Use 10 Household Items for Exercise Equipment

The kitchen houses several useful household items that can easily be converted into exercise equipment.

1. Put an empty gallon of milk to good use by filling it with water until it reaches your desired weight. You can also fill two half gallons to create a couple of free weights with ready-made handles.

2. A 3-5 pound bag of beans or rice are the perfect size for any type of biceps or triceps curls. You can place them on your ankles while seated and do some leg raises.

3. Water bottles are also a perfect size for bicep curls. Another excellent advantage of using water bottles is that you can rehydrate yourself after a great workout.

4. When careful, soup cans are another good source for basic strength training. Increase your repetitions if the weight of the cans are too light and be very careful not to drop these on your feet.

5. Take a chair and use it to balance when doing some complicated yoga moves. You can also use for step-up exercises for an added challenge and a chair is always the type of useful exercise equipment that can help you get a good stretch.

Take a stroll around your home and you will find some other household items that can serve you well in the home fitness department.

6. A pair of hole-less socks can be filled with beans, sewn closed and then used as ankle weights. It’s a great way to use socks that have lost their match.

7. Stack up some books on the floor and do a variation of the traditional push-up. Heavier books can also serve as weights.

8. If you have access to stairs you have a huge at-home gym advantage. They can be used for cardio as you run up and down them. You can also use them for squats and lunges.  You can also do incline or decline pushups.  Stairs are a household item that give the feel of all-in-one exercise equipment .

9. Back yourself into a wall and sit parallel with your tush off of the floor for a very difficult squat variation. You will definitely feel the burn the longer you hold the pose.

10. Your kids can be a great source of calorie-burn. You can place your smaller kids on your stomach while you do crunches.  Playing tag in the yard with your children is also a fun way to get your exercise in with the added bonus of spending quality time with your family.

Sure, you can always find me in the organization section at Sears or Target walking away with at least one or two fun items that help make my life a bit easier. But I always look to the resources I have laying around at home before unnecessary spending.

DIY Home Organization Tips

reuse a soda pop tab

One of my favorite discoveries has been the ability to use soda can tabs to help with an overflowing closet. Simply hang your first piece and second piece on two different hangers. Slide the tab over one of the hangers and then hook the second hanger into the bottom hole of the tab as pictured above. I particularly like to apply this DIY home organization tip to suit jacket and pants sets.

mismatched mug and empty jars 

I resourced the above picture from a great crafting blog called Think Fast by Kimberly Kesti. Many of us have an abundance of mismatched coffee mugs and empty jars in that sit on the shelves collecting dust.  You can use them to help organize a messy desk or even use them for decorating.  I like to use empty vases for mail, knitting needles and cough drops.

empty pill boxes

For some reason, my home collects pill boxes. I have also collected many earrings that are sans its counterpart, namely because they are too small. (I love tiny studs.) Using pill boxes to keep jewelry organized can help tremendously.

empty contact lens cases 

Another mystery is the multiple contact lens cases I’ve accrued along the years.  Contact lens cases are great for travel. You can squirt in foundation or knife in a dab of your favorite lipstick or eye makeup for a perfect travel size container.  They are also great for pills and small jewelry.

empty tissue boxes

This is a 2-for-1 DIY home organization tip. You get to reuse an empty tissue box and find a place for your empty plastic bags. Despite the fact that I take my own reusable bags to the supermarket, I tend come home with a few plastic bags anyway. Rather than randomly stashing them underneath the kitchen sink, you can stuff them inside an empty tissue box for easy access. I use a strong double-sided tape to suspend the box to the inside of my kitchen cabinet to free up space.

label cable cords with bread clips

Ever needed to remove a device from your entertainment center? What should be a simple process becomes a puzzling feat. Bread clips can be particularly handy in this situation. It’s a brillant way to keep your cords in order. Plus it becomes extra useful when you’re getting ready to unplug everything and cord-wrangle from scratch. If your carb habit can’t keep up with the amount of cords you have, you can also cut up an empty milk or juice jug, hole punch it and voila!

