing you how to utilize that empty pegboard!

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of the above mentioned brand. I received product(s) in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts. All thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brands.

It's time for the Ho-Ho Holidays with Thirty One!

When I think about Thirty-One I don't just think about organization. I mean yes it's a big part of what they do, and let me tell you they do have some really awesome organizational products. Plus during the holidays they always go above and beyond with exclusive colors/patterns that look pretty cool around the house. Kind of like these products I got in the exclusive Frosted Metallic fabric. Honestly a photo doesn't do it justice, it's a beautiful shimmery silver color. Right now if you host a party you can get the Catch-All Bin and the Mini Catch-All Bin in this awesome color! Part of being exclusive means it won't stick around long (like the products in the photo) so if you love it as much as I do you might want to hurry up and PARTY!

Being a hostess means you get special rewards when other people order through you're party. And right now is the prime time to host a party so you can earn your way to FREE gifts. I mean who doesn't want to get awesome gifts for free?

Around the holidays my favorite thing to shop is the fun holiday patterns that Thirty-One offers. Last year I got their reindeer pattern and this year I got this "Cool Cutie" Snowman pattern. So now I can decorate with them as a pair. I love decorating with things like the Littles Carry-All Caddy because I can fill them up with holiday treats for my family and guests to enjoy. Both of these also make great gifts too. Just fill them up with things your recipient loves and you have yourself a fun holiday themed gift basket that they can enjoy all season long. They may call it mini, but the Mini Storage Bin is plenty big enough to fill with lots of goodies!

If you're still searching for that perfect gift, and want something unique that not everyone else will be getting then I have something for you! The Just Write Snap Bracelet can be customized to say anything you like (up to 16 characters). Maybe a name, nickname, or just a cute short saying. Any way you go no one else will have the exact same gift. Just for fun I had mine customized with #BLESSED. And if you pair it up with the color coordinating Keepin' Cozy Scarf and Mini Zipper Pouch you have yourself a really neat gift-trio. Both the bracelet and scarf actually fold up and fit really nicely inside the pouch too. It's like an accessory bag for on the go!

The nice thing about Thirty-One is that you don't have to host a party to shop, you can do it right from your home on their website. Just browse around, pick an item and personalize it to fit your needs. They even show you right on the screen what your personalization will look like so there won't be any surprises when it arrives.

Shop Now!
Be sure to check out the "Specials" tab for the current monthly special, sales on limited quantity products, and online only exclusives. - And of course the hostess special just in case you want to check that out too.

Time to stock up on those last-minute gifts! Order by Dec. 11 for guaranteed delivery by Dec. 25.

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of the above mentioned brand. I received monetary compensation or product(s) in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts. All thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brands.

The Retro Metro is back and even better!

I have to say when I heard the Retro Metro was coming back this fall I was ecstatic. It was one of my favorite purses ever and I like many others was heartbroken when I saw it missing from my Thirty-One catalog. It's so roomy and even for the size lightweight to carry. As a mom I like having the extra space if I need it to toss in some snacks etc. and not have to worry I'm overloading my purse. Thankfully it's back and in some really stylish colors too.

And since I have one (okay a few more than one) of the previous versions of the Retro Metro I thought it would be nice to share with you what some of the differences are between them. The overall size didn't really seem to be much different, but right off you can tell that the quality is. It has a nice sturdy feel and lots of reinforced stitching. First thing I noticed was they removed the fringed trim around the top and added some nice reinforced bold colored stitching instead. I have to say I like this better, the fringe wasn't really one of my favorite attributes on the older version. Another thing they did that was very noticeable was removed the interior lobster claw clasp and placed it on the outside just above one of the end pockets. The jury is still out for me on this change though. I like having the outside clasp because it's very handy to use for my car keys to make them easy to grab quickly. However I really liked having a clasp on the inside to hang things from inside my purse too. Speaking of the side pockets - they are bigger which is quite nice. On the inside you'll still find the zippered pocket as well as the two flat pockets as the previous style had. I did think the updated version had nicer pockets though. And instead of the patch where you were supposed to write you name (but I don't think anyone ever did) you'll find a nice saying instead. Another really nice touch. On the overall I personally love the updates to the Retro Metro and am glad that even though it had to disappear for awhile it's back and even better!

