Get Out! The Outdoor Gym

Get Out! The Outdoor Gym: "

Now we know the garden and outdoor space can be considered to be an additional room for your home, the question is which type of room? It seems most of the design world’s focus has been on creating outdoor lounges and kitchens.

However, here and there we see more designs and designers using the space as an outdoor gym. With Summer fast approaching, I thought I could share some really easy ways get fit outside without going all out and building a special outdoor room/building dedicated to sports.

The Waff: the fitness addict’s alternative to the bean bag

This inflatable cushion, available in a variety of sizes and colors, was invented and designed based on 3D technologies and the human anatomy.

It is designed to fit the body whatever its position (lying flat on one’s stomach, on one’s back, on one’s side, seated, standing, etc.) Used as a seat, the “instability” of the cushion forces your body to contract its muscles to create the balance. It can be also used as an exercise tool: each purchase come with a whole set of instructions to get you going.

Photo: Mariposas del Sol

The yoga deck

If you have a deck or outdoor patio, a great idea is to use it for yoga alone or with friends. If you have a lawn are that is fairly flat that’ll work, too.

Also, invest in a set of hand weights so you can also do some strength training in this same space.

The water bike

For regular cardio training from home if you have even a tiny pool: discover the underwater bikes by Hydrorider who sell such odd inventions for around $1200. Check out this video (Editor’s note: This looks like so much fun!):

The water treadmill

Very few of us only can afford Olympic-sized swimming pools for the beneficial lap-swimming, and if you’re lucky enough you might have inherited one at a previous owner’s expense. But, for the rest of us, there’s Swimmill.

Swimmill is the aquatic version of the treadmill as it lets you swim without changing your position. The water current produced by Swimmill is the one that moves. Swimmill allows you to adjust the speed of the water current to satisfy all kinds of swimmers, from beginners to the most advanced. It makes the length of your pool infinite and allows you to enjoy swimming for any time or distance you choose in your own home.

The list of sports you can do in the tiniest outdoor space is actually quite extensive, making lack of space a poor excuse for not being in shape. So, it’s time to get Googleing to find what designers have come up with to meet your needs.

Then, get out and exercise and we’ll see you on the beach!

---

©2010 Design Milk | Posted by Anne in Interior Design | Permalink | No comments | Tweet This | Share on Facebook

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Brunch Upgrade! Crunchy, Deep-Fried "Eggs Benedict"Fine Cooking

Brunch Upgrade! Crunchy, Deep-Fried "Eggs Benedict"Fine Cooking: "We have to admit, making regular eggs benedict at home is somewhat of an undertaking for us, so pulling off a deep-fried version may be asking too much. But it's so incredible looking! The soft, silky egg flecked with crispy bacon and covered in glistening, fried English muffin crumbs... Are you up for a challenge?

Read Full Post"

Top 10 Tips and Tricks for Making Your Stuff Last Longer [Lifehacker Top 10]

Top 10 Tips and Tricks for Making Your Stuff Last Longer [Lifehacker Top 10]: "

We live in a disposable world, but just because things weren't made to last doesn't mean you can't make them. These 10 tips and tricks will help you squeeze more life from your batteries, appliances, flowers, razor blades, and more. More »

30 Habits that Will Change your Life

30 Habits that Will Change your Life: "

Developing good habits is the basic of personal development and growth. Everything we do is the result of a habit that was previously taught to us. Unfortunately, not all the habits that we have are good, that’s why we are constantly trying to improve.

The following is a list of 30 practical habits that can make a huge difference in your life.

You should treat this list as a reference, and implement just one habit per month. This way you will have the time to fully absorb each of them, while still seeing significant improvements each month.

Health habits

1. Exercise 30 minutes every day. Especially if you don’t do much movement while working, it’s essential that you get some daily exercise. 30 minutes every day are the minimum recommended for optimal health.


2. Eat breakfast every day. Breakfast is the more important meal of the day, yet so many people skip it. Personally, I like to eat a couple of toasts in the morning along with a fruit beverage.


