By Woman's Day StTurn an old frame and some burlap into a pretty, practical catchallaff

From WD's Pinterest boards

Use it to keep reminders, invitations and bits of inspiration in sight-and out of that stack on your desk.

The crafter Artist Emily Boan sells repurposed vintage pieces at local boutiques in Charlotte, NC, and through her Etsy shop. Photo by: Alison Gootee/Studio D; Craft & prop styling by Shana Faust.

TIME 3½ HR
COST $32

Materials

· Decorative frame

· Scissors

· Several yards of burlap

· 1 piece of mounting board, cut to fit frame

· Spray adhesive

· Craft knife

· 3 pieces of self-adhesive mounting board, each cut to fit the frame width and about ¼ its height

· Pencil or pen

· Heavy-duty adhesive

· Hot-glue gun and sticks

· Books or clamps

· Staple gun, staples

1. Remove glass or backing from frame.

Related: Discover 15 clever uses for common household items.

2. Cut a piece of burlap to cover the top ⅓ of the mounting board, leaving an extra 1" at the board edges. Spray this section of the board and the burlap piece with adhesive and press the Read More »from DIY Hanging Paper Organizer

By Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D., Nutrition Editor, EatingWell Magazine

Juicing and smoothies are all the rage right now. While both can boost your fruit and vegetable intake (something most Americans need to do) and are great for getting a variety of produce into your diet, one is the better choice.

That's the smoothie. Why? Juicing leaves behind a pulp--which contains fiber and nutrients that you end up tossing away--and thus you lose most of the benefits of whole fruits and vegetables. Blending produce into a smoothie, however, preserves fiber--and a smoothie can deliver an extra boost of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals because it often includes fruit skins and pith. If your smoothie includes yogurt or milk, you get some calcium too. Blending, however, introduces oxygen and sometimes heat, which will knock out a little vitamin C and some B vitamins. (No big deal really, as most of us get plenty of C and produce isn't a top source of the most sensitive B vitamins.) Add these 6

Read More »from Which is Healthier: Juicing or Smoothies?

By Teal Pelish, Cheapism.com

Memorial Day weekend is the official start of beach season. And while May is a bit early to hit the sale racks in search of cheap beach gear, there are still bargains to be had. Here are some deals on basic beach necessities for everyone under the sun.

Flip Flops. It's time to ditch the shoes and don the sandals. Old Navy is offering its all-time favorite flip flops in a wide range of sizes and colors at the extraordinarily economical starting price of $3.94 a pair; grab two or more at $2.50 a pair. If you're in the market for a more stylish deviation of this cult classic, you'll find an abundance of reasonably priced varieties from which to choose.

Be stylish with cheap flip flops!

Related: Top low-priced sunscreen available

Beach Basics. Sun bathe on the sand or dry off after a swim with a fun and festive beach towel, an absolute must-have piece of cheap beach gear. Colorful printed beach towels are available at Kmart, starting at $4.99 and topping out at less than $10. Walmart carries

Read More »from Where to Find Fun Beach Gear for Less

Ditch these time wasters for moves that really matterIt's a rare bird who loves hanging out at the gym. Most of us count the minutes until the workout's over and we can get on with our (way more fun) day. So the last thing we want to do is spend time using exercise machines that don't do anything for us. While no machine is totally useless if used properly, some just aren't terribly effective, says Lani Muelrath, MA, fitness expert and author of Fit Quickies. Plus, they put you at risk--too great a risk--of injury, she says.

Swap out these 10 useless machines for more effective, expert-recommended moves.

1. LEG-CURL MACHINE
Why it's useless: Your hamstrings perform two movements: knee flexion and hip extension. The leg curl machine works only knee flexion, which limits the benefits, says Muelrath.

What to do instead: Choose a machine or movement that works both hamstring functions at once, such as the fitness ball hip raise and curl.

To do: Lie on your back with legs straight, heels on the ball. Raise your hips by pressing your heels into the

Read More »from 10 Most Useless Exercise Machines

Image: thisreidwrites/Creative CommonsThis past weekend I got a lesson in buying appliances as we were picking out a new refrigerator, range, and dishwasher. Working in the world of design, I consider myself pretty savvy when it comes to the latest and greatest looks in home appliances, but much to my chagrin, I realized that I didn't know all that much about the latest and greatest functions of various models. They've made a lot of progress in the eight years since I last bought appliances for my previous home. But not only was I unsure of all the appliance features, I discovered that in going to three different stores I got very different information about what I should be looking for with each different unit, making me really glad I had dragged my family to so many stores after all. But so that you don't have to do the same with your family, I thought I'd offer a breakdown of the key features to look for when purchasing new appliances, starting with the dishwasher.

Read More: 5 Foolproof Tricks for Sale Shopping

In

Read More »from What You Need to Know when Buying a New Dishwasher

Stop pulling my hair!Stop pulling my hair! Ouch! That hurts! No! You aren't doing my hair!

It's just a typical morning in my house. Sigh.

My oldest daughter was born with a full head of beautiful hair. I like to tell people that we've been fighting about it at least that long. She simply despises having her hair brushed and styled. I've had more hair battles with her than I have with my two other daughters combined. What have we done to keep our hair battles from turning into war?

Relax the rules.

I care more about how my daughter's hair looks when she's heading to school or we're running errands than I do when we're just hanging out at home. So I've relaxed the hair rules around the house, and my daughter is responsible for her own hair when we're not going anywhere. Quite frankly, it's also one less thing for me to worry about.

Up or off.

Lice have run rampant around the first and second grade, fueling my desire for my daughter to keep her hair up out of her face and less likely to bring home any little

Read More »from Beat the Hair Battle with Your Kids

© Michael Kraus

By Katie Choi
For these fun, no-forks-required minis, drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto the griddle. Let set for 1 minute. Place a lollipop stick in the center, smoothing the batter to cover the stick. When the edges look dry, flip and cook for 1 minute more.

Add instant flavor and crunch with these mix-ins:

Berries

Diced bananas or apples

Crumbled bacon

Chocolate chips

Chopped pecans or walnuts

Ground cinnamon

Dried cranberries

For an extra punch of flavor, try dipping your pancake pops into these delicious toppings.

More from Parenting.com:
Easy Dinner Ideas for Tonight!
How to Throw a Kids' Tea Party
30 Amazing Birthday Cake Designs
Lunch Ideas for Toddlers

Read More »from Breakfast to Try: Mini Pancakes

L.A. designer Kelly LaPlante shows how to give salvaged materials stylish new purpose

Sunset's home decorating guide:
14 key decorating strategies
Painting ideas
Great ideas for shelves
10 rules of freestyle decorating

Salvage style
Salvage style: How to decorate with what you already have
For Kelly LaPlante, a leading Los Angeles-based interior designer, author, television host, and new mother, green design isn't just about choosing fabrics and furniture made from sustainable materials.
She prefers to help her clients find new use―and often unexpected new love―for things they already own. "There's nothing more green than keeping what you have," she says.
Her own Venice loft is proof that hand-me-downs and thrift-store finds can rise to stylish new purpose.
Design: Kelly LaPlante Organic Interior Design, Venice, CA (kellylaplante.com or 310/581-6789)

Refinish
1. Refinish
The dining table was brown and had belonged to a client. "They were going to throw it away," says LaPlante, who saw potential in its curves.
After being

Read More »from 13 Ways to Decorate with Secondhand Finds