DIY Projects

The old picnic basket you no longer use can easily become a basket table when you add wheels. The basket body serves to hold extra linens, books or magazines while the lid serves as a coffee table. Set this basket table in the media room to catch the gaming controls. Use it in a child’s bedroom to store extra stuffed animals. In the bedroom, it neatly stores extra blankets. You can also use this basket table to store and hold citronella candles beside your outdoor furniture. Simply attach store-bought wheels from a kit to the basket’s bottom and find a new use for an old basket.

Repurpose a wooden stepladder into a bed stand that holds books, a lamp, an alarm clock, candle, hand lotion, flower arrangement or other nighttime necessities. Leave the ladder in rustic form or sand and stain it for a dressed up look. The ladder also works great hanging in the bathroom as a towel rack or in the living room to display vintage quilts or linens.

Transform an old door into a dining room table, a crafting table or a bed headboard. Remove the hardware from the door, and sand the surfaces. Prime and paint the door to match your style and personality. To use the door as a table, attach legs to the door’s underside before staining it with food grade mineral oil. You are now ready to cover the table with a piece of glass. This covering allows you to enjoy the door’s unique features on a level surface. To make a headboard, paint the door or stain it before hanging it horizontally on the wall behind your bed. Create an attractive and personalized table or headboard instead of throwing away old doors.

Find old benches no longer needed for picnics or church, and stack them to make bookshelves. Attractive and easy to assemble, you can paint ordinary benches to match the décor of any room. Nail the benches together for sturdiness then stock the repurposed shelves with collectibles, photo frames, decorative plates or toys. Prominently display your new bookcase wherever you need additional storage or a conversation starter.

Display a child’s artwork or make life easier with a wooden-shutter wall organizer. Hang reminder notices, messages or inspirational quotes in a neat and orderly fashion. Whether you use this shutter in the office, kitchen or playroom, it’s a unique project that affordably organizes your home and recycles old shutters.

An antique platter easily becomes a new mirror or mosaic. Start this project by measuring the perimeter of the flattest part of the platter’s central well and creating a template. A professional glasscutter can cut a mirror to fit your platter’s unique shape or you can create a design using pieces of colored rock or gems. Glue the mirror or mosaic materials onto the platter with ceramic epoxy before attaching pillow piping to disguise the mirror’s edge. Attach the mirror to the wall with a plate hanger or use the mosaic platter as a kitchen table centerpiece. Even if your Grandmother’s treasured meat platter is cracked or scratched, reuse it and remember her delicious culinary skills.

Surround yourself with new furniture when you repurpose old pieces to match your existing décor. Furnish and decorate any room of your house with minimal effort and a touch of creativity. The results are both environmentally friendly and inexpensive. Find discarded furniture or broken pieces then shape them into something useful you can enjoy for many years.

Holly blogs on the behalf of Sears and their other quality products.

Take Control Of Your Cabinet Situation

Cabinets can be the first area you tackle. We’re all guilty of packing them so full that the heavy cans of fruit, vegetables and soup fall on your toes when you open the door. Dangerous much? Build a vertical drawer in the space between your refrigerator and cabinet or even in in the pantry. This drawer is perfect for organizing and sorting canned goods.

This simple construction project requires a hammer, Dewalt drill, screws, nails, wood glue and dowel rods in addition to wood for the frame, shelves and back. Measure your space and adjust the dimensions of the drawer to fit. When you’re ready to build the drawer, construct the frame and shelves first. Drill holes in the frame to accommodate the dowels that you’ll glue into place. Attach the frame securely to the backboard. You can paint the drawer if you want, but be sure to do so before attaching casters to the bottom and a handle or knob to the front. You’ve now multiplied your storage space with a trendy new drawer that neatly organizes and hides canned goods and other staples in your kitchen or pantry.

After you move your canned goods onto your new vertical drawer, organize the rest of your food. Toss outdated items or food that no one will eat. Utilize clear containers in uniform sizes and shelving tiers to limit clutter and enable you to see your inventory.

