Organize your life with your February 2009 Home Organizing Checklist .

____ February 1 Do you have special plans in mind for Valentine’s Day? If you want to go out to a special restaurant, call now for reservations. Cooking? Get out your cookbooks and plan now for that special dinner with your sweetheart.

____ February 2 Groundhog Day: I'm keeping my fingers crossed for an early spring in Wisconsin! Is everyone in your home continually coming down with colds? Wipe down doorknobs, cupboard pulls, bathroom surfaces, telephone handsets, remotes and video game controllers with disinfecting wipes to help control the spread of viruses.

____ February 3 Even though it’s February you can still do gardening chores. What you are able to do depends on what zone you live in. If you know when the last frost usually occurs, you can better plan when to add the first plants to your garden

____ February 4 Start to slowly stock up on bags of fertilizer, lawn bags and mulch as you see them on sale. If you accumulate this way, it won’t be a big hit to your budget all at once.

____ February 5 Did you know that today is International Pancake Day? Celebrate by having pancakes for dinner. Try a different recipe from your usual!

____ February 6 Start shopping for Valentine’s cards now for your children to exchange with their classmates. Many elementary classes have card exchanges and a small party for the students. This will give your child plenty of time to sign and address their cards.

____ February 7 Declare today family day! If the weather cooperates, prepare a picnic lunch and head to the park to play Frisbee Golf, or just toss a Frisbee around. If it’s still winter weather where you live, plan a family game day indoors and picnic on the floor!

____ February 8 If you haven’t done so yet, go through your home and videotape all of your belongings. In addition to a video record, do a paper inventory. Store this in a safety deposit box, or a fire-proof lock box. In the event of a fire, or other disaster, you will have a record of all of your belongings which will facilitate any insurance claims.

____ February 9 Do you get a lot of snow in your area? Be sure to clear the snow out of air intakes, exhausts and meters around the outside of your home.

____ February 10 Are you frustrated with trying to figure out how to dress everyday during the winter? Many web based weather programs will give a week long forecast specific to your zip code, that you can print out. This will give you a better idea of how to dress each day to go outside.



Want tons of great ideas for getting organized at home and in the office? Check out my new books, Finally Organized, Finally Free for the Home and Finally Organized, Finally Free for the Office. Now available in both print and digital PDF format.



____ February 11 Happy Birthday Thomas Edison! In honor of his birthday, if you haven’t already, make the switch to CFL’s in all of the light fixtures in your home. This will save a bit on your energy bill.

____ February 12 Did you know that smiling is as contagious as yawning? Try smiling at everyone you meet today. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how it will brighten your day, and everyone you smile at too!

____ February 13 Today is a great day to prepare valentines for every member of your family. You can place them at their place at the breakfast table so that they will find them in the morning!

____ February 14 It’s Valentine’s Day! Today is the day to put your plan into action! If you haven’t already made plans, pick up take-out, or a rotisserie chicken and sides from the deli at your local supermarket, along with a special dessert.

____ February 15 Are you having trouble finding an owner’s manual for an appliance or piece of electronics equipment in your home? Many of the manufacturers have web sites with links to the owner’s manual that you can download to your own computer. You will have the information you need at your fingertips, without having to store another booklet.

____ February 16 Presidents Day U.S.: In addition to today's task, do something patriotic! Do you get overwhelmed with home maintenance chores in the warmer months? There are several you can do now to spread them out a bit. If it isn’t terribly humid, you can do interior painting in February. The clerk at your local paint store can help you figure out how much paint you’ll need for each room.

____ February 17 Are you feeling like the light is dim inside? It could be dusty bulbs, which reduce the amount of light given out by your bulbs. Take time to gently dust your bulbs. Be sure all of your bulbs are cooled off before dusting.

____ February 18 This is a good time to trim and/or prune you trees and woody landscape plants on good weather days. If you’re fortunate to have a forsythia bush, you can bring the trimmings inside and put them in water. They’ll bloom and you’ll have spring flowers inside!

____ February 19 After a heavy snowfall, be sure to knock the snow off of tree branches to avoid having them break because of the weight of the snow.

____ February 20 Most of us don’t give much thought to our bathroom exhaust fans other than switching them on for showers. Take your vacuum, attach the brush to the wand and vacuum the cover of your exhaust fan. Also, pull the cover off and vacuum the dust from the fan itself. It will pull much more moisture out of the bathroom when it doesn’t have to labor due to dust on everything.



Keeping on top of everything going on in your life is easy, when you have the Get Organized Now!™ Easy Organizer. Now available in both print and digital PDF format.



____ February 21 Have you been spotty about feeding wild birds? If they have gotten used to food in the yard feeder, it’s important to continue to keep it full, especially in February when it’s much more difficult to find anything on the ground.

____ February 22 Starting today, plant seeds indoors for your summer flower and vegetable gardens.

____ February 23 When was the last time you cleaned out the dust from under your refrigerator? Many are on rollers which makes it so much easier to pull them out long enough to clean under and behind them.

____ February 24 Mardi Gras: What a great night to feast with your family and friends. Get a jump on getting your central air conditioner serviced. If you live where it’s already starting to reach 60 degrees during the day, techs can check out the unit.

____ February 25 Ash Wednesday: If this applies to you, don't forget to stop by your Church for service and ashes. Check the hoses on your washing machine. If any are in bad shape, buy replacements and install them. Just make sure that you turn the water off before unhooking the hoses, or it could get quite messy!

____ February 26 In many areas, big snowstorms and power outages are still possible. Make sure that you have fresh batteries in your flashlights, and that your flashlights are stored around the house where you can easily get to them in the event the power goes out. Keep them by your bedside, in the living room and in the kitchen.

____ February 27 Clean the exhaust duct on your dryer and clean out underneath the dryer to prevent possible fires due to lint buildup.

____ February 28 Make sure your fire extinguishers are charged up and ready to use. Be sure that your extinguishers are appropriate for the room you plan to use them in, in case of fire.

by Maria Gracia - Get Organized Now!™
Want to get organized? Get your FREE Get Organized Now!™ Idea-Pak, filled with tips and ideas to help you organize your home, your office and your life, at the Get Organized Now!™ Web site
http://www.getorganizednow.com