I was loading up my Large Utility Tote (pictured here with the Stand Tall Insert and Top-a-Tote) with some items a friend wanted to see, when my mental wheels started churning, popping out ideas of a variety of ways the tote can be used, to make life easier.  Maybe some of these will meet needs you have, so I thought I’d share them with you.

The first one is the one I was using it for:

Use It to Hold Your Direct Sales Demo Pieces

In this particular instance, I have only a few pieces in my tote, because someone asked to see some very specific items.  But its size makes it great for corraling — and carrying — larger selections, as well.  Sometimes when heading to a demo, there’s a lot of “bulk” to manage, and these can make that a lot easier to handle.

(Do you lug smaller items — like essential oils?  You might prefer something a bit smaller, like the Zip-Top Organizing Utility Tote.  Either way, the Fold N’ File is a great addition for holding your paperwork.)

Go Shopping

Do you cringe at all the plastic bags you bring home from a shopping trip?  Then don’t get them!  Take a Large Utility Tote or two to the supermarket and pile your groceries in them, instead.  If you have one of those stores where you can scan your own as you go, even easier.  (And this is fabulous for Aldi!)

Even if you prefer to have your groceries bagged the traditional way, a LUT can still make them easier to corral in the car (no more canned beans rolling under the seats!) and enable you to carry them into the house in fewer trips.

Throw a Party

Is one of your kids having a birthday party away from home? Load up all your “gear” in a Large Utility Tote — gifts, cake (if you’re taking that), candles, paper plates & plastic utensils, crépe paper, etc.  This can actually be handy even if you’re staying at home, if your party space is pretty far from where you store most of these items.  For instance, for us the back yard is a good distance from the kitchen, so it would be helpful to carry this all together if we were partying in the back yard.

Visit the Laundromat

Do you do your laundry at a laundromat?  Toss it all in a Large Utility Tote (or a Deluxe Utility Tote, if you want/need a bit more space) for hauling into and out of the laundromat.  An attached Pocket-a-Tote is a great place to store quarters.

In the Trunk

If you’re anything like me, things get tossed into the trunk, but they’re inevitably not nearly the size of the trunk, so they roll or slide around.  Keeping a Utility Tote in the trunk gives you a place to toss all those smaller items so they can’t roll very far.

Head to the Pool

If you’re going to the pool or the beach by yourself, a more standard-sized tote works great!  But if you’re going with multiple children, you probably have at least three towels along with various pool toys, sunglasses, sunscreen/sunblock, hats, spare clothes, goggles, and the like.  You might want something bigger than a large shoulder bag.  The Large Utility Tote is a perfect option.

Get All the Parts to Dance Class or Ball Practice

Let’s face it: dance, ball, and similar activities can result in a lot of gear!  Leotards, dance shoes, sweaters, etc.  Or baseball gloves, bats, balls, and more.  Again, with just one child, a smaller tote or backpack can work great.  But if you’re taking more than one child, you might need something bigger.

(Are you “large family” moms sensing a theme here?  The Large Utility Tote is awesome for carrying multiple kids’ worth of ‘most anything!)

Store Balls

If you have a lot of balls — especially if you ever take them all to the park or youth group night or something like that — a Large or Deluxe Utility Tote is a handy way to store them.  I know at our house we have baseballs, basketballs, footballs, frisbees, wiffle balls, playground balls, jump ropes…

Hold a Game Night

Speaking of youth group nights…its larger size makes the Large Utility Tote workable for toting a stack of games for a game night or lock-in.  (Or just for vacation. 🙂 )

I’m sure you could come up with other ideas, too.  (Please share them in the comments!)

Better still, these totes are Thirty-One’s customer special this month, along with the Stand Tall Insert, which is a seasonal item and not available apart from this promotion.  (The Stand Tall insert is really handy.  It makes the tote more rigid, and adds some pockets, to boot.)  That makes this a great time to buy one — or a few!

As an independent consultant for Thirty-One, those are my links, and if you choose to purchase, I will make a commission.  But I sell these because I use them, not the other way around. 🙂