Next, corral your dinnerware. You might consider storing the plates close to the dining room and the drinking glasses close to the refrigerator. Use a system that works for your household, and be realistic about your needs. Twelve place settings are probably unnecessary unless you have a large family or entertain often. Donating or repurposing extra items frees space for items you really need, use and want.

With organized food and dinnerware, turn your attention to the outer surfaces of the cabinets. The doors can be a secret weapon in your fight against kitchen clutter. Attach hooks or shower caddies to the inside of the doors, for potholders, pan lids and other necessities. Finish de-cluttering the cabinets by placing shelves or baskets on top of the cabinets. Here cookbooks, decorative bowls and other kitchen collectibles remain accessible and organized.

And Now For The Counters

After you’ve de-cluttered the cabinets, carefully select the items you wish to display on the counters. Do you need to store the sugar bowl, saltshaker or knives on your valuable counter space? Remove unnecessary or seldom used items. In your newly de-cluttered cabinets, store infrequently used items like roasting pans on high cabinet shelves. Place frequently used items like the toaster close to the front of the cabinets for easy access.

Say Goodbye To Your Junk Drawer

From the counters, move on to the drawers. Everyone has that one kitchen drawer — the junk drawer. While it once housed cute aprons and colorful cookbooks, it’s since become a wasteland of take out menus, ketchup packets, salt and pepper combo packets, fast food napkins and a few stray nuts and bolts from the garage. As you empty each drawer, especially the beloved junk drawer, toss broken and duplicate items. Use silverware trays and shallow baskets or office organizers to contain and organize items in each drawer.

As you implement these simple DIY tips, your de-cluttered kitchen starts to feel more inviting and open. You can easily find the tools you need to create culinary masterpieces, and canned good won’t fall onto your toes. Everyone, including you, will feel welcomed in your newly de-cluttered kitchen where you can relax, hang out and enjoy your neat space.

Holly is a stay-at-home mom who enjoys blogging on behalf of Sears and other reputable brands. In addition to baking healthy treats for her kids, she enjoys running in the park and watching thrillers in the movie theatre on date night. She boasts an astounding 100% success rate in the fight against clutter.

Make a chore chart

A chore chart is a useful way to keep track of progress, itemize tasks that need to be done and allow everyone to see their progress and that of other family members. Instead of just including kids on this chart, include everyone in the family. Create some friendly competition and encourage sibling rivalry in a healthy and constructive way by seeing who can finish a task the quickest, making sure to note the job must be done well. Use gold stars or other stickers to track accomplishments and show off successes

Sort –n– fold

Encourage children to sort clothing by color before throwing items into washers. Taking care of this step before taking clothes to the utility room or laundromat saves a bit of time, will prepare kids for doing their own laundry and won’t leave a parent with an organizational burden. Kids who are too young to take care of laundry by themselves can be given the task of measuring out detergent, gathering all the socks or towels or taking clothing out of the dryer or off the line when it’s done.

Encouraging kids to learn how to fold laundry (especially fitted sheets!) allows them to take responsibility for their own clothing and the tidiness of their dresser drawers. Make a game of folding clothes just as you would with any other chore. For instance, first person to fold and stack five towels wins a prize. Matching socks, especially when you have a variety of wild patterns, can be an entertaining pursuit as well.

Contests

Turn different household chores into a contest. If kids are prone to leaving toys all over the place, have them compete against one another to see who can pick up their things in the least amount of time. Take the contest to individual bedrooms and turn it into an ongoing competition. Encourage each child to keep their room neat by making their bed and hanging up clothing (noting that closets will be inspected for “overflow”). While bribery isn’t a satisfactory approach to getting children to pitch in around the house, a reward for a job well done is a good way to recognize their accomplishment. Choose something simple but fun like allowing the winner to pick a movie for the family to watch or choose the games to play on family game night.

Involving children in household chores is an outstanding way to reinforce the family bond, while also helping children develop a sense of belonging and an understanding of their importance as a part of the family. Incorporating a reward system that involves fun family-oriented activities at home or elsewhere is a creative way to encourage the importance of teamwork.

