Exercise At Home Using Your Furniture

Who says you need expensive workout equipment to exercise? You can workout at home using your furniture as equipment, and get in great shape without costing a dime!

Furniture Sliders

You don’t have to go to a weight loss boot camp to get fit, those discs you buy to move heavy furniture around are actually excellent workout equipment. Available at most drug stores and furniture stores, these discs range from 2” to 5” in diameter, and make it extremely easy to move heavy furniture in your home. Your TV, sofa, and refrigerator can glide easily over carpet or solid floors without straining your back.

These furniture sliders also help you move your body over the same surfaces. Place each foot a slider, preferably on carpet. Then, do jumping jacks, except you slide. Slide your legs out until you are in the jumping jack position, then slide them back together. Talk about a workout!

Next, place your hands on the sliders, and get into a pushup position. Push your hands out in front of you, supporting your weight, and stretch out as far as you can, balancing on only your toes and hands. Then, slide back. The further out and back you can slide, the better your workout will be.

Stairs

You know that stair-stepper at the gym? Yeah, you have one at home. It’s called stairs. Sure, the stair-stepper can be adjusted for tension, simulating higher steps. To do this at home, climb up the steps 2 at a time. Bend the knee of the upper leg deeply, as if you were doing a runner’s stretch, then ease back into a standing position and climb up the step.

Another good use of stairs is to climb and descend them backwards. This tightens up your glutes. Just be careful to hold onto something so that you don’t fall.

Step Aerobics

You can use thick phonebooks to make your own step for step aerobics. Wrap the books up snugly with duct tape so that the pages don’t slide around.

Soup Cans

Many people have found that soup cans make excellent weights. Most cans weigh about a pound apiece, and are great for beginners. As you advance, you can add cans to a tote and do your weight lifting that way. Plus, you have a snack handy afterward!

Use the cans when you do bicep curls. Believe it or not, you’ll feel it the next day, if you are not in very good shape right now. Then, hold the can in your hand, and point your elbow to the ceiling with your hand down behind your shoulder. Keeping your elbow pointing up, slowly straighten your arm until your hand is pointing up. Then slowly lower it to the starting point. As you advance, switch to a tote with several cans for this exercise. It helps to eliminate that flabby arm problem that plagues so many women.

There are many more exercises you can do using furniture and household items. Basically, if you can work out in a gym, you can work out at home, too.

Buying Furniture, What You Need To Know

Everyone has bought furniture once in their lifetime, unless your quite young of course, but you’ll of had furniture in your bedroom when you were younger and you should know what to expect when it comes to quality. We’re living in a time now when mass production is a big thing (no pun intended). You can go to a shop like Dunelm Mill and pick up all kinds of different furniture items and decorations, if you like that kind of thing that is. This type of furniture seems very popular, almost too popular, it’s the kind of thing where you’ll go round somebodies house and you’ll spot something you have or someone you know owns all because its the same.

Now when it comes to complete wooden furniture, its also very similar in that department. Furniture can be mass produced just the same, the wooden stuff, and all the other stuff too. Just make sure when you look into buying your furniture, that you get it from a high quality furniture shop.

You really don’t want to get caught out, especially when you spend a lot more money on furniture than  one should. When your spending hundreds of pounds, don’t let your money go to waste.

 

Attic Conversion, What Furniture Should You Get?

Attic conversions can be quite a big deal, especially if you’ve already had a free loft insulation grant. there’s no doubt about that. But if you’re interested in knowing what furniture you should get for an attic conversion, you should really look into what the new purpose of the room will be for.

Purpose

The purpose of an attic conversion can be for anything, alot of people feel that they would like to make use of extra space, maybe have a nice quiet place to read or relax. Others will make their attic an extra bedroom, and if you have the space, why not? There are lots of other ideas too, such as a home office or a luxurious bathroom with a large bath or shower. But as you can see, with all these possibilities it’s going to be difficult discussing what furniture might be needed.

Fit For All

If you have a set style in mind then you may be able to work out what furniture you require beforehand. I’ve been looking into several different types of furniture for my own attic conversion. I got the talented team at Attic Designs to take a look at my loft to see if there was anything they could do and it seemed like they had some brilliant ideas including creating the perfect entrance to the room.

Furniture

As for furniture, they gave me some good ideas, but also gave me a lot of things to look through, they helped me decide on what I was going to do which was great. I ended up knowing exactly what I wanted. So I guess the moral of the story is to talk to the people doing the conversion. Hopefully from that you can grasp exactly what you want for the finished job.