3. Sleep 8 hours. Sleep deprivation is never a good idea. You may think that you are gaining time by sleeping less, when in reality you are only gaining stress and tiredness. 8 hours are a good number of hours for most people, along with an optional 20 minutes nap after lunch.


4. Avoid snacking between meals. Snacking between meals is the best way to gain weight. If you are hungry, eat something concrete. Otherwise don’t. Update: for clarification, I mean don’t eat junk food between meals, but eating real food it’s ok.


5. Eat five portions of fruits and vegetables every day. Our body and brain loves getting vegetables and fruit, so I highly recommend eating as much of them as possible. Five portions is the dose that’s usually recommended by many health associations.


6. Eat fish. Fish is rich of omega 3 and other healthy elements. At least one meal per week of fish should be enough for getting all these nutrients.


7. Drink one glass of water when you wake up. When you wake up, your body is dehydrated and needs liquid. Make the habit of drinking one glass of water after you wake up in the morning. Also, drink more during the day.


8. Avoid soda. Soda is often one of the most unhealthy beverage you can find. Limit your consumption of soda as much as possible and you’re body will be grateful for that.


9. Keep your body clean. I don’t advise spending your day in front of the mirror, but a minimum of personal care does never hurt.


10. If you smoke, stop it. There’s no reason to smoke anymore, and quitting is easy.


11. If you drink, stop it. Same as above. Don’t think that alcohol will solve your problems. It never does. The only exception is one glass of wine per day during meals.


12. Take the stairs. This is just a hack that forces you to do a minimum of exercise. Instead of taking the elevator, take the stairs.

Productivity habits

1. Use an inbox system. Make the habit of keeping track of all the ideas and things that comes to mind. You can use a notebook to do this, and then sync everything on your computer.


2. Prioritize. If you have a list of things to do, where do you start? One way is to prioritize your list. If you are in doubt, ask yourself: “If I could only accomplish one thing today, what would it be?”


3. Plan, but not too much. Planning is important, and you should decide in advance what you are going to do today or this week. However, planning for more than a few weeks is usually inefficient, so I would not worry too much about that.


4. Wake up early. Waking up early in the morning is a great way to gain extra time. I personally like to wake up at 5 am, so that by 9 am I have already accomplished what otherwise would have taken me many days..


5. Check your email only twice per day. Email can easily become an addiction, but it’s usually unnecessary to check it every 10 minutes. Make an effort and check your email only once or twice per day, see if the world will still rotate as before after you try this.


6. Eliminate unimportant tasks. Being busy all day does not mean you are doing important stuff. Eliminate every activity that’s not important, and focus on what really matters.


7. Clean off your desk and room. Having a clear room and desk is important to maintain focus and creativity.


8. Automate. There are a lot of tasks that you need to perform every day or every week. Try to automate them as much as possible.


9. Set strict deadlines. When you do something, decide in advance when you’re going to stop. There’s a rule that states that you will fulfill all the time you have available for completing a task, so make an habit of setting strict deadlines for maximizing your productivity.


10. Take one day off per week. Instead of working every day, take one day off per week (for example sunday) where you are not going to turn on your computer. Use that time for doing recreational activities like going for a walk.

Personal Development habits

1. Read 1 book per week. Reading is a good way to keep your brain active. With just 30 minutes per day you should be able to read one book per week, or more than 50 books per year.


2. Solve puzzles. Quizzes, word games, etc. are all good ways to exercise your brain.


3. Think positively. You are what you think, all the time.


4. Make fast decisions. Instead of thinking for one hour wherever you are going to do something, make your decisions as fast as possible (usually less than 1 minute).


5. Wait before buying. Waiting 48 hours before buying anything is a tremendous money saver, try it.


6. Meditate 30 minutes per day. A great way to gain clearness and peace is through meditation. 30 minutes are not a lot, but enough to get you started with meditation.

Career habits

1. Start a blog. Blogging is one of the best way to put your word out. It doesn’t have to be around a specific topic, even a personal blog will do.


2. Build a portfolio. If your job is creating stuff, building a portfolio is a great way to show what you are capable of. You can also contribute stuff for free if that applies to your work.

