Blog Posts by Kaboodle.com

Even if your weight loss and bad habit-breaking resolutions don't last past January, there are a few promises you can make to yourself that are easy to keep that will help you-and your closet-look good all year! Here are five style resolutions worth sticking to:

Step Up Weekend Style
When our weekends are filled with running errands or lounging, it's hard to resist throwing on sweat pants and a baseball cap (not that there's anything wrong with that!). But taking a little extra time to select an outfit that makes you look put-together can do wonders for your confidence. A pair of jeans, a cute t-shirt and a fun necklace can really elevate a trip to the grocery store.

Adopt the Slogan: One Item In, One Item Out
If you commit to retiring something from your closet every time you buy a new garment, you will keep your closet from overflowing and think twice about spending money on stuff you don't need.

Donate What You Don't Wear
If that sexy sweater or flirty dress didn't see the light

Want to get the New Year off to an exciting start? Make 2010 the year of risk taking! Scary as it may be, taking risks can open up doors and change you for the better-that is, if you can accept that the consequences may not always work out the way you planned. Here are five impulses we say "go for:"

1. Risk a Fashion Faux Pas
If Lady Gaga (See her crazy outfits!) has taught us anything, it's that being weird, freaky, and totally daring when it comes to outfits can lead to major success. Sure, catchy dance music has helped propel her to fame, but even those who don't care for her music will remember her for her outrageous red carpet and on-stage appearances. While you may not want to rock an over-sized bow made of hair or dress up like Hello Kitty, you can spice up an outfit with a splash of sequins, crazy hair accessories, an animal-inspired fashion, or by donning any of items in our list of the freakiest fashion statements ever. Even if not every trend works for you, you'll turn

If you have neither the desire nor the dough to hit up a nightclub, private party, or restaurant this New Year's Eve, there are several fun alternatives to ushering in the New Year (and new decade). Here are five fun ways to welcome 2010. Bonus: They'll spare you the expense and the hangover.

Host a Scrapbooking Party
Say goodbye to 2009 properly by commemorating it via memory books. Invite your pals to gather their photos from throughout the year, and provide them with scrapbooking stickers and art-along with snacks and beverages-then put collages together as you reminisce.

Make It a Cleansing Eve
Don't just say you're going to exercise more and eat healthier next year-start now! Tell your girl friends to show up at your place with their yoga mats and fitness gear in tow. Follow along to one or more fitness videos and take breathers by sipping on smoothies and noshing on grilled salmon and veggies.


***See Elegant Entertaining Essentials***


Host a Midnight Breakfast Soiree
Host a

Women ingest an average of seven pounds of lipstick in their lifetime, according to a recent article in The Huffington Post. Gross, we know! But who's going to forgo a pretty pout in favor of a few vanity pounds? But don't swear off lipstick just yet, instead consider what kind of product you're putting on your lips and consequently in your stomach. Frosting your smile with Organic lipsticks may help ease the shock of this unappetizing news. Many beauty companies such as, Sephora, are showcasing such products with organic, natural, and less-controversial ingredients. Or, if you're going to eat it anyway, you might opt for lip glosses that actually taste good. In all honesty, seven pounds of weight-gain sprinkled over 60 years is hardly enough to immediately stop you from fitting into your skinny jeans.

The question is, is that glacially paced gain over the course of lifetime enough to stop you from rocking the your favorite shades?


More From Kaboodle:
Make-Up Your Pout
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Find out how to navigate the sticky situation that is returning unwanted gifts.

If you weren't busy telling everyone exactly what you wanted this holiday season, you may find yourself on the receiving end of a couple of gifts you'd rather not keep. No one wants to hurt anyone's feelings or get into a heated conversation with a sales associate at the store, so here are a few tried and true tricks to make the process of returning gifts as smooth as possible.

Research Return Policies
Check in with each store you need to return gifts to before you begin the process to learn their return parameters. You may have limited time (if any) to receive cash back before you may only opt for credit, or there may be a no-returns policy in place. Banana Republic, for example, will allow you to return for cash (or other method of payment) for only 30 days even if you bought the product yourself. After 30 days you will only receive a store credit-if they allow you to return at all. You may also want to

photo credit: Splash News

Chris Brown has been making expletive-filled complaints all day today via his Twitter account about "major stores" not stocking his CD and even says "the industry can kiss my..." The complaints come as a result of poor sales from his third album, "Graffiti," released four days ago. It seems that the R&B bad boy is still experiencing backlash from his abuse of estranged girlfriend, Rihanna.

Chris Brown and Rihanna have been at the center of controversy and debate all year long. Both released albums within the last month. Is it time to put the focus back on the music? Or do you think Chris' abusive actions will forever haunt his career?

Will you buy "Graffiti?" Or is your money going to artists with a more wholesome persona?

More From Kaboodle:
The Crazy Looks of Lady Gaga
Rihanna's Latest Fashion Statement
Get Celeb Style

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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

Whether you're pregnant or considering putting the proverbial bun in the oven, you can learn essential information about what you can expect from pregnancy by asking your mom five simple questions:

1. Did you get stretch marks?
Contrary to the myth that hydrating lotions and oils can prevent stretch marks, how your skin responds to the rapid stretching during pregnancy is largely genetic. If your mom has the lovely reminder of pregnancy in the form of stretch marks, chances are you will too. Still, a little pampering with luxurious body lotions never hurt an expanding belly.

2. Did you need to have a c-section?
One woman in our office (who is the author of The Real Deal Guide to Pregnancy) saw a link between her labor and her mom's experience giving birth. Both women never dilated past two centimeters and both ultimately required a cesarean. While we haven't learned of any hard evidence to suggest that if your mother had to have a c-section, you will too, discussing the experience of

Sure it's the thought that counts. But certain presents, like a six pack of ruffled granny panties, kooky gag gifts, or wonderfully tacky Christmas sweaters, can beg the question: "Couldn't you have thought a little bit harder?" No matter how much you wish your great aunt had taken a look at your wish list instead of giving you a used and yellowed pair of white gloves again, you should always practice present-receiving etiquette-even when the gift in question makes your jaw drop for all the wrong reasons. Here's how to gracefully accept a present you can't wait to exchange, re-gift, donate to charity, or chuck altogether.

Put on your best poker face. Chances are your loved one couldn't wait to see you beam when you open the present, so try not to render a look of disgust or disappointment. Instead, find the humor in the moment and the gift, which will hopefully generate a genuine smile, and say, "Thank you so much! Where did you get it!?" Then, make a mental note of the answer, then