How To: Have a Good Workout

Hey guys! Today I'm going to tell you how I avoid those days of coming home from the gym and feeling as if you've accomplished absolutely nothing.

I'm sorry I haven't posted any DIY's for a few weeks but trust me. They're coming! I've been really busy lately so unfortunately I haven't had time to do anything very crafty. But hopefully this post will help some people start to enjoy working out. Let's get started! :)

Motivation: 
So I know getting motivated to go for a workout is half the battle. So I'll tell you some tricks that I use on days that I'm feeling particularly unmotivated.

Make a really good pre-workout snack! If I make myself a snack that has lots of protein like celery with peanut butter or some almonds I find that it makes me more motivated. Since I just ate something full of protein to fuel my workout I can't use the "I'm too tired" or "I don't have enough energy" excuse.

Make a new playlist! Making a new workout playlist full of up-beat songs always gets me excited to go and workout. Add any type of music you want. As long as it  gets you motivated to go and listen to it for at least an hour; it did it's job!

Put you workout clothes on! On days that I'm feeling extremely unmotivated as soon as I get the idea of going to the gym in my head I go and put on my workout clothes before my brain has a chance to figure out what's happening. I know this sounds silly but it really works. If you're already dressed you really can't make up any more excuses to stay at home.

Benefits of working out! :)

Planning:
Once you've made your way down to the gym having a pre-planned workout is crucial in coming home feeling accomplished. But don't worry, the plans can be flexible! My plans are basically just a rough outline for me to follow when I get to the gym.

How to Plan! First I decide what part of my body I want to work that day i.e. is it a leg day, ab day, arm day, etc. Once you have that decided choose some workouts that are challenging and enjoyable.

If you don't know any exercises you want to do google some! When I plan the exercises that I will be doing I usually have an amount that I have to do i.e. 4 sets of 25 reps. But I allow myself to add more. Choose an amount of reps that will give you a good workout but not so many that you hurt yourself. Don't forget to throw in some cardio either. I find a great way to get in cardio is by either running for a half hour before my workout or after. I've heard many people say they like to run after they've  finished working out; but I prefer to use running as a warm-up and do it before.

Don't forget to stretch before and after you workout. If you don't; you'll probably regret it the next day. And that's it! Easy, huh?

I hope some people found this post helpful! :) If you can share my blog on any social media that you use that would be amazing! And don't forget to comment if you have any suggestions for future posts - they don't have to be DIY's. As you can see, I post about basically anything. :)

P.S. I'm hoping to have a really cool upcycled shorts post next week so stay tuned ;)


*All of the pictures on today's post are from google*

By the way guys, my friend and I made a YouTube channel that we're going to post videos on every Sunday. Here's our introduction video if you want to watch it!!! :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unriXTxyYGI

DIY: Knotted Fringe Tank Top

Hey guys! So today I'm going to show you how to make a tank top with knotted fringe (I guess that's what we'll call it) at the waist. This shirt took about 20-30 minutes but it's totally worth it! So let's get started :-)

Materials:

• Chalk
• Old Shirt
• Fabric Scissors

Step 1:
To being you will put the shirt on and mark where your waist is using chalk. I drew this line all around my body so that I could use it when cutting the fringe. After you have that line marked cut off the collar of the shirt following the seam.

Step 2:
Now we're going to cut the fringe. To do this you can mark horizontal lines about 1/4 - 1/2 an inch down. These will be where you cut to create the fringe.

Once the lines are marked just cut upwards. You could do the front and back at the same time or do them separately. I did mine separately and once I had the front done I flipped the fringe up (onto the stomach area of the shirt) so that it wouldn't get in the way while I cut the back fringe.

Step 3:
This is where things get a little tricky; so please bear with me.