What do you think? What are the habits that changed your life?

Move Your iTunes Library to Another Computer with iTunes 9 Home Sharing [ITunes]

Move Your iTunes Library to Another Computer with iTunes 9 Home Sharing [ITunes]: "

Moving your iTunes library from one computer to another has always been kind of a drag, but weblog HeyHowTo details how iTunes 9's new Home Sharing feature has made it a relatively painless process. More »

"

Top 10 Remote Control and Streaming Tools [Lifehacker Top 10]

Top 10 Remote Control and Streaming Tools [Lifehacker Top 10]: "

Streaming recorded TV to your hotel room. Grabbing files off your home computer from work. Checking on the dog walker. Your computer can do amazing things while you're nowhere near it, and these 10 killer remote access apps help you do them. More »

"

5 Mind-Traps of Beginer Photographers

5 Mind-Traps of Beginer Photographers: "

A Guest Post by Laura Radniecki.

Everyone starts their photography journey as a beginner.

Everyone, at some point in time, looks to those who have more experience and expertise than them and feels inadequate. It can be overwhelming to pick up this amazing machine [Point & Shoot OR DSLR camera] that is capable of so much, and not really know what to do with it. It is easy to fall into the trap of feeling incapable.

If you have felt like this, you are not alone.

Here are 5 mind-traps common to beginning photographers, and why you shouldn’t let yourself buy into them.

1. My Photos Are Bad:

It’s easy to feel like your photos are junk. Everyone starts at the beginning; not knowing a thing. Learning about your camera can be a bumpy road, and there will be lots of bad photos for every good one you take. That’s the nature of learning. Each time you take a photo though, you’ll get a little bit better. Don’t fall into the trap of feeling like you should be taking perfect pictures right away.

2. My Gear Isn’t Good Enough:

Expensive gear doesn’t necessarily equal good photos. If you don’t know how to use a camera to its full potential, the most expensive gear in the world won’t give you great photos. That said, fantastic photos can come from all ranges of equipment.

I started my photography journey when I was in grade school, with several small film Point & Shoot cameras. I upgraded to the digital world with another round of Point & Shoots. I took some photos that I’m really proud of with those Point & Shoot cameras, set on Auto mode. Sure, I have taken better ones with my DSLR, mostly because my knowledge of photography grew and I learned what my camera is truly capable of. But that doesn’t change the fact that I love some of the photos that came from my Point & Shoot camera.

3. I’m Doing This All Wrong:

There is no “wrong” way to take a photo. Many beginners feel like they are inadequate because they don’t understand manual settings, and can’t effectively use them. Don’t fall into that mind-trap! Auto isn’t a bad setting. It is a great place to begin your photography journey. The Priority modes on DSLRs are designed to offer a transition from Auto to full Manual settings, when YOU are ready. Advance at your own speed. Remember, great photos are what count. The settings you used to capture the great photos aren’t important.

*Don’t let the fear of progressing past Auto hold you back, though. It’s a scary world at first, but there is no reason not to take the leap. In the digital world, there’s no consequence for taking hundreds of photos, even if most turn out horrible. Who cares? That’s what the DELETE button is for! Once you’ve mastered Auto mode, practice using the other settings. Research how they work and what they do. Play around with them. They are conquerable and you WILL succeed. It’s all about learning and practice.

4. I’ll Never Be Able to Take Photos Like the Pros

Remember – the pros were beginners once too!

Everyone has to start somewhere. Learn from the pros. Study their work. Use them as inspiration to practice and grow.

5. I Can’t Afford Any Editing Programs:

Photoshop might not be in your arsenal right now, and maybe it never will be. Have no fear! There are plenty of other choices out there, many of which are free. Creative control over your photos is at your fingertips!

Check out these free options:

• Windows Photo Gallery


• iPhoto


• Picasa


• Picnik

If you’d like more editing capabilities but still don’t want to invest in the full Photoshop suite, Photoshop Elements is a great alternative. PSE has most of the best features of Photoshop, for a fraction of the cost, and in a slightly less intimidating form. Adobe also has the Lightroom software; an organizational and complete editing package, for less than the Photoshop bundle.

