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Choose Your Container

Almost anything can be used for container gardening but some perform better than others. You can grow lettuce in shallow baking pans, tomatoes in bushel baskets or large pots. Glazed ceramic pots are nice but not necessary. Just be careful that you don’t choose a container that previously held toxic substances.

Tip: Make sure it will hold a fully grown plant.

Must Read: The lazy girl’s guide to spring cleaning.

Where Do I put It?

In general, plan for five hours of sunlight. Some need more, some less but it’s a good place to start. The beauty of container gardening is that you can place it anywhere and you can move it if you need to.

Tip: Heavier containers placed on rolling trollies provide the most convenience in case of bad weather.

The Soil

Did you know there are two types of soil available for container gardening? Garden centers sell a soil-less mix especially for small space gardening. It holds moisture and nutrients better than natural soils and also is weed and bacteria free. Soils from your yard isn’t usually used because it’s too heavy.

When You’re Done With Your Garden, Kick Back & Listen To This Playlist!

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Click here for more tips.

5 ways to spring forward in your home.

Spring is the time of rebirth and rejuvenation, and what better time is there to extend this theme to your home? To help you celebrate spring’s arrival, here are some tips to lighten and brighten your home.

Rearrange The Furniture

Pull your furniture away from the walls. A sofa arranged diagonally across a narrow living room will make the room look wider.

Paint

It’s cheap, you can do the job yourself, and it creates a instant change. Try a color you’ve never tried before — kiwi green or a pale violet — something you’ve always wanted to try. A couple of gallons of paint is a very inexpensive experiment.

Learn how to decorate with throw pillows.

Accessories

When you have a neutral palate to work with, you can change the way your room looks just by replacing a few basic items.  For a quick change,  you can add sheer curtains, flowered pillows, and add some fresh flowers.

Bring In Plants

Greenery always adds a breath of fresh air to a room. If you don’t have a green thumb, try silk plants and trees. The quality has gotten so good that its hard to distinguish them from the real thing.

Lay An Area Rug

An area rug is a wonderful way of defining a conversation area. Lay it at an angle under your coffee table or ottoman.

Click here to find out how to maintain an organized living room.

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5 ways to enhance an entryway

The bathroom should be regularly cleaned if only to keep germs under control. There are some cleaning chores that can be done on a somewhat longer schedule than the weekly cleaning.

1. Take a look under the bathroom sink and you probably see a good collection of half used personal hygiene products. Go through each and every one of them and decide if they’re worth keeping. Some products like medicated shampoos and possibly suntan lotions are good to keep handy. That green strawberry mint flavored shampoo that promised that men would go wild but only gave you a rash could probably be tossed into the garbage.

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2. Take a look at how you store all the paper goods to the bathroom. Are they organized and easily snagged when needed? If not, maybe it’s time to give those boxes of facial tissue and rolls of toilet paper, a place of their own.

3. Next up are the washcloths and towels. If you’re like most of us, we tend never to discard old towels. We end up with a pile of towels and actually only use the first one or two. If this sounds like you, take stock in how many towels and face cloths you actually need and send the rest to the rag box.

How to clean grout.

4. If your cabinet has drawers, they’re probably filled with miscellaneous hair decorations, bands, pins etc. Go through them and anything not used in the last 2 years should be thrown out.

5. Vacuum the inside of the vanity cabinet and drawers to remove hair and lose dirt. Heck, give them a good cleaning by getting one of those old washcloths damp with clear water.

Click here for more tips.

Don’t flush away all your toiletries, here are some new ways to use things that are always in your medicine cabinet.

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Here are some cheap ways to upgrade your bedroom from apartmenttherapy.com:

1. Think about a night table for each side of the bed and keep them clutter free.

2. Keep the room clean. An air purifier makes this job easier.

3. Make the bed as soon as you get up. This alone can transform the bedroom. You might have to rethink your bedding so this is possible. We use a fitted sheet and a duvet with a cover. A few quick shakes and we’re done.

6 quick tips on how to make a bed.

4. Buy flowers weekly. We’ve sometimes gone with a plant or a bowl of fresh lemons, oranges or apples.

5. Keep storage under the bed to a minimum. We’d love to keep this space clear but if we have to use it, we keep it clean and neat.

6. Air out the pillows monthly and change the sheets weekly.

7. Think about moving the tv out of the bedroom. We were surprised at how much better we sleep. Instead we read, write or listen to music.

Get more tips here.

