I’m currently working on a pretty huge project involving writing a bunch of tanning-related copy (re: 150 300-word blurbs plus a series of articles!). It is interesting to note that I myself know nothing on the subject, and have thus spent the last week or so engaging in rapid-paced information immersion.

Just now, I went to google “high intensity tanning” and realized I had typed “high interest banking”

Where on earth is *my* head?

“Administrative work has no muse.”

- Sage words by one of the my own muses.

(Musoes? Sadly, and historically, male muses lack a title.)

I write from sunny, glorious Stamford, CT. today. The Alytude train travels. Unfortunately, this travel often means tripping over its two feet scurrying across the steps.

Points & Prizes Keyword: MUSES worth 25 points good through 02/04/08

Today’s horoscope:

Don’t let your impulsivity get the best of you today. Before you pick up that phone or press send, consider your message. Is this really what you want to say? Think about the other person’s point of view and tailor it from there. 

This is sometimes a little creepy.

If you haven’t noticed a theme yet in this week’s contests, I’m growing more and more tax-season aware(…obsessed…).

Part of that awareness is that I really need to get on top of finances (in a big way), and a new piece of software is providing a lot of help in that department.

Microsoft Money Plus Premium is completely Aly-proof: It is easy-to-use, easier to install, and provides all the tools you need to handle your finances in one place. In fact, with the new Insights feature, you can check out how your finances are doing without even launching Money! It also has additional tools for managing capital gains and investment taxes - not that applies to me. Sadly. But hopefully it does to some of you reading.

Also included in Money Plus Premium:

* Subscription to GainsKeeper for managing capital gains
* Track your donations using H&R Block DeductionPro
* 90-day trial of RealMoney from TheStreet.com
* Track chores, allowance, and more with My Reward Board
* Credit report and 1-year monitoring from Experian
* Free year of the Motley Fool Green Light newsletter
* 1-year free online backup for Money from Carbonite
* Get a free PayScale Premium subscription for 6 months
* Turn photos into real U.S. postage with PhotoStamps (with purchase)
* IdentitySweep plus insurance from MyPublicInfo
* Manage your money your way, from the big picture down to the details.
* Tackle tax time with ease, from finding deductions to estimating taxes.
* Improve your investment strategy with help from the experts at MSN Money.
* Help protect and improve your credit, and reduce your debt.
* Forecast cash flow and stay on top of monthly spending.

My favorite part of this software is Insights - it’s very much like a horoscope for your wallet! There’s Spending Insights, which alerts you when you’ve reached or are nearing your spending limits. Cash Flow Insights–heps you see what’s flowing in and out of your accounts. Bills Insights–Alerts you if bills are overdue or due soon. And so much more. Too bad there’s not dating or diet insights…we’d all be set.

I have two Microsoft Money Premium Deluxe packages to give away - to the two readers who seem to need it as badly as I do. Please write in with your stories about your finance-organizing woes, and how you have thus far stayed on top of it (or has it been on top of you???) Two winners will be announced when the contest ends this Friday, Jan. 25.

I’m a pretty compulsive girl.

I leave the house, and will turn around at least once to ensure I locked the door. I always double-back at ATMs, positive I forgot to close out - I never have. Often, I will worry I left the coffee pot, or the oven on. Needlessly.

So, you take a girl like me, and show her one too many Lifetime specials about lives being destroyed over identify theft, I’m going to have nightmares.

(Literally.)

Yes, I’m slightly neurotic.

But remember…it’s not paranoia (or compulsion) if you are right, and in actuality, protecting your personal financial information is more critical than ever.

Financial guru Suze Orman has teamed up with TrustedID to create protection and alert systems designed to help stop identity theft before it ever happens. This kit, Suze Orman’s Identity Theft Kit, offers a unique set of protection, unlike any of the traditional “credit monitoring” services sold today. The safeguards extend to credit reports, credit cards, checking accounts, social security numbers and medical records. The Kit is backed up by a $1,000,000 insurance policy and a team of on-call identity theft specialists.

How awesome is that?

Unlike the traditional credit monitoring services available today, this kit offers a unique set of proactive protections to prevent identity theft. The kit starts with an anti-spyware installation to protect personal information stored on each consumer’s PC and progresses with just a few effortless keystrokes to employ more than a dozen unique protection methods that secure financial as well as personal information—from bank accounts to medical records.

One of my favorite proactive preventions in the kit is “fraud flags” which, when placed on credit reports, prevent anyone from opening new credit accounts in a consumer’s name without their explicit permission. The kit also provides consumers with an on-call identity theft protection team, ready to assist with any questions and concerns, and is backed by a $1 million service warranty.

Check out the web site for the huge list of other features: https://www.trustedid.com/suzeidkit/

I’m already using and treasuring my kit, and I think (especially in light of everything Elsie and her friends taught me last night about stress-management) it’s a crucial addition to all of your treasure chests as well. So, I encourage all of you to get one as soon as you can, and ten readers will be able to get one right here.

To win, please:

1 - Share five things you’ve learned this week from reading this blog. (Random memories count as learning!)

2 - I grew paranoid about Identity theft simply by watching movies. What have movies made you paranoid about?

10 best answers by Tuesday get an identity kit of their own!

Last night, my good friend Elsie Loreus, owner of Paradise 54 salon, invited me to a night of stress management education (….and free massages…) at her spa.

An expert panel provided discussion and tips on a whole slew of related topics, and among my lessons learned:

1 - Stress can stress you out. And it can channel down to even how you digest your food. (Ever notice how when you eat food on the run, vs. sitting over a meal with a friend, it settles in your stomach differently?) So if you are downing a slice of pizza in one hand and typing out that drone of a project report in the other, chances are you will have lead in your stomach.

