There is something so tempting about New Year's resolutions, isn't there?  Even those of who know better are lured into promising that we'll stop drinking! and start excercising! and call our mothers EVERY DAY!  Yeah, right.  This year, instead of vowing to completely reform everything about yourself and your life, resolve to make some very small changes.  Because while it might seem like the only resolutions that really count are the big ones, little tweaks to your routine can add up to big results overall.  We have four suggestions to keep you looking and feeling beautiful in the new year; none of them is particularly time consuming or expensive, but all of them will leave you looking -- and feeling -- more beautiful.

This is the time of year when I start to obsess about Santa's big sack -- you know, the one he loads with toys for all the good little girls and boys.  Because next week I have to jam enough clothes for a five-day trip to a cold climate where I will be playing basketball and going hiking AND attending various open houses and quite possibly even a church service into ONE bag.  I wonder if Santa would consider loaning me his sack?  

Recession got you thinking that a party dress would be a frivolous purchase this holiday season?  Understandable -- UNLESS you invest in a dress that you can wear beyond New Year's Eve.  That takes your new LBD out of the "splurge" category and into the "investment" category.  But you have to buy the right dress, and you need a plan for wearing it on days when there's no party on your calendar.  You know, on a regular old Tuesday.  

I am one of those people who throws their life in their day bags. In fact, it's gotten to the point where I now carry two bags around because the purse just isn't big enough to carry all of my stuff. (One would think the solution would be a bigger purse, but then I'm lugging around a giant purse with all of my stuff, hitting others left and right with it, blocking doorways, and generally harrassing people.)

I'm here to warn you against the dangers of holiday makeup palettes. Yes, they're alluring, yes, they're fun, yes, they're heavily promoted, and yes, they're available at every price point, from Walgreen's to Ulta to Neiman Marcus.But I--a veteran of the 1990s Urban Decay Glitter Wars, as well as several Bobbi Brown and Estee Lauder skirmishes--am here to tell you that in the wrong hands, they can be very, very dangerous. Here's why:

It's December second, which means that the holidays are NOT HERE YET thankyouverymuch.  You have PLENTY of time to finish your shopping (or start! if you're like me).  You also have plenty of time to get ready for that New Year's party you go to every year, the one where everyone comes all dressed up and looking great.  The one that you always rush into feeling frazzled and disappointed by your outfit and your hair and your lipstick.  THAT party.  

Ever since I embarked upon my path towards becoming the total makeup addict that I am today, I've embraced all manner of beauty products without judgment. Violet eyeliner? Why not? Body temperature-influenced blush gel? Bring it on! Vibrating mascara? Send it my way! Yes, I've been up for trying almost any product at least once. Anything, that is, except for products containing glitter or sparkles of any sort.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am the least likely person in the world to own or wear a "holiday sweater."  Anyone who reads my blog (and you should definitely go do that) surely realizes that no garment could ever be more out of character for me. 

Are you ready for Thanksgiving?  Probably not!  But I'm willing to bet you five dollars that you're more concerned about what you'll wear than you are about what you're serving.  Am I right?  Of course I am.  So what's the best thing to wear for Thanksgiving dinner?  Here are three things to keep in mind as you get dressed, and three suggestions for actual outfits.

Instead of buying fancy new dresses for the holiday party circuit, recessionistas (and savvy fashionistas) are opting for beautiful vintage dresses. Not only are these gorgeous vintage finds great for your pocketbook, the quality is often better than that of modern--and often disposable--ready to wear clothes. Plus, re-using vintage clothes is good for the environment--and you'll never face dress-duplication issues when you're out at a party.

When I'm getting glammed up for a party or a night out, I have to admit that I put most of the focus on my eyes. I'm a firm believer in drawing attention to just one feature, so if I play up my eyes, I leave my lips fairly neutral. However, as every girly-girl knows, certain occasions call for switching it up.

I sort of have an obsession with finding the perfect lipgloss. And my problem with that, of course, is that I've already found the perfect lipgloss---or at least the perfect lipgloss for me---and while you think I might just be able to stop there and embrace this state of perfect lipgloss-ness, it turns out that I can't. I have to keep looking. I have to keep buying. I have to keep "just popping in" to Target and Sephora in the offchance that I might find something to best the perfect lipgloss. So far I haven't, of course. But I've come pretty darn close.