Sound the Alarm

You wake up every morning with umpteen million things to do in your head, but unfortunately, Aunt Clara's birthday, which happens to be today, wasn't in your head last week — when it needed to be.

Oops. No card. Again.

If wearing a string around your finger to remember all those important birthdays could possibly look fashionable, you would have tried it by now.

And let's not even bring up the matter of anniversaries. Or Boss's Day.

Which is why we're sure you'll appreciate BirthdayAlarm.com. You set it up (don't worry — it's easy) and wah-la! The free online program gently nudges you before birthdays, anniversaries and important holidays (ah hem, such as Boss's Day).

Or it heckles you early and often, depending on your level or procrastination. It's infinitely shapeable, all so you can get the card out on time.

And, should you need it, which you clearly may today (!), the site offers e-cards.

Alrighty, then. With Aunt Clara's birthday and Boss's Day taken care of, let's get back to conquering the world.

Hit the Links – Women Style

The game of golf is widely considered a grand way to network. But, really, who has time to spend four hours forging connections on the links? Truth be told, put a bunch of women in a room together for one hour and they'll inspire, hire, embolden and encourage, and get a ton of business done at the same time.

If you're looking for new business links, consider eWomenNetwork, a highly successful online and live-event group dedicated to the power of women-only networking. If you own your own business (or aspire to) simply join, post your own virtual brag book of achievements and dreams, and start connecting with other "making it happen" women across the country.

You can also absorb a little in-person mojo by hitting a live event called Accelerated Networking® – available in over one hundred cities.

Naturally, all that forging of connections isn't just about padding your biz-card collection. The eWomen Network Foundation gives grant money for women in need. For example, buying uniforms and Nike shoes for a girls' high school basketball team that lost everything after Hurricane Katrina.

So log on and get busy meeting your new mentor/business partner/best friend. And tell the golf pro you won't be needing those lessons after all.

This One's For The Girls

Repeat after us: "Smart is the new black". And blog-reading is the perfect accessory for your new found style statement.

But navigating through the endless sites in cyberspace to find something worth reading is almost worse than digging through endless racks of sale clothing to find one little designer gem.

That's why BlogHer is the perfect one-stop shop for smarty-pants women looking for blogs (on a universe of subjects) from like-minded sisters.

Founded by three women, the company's mission is to create a "do-ocracy". To create a genuine women's community. To help themselves and others to voice and achieve individual goals.

BlogHer is smartly categorized into 20 topics encompassing every aspect of a woman's life. Subjects range from business and personal finance to fashion and shopping, health and wellness to politics and news, and mommy and family to academia and education. And that only scratches the surface.

Have a look. But just remember: Once you go smart, you'll never go back.

When the Lady's Away...

Now this is one matchmaking service you will be psyched to join. That includes you, happy marrieds, happy committeds and happy singletons.

Ladiesaway.com is a new — and brilliant — networking concept designed to hook up women executives while they're away on business trips, both in the United States and abroad.

Who hasn't been there? You're in a great new city, work is done for the day and you'd love some female company, perhaps someone to join you for a bite or to hit the hotel fitness center. (And if you make valuable business connections, even better.)

Once you join the website, which is currently free, you will have access to other members staying at the same or nearby hotels, as well as a database filled with recommendations on accommodations, shopping, restaurants and nightlife by city. Another key benefit of the service: preferential hotel rates for both business and leisure trips.

Safety and security are taken very seriously, and all members' identities are verified (including confirmation from employers), so you can make friends and contacts without worry.

Don't you just love (business) dating?

No More Slipping Up at Work

You're all for push-up bras and a dash of cleavage every now and then.

But never at the office. You want to look sexy and confident but giving your colleagues a sneak peek at "the girls" is never on the agenda. Whether the culprit is a blouse, wrap-dress or other temperamental top, playing peek-a-boo can happen when you least expect it.

