Grab a piece of string and two push pins.  Secure the string in a straight line using the pins, and hang your favorite pictures, postcards, and any other notes with clothespins.  Repeat to create as many rows as you decide.

Sites like TipJunkie.com and Pinterest often offer free subway art printables.  Find one that fits your home and/or personality and put it in a cool frame.  They’re especially great for bringing a small color pop to any room.

Upload some of your favorite pictures onto a site like Photobucket and use there unique editing effects to create a cartoon, sketch, or vintage look.  Print them out and glue them onto cut pieces of thick posterboard, or put them in a frame, and hang them around your home for a new and interesting display.

Never underestimate the power of a scrap of fabric.  If you find a neat pattern that you like, put it in a frame!  You can do the same with poster-sized frames and wallpaper or regular wrapping paper for a more modern looking piece of art.

Don’t let budget, space, or a lease agreement get you down.  When it comes to creating the home you’ve always dreamed of, anything is possible.  You just might have to get creative!

Keep your stainless steel pots and pans clean with a dryer sheet. Let the dirty dishes soak in water with a sheet present, and the softening/anti-static agents will team up to loosen grit stuck to your pan for an easy scrub clean.

Trouble getting all the dust off your TV screen or computer monitor?  Grab a dryer sheet.  These great multi-purpose cleaners are perfect for trapping dust and can even be helpful when trying to remove lint or pet hair from furniture, clothes, and other surfaces.

In the warmer months when bugs come back around, use a dryer sheet to help repel nasty pests like mosquitos. Rub a sheet on your skin for some extra protection.  If you have a lot of bug stains on your car windshield, simply wet the surface and use a dryer sheet to easily remove all the gross guts.

Baseboards tend to collect tons of hair, dust, and other allergens and are often neglected when it comes to cleaning house.  Wipe them down with a dryer sheet to get rid of the dirt.  This will not only clean them but coat them with a little anti-static to keep them dust-free for even longer.

Want to keep your home smelling fresh?  Stick a dryer sheet in clothing drawers, under couch cushions, and in closets for a clean scent all around.  Roll one up and stick it in the toilet paper roll for a fresh burst of clean with every use.  You might even want to get rid of that old Pine air freshener hanging from your rearview mirror, and use a dryer sheet instead.

Who knew that a dryer sheet could accomplish so much?  Feel free to let us know if you discover any further uses for these little life-savers.

Cut-out sugar cookies are a simple and delicious option for those with a sweet tooth.  Decorate these buttery delights with melted chocolate, candy dots, or ice them with a sugar glaze for a nice variety of tastes.  You might even sandwich them with a soft filling like Nutella for a softer kind of sweet.

If you’re looking for a sweet quick-fix, you might love this Valentine’s milkshake.  With two cups of strawberry ice cream, one cup of milk, and about two table spoons of strawberry
jam you’ll have your sweetheart’s mouth watering in no time.  Top it off with some whipped cream and a cherry for a delightful display.

An even more adult delicacy, try these delicious alcohol-infused cherries.  Wash and pit
some cherries.  Heat some bourbon or your alcohol of choice in a pan on the stove, using one cup of alcohol per pint of cherries. Once the liquor simmers, turn off the heat and add the cherries.  Let the mixture cool, and then pour into a tightly lidded glass jar.  Put it in the fridge, let sit for two days, and enjoy!

Spread some love in the early morning with cake batter pancakes.  This delicious recipe makes the perfect breakfast in bed, though its amazing powdered sugar glaze is enough to get anyone up in the early morning!

It’s the thought that counts, and what better way to show someone you care than to bake them something with love.  Check out your favorite recipe sites for more fun ideas.

First, invest in eye-pleasing storage.  Rather than throwing all of your cords and pens into clear plastic bins and setting them aside, consider using baskets, vintage tins, or colorful crates to store any small supplies.  A nice larger piece that can hold its own in a living room is a classic secretary. The pullout desk can easily act as a base for your laptop, and the remaining drawers are perfect for storage.

If you work near the kitchen, consider stealing a few of the outermost drawers for office supplies.  Using silverware drawer organizers are great for separating paper clips from pushpins, etc.  You might even want to set one cabinet aside for larger items like paper and reference books.

