Happy Monday! Here are this week’s five fabulous finds. Make it a great week, and let us know what you think!

1. Is your New Year’s resolution to make a career change in 2010? If so, check out this review of Alexandra Levit’s new book “New Job, New You.”

2. “Gen-Y, the Brazen Opportunist, and Curious Case of Penelope Trunk” the fabulous article by Fast Company that inspired my recent post.

3. Top 3 Mistakes People Make on LinkedIn. Read this article on careerealism! Especially if you are currently conducting a job search. You can also check out the author’s free webinar, which promises to help you land a job interview by next week if you follow his tips.

4. 7 Lies we Tell Ourselves about Money by the fabulously frugal, Ramit Sethi. I can relate to several of these points, how about you?

5. Need some inspiration in order to dazzle at your upcoming holiday parties? Check out Whitney Middleton’s recommendations at Fauxshionable: fashion sans debt.

I received a package from the fabulous GL Hoffman on Saturday with two books and a very nice hand written note. GL is the founder of the revolutionary job site Linkup.com and of the blog, What Would Dad Say. He thought I’d really enjoy reading Debra Shigley’s “The Go-Getter Girl’s Guide,” and he was so right!

I haven’t been able to put this book down and therefore I will be doing a series of weekly blog posts on exceptionally useful chapters for you “Go-Getter Girls.”

I’m going to start by reviewing Chapter 2 which is titled “The Work World Can Be a Cold, Hard Place- You Must Learn to Deal with It.” This title alone made me so happy. For once no one is sugar coating the truth, telling you to go to HR, or saying that they are wrong and you are right. Sure, your co-workers might be jealous, catty and ridiculous but why should you care?

Here are the major takeaways from Chapter 2:

There are a hundred reasons why your co-workers may not like you. Stop focusing on WHY and instead make it your motivator to keep moving your career forward. Do all of your co-workers like YOU? Do you feel tension at the office? How will this new way of thinking help you?

There might be some truth in your colleagues critiques. You are NOT at the top, so there is probably some truth in what they are saying. LISTEN.

Fake it ’till you make it, sister! Walk in the office each day like you “won the lottery.” That feeling will get you through the tough days.

Again, not every person at work is going to like you.

Be prepared when going into a meeting that may result in mean spirited attacks disguised as feedback. Keep the meeting on track and if things get off course, offer to schedule a different time to discuss those issues.

Your “friends” at work aren’t necesarily your friends. In some industries, they may be your competition. Keep that in mind so you aren’t surprised if they undermine you or disappoint you. Have you ever been “double crossed” by a co-worker that you thought was your friend?

DO NOT GOSSIP EVER- NO EXCUSES! Politely deflect and after a few times people will stop bitching to you. This is a tough one. What tips would you have for other girls on how to handle and avoid gossip?

In the same respect, stop bitching to your cubicle mate- save that for your friends and family after work hours.

Try your hardest not to ever cry at work. If it does happen, don’t obsess over it. Pretend it didn’t happen and move on. Have you lost it at work? How did you deal?

Ladies, I’d love to hear about situations like this that have happened to you. Do you think Debra’s advice is too harsh?

Here are some random thoughts about what I was reminded of this week:

1. A bit of positive news builds a heck of a lot of momentum. This week I talked to ForbesWoman.com and mscareergirl was officially accepted into their blog network. For me this is a huge honor, and hopefully the start of lots more business-related writing.

2. Writing lists are only so helpful. It’s apparent that I only do what I want to do on my list.  My laundry has been sitting in heaps waiting to be folded for 3 days, my house is a disaster, and my fridge is low on inventory.  Although these were big items on my list, I could not have cared less.

3. The power of focus is pretty amazing. And no, I haven’t focused on cleaning at all this week, but I’ve made a lot of progress on planning for Ms. Career Girl’s improvements and growth.  This happens before and after my day job.  Working on this passion is what gets me out of bed every morning, drives my energy and my happiness every day. 

4. Without passion, women will never achieve focus.  If we don’t care about something, good luck focusing on it.  Especially for spacey ADHD types like me.

5. We suck when it comes to doing things we aren’t good at. I notice this in myself at work and in my friends/family. We ask our co-workers a few extra times if we are doing something correctly, we stall, we procrastinate, we complain to those at home, we get stressed out, we make it way harder than it is, we want to escape. This will definitely be a career barrier if we don’t overcome it.

6. Asking for/saying what you want (or stating how you feel) is so much easier than worrying about being polite, delaying the inevitable, or bottling up energy. That in itself crosses a lot off the to-do list, saves time and rids toxic energy. In my opinion, this is one thing career women need to do more of! I have several examples of this from the week which I’m not going to get into.  And- sidenote- I’ve noticed that being direct keeps getting easier and easier…you should definitely try it!