Now, thanks to the ingenious BUTTerflies from Bug Catcherz, slip ups will fly away forever. The light hold-in-place adhesive dots (shaped like butterflies) are designed to hold tops and dresses close to your chest. (See ya later gaps.) Simply apply the BUTTerflies to your bra and the clothing adheres all day. No fuss, no muss, no harm to your skin or apparel.

The adhesives, which come nine to a box, are also handy for keeping underwear from creeping up and thongs right where they belong.

You may still have to play some office games. But with BUTTerflies, hide and seek is definitely out.

Walk in Her Shoes

Take gorgeous shoes, add celebrities and a philanthropic mission, and what do you get? A shoe-in of an idea.

Through this Sunday, you can bid on shoes donated and autographed by A-list celebs like Sharon Stone, Mandy Moore, Parker Posey and more. All you need to decide is whether you're a glossy-patent-peep-toe girl (like Mandy Moore) or a sophisticated-Dior-pump femme fatale (like Sharon Stone). Each of the two dozen pairs is being auctioned off by online store Piperlime to benefit Soles4Souls.

Nonprofit Soles4Souls has but one mission: to impact lives through the gift of shoes. They've shod over a million people in the past two years, in places that range from Mississippi to the Sudan. Think about it. Shoes are indispensable, yet most of us taken them for granted. For our part, we plan to think on our feet this week. And maybe next week we'll be saying, "These? Oh, just something Lucy Liu picked out for me."

Start the bidding!

Make a Leap of Your Own

No limousines to shuttle you to and from the airport. No handyman to set up the trade show booth. No tech whiz waiting in the wings to fix a computer glitch (for free). Such are the tradeoffs of starting your own business.

As for the rewards of entrepreneurship? Running a company the way you think it should be run.

That should help to explain why so many women are fleeing employment by someone else and heading for the rough and tumble land of Entrepreneurship. Shedding even more light on the phenomenon is BusinessWeek's special report on women entrepreneurs.

One superb feature of the report is a weekly podcast, "Making the Leap", in which en-trepreneurs talk about why they struck out on their own and what they've learned along the way. It's fascinating, really, when you consider that many of these women were headed for the CEO seat when they decided to leave the fast track and change their lives forever. Subscribe to the podcast, then listen to it on your morning commute or during a lunchtime walk.

A few weeks from now, you may be itching for a leap of your own.

Overnight Sensation

Let's face it. We always seem to find time for a little extra work, but how about a little extra time for our faces?

After a dry winter, a season's worth of stress and too many SPF-free moments, a colony of less-than-radiant skin cells have taken up residence across our cheekbones, and are seriously diminishing our good looks.

If we were fabulously overpaid, catered-to, A-list actresses, we'd already be strolling through the doors of one of those Hollywood salons known for age-defying treatments.

Time for an intervention, girlfriend.

Allow us to introduce you to Kiehl's Over-Night Biological Peel.

Yep, overnight. Put it on, sleep on it, and wake up to a new, supple-skinned you. After several applications, it even lightens dark spots and treats breakouts.

Why not simply go for the full enchilada – a chemical peel – you say? It takes longer and costs more, and isn't as gentle on your skin, according to Kiehl's. Because Kiehl's biological peel naturally breaks the bonds that hold dead skin cells, it's "better tolerated" by skin.

Sleep tight tonight, indeed. And tomorrow, you'll put your best face forward.

Do It Anyway

What are you afraid of? Public speaking? Launching your own business? Those cruel dressing-room mirrors as we near another swimsuit season?

Hey, you can't let fear stop you. If you're ever going to achieve your dreams, you've got to learn to feel the fear and do it anyway.

And speaking of anyway, have you heard Martina McBride's latest hit titled "Anyway"?

Yes, we all know Martina McBride is an industry success story – $16 million in sales, 22 top 10 singles, awards galore. What you may not know is that "Anyway" is Martina's fastest-rising single – ever.