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Here are some of our faves at every price point:

Lady-Like Jackets

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OPI Releasing 5 New “Shatter” Nail Polish Colors (Designed By Serena Williams)

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It is that time of the year when it could be at our advantage to not only do a Spring Cleaning of our homes, but a cleansing mentally, physically, and spiritually as well. What better time of the year to get things in order overall, and leave more room to simply enjoy what the summer time brings?

Physical Cleaning: I am sure that being physically in shape is a top priority for most before we hit that time of the year when people are walking around wearing as little clothes as possible. While losing weight might be at the top of the priority list, making sure we are healthy should be as well. We are leaving a season filled with holidays, big family meals, and limited amount of exercise because everyone is trapped indoors. The Spring is the perfect time to cleanse inside and out. While there are many methods, I thought I would share a few that have helped myself and people that I know.

Exercise:

1. Playing Wii: Wii now has work-out games that are tons of fun and really can get you into shape. Also, playing some of the other sport games can get your muscles working as well.

2. Dancing: sign up today for a hip-hop dance class or salsa lessons. Dancing is a fun alternative to normal workouts at the gym. It can be great cardio!

3. Bike Riding. Riding a bike can burn a lot of calories, but also allow you to enjoy the nice scenery in your neighborhood and the fresh air.

4. Bikram Yoga: It has been proven to work every part of the body.

Diet:

1. Drink lots of water: 8 glasses of 8 ounces of water is the recommended amount of water. I say push it a little further and have a gallon of water a day.

2. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. (Raw is the best way)

3. Weight watchers: it really helps with portion control and just getting an idea of what you are putting into your body.

4. Cook more instead of going out to eat at restaurants and fast-food establishments.

5. Incorporate “Super Foods” into every meal. Spinach here, Avocados there…

6. The Master Cleanse: A great way to detox!

7. Daniel Diet: a great way to cut out “fatty” food items for a selected amount of time. This diet will also help you become more conscious about what you are eating.

8. Don’t eat after 9pm: you should all be familiar with this rule, but sometimes you need a reminder that after 9pm it is harder to digest food.

9. Cut out carbohydrates, sugar, and white flour

10. Cut out red meat

Mental and Spiritual Cleaning: April Showers bring May Flowers. It is time to water yourself mentally and spiritually. It is very important that you take time to relieve stress, clear your mind, and become more focused. For many of us the winter season can be a “heavy” season. Use the spring time to cleanse and release everything just in time for the summer. Below are a few methods that might help in cleansing mentally and spiritually.

1. Writing in your journal: take time to clear your mind by writing all of your crowded thoughts onto paper. Often we don’t take the time to release what is on our mind. Writing in a journal is the perfect way to do so!

2. Listening to soft music throughout the day. When you listen to music such as classical, jazz, or gospel, it puts you into a relaxing state of mind. This is a great relaxing method that can be done on your way to work or while taking a run in the park.

3. Deep breaths when you wake up and before you go to sleep.

4. Working and playing with a Rubix cube. It really gets your brain working!

5. Taking breaks from technology. We spend so much time logged into our email accounts, reading blogs, and adding pictures on Facebook that we never take time to be alone with ourselves. We also miss out on enjoying what is physically in front of us.

6. Meditation: taking time to be alone with your thoughts. There are many forms of meditation and you should do the one that benefits your needs the most.

7. Prayer: for those that are religious or spiritual, add prayer time during the morning and evening. What better way to start and end your day?

8. Reading Daily Scriptures or motivational quotes of the day: Great way to start your day and get your brain focused on something positive.

9. Fasting: this helps with discipline, goal setting, and cleansing. This can be one of the biggest cleansing processes for you physically and mentally.

10.Affirmations: Writing and saying affirmations is a great way to get your confidence up!

11. Here is a fun one! I recently put up a hammock in my bedroom. It is the most relaxing addition to my home. The swinging can be very soothing.

You can try some of the methods above, or you can come up with your own methods. The point is to do some type of “Spring Cleaning” regardless of how you do it. Look at this time as the season of “out with the old, in with the new”. Use this time to become a better “you”. Clean space, clean body, clean mind!

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When the rain and snow finally stop and the sun comes out, we all need to trade in the long, heavy, leather boots, for something to show off our legs, hidden for so many months under layer upon layer of clothing. The lightweight bootie is the perfect solution, for the transition from cold, dark days to sunny skies and warm days.

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This Spring, the canvas shoe is set to be extremely popular, as is the lace up, and flat military style ankle boots. The peep toe boot, around for a few seasons and still as popular as ever and perfect for the transition from the harsh winter weather.