Protecting Your Lawn From The First Freeze

 

Dormancy

In the winter, warm-season grass goes into dormancy to protect itself from the harsh cold, kind of like hibernation. In order to protect themselves, the grass shoots will turn brown and die in response to short days and longer, colder nights. Keep in mind that the nature of dormancy allows the grass to make a full recovery once the weather warms up. However, please note that if the temperature falls below 20°F for several hours, there could be damage to warm-season turfgrass. Be sure to keep in mind that your lawn is capable of building up a tolerance after a few frosts and will respond by increasing the amount of carbohydrates and proteins inside. Once the temperature outside starts to warm up, you’ll want to wait at least a few weeks to give your lawn time to recover and start growing again. Be careful not to mow too closely at first, or you’ll risk scalping your lawn.

Water

It’s one of the most well-known ways to protect your lawn from frost: water it. Watering your lawn during the weeks before the first cold front will help the soil stay warm and stimulate root growth. Watering less frequently, but more thoroughly will train the roots to grow deep.  Don’t water too late in the day, though. You want to water early so your grass has had enough time to absorb the water. Remember, you never want to send your grass to bed with wet feet. Please note that you should not water plants that have cold damage. This will contribute to root rot and ruin them. You can tell if your lawn has cold damage by checking for a wilted, water-soaked appearance, a foul odor, or if the grass is matted over the soil.

Cover Up

You’ll want to tent fragile plants that are stuck in the ground with an old sheet. This will keep frost from forming on them and damaging them. If possible, try to keep the fabric from coming in direct contact with the plant itself, because the cold can transfer onto the plant that way. The cover should be touching the ground as to keep the heat from the soil inside the structure. Also, be sure to remove the coverings before it warms back up too much, especially if they are in the sun. If the temperature rises to 38°F or above, you run the risk of damaging your plants from trapped heat. Also, move your containerized plants into a covered area like the garage for the night.

Prune & Rake

Prior to the first frost, prune back your trees. This is because shady areas of your lawn won’t be able to thaw as quickly from the limited amount of sunshine. When the soil can’t warm up well, it is at a higher risk for cold weather damage. Also, you should be doing this anyway, but rake up all the fallen leaves on your lawn. A layer of dead leaves will cover your grass and keep it from properly photosynthesizing.

Emily Kaltman writes for The Grass Outlet in Austin, Texas. She enjoys keeping a healthy lawn and writing about nature.

On A Budget – 8 Cheap Ways To Jazz Up Your Living Room

So you’re a student,  live in a rented house, have a small budget or simply don’t have the time and energy to completely redecorate. Well the good news is that there are a host of things that you can do to make your living room more exciting, cosier or more attractive that don’t involve pots of paint or wallpaper and paste, and don’t cost an arm and a leg.

1)      Throws – tired furniture? Or just want a change? Throws have long been the worn out sofa’s friend and there are masses of them available now in a huge variety of colours and patterns, and there is one to suit every budget. And the good news is that you don’t have to confine throws to covering your sofa – throws with ethnic designs and pictures look great pinned to the wall too and can really brighten a room.  Good places to find throws are markets, ethnic stores, department stores, discount shops, charity shops, head shops, craft markets and Internet sites like ebay.

2)      Cushions – everyone needs cushions. You can buy ones that match your throws and furniture, or ones that contrast with walls and curtains. But there are also a host of funky and fun cushions available now to suit every taste. You can go for pretty much any theme you like from vintage or romantic to dinosaurs or insects. The sky is literally the limit design wise. And if you are handy with a needle you can source vintage or unusual fabrics and make your own. You can even make them out of old sweaters! Check out craft markets, fabric stores, and all the usual places. Remnants are often the perfect size.

3)      Mirrors – a large mirror can make a small room seem bigger and lighter. A mirror placed over a fireplace or opposite a window can really open a room out.  Check out charity shops, auctions, antique markets and the sales.

4)      Lighting – a change in lighting can dramatically change the appearance of a room. Gone are the days when fairy lights were just for the Christmas tree. Fairy lights come in all manner of shapes and materials now (chili peppers, fluffy hearts, stars, moons, animals, wicker, paper lanterns  etc.). Drape them round mirrors or hang over the mantelpiece to give the room a cosy, homely feel.

5)      Lampshades –it’s amazing what effect on a room changing the lampshade can have. I always used to buy plain paper globes because they were cheap, but these days there is an abundance to choose from at reasonable prices. Look for retro designs in charity shops, second hand stalls and ebay. Also check out discount stores and the sales.

6)      Curtains – more expensive to replace that throws and cushions. If you are a competent seamstress you can buy some attractive fabric and make your own. If not keep your eyes open during the sales, or check out second hand shops, the small ads or ebay. Keep your window measurements in your wallet and you will never miss a bargain.

7)      Clear clutter – sounds silly but this can really change the atmosphere of a room. Put clutter into drawers or stacking boxes and just keep out key pieces.

