Taking the Plunge

Have you heard of Thirty-One? It seems to be one of the hottest trends lately. The company sells purses, storage totes, organizational products, baskets and much more. Most items can even be monogrammed. The company started 9 years ago in the founder's basement and now have consultants all across the country. How have they flourished? I believe it's partly because of quality products. I also believe that God has blessed them for their focus on Him. The company's name Thirty-One is derived from Proverbs 31 which describes a virtuous woman who displays hard work, wisdom, encouragement, and care for others. That's what this company is all about. 

So why am I telling you this? Because I've finally given in. I'm taking the plunge. I'm placing an order.

If you know me, you'll understand that it's a pretty big deal. See, I'm cheap. I like to get things for as little money as possible. I coupon. I clearance shop. I won't pay more than $20 for a pair for tennis shoes. A little part of me dies every time I have to pay full price for anything.

Ok, maybe not that last part, but you get the point.

Why have I decided to buy something that I felt was far too much for me to spend? Because of  a sale, of course! I have been eyeing the All-In-One Organizer for a while, but didn't want to spend the $20. Sure, it's not a lot of money, but I already have tons of tote bags, backpacks, and whatnot. Then I saw one in person and fell in love. And come to find out, for every $31 you spend during the month of May, you get the All-In-One for only $5! Five dollars! That's a 75% savings. (Yeah, I'm good at math.) I do understand that I still have to spend $31 on something that is not on sale, but I can handle that. I already have plans for my purchases. I love, love, love all the pockets in the Organizing Utility Tote and I think the Square Utility Tote will be great for long trips in the van for holding games, books, activities, and toys. Or snacks. Or movies and music. The Mini Organizer would work well to corral some of our most used craft supplies like markers, scissors, ribbon, glue, and paint. I've heard only good things about their products. Maybe if I can get a few really good bags, I can get rid of the dozens of cheap ones that I own. 

Since I'm definitely placing an order, I figured I see if anyone else wanted to join me in taking the plunge. Or maybe you already have and realize there's something else you just can't live without. You can head over to my friends website and place an order. Hurry though, my party closes on May 29, 2012. Gotta make sure you get that $5 bag!

Have you been bitten by the Thirty-One bug (not 31 bugs)? What's your favorite product?

 

$10 Vitacost Credit

I am a big bargain shopper.

I am a couponer.

I am very frugal.

Pretty much, I just love to save money any which way I can! That's why I was so happy to save $10 from Vitacost! I had been wanting to purchase tea tree oil for cleaning and just kept putting it off. When I heard about the $10 credit for new members, I knew exactly what I'd buy with it!

Vitacost sells nearly 2,000 of the top, most-trusted natural brands, diet foods, healthy living essentials, the very best nutritional supplements, whole foods and sports nutrition up. They offer over 3,000 products that help you care for yourself, your family, your pets and your home. Everything is discounted up to 50% off the retail price! Shipping is FREE on orders totaling $49 or more and just a small, flat-rate fee of $4.99 for lesser ones.


My order came quickly and was well-packaged. I love having my tea tree oil and the kids love the gummy vitamins I bought for them. I definitely want to get some lavender oil with my next order and some of the many baby items. There is just so much! And when you click on my link and save $10, I save $10 too. How cool is that?

 

 

So, head over to Vitacost and look around. I guarantee you'll find something you want!

 

Easter Ideas

I meant to get this up before Easter, but like I said in the last post, it was a hectic week. So, here are a few Easter ideas to remember for next year.

Here is a picture of the kids' baskets. Aren't they fun? They're packed full of things like workbooks, reading books, pencils, sandals, shaving cream (great bath time fun!), and toys. Most of it I got for really cheap (See that pink gardening set? Regularly $5.00, paid $0.98. Or that didj game? Regularly $30.00, paid $4.98!) or free (all the candy and Band-aids after coupons or CVS Extra Bucks.) I love checking the clearance sections at stores, especially after holidays. Some of the toys I've been saving since Christmas and before. That way, I can get the kids some nice things without hurting my wallet.

Notice anything unusual about these baskets? No messy Easter grass! That stuff ends up everywhere for weeks. I've used tissue paper in the past, but it doesn't fill up the bottom as well and doesn't look as nice. This year, I filled the bottoms with shirts, socks, and undies. Jake and Alyssa also got aprons for baking and crafting. I had a nice flat surface to work. After that, I placed everything else on top. Not only did it eliminate the messy grass, it gave the kids a fun surprise once they emptied the top. Bonus!

  

We decided to skip the candy/money route for the eggs this year. Instead, I filled the eggs with pieces of a K'nex set. We ended up with 30 eggs. Two dozen had the parts, and six had a piece of candy. Surprisingly, they didn't care anything about the candy eggs! Well, except for Zac. He's not quite old enough for the tiny pieces yet, but already loves chocolate. The other two were so focused on finding all the pieces of the truck. If they found one of the other six, it was tossed to the side. "Oh, it's just candy." Not only did it eliminate the extra candy, it gives them a fun toy to build and play with again and again. Bonus!

 

These last two pics are the chocolate bowls we made last week. We mixed 8-10 drops of food coloring in 1 teaspoon water. Then, we combined that with 1 cup of shredded coconut in a plastic bag. We put the "grass" in the chocolate bowl along with 3 peanut butter eggs. Add some cellophane and a bow, and you have a cute, little "nest" to give to friends. Jake and Alyssa had fun passing these out at church Easter morning. They're completely edible (once opened!), though the kids dumped the grass out and just ate the candy. In this case, it's all about the presentation. 

Do you have any cute, crafty, thrifty ideas? Leave us a comment. It's never to early to prepare for next year!