DECEMBER 12 • 2019 | 39
gift guide 2019
The Gift of
Organization
STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
E
very family or circle of friends
has certain people who are
tough to shop for when it
comes to gift-giving time.
They leave you stumped
about what present
they’
d flip over;
yet giving them
a gift card lacks
sentiment.
Lanie Blau Sacks,
franchise owner of Thirty-
One Gifts, suggests her
personalized and practical offerings
can help the busy, hard-to-buy
friends and family on your gift list
stay organized and stylish. Everyone
can use presents like colorful,
pocket-embellished totes, thermal
bags or storage items but rarely think
to buy for themselves, she said.
Sacks says when thinking about
how to make gift-giving more
personal, consider the recipient’
s
profession or hobby. Any of
Sack’
s more popular sellers can be
customized for teachers or busy
moms with clever sayings stitched
on the outside. Totes can also be
customized with plastic sleeves that
hold photos to show off children or
grandchildren.
“The holidays are a great time
to celebrate the hardworking loved
ones in your life,
” said Sacks, who
is also a special education teacher
in Walled Lake schools. “Maybe
they’
re driving the kids to and from
practice and need something to
keep them organized in the car. Or
they’
re educating little ones and need
a place to put all their classroom
supplies. Totes are sturdy and will
be appreciated every time they are
used.
”
Among Sack’
s favorite picks are
take-along “
Around the Clock”
thermal lunch totes at $30 to replace
other lunch boxes that may be
showing wear and tear as the school
year reaches the halfway mark.
These are also great for grown
children who are out of the house
and starting independent lives in the
workforce.
“I have a lot of clients who have
older kids who may either be in
college or starting careers and living
on their own,
” Sacks said. “The
right gift can reflect their profession
or hobby, and most young adults
appreciate a gift that helps them stay
organized when they are traveling
and on the go.
”
In a selection of fabrics and
patterns, Sacks also carries utility
totes and organizers starting at $20.
The all-in-one organizer is a versatile
catch-all that’
s great for organizing
toys or transporting small items
from one place to another. Other
totes and bags in her collection are
great for the crafter who needs to
tame an assortment of papers and
scissors, an office worker who needs
to keep important papers in check or
for the after-work athlete who needs
an orderly bag to store workout
clothes.
For women on your list who
can never have enough handbags
or totes, treat them to new ones in
tribal or animal prints.
If the men on your gift list have
got you stumped, Sacks suggests
sturdy backpacks, briefcases or
crossovers starting at $35 that can
be brought to the office or campus.
For days relaxing at home, cloth,
metallic or wooden caddies starting
at $25 can be filled with remotes,
magazines or eyeglasses to keep by
the couch.
For more product information, go to
mythirtyone.com/us/en/lainiesacks/
product/4847.
Personalized totes please even the hard-to-buy-for.
PHOTOS COURTESY THIRTY-ONE GIFTS