Archive for the 'Idle Ramblings' Category
The tax season has arrived again. This time of year seems to come quickly. When a lot of people think of doing their taxes, they get very stressed. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. You also don’t have to spend a lot to get your taxes done. There are several good tax programs that offer step-by-step instructions that even a novice could use.
Depending on what type of tax filer you are, will determine the type of software you may need. If you are a:
E-Z Breezy Filer - Recommended tax software solutions include -
H&R Block TaxCut 2007 Premium Federal + State ($36.99)
TurboTax Basic 2007 ($18.99)
TurboTax Deluxe Federal + eFile 2007 ($39.99).
Fancy Filer - Amazon.com recommends -
TaxCut 2007 Home and Business + State + e-file ($79.99),
TurboTax Premier Federal + State 2007 ($68.99),
TurboTax Home and Business Federal + State 2007 ($71.49)
If you are a procrastinator, recommended tax solutions include -
TaxCut 2007 Premium Federal + State Flash Drive ($44.99)
TurboTax Deluxe Federal + E-File 2007 ($39.99),
TurboTax Premier Federal + State 2007 ($68.99)
For the extender, recommended software tax solutions include -
TaxCut 2007 Premium Federal + State + E-file ($61.49)
TurboTax Deluxe Federal + E-File 2007 ($39.99)
TurboTax Premier Federal + State 2007 ($68.99)
Last but not least, for the typical taxpayer recommended software includes -
TaxCut 2007 Premium Federal + State ($36.99)
TurboTax Deluxe Federal + State 2007 ($36.99)
TurboTax Premier Federal + State 2007 ($68.99)
So no matter what type of tax filer you are, there is software available to help you through the season with few headaches.
For a little something different on here I thought I would post the top 10 new year’s resolutions people make from an article on About.com:
Spend more time with family and friends. A poll showed that over 50% of Americans yearly vow to spend more time with family and friends and to appreciate them more.
Fitness changes. A common resolution most people make is to exercise more, eat less and to eat healthier.
Lose weight. Probably the most popular resolution of all. Over 65% of Americans are considered overweight, so no wonder why this is the most popular!
Quit smoking. This is a very smart resolution and a healthy one if you are able to kick the smoking habit! There are many resources available to help people quit and your lungs and heart will thank you! Your family will also thank you for no longer smelling like an ashtray.
Enjoy life more. How easy that is to say, but not as easy to do! Americans are so stressed out, it isn’t any wonder heart attacks and heart disease are on the rise. Find a hobby you enjoy to de-stress, take on less responsibility at work and enjoy your family more when you come home.
Quit drinking. For the social drinker, this may be an easy resolution to keep. For someone who has a drinking problem, they need further support and help from local groups, such as AA. There are still too many drunk drivers on the road killing innocent people.
Get out of debt. If you are spending more than you are making, or if your credit cards are maxed out, then you definitely need this resolution! Learn how to budget your money and always ask yourself before spending if the item is a “need” or a “want”. It you don’t need it, don’t buy it.
Learn something new. This is something I do. I like to learn and try new things so each year I attempt something I have never done before. It doesn’t have to be anything big but it can be fulfilling to accomplish it!
Volunteer. There are many organizations, charities and hospitals who are always looking for volunteers. Volunteer a few hours a week to make a difference in someones life.
Improve organizational skills. My husband needs to make this a resolution! I can’t stand walking downstairs into “his” room - it is a disaster area but I’m not allowed to touch it! I love to organize and if your house or a room is out of control, break the task down into small sections. Trying to tackle the whole room or house at once can be overwhelming and you will end up not accomplishing anything. Make a list for each room and follow the list, checking off each task as it is completed.
Every year it amazes me how much more America becomes advanced in technology and medical breakthroughs. I cannot wait until the day where a cancer cure makes the list! Below I have listed the top 10 medical breakthroughs with a brief synopsis of each one. You can read the entire article by clicking here. Here is the top 10 list from Time for medical breakthroughs:
1. Circumcision Can Prevent HIV
The NIH stopped two clinical trials of male circumcision after an early data review showed that the procedure dramatically reduced transmission of HIV.
2. Test for Metastatic Breast Cancer
Surgeons now have a faster way to assess whether breast cancer has spread, thanks to the FDA’s approval of the first molecular test to detect metastatic breast cancer.
3. First Human Vaccine Against Bird Flu
In 2007, the FDA approved the first human vaccine against the bird flu.
4. Alli for Weight Loss
Alli is the first FDA approved weight loss drug to be sold over-the-counter. Alli (a.k.a. orlistat) works by monkeying with lipase, an enzyme the body uses to break down and digest the fat in food.
5. New Diabetes Genes
Research teams from the United States and Finland uncovered four new genetic variants linked to an increased risk of diabetes.