Browse our gallery of affordable Spring booties, and look forward to warm weather!

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AHHHH….you’re engaged. You’ve got the ring, the latest wedding magazines and a wedding planning organizer. You’re ready. Now, it’s time to select your wedding colors. What do you choose? Different shades of ivory? Your sorority colors? Your college school colors? A pastel with a silver or gold color to compliment it?

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The great thing about wedding colors is that you can choose anything! Your colors can be inspired by your home, your wardrobe or a pillow you saw at the mall. Also, the days of picking one color with an accent color are long gone. Feel free to select bold, vibrant colors. And you don’t have to limit yourself to two colors. Select three, or even four!

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So, how do you narrow down your colors? I like to encourage my brides to visit their local home improvement or paint store to start collecting paint chips. Grab everything that catches your eye. Take those chips home and live with them for a few days, maybe even a few weeks. Play around with different combinations and eliminate chips when you grow tired of looking at them.

CONTINUE READING

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Most of us take advantage of the warm weather at the beginning of spring to air out the house and tackle some of the larger jobs we’ve been putting off around the home. Now is a good time to get the job done and give the house a cleaning for the activities of summer.1) Declutter.

Clear all surfaces and remove towels and bathmats. Roundup all bathroom paraphernalia – toothbrushes, soaps, shampoos etc and place in a single container. Clean the tub, shower, sink and toilet.

2) Ceilings, Walls and Exhaust Fans. Wipe down your walls and tiles. Clean tiles and grout with an eco–friendly product.

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3) Windows and Blinds. Wash windows with window cleaner or vinegar, then dry immediately with newspaper. Wipe over blinds with a duster.

4) Clean and Organize Medicine Cabinet. Remove everything from your medicine cabinet. Check dates on cosmetics and medical products. Get rid of any items that are empty or have not been used recently. Wipe out all shelves and drawers.

Replace all towels and hand towels with fresh ones.

How To Clean Grout

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FROM GLAMOUR: Want to stand out in a sea of LBDs? Eva, Cassie, and Adrienne already have. Get their playfully sexy vibe for yourself with these look-at-me dresses in the sunniest of shades. SEE MORE HERE!

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Zoe Saldana Shows Off Spring’s Latest Trend: Florals

Necklaces are everywhere this spring. Update your Spring wardrobe with some of the following:

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Zoe Saldana Shows Off Spring’s Latest Trend: Florals

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Give your summer wardrobe a little punch with these statement-making bangles and bracelets. Cuff Love

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Get “Strapped” For Spring

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Always a spring favorite, nautical-inspired clothes are making waves this season. Look for striped sailor tops, rope details and anchor touches – with a modern twist. Here are some of our favorite pieces:

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Zoe Saldana Shows Off Spring Latest Trends: Florals

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TIPS:
1. If you’re a little “print-shy,” try an abstract floral. It lets you hit the trend without feeling too “done up.” You can also throw in some solids to tone down the effect. Maybe throw on a cardigan?

2. Today’s dress trends—one-shoulder, mini, strapless—may be revealing, but punchy blooms are your ticket to trying them. A big-print design has lots to look at, so bare areas are simply part of an overall sexiness, not the only focal point!

3. This season, you’ll find flowers in deliciously saturated brights (pinks, oranges, greens). But how can you make playful colors seem sophisticate? Stick to a single-color palette.

4. Special occasion? Some dresses are loaded with all-eyes-on-you features: a juicy color, sexy strapless cut, glittery embellishment, etc. Decide on your own daring factor and choose a frock with all these features or just one or two.

5. By wearing a few blooms on white instead of an allover print, you’ll look crisp and summery; florals sprinkled on black or dark blue can take you through summer and into fall.

Here are our top five picks for a gorgeous spring mani/pedi:

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The box office has Avatar and its Na’vi tribe; Broadway, Fela!, the musical celebrating Nigerian musician Fela Kuti; and fashion, a continent’s worth of colorful patterns, rafia weaves, and wooden beads.

For spring, the message is loud and clear: Hakuna matata. SEE MORE HERE!

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Did the long winter leave you in a funk? Pull out your sandals, grab an iced coffee, and celebrate these timeless ways spring makes us naturally happy.

Flowers on your desk

They can be the $4 carnations you can buy at the gas station, but bringing a little bit of the natural world into your windowless office can really brighten up the joint. It never hurts to remind yourself there’s more to life than spreadsheets.

The natural glow from running outdoors.

