February – the month of the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day, football jerseys and candy hearts. Around here, it’s also the month when we start wishing for the puddles to dry and spring to arrive. While it is still cold and gray outside, you CAN be productive and get lots done inside. Grab your favorite coffee drink, and let’s get cracking!
Put Away Holiday Decor
If you haven’t done so yet, pack up the rest of the holiday décor and put it away until next year. Return your inflatable Santa to it’s box in the garage, and recycle the sad, dry Christmas wreath. If the gloomy February weather is sapping your energy, you might need an energetic, cheerful organizer to boost your productivity and get the last of that holiday décor put away. We are a phone call away.
Reduce your Partner’s Burden this Valentine’s Day
For Valentine’s Day, think about doing something simple yet thoughtful.
What is something that your spouse has asked you to do that you haven’t? Maybe your husband wants you to clean out the guest bedroom, so his mom can come visit. Maybe your wife has been asking you to hang a light fixture or do a long overdue dump run. (hey, to each his own, some want chocolate, some want a clean yard) Valentine’s Day doesn’t always have to be all about roses and chocolate. Helping your loved one with a difficult task, reducing their to-do list, performing a chore you might not otherwise, can be just the thoughtful gift your loved one is wishing for this Valentine’s Day.
Plan Your Summer Vacation
Start planning for summer vacation. A simple way to start, is to print out a monthly view of the summer months in Microsoft Word. If you haven’t done this before, go to the File menu, click on New, then in the dialog box, type the word calendar. You will get several templates to choose from. Pick a template style you like and choose Create. On the print out, write down the last day of school and the first day of the next school year. Together with your spouse, write down any work trips or pre-planned events. Talk about what family trips you might want to take and what camps the children might participate in. Have a discussion over dinner; what camps did the kids love last year; would they like to try something else? As you are considering different camp and trip options, the calendar printout makes a handy visual planning tool.
Speaking of vacations, if you haven’t planned anything for spring break, it is not too late! Even a quick three-day getaway is good for family bonding and a nice break from your day to day schedule.
Clean Up Your Paperwork
February is the ideal time to get your paperwork in order. Let’s see if we can get all those envelopes opened. Shred old documents. Designate a manila folder for tax related documents. Any end of year financial documents and tax-deductible donation receipts go in this file. Contact your tax professional and ask them to send you their 2018 income tax preparation workbook. Call us and get help if reading that last part gave you heart palpitations. We are here for you, we can work with you on those difficult but necessary February tasks.