By Heidi Schuessler, User Education Producer

Users frequently write in and ask how they can delete or add content from their MSN homepage. Some of you don’t want entertainment news. Others can’t live without it – but couldn’t care less about sports headlines or the latest video clips.

Even though MSN.com strives to offer a broad range of content, we understand that many users want to customize their MSN homepage to reflect their own interests.

Are you in that group? If so, you should check out the updated My MSN. This new version features so much more content to choose from, easy-to-organize pages, and lots of personalization options for adding colors and themes.

I've done it – and I’m no techie. I set up three customized My MSN pages – yes, three! – and the hardest part was deciding what content to use. It didn’t take me long to fill up my first page with all the things I read and need every day: news headlines, traffic and my Hotmail inbox. Because I didn’t want that page to get too crowded, I then added subpages dedicated to other content I like to browse when I have time, such as entertainment gossip and recipes.

Here’s how you do it:

1. From MSN.com, click on My MSN: (Make sure you’re signed into your Hotmail or Live account.) When you get to My MSN for the first time you’ll see a page filled with default modules, such as headlines and a video. Like what you see? Great, you can keep those modules and add to them. Don’t like one? Delete any module by clicking on the little “x” in the upper-right corner.

2. Pick a background: You will likely see a blue background on your page. Again, this is the default. Click the “Customize” button in the upper-right corner of your page. A menu will pop up with a range of background colors to choose from, as well as sports, holiday and seasonal themes, to name a few. I chose a beach theme for my main page and a full-moon theme for my subpages.

3. Start adding content: Click the “Add Content” link in the upper-right corner of your main page. This takes you to an extensive menu of content you can choose from. I just clicked the green “plus sign” on the pieces I wanted and – voila! – they were automatically added to my page.

4. Move your content around: Once you’ve added the modules you like, it's time to organize. I settled on a three-column layout (select layout options under the “Customize” link), and then dragged all my news modules to the left column. In the middle column I have Quote of the Day, This Day in History and my local traffic report. The right column has my Hotmail inbox:

> TIP: To move a content module, hover over the colored title bar at the top of the box until two crossed arrows appear, then click and hold the bar while you move it around the page. “Let go” when the module is where you want it.

5. Add more pages to collect and organize even more content: Click “Add a page.” I have two additional pages on My MSN: Entertainment and House & Home. Because I’m a TV and movie junkie, I created the Entertainment page to show local movie times, upcoming new releases, and for fun, my horoscope and a Doonesbury cartoon. My other page is for House & Home, where I can see cooking tips, recipes and shopping deals. (The holidays are coming!)

My MSN page reflects me, and I check all three pages on a daily basis, in addition to the regular MSN homepage. Some of you may want to use My MSN as your homepage, and that works too. You can continue to add/change modules, colors and themes anytime you want. After all, it’s your MSN.

Have fun!

By Heidi A. Schuessler, User Education Producer, MSN.com

'Tis the season to stress.

Well, try to relax. MSN has tools and features to save you time, money and, yes, even your sanity during this hectic time of year. Here's a rundown on some of our favorites. Get ready to bookmark!

IN THE AIR

Find the cheapest airfare: Live Search Farecast will compare ticket prices from a bunch of online sources and give you the best price. Plus, you can track whether fares are going up or down, so you'll know the best time to buy.

Check flight status: Orbitz, a partner with MSN Travel, has a flight status tool — great for scheduling airport runs to pick up the relatives.

ON THE ROAD

Get the weather report: Thanksgiving weather is notoriously unpredictable. Know the forecast before you head out.

Don't get lost: Plot point-to-point directions to your holiday parties using Live Search Maps. Just for fun, try the 3-D view.

Beat the traffic: MSN offers a couple of different ways to stay on top of road conditions: MSN Autos has local traffic reports and incident alerts. Live Search Maps has a similar feature: Click the traffic link at the top of the map and then zoom down to street level.

Fill the tank: Here's a cool tool from MSN Autos that finds the cheapest gas in your area (a good thing to know any time of year).

GIFTS

Avoid the crowds, shop online: MSN Shopping is a great channel to browse. Did you know you could order a bowl of pears or a Southern pecan pie for Thanksgiving? MSN Shopping also has gift ideas organized into categories, such as gifts for pets, stocking stuffers and toys for different ages.

Know how to save: Keep an eye on the Sales & Deals page and print out online coupons, both available from MSN Shopping.

Get ideas from MSN gift guides: The new Holiday Guide from MSN will be updated throughout the season with home decor ideas, budgeting tips, gift ideas and more. Around MSN, watch for other ideas from channels such as MSN Tech & Gadgets: It just published a gift guide with a sneak peek at the season's hottest tech toys for gadget gurus.

Connect with others: If you're completely stuck — and we've all been there — stop by the gift-giving message board on MSN Lifestyle and ask other readers for advice. The board's chock-full of great ideas, plus tips on saving money. (One reader said she's going to bake her way through the holidays this year.)

Put cash in your pocket: Shopping through Live Search cashback is just what it sounds like: Shop online and get money back.

Make a list, check it twice: Print out this shopping list to record what you buy and how much you spend this season. (Note: This link opens a PDF.)

IN THE KITCHEN

Start early: Delish, MSN's main source for food and entertaining, has created special sections dedicated to Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year's Eve. All are useful places to start your preparations.

Get cooking: Browse these festive menus or put together your own by searching for recipes. If you haven't tried Delish's personal recipe book feature yet, now's a good time to start. You can collect recipes and it automatically generates a shopping list. (Note: You have to register and sign in for this feature, but it's free.)

Be a waist watcher: If you're worried about calorie creep, monitor your holiday eating with the Daily Diet Diary, available in PDF form from MSN Health & Fitness.

SHARING PHOTOS

Collect your photos on a Spaces page: Take all those digital pictures and organize them into albums on a Spaces page. Visitors can view the pictures in a slide show format and add a comment to any of the photos. (MSN Spaces is free, and you can access it with your Hotmail or Live account.)

Photo tip! SkyDrive, accessible through your Spaces page, gives you an extra five gigabytes of online storage that is accessible from any computer with Web access. It's a great way to store and share at the same time.

Happy Holidays from MSN!