What's so different about that song, you ask? Is it the melody? The soulful lyrics? Maybe. But perhaps it also has something to do with the fact that "Anyway" is the first song Martina ever co-wrote on an album that is the first she ever produced entirely herself.

For years she didn't think she was good enough. Just like the rest of us. But she pushed through her fear, and began to write, and then produce – risking failure all the way.

The result? A brand new level of success.

So go on. Push yourself to do something you're dreaming of, but are afraid to do. And when you feel the fear, as Martina says, "do it anyway".

PS - Tune in tomorrow, Friday, to watch Martina McBride on the Today Show's Summer Concert Series.

Style Watch - Just Lighten Up

Nothing is hotter for Spring and Summer than white.

White is clean and fresh, and the perfect way to liven up your typically dark(er) business wardrobe. Whether you boldly go for a white suit, or dress, or just choose to add white as an accent, there's definitely a "right white" for you.

Here are some "just right white" style beauties:

The lightweight "you'll-wear-it-to-death" adam+eve Cotton Reverse Pintuck Shirt illuminates an hour-glass figure, and works with just about everything, from trousers to print skirts and even tailored shorts.

With its wrinkle-free blend and wood-color buttons, Banana Republic's modern linen button-front skirt, is more than just another classic - it's a white-hot classic that moves from boardroom to brunch with élan.

The gorgeous white patent Via Spiga's Lizo sandals are feminine but not too delicate (or too high) for work. And they're just right with jeans after hours.

Kristin Kahle's Lorin belt is the perfect standout cincher for those who want just a pop of white. Or black. Yes, this genius item is reversible, making it two belts in one.

So lighten up your style with some just right white.

(You may now skip the black until fall.)

Make Your Own Kind of Music

"OK, don't let this be the time I mess up." We've all thought it. A quiet mantra we whisper under our breath just before we enter a room to seize a mega-opportunity.

And it's exactly what one of our favorite business/career coaches, Gail Blanke, said to herself as she walked down Third Avenue in NYC to pitch a new book to a top publishing house. The pressure was on. And she got more uptight with every step.

That's when Blanke remembered the power of music and its ability to transform our psyche. So she began to hum a tune that was particularly inspiring to her.

In no time, she was strutting and unstoppable. And she got the deal.

Find Your Song (And Sing It) – from which we excerpted above – is just one of the fantasticly inspiring monthly articles written by Gail Blanke and available online at Real Simple. Titled, The Motivator, this is one column you won't want to miss.

As Blanke notes, the important thing is to find music that lifts you up, and sing it.

And although you may be more of a "I Will Survive" kind of girl, there is certainly something to be said for a few timely bars of Elton John's "The Bitch Is Back".

"Hit it, boys".

PS – For more Gail Blanke you can also see her online at AOL Coaches.

Looking for a new theme song? See a list of tunes that motivate Real Simple staffers when they need a boost.

Give Back with Flour Power

Always the overachiever, you were the sort of kid who made triple-layer cakes with your Easy Bake Oven.

Well, here's a chance to don your ric-rac-trimmed apron for a good cause. May 19 marks the launch of the "Great American Bake Sale," a national campaign to end childhood hunger.

How it works: Form a team. (A few colleagues would do nicely. Or you might ask the entire office to put their spatulas to work.) Register your bake sale. Receive your official bake sale packet. Start your ovens.

Businesses are eating up the idea. At a past Bake Sale, for example, Gloria Johnson, an employee of Umpqua Bank in Oregon, organized bake sales at bank branches across the state. By selling cookies and brownies in the lobbies, she raised more than $16,000.

Money raised goes to Share Our Strength, which does things like provide meals and snacks to low-income students after school and during summer.

Little bakers can play a key role in the cook-off too, making or selling goods to raise money for other kids. So take the message home and introduce Overachievers Junior and Juniorette to the idea of giving back.

And help make ending hunger a piece of cake.