6. End To Menstruation
Women wanting to dodge the nuisance of their monthly menses can now turn to Lybrel, the first continuous use birth control drug approved by the FDA.
7. Fibromyalgia Relief
This year the FDA approved the antiseizure drug Lyrica (pregabalin), made by Pfizer, as a treatment for fibromyalgia.
8. Early-Stage Test for Lung Cancer
A new blood test may improve the odds of catching the disease earlier, at a more curable stage. Called LC Detect, the test measures blood levels of a protein present in all stages of lung cancer, but rarely seen in healthy people.
9. New Source of Stem Cells
One advancement that may not have had its due was the discovery of stem cells in amniotic fluid. Researchers believe that amniotic fluid–derived stem cells, AFS for short, have the potential to give rise to many, but perhaps not all, of the 220 specialized cell types found in the human body — placing the potential usefulness of AFS cells somewhere between embryonic and adult stem cells.
10. Benefits of Vitamin D
A slew of new studies published in 2007 suggests that the vitamin has a lot of other benefits: Diets high in D may ward off diabetes, gum disease and multiple sclerosis — and maybe even cancer.
I can’t believe that we only have two weeks until Christmas! This year has went by so fast and each year just keeps going faster and faster. When I think back to this year everything seems like such a blur and I wonder if I have even accomplished anything worthwhile. Then I look at my son and see how well adjusted he is and what a great kid he is and I know that I have done something great and worthwhile.
He is so excited for Christmas to come and he just can’t wait until Christmas Eve. I have really gotten into Christmas this year and I can’t wait to see his face on Christmas morning when he opens his PlayStation!
I have been volunteering at my son’s school now for 3 months and I was finally told I needed to have a background check run. Why wait three months before telling me I need to have this? What if I were som pervert or child molester who had been volunteering there all of this time? That is a scary thought to me to think that there are people volunteering at the school, who might be sex offenders, who are around my child. Granted, they did finally give me the paperwork but shouldn’t that have been taken care of at the beginning of the school year? I have been volunteering at my son’s school now for 3 months and I was finally told I needed to have a background check run. Why wait three months before telling me I need to have this? What if I were som pervert or child molester who had been volunteering there all of this time? That is a scary thought to me to think that there are people volunteering at the school, who might be sex offenders, who are around my child. Granted, they did finally give me the paperwork but shouldn’t that have been taken care of at the beginning of the school year?
I also had to have a TB shot and that should have been done at the beginning of the year also. I’m going to bring this up at the next PTA meeting. I’m sure I’m not the only parent who has a problem with this.
I had never heard of Wife Appreciation Day until this morning when I was listening to the radio. Tomorrow, September 16th, is National Wife Appreciation Day so all of you hubbys out there had better be sucking up to your wives!
Trust me, I will be taking advantage of this and my husband will know! It won’t matter to him though. I’ll still have to cook lunch!
My son brought home from school yesterday an order form for Scholastic Books. I LOVE buying books from Scholastic. When he was in preschool, he would bring home order forms every few months and I was afraid that once he started school that would end. So I was pleasantly suprised to see these order forms in his backpack.
We buy a lot of books in this house. He has his own little library in his room. I have never felt that buying books was a waste. He is already reading and he has started off Kindergarten with an advantage because he has been surrounded by books and learning.
What I really like about the Scholastic Books is that they are reasonable. I can buy him books for less than $1.00 that would cost me $3.00 or more anywhere else. They have already chosen age appropriate books so you don’t really have to search around to find the perfect book.
I sent the order form back this morning with my check and he is excited. He will have even more books now to read for his book challenge!
My son brought home some information yesterday on a new program their elementary school is running. The school has a goal to read one million minutes this school year and each student, according to their age and grade, is supposed to read so many minutes per week. My son’s class each have to read 30 minutes per week. That isn’t hard at our house. We read all of the time.
Then us parents have to keep a diary of the books and minutes read each day and return the diary every Friday. For the kids who read the number of minutes required, they will have a weekly party in their classroom and receive special incentives and prizes.
What a great way to get children to read!
It was a hard morning for my son. He is missing mommy and he was trying hard to hold back the tears when he left for school. I just want to take him and say, "You can stay home, it’s okay". But I know that I can’t do that.
I’m sure once he got on the bus and got to school he was fine. I guess we will probably have days like this once in a while. I told him it wouldn’t be long and he would be back home and he would have me all to himself!
I started redecorating my son’s bedroom over the weekend and what a job! It has been a long time since I have done this kind of thing so I forgot how tired it makes me. I was tearing down the old wallpaper border and scraping off the old glue and I never thought I would get to the end of the one wall!
A friend of mine recommended using fabric softener mixed with water in a spray bottle. It works great and it is a lot cheaper then buying the wallpaper glue remover. I saved about $4.00 by going with the fabric softener.
With my health problems, it is going to take me a while but I will get it done - eventually!