The gym can be a wonderful place where you can improve your health, work on your fitness and enjoy the camaraderie of a large group working toward the same goal. However, there’s something off-putting about using the same treadmill as 25 other people did before you, not to mention the sight (and smell) of hundreds of sweaty bodies gyrating in one airless space.

Instead of working out at a traditional gym, we came up with some alternatives that will help you save time and money, not to mention lose weight. To illustrate our point, we’ve put together a list of the top 5 gym etiquette offenders. Before you read, check out this hilarious article from the Wall Street Journal with some rules that anyone should learn before even considering hitting the gym.

Top 5 Gym Etiquette Offenders:

Sweaty guy. He’s rocking a full sweatsuit to maximize his sweat output, with no regard to his use of public machines and weights. His giant sweatband and armbands are doing next to nothing to protect the next user and his small army of used towels belongs in a biohazard bin.

Cell phone girl. She is dressed in expensive, head-to-toe exercise gear and has a full face of makeup, not to mention painstakingly straightened hair. She walks at a brisk 2mph on the treadmill and alternates between watching Teen Mom and The Real Housewives of Wherever on her iPad, all the while chatting (loudly) on her cell phone.

Super jacked guy. You know that guy. He sprints for an hour and a half straight on the treadmill and then uses the weight room as his personal IronMan training course. His arms are the size of tree trunks and you have no problem picturing him dragging a semi truck behind him on a rope. Just looking at him stresses you out. Do NOT get in his way. (more…)

As you know, I have always believed in being fit. Many people say that a gym membership or exercise equipment is too expensive and they can’t afford to get in shape.

In most cases, I don’t disagree; however, many people sign up for the gym and don’t even go more than a few times or they buy a treadmill and use it to hang their clothing on (sound familiar?)! Both of these things are well intended, but both of them waste money.

Over the past few years, I’ve discovered a huge love of running, as you may know. One reason I started running was because I had a lot of frustration to get rid of but also because I wanted an easy, affordable way to work out. Since it didn’t require any equipment or a gym membership, running was the perfect solution for me. All I need is a pair of good running shoes and off I go! Anyone with enough determination can become a runner. A few tips for first-time runners: (more…)

A new year always means New Year’s resolutions. It’s a fresh start for everyone and a time to start new and better traditions and habits.

I don’t typically make New Year’s resolutions because I’m not one to make drastic changes just for the sake of making them or just because the calendar starts over.

However, I do aim for certain things as I organize and prioritize my life all year long. For example, I make goals to fix or finish certain projects around the house, goals for giving the kids certain life experiences and fitness and career goals for myself. Beyond that, there are always dreams…those make my list too!

For this year, I made a goal of having the patio and pool redone at our house. The patio was not built for a family of 9 plus a dog and I felt that if we expanded it, we would spend more time outside doing barbecues and making more memories. I accomplished that goal around the little kids’ birthday in May. (more…)

All the presents have been opened… the trash and recycling have been taken out… the cookies have been eaten…the nog has been consumed…the carols have been sung. Now what?

We always get a little depressed after the holidays are over because we spent so much time planning for them. We put together some great tips to help get you out of the post-holiday funk.

1. Get out of town. Plan a trip for sometime in February. If you can’t afford an elaborate beach vacation, you can still take a road trip to a bed and breakfast in a neighboring town. Soak in a hot tub, hit the spa, go on a winery tour, sleep in and eat. It will help break up the cold winter months that aren’t warmed up by holiday cheer.

2. Bake cookies. Just because Christmas is over doesn’t mean you can’t still bake cookies all year. Snickerdoodles, peanut butter blossoms and sugar cookies can be made anytime!

3. Get organized. Every year, you dig out the same cruddy boxes filled with Christmas stuff and spend hours looking through it. This year, pick up a few of those big plastic storage bins and get your Christmas stuff in perfect order. Plus, you struggle every year about who to send Christmas cards to. Revise your list this year to make it easier on yourself next year. If you exchange gifts with co-workers, stock up on cute Christmas items now!

4. Cook, bake, freeze. Make some of your favorite holiday dishes and throw them in the freezer. When you get bored and hungry on a cold February afternoon, pop one of them in the oven for a dose of instant cheer!

5. Stock up on the post-holiday sales. You will love all the great deals on wrapping paper, Christmas cards, ornaments and more. Plus, you get to extend the holiday season and stay in the holiday spirit for an extra day or two!

Here are a few deals to get you started:

This simple, classic ribbon stocking will look perfect on any mantel. FINAL PRICE: $9.98 at Target.com.

Skip the boring gift wrap and pick up a bunch of this Marimekko Praliini Silver and White Gift Wrap for next year’s presents. FINAL SALE PRICE: $3.95 at CrateandBarrel.com.

These Unikko Green Gift Tags are adorable, reasonably priced and are the perfect topper to any present. FINAL SALE PRICE: $1.95 at CrateandBarrel.com.

Get your holiday stuff organized with this Christmas Through the Years Mini Decorative Storage Box. FINAL SALE PRICE: $55.19 + FREE SHIPPING at Buy.com.

Get outta town in style with this Vera Bradley Small Duffel in Hello Dahlia. It’s the perfect size for a quick weekend trip. FINAL SALE PRICE: $51.75 at VeraBradley.com.

Going on a longer trip? This Large Duffel in Twirly Birds Pink is the perfect bag – it fits everything you’ll need and you’ll definitely recognize it at baggage claim! FINAL SALE PRICE: $50.40 at VeraBradley.com.

We love the holidays – for so many reasons – but most importantly because we have a few days off work. However, there’s always the risk of turning into a giant holiday slob, where you spend your days in your PJs, eating Christmas cookies, chowing down Mom’s home cooking, drinking gallons of wine and completely forgetting that the gym even exists.

