Being a procrastinator is never a good quality to have, but unfortunately, I am one. Growing up, I did my projects last minute, turned in my assignments last minute, and did everything right before the deadline. Luckily, it’s never been an issue for me. I work better that way; being under pressure to get things done pushes me harder. A lot of people are like that. My mom is the total opposite. When she gets an assignment, she starts it before she knows anything about it. She starts putting things together before reading the directions and packs for vacation a week in advance. Don’t get me wrong though; I’m not like that with everything!
I always do my taxes a couple weeks before the deadline. I’m never really in a hurry to do my taxes as long as it gets done before April 15th and it always does. It’s a little more complicated when you’re self employed because you have so many forms, new deductibles, and receipts to organize. I could make it easier by doing it as I go, but that would be the responsible thing, and I’m not there yet. I’ve been putting a blog post together on ways to organize and do taxes during the process as well. I know it may not be any help this year, but it’ll be up for the next. I’ll be spending the next three days organizing my books and making sure I have all the right forms and receipts submitted.
This morning, my job was to organize over 2,000 (yes you’re seeing that right) receipts. I had to throw out ones that I don’t need, ones from the previous years, and some that have faded to the point where they look like blank papers. I keep them in a giant bin all year round. While doing all of that, I had two hyper dogs running in and out of my piles. I am happy that Grumples and Santino are getting along, but I think the desk is where I’m taking my work tomorrow.
I was so happy when they finally fell asleep!
I wanted to do my Easter blogpost today with a couple of recipes, but I left my memory card at my place. I may work on those while watching Dancing with the Stars tonight. I did find some photos on my phone from last weekend with TC & Karl. My mom and I took Karlee, my brother’s fiancé, to Waxhaw. She had seen all the photos on my blog and has been dyeing to go there.
We walked around all the little stores, spending most of our time going through the antiques, and then walked our way down to the haunted house I always talk about.
It was a bit chilly, so I put on my fall attire, jeans from AE, my top from Banana Republic and my boots from France.
We made our way down to the haunted house on the corner. There is no way anyone could live there. The lights don’t work, there is stuff everywhere, and it’s a historic landmark. Some nights, when we go to Waxhaw to get ice cream, there are clothes hanging from the balcony. In the day, they aren’t there. It’s the weirdest thing.
We’ve never seen anyone come in or out of the house, the doors are always wide open, and the screens are torn. You get the creep vibe when you’re standing on the other side of the cross fence.
Across the road from the haunted house is the Crossroads Coffee House. That is where Nick and I to play boardgames and drink coffee in the winter when there is nothing else to do. Usually we are waiting for our takeout across the street while we play.
I treated the girls to iced coffee. It was my mom’s first time trying it and she’s now a fan. I couldn’t believe she had never had it before. Iced coffee is my crack, I live off it in the summer.
We ended our Waxhaw walk with a scoop of ice cream at the Waxhaw Creamery. I split a scoop of Pistachio with Karlee.
I met up with my mom at Baxter Village on Friday so we could go shopping at the outlets together. She needed a new Easter dress and I never say no to a shopping day.
My favorite store at the outlets is Tilly’s…I am obsessssssed!! <3
After shopping, we headed over to McAlister’s in the Baxter Village for lunch. We both got soup, split a salad, and I ordered a fruit cup. I had the garden vegetable, and my mom had the tortilla soup.
We split the Savannah Chopped Salad. It had sliced, grilled chicken breast, dried cranberries, Gorgonzola cheese, honey roasted almonds, tomatoes and cucumbers. The sherry shallot dressing was so fresh and fruity!
<3 Now I’m back to my tax duties and I may be back to blog during Dancing with the Starts tonight!
xo
Kellie says
Why would you split a salad???
LInda @ The Fitty says
You’re one successful procrastinator! Look how successful your blog is despite a bad habit.
Happy Easter 🙂
Kristin C says
Awwww. The fur babies are so cute together! And Santino has the cutest giant ears!
Liv @ Healthy Liv says
Becoming an adult is awesome for so many reasons…but doing taxes is definitely not one of them! Luckily, my dad still helps me out with them <3 but it can definitely be confusing.
I've actually never had iced coffee either! It looks really good, though.
Cassie says
Sigh, procrastination is tough to break!
Laura Hager says
Tax time is no fun, but it looks like your adventure was great! I’d love to check out the haunted house!
Laura
https://laurahager.blogspot.com/
Michelle says
I was always like you when I was in school! I still am who am I kidding! Have you ever seen Ghost Adventures!? I love that ghost show; the beginning is cheesy but love their evidence sometimes.
Danielle Wooding @ New England Daughter says
Sounds like a NeatDesk/NeatReceipts scanner or something like it might be a great future investment with so many receipts. Scan your receipts as you get them and then come tax time you can export it right to TurboTax or whatever you use.
Sarah says
I dread doing taxes.
The pups are so cute together!
Flip Flops and Furs
Andrea says
Ugh taxes, I feel your pain, while here in Canada we get an extra 2 weeks, I’m often still sending mine off mere days before it’s due.
Margaret @ Happy Healthy PDX says
You guys, I can’t lie, I LOVE doing my taxes. Granted, I’m a financial analyst by day, and I haven’t had to do self-employment taxes ever, but I’m a total nerd about it. Mostly I like planning ahead to get a refund, and then watching the refund get bigger as I enter more stuff into TurboTax.
It sounds so pathetic. But I’m ok with it.
Ashley says
That’ll be me next year… I know taxes are a little more complicated when you are self employed and next year will be the first time I do them for my business haha hopefully I figure it all out. I have been saving all my receipts, so I have that part figured out.
Ashley
Brittany says
Ah I love Tilly’s too!!! Maurice’s has been even better for a while now. Have you heard of that store? Super cute things there.
laurel says
I know you posted this forever ago, but I was just wondering about your receipts. Do you save all of your receipts year round for anything and everything? Or just items you know you can claim? I never really save any receipts…and I have a feeling I probably should be. What types of receipts should I be saving to try and claim? I usually just do a simple tax form and never worry about that. 😛
Thank! ps. please do a blog post this spring about your tax process, it would be really interesting to see how a self employed blogger does it in case anyone is ever interested in blogging. 🙂
<3 Laurel