Happy some-of-the-world-is-returning-to-normal-life day! If you’re lucky, you’ve still got some time off this week to ring in the new year and figure out how many random objects and festive bows got crammed under the couch last week.
Today is the first day in a whole week that I’ve felt normal again. Hooray for Tamiflu! And here’s a few things I’ll be doing over the next few days; maybe you’ll want to do them, too.
Take care of any year-end charitable contributions. If you’ve been meaning to make a donation somewhere, or have bags to drop off at Goodwill, get it done before the 31st so you get the tax benefit for this year. I try to do a closet clean-out before the holidays, but sometimes (like this year) I don’t manage it. We did it over the weekend and I’ll be dropping off our donations today.
Do another once-over wherever you were storing gifts. Whether it’s a closet, a corner of the basement, a magical cupboard (hey, I don’t know your life), wherever you were stashing gifts this year, go through and make sure you didn’t miss anything and know what’s still in there. During the big Lightning Deals frenzy at Amazon I often acquire not just holiday, but birthday and other random gifts, as well. Now’s the time to make sure you know what’s stashed.
Finish any thank-yous. Did far-flung family send goodies your way? Hopefully you already said thanks, but if not, take care of that before the hustle and bustle of returning to “regular life” takes over.
Clean your refrigerator. Yeah. I’m sorry. It’s my least-favorite thing, too, but if you’re like me you’ve been cooking and feeding people and then refusing to cook and ordering out and in general your (my) fridge is probably full of scary things by now in the back corners. Won’t it be great to ring in 2015 without mystery containers lurking in your fridge…?
Do resolutions, however it works for you. I’m not much of a New Year’s Resolution type, myself, but we do tend to do a family night either on or new New Year’s Eve where we talk about what our goals are for the coming year as a family. Also I’ve been making a vision board every year for the past… four or five years or so, I guess. (My daughter has joined me the last few years.) It’s nice to just take a few minutes to stop and breathe and think, y’know?
Spill… what’re you up to this week?
I have an empty gift closet, so I just ordered some gift sets at half price from the Body Shop to stock it up for end of year teacher gifts. One for each regular teacher, one for each female specials teacher, one for the receptionist, and a couple to have extra just in case. I ordered 9 little gift sets for just over $43 shipped! A lot of the sets are already sold out, so if anyone is interested in nabbing some deals there, I would go do it now! Free shipping if you spend $30.
My high-maintenance little princess is home this week, so I’m not looking much beyond finding places to put things received and thank-you cards. I’m so short, I can’t even see the back of the top shelf of my fridge, I shudder to think what might be back there!
Don’t forget to use up any remaining moolah on your flexible spending account, too!
Still recovering from flu that started last Tuesday. Didn’t see that train coming. Think much of my regrouping will happen when kids back in school (Though I did muster enough energy to look through the fridge and discard. Little concerned about what the family might eat just to avoid cooking) Meanwhile here I sit. Little to no energy. Christmas cards still only half written! Needing to restock gift cupboard? Penzeys.com has a couple of half price gift sets for foodies. Penzeys are the only spices I will buy. Vietnamese cinnamon in wonderful…. I must be feeling a little better if I’m talkin food!
That would be “is wonderful.” Proofread. I know….