Consider investing in a decorative screen to place between your work space and other areas.  It makes a great divider for any room, and can add a unique look to your
space.  For another decorative dual-purpose look, mount fabric-covered cork board on the wall above your work space for posting notes, etc.  It will provide extra storage, free up any fridge-space you might have and look disguised as a colorful, patterned art piece.

Whether you’re in an apartment, a small home, or just don’t have the space to make your home office its own room, you can still make the space work for you.  Clean up, get organized, and give your work space some color!  It will help to make you feel refreshed, inspired, and ready to have a productive day.

Prison Cell Workout: Hopefully you’ll be trying this for the first time from the comfort of your own home, however, it is the perfect workout when you’ve got limited space.  Start out standing and then squat down, dropping your hands to the ground.  Jump or move your feet back so that you’re in a push-up position.  Do a push-up and bring your feet forward between your hands.  Jump up reaching your hands to the sky and bringing your knees to your chest.  Repeat 15-20 times.

The Ten: Start out doing One push-up, followed by 10 squats.  Continue with 2 push-ups, followed by 9 squats, 3 push-ups and 8 squats, etc. until you’ve reached 10 push-ups and 1
squat.  This full body workout might not sound like much, but you’re sure to feel it the next day.

Chair Exercises:  Grab a sturdy chair (nothing with wheels!) for these next few exercises.  Place your hands on the seat edge, your back to the chair, with knees bent and feet out in front of you.  Dip your body down towards the ground to work your triceps.  Different variations like straight leg or one leg lifted can make this work out more difficult.

Next, face your chair in a standing position.  Step up onto the seat and then back onto the
floor, alternating legs.  This one will really work the glutes!

Then work your abs by placing your feet up on the chair seat, placing your elbows on the floor in front of you.  Make sure your back is straight, not arches, and keep your core tight as you stay in plank (table) position.  Hold for at least one minute.

Voila! A fast, fun, full body workout.  You can do all of these exercises from home, without a gym membership, DVD to follow, or community weight center, so no more excuses!  Get healthy and moving; it will be well worth it in the end!

Looking for some wine, cheese, or chocolate?  How about coming down to the Food Tour on February 16^th, where you’ll find all three!  This spectacular event includes a walking tour of delicious treats, wine and prizes.  Local restaurants like the Chicago Street Pub, Gji’s Sweet Shop, and others are coming together to give community members another great night in Downtown Joliet.  Only $22 per person, the fun starts at 5:30pm.

You may also want to check out the Joliet Drama Guild’s schedule of upcoming shows.  February 10-19^th the production of The Lion in Winter will be showing with a fantastic cast and crew.  Come and endure this epic story of love and power, as Henry II of England puts on a performance you’ll never forget.

If you make your way into the big city, stop by McCormick Place February 10-19 to check out the Chicago Auto Show.  The Chicago Automobile Trade Association has been putting the show on since 1935, though it was originally introduced in 1901.  Today, it’s the biggest auto show in North America, offering a total of 2.7 million square feet of exhibit halls.  It’s only $11 to get in, so come check it out.

With Valentine’s Day coming up, consider treating that someone special to one of Chicago’s finest romantic restaurants.  Spend the day walking the city or ice skating at Millennium Park and top off the night by staying over in one of the Chicago’s luxury hotels.  Joliet is only a short drive away from the city, so it’s the perfect weekend getaway!

Recently, though, IKEA has taken its popularity even further with steps to adhere to the growing green movement.  Along with recycling 80% of store waste, the company has taken to green education, philanthropy, and manufacturing processes.

IKEA has also taken the liberty of changing the materials of store products.  First to go were harmful chemicals, like Formaldehyde, in ceramics, glass and adhesives/lacquers.  The stores have also made it a priority to hold each supplier responsible for the origin of its wood, and they’ve even developed new particleboard.

This, plus the use of recycled paper and plastic and the reduction of chemicals used in textiles, has led IKEA to soar years ahead of other companies.  It’s also helped reduce
the use of raw materials by over 85,000 tons.

