A lot of us need our tax refunds and can be thankful the recent partial government shutdown is over for now. The IRS starts processing tax refunds today, January 28. Best turn your tax statement in online as soon as possible, since President Trump says the shutdown may resume on February 15. After filing, you can think about what to do with your tax refund. The following are a few ideas, some practical and some completely impractical.

There is a secret to enjoying the most boring things in life, and it’s listening to audiobooks while doing them! The best part is that time can fly while you do things like drive in stop-and-go traffic, fold laundry, or rake leaves. What’s second best is that even people who think they have no patience for book-reading can “read a book” by listening to it. Listening to music is nice, sure. There are more benefits to reading a book, though, plus a good book has more mesmerizing qualities. The following are some of the benefits of listening to audiobooks.

If your hope for 2019 is to be happier, science can help. Leave behind unpleasant memories of crappy things that happened last year and forge a sunnier path for yourself. There are scientifically proven ways to chase away gloom and live a more joyful life, even when the worst things can spoil your day, like dropping your phone in the toilet. The following are some very doable changes that may seem small but can profoundly increase your happiness.