Begin with your shirt laying flat with the back fringes flipped up so that they are out of the way. Pick up the fringe closest to the edge of the shirt (fringe 1) and then take the fringe beside it (fringe 2) it and tie fringe 2 over and under fringe 1. (So cross fringe 2 over top of fringe one and then tie the knot under). Next pick up piece that is closest to fringe 2 on the opposite side and tie it over and under the fringe 1 and 2 combination. Continue tying each fringe over and under across the whole shirt . Once the front is done flip the shirt over and repeat the same steps on the back. Once you have finished the knots it should look like this:

Sorry I had to use my phone so the quality is terrible :-(

I hope you guys enjoyed this post! I have another project that I've been working on and I'm pretty excited for it. Hopefully it looks as good finished as it does in my head. If you enjoyed this post it would be great if you could share it with your friends on Twitter, Facebook or any other social media that you use! Don't forget to comment if you have any suggestions for future posts and I will see you next Wednesday!!! :-)

DIY: Easy Off The Shoulder Heart T-Shirt

Hey guys! So today I'm going to show you how to make an off the shoulder t-shirt with a heart cut into the back. It's definitely time to make up for the lack of clothing posts lately and this only takes like 10-15 minutes. So let's get started :-)!!!

Sorry the after is so dark - I had to take the picture on my phone.

Materials:

• Chalk
• Old Shirt
• Fabric Scissors 
• Cardboard
• Paper Clips

Step 1:
To begin cut the collar off of you shirt following the seam. After you've done that flip the shirt over and decide where you want the heart to be. After you've decided the placement slip the cardboard into the middle of the shirt and use your paper clips to keep it in place. Now that the cardboard is clipped in place draw the heart and the lines where you will cut onto the shirt like so:

Step 2:
Next you will cut across the lines that you drew in the heart. To do this use your scissors like a knife to start the cut (1) and once you have ripped the fabric cut across following the line (2). Do this for all of your lines and once they are all cut gently pull them to stretch the fabric (3) so that it won't look so rugged and so that it will roll in on itself to prevent tearing.

Step 3:
Now it's time to do the off the shoulder part. To do this first decide what shoulder you want the shirt to be off. Once you have that decided, cut straight down the shoulder of the shirt roughly 1-2 inches. (1) Then take this extra piece of fabric and cut down until you meet the collar of your shirt; (2) try to not cut it any deeper than it already is and then do the same thing on the back of the shirt.

That's it!! Now you're done, I hope you guys enjoyed the post! And by the way; this isn't my super cool shirt idea. That should be next week ;). By the way if you guys like my blog it would mean a lot if you could share it on any social media that you use so that more people can find my blog and hopefully read it. Don't forget to comment if you have any ideas for future posts! See you next Wednesday!!! :-)

DIY necessities

Hey guys! So I have a super cool idea for a shirt but no old shirts left to make it with. I'll be picking up more shirts this week though so you'll be seeing a cool up-cycled shirt post next Wednesday :-). I figured that instead of doing another cooking post I'd do a 'diy necessities' post so that you guys have access to a list of things that you need for most of the posts found here.

Things needed for most of my posts:

• Fabric paint
• Paint brushes (sponge and hair)
• Paper clips
• Cardboard
• Buckets (or laundry tubs)
• Fabric scissors
• Over sized t-shirts

This next list will be things that aren't necessarily important for my blog; but things that I find myself looking for whenever I want to try to do a diy that isn't something that I normally do.

Other necessities:

• String
• Wool
• Fabric glue
• Wood
• Acrylic paint
• Beads
• Dye for tie-dye
• Rubber bands
• Garbage bags
• Rubber gloves
• Lace fabric
• Wire
• Tissue paper

I'm sorry that this post was so boring but hopefully it will help anyone that is getting started off 'diy-ing'. If your new to the whole diy scene maybe you could even print this off and take it shopping with you. Don't worry, I have three super cool up-cycling posts that I'm planning on posting over the next few weeks and I can't wait!!!! If you have any suggestions for future posts don't forget to comment! :-)

DIY: Vegetarian Casserole

Hey guys! Today I figured that I would do a cooking post since 50% of the votes from last week's poll was for cooking/baking posts. What I am going to be making is a vegetarian casserole that I modified from this recipe. Lets get started!

Prep Time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 75-85 minutes Total Time: 95-105 minutes
(I know that's a lot of time but it's just soooo good!)