It’s easy to let these mind-traps seep into your consciousness and get you down. They might even make you second guess your photographic talent. Don’t let them! Don’t give up. Keep shooting and watch yourself and your photography grow.

See more of Laura Radniecki’s work here.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

5 Mind-Traps of Beginer Photographers

10 Tips to Take Great Family Portaits

10 Tips to Take Great Family Portaits: "

Family Portrait by chemisti

We are told family comes first, so grab your camera and let’s get snapping… some great family portraits…

10 Tips for Family Portraits

1. If you want that ‘traditional’ family photograph you are going to need to work the role of director to ensure all eyes and faces are on you. Working with a large group of people can be a bit trying so prepare to be patient and assertive will help in getting a handle of things. When you’ve got everyone ready don’t be afraid to reel of a dozen or so shots or use the burst mode to ensure you have at least one frame with everyone is paying attention. Eye contact isn’t always essential though and some shots which intentionally lack it can be more intriguing and relaxed. So rather than force the subjects to look continuously at the camera get them to look in a variety of directions to spice things ups.


2. The ‘traditional’ shot isn’t for everyone so flex that creative muscle and engineer some fun, personality fused frames. Putting your subjects at ease is the first step so fire a few pictures in a comfortable or familiar environment. This will help to lend character and narrative to the piece.


3. As with all photography lighting is key. If you are shooting inside and can’t afford expensive lighting use the most flattering and cheapest form of light there is – sun light! Position your group facing or parallel to a large clean window, if it is a particularly bright day cover it with a thin veil of material, such as a net curtain or peg a white cotton sheet across to act as a diffuser for softer, more flattering light. If you decide to use flash indoors, perhaps employ a diffuser to soften the effect and avoid bleaching skin or flattening textures.




Family Portrait by Dustin Diaz



4. You can really let your imagination run wild when it comes to photographing family portraits outside. Remember your light – as the sun can cause unflattering shadows to fall across the face. With the sun behind the subjects you’ll get a creative silhouette or you could add a spot of fill in flash to bring back the details and generates a halo of light around the subjects, separating them from the background.


5. Avoid having the sun behind you as the models will be pictured with odd squinting expressions, instead take a look around the vicinity – is there somewhere that offers some shade? A porch, a beach umbrella or even a white sheet tied above their heads. For this last suggestion you may need to peg the corners of the sheet to four chairs and ask the group to sit underneath but this could convey a summery relaxed portrait.


6. It may sound cheesy, but as well as bearing a similar resemblence; you may want to include other elements to tie the members of the portrait together – to say ‘yes we are a family!’. Suggestions include: matching splashes of colour, props or even aspects of the environment around them. If you want to style the shot in a more traditional or relaxed fashion then ask the family to wear natural or pastel shades. Opt for bright, bold or clashing hues for a more energetic, frivolous shoot.




Family Portrait by Kevin N. Murphy






7. As well as shooting the family sitting and then standing, experiment by having half the group stand and half sit. By splitting the group onto different levels: the viewer is offered a more dynamic image forcing the eye to jump around the scene. Incorporate props, especially if you have children in the frame. Not only will this again diversify the arrangement but it can help to reveal children’s personalities. For example a chair is not just for sitting, one could stand on it, crawl underneath it , lean on it, you could pose several children on it at one time etc.


8. Ideally for traditional group shots a wide angle lens is great for framing the entire family. If it’s more relaxed candids you want then use a zoom to switch between wide angle shots with back drop and close up spilt-second emotive portraits. Dial is a wide aperture of f5.6 or less and throw out the back drop. This offers the chance to play with whom and what is in focus.


9. Forget boring head on shots, be original and look for more inspirational angles. Climb a ladder or chair and shoot shooting downwards. This is great if you have a large group or want to get more creative with positioning. Alternatively hit the deck and lie with you back on the ground and shoot straight up into the middle of huddle. Even slanting the camera at a jaunty angle can produce exciting options. Profile portraits can be quite creative too.




