Instead of tossing out those household items that seemingly have no use anymore, give them new life by repurposing them into something useful. This not only helps you to save a bit of cash, it also helps to reduce your waste production and show a little love to our environment. Here are a few fun DIYs for making over unwanted household items!

1. Turn empty condiment bottles into squeeze bottles for dispensing pancake batter. Just make sure you thoroughly clean them out first—no one wants to eat ketchup-flavored pancakes!
2. Turn an ornate vintage picture frame into a vanity tray. Simply add a pretty fabric instead of a photo, lie it flat, and fill it with perfume bottles, makeup, and more.
3. Clean the fine “hairs” out of corn on the cob by using a dry toothbrush that you don’t use anymore.
4. Hang an old rake upside down and use it as a rustic necklace holder.
5. Portion toddler snacks perfectly by filling the cubes in an ice cube tray. They are the perfect size for berries, pretzels, cheese cubes, and chocolate candies.
6. Purchase a vintage window shutter from a garage sale or thrift store and use it to display important memos, mail, and photographs. Simply clip wooden clothespins along the slats and even add S-shaped hooks for keys.

50 All-Time Favorite New Uses for Old Things [RealSimple]
6 New Uses for Old Things [Country Living]
25 New Ways to Use Your Old Stuff [HGTV]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr garofalo.christina

Take a step out of your daily routine and into the great outdoors. Bear Branch Park is great for a day trip with the family or a picnic with your friends. The park comes complete with activity areas and covered pavilions, which means you can work up a sweat in the sun playing basketball, volleyball, or tennis, then lounge under the roof of a gazebo with a cool drink.

Wheelchair-accessible with plenty of restrooms available, Bear Branch Park is perfect for everyone. Kids will love the swimming pool and play areas complete with swing-sets and slides. Those looking for exercise will enjoy the track surrounding the soccer field, while those looking for a more relaxed activity can head to the disc golf course.

Bear Branch Park
5310 Research Forest Dr
The Woodlands, TX 77381
www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/33

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr healthiermi

Laundry day is likely your least favorite day of the week, but it doesn’t have to be quite so difficult. By attacking your piles of laundry with a bit of pre-planning, you can make laundry day much more manageable. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.

1. Separate lights and darks ahead of time. To avoid the tedious task of separating lights from darks, separate them as soon as you toss your dirty clothes in the hamper. Invest in a double-sided hamper that does the separating for you.
2. Invest in good detergent. Using the wrong detergent (or a cheap brand) can make your clothes come out dull and dingy. Instead, choose one detergent designed for washing dark clothes in cold water, one for keeping colors bright, and a separate stain treatment to put on spots.
3. Treat stains as soon as they happen. The most important thing you can do to remove a stain is catch it as soon as it happens. You can even rub in a stain treatment and toss your clothes in the laundry, leaving the stain to deal with on laundry day.
4. Turn clothes inside out. Avoid fading and shrinking by turning your clothes inside out before washing them.
5. Fold right away. To eliminate the need for ironing, prevent wrinkles by folding your clothes as soon as they come out of the dryer.

Laundry 911: Color care basics [She Knows]
How to Care for Your Clothes [How Stuff Works]
Laundry Basics – Sorting it Out [For Better Living]

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr Technofreak