Surf for Dollars

You made up your mind. You're ditching the steady paycheck and finally starting that ______________ business (fill in dream career here). Embracing carpe diem feels fab. Just one little detail, though—you need some seed money.

Have we got a website for you: Prosper.com is the perfect place to find a low-interest loan without having to wrangle with loan officers or hunt down Angel investors. Like a cross between eBay and Match.com, it fosters one-on-one lending. All you have to do is simply describe your loan including amount and what it's for, and maximum interest rate you're willing to pay. Post, and watch the bids pour in, as regular Joes and Janes fight it out to lend you money.

When the listing ends, the bid or bids with the lowest interest rates are combined into one three-year loan. Every month, money is deducted directly from borrower's bank account and deposited into lenders' account until the loan is repaid. E-Z.

Don't need any bucks but have some extra dough to help seed someone else's dream? Prosper.com will let you spread the wealth and become a lender, making some interest on your money while doing a good deed. (For safety and security, all Prosper lenders and borrowers are required to go through an identification-verifications process.)

May we all live long and Prosper (dot-com), indeed.

Where Art Thou?

Are the walls in your office still bare? Or maybe you're looking to add a touch of sophistication to those adorable scribblings by your five year old. No matter your motivation, finding fabulous works of art can be so intimidating.

What's a girl to do? Ugallery to your rescue!

Ugallery is a totally cool online art boutique showcasing 100% original pieces by up-and-coming artists (mostly college students) from around the country.

Perhaps you'll fall for the impressionist oil paintings of Will Halstead, or the floral creations of Ashley Lloyd, or the colorful pop art of Jennifer Robeson. There are many inspiring conversation pieces and works of beauty from which to choose.

Selected and priced by curators, the art sells for ultra-reasonable to well-maybe-if-I-absolutely-love-it prices (less than fifty dollars to four thousand dollars). Your selection ships - unframed - within 72 hours. And since it's not always possible to appreciate art within the confines of a computer screen, there's a 7-day, money back guarantee.

And who knows? Maybe that little scribbler of yours will grow up to have a portfolio of his or her own on Ugallery someday.

Brand YOU Style

Without uttering a word, a handbag speaks (or quite possibly, screams) volumes about a woman. So what does carrying a Merrell McGinness bag on your shoulder say about you?

Chic go-getter. Knows-what-she-stands-for. Just our kind of woman.

Merrell McGinness, with help from fashionable mom Marilyn, creates luxe leather (and canvas) carryalls that mean business—ideal for busy, confident women on the go. The classic beauties feature interesting details and high-quality hardware. Neither boring nor trendy, these babies strike the perfect balance for those who want a handbag that will last for more than a season. (Style never goes out of style, right?)

Brin, a feminine but utilitarian tote, is large enough for a small laptop and all the urban-jungle essentials. With lots of zippers and compartments, and a special spot for a smaller clutch, she's an all-around keeper.

The slighter smaller Margaret, a shopper with interesting front-pocket detail, is a sophisticated companion, appropriate for every occasion.

And Sara, a wallet/clutch with removable wristlet, is the perfect choice when you need to lighten your load, and for stashing in McGinness' larger bags when need be.

These gorgeous bags are the perfect way to tell everyone all about your favorite brand – Brand YOU. You go-getter, know-what-you-stand-for, stylish you.

Thanks a Million

Dear Loyal Uptown Subscriber,

I wanted to take a moment to send you a personal thank you for subscribing to and faithfully reading Uptown Dayclub iNotes.

Thanks to you, your willingness to try something new, and your enthusiasm in telling your girlfriends about us, we have increased our readership by nearly 2000% (yes, two thousand percent!) since the launch of our beta site in February.

Thanks to the success we’ve enjoyed, we are now moving into the Phase II of our beta site, and are very proud to unveil our new label. Instead of being called Uptown Dayclub, our site and daily iNote will now officially be named Uptown Scoop.

