DIY "Family Rules" Wall Art

I don't know about you, but taking care of our planet feels really good. The simple things, like recycling, composting or using reusable shopping bags (even though you have to buy a new one every time you shop because you constantly forget them at home or in the car) really make a difference! 

However, my apartment complex does not have a recycling bin (I'm working on changing that!) so unfortunately for my poor husband, this means most of what can be recycled end up being saved for crafts. We have toilet paper rolls, water bottles, glass jars, milk jugs, bottle tops and more cluttering our home. This is great for me though because what's better than cheap? FREE!

Besides recycling, there's up-cycling. Basically, rather than discarding an item, you give it new life through other uses. Today for the most part, we will be up-cycling.

Have you seen these? 

At stores like Bed Bath & Beyond and Home Goods, these babies go for a whopping $40 and up! But today, we will make our own CUSTOM version for under $10.

*Sorry, but I didn't bother with an image by image tutorial because it's pretty self-explanatory.*

What You'll Need:

• An old or broken full-length mirror (frame should still be intact with a backing from mirror)
• Ruler
• Permanent marker (a DARK color of choice)
• Pencil
• Scissors
• E6000 or a glue gun
• Letter stickers of choice (NOTE: if you are not good at free-hand, I would suggest going this route, though it will increase the cost of this project- it's best to wait for them to go 50% off at Hobby Lobby)
• Approx. 2 yards of cork (a roll can be bought from Hobby Lobby for about $7 if you use the weekly coupon)

Instructions

1. Write down a list of what you'd like your family "rules" to be. See my finished product below for ideas or google "family rules sign".
2. Measure the length and width of your frame FROM THE INSIDE where the mirror is. Like so:
3. Using your pencil, draw then cut out your dimensions from your cork board. If you're going to mess up here, it's best to cut too big rather than too small or else you're left with a gappy fit.
4. Spread glue on mirror (or where mirror should be) and be sure to focus your lining along the edges, corners and just a bit in the middle. Don't get too crazy here.
5. After glue dries, use your pencil and ruler to plan your wording on your board ensuring that everything is spaced evenly. *THIS PART IS TRICKY AND MAY BE TIME-CONSUMING*
6. Once finished, place your stickers or use your marker to permanently adhere your words. Make sure you continue to use your ruler so that letters are not placed/written unevenly.
7. Touch up frame. Mine had some nicks where staining had been removed, so I used a brown permanent marker that matched the wood and colored them in.

And viola! Here is my finished product:

I began and finished free-handing mine in 30 minutes. I should have taken my time on it, but I made it on a whim so I'm happy with how it turned out. I like that I personalized it with values/morals/"rules" that are important to us specifically rather than the generic norm but I LOVE how proudly my husband announces to company: "My wife made this, isn't it great?" He's so sweet :) 

Ideas to Come with a Side of Healthy Ranting

Alright party people, what's happenin'?!

Sorry it's been awhile since posting- I've recently joined a playgroup and they have been keeping me busy busy! But, of course, I'm not complaining and I haven't forgotten about you!

In fact, I have been busting my brain coming up with fantastic ideas and information to announce to the world! And what have I in store for you? Well, you will just have to wait and see! But I won't leave you completely stranded- here's a little something to keep you interested:

• Mondays will now be Mommy Mondays
• Wednesdays will hence forth be DIY Wednesdays

and posts on all other days of the week will be bonuses - Yey! - and I promise they will be more frequent and more bountiful than those you receive at work (snort).

And guess what else? TODAY will be one of those days! Lucky you :)

Many of my mommy friends unite for a common cause; locking arms as one in a fight to the death for justice, liberty and the pursuit of happiness weight loss!! While I realize today isn't Mommy Monday, face it, we all need to band together and support each other. After all, we do share the common denominator that is man-kind (and that pesky statistic which claims the United States is the fattest country of them all). And thus, I share with you, friends, the secrets of losing flab: *insert object silhouetted by blinding spiritual light whilst angels singing hallelujah!* 

Just kidding. No such secret exists. You already know what must be done- you just have to put forth the work. "But Krissstinnnnn!" you may whine, "I don't have time to work out!" And to that I say, BAH HUMBUG! Of course you do! You just need to re-prioritize. It's quite easy to get in your daily exercise if you know where to look. Here are a few quick and painless easy tips to get you headed down the right track:

1. Are kids running rampant over your "free time"? Join them! Who says mom or dad can't play tag? By encouraging them to play actively, and joining in as well, you set a good example for them, create fond memories, and shed a few calories!
2. TIVO is nice for skipping commercials, but next time, refrain! Get on that floor and do some crunches for one set of commercials, push-ups for another, lunges, squats and so forth. 
3. Speaking of squats and lunges- do a few while bending down to collect toys, shoes, bottles, cards, dog food, cans of soup, poop, dead lizards and whatever else your child has cluttered the floor with.
4. Run (or walk) a 5k with friends! Make it a moms day out or tire out the kiddos by dragging them along also.
5. Set realistic goals! Start with something simple: 10 a day, running a half mile. Then each day increase that goal little by little. Soon enough, you'll be juggling three kids at once (literally) and chasing down another simultaneously without even breaking a sweat!
6. Rethink your definition of exercise. It doesn't have to be boring! Here are a few FUN activities that will burn your buns: swim, dance, jump on a trampoline, play tag/hide and go seek, play kickball/baseball, play laser tag, beach volleyball, have sex *wink*!
7. Clean out that pantry! Say bye-bye to most junk food, most soda and most processed foods! See there how I said "MOST"? The key to sticking with anything is to make it fun or at least interesting. By that I mean that if I were to tell you, "No pasta or cake EVER!" Well, life just got a lot less fulfilling, didn't it? You'd probably kick that diet out the window after a week. And if you stuck with it, you'd be miserable watching others dine on a chocolate smothered brownie topped with caramel covered vanilla ice cream. So here's what you do: limit yourself. Box half your meal at a restaurant BEFORE you eat it, promise to only eat sweets on holidays and birthdays, switch from fried and greasy chips to baked snacks, etc.
8. Join THIS email subscription!! Eat This, Not That! by Men's Health has helped me make "dieting" transformations for the better! And I haven't had to sacrifice anything that I didn't willingly toss aside. Seriously, it's great. Probably my favorite article by them is The 50 Best Snack Foods in America. That link is to the list, but the great thing about their full articles, is that they detail WHY you should make the switch. Even if you don't subscribe, you should at the very least check it out!

Well, I'm done ranting. For now. I'm sure at some point down the line, I'll dedicate an entire post to why you should avoid drinking soda altogether. 

'Til then, feel free to share your tips in the comment box below!