Got a great arm workout sanding my window sills this weekend. When you can’t do traditional exercise, household DIY projects are a great way to stay active and workout.

My knee is officially on the fritz. Sore, swollen and painful on stairs, that tells me it’s time to take it easy on the workout front.  Frustrated by the lack of walks, runs or spin classes (oh my!), what’s a girl to do to stay active while resting a bum knee?

I’m proud to announce that I no longer watch HGTV endlessly. I’ve discovered my inner Nicole Curtis, and making a list of DIY projects to do around the house.

First project on my list — the ugly master bedroom.

This week it gets a facelift with a fresh coat of paint. I spent the weekend washing walls, cleaning the carpet, sanding the window sills, working my blue tape magic, moving furniture and priming the walls.

I have my color scheme picked out and buy my paint tomorrow. Today I’m on the hunt for new curtains to hang, color-coordinated bedding, decorative shelves and nightstands (that I can refinish), and knickknacks.

Once I finish the bedroom, I can then move on to revamping my home office by converting it into an office/craft room. That will take some planning, but I’m already looking at shelving ideas to steal and build myself.

From there I hit the downstairs powder room — new toilet, new lighting, storage, sink/vanity and flooring.

If my knee isn’t healed by then, the kitchen is next (if the hubby doesn’t stop me).

Insane? Yep, but I gotta do something while resting my knee. These little (and not so little) DIY projects won’t help me lose weight. But my low carb diet is about a lifestyle change. And a big part of that change is getting my butt off the cough and becoming more active. To me working out is only part of being active.