When my husband and I first lived together, we realized we had one very different belief -- he washed new clothes before wearing and me...well, I didn't. I actually have a fear of washing certain clothes in the machine...of course I do it, but you know how you buy a sweater and it fits great, but then after washing it's all messed up? I'm a big fan of hand washing, but when I buy something new I just want to wear it...not find time to hand wash and line dry.

I'm not alone here, right?

Is one of your New Year's resolutions to lose some weight? It's one of the most popular promises made each January and Cafe Kristen has some excelled tips to help over at Healthy Living Buzz.

In case you want to slim down a size to fit into a fancy dress now (like the one shown here), I found a place that has clothes with built-in shapewear.

OK, my friend Melody (seen at right) couldn't look ugly if she tried. But here she was trying with her $2 sweater she bought at a Goodwill in Oklahoma. You can't see from this photo, but it has mini bells on it...and yes, they jingled! She wore it as a dress with a Santa-like belt to a holiday-themed ugly sweater party.

Here on CafeMom, there was a lot of buzz about ugly sweaters....

What are you doing for New Year's Eve? I'll admit that it's my least favorite night of the year to go out. I live in NYC and it gets too crazy and crowded, so I prefer a quiet evening at home watching the ball drop on TV. In years past, I've had a couple of friends over or kept it mellow at small gatherings.

Whether you're planning on hitting the town or are tucking the kids in at normal bedtime (or letting them stay up to watch the ball fall, too), you can still ring in the New Year with some beauty and style! I've rounded up some goodies featured in Beauty & Style Buzz perfect for the occasion.

I want a BeDazzler. It's one of those things I forget about, but then I see an ad for it and I think...I want one!

For $19.95 you can get this machine with 100 rhinestones, 150 studs, and a mini BeDazzler.

Oooh the thought of being able to make lots of things sparkly sounds really neat.

I live in my jeans. And so I've found ways to be creative and dress up denim. From a fancy silk top to a plain old tee, you can fancy up any pair of jeans.

Thrifting, second-hand shopping, a trip to Sally's (Salvation Army) -- no matter what you call it, buying used clothing is not only economical, but you can often find one-of-a-kind items. I had previously written about how to shop vintage and thrift stores with advice on keeping an open mind while shopping and how you can often score great jewelry. Cafe Sheri, who shares my love of thrifting, stumbled across this great article on Embracing the Thrift-Store Ethic from GetRichSlowly.org. Here are 10 of their best tips!

Ever notice that a lot of times it's the kids who are all dolled up for holiday gatherings while parents are lucky if they even have on matching socks? Is it that we spend all our time getting the little ones ready, but have no time for ourselves?

Target's GO International line is set to debut Thakoon Panichgul's collection on December 28th. I'm super excited! Thakoon makes feminine yet sporty looks and Demi Moore and Sarah Jessica Parker are big fans.

I'm so happy he decided to design a line that's affordable at Target! The prints are fun, but not too bold. There are dresses, tops, shorts, and funky coats.

My only complaint is that I wish it was available now so I can shop the line for the holidays! I really love the colors of the dress seen here.

Are you excited about Thakoon for Target?

Click through for some more photos from the line!

What do you do with clothes that have been stained beyond repair? Sometimes I turn them turn into cleaning rags. But what if it was your favorite shirt. Or worse -- your child's favorite outfit? Everything -- from spit up to grass and food stains -- can be covered up with an applique. And you can even have some fun when doing it.

Just ask CafeMom LaylaBeth. Let's call her Applique-Mommy...and she's tackled her daughter's stained clothes and is going to get started on some of her own.