A Summer Must Have: The Thirty-One Large Utility Tote

Happy Memorial Day, everybody! This time of year feels magical to me. The weather, the smell of grills fired up, the end of the school year, pools opening, and my news feed full of people at their cabins. No matter what season of life I’m in, there’s something so hopeful and refreshing about feeling summer in the air.

As parents with small children, summer means we spend as much time as possible outside. We practically live at the park, and all the lakes in Minnesota inspire us to find beaches so we can let the kids play their little hearts out for hours on end.

People often ask me how I manage to get out of the house as often as I do with four kids under four. I always tell them it’s my sanity! We HAVE to get out or we all go crazy!

And that’s the honest truth. It’s a necessity. When I view it that way, it motivates me to make the process a well-oiled machine.

Recently, I discovered a product that has helped me to do this. A little while back, a Mommy’s Me Time reader, Emily Swinger, reached out to me. Emily is a busy mom herself, to a sweet four year old boy and five month old girl. When she became a mom, she partnered with Thirty-One so that she could join the company in their mission to celebrate, encourage, and reward women. Since joining, she’s discovered that it’s so much more than a business or a hand bag. It’s about ministering to the women holding them.

And that’s exactly what she wanted to do for Mommy’s Me Time readers. She approached me with this out of a sincere desire to encourage all of you, because she’s been so encouraged by the community here.

I’ve been seeing Thirty-One products being used by my friends and family for years. I’ve seen their purses, totes, bags, and accessories being used in all kinds of settings. Whether they’ve been at family gatherings, play dates or picnics, I’ve always admired their functionality and style!

While there are several products I could see myself using, one product that has peaked my interest the most is the Large Utility Tote, pictured here.

Not too long ago I saw a mom bring it to Target with her to load up all her groceries into, and it looked like the BEST idea. I even stopped her to ask where it was from, and sure enough, it was a Thirty-One tote. Ever since our conversation I’ve been wanting to incorporate it into our grocery runs.

Turns out Emily and I were on the same page, because the reason she reached out to me at this particular time was because during the month of May, there’s a huge special going on for the Large Utility Tote, which is one of their most popular items!

I chose the Taupe Playful Parade Large Utility Tote and even got to have it personalized!

You guys, I took this to Target, and I kid you not it absolutely made things go 10 TIMES smoother. First of all, it fit nicely underneath the large basket. This is incredibly important to me because when I take the kids shopping, that’s the main space I have to store groceries since their little bodies take up most of the cart! I packed it full as we shopped, then unloaded them at the checkout lane.

AND, when I checked out, I didn’t leave with a million of those plastic bags. I simply packed the tote how I wished, wasting no space.

AND grocery bags weren’t falling out and getting caught under the wheels when we made our way back to the car. Nope! Most of the groceries fit in the Large Utility Tote! It made it super easy to load the groceries into the car, and I also didn’t have to make 10 trips into the house when I got home!

The other thing that was awesome is that I also received the Stand Tall Insert that fits snugly inside and is perfect for holding a few emergency items when going to the store. I didn’t have to bring in my entire diaper bag!

Now that I have one, I have to say I absolutely think this is a must-have item for all women, whether you are a mom or not. In fact, I’m going to take advantage of Emily’s sale and order another one! I’m planning to leave this one in the car and use it for groceries, and will use my second one for the beach, or for play dates or trips when I need to throw in a bunch of toys and gear.

If you’re looking to set yourself up for success when you get out of the house this summer, I just have to tell you about the deal Emily has going on right now.

If you place an order under the Mommy’s Me Time party between now and the end the day on Saturday, May 30th, you will be entered in a giveaway to win a $50 gift card to Thirty-One! Additionally, if you spend $35, you are eligible to purchase the Large Utility Tote for $10 ($35 value) or the Stand Tall Insert for $15 ($50 value)!

Here’s the super fun part. All the “hostess” prizes that I would normally receive from hosting a party will be randomly distributed to the people who made a purchase! We won’t know exactly what they’ll be until we learn how much is spent, but I’m so excited for YOU to benefit from this party!

See below for details! To shop the Mommy’s Me Time party, simply click on the link below and start shopping! Be sure to click “Shop Now” in the Mommy’s Me Time party “box.”

Mommy’s Me Time Thirty-One Party

If you use Thirty-One products, which one is your favorite?

To contact Emily with any questions, you can email her at emily.swinger@gmail.com.

Happy shopping!

XOXO,

Amber

P.S. For more reflections on parenthood and life, follow us on Facebook (Hun Let’s Run) and on Instagram: @ambermariekuiper and @jakekuiper! We’d also love for you to subscribe to our Hun, Let’s Run Podcast! For more info about joining our fitness community as a customer or coach, please email us at amber@mommysmetime.com!