And while I have your attention I also wanted to point out a few must have accessories for your Retro Metro. I'm one of those people that used to think everything had to match perfectly to a T. But after my trip to the Thirty-One conference a few months ago I have a whole new perspective when it comes to accessorizing. Sometimes mixing colors and/or patterns can actually turn out to be a really nice thing. Take for instance my combination of the Grey Geo Strip Retro Metro and the Lil' Scribble accessories. There wasn't any accessories to match exactly so I thought that it was the perfect time to test out my new perspective on things. And if I do say so myself I think they go together quite well.

In short you should always have an open mind when choosing colors/patterns to make a set, you never know what you might come up with!

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of the above mentioned brand. I received product(s) in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts. All thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brands.

Are you ready for National Ice Cream Day? #thirtyone

July is National Ice Cream Month and even more specific this Sunday July 16th is National Ice Cream Day! And if you ask me that's reason enough to celebrate one of America's favorite treats... ice cream. On top of it all to celebrate both of these wonderful (in my opinion) national holidays Thirty-One Gifts is celebrating with a new ice cream print and embroidery icons. You should already know I have fond feelings when it comes to my Thirty-One products. I have them all over my house, and I give them quite often as gifts. So for me it was double the joy when I got my package featuring the fun new ice cream print. Ice cream and Thirty-One together...what more could I ask for? I love that the ice creams are all so bright and colorful. I'm big into bright colors when it's summer time. I like to have fun and enjoy the outdoors as long as the weather allows me to. So that means lots of picnics at the local state park for my daughter and I. Of course I can't exactly bring the big ole tub of ice cream with us, but at least I can still dream of ice cream while we're enjoying our lunch next to our fun new bags. Oh and enjoying other sweet treats from our exclusive Get the Scoop Bowl Set. Who says ice cream bowls have to be used just for ice cream? Not this girl!

You don't have to take my word for it when I tell you how super cute they are, just check out this video and judge for yourself!

July ONLY Special!
Thirty-One is offering products with the new Sweet Sprinkles print, along with the Get the Scoop Bowl Set as both customer and hostess specials in July. With any $35 purchase, customers may get up to two sale items, including the Double Duty Caddy for just $10 (regularly $25), the Oh-Snap Bin for $5 (regularly $10) or the bowl set for $15 (regularly $35). Hostesses who host a Thirty-One party in July are offered a five-piece Scoop N’ Style Bundle for $35, worth $269, when they host a party where sales total at least $600. You can check out the full details on the Thirty-One website.

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of the above mentioned brand. I received monetary compensation or product(s) in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts. All thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brands.

Mini-trips are my new thing! #thirtyone

If you've been following my blog long you've probably noticed we don't take big trips. For one we just don't have the finances for big trips every year, and two my husband doesn't have much vacation time. So as you've probably seen we like to do "mini-trips" as I like to call them. Whether it be a day trip to see a dinner show or an overnight trip to do some exploring a few hours from home they are really a lot of fun. My daughter actually mentioned to me on the one we took over spring break that she would like to do more of them this summer so she can see more of Indiana. One really nice part about taking mini-trips is that you don't have to pack a big huge suitcase. Everyone can have their own smaller individual bags that fit in the trunk with ease (especially if you put them all in a Deluxe Utility Tote) - and leave room for any treasure you might find along the way! Let me point out we had four different bags inside of the deluxe tote. Yet when it came time to move everything in and out of the car we only had one to carry (well that and my bag at the side too)! Oh and of course it gave me the chance to break out lots of my fun bright patterned Thirty-One bags too!

The first thing I broke out was my Double Duty Caddy. Normally it's sitting at home filled with crafting supplies but this time I filled it with all of the "necessary" goodies we would need for our trip. I'm one of those moms that packs heavy on the snacks because I don't like to stop just because one person is hungry. I don't do convenience store stops for candy bars and chips. I prepare ahead of time with crackers, granola bars and dried fruit. And what better way than in a handy tote we can also take inside the hotel with us.

