Productopia

Pop-up stores are the new "it" way to get your holiday shopping done. One day you've got a vacant storefront, and the next a trendy, local shopping destination. According to Christina Norsig, founder of PopUpInsider and author of Pop-Up Retail; How You Can Master This Global Marketing Phenomenon, the pop-up trend evolved from the perfect storm of economic changes in real estate and the retail industry along with changing consumer demands.

"Today's consumer is always hungry for something new ... pop ups serve that demand like no other format before them," she explains in her book. Here are a few pop-ups that'll help you support your local community as you hunt down your holiday gifts no matter where you are in the U.S. Read more

If you need to ship gifts across the country this holiday season, we're here to help you find the best options. We checked out the major shipping companies to compare their shipping rates, delivery options and hours of operation on holidays.

Delivery time and destination may determine which carrier you choose. To give you a general rule of thumb, we plugged in some sample data to see which carrier is offering the best rate for a 10 pound package being sent from New York to California in mid-December. Read more

Exercisers with joint injuries often flock toward the low-impact workout of an elliptical trainer. Because your feet never come off the elliptical's pedals, you can run as fast as you want without having to endure the usual impact with every footfall. But as Dr. Mi`chele S. Olson, an exercise physiologist with the American College of Sports Medicine, explains, the pedal-based workout can also contribute to what some have dubbed "numb foot" or "sleepy-foot syndrome."

"The constant pressure on the foot can compress both the nerves serving the muscles in the feet as well as the blood vessels that supply oxygen-fresh blood to the foot muscles," she explained in an email interview. Dr. Olson also warned that wearing too-tight shoes, or shoes with a lot of wear and little padding, can increase your likelihood of numb feet during an elliptical trainer workout.

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Christmas is just a few weeks away and unfortunately, there are so many artificial trees on the market that it's impossible to find any sort of reviewer consensus on what the best artificial Christmas tree may be. However, there's plenty of information out there to make buying an artificial tree easier, and we've compiled several tips on what to look for.

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