Holly is a stay-at-home mother who blogs on behalf of Sears and other brands she trusts. Her family’s chore chart has been such a success that her weekly shopping list always includes fun stickers.

Picture from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cleaning_brushes.jpg

Elliptical Exercises

Providing relief to your swollen hands and feet, elliptical exercises allow pregnant women to gain all of the physical benefits of walking without the hard pavement and sometimes dangerous outdoor elements. According to Dr. Mona Shangold, director for Philadelphia’s Center for Women’s Health and Sports Gynecology, pregnant women should exercise using an elliptical for no more than 30 minutes per session to prevent overexertion and potential injury to both mother and baby. With proper use of the device, women can reduce some of the unwelcome side effects of pregnancy, including swelling, weight gain, leg cramps, varicose veins, backaches, constipation and fatigue.

Kegel Exercises

According to the American Pregnancy Association, women who perform Kegel exercises during pregnancy tend to have easier births. This is because strengthening these muscles provides women with better control over them during both labor and delivery. As an added bonus, toning these pelvic muscles can also reduce bladder leaks and hemorrhoids, which are two common problems that occur during pregnancy. Experts recommend that pregnant women continue to perform these exercises after the birth of the child, since doing so can speed up the healing process and help improve post-pregnancy bladder control.

Squats with a Fitness Ball

Experts at the Mayo Clinic recommend practicing squat exercises during pregnancy to open your pelvic outlet and help your baby get into position. Many women are required to squat during labor, so practicing this exercise during pregnancy will make this process easier when the time comes. A fitness ball typically makes squatting less painful for pregnant women because it lessens the strain on your back and feet. To perform this exercise, place a fitness ball behind your back and up against the wall with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle and then return to an upright position. Repeat up to ten times with each session.

Staying physically active during pregnancy is often more difficult than it is when you’re not exercising for two, but the importance of doing so is heightened during this period. Your baby depends on you to stay healthy during pregnancy to foster ideal health for him or her as well. By practicing the above exercises, you can both reduce your discomfort during pregnancy and bring a happier and healthier new bundle of joy into the world.

About the Author: Holly writes on the behalf of Sears and other quality products.

Most of us are completely familiar with adult dental hygiene routines. Babies and children, however, have different needs that shift as they grow up. To make it easier to keep your kids’ teeth in good shape, we’ve assembled this handy guide to dental care for children of different ages.

Under 6 Months

Mouth Cleaning: Most babies will not begin teething until they are 6 to 12 months old, but regularly cleaning your baby’s mouth is still a good idea. Find a time that fits conveniently into your normal routine, such as bathtime. To clean your baby’s mouth, simply wipe it with a soft finger brush or a clean cloth. Keeping your baby’s mouth clean will help reduce the risk of infections and can also lay the groundwork for good habits in the future.

6 to 24 Months

Teething: Most babies will begin teething between 6 and 12 months. Provide a clean, damp washcloth or a teething ring filled with cool water to soothe your baby’s achy gums during teething.

Check for Cavities: Although cavities are unusual at such an early age, babies can get cavities as soon as they have teeth. Check once a month by lifting your baby’s upper lip and looking for brown or chalky white spots on the teeth. If you find spots, consult a childrens’ dentist.

First Dental Checkup: 12 months is a good age for a child’s first dental checkup. Establishing a regular habit of dental checkups early on sets up good patterns for the future and helps acclimate your young child to the experience of visiting the dentist’s office.

Daily Cleaning: You should clean your baby or young toddler’s mouth every day. Until a few teeth have emerged, continue to use a clean washcloth or soft finger brush to clean the child’s gums and mouth once or twice a day. Once the child has a few baby teeth, you can switch to a soft toothbrush designed for babies or toddlers. Brush with a gentle circular motion. Do not use toothpaste until your child is able to spit out reliably. The most important time to brush at this age is after the nighttime feeding.