On our recent overnight trip up north for spring break I took along more of my Thirty-One products than usual because I found new ways to use them. I always love finding multiple ways to use things, and love sharing so others might be able to use them too! This is a photo of their Swap-It-Pocket. It's supposed to be for your purse so you can keep it organized and switch from one to another with ease. I couldn't find my toiletry bag when packing for our trip and remembered I had just received this little gem. Check out how awesome everything fits inside! Two zippered pockets on the outside, two elastic pockets on the inside, and a center pocket. Plenty of space to fit all of my toiletries!

This super cool transformation is the Cool Clip Thermal Pouch. Yes it was thought of for snacks or other things you might take outside and on the go. However I transformed it into a wet bag for our swimsuits after we got done swimming. By putting them in this bag nothing else will get wet on the way home. After we got home I just wiped the bag out with a towel and it was good to go.

I also got to show off my fun new personalized Thirty-One stuff on our trip too. This was my first time using their new website tool to test out what personalization would look like before ordering products. Now if we are out somewhere like a pitch-in picnic no one can try to take my Deluxe Utility Tote because it has our last name on it. And my daughter won't be asking to use my Organizing Shoulder Bag on her school field trips because it has my initial not hers! Yes that has really happened before with another one of my crossbody totes. Just because she thought it was cute that meant she should be able to use it on a field trip. And of course when she brought it back it had a big ole stain on it because she had laid it down and someone spilled red juice on it. So this time I got one with my first initial to avoid her even asking, and keeping me from having to be the "mean mom" and telling her no. I will admit though it's a great bag to carry when your walking around a museum or a park and don't need all of the "extras" us ladies tend to tote around in our purses.

I don't know why, but I just love sharing this photo of my son. As a mom it really makes me proud when he takes care of me when we are out without his dad. All on his own he gathered up the bags and headed out of the hotel room.

With Mother's Day right around the corner it would be the perfect time to take that special mom in your life on a mini-trip...just saying I know I would love it! Of course if you don't have time for a trip you can still get her something special like a personalized gift.

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of the above mentioned brand. I received product(s) in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts. All thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brands.

I get my Holiday Gifts and Decor from Thirty-One #thirtyone

If you haven't checked out Thirty-One in a while I encourage you to do so because things are always changing from season to season. Like right now they have some really fun stuff only available for the holidays. Like this super cute Santa Suit Littles Carry-All Caddy. What a fun way to decorate the top of a bookshelf, or give as a gift filled with the recipients favorite candies or home baked goodies. They also have a cute reindeer caddy as well as others that aren't holiday themed if you prefer one that can be used year round.

Maybe something a little more personal is you're style for giving. I recently ordered a little something for each member of my family personalized for them specifically. For my daughter I got an insulated lunch bag with a super cute tiara and her name embroidered on the front. For my son I got a drawstring bag with our last name on it so he can use it at school and another "Tyler" can't claim it as his. And last but definitely not least I got a really nice money clip with his initials etched on the clip. I thought this would make a nice gift for him because he doesn't use a regular wallet since he has to pull out his badge at work a lot. If you ask me a personalized gift really adds to the thought of what you're giving.

Of course sometimes personalization isn't needed when your giving something that looks great just the way it is. Take for instance my favorite purse the Everything Crossbody, I have it in three different colors and love how it looks without any extras. Or the Explorer Crossbody that comes with a fun message already on it. My daughter begged me for the one pictured as soon as she saw it in the catalog. She's one of those kids that really just likes to be herself no matter what anyone else says or thinks. I love that about her so I knew this would make a perfect surprise gift for her.

The best part of shopping Thirty-One is that they even have a hostess program where you can earn the products you want to buy at a discount, or even FREE! Plus they have great bonus items you can only get by hosting a party. And don't fret if you're thinking A PARTY right now!? You don't even have to have a real party with Thirty-One, you can host a catalog party or a virtual online party. Then guests can order right from the website under your party and you'll still get the credit. This is great for those friends and family members that live out of town. Plus you'll be earning those credits to use towards gifts you want to give (or keep) for the holidays.

