8 Frugal Tips for Fitness Resolutions

mom doing push ups

If getting fit tops your New Year’s resolutions for 2013, you’re not alone.

According to the 2013 Outlook Survey organized by TD Ameritrade, Inc., 42 percent of Americans are making health-related resolutions this year. That’s compared to 32 percent opting for financial-oriented goals.

After the holidays, the new year always triggers the need to be more active, eat healthier and feel better. But how to get the most from your fitness regime without breaking the bank? Consider these ideas to stay in shape on the cheap.

1. Take Advantage
Gym rats abhor the beginning of the year when well-intentioned newbies crowd their classes and struggle with the equipment. Despite the initial claustrophobia, however, the gym floor inevitably clears within a couple months as fitness goals wane. As a committed newcomer, you should take advantage of New Year’s gym deals, like reduced monthly payments and waived activation fees. Chat with salespeople at several gyms and be sure to ask for a free pass to experience the facility and classes before committing.

Developing Fine Motor Skills with Fun Activities

Easy Fine Motor Skills Activity

Guest post from KidsActivitiesBlog.com

A fine motor skills activity can help young children develop and strengthen their hand, wrist, and finger muscles.  Early learning skills such as writing and dressing oneself are dependent on these muscles.  Kids Activities Blog offers many great ideas for your child to have fun while building those important fine motor skills.

Easy and inexpensive activities for kids do it for me every time. For this activity, all you need are pipe cleaners and beads. I picked up these gorgeous and colorful various sized beads from JoAnn Fabrics months ago for a very reasonable price. The pipe cleaners we had in our supply closet and the small pot I purchased at Ikea for a ridiculously low price.

Celebrating the Chinese New Year

This year, the Chinese New Year falls on February 10 and 2013 is the year of the Snake!

 

by Minette Riordan

Do your children ever ask why the Chinese don’t celebrate the New Year at the same time we do? I love the opportunity to teach my children about how and why other cultures celebrate different traditions and the Chinese New Year is always a popular one with children. Who doesn’t love colorful costumes and amazing dancing dragons?

What your children may not know, is that the date of the Chinese New Year changes every year, according the lunar calendar and that the celebrations can last from two weeks to a month. This is considered one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture. Like so many of our own traditions, celebrations were based on agriculture. Laura Young, editor for Kaboose.com, writes “Originally the celebrations lasted for lengthy amounts of time because China was a very agriculture-based country so farmers took the whole month off to rest since crops couldn’t be planted during the winter. Nowadays most families celebrate the New Year for about two week’s time, says Ng, starting on the first day of the new year and end on the 15th. “