Grammar guru

If spelling errors trip you up while posting on Facebook, tweeting, or emailing, help has arrived. Grammarly Lite is a free tool you can download that catches your errors before you broadcast a message to the social media world. Kinda cool, huh?

Catch some Zzzz's and save some moolah

It may sound pretty unbelievable, but you can actually save money by remembering to take naps. (Hello, kindergarten again!) Turns out, people that are always tired and rundown don't make the wisest financial decisions. Read on for more reasons about why saving money may come down to simply getting some serious shut eye.

New Google gadget

Post-it notes are great... until you realize you stuck them somewhere that you can't easily access while at work (uh, the refrigerator or the magazine lying on your coffee table). But, now, so long as you have an Android device or tablet, you can all but eliminate this pesky problem. Google recently created Google Keep, which stores notes and reminders in Google drive and syncs with all of your devices. (Thanks to Jeremy in OCM for sharing this cool new tool.)

Handy handbook tips

As Sue Van Voorhis mentioned in her March monthly update last week, each issue of News & Notes will now highlight a topic covered in ASR's Employee Handbook. Each piece will focus on ASR practices and procedures and/or general office etiquette. Upcoming topics include cell phone usage in meetings, performance reviews, health and safety, and a FERPA refresher. Do you have a specific area you'd like highlighted? Email asrcomm@umn.edu.

Women's hockey team back-to-back champs

A huge congratulations to the women's hockey team for an outstanding year, with a special congrats to ASR student worker Kinzey Johnson, who is a member of the team. For the second year in a row, they're NCAA Champions. Not only that, but this year they finished the season with an impressive perfect record of 41-0-0. Including last season, their winning streak has reached 49 consecutive wins. (Thanks to Jackee Wernersbach for highlighting Kinzey's amazing achievement!)

Review ready

Ah, the yearly performance review. If the thought of this meeting fills you with anticipation, that's normal. But try to balance out your sense of apprehension by being prepared. Here's a quick slideshow with some excellent tips on how to ace your review. And be sure to have your IDP updated, too!

Volunteers needed

ASR's Development Team is looking for volunteers to be interviewed for a staff video that will be shown at the staff event in May. If you're interested, please contact a member of the Development Team listed below:

Christa Nicols
Katie Johnson
Adam Howard
Holly Johnson
Stephanie Kearley
Marit Gladem
Dan Delaney
Kris Wright