 |
I just have to say, I was amazed when I posted Andrea’s reader question last week. You came through with completely wonderful ideas for Andrea to give at the approaching wedding. So I thought we’d keep this reader question thing going with a question from Naomi.
“I was wondering if anyone has a good way to write down all the gift ideas they have for specific people throughout the year? I was thinking about filling them under surname in an address book or by date in a special diary, but i bet you guys will have some great suggestions.” —Naomi
Dear readers, if you have a system that you’ve found works for you, we’d love to hear. Above is a an offering from a favorite stationer, Knock Knock. This little baby comes complete with a place to keep greeting cards and even tips on writing birthday cards. But I’d love to hear what you do. I’ve been thinking I even need a place to jot down gifts given, so I don’t end up giving repeats. Thoughts anyone?
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
If anyone uses a Mac, Bento is amazing for keeping track of stuff like this. You have different fields in your contact list where you keep track of gift ideas, what you got, even drag electronic receipts or the website to that person’s page. Or I used to just keep a tiny notebook in my purse and would jot stuff down. Still works. :)
I just use a spreadsheet in google documents (I use gmail as my email) – I have a different tab for my family, my inlaws, the husband, and our friends. I find it works really well for me since I can access it through my email. I started doing it a couple years ago and now I can’t imagine how I used to store all the ideas in my memory.
I use this perpetual calendar for keeping track of birthdays. It works pretty well and looks cute. The only problem I’ve found is birthdays at the beginning of the month sneak up on me and sometimes I don’t have time to get a card to the birthday person in time.
I’m still super old school and I keep a small paper clipped stack of index cards in my purse (two names per card) and I write gift ideas down as I get them since I always have my purse with me. Oh and I keep my own wish list in there too since I can never think of anything I want when someone asks me what I want for my birthday. :)
I don’t think this is the best way, but I use the Notes feature in Outlook. I keep notes for Christmas by year and log what I gave to people. That way i can go back year by year and make sure I don’t duplicate. Certain people (family) each get a separate note with gift ideas for Christmas and birthdays. Otherwise my friends tend to get whatever I have recently loved. If I read a great book I’ll purchase 4 or 5 and give them to the next set of friends with birthdays. I’m currently sitting on several BPA free water bottles that I plan to fill with fun things and give as birthday gifts.
I’m not a big gift giver, so this system has worked so far for me. The other thing that helps me stay organized is writing down notes about people in Outlook under their contact page. And birthdays / anniversaries show up in my Outlook calendar so i can be on top of cards.
As long as I keep working I’ll be ok. Not sure what I’d do if I ever lose Outlook! ;)
I wish I had a nifty system in place, but really do not. I usually make a list of gift ideas in a spreadsheet mid-year for Christmas gift giving. Throughout the year, I just jot ideas down on scratch paper.
An idea, though, if you keep a monthly calendar from year to year is to write down the gift idea or actual gift on the recipient’s birthday or special occasion. You could flip through last year’s calendar to remember what gift was given.
I’m all eyes and ears on this question since I need a system. And so I can quit relying on my failing mental notes.
Ooh my mum has a birthday book like that and it’s fab – she’s got birthday cards and magazine clipping stored in there from years ago, all waiting for the right day! I just use the calendar on my phone, a present drawer and my memory…it’s serving me well so far!
One of my favorite iPhone apps is “better Christmas list” It’s been a great way to manage my gift closet (as well as my ideas)!!!
This is kind of a high tech unromantic solution but I love it, there are several applications for iPhones and blackberries and such that do just what you are looking for, I have one called mgifts, I think it was free but may have been 99 cents, I bought it around the holidays to keep track of gift lists for different people but now I use it all year round, adding things when I see or think of them, I always have my phone with me so it’s super convenient!
I use a spreadsheet in excel that works well for me. It’s actually part of my budgeting system. I have the people I give gifts to down the side, with columns across for each gift giving opportunity, ideas, and how much I’ve budgeted. It’s great to have a total for my yearly budget to save up, and I have different tabs for each year so I have a history. And I love having a place to put my ideas when I have them so I’m not scrounging up a last minute gift — say for my mother-in-law for mother’s day. I also have different color codes for each box for when I’ve bought the gift and sent the gift–my gift-giving is done for the year when all boxes are pink!– which I find helpful. My other tabs in that spreadsheet include Christmas card lists and neighbor gift giving info and Christmas sibling gift exchange rotations.