Also, remember that fiber and protein and fresh veggies are your friends! In fact, one of the panelists, Monica Shah, a nutrition and lifestyle counselor, is going to be organizing a eight-week teleclass on how to cleanse, detoxify, and reenergize your body that I think we *all* should try! (Visit her web site at www.idealbalanceevents.com)

2 - Exercise makes you not only look better, but combats depression. And if you are lucky enough to be able to afford a personal trainer, they can find the right routine for you. (Cause guess what? Choose the wrong one, and THAT can stress you out!) But generally, the best for your body and soul? Yoga and pilates!

3 - Most of us waste half our work day on emails. I didn’t tell her I actually waste just about all my waking hours on it…best idea is to set yourself a strict time limit in the AM to go through, answer, and move on to something else.

4 - Think because you are young and single you don’t have to worry about things like insurance or savings or investments? Well, if you don’t, chances are you’ll be a lot more stressed than you are now, soon enough.

It seems like a no-brainer, but nutrition and exercise and time-management play a huge role in peace of mind in the day to day. And (as my horoscope below reminds me) stress-eating and late hours, and retail therapy do not.

So, I ask what are some of *your* suggestions in managing your time and relieving your stress? Probably a lot of us can learn from it!

PS: Cleopatra at Paradise 54 gives the best massages ever - and also lots of good advice. Be sure to visit her!

“You know the difference between you and me? I make this look good.” - Will Smith, as “Agent J” in Men in Black

When it comes to getting promoted, it’s not necessarily all about who you know or what you do…but rather, what you wear. According to a recent “Dress in the Workplace” survey by Yahoo! HotJobs and Banana Republic, the majority of the general workforce (68 percent) and of human resource professionals (82 percent) agree that how employees dress at work directly affects their prospect for a promotion.

Common wardrobe problems
Although appearing professional, or “promote-able,” ranked at the top of workers’ priorities, there is room for improvement:

• 36% feel like they are in a fashion rut and have trouble refreshing their workplace wardrobe
• 25% admit to being late to work because they couldn’t decide what to wear or they had a wardrobe malfunction
• 13% have been reprimanded by a supervisor for their clothing attire

“A” for style effort
Management can rest easy knowing that employees are willing to put forth the necessary effort to perfect their workplace attire, even if they still need some guidance:

• 58% of employees re-evaluate their wardrobe and buy new clothes seasonally
• 57% would be willing to spend the money to buy a new wardrobe if it meant getting a promotion
• 52% estimate that of their total wardrobe budget, they spend an equal amount or more on career clothes than they do on non-workplace attire

Work wardrobe tips

• Don’t be afraid to ask. If you have any question about your company’s dress code, seek clarification from your HR Department.
• Take a hint from your boss. If you’re trying to get ahead, then look the part. Take cues from your manager and mirror a similar level of professional dress.
• Be ready. Keep an extra jacket and nice pair of dress shoes in your office to help liven up any outfit, in case you get pulled into a last minute meeting.
• Understand business casual. No matter how casual your office, avoid anything too sloppy or over-exposing. Sweats and ripped clothing are too casual.

You never know when you will be minding your own business at your desk and suddenly discover an ugly run in your new thigh-highs. Or eat seaweed salad for lunch and have more remnants in your teeth than you digested.

Survival is the name of the game, and with these cool kits of essentials offered by Ms. & Mrs., you can be prepared no matter what the drama.

Check out the Working Girl’s (not that kind…probably) - survival kit,  which includes a Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Dental Floss, Mints, Pain Reliever, Emery Board, Clear Nail Polish, Nail Polish Remover, Nail Clipper, Hand Lotion, Facial Tissues, Deodorant, Tampons, Adhesive Bandages, Folding Hair Brush, Interior Mirror, Lint Remover, Mending Kit, Shoe Shine Wipes, Stain Remover, Static Guard®, and Lip Balm. There’s also kits for everyone from Bridesmaids to Cheerleaders.

Pretty cool. And the chic carrying case can double as a lunch box - probably the biggest daily essential of all.

A lot of you have been writing in with concerns about finding (and keeping) the right job, especially for those of you just out of school and jumping into the work world. Below are Carly Drum’s tips on how to turn a spring/summer internship into a full-time position.

1. Remember that an internship is a 10 week job interview
2. Be on time or early for work and all events/meetings
3. Stay late and offer to help when others at the company are overloaded with work to do
4. Be flexible and willing to help even if it is “not your job”
5. Be proactive and ask for work and projects to help out with
6. Professional Attire: Dress for the job you want, not the job you have
7. Participate in all events possible: Meetings, Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners, Gatherings
8. If you are invited to an event, stay away from alcohol
9. Network internally with employees and externally with clients
10. Don’t complain
11. Have a positive outlook and demeanor
12. Be a good listener and make sure you double and triple check your work- quality control
13. Find a Mentor and learn all you can
14. Show a sincere interest in the company and learn about the industry. Read the trades so that you are knowledgeable
15. Become a “go to” source for information
16. Be an observer Don’t impose your views on others and don’t get into political or religious debates
17. Be yourself, you will be more comfortable
18. Treat everyone equally and with respect
19. Make an effort to get along with the other interns and work cooperatively
20. Build relationships and cultivate “champions” (find champions to “fight for you” to get hired and “talk you up” to management during the internship process)
21. Get to know the corporate culture of the company that you are in
22. Think before you speak. Everything you say will be judged. Remember: You don’t have a job offer yet, they can still say no when the time is up at the end of the summer.
23. Do your best to get a job offer even if you decide that you wouldn’t want to work at the company after your internship. Keep in mind that when you go on other job interviews they may ask you if you were offered a full-time job following your internship

-Carly Drum, Managing Director, Drum Associates

www.drumassociates.com