2 to 5 Years

Brush Twice Daily: Use a soft-bristled children’s toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of toothpaste to brush your child’s teeth twice a day, with each brushing lasting two minutes. The most important time to brush at this age is right before bed, after the last meal or snack of the day. When children are old enough, usually around age three, you can start letting them brush their own teeth under supervision. Children should brush in gentle, circular motions and spit out their toothpaste instead of swallowing it.

Fluoride Toothpaste: Start using fluoride toothpaste once your child is about three years old and can reliably spit out the toothpaste. Non-fluoride toothpaste is recommended for younger children.

Floss Daily: Use a flosser or a length of dental floss to carefully clean the spaces between your child’s teeth each day.

Dental Care: Follow your dentist’s recommendations regarding the right age for your child to begin regular checkups. Most children should start having regular dentist visits at two and a half to three years of age.

Power Toothbrushes: Power toothbrushes designed for children are becoming increasingly popular. Some parents prefer to use a manual toothbrush to help their children develop proper toothbrushing technique early on. Others find that a power toothbrush makes brushing more manageable or more fun for young children, making it more likely that children will build positive associations with good dental hygiene habits. Either option is an acceptable, effective alternative.

6 to 12 Years

Losing Baby Teeth: Most children will start losing baby teeth around age six. While the emergence of adult teeth may cause some discomfort, this is a normal part of growing up and can be lots of fun. Make sure your child continues to keep wiggly teeth clean by brushing carefully. Once teeth start falling out, the child should still keep the space clean. Do not worry if an adult tooth starts coming in before the baby tooth has fallen out. This happens occasionally, but the baby tooth should fall out within a few weeks with no harmful results.

Brushing and Flossing: Most children can begin brushing with little or no adult supervision around age eight or nine. Continue to help with flossing until your child is able to floss effectively without help.

Orthodontics: As your child’s adult teeth start to come in, ask your dentist for recommendations regarding orthodontics. Some children will benefit from orthodontic treatment to straighten crooked teeth or correct for an overbite or underbite. If your child needs braces, discuss proper dental hygiene and maintenance practices with your orthodontist as braces can create special brushing and attention.

For starters, let’s talk about 9-1-1. Even young children can be taught to dial this number if something should go wrong (you get hurt or fall unconscious, there are intruders in the home, a fire breaks out, or a friend gets snatched off the street by a stranger, for example). But they’ll also need to be able to give pertinent information to responders. Does your child know his own address and phone number? Will he be able to direct officers and first responders to the scene of a crime? Have you trained him to memorize facial features (and other identifying marks), landmarks, and license plates? While toddlers will not be able to process all of this information, most can be trained to at least recall an address and phone number. But as kids reach school age they should be able to comprehend the importance of taking in details during an emergency in order to relay them to authorities later on.

Another prime example of unpreparedness concerns fire safety. You have almost certainly installed smoke detectors in your home (and you hopefully check them and change the batteries frequently). And many parents also have fire extinguishers on hand just in case. But do your kids know what to do if a fire breaks out? Have they been trained to use a fire extinguisher? Do they know not to throw water on an electrical fire? Is “stop, drop, and roll” a phrase they understand? And have you planned an exit route and meeting place in the event of a fire? Fire safety is something that many parents neglect to teach their children, likely because it is not a common occurrence. But when a fire (or other natural disaster) occurs you’ll be glad you trained your kids how to respond in a safe, smart, and timely manner.

What if your kids or others around them are hurt? Once they move beyond the toddler stage and into childhood, you may want to begin teaching them basic first aid and life-saving techniques. It’s not like you have to arm your computer with a health informatics program, but you should definitely teach kids how to perform CPR and the Heimlich maneuver, as well as treat minor cuts, scrapes, and burns, and even fasten a tourniquet. It may sound like overkill, but wouldn’t you rather your kids were prepared in the event of such an emergency?

Musical education and training is closely linked with the development of the language and reasoning areas of our brains. Studies have shown that musical training aids in the physical development the left side of the brain where we process those important skills. Learning to play an instrument wires the brain’s functions differently. It’s also been shown that music can help promote a person’s spatial intelligence. Spatial intelligence is used in all aspects of life, from solving complex math equations to packing your backpack with everything you’ll need for the day. Listening to music while studying as proven to improve the brain’s retention of certain information as well.