Family Portrait by Roberta Taylor



10. Have some fun! Unleash the enthusiasm and ask your family to run, jump, spin, give each other piggybacks, dance, play fight and in general – laugh! Get them doing things that will dispense with any rigidity or formality. Incorporating motion into group shots develops interest and instantly relaxes your subjects and therefore viewers. To freeze action shoot between 1/125 to 1/500, you may need to crank up ISO in low light or use flash if necessary. Alternatively to incorporate a creative blur and reflect the connotation of movement use a speed of around 1/8 to 1/15. Employ Continuous AF if your camera has it and pan with the movement to keep the subjects sharp.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

10 Tips to Take Great Family Portaits

Indoors Photo Rescue – How I did it

Indoors Photo Rescue – How I did it: "

I took this photo of my daughter last night and it needed a lot of rescuing. I wanted to share the method I used to fix this shot with you all because – let’s face it – even the best of us need a little rescuing from time to time!

{How I Took it}

I took this in my very dimly lit front room using my Canon 7D and a Lightscoop. Camera was set on auto due to laziness. The settings were:

• ISO400


• 18-200mm lens at 40mm


• f/4.5


• 1/60th sec.

{How I edited it}

LIGHTROOM

• Imported RAW into Lightroom


• Adjusted exposure (up)


• Clarity (up)


• Brightness (up)


• Temperature (cooler, but still keeping it warm)


• Cropped


• Lightened shadows


• Lessened blown-out highlights (using both the recovery slider and the highlights slider)


• Used an adjustment brush for her skin to undo the amped up clarity from the third step. My personal skin adjustment brush is clarity somewhere around -45 and brightness at +4


• Exported files as DNG to maintain the edits I’d applied, but keep the file from being compressed into a jpg.

PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS (PSE)

• In PSE, I ran the enhance > adjust sharpness amount 69% (this will depend on your photo of course)


• I then ran the MCP Eye Doctor action on her eyes (this is the most magical of actions I will never be without it!)


• After completing the action, I flattened the image


• Duplicated background layer at ’soft light’ 35% just for a little added contrast


• The top layer, I applied a fliter > gaussian blur to add a little glow


• Used the eraser to erase the top layer/gaussian blur away from her sharp-as-a-tack eyes


• I could have removed the crumbs but I think they’re cute

Voila!

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Indoors Photo Rescue – How I did it

5 Fun Weekend Photography Projects [Part 1]

5 Fun Weekend Photography Projects [Part 1]: "

If you’re stuck for something to do this weekend why not give a new photography technique a try?

1. Light Graffiti

Fire Island - by sebastien.b

Light graffiti is everywhere at the moment and is a fantastic to way to get creative with light trails at night. Set up your camera on a tripod, with ISO of between 400-800. During the exposure you’ll want to ‘draw’ an image or word with a beam of light such as glow stick, torch or sparkler for example.

Dial in an exposure long enough for you to complete the word or image, and start the release with the self-timer. Get in front of the lens and start drawing. To finish the image hold the torch steady and turn it off, then move out of the frame. Check the LCD for results and amend the shutter speed as required. It’s advisable to wear black so you do not show up within the photo and remember to move quickly or you’ll be captured within the scene. Coloured gels or coloured plastic sweet wrappers can be taped over the end of the torch to add a variation of colour.

2. Shutter Zoom

Snarling at Me - by Ernst Vikne

This is a fun technique to try or any composition where you want to enthuse dram or action. For this to work you’ll need a DSLR or hybrid camera with a zoom lens. First of all set your ISO as low as possible and dial in a small aperture of around f22 for a longer exposure. Isolate a subject – for example a willing model, a beautiful blooming flower, an insect, etc and focus on and meter from this. Next compose so the subject is positioned in the centre of your frame.

Unwind your lens so it is zoomed out as far as possible. As soon as you hit the shutter use your left hand to scroll the lens back in. Check the LCD to judge your results and experiment with the speed at which you zoom in to create different effects. Also try starting with the zoom as wide as possible and during the exposure zoom in to your subject for a variation of results. Learn more about using the Zoom Effect techniques here.

