FitSugar

Winterize Your Running: Studded Sneakers

FitSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:30:00 PST

Icy roads and sidewalks are the Winter runner's nemesis. Slick surfaces translate into slips and falls, which can lead to injuries, so you need sneakers with added traction for slippery situations. Runner's World has created a cool and cheap solution: Screw Shoes. The concept is similar to studded tires for your car; the screws create little ice picks on the bottom of your running shoes. Check out the January issue of the mag, flip to page 50, and marathoner Matt Carpenter will explain how you can transform your favorite trail runners into studded sneakers in minutes with a few sheet metal screws.

Would any of you ever try making these studded sneaks?

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You're Fired! 20 Signs That a Pink Slip Is Coming

Wise Bread — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:54:53 PDT

If something feels off at the office, you may want to brace yourself for the worst. Wise Bread shares signs to look for when a pink slip is coming.

There are two types of employees. One has a good idea of what they do, who they are, and what position they play in the company. They are savvy. They know the score. They are under no delusions, and will no doubt leave for another job long before they are ever considered as cannon-fodder.

And then there's the other kind. The guy who could get Gandhi to hate him. The woman who spends most of her day chatting on the phone to friends or doing online shopping. Or the nice chap in sales who is completely oblivious that the recent merger means his job is now obsolete. They all have Ostrich Syndrome. They couldn't see a pink slip coming if it was 8ft tall and glowing in the dark, screaming "you're fired!"

You want to avoid being in that second category at all costs. So I've compiled a handy list. If you can answer yes to THREE or more of these questions, you may want to think about sprucing up your résumé and dry-cleaning your best interview attire.

1. Are you no longer in the loop about, well, anything?

This is a huge telltale sign. Suddenly you're finding out about company news from the cleaning lady or the new girl in accounting. If you were formally in the know about all things business related, but now suffer from "the company's doing what??!" disease, the writing is probably on the wall.

2. Did you recently screw up big-time?

We're not talking a minor faux pas here. Did you lose money on an account that was previously bulletproof? Oh dear. Were you caught having sex on the boss's desk with the boss's spouse? That's probably not a career-enhancing move. Unless you're a real dope, you know if you have screwed up. And if you know, HR knows. It may not be the final nail in your coffin, but it's a nail in the coffin nonetheless.

3. Are people avoiding you at all costs?

Eye contact is difficult to make with someone if you know his or her head's on the chopping block. Small talk is just as tough. It's best just to avoid that person altogether. So if people are no longer doing that fun "stop 'n' chat" in the hall, or the coffee room empties when you arrive, then guess what . . . you may be a marked man or woman.

Read on for more.

21 Disposable Products You Can Reuse

Wise Bread — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:00:39 PDT

Even when the product is supposedly "disposable," you can always reuse it. Wise Bread shares awesome ways to reuse these 21 disposable products.

It’s said that we live in a disposable society. But the word "disposable" is a misnomer. Disposable is considered throwaway, something you use once and dump, regardless of the life that may be left in it. As a frugal shopper with a concern for the state of our environment, I think that just won’t do.

I often reuse many so-called “onetime-use” items, and I asked friends, family, and colleagues to tell me which disposable items they squeeze more life from. Here’s my list, including some of the surprising ideas I was given.

RELATED: 25 Things to Throw Out Today

1. Butter Wrappers

If you’re like most people, you unwrap your butter, pop the stick into your handy holder, and throw the wrapper away. But wait a second - instead of trashing the wrappers, keep them in a sandwich bag. The next time you need to grease a baking tray or dish, you’ve got something all ready to go.

Read on for more.

An OnSugar Blogger Gets Ready For a Family Trip to Yosemite

OnSugar Blog — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 02:29:36 PDT

How did you spend your long weekend? OnSugar blogger houseofanais spent it hiking in Yosemite - with two-year-old twins, no less! She shares how she prepped for her hike.

I recently was asked to test Lifefactory's ecological water bottle made out of glass and covered by a cute silicone sleeve (many people might know this brand better for their glass bottles for feeding babies). I was really excited since so many celebrities such as Jessica Alba and Reese Witherspoon have been spotted using this bottle out and about in LA. Obviously it was heavier than a plastic bottle, but not much more than a metal one. What was great about it, is the fact that glass keeps the water tasting good all day long - unlike plastic bottles. So far I have been very happy with the bottle, but the big test is going to be this weekend when the family hits Yosemite and weather might soar to 100 degrees.