( Real Simple ) -- Here are five great ways to enjoy your summer . Lazing in a hammock is one of the best ways to spend a summer evening . Best way to cut jeans into shorts -- What better way to declare the start of summer ? The key to cutting off jeans is not to go too short too soon . Slip on the jeans and mark the desired length on one leg with chalk . `` Take them off , fold the leg at the mark , and iron the fold , '' says Caroline Calvin , creative director of Levi 's . `` Then cut just under the crease with fabric scissors . Lay the short jean leg on top of the other side and cut to evenly match . '' Repeat as needed to get the length you want . Ninety-degree days ? Bring 'em on ! The best way to catch fireflies -- How ? With womanly wiles : `` Fireflies blink to attract a mate , '' explains naturalist Lynn Havsall , director of programs at the George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History , in Bar Harbor , Maine . `` Males fly around while females sit in trees , in shrubs , or on the ground . So find a female and watch her blinking pattern . Then imitate the pattern with a pen flashlight and the males will come to you . '' ] A plus : The bugs move slowly , so they 're easy to trap in a jar . Punch some holes in the lid and add a little grass and a piece of fruit for moisture . Admire your pretty night-lights till bedtime , then let them go . The best way to run on the beach -- Who needs a treadmill when you have miles of shoreline ? Running on the beach can get you into great shape . Take it from lifeguard Benjamin Guss , 25 , of Del Mar , California , who recently qualified to compete in this year 's Iron Man triathlon ( yes , that means swimming 2.4 miles , biking 112 miles , and then running a marathon -- consecutively ) in Kailua-Kona , Hawaii . Beware , shoeless Joes . If you choose to run barefoot , keep your workouts brief at first to allow tender soles to build up calluses . `` You can get blisters , even burns , from hot , soft sand , '' says Guss . `` I like to run barefoot , but for more than a couple miles , I wear shoes . '' Know your sand . `` In soft sand , one mile is like two , '' says Guss . You may work foot and leg muscles you do n't always use , so start slowly . And hard sand can be as tough on your legs as the road , so wear running sneakers . Pick the right time to run . `` My favorite time is in the evening , '' says Guss . `` The wind dies down , and the sand is n't that hot . '' To work harder , fill small bags with sand to use as hand weights . The best way to get in and out of a hammock -- Everyone looks good lazing in a hammock -- it 's getting in and out that 's tricky . To make it less so , try these tips from Penny Waugh , a buyer for http : //www.hammocks.com/ . • Position your backside toward the hammock 's center and tilt back until you reach a 45-degree angle , with the hammock parallel to your rear . • Gently sit back into the hammock and let it level out . • Swing your legs up and stretch them out . • Lie back . Loll . Sigh contentedly . For a graceful exit , sit upright and swing your legs off , anchoring your feet on the ground . Then push with your behind , gathering momentum to stand . `` It 's tricky , since there 's nothing to hold on to , '' says Waugh . `` But it 's good for the glutes . '' The best way to tie espadrilles -- Apply this lace-up logic from Meghan Cleary , author of `` The Perfect Fit : What Your Shoes Say About You . '' • Slide your foot fully into the shoe and plant it firmly on the floor . • Cross and tie the laces once behind the ankle , then bring them forward , cross and tie again , and continue up the leg , depending on how long the laces are . The calf is the maximum height -- any higher and you 'll look like a gladiator . • Each time you cross and tie , secure the laces slightly tighter than is comfortable , since they will loosen a bit when you walk . Just do n't cut off your circulation . • For a streamlined leg , make the final tie in the back . Create a more whimsical look by putting the final tie in front with a small bow . E-mail to a friend . Get a FREE TRIAL issue of Real Simple - CLICK HERE ! Copyright 2007 Time Inc. All rights reserved .
Real Simple tips that add up to great summer . Best way to catch fish , with easiest to catch . Tip on how not to look like a fool when eating espadrilles . There is a graceful way to get in and out of a hammock .