Beginning tomorrow, your daily iNotes will come from our new address iNote@Uptown Scoop.

We thank you for your loyalty and support as we strive to reach our goal of one million subscribers!

We couldn’t have done it without you,

Career-Land vs. Mommy-Land

Do you have a friend who struggles to have it all – straddling Mommy-Land and Career-Land – only to be in constant conflict with her emotions?s

Or maybe it's you who walks that fine line between the elation of heading off to the world of personal achievement - and guilt of leaving the little ones behind, again.

For a bit of comic relief, try a quick read of "Tales From the Mommy Track" , an irrever-ent, funny, honest, sometimes controversial blog about work/motherhood written by Risa Green, author of Notes From the Underbelly.

Green candidly pinpoints the joys of leaving the children to go to the office: "I get to sit, at a desk, uninterrupted, for an entire day. I get to make phone calls without someone screaming in my ear or pulling on my leg. ...And best of all, I get to pee alone."

And she talks about the guilt thing.

The beauty is, it's a blog, so readers chime in with their own posts, commiserating with Green as she struggles with the whole balance thing.

So, go ahead. Tell Mama all about it.

Wiggle Out of Sticky Situations

Ah, leave it to CareerBuilder.com to give us some solid advice on how to wiggle out of eight sticky work situations.

But just one question: How ever did they narrow the field to just eight?

Bosses who take the credit for your work. Bosses who yell at you – in front of others. Bosses who are reluctant to let you use earned vacation time.

Or perhaps you're working for the Miranda Priestly type – the gal who thinks you exist to fetch her dry cleaning. Maybe the situation is a bit stickier, as in a bonus that came up short. Or a boss that is clearly hitting on you.

What to do?

Solutions are derived from A Survival Guide for Working with Bad Bosses: Dealing with Bullies, Idiots, Back-Stabbers, and other Managers from Hell by Gini Graham Scott, PhD. In most situations, well-thought out confrontation is in order. Unless of course we're talking bosses behaving beyond badly – as in illegal.

If for no other reason, check out the story for the pure rush of relief you'll get upon seeing that your own office dramas aren't that bad, after all.

The Skies Just Got Friendlier

A little air travel on your agenda for the upcoming Holiday weekend? Or maybe you're planning a long flight to some exotic location this summer?

If you're a frequent flier, you know your favorite gadgets – iPods, Blackberrys, Game-boys – have a tough time keeping it going during a day of travel.

Sure, they may hang in there long enough to get you to the terminal, gate and, finally, cramped seat #9A. But somewhere over Iowa, those beloved objects will finally lose their juice.

That is, unless you've been crafty and tucked the Inflight Power Recharger into your carry-on.

The beauty of this handy and inexpensive recharger is that it provides free juice for your cell phone, PDA, iPod and other devices. And it's a lot more environmentally friendly than those disposable power packs.

Plug it into the passenger seat headset jack, and it converts audio output into USB power. Tip: Buy the "executive bundle" of charging tips, so you'll be ready to power up virtually anything.

The skies are looking friendlier already.

Clothes Closet Confidential

Planning a little shopping this holiday weekend?

Be sure to take a friend – the one who'll tell you (honestly) which clothes really look fabulous on you and which ones to put back.

What? She's not available?

Well, in that case, meet MyShape.com, a Web site that helps you figure out which of seven body types you are, then serves up a dynamite lineup of ensembles that will fit you like a glove – including the best jeans and sleekest work silhouettes.

(Caution: The process will involve a measuring tape.)

With designer styles and a buyer who used to work for Nordstrom, this dot-com buddy won't nudge you toward something that looks like it was cut for some size 2 model.

As the site (gently) points out, the key to dressing is picking clothes that enhance your best features and minimize, ahem, less than best. But you knew that already.

What we marvel over is that the chosen clothes not only flatter, but truly suit you. That's because the ShapeMatch tool actually takes into account what you've said is important to you.

