The White Stuff

Another good guide: your prior-year tax return. "Use that as a checklist to make sure you've covered all the bases," Walter says. Then get to work collecting whatever information you're missing. Just think how proud Uncle Sam will be.

Get organized. You could continue to avoid your hall closet in the hopes that it and its contents will somehow spontaneously combust, leaving nothing but a greasy black blob. But with the whole day yawning before you, why not tackle a home organization project?

Think small: In one day, you can expect to organize a master bedroom closet, or two hallway or linen closets, or all the drawers in your kitchen, says Bridget Cooper, a professional organizer who runs Pieces in Place in Springfield. Start by sorting items into categories, then go through each pile to determine what to keep and what to toss. The final step is putting things away.

Tips for success: Take hourly breaks, tackle the easiest pile first and buy containers after you've sorted and culled. And when in doubt, throw it out. "Some people hold on to things thinking they might need them someday," Cooper says. "But that someday rarely comes."

Lend a hand. Instead of sitting on your rump all day, set aside a few hours to aid someone else. One idea: Help the elderly. Make it a one-day commitment to a neighbor who might need groceries, transportation, a hot meal or his sidewalk shoveled.

Or take it further and sign up to help with someone's care year-round. To find volunteer opportunities near you, call the U.S. Administration on Aging's Eldercare Locator line at 800-677-1116.

Get a job. Since you're not working at your actual job, how about working on your career? Tweak your résumé and hit the job boards. But avoid the urge to blast your résumé in every direction possible. "Don't fall into the 'ready, fire, aim' trap," says David Opton, chief executive and founder of ExecuNet, an executive networking organization based in Norwalk, Conn. "Research is the name of the game."

Family Bonding Time

Beat your kids. No, not that way. But a good snowball fight can be a nice way to reestablish your place as head of the family. Or it can be a humiliating lesson in the power of the little people. Whichever it is, at least you're all together, which is probably a good thing.

Just remember to bundle 'em up and limit outdoor activities to 30 minutes at a time so the kiddies don't get frozen, says Joseph Wright, executive director of the Child Health Advocacy Institute at Children's Hospital. Of course, you could also go for the kinder-gentler form of family fun and just build a snowman.

Trace Your Roots. Ever wonder why no one in your family talks about Great-Great-Uncle Everett, whose last known address was somewhere in Leavenworth, Kan.? Find the skeletons lurking in your closet or fun facts about your family tree.

Tracking your people can start with a simple online search but is best begun with a few calls to key family members, says Kathleen Hinckley, executive director of the Association of Professional Genealogists. "It's very important to ask them what heirlooms or family documents they might have in their possession" and what they remember about your clan, she says.

Next, take your search online. Hinckley recommends Googling by county and state for genealogy links (but be sure to spell "genealogy" right). You'll find a host of free databases, plus for-fee services. Your library might also have genealogy databases that you can access online using your library card. Or consider hiring a genealogist; fees range from $15 per hour to more than $100 per hour.