Customer Specials                   Hostess Rewards

The cutoff to order products to be delivered by Christmas is December 12. Make sure when you visit the Thirty-One website you check out their customer specials and hostess rewards program for full details.

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Disclosure: I received compensation in the form of product in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts. All thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brands.

Thirty-One Gifts Offers $1 Enrollment for New Consultants

Have you heard about this awesome offer? If you've ever thought about signing up to be a Thirty-One consultant but weren't sure about the $99 initial investment now's the time to check it out. I was a consultant awhile back, but when I moved to an at home job I lost contact with a lot of people and just couldn't seem to keep my client base up and do what I need at home. So I decided to just be a customer until my kiddos weren't so dependent on me and I had the time to devote to it again.

Here's the rundown on this HOT offer:

From now through October 14, potential sales consultants may now choose between the $1 enrollment or the traditional $99 enrollment in the U.S., which includes a starter kit of products and marketing materials for new consultants.

The new $1 enrollment does not include the starter kit, but does include a personal Thirty-One website with a monthly fee of $14.95. It also includes access to online versions of learning and business materials, plus access to marketing materials.

Consultants enrolling in the new program will sell products via online parties. As new consultants earn products through sales incentives, they may expand their businesses with home parties and catalog parties – where a hostess shares the Thirty-One catalog and collects orders for a period of time.

Through direct selling, sales consultants run their own businesses, working as much or as little as they want. Many women join in order to supplement their own or a spouse’s income, or to earn money for something special.

To learn more, visit the Thirty-One Gifts website and click on Join Us at the top.

Back to school with the basics from Thirty-One

Back to school whether it be elementary or on up through college you still need some of the same basics. A few of those are a backpack or Cinch Sac and a thermal lunch bag. I know my kids don't always like what is on the menu for the school lunch so they do take theirs through out the year some. And I can remember when I was in college taking a lunch sack with me when I had classes close together during lunch time and knew I didn't have time to run home for lunch. Now days there are so many different backpack options to choose from and some kids actually prefer a Cinch Sac instead of a traditional backpack for going between classes. My daughter uses her Cinch Sac to tote her boots and winter gear to school for recess to keep it separate from her school books in he regular backpack.

You can find some really stylish options for a Cinch Sac and thermal lunch bag right on the Thirty-One website. And you can get them in coordinating colors like the set in my photo above. I like them because they are well made and I know that part way through the school year I won't have to replace them like many they offer during back to school shopping sales. Been there and done that, I'd rather invest in Thirty-One products that I know from years of experience using them that they are made to last. Plus they have really fun patterns to choose from and you can even get personalization if you like. My daughter's been bugging about getting her name on some stuff lately so I'm thinking it will make for great Christmas gifts for her!

If you're one that likes to break away from them norm (like me) then a tote bag might be your "backpack" of choice so to speak. I know I didn't like taking a big bulky backpack with me to some of my college classes because I knew the room was crowded and really for just one book I didn't need it. Instead I opted for a tote bag like this stylish Wander Tote from Thirty-One. I love the message on the front that says "Follow Your Own Path" and how fitting is that for a college student!? It has interior pockets that are perfect for your phone, keys, pencils and other small stuff. And it has a large top zipper so you can keep your contents private if you hang the tote on your chair.

If you haven't checked out Thirty-One in a while I encourage you to do so because things are always changing from season to season. New products, new patterns, and new colors! Their fall/winter catalog just launched August 1st so be sure to hop on over and check out all of the cool new stuff!  And make sure while you're there you check out their customer specials and hostess rewards. Hosting a party can earn you FREE and exclusive products not available to customers.

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Disclosure: I received the products featured in this post for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts. All thoughts and opinions state are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brands.

