Yep, between January 15 and April 15, Tax Preparers will be busy and hard at work in their offices.  While they may be the only ones who look forward to this time, although working 80 hours a week and getting little sleep is often their plight, there are ways to avoid overstressing about your taxes. 

• Listen to your favorite music while getting your information together to take to your tax professional or while you are compiling the information to do the taxes yourself
• Social Security numbers for all dependents
• Copy of last year’s income tax return
• W-2 forms and/or 1099s received from employers, banks, self-employment, etc.
• Unemployment compensation statements
• Reciepts for itemized deductions (if you are going to itemize) including contributions to your IRA, moving expenses, college expenses, medical and dental expenses, gifts to charities and churches, real estate taxes,and daycare/childcare costs
• Child care provider information (name, employer ID or Social Security number)
• Form 1098:  Mortgage interest or student loan interest
• Heating Bills for Home Heating Credit
• Spreadsheet, receipts or proof of expenses for business (if self-employed)
• If you have difficulty putting the information on the forms, as many of us with math anxiety do, using a tax preparer can greatly alleviate the anxiety and worry and provide you with peace of mind
• If you are concerned about an audit, hire a tax professional that will thoroughly go over your deductions and will provide you with assistance in the event that you received that dreaded letter

If you were at Flint's Largest Mom2Mom Sale in December, you may have met Nikole with H&R Block (www.hrblock.com) or Christina with Liberty Tax Service (cmccomas@libertytax.com).  I'm sure that either of these ladies would be happy to hear from you to discuss how she can be of service to you.

Looking for a new community?  Our December Presenting Sponsor, King's Lane Apartments in Burton has a terrific deal.  Check out our website for December's Bulletin and special deals http://www.m2msale.net/december-2011-bulletin.html

Happy New Year! 

As moms we are always reinventing ourselves, creating new avenues by which to accomplish tasks, and modifying our lives to meet the needs of our families.  Often that means being able to enjoy the things we love, maybe taking a pilates or yoga class, or finding a group of moms that we can socialize with.  Other times that may mean setting aside our needs to take care of whatever is most pressing in our home and with our children.  As our children age and change, different priorities often compete for the most attention.  Keeping a balance in life when one is surrounded by constant change can often be daunting.  But, little steps can make a huge difference over time.  Taking a few minutes to ground yourself can really help to focus a day that is out of control.  First, breathe in deeply while counting to 4.  Then hold that breath for the count of 8, feeling it flow into your fingers and toes.  Then exhale with a sigh for the count of 16.   Take a normal breath and repeat this again.

This de-stress in a minute technique can bring improvement to both your physical and mental well-being by creating a calm moment and bringing more oxygen into your cells.  It is a great way to deal with the day to day stresses that often catch us off guard. 

Do you have a helpful tip that has worked for you that you would like to share?  Email them to mary@m2msale.net.  If we use your tip you could get $5 off of a table rental or a free early buy wristband.