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

Picture this: It’s the middle of winter. It’s snowing/raining/dark outside and you’re sitting at your computer. You’ve read all the headlines, checked your Hotmail three times and want something new to do.

You’re in luck. Fritter away the winter hours – or just kill a few minutes between meetings – with MSN. Here’s a quick tour of some of my favorite time wasters.

Quizzes

Encarta has quizzes on everything from fad diets and weird animals to state flags and gladiators. Other channels, like Money, Astrology, Careers and Delish, also have quizzes. (Go figure!).

Games

The first stop for gamers is MSN’s Game Zone, where you can play one of 134 free PC games, including board games, puzzles, card games and trivia. MSN’s Food & Entertaining channel also has a handful of games, like solitaire and word search.

Videos

IMHO, MSN TV’s best feature is Hulu, where I go regularly to watch television shows on my laptop. Current episodes of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” “24,” “Dollhouse,” “Paris Hilton’s My New BFF,” and dozens more are available alongside some classics like “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Picket Fences,” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” Browse the full menu, or search by genre or decade.

If you’re looking for a quick video fix, check out Videos of the Week or viral videos on MSN Video. This is where you’ll find the most-watched videos of the week, like Dog Attacks Shark and Parking Expert, which makes me laugh every time.

Sports

Spring training has started, so it’s time to sign up for fantasy baseball. If NASCAR is more your style, FOX Sports (MSN’s partner for all things sports) offers up a new fantasy auto racing site, too. Both are free but require signing up for an online account. (Took me just a couple minutes.)

More fun

• Zoom down to see your town—or anywhere in the world—using the 3-D aerial maps on Live Search Maps. (To use the 3D function, you’ll need to download Virtual Earth beta.)
• Browse and send an e-card greeting to someone, just for fun. Some cards require membership to buy and send, but others are free.
• Find out what your dream last night meant with the Dream Dictionary.
• Listen to songs by everyone from the Eagles to Kanye West on MSN Music’s Listening Booth.

I want to hear from you: What are your favorite places to go on MSN for fun? E-mail me at inside-msn@hotmail.com.

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

I have a confession. I do my taxes in February. Early February. I am compelled to know that magic number ASAP so I can, if I’m lucky, spend my refund.

If you’re just starting to think about taxes, don’t panic. April 15 is two months away and MSN has many resources to help you plan, prepare and file your taxes. So gather your forms for 2008 and bookmark these articles, tools and videos I’ve collected from around the MSN network.

First things first

Find out if you should even be doing your own taxes by taking this quiz. If you’re a good candidate for DIY taxes and don’t know where to start, this video shows how you can get free help and advice through the Internal Revenue Service Free File program.

If you don’t want to go it alone, tax software is everywhere these days: Here’s a great video that compares three popular tax prep software programs, and this article offers side-by-side comparison of H&R Block’s TaxCut and Intuit’s TurboTax.

O.K., another decision to make: Are you going to e-file? The Tech & Gadgets team reviews the benefits –and some limitations – for going that route.

So, review this checklist of what you need and these important tax deadlines (April 15 is just one of them), and dive in.

What you need to know

MSN Money is my first resource for all things taxes – the tax section of the site is full of great tools and advice from tax accountant Jeff Schnepper. (He also hosts the Tax Corner message board and answers reader questions.)

If you’re an itemizer, here are 10 big deductions that many people miss, and here’s some advice on how to get the most out of itemizing.

Every year the tax laws change, and in 2008 those changes affected the standard deduction and tax brackets. Also, if you have a kid in college, log business miles on your car, or purchased a house, you might be due some savings. And remember that stimulus check you got from the government? Know how to handle that income.

Mistakes happen

Until the tax code is simplified for us non-accountants, mistakes are bound to happen – like forgetting to sign and date the form and mistyping your social security number (oops). One other biggie is failing to report all income, and that means even bribes, gambling and yes, even theft. If you do make a mistake, don’t worry, there are ways to correct it.

Remember, you are not alone. The message boards on MSN Money heat up this time of year as readers ask:

• Should I report a tax cheat?
• What should newlyweds know about taxes?
• Do I have to pay taxes on gambling winnings?
• Do I have to pay tax on inherited money?

Rejoice over refunds

Getting money back? Weigh in on this message board and tell us how you’re going to spend it. Paying off a credit card? Buying an HDTV or taking a much-deserved vacation on the IRS?

My refund went straight to paying off some debt. Not exactly fun, but in this market I’ll take what I can get.

By Don Sena, Managing Editor, MSN.com

The presidential election, the holiday crunch, 2009 arrives, Golden Globes, inauguration, Super Bowl. Just listing some of the big events and breaking news of the past two months is exhausting — and that doesn't even include the economic mess.

At the MSN Homepage, we know how important these happenings are to your lives, and we strive to cover them from myriad angles. Whether you are seeking smart advice on how to secure your personal finances in this economy or just looking for an escape by spying on celebrity fashion, the MSN Homepage dedicates itself to helping you find what you want, when you want it.

Moreover, we are always looking for new interactive ways to bring you major events and news as it happens. For instance, we hope you noticed our new presentation for the Super Bowl, which allowed MSN editors to bring you more content and bigger photos of the game and its advertisements.

And just as you catch your breath from the last two months, there are many more events right around the corner. In February, we're offering plenty of content and shopping tips to help you get ready for Valentine's Day — even some stories to help those who wish the calendar went directly from February 13 to February 15.

Historical perspective is top of mind in February with Black History Month and the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. February is also awards season — and the MSN Homepage is your destination for the Grammys and Oscars, including carpet-to-carpet coverage from MSN's new celebrity site, Wonderwall.

Of course, March Madness is not too far away (start researching your bracket for the office pool). And even though the groundhog saw his shadow, it's never too early to start thinking about warmer weather, spring break and the hope for a better season for your baseball team.

As always, intertwined with all this event programming are fast and trustworthy news stories, smart advice columns and plenty of interactives and videos on all topics. And if you don't see something you want or just feel like dropping us some advice, please send us your thoughts.