Sure, you can get a great glow from pounding on the treadmill, but most of us are pretty excited to take our jog to the park when the weather heats up. There’s just something so invigorating (dare we say, life affirming?) about exercising outdoors. And having so many cherry blossoms to ooh and ahh over definitely makes the time fly.

Spring vegetables

The new cast of characters in the produce aisle is a total kick in the culinary pants. Never fear if you can’t get excited about one more head of broccoli. Now we’ve got artichokes, radishes, fava beans, asparagus, ramps, and sugar snap peas to contend with!

A fresh pedicure

Nothing says “I’m ready for sandals!” like a like hot pink toes. Get DIY and do the deed at home, or treat yourself to the first pedicure of the spring season (upkeep will be easier if someone does the hard work at the outset).

GET MORE HERE

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How to get healthy & beautiful nails

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The 6 Best Spring Makeup Colors

READ THE REST HERE!

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GALLERY: Zac Posen For Target, The Complete Collection

The 6 Best Spring Makeup Colors

Spring Trend: Metallic & Fringe Bags

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Spring Trend: Metallic & Fringe Bags

Khaki Eye Shadow
Livelier than brown, khaki shadow is one of the easiest colors to wear. To keep it fresh, Page likes a shimmery powder—”a matte khaki can look muddy,” he says—brushed on lids to above the creases (make sure to blend the edges well). For a smoky evening look, sweep a little along your bottom lash line, too.
1. Chanel Soft Touch Eyeshadow in Khaki, $28.50
2. Maybelline New York Eye Studio Eyeshadow in Khaki Craze, $5.94

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Pink Cheeks and Lips
There’s no reason to be intimidated by hot pink. When you choose the right texture, it’s actually quite flattering. For blush, pick a shimmer-free formula in “a strong, almost fuchsia color,” says Page, and dust it on the apples of your cheeks for that you-know-what type of glow. For lips, choose a sheer, luminous gloss so the color isn’t too heavy. And if you really want to stand out, wear bright pink on both cheeks and lips.
1. Smashbox Blush Rush in Radiance, $24
2. Cover Girl ShineBlast Lip Gloss in Radiate, $8.49

READ THE REST HERE!

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1)  Juicy Couture Luxe Crocodile-Embossed Metallic Leather Clutch $128 at bloomingdales.com

2) Rebecca Minkoff ‘Fringe Darling’ Hobo $495 at nordstrom.com

3)  Kate Spade Yuma Ida Tote, $255 at endless.com

4)  Melie Bianco Shoulder Bag at endless.com

5) BIG BUDDHA Soho Shoulder $66.15 at endless.com

6) Melinda Metallic Shopper $89 at ninewest.com

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Spring Checklist: Beauty Must Haves

With the seasons changing, you may feel like your dinner, just like your outerwear, needs a bit of adjustment. Here are some simple ways to embrace the freshness of spring on your plate.

Start by eating clean

Spend a day or two eating as cleanly as possible: fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. For the time being, cut out dairy, animal products, sugar, white flour, and if you’re strong-willed, caffeine. A seasonal bout of clean eating can feel like pressing reset on your system.

Clean up your plate

Adjust the foods you’re eating to match the new lightness in the air. Cheesy casseroles taste just right in the dog days of winter, but with buds on the trees and crocuses popping up, lighter fare is in order. Fill half your plate with vegetables, one quarter with complex carbohydrates, one quarter with lean protein.

Make checkups part of your health care plan

Embrace beans

As for that lean protein, give beans a whirl. Eating legumes in place of beef, chicken or pork is a great way to get the cost of your grocery bill down. Check out these bean recipes for dinner ideas.

Add more color

You know when you’ve been wearing the same black turtleneck for months and you make a trip to the mall for some new running sneaks and the spring selections in the department stores sweep you away on a river of color? Florals and brights fill you with the vigor of the season, and the same is true for your dinner. Make your plate like those window dressings and load up on every color in the rainbow: red peppers, carrots, baby artichokes, and dark green spinach are just a start. Aim for two or three different vegetable colors on your plate at every meal.

READ MORE HERE

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Visualize your way to losing weight

When the spirit of spring takes hold, we find ourselves wanting to clear the clutter from every area of our lives. We don’t just long to dump the junk from our closets and dust the corners that were barely noticeable in the dark days of winter; we want to streamline our lives in more meaningful ways, too. Shasta Nelson of GirlFriendCircles shares tips on how to strengthen our existing friendships and cast off the ones that aren’t working anymore.

