Large Utility Tote

Hey y'all! 

If you didn't already know, I have joined the FAB Thirty-One Gifts family as an Independent Consultant! I hosted my first party and signed up as a consultant in just a matter of weeks. I fell in love with the products, and eventually their business. 

The Large Utility Tote is our TOP seller. It has so many uses, you can't go wrong with purchasing one! What makes it even better, is during the month of June 2014, you can get one of these bad boys for only $10 with your $35 purchase! Amazing deal on this hot item. 

Some uses for the LUT: 

• Car organization
• beach/pool bag
• Gift wrap supplies
• blankets for guest room
• laundry
• shopping bags (GREAT for wholesale stores!)
• Gift transportation
• Weekend trips
• Keep in your trunk when you need it on the go
• Toy bin
• Craft room organization
• Farmer's Market

And SO much more! 

So tell me, what do you use your LUT for?

-Laura 

Can You Pay My Bills?

Can you pay my telephone bills, can you pay my automo-bills... I've got the Destiny's Child song "Bills, Bills, Bills" stuck in my head this morning :-)

We are trying to minimize our monthly payments for our cell phone bill right now. My 2 year contract is coming up at the end of the month. I'm thinking about cancelling and heading on over to Virgin Mobile or StraightTalk. Since I am at home most days with the kids, we can get the MagicJack or something similar so I can have a house phone.

We just can't keep paying almost $170 a month for 2 phones with 700 minutes, unlimited messaging, and unlimited data! Especially since there are so many other plans on the market right now that have NO contract and unlimited everything. I'm sure there's a "catch" somewhere in there, I'll have to read the fine print to find out! 

What have you done to get your bills down? I would love to hear your ideas! 

-Laura 

Oh, Hi There!

I guess it would be safe to say I have been so busy that I forgot about my blog! Forgive me? Please? K, thanks! 

Our family has been doing well, just really busy! I am still trying to get on a decent schedule that accommodates both kids nap times and their routines. I have not yet been successful. Hopefully they will start consistently taking naps at the same time! This momma would certainly appreciate it :-)

We are loving our new home! We are slowly but surely making it our own. Updating paint colors, rearranging and purchasing furniture... It's a slow process but I love the outcome so far.

Joey has hit "Terrible 2's" at full force. He goes from happy to meltdown mode in a matter of half a second. He has done great potty training, learning his ABC's, numbers, colors, shapes, and other pre-K stuff. We are very proud of him!

Hayley is a little peanut! Luckily her pediatrician is not concerned with her weight. Last time she was weighed was at 9 months and she came in at a hefty 13 pounds 2 ounces. When I say tiny, I really mean tiny! She is in the third percentile compared to other girls her age. She eats everything in sight! I don't see how it's possible that she doesn't put on more weight. I have been breastfeeding her now. Going strong for almost 11 months!

We are so excited for Spring here. We actually got a lot of snow 2 weeks ago, about 6 inches! Joey LOVED playing in the snow! His favorite part was sledding with the neighbors. We all had a blast! Even mommy got in on the action! I wish I had taken some pictures but we were having too much fun to stop.

Talk Soon!
-Laura

Create and Admire

I have been so busy with life in general lately, but one thing I have maintained is sewing! I love to create new things, especially for my little lovies. And my house.
I am very fortunate to have repeat customers. I have really enjoyed having a physical location to sell, but it just did not work out financially. The boutique was just taken over by new owners and I think they are going to do a fabulous job, but the time isn't right for me right now, and neither is the money.

Things that I've made around the house

You know you love sewing when you get a new picture of snaps in and have to take a picture of how pretty they are! These go on the bibs that I make. 

My set up I had at Unique Boutiques and Marketplace. I LOVE that store! If you are in or near Clayton, NC, I highly recommend you stop in there. They have a lot of unique items that are perfect for treating yourself or giving as gifts. 

Crayon roll and tote bag

There are just a few things I have made recently. Some for our family, some for friends, and some for online customers. 

If you have anything you are interested in, let me know! I accept custom orders and can make a wide variety of things. 

-Laura

Laura Pitt, Thirty-One Independent Consultant

Yup, you read that right! I decided to start selling Thirty-One after I fell in LOVE with their products and company! Thanks a lot, Michelle :-P There are many things that I love about Thirty-One. Consultant support, connecting with other women, partying, and their products! Seriously, they're awesome. 

I love the support they offer that is available to all consultants. There is a ton of training material and resources you will need to have a successful business. I have also been able to meet a few other consultants in my area and seem to all be lovely ladies! I can't wait to spend more time with them while we all grow our businesses together! 

The products are wonderful. They solve so many common organizational issues that people have. Whether it be for your car, pantry, bathroom, office, etc. They have a solution for EVERYTHING! They truly make things easier for busy women.  

I have had 2 in home parties hosted by close friends that did SO well. They were able to get some great stuff for FREE, half price, and items that are only offered when you host a party. 

I have made back the enrollment kit fee ($99), and earned a couple hundred dollars in commission. Only having 2 parties and a few online sales here and there, I am really happy about that accomplishment! 

The BEST thing Thirty-One has done for me is giving me time for myself. It isn't work to me. This is fun, allows me to socialize, and gets me out of the house. Being a stay at home mom, it is really hard to find time away for myself, and this gives me the perfect "excuse"! It has done so much for my morale and self worth. It seems silly, but I really needed something like this for myself. 