8)      Rugs – tired or stained carpets? Rugs can hide a multitude of sins and can make a room feel more homely. Choose from contemporary geometric designs, more traditional Persian type designs or more crafty types – like rag rugs.  Keep a look at in sales, auctions and thrift shops.

Attached Images:

Sam Wright is freelance writer working for HGS Painting and Decorating

Baby Furniture Guide For Expectant Mothers

Being an Expectant mother can be a scary concept, it’s a bit of a mystery to new mothers what will happen once your baby is born, and it can be a very worrying time. Not just physically but financially too. Having a child can really tighten up you’re budget as you will be needing to buy all kinds of baby products and furniture!

So what do you need to get? Well, there are all kinds of things needed to keep baby happy but I’m only going to cover the 3 most important. First off you will be needing a place for the baby to sleep, a cot can be quite expensive and you don’t want to sacrifice quality for price as these things need to be of a high standard. The second thing would be a changing table, a changing table will be perfect for.. thats right, changing your babies nappy. These tables are designed specifically for preventing your child from rolling off. The third and final thing i’m going to talk about it the push chair. You need to be able to leave the house with your child so buying a pram is a necessity. Prams can be extremely expensive and if you’re on a budget it might be best to get one second hand. Check first that the pram has everything in order and that it isn’t broken as it is extremely important for it to be safe.

So there are the most important items to buy for your baby. Don’t forget the hoards of other things too such and baby toys and mattress protectors. Let me tell you, you’re in for a fun ride!

Traditional Wooden Furniture

Traditional wooden furniture can look great in the home, modern furniture doesn’t seem to last whereas the older stuff is much better built. Old wooden furniture is making a comeback these days with people adopting old pieces into their homes left right and centre.

I personally like old furniture, it has a warm and rustic feeling and can really make people feel at home. When your looking at a house full of new plastic and steel furniture it just makes you think that it’s cheap. I don’t really agree with the whole modern artsy styled homes, give me shabby chic anyday.

My own home is full of unusual old furniture that i’ve picked up over the years, some of it isn’t actually that old it’s just built in a traditional style. Take my washroom for example, I’ve got a traditional wooden clothes airer in there from a website called pulleymaid. It drys my clothes on a pulley system that just looks brilliant, I can hike it up to the ceiling so that it doesn’t get in the way of anything and I think it just works extremely well.

 

So if you’re into traditional furniture and don’t have a tumble drier, why not pick up one of these examples of older styled clothes airers.

Getting Into The Construction Industry

Construction is an industry that features many talents and maybe you want your own talent to shine through.A Lot of the construction taking place in the UK today is for energy efficient homes. New homes are being built every day and aim to reduce carbon emissions drastically. Some of these ventures don’t just feature new builds, its also about re-modelling and retrofitting. So how do you get yourself a job within the construction industry?

Construction jobs do require a certain amount of skill, but not all of them require degrees or training besides basic construction qualifications or apprenticeships. What you have to look at is whether you want to take specialized construction training, this will most definitely improve your chances of landing a job and might be necessary in some fields. You have to take a look at what position you are going to be looking for, there are quite a few to choose from, here are just a few entry level positions:-

Insulation Installer

Home Improvement retrofitters

Construction Manager

Plumbers

Carpenters

Electricians

You can take a look into the details of these positions and see if you want to take training any further.

So thats my little piece on getting into the construction industry. I hope that it helps you in your future endeavours.

Lowering Your Expense On A Home Redesign

Designing and moulding your home into your dream house can be very time consuming and expensive. Are there ways to avoid spending too much money? How can you complete your vision without going overboard? Well, here are a few tips to help.

Planning

Planning is key, adding up the prices of the labour, the paint, the decorations the furniture and the carpet BEFORE you buy is what you have to do. This will make sure that you know exactly what you are spending and that you can make room for overheads. Going overboard is one of the main problems of having work done on your property. Putting things in place to stop that are key.

Budget!

Creating a budget is very important, but sticking to it is the hard part. See if you can create a separate bank account for your outgoings, this will give you a clear picture of how much money to spend and you will be reluctant to put more in. This will hopefully limit you to to your original spend and keep you going over.

Hiring The Right People

Hiring the right people for the job is something that needs to be looked after carefully. We don’t want you ending up with some cowboys doing a terrible job and then running off with your money.

There are many professionals to choose from, make sure they don’t ask for money upfront because people with a good record with their supplier can gain the materials and pay them back after a job is completed.

Buying Second Hand

Buying second hand is usually frowned upon because people want something that is their own. But second hand furniture can really be rewarding. Just look at some second hand home furniture, see if you can make it your own by sanding it down or upholstering it. There are many ways to personalise second hand goods.

So there you have it, these are just a few ways of saving money on having work done on the house.