Ahhh, the end of another year…

It's a wonderful time for reflection, a chance to see how far you've come over the last twelve months, and a time to plan for the future. You might decide to page through the 2015 photo albums, but here's another option: reminisce while you're going through last year's tax records!

Prior tax returns. This is a great time to lessen the amount of paperwork you’ve been saving. Most sources say you should save your tax returns forever, but that supporting documents (sales copies, receipts, etc.) can be shredded after three years. A good rule of thumb is to keep any documents that have to deal with property for as long as you own the property. This includes depreciation schedules, contracts, and so on.

Remember to safeguard your tax returns, as they do contain information such as your family's names and social security numbers.

Proper documentation. It's important to make sure you have corroborating evidence to back up any income and deductions on your returns. Mileage logs, company reimbursement policies, receipts for job-related moves or education—all of these are important to have on hand for business deductions. Be sure you have receipts for any out-of-pocket medical expenses, including your health insurance policy payments if it's not through your employer.

Sure, it's not exactly a Norman Rockwell post-holiday moment, but getting a head start on your taxes can get it over with so you have time to do other, more enjoyable things.

If you could be assured of success and good fortune for the next twelve months, what would you be willing to do? There are many traditions and superstitions associated with celebrating New Year's Eve and New Year's Day in an effort to bring about prosperity and good luck.

Here are a few easy ones that might make a difference, if you believe in that sort of thing!

Take Care of Business...Many believe that it's important to have debts paid off by New Year's Eve, in order to be debt-free for the coming year. Likewise, having your pantry filled with food at the start of the year will mean that you will not go hungry.

…But maybe not the Laundry.  Having your house clean by New Year's Eve is considered lucky, but don't clean your home—sweep, take out garbage, wash clothes or dishes—on New Year's Day. Doing so risks bringing about bad luck.

Bring a Little Color into Your Life.Many cultures believe colors have special meanings, so it's no wonder many superstitions involve color. Some people believe decorating your home in bright colors for the New Year will bring luck; others believe wearing colorful clothing may do the same thing. When it comes to choosing colors, red is usually associated with prosperity or romance; green means good health; blue symbolizes peace; orange is for those seeking wisdom.

Regardless of your beliefs in superstitions, beginning the New Year with a fresh outlook and a willingness to allow positive experiences into your life will help bring you a year of good fortune.

Your friend knows every Christmas carol ever sung by heart. They have seen Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and the Charlie Brown Christmas special so many times they can recite every line. Santa doesn’t even bother to check his naughty and nice list when he receives their letters. 

Think they know everything about Christmas? Here's some trivia you might surprise them with:

• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was created by Robert L. May in 1939, as an assignment for Montgomery Ward department store, who wanted to create an original coloring book to sell. May wrote a poem, which his brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, then adapted into a song.
• The first movie to feature Mrs. Claus was Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964).
• A spider web found on Christmas morning is supposed to bring good luck.
• Animal Crackers in the circus style box were designed with a string handle so they could be hung on Christmas trees.
• The first tree put up at the Rockefeller Center was during its construction in 1931. Workers were celebrating the fact that they had a job during the Depression and decorated the tree with paper garlands, cranberries and tin cans. Two years later the first “official” Christmas tree was installed.
• “Jingle Bells” was the first song broadcast from space, by the Gemini 6 astronauts on December 16, 1965.
• Christmas trees—pines, spruces, and firs—are edible. The needles are a good source of vitamin C.
• Red apples were one of the very first Christmas tree decorations.

The first artificial Christmas trees were made in Germany during the 19th century. They were made using goose feathers which were dyed green.
So find your friend and see how much they really know about Christmas.  Happy Holidays!

Does it seem like every December 24^th you are still at the stores looking for the perfect gift for Aunt Ethel? And undoubtedly, if you can actually find it, the price is a lot more than you were planning to spend.

Waiting to shop at the last minute is just asking for extra stress and an opportunity to spend more money than what you had budgeted. To avoid this from happening, you need to make a plan.

Do what Santa does: make a list and check it twice.

This way you can be sure that you haven't neglected someone, and also that you aren't buying extra gifts “just in case.”Keep your list handy—add it to your phone, or keep it in your car so that you have it on hand when you're shopping in a store or online.

If you're planning to make presents, be sure to give yourself adequate time to buy any supplies you need as well as time to be able to create the gifts.

Decide how much money you would like to spend on gifts this year. Ideally you should give yourself several months, so by spending the money over that time you won't feel a big crunch at the end of the year.

If you are shopping online, use a prepaid card with a set amount to avoid overspending.

If you are in a store, only bring a limited amount of cash.

 A little time spent on planning your gift buying, can help you avoid blowing your budget, and lessen your holiday stress.

Is it possible to make it from Halloween to New Year's Day without gaining weight? If this is a time of temptations for you, here are some tips on making healthy choices and avoiding weight gain:

• Fill up with a couple of glasses of water before eating. Use small plates and skinny glasses, so that you'll eat and drink smaller portions. To avoid a second helping, pop a sugar-free mint in your mouth.
• Put some distance between your weaknesses and yourself. If you're shopping, plan a route avoiding the mall's food court. At parties, make sure you stand out of reach of the chips and dip.
• Eat a light healthy meal before parties, then just sample at the main event.
• When choosing your food, try to fill your plate with a variety of colors and textures, to be sure that you're eating healthy fruits and vegetables.
• Don't let food be your focus at events. Pay attention to the conversation, get involved with party games, take photos, or sing carols—have a good time at the party and make some wonderful memories.
• Sneak in as much physical activity as you can. The holidays can be a stressful time, but exercising can help relieve that stress. Park farther from the store's entrance when shopping, and use stairs instead of elevators or escalators. Even doing your Christmas baking can burn some calories—make a few extra cookies, and burn more calories walking them over to your neighbor's house.

Remember: the holidays aren't just about food. A few healthy choices now can mean more holidays to spend with your family and friends in the years to come.

Is it Hanukkah or Chanukah? How is it spelled anyway? For the answer to this and other burning (no pun intended) questions—read on! 

The reason you so often see varied spellings of Hanukkah is because it's an anglicized spelling of a Hebrew word—khanuká, meaning ‘dedication.’ So you may see Hanukka, Channuka or Khanukah or any number of alternate versions.

So how did Hanukkah get started? Long ago, a small band of Jews fought against the great Greek armies in an effort to regain their religious freedom. Once the battle had been won, they wanted to rededicate their temple. To their dismay, they found most of the oil needed for the menorah (candelabrum) had been defiled by the Greeks. There was only enough oil to burn for one day, yet it burned for eight days—the time that was needed to prepare a new supply of oil for the menorah. An eight-day festival—Hanukkah, was declared to commemorate this miracle.

The menorah used to celebrate Hanukkah is not the usual seven-branched candelabrum. The chanukkiyah has nine branches. On each night of Hanukkah, a new candle is lit—to be burned for half an hour or until the candle burns out—from the candle in the ninth holder, called the shamash.

While it seems like the date for Hannukah changes every year, it's actually held on the same day—on the Hebrew calendar. The eight-day holiday starts on the 25th day of Kislev, which can occur anytime from late November to late December.

There are many more facts and trivia about Hanukkah. Even though it’s often associated with Christmas because of the commonality of season and gifts for children, Hanukkah is not the Jewish version of Christmas. For more information about Hanukkah as well as some of the delicious foods associated with the celebration, check out these videos at History.com.