The stores have made it their mission to pursue sustainability through all means possible.
No more plastic bags, recycling, and the adoption of strict emissions policies are only a few of the ways IKEA has taken the reigns.

While some might still view the company as a big-box vendor taking over the market, IKEA has come a long way and continues to make a difference in the environment.

Start small – If you’re new to really watching your budget, consider starting out by cutting some of the smaller expenses.  Do you buy a cup of coffee on your way to work every morning?  Try taking some home-made brew to go instead.  Even if you only spend two dollars a day on coffee, that’s an extra $40-50 a month you’ll end up saving.

Switch to cash – It’s so easy in today’s society to mindlessly hand over our credit card every time we think we need something.  Instead, try withdrawing an amount of money that you feel comfortable allowing yourself to spend for the week and carry the cash with you.  Having that certain amount and actually seeing it diminish as you spend will help keep you on track and not splurge on something in the moment.

Have a trial run – For the bigger expenses like that magazine subscription, Netflix account, or HBO movie pack, consider challenging yourself to a few months without.  Cancel your extra accounts, and consider it to be a temporary trial.  Note the things that you really miss and the others you realize you can live without.  You can always start them up again when you feel the need.

Treat yourself – Don’t be too hard on yourself.  It’s important to reward yourself for good
budget behavior every now and again.  Try picking something inexpensive that you can treat yourself to each week or every two weeks.  Having that something to look
forward to will make getting there a lot easier, plus you won’t get burnt out from continually denying yourself some good fun.

Eye-popping wall art – Take your favorite colored crayons and hot glue them to the top of a canvas in a straight line.  Grab a hair dryer and turn it on hot & high.  Move the hair dryer back and forth over the crayons until you get the desired amount of wax to drip.  Let dry and then display.  (Turn upside down and add flowers for a fun spring look).

Unique and colorful crayon vase – Boil about two inches of water on the stove.  Break up your crayons and put them in a Pyrex measuring cup, filling it up to about two or three inches high.  Place the measuring cup in the pot of simmering water and heat until the crayons are melted.  Remove the Pyrex cup from the pot and let cool for a minute.  Using an oven mitt or towel to hold the handle, slowly swirl the Pyrex cup, coating the sides with
thin layers of the melted crayons. Continue to swirl until the entire inside is coated and all of the melted crayon at the bottom is gone.  Put in the freezer for one hour, and then remove.

Crayon candles- Get a candle kit at your local craft store including boil bags, wicks, and white wax.  Tape one of your wicks to a pencil or a chop stick and lay it flat across a glass jar or tin of your choice.  Melt the white wax in one of the boil bags.  Pour the wax slowly into the jar, adding broken crayon pieces to the mix.  (The wax is hot enough to melt the crayon)  Fill to the top adding as many crayons as you’d like to get an interesting, artistic look.  Allow to dry.

These are just a few of the cool things you can do with an old recycled material like crayons.  You’ll turn your old coloring collection into beautiful, breathtaking art pieces, that will give your apartment some added personality.

Use white string lights to create or accent art pieces.  On a piece of canvas (either white or painted the color of your choice) mark the design you want with pencil on the back, making small dots half-inch apart.  Then, gently press an awl through each dot to make a small hole.  Push a light bulb into each hole, using glue to secure into place.  If you already have a piece of art that you love, draw more attention to it by stringing lights around its perimeter.

Drape icicle lights behind sheer curtains to create a dazzling display when the sun goes down. You may even want to cozy up your bed by surrounding it with sheer fabric and hanging beautiful fairy lights behind it.  If you happen to have a canopy bed and want
to ditch the fabric, wrap your lights around the canopy posts for a warm and dreamy look.

Use some lights to dress up a boring white wall or a room full of neutral colors.  Cover and use Dixie cups to create unique shades for your light garland.  Cut an X shape slit into each cup bottom and push a light bulb through each.  Once each light on the string is covered by a colorful cup, hang your garland along a blank wall or over a doorway for a beautiful DIY look.

Before you pack up those holiday lights, consider using them to add a little comfort and décor to your apartment.  Manipulate the garlands into unique and awe-inspiring looks that will have your friends asking “Hey, how’d you do that?!”