Add flair to a bureau or side table with these easy DIY medallion knobsBy Woman's Day Staff

Materials
• Wooden knobs
• Paintbrush
• Primer
• White paint
• Printer and copier
• 8½" x 11" paper
• Omni Gel Transfer Medium ($11; Joann.com)
• Mod Podge Gloss
Photo by Alison Gootee/Studio D;
craft & prop styling by Shana Faust

Related: Discover 15 clever uses for common household items.

TIME 30 MIN, PLUS DRYING TIME
COST $17 FOR 4 KNOBS

1 Paint your knobs with 2 coats of primer; let dry after each coat.

2 Paint with a coat of white paint; let dry overnight.

3 Download the design and print it out. Make a color photocopy of the printout (inkjet printers will not work), enlarging or reducing the design to fit your knobs.

4 Following the manufacturer's directions, brush several coats of the transfer medium onto the front of your photocopy; let dry between each coat.

5 Cut out each design to fit your knob. Soak the cutouts in a bowl of water for 10 to 20 minutes.

6 While the paper is still wet, use your fingers to rub the paper backing in a circular

Follow these guidelines to minimize your exposure to allergens outdoors and to avoid bringing them home By: Danielle Blundell

Stop the sniffles this season

While many of us eagerly await spring, for the 60 million Americans suffering from allergies, April-with its mold-friendly moisture and pollen-bearing blossoms-is one of the toughest times of the year. Experiencing sneezing, a runny nose, or itchy, watery eyes? Follow these guidelines to minimize your exposure to allergens outdoors and to avoid bringing them home.

Garden Smartly. Pollen levels peak between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m., so save yard work for later in the day. Keep grass cut short, and consider wearing an air-filtering mask, goggles, and gloves while mowing the lawn. Avoid planting high-pollen-producing flowers such as amaranthus, juniper, and peonies, especially near windows or doors.

Clean Your Gear. Don't hang fresh laundry out to dry, and shake out clothes after they've been worn outside. Shower as soon as possible after spending time outdoors. Pets

We've all been there: Despite exercising and watching what you eat, the elastic in your workout shorts seems to be as tight as your hamstrings. "Ninety-five percent of the active people I work with want to lose some weight," says Cassie Dimmick, M.S., R.D., a sports dietitian and running coach in Springfield, Missouri.

Getting lean requires the same trait that makes you get up at 5 a.m. for a workout: discipline. You need to be vigilant about your diet and consistent with exercise so that you maximize calorie burn, increase muscle mass, and decrease body fat. Luckily, it's easier than it sounds when you employ these tactics from dietitians and coaches. Here, we present the top 10 eating habits that'll help you get lean. Get ready to lose (plus, check back later this week for our list of the top exercise tips)!

RELATED: Your Aisle-by-Aisle Supermarket Survival Guide

1. DON'T DRINK SUGAR
A study out of Tufts University in Boston looked at the association between sugar-sweetened drinks and

Gather your friends to do a fun DIY projectThe goal: Everyone creates a stylish block-printed garment or home accessory to keep-while you all snack and catch up. Protect your work surface with craft paper and put tools in the center for easy sharing (see "What you'll need," slide 3). As friends finish designs, hang pieces on a clothesline to dry. Download templates for these projects from slide 4. Photo by Christopher Coppola/Studio D

Related: Check out 15 clever uses for household items.

Invitations
If your friends aren't familiar with block printing, include an inspirational image or two in the invite. Ask guests to bring at least one fabric or paper item to decorate (a T-shirt, tea towel or notebook-anything smooth and flat). Also caution attendees not to wear their nicest clothes and note that "aprons are suggested" (just in case).

What's You'll Need

Foam trays or takeout containers

X-Acto knife

Templates

Masking tap

Wood skewer

Ink roller (from 99¢; Joann.com)

Speedball Fabric Block Printing Inks ($5.39 each;

Build your own Mother's Day casserole.

On May 8, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation declaring the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. The day was designed to recognize and honor all mothers, both living and deceased, for their immense contributions to family and country. Mother's Day is a day for spending time with family, and being stuck in the kitchen isn't what creator Anna Jarvis had in mind.

To start your day with great food and family fun without stressing over a hot stove, try this wonderful Build-Your-Own Mother's Day Casserole. It can be assembled the night before and tossed in the oven on Mother's Day morning, freeing up your time for hugs and smiles. Even better -- hand the recipe over to your husband or older children to get the job done. Be sure to check out all the variations at the bottom so you can customize this recipe to your family's preferences.

Basic Mother's Day Casserole Recipe (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

Cooking spray or margarine

3 cups frozen hash browns

3/4 cup shredded Colby Jack

A few simple movements can greatly improve your mood.

Do you ever find yourself slouching in your chair or walking with hunched shoulders and a droopy neck? We're all guilty of these posture no-nos from time to time, but new research reveals that poise is not the only thing lost when we give in to the temptation to slump. Such postures can send "sad" signals to our brain, darkening our mood. On the other hand, acting out certain "happy" movements has the opposite effect, brightening our outlook and lifting our spirits.

QUIZ: Measure Your Mood

"When we make a gesture and the movements are related to a specific emotion, it can elicit or create that emotion in us," says Tal Shafir, Ph.D., a specialist in dance movement therapy and neuroscience at the University of Haifa in Israel and lead author of the 2013 paper in the journal Brain and Cognition.

What's more, Shafir and her colleagues found that we don't even have to enact these so-called happy and sad movements in order to experience the corresponding emotions. Simply observing someone

By Alyssa Goldman, Cheapism.com

Take a look at your yard -- the grass can always be greener.

If you're like many homeowners, you pay more attention to the interior of your house than to your garden. But consider this: More people see (and judge) your landscaping.

Fortunately, sprucing up the yard or porch is cheaper than redoing the kitchen or bathroom. We've compiled a list of eight cheap landscaping ideas.

Related: Which garden center chain gives the best value?

1. Contain your plants. Add pizazz to your front porch with container plants. This simple trick instantly makes your home more welcoming. Containers and plants should be different in type and size and placed on varying levels. Stick with the cheap landscaping theme by repurposing metal tubs, buckets, and pails as planters.

Make your yard more inviting with cheerful flowers.

2. Stock up. Gardening isn't much different from shopping at Costco. The more plants you buy, the lower the per item cost. For example, at an online nursery a bag of 100 tulip

Gain curb appeal and transform your outdoor living space with fresh ideas for your porch, patio, and yard

1. Aging garage turned guesthouse
Before
This crumbling garage seemed to hold little promise for stylish live/work space.

After
The remodel enlarged the building to include a bathroom, loft, and a small roof deck, so it can double as guest quarters.
It can also still function as a garage thanks to a set of glass-paneled Dutch doors opening on the plywood-paneled office side.

2. Creating colorful curb appeal
Before
The front yard of this Bremerton, Washington home used to be all lawn―and not very happy lawn at that.
There was another problem. Because the street sloped sharply downhill, there was a dangerous drop-off between the front walk and the deeply recessed driveway.

Cheery new entry (after)
Enclosing the yard solved the drop-off problem―the fence runs along the driveway as well as along the sidewalk.
Thanks to its interesting stepped back sectional design and lively color the lattice fence adds plenty of