3. Smoke Signals

Fading Flower - by Dude Crush

Light a couple of joss sticks and let it smoulder until a well-defined stream smoke is generated. Place these in a josh stick holder in front of a dark (or light) piece of card. To capture the enchanting swirls and shapes tape the edge of the holder to the table and let the stick vibrate. For extra flair use a flashgun to light the smoke and play adjust the colours or composition in an editing suite.

Learn more about Smoke Art Photography.

4. Painting with Light

Forrester Rocks At Night - by brentbat

This is a fun technique to try out at night and is an ideal way of adding light to the scene to enhance a particular immobile object, such as a tree, rock face, bench etc. Position your camera on a tripod and ramp up the ISO to around 400. Dial in a shutter speed of 15-20 seconds and to avoid camera jog, use the self timer to activate the shutter. During the release, light your subject with a beam of light from a torch and ‘paint’ with the light to ensure the entire object has been covered.

For a great resource on Light Painting check out Night Photography and Light Painting.

5. Kite Cameras

Kite Arial Photography - by Ric e Ette

Aerial photography can be quite an art, and creating it often an expense. However there is a cheap solution – kite cameras. If you fancy something a little fun, and own a particularly durable compact or camera you aren’t too worried about beating up, then give kite photography a shot. Unless your compact comes with a remote control shutter release, hitting that trigger is going to be problematic whilst it is up in the air but there are two options to solve this.

Either use the video recording mode (if the compact has one) and hit record before launching the kite, and later cut stills from the footage in a dedicated app like Windows Movie Maker or Apple’s iMovie. The alternative is to set the self timer – preferably for as long as possible. Set the camera to burst or sports mode as this may allow you take several shots in one go and use a fast shutter speed (1/500 or higher) to avoid movement streaks. Finally use strong tape to ensure it’s strapped on well and bring it down as gently as possible. All you need know is a windy day!

Share Your Shots

Once you’ve tried some of these techniques we’d love to see what you come up with – feel free to share your best results in comments below!

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

5 Fun Weekend Photography Projects [Part 1]

Rip DVDs to Play on Any Device

Rip DVDs to Play on Any Device: "

The dudes at Tested.com have a really good guide on how to rid your DVDs to play on any device.

Ripping your DVD collection to a compressed, more compatible format will enable you to store more DVDs on Windows Home Server and allow you to stream them to your Windows Mobile, Zune, iPod/iPhone etc.

Its a great guide which goes through the various software packages available for both the PC and Mac user and the various presets available for your different devices:

• Xbox 360


• Playstation 3


• AppleTV


• WD TV/Popcorn Hour/Asus O!Play/Seagate FreeAgent/Etc


• iPhone/iPod Touch


• ZuneHD


• Playstation Portable

Their comprehensive guide is available here.

Gaming Mouse Works on PC and Xbox 360

Gaming Mouse Works on PC and Xbox 360: "Built for FPS gamers, it's a good way to transition from PC to Xbox 360."

Weeknight Comfort: Making Mashed Potatoes a Meal

Weeknight Comfort: Making Mashed Potatoes a Meal: "Can mashed potatoes really qualify as a meal by themselves? If you mix in enough other ingredients, we think they certainly can! Mashed potatoes are really just like polenta, rice, or any other starchy side, and they make the perfect foil for just about anything we have in the fridge. Here are a few of our favorites extras!

Read Full Post"

How To Poach an Egg: The Video Home Hacks

How To Poach an Egg: The Video Home Hacks: "For a long time we avoided poached eggs out of a misplaced impression that they were extra-difficult or tricky. But they are not! A perfect poached egg is quick, simple, and foolproof. Here's how we make poached eggs now.

Read Full Post"

How To Make French Onion Soup at Home

How To Make French Onion Soup at Home: "

French onion soup is an utterly delicious thing. It is elemental in its goodness: It is made of just a few basic things (onions, broth, salt, pepper) and yet it transcends those simple building blocks to become such a deeply dark and flavorful dish. Here's a basic template for making French onion soup; it's one of the simplest, most frugal things I know how to make, and so supremely satisfying too.

Read Full Post