Skip to main content

Organized Card Giver Post #4 Technology Hack For Keeping Addresses And Birthdays Organized

Hey everyone, 

Last post I mentioned keeping a google document for birthdays. Were you thinking.....I'm sending handmade cards to avoid technology and how impersonal it feels! So, why is this woman, asking me to use technology for birthdays?! 



I ask myself everyday, what the balance is between technology and personal. I like to use personal handmade gifts and cards or spend quality time with family and friends. But, I like to use technology almost like a personal assistant. If you are related to me, you know I would not even know what to buy at the grocery store if it weren't for my amazon Alexa. 

I tend to forget things. Do you ?  I will at times have momentary lapse and forget even the names of my colleagues and then I end up with an awkward..." hey you!! " Very similarly...I forget birthdays, not because I don't care, but because I just can only keep so many things in my head. This is where I like to use technology. 

One of the reasons to keep a digital copy/excel format of addresses and birthdays is that you can easily "carry" it with you. I have a google sheets app downloaded on my phone and on the computer, which means if I want to edit the document on the go, I can. If I want to edit the same document while at home, I can. And, I do this without multiple copies of everything. I got sick of emailing myself back and forth from different emails. 

My recommendation is to set up  your excel file as I've shown below. Keep a different column for Name, Addresses, Birthdays, Email, Relationship ( this is important if you want to mix business with personal) 



Once you enter the information in, click the first row, click Data Tab and Hit the filter button. You can sort the Birthday column A-> Z by right clicking. This will sort all the birthdays in chronological order from January to December. ** Do not add birth years in, because that will mess up the sorting. Just the month and the day**

Once you have this, you will be easily able to identify which birthdays are coming up, without going through your address book and cross -referencing the birthday book. You can also use the typed up addresses and transfer them easily to the Labels if you decide to print your labels. 

If you need help with this email me at paperbirchdesigns@gmail.com. I'm an excel nut and if I can help you, I will. 

So, try it out! Set up an awesome excel spreadsheet and enable yourself to not forget, and to save time digging through and finding out what birthdays are coming up. 

Have a great new year! 2018 is just around the corner! 
Archie Andrews


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Organized Card Giver Post #2: Prepare to Succeed!

Hey everyone,  If you’re reading this post, it means you’re somewhat serious about the New Year’s resolution to send cards to people you care about. Do me a favor and give yourself a quick pat on the back from me. Starting is half the battle.  Actually, it’s more important to start, than to succeed. People that start something are usually the ones that end up finishing strong. I tend to procrastinate, just like everyone else. But, just like with anything, if I tell myself, just start….just run for 5 mins, just workout for 5 mins, just clean for a minute, I build momentum to keep going forward. Then when the time is up, its not so bad. You can keep going more… That’s exactly what we’re going to do this week. We’re going to start strong. That’s all you need to do for this week. I know the New Year’s doesn’t start until a month from now, but we want to actually hit the ground running as soon as the new year hits. So, preparation is the key here. For this week#1, and...
Post a Comment
Read more

Diy Popcorn Box for a Movie Night or a Movie themed Party

Smartfood popcorn and regular popcorn have become a necessity in our household. In my household, we don't just Netflix and chill. We Netflix and chill and snack! You have to date night with a purpose and cuteness. Check out this popcorn treat holder. I used stampin up thinlits and stamps to make this cute popcorn holder.  Stampset: Ready to Pop PhotoPolymer Stamp Set - $16.00 Item Number 141513 Thinlit: Popcorn Box Thinlit Dies -$33.00 Item Number: 141473 To purchase these stamps/thinlits click Shop Now: archieandrews.stampinup.net Instructions:  1. Cut out the paper width of the thinlit. You will be making 2 of these cut outs to make 1 popcorn box holder.  2. If you want to scallop the edges of the box, use the scallop thinlit on top edge of the popcorn box. This step is optional based on your personal preference.  3. You will need two of the these to make 1 popcorn box.  4. Now comes the fun stampin/embell...
Post a Comment
Read more

Transform Your Crates With A Distressed Look

Happy Monday everyone! Let's start out the week with something to look forward to. I don't know about you, but I always enjoy planning for a project and looking forward to doing something creative. You ever have any projects that you have been planning for a while? This past weekend, Ray and I, worked on a DIY project that we had been talking about for a while. It finally happened, and it was oh so rewarding!  We tranformed our crates and gave it a grey distressed look!  Instructions: This is the before picture! The crates are just your ordinary run of the mill crates, that I got from Michaels. You can get your wood or crate of choice that you would like to distress.  Start with a Dark Walnut Stain ( Minwax Woodstain 2716). Coat with the entire crate/wood with the stain. Use a rag and wipe the excess stain. The longer you keep the stain, the darker the grey stain, and less you keep the stain, the lighter grey it will be.  Take a r...
1 comment
Read more