Learning a musical instrument introduces children to the reality that the only path to success is by hard work and dedication. To perform successfully, a student must have the discipline it takes to memorize musical pieces and to practice. A lot. Their musical education prepares them for work they’ll have to put forth to achieve their goals, get that dream job, or earn a scholarship. Rarely can someone pick up a new project, idea, job, or instrument and find instant success.

The skills and values a student can learn through music reach far beyond the music itself and will build a person’s aptitude to be a great employee in any job field. Conquering fear, learning how to be in front of a crowd, performance, and developing communication and cooperation skills are some of these abilities that employers in literally any industry will value in their employees. A creative brain has become one of the most valuable assets in today’s workforce and fostering that creativity from a young age only benefits a person, even if they don’t continue with their musical prowess.

Just like sports, musical education also promotes a person’s ability to work successfully in a team environment. Within an orchestra, all members must commit to perfecting their individual parts to produce a good piece; in a workplace, all employees must do their part to run a successful business. Plus, with the cooperation and communication skills developed during music classes, a person will be more than equipped to be a valuable member in any team.

Musical education is an important part of person’s education as a whole. Ask any student pursuing a music education masters or any musician and they will all tell you that music will save the world. These are only a few of the many, many reasons why music education for kids is vital; the list could go on forever. Now, more than ever, we need to keep music education and other arts in our schools. The world needs it.

Finding a tutor is actually incredibly easy. Your first move should be contacting your child’s school. You can start by asking his teacher if she has any recommendations, but often it’s best to go right to one of the school guidance counselors. They often have a list of qualified tutors who have come forward looking for work. Many schools also have peer tutoring programs, so your child can get the help he needs from another student. Some teachers donate their time to do extra tutoring after school, but a peer tutor will often work out of your home, which might make things easier to schedule. If the school can’t help you find someone, check in with the local community center or public library. Either place may have someone on staff or many people that they can recommend. You can also check out want ads in the newspaper or Craigslist online to find people looking to help out. If all else fails, look for a professional tutoring service. Many companies do that work, and either offer one-on-one sessions or online work.

Now that you’ve got a few prospective tutors, it’s time to interview them. There are a lot of factors that come into play when determining if that person is the right person to work with your child. Whoever you see, make sure they bring in references, and take the time to call through them and get assessments from past employers and students. Ask them to explain their educational style, and how they would approach teaching the subject your child needs help with. It’s also important that they are capable of evaluating your child’s current level, so she can help define what work needs to be done if your child is at a loss. Sometimes these evaluations can come from school, but you might even want your child to head to a tutoring center to have an evaluation at the beginning of the tutoring process. Finally, see if the tutor would be willing to field the occasional call outside of the tutoring session, in case your child has a question. You want to gauge their commitment level, and make sure they’re going to provide your child what’s needed.

Once you’ve settled on a tutor and he gets to work with your child, you’ll still need to keep an eye out. Check in with your kid on occasion, and see how he feels about the work. The important thing isn’t whether he’s enjoying the tutoring session, chances are he isn’t. But does your child feel the tutor makes him comfortable, and is open to helping? Also, does he understand the session, and is it helping his confidence in the classroom? If it seems like everyone is on the same page, just keep tabs on your child’s grades from time to time. If there hasn’t been some amount of improvement after a while, you may need to switch things up. Remember that a tutor can be a mentor as well, which is much more important than just a warm body going through flash cards. Pick the right match of personality and teaching skill, and your child will benefit greatly.

