Happy Valentine’s Day Spreadsheeters. While I had originally contemplated spreadsheeting some sort of mushy love template, my mind kept bringing me back to my favorite love-game of yesteryear (middle school)… M-A-S-H! In case you don’t remember this one, the acronym stands for “Mansion – Apartment – Shack – House” and the game is basically meant to help map out your entire future using randomly selected choices from a series of different categories. Usually, this early form of procrastination is performed in the back of a school bus on the way to a middle school Field Hockey game, but for today, please feel free to partake in your offices, kitchens, cubicles and lunchrooms.

Now you can rekindle old embarrassing memories and play M-A-S-H once again with the old categories, as well as some new ones, all wrapped up in a bedazzled spreadsheet of course.

Just go to the Tips & Tricks Page of www.ExcelRainMan.com and download the Excel Rain Man M-A-S-H Template. Just print it and sit down with a friend over a glass of vino and fill it out. Or if you are obsessed with being paperless, like I am… just schedule a Go To Meeting or send out a dial-in number and MASH it up! Maybe this time around, you will actually land Dylan McKay and your ride will have more than just a cassette player with Michael Bolton’s greatest hits…

DISCLAIMER: Excel Rain Man cannot guarantee that the fortune will be to your liking or that it will come true. We’ll try and get on that for 2012…

Small Biz Spotlight

Well here we are… Coming into the second half of one of the most brutal winters in memory. While we scrape the ice from our windshields and try not to slip and fall in front of the dry cleaners (again), one thing is fo’ sho’… At least we have gotten our money’s worth on those snow boots and galoshes this year. And while it is nice that our heavier footwear is getting some much needed attention (everyone likes to feel important… Even my wellies), it must be said that one of the major casualties of the snowy winter has been our precious pant hems! We all know the drill… you are dressed to impress in your favorite Theory slacks but by the time you get to work, your hems are looking ratty and the bottom of your pants are soaked. Don’t even get me started on our dry cleaning bill this winter.

Enter my favorite pant hem humanitarians, ZAKKERZ (www.zakkerz.com)… One of my go-to holiday gifts this season from the 2010 Excel Rain Man Gift Guide. These understated pant roll-up wraps use strong magnets to hold pants that have been rolled up to a shorter length as to protect hems from various commuter pitfalls.

Most importantly, if your pants are hemmed for heels but you want to walk in comfy flat shoes, then you need ZAKKERZ! These are ideal for divas that commute in their uggs, flip flops or ballet flats and then slap on their stilettos in the office. They will save your hems from getting ruined and are the ultimate defense for tripping over your hems as well.

Because Zakkerz is so spreadtastic, spreadsheets can save 25% off their order. Just enter the Discount Code excelrainman25 at checkout.

If Excel is bumming you out, just Submit a Request and we will show that spreadsheet of yours who’s boss.
Also, check out Excel Rain Man’s latest press:
While Steeler Nation is still recovering from Super Bowl XLV, the Excel Rain Man team got a little love from Amex OPEN Forum for the Super Bowl Matrix.

Excel Rain Man is all about the iMentor program (more on that later), and I am looking forward to being matched with my mentee. In the meantime, Excel Rain Man donated our Video Tutorials to the iMentor staff.

Don’t forget to become a fan of Excel Rain Man on facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Until next time,
Jen Portland

The Excel Rain Diva 🙂