In the meantime, here are some real world solutions to cut down on shoe clutter:

Shoe Storage Racks

I ordered this inexpensive shoe rack from Lowe’s this fall and it has helped tremendously. For less than $22 it actually looks more expensive. I will say that I seem to be the one who uses it the most but the price is right and I love having it in the hall when neighbors come to visit.  (Yes we have an annoying “shoes-off” policy but we also have a crawling baby so make sure your socks aren’t smelly and deal with it.)

Individual Bins for Everyone

My neighbor places a bin for each family member near the door way for all personal items-shoes, mittens, hats, etc. She empties the bins periodically when they overflow.

Shoe Clutter Basket

One big shoe basket works as well (if you have a big family, make that a huge shoe basket). This is also handy when you are having company – you can just pick up one big basket and hide it in a closet. If you are a no-shoes-in-the-house family, you can also leave a basket of slippers by the door so family members can take off outdoor shoes and “slip” into something more comfy.

Keep Shoes Organized in Bedroom Closets

A key to controlling this downstairs clutter is to encourage all family members to move their shoes upstairs to their respective rooms. All of our bedroom closets have the over-the-closet-door shoe pocket organizers that work well and free up closet space too. I also use the pockets for scarves and belts.

Cut Down on Shoes 

How many times have you come across flip flops in your shoe area in the middle of winter? If you are vigilant about cleaning out your shoes by season, you could definitely combat your shoe clutter issue. You know there are several pairs of shoes that aren’t just wearable anymore. Toss or donate them for immediate shoe clutter relief. One or two pairs of shoes tops per family member per season for everyday wear should be ready to pop on and off by your home’s main exit.

Put the Little Ones to Work

Our middle child has just been assigned shoe organization as his everyday chore.  His chore is to make sure that the shoes are put away icily on the rack. As he is only 6 years old he views it as more of a game. The best part is when he lectures my husband about leaving his shoes in random corners of the house instead of “nice and neat” like mommy likes them. To my future daughter-in-law, I say thank you.

Simple Fall Decorating Ideas

Embrace the Shorter Days of Fall We should all agree that the earlier sunset is nothing short of a downer.  But you can turn that frown upside down and light some candles at dusk.  Enjoy candlelight dinners, or simply burn some fall-scented candles when you’re done for the day.

Display the Leaves of Fall When Mother Nature starts putting on her big show, take advantage of those brilliantly colored leaves and display branches of them in big vases. You can find some great vases at Sears.

Get your Snuggle On For fall decorating ideas that are visually stimulating yet functional, we suggest that you display your chunky knit throws, velvet pillows, and any other accessory in colors that scream fall. These can make a big change in the feel of your rooms and make everything feel more comfy during autumn’s cool evening.  We love the throws at Bed Bath & Beyond.

Fall Nature Inspires DIY Leaves, acorns, and pine cones reflect the harvest mood and can be used in all sorts of ways to make your house feel seasonal. Plus, your basic materials are free — just go for a stroll! Martha Stewart has tons of creative ideas, like this acorn mirror you can make yourself.

Beautiful Fall Colors This season’s rich colors are unique and go a long way in reflecting the mood. Try a small rug in shades of brown, a pumpkin-orange glass vase filled with pine cones and yellow leaves, or a throw pillow in bright maple-leaf red.

Add Spice to Your Tables It’s easy to find table linens, glassware, and even dishes that exude the fall feel since Thanksgiving is just around the corner. You can find small decorative dessert plates and inexpensive glassware at Macy’s, Kmart or Sears that can make a big impact without the need to revamp your entire dish collection.

A Big Impact with Small Touches If you’d love to be the person who switches out her decor completely with the seasons — but your time, budget, or tolerance for shopping don’t match that ambition — just a few tweaks in small rooms can make a difference. Place a vase filled with leaves on a hall table or coffee table and surround it with gourds or mini pumpkins. Or set fall-scented candles in the bathroom and autumn-colored hand towels on the racks and we promise it will go a long way.

There! You’ve set the mood for the season without crushing your budget or cutting into your schedule. Your house is now officially ready for fall!

We look forward to reading your favorite fall decorating ideas. Please share with us in the comments section.