1. Stay close to home. Although you might look wistfully at websites for exotic island escapes, the airfare, lodgings, and other expenses may simply be out of your family’s price range. But you might be surprised at some of the amazing destinations that are closer to home. For example, you could look at visiting state or national parklands within your area or heading to your nearest coast for some beachy fun.
2. Plan a road trip. While air travel is certainly convenient (or at least quicker than other forms of transportation) you can generally save a ton of cash by packing the kids in the car and hitting the road. Of course, gas prices are rather high, so depending on how far you’re going it may actually be cheaper to fly, especially if you book early and wait for travel sales (or take advantage of deals). But it nearly always costs less to drive a large family rather than fly.
3. Check local campsites. Lodgings can definitely be pricy, but with the warm summer months upon us you can opt for a few evenings under the stars as a way to get back to nature and get in your vacay without the cost of a hotel room. But if you plan to spend several days in the wilderness you may want to seek out a campsite that offers shower accommodations.
4. Visit family. Another great way to travel for less is to shack up with family wherever you go. If you have relatives living in a destination you’d like to visit, simply call them and ask if they could possibly put you up for a few nights. In most cases they will be happy to see you (especially if you cover some of your expenses by purchasing groceries or otherwise contributing to meals). And you can get the trip you want for less with the bonus of visiting loved ones that you rarely see.
5. Find alternative lodgings. Suppose you’ve got your heart set on visiting a locale where you have no family and camping is not an option (New York City, for example). How can you save money? While you can definitely look for travel packages that help you save by bundling (flight, hotel, rental car, etc.), you may also want to look at alternatives to hotels. Check sites like Airbnb that allow you to find lodgings in private homes, whether they are bed and breakfast establishments or apartments being rented out by the day like a hotel. Both of these options can help you to cut back on expenses and plan the trip you’ve been dreaming of.

Choosing the right vacation destination

The first thing to do is decide exactly where you want to go on your trip. You probably have a particular city in mind, but there’s a lot of planning to do once you’ve made that decision. Research family-friendly landmarks and activities in the area where you plan to vacation. If you’re considering visiting another country, read up on their culture to get a feel for the people and the destination. Then, discuss the options with your family to be sure no one will be disappointed—and make sure that you include your children in these discussions.

Family-friendly trip activities

Trips to places like museums might be boring to most kids, and you want them to have fond memories of the vacation. Also, remember that young kids don’t have the stamina that adults do. Avoid destinations that require excessive walking unless you want to end up carrying your children or having them cry from exhaustion.

If you children are too young to give any meaningful input to the planning process, make sure to prepare them for what’s about to happen. Show them maps and pictures of where your family will be going. Buy them something for the vacation to get them excited; an example would be new swimsuits if you expect to visit a beach or somewhere that has a pool.

Planning vacation logistics

Once you decide on your itinerary, it’s time to make reservations. Along with your hotel, you may need to reserve spots or buy tickets for the events or landmarks you plan to attend. If you’re flying, buy plane tickets in time to get the flight times and prices you desire. Book a rental car at the same time if you don’t want to use taxis and buses. If you plan on making a fancy restaurant part of your trip, you will likely need to reserve that spot in advance, too.

Packing up is much easier if you start doing it far in advance. First, make a list of everything you need to take. As you collect your things, check them off of the list so you don’t waste time searching the house for things that are now in the suitcase. If you have young children, help them create a list also. Tell them to bring a book or a favorite toy to keep them occupied in the car or on the flight.

Instead of putting large household containers in your luggage, start picking up travel sizes when you go to the store. This will save you from having to drag heavy suitcases in and out of hotels. Since you won’t be putting things together in a rush, you are less likely to forget anything.

Along with planning and getting everything together, there’s one more thing to keep in mind: your health and also your children’s. Finally, be sure to purchase a worldwide medical insurance policy. This will ensure that you can obtain medical services from the doctors and hospitals at your vacation site.

Of course, it’s unlikely that you plan on needing medical care when you’re on vacation. Still, it’s best to be prepared – accidents happen. You wouldn’t want a trip ruined by some fluke occurrence like stepping on a piece of glass. With a worldwide health insurance policy, you can have your needs taken care of and get back to having fun as soon as possible. Planning ahead can definitely help ease the stress of planning a family vacation and help everyone to have a good time, without leaving items behind.

Photo by Fustavo Facci (http://www.flickr.com/people/36634740@N08)