Well, the fact is that I'm quite addicted. A friend hosted a party a few years ago and I didn't want to buy anything because I didn't like the fabric pattern choices at the time. I'm a quilter so design is a serious thing for me. Plus the products seemed too pricey. After all, I've never been one to care about expensive purses and bags. BUT my friends' consultant (Hi Kate! ;-)) wouldn't let me off that easy and convinced me to buy the hostess gift that my friend didn't want. It was a pink gym tote that had a handy zipper compartment for shoes at the bottom. I felt a little guilty shelling out $35 (normally $80-ish) for a bag when I could have bought something at the local big brand store for less. Let me tell you, that bag changed my whole perspective! The quality was so good that I ended up using it for EVERYTHING- airport carry-on, overnights, the beach, paperwork, and much more. It's still going strong, whereas anything I would have bought at the big brand store would have been long gone by now. So the price has meant spending less and wasting less in the long run and I still love my tote. That's how the addiction started. Recently, my sister-in-law became a consultant. Even though I'm pretty loyal to my original consultant I still want to support my sister, so I hosted the aforementioned online party.
Here are a few of the items I was able to get for free. These products will be helpful for just about every aspect of our upcoming trip. The trailer will need to be carefully organized and we'll have to be mindful of what and how we pack clothes-wise. After all, we'll be participating in a wide range of activities over the course of the year. Since we'll be visiting local scout troops, my son's and daughter will need to keep their uniforms handy. Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, in particular, have several small, easy-to-lose items. For example, my boys are forever searching for their neckerchief slides and books. To solve this problem, Thirty-One offers this little gem called the "Hang-It-Up Pocket."
It's a zipper pocket that goes over your hanger. I had ours personalized and like the neutrality of the gray striped fabric, but they have other options too. As you can see, the pocket is pretty big, so it holds all the accessories for each uniform. It also has that little loop at the bottom in case you need to hang pants or something. On the back are two large loops that could hold ties, scarves, or anything, really. I normally hang the boys' shirts directly over the pocket, but displayed it like this for the picture so you could see how it works. Here's how it will look during the trip. Handy, no?
Another item that will come in handy are these "Your Way Cubes". They fold down flat and have chalkboard fabric on the front. This is perfect for us because we can take them with us wherever we go and change the writing as needed. At the moment, they are being used in our pantry. A LONG overdue addition. I was about to go insane because of the snack food avalanche that attacked me every time I went to get out a box of cereal. Now we can remove whatever we want without trying to catch something else. I've discovered a few added bonuses, too. Because we can't see everything, we aren't "boredom eating" as much. Also, we are eating a larger variety of items because when we want something, we have access to everything- not just whatever's on top. Win-Win!
I have many more items that I was able to get for our trip, which would have cost a fortune if I hadn't hosted a party. There are still things I need to save up for but I can honestly say that they are worth the cost. I really do use Thirty-One products every. single. day. and they're all well made and useful. Plus, I love the fabrics and personalization choices that have come out in the past few years. No, I don't work for them. This is just a review of something I've come to love. :-)
In case you were wondering what our family has been up to this week, we've had a whirlwind of scouting activities. My daughters' Girl Scout troop participated in a service project with Mountains To Sound Greenway http://mtsgreenway.org/ where they planted trees at Lake Sammamish State Park. It was a muddy-wonderful mess! My youngest sons' Cub Scout pack put on a carnival for the younger scouts and did a great job. Tomorrow my oldest son and I will be volunteering at our local food bank as part of his Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge and then he has an igloo-building outing. It's an exciting time in our home and I'm so thankful I get to be a part of the lives of these kids. Who knows what amazing changes they may bring to the world we live in?
- Jen