7. “Shoot for the moon and even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” Think and dream really REALLY big.  It is really REALLY fun!

By, Ashley Crimaldi

Every woman wants to look her best over the holiday season. December and January are busy times for the social calendar, but the winter weather doesn’t do much for our hair, skin or waistlines for that matter. Between holiday shopping, office parties, family reunions and celebrations with friends, it’s hard to find time to look your best. My advice? Don’t let the cold winter weather get your spirits down! When you’re feeling drab and dull, reach for one of these five winter beauty essentials!

Rosy Pink Blush (with Shimmer)

There’s nothing more beautiful in the winter than the look of rosy pink cheeks. As if naturally blushing after coming in from a cold winter day, the right pink blush will make you look snow-kissed! I personally love a product with a little shimmer in it to translate the frostiness of winter. Try Bare Essentuals Cheerful, or NARS Multiple Stick blush in Orgasm. Remember: don’t over bronze! No need to look sun kissed in the winter (unless you live in California). A little bronzer is always good, but too much can look tacky, or orange- yuck! Can’t ditch the bronzer? Try a combo blusher bronzer like this one from Benefit

Red Lips

Nothing makes me feel more festive than wearing Red Lips in the winter! A nice little pop of color can add some pizzaz to that black trench coat you’ve worn 800 times. Try a traditional lipstick like MAC’s Lady Bug or Russian Red. For a subtler look, try a red tinted gloss like Flirt! Plushious Lipcolor in La-La Land.

Shimmery Shadow

Experiment with some fun shimmery shadows this winter. I find Golden tones like Urban Decay’s Chopper and Midnght Cowgirl particularly pretty. These shadows have just the right amount of glitter- not too much, not too little. Too much glitter can look tacky and too youthful, but this time of year gives us some extra allowance especially on New Years Eve. Feeling really daring? Try a glitter pot from MAC

Extra moisturizing face lotion

The cold winter weather can be especially drying to our skin. Yearning for an extra touch of moisture in your skin care routine? Try Clinique’s Moisture Surge lotion, or switch to a more moisturizing foundation. Have a moisturizer like already? Try mixing a bit in with your liquid foundation to add extended moisture throughout the day

Colorful Lip Conditioning

Just because your lips are chapped doesn’t mean you have to smear on the Carmex or Vaseline. Enjoy the new variety of lip products that are actually good for your lips, and provide a subtle tint of color. My ultimate favorite is Neutrogena’s Moisture Shine Lip Sheers. This product combines the moisturizing power of a chap stick with the color of a lipstick, and the shine of a lipgloss. Its the perfect all in one product for the girl on the go. Other notables include Burt’s Bee’s Lip Shimmer and Clinique’s Vitamin C Lip Smoothie.

With these five winter beauty essentials, you’ll be ready for any occasion! Feel free to ask me any other beauty questions via my twitter @acrimaldi.

As I woke up at 5:30 this morning to get a head start on my day, I was debating what to write about today. First, let’s start by saying that this whole 5:30 AM wake up call is new for me and is the result of doing a little 2010 planning and goal setting. It is also the result of reviewing my 2009 goals.

I’m a huge believer in goal setting and creating a plan for the year ahead. It’s way too easy to get caught up in the routine tasks of daily life and then watch another year fly by with no progress. I always split up my annual plan into four sections: financial, health, career and personal. This year I’m adding one more part: I want to do something challenging that I’ve never done before.

2009 was a big year for me: I got a new job, a raise, I am living on my own for the first time, I got a puppy, I met and am dating the love of my life, I survived one whole month without shopping, I joined a women’s mentorship program to help underserved high school girls head to college, I’ve strengthened my friendships, took my first girl’s trip (to New York City- also a first for me) and feel a lot more stability and peace within myself.

I’m positive that I would not have accomplished any of these things or made the important changes that I did without my beloved 2009 goals. All year I kept my goals on my desktop at both my home and work computer and reviewed them frequently.

I’ve started on my 2010 list and encourage you to do the same. Split your goals up into categories that are important to you. Your goal setting should be “SMART”:

S: Specific

M: Measurable

A: Attainable

R: Realistic

T: Timely

This year I’m planning on running my first half marathon, reducing my credit card debt, increasing my savings, and doing a lot more with Ms. Career Girl. Of course I’ll need to set specific numbers for my financial goals, and define exactly what I want to do differently here at Ms. Career Girl. I will then break the goals down into what needs to be done each month, week and day to achieve them. Setting milestones (such as each quarter) to review your progress will keep you motivated and on track with achieving your goals and creating your own ideal life.

What big goals did you accomplish in 2009? What do you plan on accomplishing in 2010?