February 2009 Monthly 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
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. Start writing down your gardening and landscaping plans for this year.

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. 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.

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.

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 -- Valentine’s Day
Put your romantic plans into action today. 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
(1.) In addition to today's task, do something patriotic!
(2.) 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.

February 21
It’s important to keep the bird feeders 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
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, technicians can check out the unit.

February 25 -- Ash Wednesday
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.