If you have been thinking about joining Thirty-One, I would be happy to answer any questions that you might have! I was a skeptic at first, but after researching the company and hearing so many success stories, I was without a doubt ready to join. 

Here are just a few of the products that I have been lucky enough to get my hands on! If you want more info on a particular item, just leave a comment! 

My enrollment kit! I was stalking the UPS man that day. It felt like Christmas when it finally came! 

The Your Way Rectangle bins work great under Joey's activity table! They hold all of his small cars,trucks, and construction trucks really well. I love that he's able to look through the windows on the front to see what's in them. 

We recently went on a trip to New Jersey for a wedding. I was trying to figure out how to transport toys and keep them together while we were there so there wouldn't be toys throughout the house! The Deluxe Utility Tote with the Cinch Top Lid worked fabulously! It was easy to travel with and made an excellent toy bin while we were away. And YES, everything pictured beside the bag is what was inside!

Inside view.

Everything is put away nicely and conveniently in the Deluxe Utility Bundle. 

The new Zip Top Organizing Utility Tote is probably my favorite product. I use it everyday as my purse and diaper bag. The pockets on the outside are great to hold cups, bottles of water, snacks, hand sanitizer, toys, you get the idea. This particular tote is being used as my Office on the go! It fits the Fold N' File perfectly inside. Pens, brochures, and other small items fit perfect in the pockets and make them easy to locate. 

My table set up at my very first party! I love how it turned out. I had a blast! 

Left to Right: Flip Top Organizing Bin, Littles Carry All Caddy, and Keyfob all in Citrus Medallion. I love have the Flip Top Organizing Bin in my car. It is a great storage solution for all the toys that Joey wants to bring with him! The lid is able to come off which he could use as a lap tray for food and toys. It snaps on so you won't have to worry about the lid getting lost. The BEST thing about this bin is that it safely attaches to the seat belt, so you won't have to worry about it going flying if you were to get into an accident! 

Fresh Market Thermal in Navy Wave with Orange monogram. My sister ordered this and I LOVE how it turned out! I need to get one of these bad boys for myself. Can you imagine how much easier it would be to go grocery shopping? This bag fits SO much. You could fit all of your cold items inside and only have to carry this bag into the house! It's also thermal, so you wouldn't have to worry if your food is cold by the time you get home. 

I hope you enjoyed this post and the pictures!! 

-Laura 

New Baby, New Home?!

Not sure what was going through my mind, but shortly after having Hayley I had this extreme urge to MOVE! Some called me crazy while some called it a good idea. I am so glad we decided to list our house on the market and move! It was amazing because our house sold in 7 DAYS! Wayyy faster than I thought it would, so fast that we felt thrown into a whirlwind. 

We then had to find a house suitable for our needs and wants and submit an offer. We are awaiting the closings of both homes now and it hasn't even been a month since we started talking about moving! Crazy!

What we wanted in our new home:

• Better area. Tired of hearing about all the break-ins happening around us! One house was robbed 3 times in one week not even half a mile away from us. I am so excited to live in a subdivision that has tons of children for Joey and Hayley to grow up playing with!
• Better school district. The school district we are in now is crap. Low ratings, and in a drama filled school district that can never seem to get things right. The school district we are moving to has some of the highest ratings in the state. 
• Bigger home! We are running out of room! I feel like all of our stuff is going to start falling out of the closets if we try to put anything else in them. We want more room for Joey (and eventually Hayley, too) to play. Good news is, the house we are moving to has a bonus room! Yay! ALL of their toys will be in there, and we won't have to step on blocks and Matchbox cars in our living room anymore! Who am I kidding, I'm sure they'll still end up downstairs.

Those are just the most important things. I couldn't relax until I felt like we were in the right home for us to raise a family in. 

Joey got to pick out his room in the new house. He loved going house hunting with us. At such a young age, he did extremely well!

We'll be moving in about 2 weeks. I probably won't be updating here until things get settled in at the new house. Wish us luck!

-Laura

Happy Memorial Day!

It has been entirely too long since I have posted here! Lots of fun changes going on for us! I'll write about all of what's to come in our near future in a separate post. This will just summarize the kiddos development and how cloth diapering is going. 

Hayley

I don't think she will ever cease to amaze me. She has already changed so much in these short 11 weeks. She is already hitting and trying to grab toys that dangle above her head and watches us from across the room- especially Joey! She smiles whenever she sees him and she just loves watching him play. I am sure they will spend a lot of time playing together once she can start wiggling around! At her 2 month check up she weighed 9 pounds 5 ounces and was 22 1/2 inches long. She's such a long, skinny peanut! 

Joey

Joey has been doing great with Hayley. He has changed and grown leaps and bounds in just the last few weeks. He has picked up a lot of new words and expressions. He is SO fun to play with! His favorite thing to do is play outside. I think he would stay outside all day if he could. 

Cloth Diapering Update

Hayley has been so easy to cloth diaper! Unfortunately, Joey has extremely sensitive skin and the diapers have given him a rash that comes back every time I put a cloth diaper on him. Hopefully I can strip them and rinse a million times and he'll be able to wear them again. I must say, I haven't missed rinsing his poopy diapers! Until i can figure out what's going on, he'll be in disposables. 

Thanks for reading! I hope everyone has a safe and fun filled Memorial Day weekend!

-Laura