Organize in style this summer with Thirty-One

If you've been around my blog for awhile you know about my love of all things Thirty-One. If you're new here let me fill you in. I used to be a Thirty-One consultant several years ago, but then I became a stay at home mom and well...life happened. Needless to say I had to step down to dedicate my time to other obligations, but I never lost the love for their products. Fast forward a bit and now here I am with the great pleasure of sharing my love with you my readers! I hope that through my posts you can learn a little bit about Thirty-One and the awesome line of products that they offer so they can help you keep your life organized in style.

One of the things I've always liked about Thirty-One is that they have so many products that can be used together. Yes they can all be used at the same time, but many of them can also be combined into larger totes making it easy to organize and tote them around easily. For example in the photo above I started out with the Deluxe Utility Tote (a larger version of their popular Large Utility Tote) and then slid in the Picnic Thermal Tote, Fold N' File, and Tall Organizing Tote inside. To finished it off I topped it with the Deluxe Cinch-Top Lid. This lid is really awesome because it can add up to 12" to the top of your bag! Now when you have lots and lots to take on the go you'll have plenty of room.

The other thing I like about Thirty-One is the awesome patterns that they come up with. My latest obsession is their Preppy Pop pattern. I love the bright colors and the way they all blend together so well. Plus they even coordinate well with some of the other patterns like the "First Mate" (shown below).  With stylish patterns and an easy way to organize your things heading out to the park or the beach will be super easy this summer for sure!

Speaking of the beach here are a few more great products in the Preppy Pop pattern. The New Day Tote is perfect for a day at the beach and when paired up with the Cool Clip Thermal Pouch and the Bring-A-Bottle Thermal you'll have everything you need all together. I love that the pouch and bottle thermal both come with a carabiner clip so you can attach them to other bags making them easy to access. I've always hated having to dig down inside bags to find things so this is perfect. Now I can keep my bottle of water and snacks handy.

If you haven't checked out Thirty-One in a while I encourage you to do so because so much has changed over the years. Their spring/summer catalog has some really hot new prints and products I know you'll love. And make sure while you're there you check out their customer specials and hostess rewards. Hosting a party can earn you some exclusive products too.

You can find these and so many more great products for at home and on the go at the Thirty-One website.

At home and on the go with Thirty-One

As I'm sure you already know I've been a fan of Thirty-One for quite a long time. I love that it's a brand with style and a wide variety of products that I can use both at home and on the go. Speaking of style if you haven't checked out their Fashion Games purse yet I have to say you're missing out. It's super stylish and perfect for toting around all the necessities us ladies seem to need these days on the go. I love that it is super roomy inside so I can put all my stuff inside and not worry about stuffing it. Add on one of their Triple Slit Pockets that snaps inside and you even have plenty of places for cards, keys, your phone, and all those little things you don't want dropped down in the bottom.

Sometimes I don't want to take my entire purse with me when I'm just running a quick errand or over to my mom's house close to ours. But as you know you still need your ID and of course cash just to be safe. So pairing up the Fashion Games purse with the Double Up Crossbody is the perfect way to solve that problem. It has a removable strap so you can use it like a wallet in your purse or with the strap attached like a purse by itself. No having to switch from one purse to another for a quick trip out.

Remember the Double Duty Caddy from my previous post? (you can still read it here) I talked about various ways of using it for taking crafts on the go or use at home. Well here's one of the companion pieces (in the same pattern), the Essential Storage Tote. Let me tell you this photo doesn't do it any justice, it's so much bigger than it looks. The actual overall size is 14.5"H X 12"L X 9"D. It's so big I can fill it with all the stuff I need to help teach a craft at my daughter's Girl Scouts meeting with room to drop my Double Duty Caddy full of crafting supplies right in on top! The handles are perfect for tossing the bag right up on my shoulder too so it leaves me hands free going in from the car. And when I'm not using it to tote around crafts it folds down pretty flat so I can just tuck it away until I need it again....well that's if I actually put away everything in it that is.

