National Doughnut Day!

Guess what?  June 1 is national donut day.  To celebrate, Krispy Kreme is giving out free donuts!

"The offer is good for one free doughnut of any variety per customer on Friday, June 1 only. Visit http://KrispyKreme.com/ for store locations. "

Whatever happened to the donuts burger idea?

<3 to my active blog readers from your not so active blogger ;)

Duck tape or Duct tape?

More randomness:

One day my coworker messaged me saying that she purchased "duck" tape for emergencies.  I corrected her saying that it should be "duct" tape.  That same day, I went to a crafts store and saw that they sell "duck" tape.  Out of curiosity, I googled "duck tape vs duct tape".

It turns out that both names are appropriate.

"Duck" tape was first manufactured during WWII when the military needed a waterproof tape.  Everyone referred to it as "duck" tape, because it is waterproof like a duck's feathers.

After the war, it was discovered that the tape was also great for joining heating and air conditioning duct work (special duct tape, not the common duct tape). The color of the tape was changed from the original army green color to silver and people started to refer it as "duct" tape.

spring colors

Happy Monday everyone!  I wanted to post this last Friday, but I wasn't able to because my life has been taken over by work, p90x, and kdrama...

I finally got to play with my new camera lens (Canon EF 50mm f/1.8)!  Here are some spring colors for you to enjoy. :)

Tingtinging out.

hello world

Hello world.  After a busy first half of April, I'm back!

I just found out last week that one of the famous scene from Mrs. Doubtfire was filmed in Bridges, a restaurant in Danville.  We had a firm party there last week and got to eat in the Mrs. Doubtfire room.

Have a great week everyone!

Checking Tips

Hi everyone!

This post probably should of came before my "where's my refund" post... but I figured there are SOME of you out there who haven't filed your taxes yet.

If you are preparing your own tax return this year, before you press that submit button, double check the following:

1) Make sure that you have reported all your earned income. If you changed jobs last year, make sure that you've reported all your W-2s received from both your new and old employer(s).

2) Form 1099 (i.e. Form 1099-INT, Form 1099-DIV, Form 1099-B, Form 1099-Misc) - Make sure you report all the income per the 1099 forms. The IRS will know if you forgot to report something!

3) Change in status - Don't forget that if you got married, divorced, or became a new parent during the tax year, you may have a change in filing status!

4) Change in exemption - If you became a proud new parent or if your child is all grown up and finally moved out of your household, you may have to review your dependent claims.

5) If you itemize your deductions, skim through the Form Schedule A to ensure that you have claimed all your deductions.

6) If you have made energy improvements to your home in 2011, you may be eligible for a tax credit.  Google Form 5695 instructions for more information.

7) Check to make sure that your name, address, and personal information are correct on the tax returns.  Also check for typos.

8) Compare your current year tax return with prior year's. This will help remind you if you may have forgotten anything.

9) Don't forget to sign your returns (Federal and State) if you are paper filing!

If you haven't filed your income tax returns and your household income is less than $50,000, you may be eligible for free tax preparation help. Check out my previous blog post for more information.

To find out when taxes are due, click here.

Have a great Easter weekend! Lent is going to be over soon!



All information provided here are intended as a convenient source of tax information. This information is general in nature, is not complete, and may not apply to your specific situation. You should consult your own tax advisor regarding your tax needs.

MEGA Millions

Sorry I've been MIA!  There are 19 days left of tax season and I am swamped.

When I do have a spare moment at work, I dream about what I would do if I win tonight's MEGA Millions lottery jackpot...

If you do win, check out my friend's blog for some great advice.

Good luck everyone!

Where Are My Tax Refunds?

Hello all!  Work has been super busy, so here's a short and informative blog post...

You filed your income tax returns, but you are wondering when you'll get your refund?  You could check them here:

Where is my Federal tax refund? 

You could check 72 hours after you e-file or 4 weeks after you mail you paper return.
You will need your social security number, filing status, and exact refund amount.

Where is my California tax refund?

You will need your social security number, mailing address, and refund amount.
You will generally receive your state tax refund within 7-10 days if you e-filed your return or 8-12 weeks from the date you mailed your return.

If you haven't filed your tax return and your household income is less than $50,000, you may be eligible for free tax preparation help.   Check out my previous blog post for more information.

Happy Monday!


All information provided here are intended as a convenient source of tax information. This information is general in nature, is not complete, and may not apply to your specific situation. You should consult your own tax advisor regarding your tax needs.