Now that's a true friend, indeed.

Do Half the Work, Get All the Credit

You heard it yourself. These words coming out of your mouth: "Sure, I can make brownies for the pool party." "Oh, I'd love to bring cupcakes for the office pot-luck lunch."

Any way you slice it, nothing is more certain to cause a headache than the pressure created by the desire to impress with homemade – compounded by a total lack of time.

Better call the doctor. The Cake Mix Doctor, that is. She is just the remedy for we women who (every now and then) may take on too much.

These recipes get a running start from a box of cake mix, a shortcut that makes for less mess in the kitchen and a bakery-quality confection in a fraction of the time.

The Cookie Dough Cupcakes will dazzle any party - poolside or not. The My Best Brownie Idea brownies will stand out at any event. And these Red Velvet Cupcakes will be the hit of any office get-together.

So next time you're tempted to do store-bought, slip on that apron instead.

And here's to doing half the work and getting 100% of the credit.

Biz Whiz in a Box

Remember the good ol' days when you and a few pals sat around a table whipping up your fantasy-business business plans?

Fast-forward a few years and it's no longer a fantasy – now you are in business. Or you have grand plans to be so – very, very soon.

Whether it's time to take your biz to the next level – or simply time to (finally) get that million-dollar idea down on paper - you'll find it worthwhile to indulge in a little biz-whiz – straight from a box.

Business Plan Pro 2007 software (from Palo Alto Software) is quite the recipe for success.

This comprehensive business-planning software is available in two versions - Standard and Premier. The proprietary EasyPlan Wizard® provides the perfect roadmap to success, walking you through every step in the planning process.

Business Plan Pro has lots of other useful bells and whistles, and comes with a couple of business books, 500 sample business plans and thousands of industry profiles.

And with the Plan vs. Actual financial tools, you'll be able to better manage your cash flow, expenses and profits.

So get a little taste of a real business plan. Success will be so sweet.

Dreamy Days of Summer

Ahhh, summer has arrived, indeed.

And there's no better time to kick back, grab a cold drink, and spend some time getting reacquainted with old friends – namely those dreams and aspirations you so neatly tucked away last fall.

Yes, summer is a perfect time to dream – to fantasize, draw, sketch, tear out pages from magazines, write down favorite quotes, collect inspiring photos, scribble ideas...

And to be sure you properly capture it all, use a Start Here Linkable Notebook or two to keep everything neatly organized.

These very cool hook-up books have pockets on the covers to allow for infinite ex-pansion. Simply slide the back page of one into the crisp, white front cover of the other. Start a new one (using a different paper color) each time you have a new brainstorm, without losing any of your old notes.

Tip: For the most note-taking space, try the three-level notebook, which includes blank sheets, lined paper and grid paper.

Now nothing stands between you and that masterpiece, invention, bestseller...... Let the good dreams roll.

Playing With Celebs

Drew Barrymore says we've just got to listen to Kings of Leon, while Jennifer Hudson – you know, the Oscar-winning singing/actress/ex-American Idoler – loves crooning along to Prince.

How do we know? We've been lurking around iTunes and the iTunes Celebrity Playlists.

This very cool feature gives us a sneak peek at what the stars are queuing up on their own iPods. Each actor, singer and personality picks their playlist songs, telling us what they like about each one. So you can do your very best creative thinking, or working out, while listening to, say, Beyonce's faves.

Given all the focus lately on green living, we eyed with interest the playlist of eco-warriors Melissa Etheridge and Al Gore. (Melissa's song "I Need to Wake Up" was featured in Al Gore's film An Inconvenient Truth.) Not surprisingly, the list is part rebel-lion, part inspiration, with songs like Dixie Chicks' "Not Ready to Make Nice," Green Day's "American Idiot," and Marvin Gaye's soulful call to end war, "What's Going On."

Now, whether you're changing the world or just toning your abs, you'll have the sound-track perfect for you.