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.

Getting gifts are exciting...tearing into the wrapping paper, unveiling the contents...but sometimes a gift is just not right for the recipient. What if you got a sweater in a color you never wear or jacket that just doesn't fit? And what if there is no gift reciept and you just can't return it to the store?

This raises a very good question: Do you regift?

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!

Online shopping is just so convenient! We can buy gifts for the kids, stuff for the house...all without leaving the comfort of our homes. And we can even do it in our PJs! Plus, you can often get better deals online than if you went to the store yourself. It's almost like online shopping was invented for busy moms!

But with this convenience comes concern. That's why I talked to Hillary Mendhelson, MSN's Online Shopping Expert and founder and President of thepurplebook: The Definitive Guide to Exceptional Online Shopping. 

Here are her useful tips and tricks on how to make sure your transactions are secure and best of all, how to save money!

Stocking stuffers, grab bag gifts, little somethings... All this week, I'll be featuring two mini gifts a day that add up to 10 stocking stuffers under $10!

Photo by Anne Taintor

Purse Size Emery Boards

Why I Love It: With retro prints and cheeky sayings like "...and best of all is the matching thong" and "guess where I'm tattooed" these nail files are super sharp.

Get It: Anne Taintor, $6

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!

You can find great gifts with a great price tag! And I have to be honest...I'm trying my hardest not to buy these things for myself. But I've got some friends and family in mind for these items that are sure to match the people on your list, too.

Shopping...either you love it or you hate it. But even those of us who love it, shopping during this time of year can bring out the worst in people. There is a lively conversation going on in the private group Stay At Home Moms where one CafeMom asks, "What gets on your nerves the most when you go shopping?"

With the holidays comes parties, but who wants to spend a lot of cash on different outfits for every occasion? Not me. You can update any look -- even jeans and a simple black tee -- with these sparkly ideas. And they won't break the bank!