First and foremost, I’m a beginner. I just started learning a few weeks ago and let me tell you…it’s not that difficult. There are paid classes at Joann for about $30-$50 a session, you can purchase a book for under $10 on Amazon  or you can try to teach yourself by searching free how-to knitting videos on Youtube. I learned the basic knitting techniques (casting on, gauging, knitting, purling, yarning over, decreasing and binding off) with the help of a book and Youtube videos.

The reason I took on knitting in the first place was my desire to make a swaddling blanket for our daughter who will be here very soon.  Most beginning knitters should start off with something easy like a scarf. My first few attempts were more like oversized potholders but I finally got the hang of it and this entry is a love letter to every one of my adult family members that they will be receiving a gorgeous handmade scarf for the Holidays this year because

#1 I love the process of finding deals on yarn

#2 It’s cheap that turns into chic

I’d like to invite you all to this fascinating world of knitting where the DIY possibilities are endless. Trust me, knitting isn’t just for grandmas anymore. Everyone’s doing it and it’s fun.  Below I give you a free knitting pattern for a basketweave scarf that looks detailed and intricate but is very easy.  Let me know if you have any questions and happy knitting!

Basketweave Knitting Scarf Pattern

Finished scarf is 60 inches long and almost eight inches wide. Gauge is not critical.

Materials:
Approximately 200 yards of super-bulky wool or wool-blend
size 13 needles
scissors
crochet hook or tapestry needle

Pattern:
Cast on 19 stitches
Row 1: Knit across.
Row 2: Knit four, purl three, knit five, purl three, knit four.
Row 3: Purl four, knit three, purl five, knit three, purl four.
Row 4: Repeat row two.
Row 5: Knit across.
Row 6: Purl three, knit five, purl three, knit five, purl three.
Row 7: Knit three, purl five, knit three, purl five, knit three.
Row 8: Repeat row six.

Repeat pattern to desired length or 60 inches.
Bind off.
Cut excess yarn if needed and weave in ends.

We’re expecting. And like many moms-to-be, I find myself combing the web and daydreaming about all kinds of decorating ideas for her nursery.  What I’ve discovered: Decorating a baby nursery can be rather expensive.

A couple years back, a UK study indicated that the average family spends a whopping average of $7,000 before baby’s first birthday and most of it was on decorating the baby nursery and baby apparel. Call me practical but, even if we did have that money at our disposal, we’d much rather spend it on our baby girl’s future hopes and dreams, whatever they may be.

My thrifty core will not allow me to pay full price for any baby furniture so you better believe that in addition to hand-me-downs I am taking full advantage of any web deals like this Bed Bath and Beyond coupon for 20% off. With this Bed Bath Beyond promo code, I was able to save big on my pack and play purchase. Score.

Here are some ideas I thought up for decorating a baby nursery.

#1 Repurposing existing furniture-There was a dusty brown dresser we had in our garage that we converted into a baby dresser. My husband sanded it down, hammered and nailed any loose ends into place, painted and varnished it. A couple Lowes coupons helped us save in the tools department too.

#2 Remembering the past-There are so many childhood memories that are surfacing as our daughter’s arrival approaches. To add a personal touch to her baby nursery, I scanned and printed vintage photographs of my husband and myself when we were babies. I outsourced my printing and used Shutterfly coupons but a good laser printer could produce a similar result. I also used a bunch of old picture frames I had in a box for the photographs.

#3 Reducing painting costs-Chances are, our daughter’s personality will change as she grows and painting her room lavender could prove to be ultra-expensive when, at age 4, she reveals to me that her favorite color is lime green. Instead of the headache of a huge painting project, I’ve decided on using a few wall stencils for accenting and may add some more picture frames (see #2) with fun characters to liven things up. If I do buy more picture frames, I can find really fun ones for under $5 at Sears.

Saving Tip: There’s a Sears coupon code for $5 off minimum purchase. Click here.

#4 Reprogramming myself-Before pulling the trigger on any baby-related purchases I ask myself a few questions.

How will this benefit our baby?

How will this benefit me?

I remind myself that, more than anything else in the world, our baby will benefit from love.

The rest is just…décor.