And last but definitely not least is one of the signature (in my opinion) products from Thirty-One, the Large Utility Tote. Right now this tote is available in a whopping 20 different prints (they change some of the prints with each new catalog, and sometimes even have special limited time only patterns). I had gotten a one of those special prints that was only available in the fourth quarter last year for the holidays and have to say I'm still loving it. It's not one that screams Christmas so it's something I can use all winter long. This has always been one of my favorite Thirty-One products, and I will be honest probably the one I use the most. (I'm not going to tell you how many of them I have though...) Let's just say I have a few of them here and there and leave it at that. I actually have one of them with a Top-a-Tote Lid that I use for my Circuit machine and all my stuff I use with it. The tote is the perfect size for my machine to sit down into and leaves me enough space to add in my extras. Then it's all ready to go when I am heading to an all day scrapbooking event to take it with me. I just grab the tote by the handles (so to speak) and I'm ready to go. Plus while it's not being used at home it stays dust free with the lid on the tote.

If you haven't checked out Thirty-One in a while I encourage you to do so. Their spring/summer catalog just came out the first of February and it has some really hot new prints and products I know I'm dying to get my hands on!

You can find these and so many more great products for at home and on the go at the Thirty-One website.

Taking things on the go is a breeze with Thirty-One

I do several different types of crafting activities outside of my home and am always needing basic supplies for them. Before I had just been grabbing things off my desk and dropping them into a tote bag. And as you can imagine a few times that wasn't the best solution as things got jumbled up and glue leaked out where I really didn't want it to be. With my new Double Duty Caddy I can take my crafting supplies with me and keep them upright as they belong. It makes a nice way to set them out on a table to share with others too because I don't have to take everything out to see what's inside. I was actually quite surprised at how many different things I was able to put in my caddy and take with me. I had a stapler, scissors, glue, markers, tape measure, a box of paper clips, baggie of rubber bands, and some different colors of ribbon for a project we were working on. I've actually purchased an extra set of some things so I can just keep a set in my caddy so I always know where they are.

The Double Duty Caddy can also be used for things like a diaper caddy for your living room or car, cleaning supplies, snacks and things in the car, and many other ways to help you organize at home and on the go.

One of my new favorites is the On The Double Set. It's a dual-sided cooler that you can even put ice inside of. This is a new feature of some of the Thirty-One coolers that I'm really loving. Sometimes I forget to put my freezer packs in before heading to a picnic or taking snacks on trips and being able to put actual ice in my cooler and knowing it won't leak is a definite plus. Wondering why they call it On The Double? That's because this unique bag has two sides to it. You can use them zipped together for two-compartment cooler, or you can zip them apart and use them separately. You get a long carrying strap that can be used across both bags, or with just one of the bags. This is nice because sometimes I only need the smaller bag to carry juice boxes to my daughter's Girl Scout meetings and don't have to lug around a large cooler to do so.

Illustrated in my photo above you'll find a top view of the bag both closed and open. The the next two photos show the front of the bag with both compartments together as well as one end of the bag where you can attach the carrying strap. The final two photos shows that the smaller bag can actually fit inside of the larger bag to save space when you're done using them (or together they even fold down fairly well too). And what the smaller side looks like zipped off of the larger side.

If you know me you already know I'm a purse person. I love purses of all sorts small or large. I can find a way to use them no matter what size they are. With the Everything Crossbody I can keep my valuables close to me when going on field trips with my daughter's class or even on Girl Scout outings. I hate taking my purse with all of my credit cards and other things in it on trips because I don't really need them and always fear something happening to them. With this purse I can actually wear it across my body (hence the name Crossbody) and keep what I do carry close to me. I like it because I can participate in activities and not worry about my purse slipping off my shoulder.

I actually took it with me a few weeks ago on a trip to Exploration Acres a pumpkin patch and maze in our town for a Girl Scouts trip. I loved being able to carry things right there with me and not having to worry about my big heavy purse. I actually used one of the outside pockets to hold two bottles of water I had wrapped in paper towel. And I used the inside for snacks, my camera, and a few smaller things we got at the gift shop. It was the perfect size and I didn't have to dump out my usual purse to make room to be able to carry all the things I really needed for the trip. Plus I got a ton of compliments and questions from other moms on the trip about my purse and where I got it!

You can shop for these and other great products from Thirty-One through their website.