When we’re crazy busy but still want to maintain the friendships that we treasure, first thing’s first: how can we keep those relationships that we treasure going strong?

Consistency is key. Instead of the scheduling emails that can go back-and-forth for a week (“I can’t do Tuesday but are you free for Wednesday lunch? How ’bout two weeks from next Thursday?”), set one regular date and stick to it. Nelson suggests making a standing date for brunch the third Saturday of the month, or cheap manis every other week.

3 signs your friendship is a healthy one

Get deep. Our friendships sustain us not when the conversation skims the surface of boyfriend updates and work woes, but when we feel like we’re connecting with someone in a meaningful way, being heard and understood. If you can’t talk about the meaning of life face-to-face without feeling like you’re in Philosophy 101, turn it into an email exchange, suggests Nelson. “Email each other a question to answer like what are three things you wish you had more of in your life, what is one of your favorite childhood memories, or what is one thing about your life that surprises you right now?”

And what about those toxic friendships? You know the ones. Either you have a friend who has turned terminally negative, doesn’t support your dreams and endeavors, who frequently breaks plans or causes you more stress than joy. Sometimes a real friend can practically turn into a frenemy. How can we spring clean those relationships without guilt?

READ MORE HERE

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5 friends you should have on the job

With the days and weeks moving faster than ever, now’s the time to get a jump on a seasonal closet clear out. It’s really the best way to make the most of what you’ve got from spring and summer seasons past. No need to dread: here’s four easy steps you can do anytime in the next month.

Step One: Leaving all your winter things as is, divide all of your seasonal (spring + summer) and season-less (everyday tanks, tees, jeans) clothes, shoes, bags and accessories into three piles: 1. wearable pieces, which go back in the closet; 2. good items in need of some TLC (dry-cleaning, a new button, a bag with broken zipper, etc.); and 3. the ugly things that are no longer flattering which can be swapped with girlfriends, given to charity or sold on Craigs List or to a consignment shop.

Side note: this month is the best time to sell your gently worn spring and summer pieces and make some cash to replenish your closet.

Step Two: Only put the wearable items back, this time storing your spring and summer wardrobe separately from your current winter pieces. It makes it much easier to see what you have as of now – and where you can possibly fill in. You should have two piles left.

READ MORE HERE

Top 5 Spring Must-Haves

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Get underwear ready for spring with Honeydew intimates

Now that Spring is here (we think), it’s time to fantasize about a bag we wish we could afford for the warm months ahead.  This lush, oversized rose sculpted bag from Valentino is sure to make a statement and the neutral shade is perfect to pair with your floral dresses this season.

The bag is not available as yet, but you can pre-order for $1,595.00 at Nordstrom.com.

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FANTASY FRIDAY: Vela Bathroom Collection

(From shape.com)

It’s that time of year again—the snow’s melting, the sun’s shining and those thick sweaters in the closet are about to get stored back under the bed. So what better way to get motivated than ditching your gym routine for a workout program with outdoor exercises?Kick off spring with a healthy start by getting the right gear, revamping your routine and doing some “spring cleaning” in your pantry. Here are 20 tips to get you started.

Spring Training Fitness Tip: Book a physical.

Believe it or not, only about 20 percent of Americans get an annual check-up. Be one of them! While you might look and feel just fine (or really hate needles), it’s important to keep tabs on things like blood pressure, cholesterol and vitamin deficiencies before designing your workout program.

Spring Training Fitness Tip: Set a schedule…but be realistic.

If you haven’t been working out much this winter, don’t write down that you’ll do outdoor cardio exercises for 30 minutes a day, six days a week. You’ll only find yourself getting frustrated and will be more likely to give up on your workout program. Post your exercise plan in places you’ll look frequently, such as on the fridge and at your desk at work. Better yet, download iPhone apps like BodyBook and FitSync.

What’s really keeping you from working out?

Spring Training Fitness Tip: Team up.

You’re more likely to stick with your plan if you’ve got a partner in crime. Choose someone who has similar goals who’s schedule fits with your own. Your best bet: Get together at the same time four days a week, whether it’s before work or just before dinner.

Spring Training Fitness Tip: Buy new running shoes.

If you’ve been hitting the gym (and the treadmill) all winter, chances are, you’re due for a new pair. Most running shoes last somewhere between 300 and 400 miles—but if you use them to walk around or do other parts of your gym routine, that wear and tear counts, too. Go to a running specialty store to get fitted, and have them look at your gate/pronation to find the best shoe for you.

GET MORE TIPS HERE

5 shortcuts to killer abs

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