My casserole with cheese on part of it.
Did I mention it was delicious?!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups vegetable broth 
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
• 1 1/2 cups onion diced
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano 
• 4 cups cauliflower diced
• 4 cups broccoli diced
• 2 cups red pepper diced
• 1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees celsius. Combine vegetable broth, rice, 1 cup of onion, soy sauce, butter, oregano and garlic powder in a 3 qt casserole dish. Put the dish in the oven and cover it; letting it bake for 65-70 minutes or until the rice is tender. 

Step 2:

While the rice base is cooking; cut the cauliflower, broccoli, red pepper and carrots. After the vegetables are cut put 3 tbsps of olive oil into a large frying pan and begin to saute the vegetables until they are tender.

Step 3:

Once the rice is tender spoon the vegetables on top of it. Cover the casserole dish and put it back in the oven to bake for 10 minutes. Now if you would like add cheese to your casserole. You can always just put cheese on some sports and leave some spots without cheese. Voila. You're done!!! Enjoy your casserole.

I hope you guys enjoyed the post and also the casserole! Don't forget to comment if you have any suggestions for future posts. If you like this blog please share it on any social media that you use as it helps me out a lot :-) 

DIY: Easy Vest!

Hey guys! Today I'm going to show you how to make a super easy no-sew vest from an old t-shirt! This vest only took me five minutes (if that) and it looks super cute!!! So let's get started :-)

Materials:

• Fabric scissors

• Over sized t-shirt

Step 1:

Start off by laying your shirt out flat on your work space. Cut the collar off of the t-shirt (following the front seam so the cut is the same depth in the front and back). Then cut the sleeves off also following the seams. Try to cut smoothly so that you do not have jagged cut marks. By now your shirt should look like this:

Step 2:

Next you are going to cut along the seam on the side of the shirt right up to the armpit. You want to cut it all the way up. You don't want it to be attached anywhere along the side anymore.

That's it!!! Now you just have to pick your shirt up sideways so that the holes from the collar and arms are one big hole in the back.

To wear this vest you just put both of your arms through the big hole in the back. This is what the finished product looks like.

See?! Super easy and cute!!! It's also a perfect vest for Summer time. I hope you enjoyed this post! Keep checking my blog throughout the week because there may be an extra post!!! Don't forget to leave a comment if you have any suggestions for future posts. :-)

DIY: 5 Seconds of Summer Shirt

Hey guys! So today I am going to show you how to make your own 5sos (5 seconds of summer) band tee! If you haven't heard of them... Well go listen to them because I promise that you won't regret it! Just because I am creating a tutorial to make your own band tee or merch, that doesn't mean that I don't think you should go buy some anyways to support them! You can find their merch here :-). You can also go to their youtube to listen to their music! Anyways, enough about the band. Let's start the shirt!

Materials

• Old shirt

• Scissors

• Fabric paint

• Paint brushes

• Cardboard

• Paper clips

• Sharpie

• Ruler

To begin, cut the sleeves off so that it is a tank top. Cut the first sleeve as thick (on the shoulders) as you want and as deep (on the sides) as you want. I just eyeballed this, but after you cut the first sleeve; fold it over to use as an outline for the other sleeve.
Step 2: 
Take a ruler and approximately find the middle of the shirt. Once you found the middle, mark it with your sharpie. 
Next measure how high you want the middle of the shirt to come up. After that is done, draw a diagonal line from that point down to the edge on each side of the shirt. Then follow this line with your scissors; cutting the front and back of the shirt.

This is before I painted it; it is only outline of the logo.

This is before I painted it; it is only the outline.

Front

Back

Step 1:
We're going to begin with cutting the t-shirt. It's very similar to my tie dye tank top two weeks ago. Except the hem of  the shirt will come up in the middle. 

Next we are going to cut the collar. This is very simple since the collar was left fairly high. Cut the collar that is sewn onto the shirt off, following the stitching. Next cut the front of the collar down on both side about 2-3 inches; letting the sides meet in the middle in a shape that resembles a triangle. Just leave the back of the collar as it is. 