Yes, I am with Stefany on this one. I have google docs for EVERYTHING. I even share my fav recipies with my mom and sisters and keep track of my excersice roster. I have a doc for all the sites and links that i want to have a look at when i have more time. Works great!
I carry a small notebook in my purse that I keep gift lists in. I have a page for each of my children, myself, and my husband and jot down ideas when I see or think of them. I also jot down ideas for people (grandparents, godchildren, close friends) that we perpetually buy for. I also keep a page for teacher gift ideas, favorite kid gifts, favorite baby gifts – so when a shower or party comes up – I have ideas right at my fingertips. This also helps me plan ahead when it comes to making gifts. Because I’m always on the look-out, it allows me to find something meaningful for that person – rather than buying something at the last minute, just so I have a gift to give. It also helps me from over-spending… I write down what I buy for upcoming holidays (such as Christmas 2010) and then I keep track of it, rather than forgetting about it in its hiding place.
I just starting using Evernote. I use it for keeping track of preschool activities/crafts I want to try when I come across them on blogs–and also gift ideas. You can create multiple notebooks and clip the picture of the object. The visual aspect is the big seller for me! I see the thumbnail and think, “Oh yeah, that’s what I was looking for.” Plus, it can be accessed anywhere online. I love it so far. Super easy. It was recommended on a toddler blog I frequent called TotallyTots.
I keep a notebook in my purse with various lists in it. Though so far this year I don’t have a lot of gifts purchased to keep track of so they are just sitting in a tub in my closet. As it gets closer to Christmas, I’ll have a page for everyone on my Christmas list. Each page will have what I have purchased for them including stocking stuffers for the kids.
I use an online list making website to keep track of my ideas. I have a private list where I keep track of where to get it, how much it costs and whom it’s for. It even has a bookmarklet, so when I’m browsing online and see something, I can click the bookmarklet, choose the picture, and bam! That’s it.
I also use this to keep track of things that I see that I want for myself.
There are a few out there, but I’ve used ListIdeas (www.listideas.com) for years.
I take notes in my little 365 Weekly Planner by Franklin Covey (use it for both work and home life). There is a little space for NOTES at the bottom of each right hand page. Then periodically, I tranfer these gift ideas to 8.5×11 ruled school paper (usually fit all my 12 people on one sheet). I hide this list between book on my bedside bookshelf. This way, I can keep the list pretty much hidden from my family. My biggest problem is buying gifts on sale throughout the year and remembering who they are for if I don’t immediately wrap and label (which I usually don’t). This has caused me to change my mind, rebuy and waste lots of money. Ugh !
Well I only keep a simple excel spreadsheet but after skimming through the above comments I’m going to sit down when I get 5 minutes and make my way through some of the above suggestions! Nice one!
I use the Awesome Note app for iPhone. I created a folder for Gifts and inside have a separate note for each person. I enter my gift ideas, and after I have purchased/made the gift and wrapped it, I check it off as complete. I save the note so I don’t forget what the gift is or where I’ve stashed it until the special day arrives.
My grandmother (who is an extraordinary gift giver) has a handwritten spreadsheet with each person she gives Christmas gifts to in the vertical and the years listed on the horizontal, gifts written on the intersection of the lines and columns. Naturally. Anyway, she keeps it in a binder, and has kept it for at least 40 years. It’s very simple, but it really works for her, and she can (and will, if you ask nicely) tell you what she, for example, gave me for Christmas in 1986 (my first Christmas). Answer: A rocking horse. She also makes a note if someone particularly loved their gift or didn’t like it at all. You can see the years she did themes (every one received books or blankets or projects) and how she sometimes sticks with a theme for an individual for several years running (for example, my aunt loves Hello Kitty so she usually gets something with Hello Kitty on it). For birthdays, she gives us our age in gold dollar coins, until you’re 40, after which you just get $40 every year. EXCEPT age 9, when the girls get an American Girl doll of their chosing, and the boys get something equally neat, usually a telescope or camping gear or something along those lines. That way she doesn’t have to keep track of birthday presents (although she does write down in the Christmas book which doll each of us has because sometimes she gives clothes or accesories for that doll).
Oh how great! A whole post in response to my comment and just in time for my birthday- givers log just keeps on giving.
I dont think i’ve found my solution yet but I’m getting some ideas.
THANK YOU ALL