Trust us, we understand how easy it is to neglect your exercise regiment. We’re all for treating yourself but we put together a quick list of easy exercises you can do around the house to help battle the inevitable holiday weight gain… you don’t want to end up looking like Santa, do you?

• Most cable providers offer complimentary exercise programs on-demand. Even a 30-minute video will get your heart pumping and do your body good!

• Shovel the driveway. You can burn up to 500 calories from just an hour of shoveling. This handy calculator can help you figure out exactly how many calories you would burn by shoveling.

• Take a brisk walk around the neighborhood at twilight. Not only will you get your heart rate up but with all the pretty holiday decorations and twinkling lights, you won’t even notice you’re exercising! (more…)

With a new year comes a new onslaught of expenses. Here at CouponCabin.com, we pride ourselves in helping you save money as quickly and efficiently as possible. To help you plan your 2012 budget, we put together a list of the best times of the year to buy specific products. Make sure to check out our coupon codes before you buy for additional savings.

Here are a few of our tips on the best times of year to purchase certain items:

Gas grills and air conditioners – January: Seems like a weird time to buy either item, right? Well, that’s why you’ll save. The models may be last year’s editions when new ones come out in April and May, but they’re not likely to be much different. Pick up either one of these in the height of winter and you’ll be set come springtime. (more…)

It’s hard to believe that 12 months have passed since “Jersey Shore” star Snooki’s ball drop that kicked off 2011.

Sometimes it’s hard to get a crew together to celebrate New Year’s Eve because of all the hype surrounding the holiday. In the words of Ashton Kutcher in this season’s breakout hit “New Year’s Eve,” “New Year’s is the worst night of all to go out. People who don’t drink or party all year suddenly going all Kanye on you…” We understand his point but celebrating the past year and looking forward to what lies ahead is a tradition we can’t help but love.

Sitting on your couch sounds awfully tempting but celebrating the new year doesn’t have to be an expensive endeavor. Whether you’re spending a night out on the town or throwing a party for close friends, we’ve got the goods for you.

This Swingin Silver Party Assortment from Barnes & Noble has just about everything you need to throw a party: hats, party beads, tiaras and noise-makers. The best part? These can double as decorations! FINAL PRICE $117.82 + FREE SHIPPING.

Stock up on these New Year Sparkle Lunch Napkins from BuyCostumes. Since they aren’t made for a specific year, you can use them next year too! USE COUPON CODE MERRY30! FINAL PRICE $2.23.

These festive cups from Celebrate Express go perfectly with the napkins. Add a name tag to each cup so people can keep track and not be wasteful! FINAL PRICE $2.23. (more…)

It’s about that time to start thinking about and planning out our holiday meal.

In recent years, I’ve noticed a few things concerning our Christmas Day meal. The main thing is that my kids are too excited about their new toys to eat!

I typically cook a huge feast, only to have the kids sit, take two bites and disappear to play with their toys.

I always get up early to put in the ham and spend the day slaving over the sides much the same as I do on Thanksgiving. But, unlike Thanksgiving, the meal at Christmas is far from the main attraction and so it falls by the wayside untouched, especially when entertaining primarily wee ones.

So, during dinner the other night, I asked the kids if they would be opposed to a NEW tradition. I always do this gently because they are SO painfully tradition-based for the holidays, even more so than I am, and that’s really saying something! (more…)

Most of us can’t recall the fantasy pool scene from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation without “Mele kalikimaka is Hawaii’s way…“ coming to mind. While the “Merry Christmas” greeting varies around the world, there are dozens of American traditions that we look forward to each year.

It’s 2011 – time to kick the holiday up a notch with these creative twists on five holiday traditions: 

Tradition: Holiday greeting cards.
Modern twist: Snail mail is a welcome change from the tweets, texts and email we exchange every day. But, you can make your seasons greetings EVEN sweeter by sending a box of cookies to loved ones across the miles. Most online merchants include a gift message and handle the shipping! Williams Sonoma has Peppermint Bark Gift Tins and Mrs. Fields has $5 off its 60-piece assortment of bite-sized cookies and brownies – both perfect to set out for holiday gatherings or Santa Claus!

Tradition: Homemade gingerbread cookies.
Modern twist: Rolling and cutting gingerbread cookies can be a hassle, especially when you want to include young helpers.

Try this Mr. and Mrs. Gingerbread Cookie Mold instead – now $8 off at Kohls. Little ones can help you press cookie dough into the molds and adults helpers can apply all the finishing touches using this 13-piece Wilton cookie decorating set.

(more…)

Imagine this scenario: It’s the week before Christmas and you still have a few presents to buy. You hop in your car and head to the mall, where you search for parking for 45 minutes and get into no less than three arguments (verbal and non-verbal if you catch our drift) over parking spots. By the time you even get into the mall, you’re already annoyed and you haven’t even started shopping yet.

As you walk around the mall, you start sweating in your giant puffy winter coat despite it being only 20 degrees outside. Kids are running around screaming, Christmas music is blasting in your ears and the smell of Mrs. Fields Cookies is driving you insane. By the end of your shopping trip, you’re tired, hungry, your feet hurt and you “accidentally” spent $250 on yourself. And this is supposed to be the “most wonderful time of the year”? Hardly.

Now, let’s take a step back. How could this disastrous day have been avoided? By shopping online with coupons. You can avoid the crowds, shop in your PJs and plan out your purchases in advance so you aren’t tempted to buy things you don’t need. Plus, tomorrow is Free Shipping Friday, when hundreds of stores offer free shipping.