For years I struggled with failing to update my physical Christmas notebook (3 ring binder).
But although I still have my physical Christmas notebook, for the most part, I have gone digital.
For the past couple of years I have kept all my Christmas notes, documents, spreadsheets, some recipes and other misc things on a thumb drive.
Work or home I have quick access to my documents for updating, etc. It has worked really well for me!
I just periodically make a copy of my files to our harddrive unit at home - just in case the thumb drives stops working or GASP - gets lost.
I have files saved back to Chr 2005 at this point. Although anything 2006 and before is a little sketchy since I was relying more on the paper version of my notebook then.
At the end of each year I resave my master documents with a new name reflecting the coming year. I delete any unwanted text and use the new version of the document throughout the coming year.
Example: Master Gift List
I have always used a Word document. I list the names of everyone I will gift to in bold. Then after their names I may enter down a few lines and make an area for their Stocking Stuffers to be recorded.
If I give to them on their birthday, I enter down a couple more lines and make an area for that too, including their actual birthdate.
For DH I have additional areas beneath his name for Valentines Day, our anniversary and now, Father's Day.
As the year goes on and I purchase a present or stocking stuffer, I record it for the appropirate person and highlight the text green, to show I already have the item.
So today I resaved my old "Master Gift List 2010" as "Master Gift List 2011"
I deleted the gift info relevant to 2010 and updated any dates that change from year to year - for example - Father's Day was 6/20 last year, is 6/19 this year...
Some gift items are the same on certain people from year to year, i.e. they always get an ornament or a particular type of gift card, etc. I can very quickly have a new working document to track the coming year's gift giving.
I mainly use the document for Christmas gifting, but it is helpful to track other gifting events as well.
Of course this is only one of several documents that make up my "notebook". But outside of the always growing amount of recipes I gather - my core group of files stay the same each year - I just have them on the computer instead of printed out on paper.
Has anyone else made the transition to a digital "notebook"?
Pros? Cons? Thoughts? Suggestions?
But although I still have my physical Christmas notebook, for the most part, I have gone digital.
For the past couple of years I have kept all my Christmas notes, documents, spreadsheets, some recipes and other misc things on a thumb drive.
Work or home I have quick access to my documents for updating, etc. It has worked really well for me!
I just periodically make a copy of my files to our harddrive unit at home - just in case the thumb drives stops working or GASP - gets lost.
I have files saved back to Chr 2005 at this point. Although anything 2006 and before is a little sketchy since I was relying more on the paper version of my notebook then.
At the end of each year I resave my master documents with a new name reflecting the coming year. I delete any unwanted text and use the new version of the document throughout the coming year.
Example: Master Gift List
I have always used a Word document. I list the names of everyone I will gift to in bold. Then after their names I may enter down a few lines and make an area for their Stocking Stuffers to be recorded.
If I give to them on their birthday, I enter down a couple more lines and make an area for that too, including their actual birthdate.
For DH I have additional areas beneath his name for Valentines Day, our anniversary and now, Father's Day.
As the year goes on and I purchase a present or stocking stuffer, I record it for the appropirate person and highlight the text green, to show I already have the item.
So today I resaved my old "Master Gift List 2010" as "Master Gift List 2011"
I deleted the gift info relevant to 2010 and updated any dates that change from year to year - for example - Father's Day was 6/20 last year, is 6/19 this year...
Some gift items are the same on certain people from year to year, i.e. they always get an ornament or a particular type of gift card, etc. I can very quickly have a new working document to track the coming year's gift giving.
I mainly use the document for Christmas gifting, but it is helpful to track other gifting events as well.
Of course this is only one of several documents that make up my "notebook". But outside of the always growing amount of recipes I gather - my core group of files stay the same each year - I just have them on the computer instead of printed out on paper.
Has anyone else made the transition to a digital "notebook"?
Pros? Cons? Thoughts? Suggestions?