Now we are going to cut the hem of the shirt. I completely forgot to take pictures for this part, so you're going to have to bear with me trying to explain how to do it through typing. To begin, cut the hem that is already sewn onto the shirt off and cut it to the desired length (keeping in mind that the shirt will come up in the middle). I cut mine up higher than the shirt was originally; because mine was extremely long on me.



Step 3:
This is the fun part! Now you get to put the logo onto your shirt.  I created the circle on paper so that I could trace it onto the shirt. I also practice drawing the logo itself on a scrap piece of paper before I drew on the shirt. Once I had the circle traced onto my shirt and practiced drawing the logo enough I drew the logo onto the shirt freehand with a sharpie.

Then I flipped the shirt over and drew "Hemmo 1996" on the back sort of like a jersey. This was also freehand with a sharpie.

Step 4:
Once you have the outline of your logo and Hemmo 1996 on your shirt, it's time to begin painting! Slide a piece of cardboard into the middle of your shirt and secure it with paper clips so that your shirt stays still while you're painting.

Then pour some black fabric paint (or whatever colour you prefer) onto some cardboard. Take a small paint brush and trace the words so that it will be easier to paint without making a mess. Once you did that you can use a bigger paint brush or the same one you used to trace the words and finish filling everything in.

This is the finished product:


Keep in mind that by posting this I am not encouraging you to not support 5 seconds of summer by buying their merch. This is just a fun project that you can do to create a shirt of your own.

I hope you enjoyed this post! :-) Don't forget to go and check out their youtube channel!!! :-) 

P.S. There is a poll that will be up until next Wednesday and if you vote you have a say in what kind of posts I make in the future! :-)

DIY: cheap, easy at home spa night

Hey guys! So today I am going to show you how to treat yourself to a cheap and easy spa night at home. Do you ever have a long, stressful week and need to unwind on Sunday night? Well what better way to end a that week and start the new one off than by having a spa night at home? I'm going to show you an amazing chemical free moisturizing bath, face mask and lip scrub that you can make on your own with things found in your kitchen! Ready to get started?! I know I am!!

What you need:

• Coconut oil
• Baking soda
• A lemon or lemon juice
• Honey
• Brown Sugar
• A Banana

Coconut Oil and Baking Soda Bath
Moisturizes and clears away dirt/dead skin cells.

Materials: 

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup baking soda

While your tub is being filled add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and 1/2 a cup of baking soda. Your coconut oil can be solid or liquid, either works fine.

You can also have a bath with only the 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or only the 1/2 cup of baking soda. I just enjoy the combination of the two.

The benefits:
If you're wondering why on earth you would want to have a bath with coconut oil and baking soda here are your answers. Coconut oil is amazing for your skin. It is extremely hydrating; it naturally clears away dirt and dead skin cells and it also has antibacterial properties that kill harmful bacteria! It smells really good as well. This is probably my favourite part about the coconut oil because your skin smells nice once you get out of the bath but you didn't have to soak in any chemicals to get the nice coconuty smell. Ok... so now you know why you would want to have a bath with coconut oil; but why baking soda? Baking soda relieves irritated or itchy skin while moisturizing at the same time; it also has anti bacterial properties which is an added bonus.

Now just light some candles, get a good book and enjoy your bath. Maybe even get some ice water and a snack to make it even more enjoyable. :-)

Face Mask
Tightens, brightens and moisturizes your face. 
I found this face mask here.

Materials:

• 1 banana
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Take one ripe banana and mash it up in a bowl. After you have your banana mashed add one teaspoon of honey and one teaspoon of lemon juice. Once all of the ingredients are in the bowl mix them together thoroughly until you have a paste.

After you have a paste, apply the mixture to your face. You will want to have washed your face prior to applying the mask. Applying it after a bath or shower is ideal because your pores will be open and your skin is clean. You can apply it with an old makeup brush or your hands if you prefer. Just make sure that you apply it evenly and all over your face. Once it is on your face, leave it on for fifteen minutes and then wash it off using a warm facecloth.

