Candlemas falls on February 2nd and marks the  midway point of winter. We’re now between the shortest day and the spring equinox. Love to see that word – Spring!  Candlemas is also traditionally known as a Christian holiday marking the presentation of Jesus in the temple, forty days after his birth, according to Jewish custom.

I invite you to celebrate Jesus as the light in this dark world and pull out some candles this week to chase away the winter darkness. The tealight LED candles are great to line up in your windows and are totally safe. Of course, Valentines Day is celebrated this month which brings our favorite things: flowers and chocolates. And if no one buys you flowers and chocolate, go buy yourself some!

Other celebrations: February 4th Thank A Mailman Day

February 9th – Happy Chocolate Day

February 15th – Singles Awareness Day

February 20th – Love Your Pet Day

Don’t forget to light candles, thank your mailman, eat chocolate, encourage a single friend, and love your pet.

Can you think of ideas for articles about these celebrations?

Hello, my name is Cynthia. I am a magazineaholic.

The glossy covers and catchy titles lure me in and I fall off the wagon every time I receive a new offer for home decor tips: 12 issues for only $5.99! Sigh. If I could read them and get rid of them I’d be okay but they grow in multiple stacks all over my home. If you also suffer from this magazine affliction, please join me in my plan to simplify: 

1. Cancel subscriptions. Keep one or two favorites. Certainly not more than three : )
   
2. Recycle old issues. Give away or toss in recycle bin. Deep breath. You can do it.
3. Visit local library weekly.  Win-win situation. Borrow magazines for a week and return them.You can still admire all those beautiful houses and room layouts (will I ever own a home like this in my lifetime?) and catch up on all the newest household tips without cluttering up your home.
4. If you can subscribe to magazines, read them, and rid yourself of them immediately, ignore numbers 1-3 and enjoy! 

What areas of your life do you need to simplify?

What is truly bogging you down and cluttering up your life?

Today’s Revelation: The less clutter we have, the more time we can find to write!

You wake in the  morning and wander towards the kitchen for a caffeine-jolt only to come to an abrupt halt. With a dawning sense of dismay you view the towering stacks of paperwork cluttering your desk. Surely it didn’t look that bad yesterday. Perhaps some evil elves slipped in during the night toting trainloads of papyrus and dumping the whole caboose on your innocent desk. Sound familiar? It’s time to Divide and Conquer!

1. Separate into groups. Writing. Finance. Personal. Yes, the writing pile may be a tad overwhelming.
   
2. Plan out 10-15 minutes every day to work on one group. Yep, just one at a time, please. Toss or file away piece by piece in proper folders.
   
3. Keep it simple, stay focused on the job and be consistent.
4. Success! Before long, you will have whittled down at least one portion of your paper problems.
   

Please share a comment with any tips or suggestions on taming the paper monster.