The benefits:
The honey has skin lightening properties and it also kills bacteria, which then prevents acne. Lemon juice lightens the skin and can even out and lighten dark spots and acne blemishes. The banana fades dark spots and blemishes while smoothing out rough skin. The banana also moisturizes your skin and enhances the skin's UV protection. For a more thorough list of the benefits look at this website.

Lip Exfoliating Scrub
Moisturizes skin while clearing away dead skin cells.

Materials:

• Coconut Oil
• Honey
• Brown Sugar

Add some coconut oil and some honey to a bowl. I roughly added one small spoonful of each. Thoroughly mix together the coconut oil and honey.

Next add the brown sugar. I'm not sure how much I added because I just eyeballed it. 

Add some brown sugar and mix it in; then feel the mixture. You want to add enough so that it has a semi-rough texture but you don't want it to be so rough that it hurts your lips. I left mine fairly smooth because I wanted it to be more moisturizing than exfoliating. 

That's all! I hope you guys enjoyed this post and have a nice relaxing evening to end a busy week or even just to start the next week off nicely. Leave a comment if you have any suggestions for a future post. :-)

DIY: easy beanie

Hey guys! Today I'm going to show you how to upcycle an old sweater and turn it into a beanie. I saw this tutorial on youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p0Bb1xKau4) and I loved the finished project; so I thought what better way to re-use my old sweaters than to turn them into beanies?! (The only difference between the video and this post is that I sewed my beanie and on the video they used a glue gun).

Materials:

• Scissors
• Old sweater 
• Sewing needle and thread (or glue gun)

Step 1:
Lay your sweater out flat. Now cut out the spot where your back goes. Once you have that piece cut, wrap it around your head and cut any excess fabric so that it fits your head comfortably.

Step 2:

Fold the piece that now fits your head into three sections to create a tube.

Now cut the top in a circular pattern so that the tube now resembles a hat.

Step 3:

Turn the hat inside out (1) and sew the side together (2). Now sew two top pieces that are closest to each other together (3). Repeat the previous step with the two other sides. This will leave you with three sewn sides that resemble a triangle (4). 

Step 4:

Flip the hat so it's not longer inside out, and voila! You now have a new beanie!!!

I hope everyone enjoyed this post! Leave a comment if you have any suggestions for upcoming posts. :)

DIY: easy upcycled jean shorts!

Hey guys! Today I'm going to show you how to upcycle and old pair of jean shorts and turn them into a completely different pair! You can do this with regular jeans as well if you like by following the same steps.
Note: The jeans I bleached were black so they turned red. Blue jeans will all usually turn white.

I'm probably going to fix the back, but I couldn't tell the colour was like that while it was still wet. 

Materials:

• Old pair of jeans
• Scissors or exacto knife
• Cardboard
• Bucket
• Bleach
• Laundry detergent 
• Disposable gloves

Step 1:
Lay your shorts out flat with a piece of cardboard between one of the legs and use your scissors or exacto knife to cut a straight line on the leg to begin with the distressed look. I added two cuts to each leg, but you can do however many you like or none if you prefer. Move the cardboard to the other side and add more cuts. I added two cuts there as well and had them in the same spot. Be careful to not cut the pocket.

Flip your jeans over and add small cuts to the back pocket.

Step 2:
Add bleach into a bucket and dilute it with a bit of water (any temperature is fine). I did my jeans one side at a time, back in the bleach first and then front because I didn't want to waste bleach doing them at the same time and because I wanted all of the black bleached on the front but only some in the back. Let the jeans soak for 2-3 minutes or until the colour is really starting to show and then do the other side. Keep bleaching until you are satisfied it.

Left is when you first put jeans in bleach and right is when the colour begins to be bleached out.

Step 3:
Rinse your jeans with water. After a lot of the colour has came out dump the water that you used to rinse your jeans and then fill up the bucket or a laundry tub with water and some laundry detergent. Wash the jeans and then rinse all of the soap out. Let these jeans dry and then you're all done! You may want to wash these separate from other clothes in the washing machine for the first couple of washes just in case there is any bleach left and you don't want to get it onto other clothes.

Hopefully you enjoyed this super easy diy! Comment if you have any requests :)

DIY Divergent Shirt!

Hey guys! Today I'm going to show you how to make a divergent razor back shirt. If you don't know what divergent is, it's a book and now movie based on a post-apocalyptic Chicago. That isn't what this post is about though so I'll show you how to make the shirt! This is going to be my longest post yet, so just a heads up.

Finished Product

Materials:

• Old t-shirt
• Scissors
• Sharpies
• Fabric Paint
• Sponge paint brushes
• Cardboard
• Wool (optional)
• Bleach
• Small jar/container for bleach

Step 1:
Lay your shirt out flat and cut the neck following the stitching (be careful the front is usually deeper than the back).

Use the stitching as a guide.

Step 2:

Cut the first sleeve off from the shoulder down to the armpit. You may want to outline where you want your sleeve to be with a sharpie.

Try to cut evenly to avoid jagged edges.

After you cut the first sleeve, fold the shirt in half evenly so that you can use that first sleeve as a guide and be left with two sleeves that are the same width and depth.

Use this edge as a guide.

Next stretch both of the arm holes (gently!) so that the sleeves won't look jagged. This will also prevent the fabric from tearing.

Don't pull so hard that you stretch it out!

Step 3:

Cut the bottom of the shirt following the seam. After that stretch the fabric like you previously did with the sleeves.

Step 4:

Flip your shirt over so that the back is facing you. Now cut the back straps thinner than the front so that you can create the razor back in the final steps.

Be careful not to cut the front straps!

Now take the piece that you cut off on the first side and use it as a guide for the second side.

Step 5:

To create the razor back effect you can cut this piece of fabric from the hem of the shirt off, or braid together some wool and use that.

If you use this piece instead of the wool you will put the two straps together and wrap this piece of fabric around the straps beginning with a knot and wrapping it around until you get to the bottom then ending with another knot.

On my shirt I used braided wool because I thought it would be cool to incorporate other faction colours into the shirt. I braided together a red, grey and black piece of wool for amity, abnegation and dauntless. I chose to use these faction colours because when I took an aptitude test online I had an aptitude for those three factions. 

If you use the wool you begin with a knot, wrap the wool around the straps and then end it in a knot just like you would have with the fabric.

Step 6:

This is the fun part! Now you get to paint your faction symbol onto the front of the shirt. I chose to use the dauntless symbol because as mentioned above I had an aptitude for it, but if I had to choose which faction to join, it would be dauntless.

Begin by deciding where you want to place the symbol and then put cardboard into the shirt, leaving the top side facing up. Secure the shirt in place on the cardboard with paper clips or pins.

 Now begin outlining your symbol with a sharpie either free hand or tracing. I cut the circle out and traced around it for the outside of the symbol but then did free hand for the flames.

After you have the outline of your symbol on your shirt begin to paint it on using your fabric paint and sponge brush (sorry I don't have any pictures of this part. I got too caught up in the painting forgot to take some haha).

After you have painted the symbol wait for the paint to dry before moving onto the next step!

Step 7:

Are you using a black shirt and black paint? Can't see your design? No problem! Bleach is now your best friend. 

Be cautious while using bleach!!!

Make sure the paint is dry, I waited an hour and a half so that I knew it would be completely dry. 

Now get a jar or container and some bleach that you dilute with water. Take a paint brush and brush bleach around the flames in the circle and on around the circle on the outside. The bleaching takes the colour out of the shirt and it will make the symbol stand out more. Black shirts will take on an orange/red colour after bleaching. I also added some bleach randomly to other spots on the front of the shirt just to create a more vintage feel to the shirt.

This is what the shirt looked like seconds after applying bleach.

Now you have to wash the bleach out of your shirt. Fill a sink (preferably a laundry tub if you have one) with warm water and laundry soap.

After you have washed the shirt long enough that the colour doesn't come off as much as when you began washing rinse it out and try to get all or as much of the soap out. Now let the shirt dry and you're all done!!!

Front

Back

PS: you may want to wash this shirt separate from other clothes for the first few washes so that no bleach comes off onto your other clothes.

Now just enjoy your new shirt :), if anyone has any post requests just leave them in the comments!