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#ProdChat – February 11, 2015 – Birthday & Gift Tracking
On February 11, 2015, #ProdChat discussed the topic, Birthday & Gift Tracking. From birthdays to anniversaries to every other holiday around the calendar year, it’s tough to keep track of them all for sending cards and gifts. That’s what this #ProdChat discussion tried to tackle. How do the productivity enthusiasts on #ProdChat track and manage the gifting process? Watch the slideshow to see what the productivity enthusiasts on #ProdChat had to say about Birthday & Gift Tracking. Enjoy!
Questions:
- Q1: How many people do you buy birthday, anniversary and other holiday gifts for annually?
- Q2: Do you track birthdays and holidays, and how? Or, do you depend on Facebook to prompt you and the news?
- Q3: How do you track birthday and holiday gift ideas? Paper list, calendar or app? #prodchat [pic]
- Q4: How do you manage birthday/holiday cards/ecards?
- Q5: What aspects of gifts or gift ideas do you track? Why?
- Q6: Do you keep a wish list of gifts you want for your birthday or a holiday? How? Do you share it?
- Q7: How do you track buying (online/brick&mortar), wrapping, shipping/delivery and other logistics?
- Q8: Where do you go for gift ideas inspiration when you draw a blank?
Picture tweets:
Raw transcript:
| user | text | time (GMT) |
| prodchat | Welcome to #ProdChat, the weekly chat for productivity enthusiasts! http://t.co/1GKZkdjMgw http://t.co/WEvKzpQ4Bn | 12/2/2015 00:59 |
| prodchat | Today on #ProdChat we’re discussing Birthday & Gift Tracking! Join us! http://t.co/zXRhv9CeCg | 12/2/2015 01:00 |
| prodchat | So, let’s start! In a tweet, introduce yourself. What’s your greatest productivity success so far of 2015? #prodchat http://t.co/cbbfV3ZnR9 | 12/2/2015 01:01 |
| halduauthor | Time for #prodchat, I’ll be tweeting a bit more | 12/2/2015 01:01 |
| rsidneysmith | @halduauthor Hey, Ben! How’re you today? :) #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:02 |
| macbikegeek | @rsidneysmith @halduauthor good evening #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:03 |
| prodchat | @halduauthor Welcome! Happy to have you here. #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:03 |
| rsidneysmith | @macbikegeek @halduauthor Hey there! How’re you today? Ready for some #prodchat? :) | 12/2/2015 01:04 |
| prodchat | Please add #prodchat to tweets. Questions will come as Q1, Q2, Q3. Answer A1, A2, A3, for readability! | 12/2/2015 01:04 |
| halduauthor | I’m Ben, education, technology, and social media are my things #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:04 |
| prodchat | @macbikegeek Hello! What’s your name? #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:05 |
| prodchat | Q1: How many people do you buy birthday, anniversary and other holiday gifts for annually? #prodchat http://t.co/MA3l6TUS19 | 12/2/2015 01:05 |
| macbikegeek | @rsidneysmith @halduauthor great, thanks! ready for #prodchat who is @prodchat? that’s new, right? | 12/2/2015 01:05 |
| halduauthor | @macbikegeek @rsidneysmith @prodchat that’s what I was wondering #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:06 |
| ncbluegrass | Good evening prod chat I’m gonna try to multitask and participate tonight. Look forward to learning something new. #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:07 |
| rsidneysmith | @macbikegeek That’s host account and Juliet is manning it because I have to leave a bit before the chat is over. :) #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:07 |
| macbikegeek | @prodchat A1: lots, no idea. my wife does all Christmas shopping, so it’s her system. I just have to put stuff on Amazon wishlist #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:07 |
| rsidneysmith | @ncbluegrass Hey, Tim! #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:08 |
| halduauthor | @rsidneysmith @macbikegeek #slacker #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:08 |
| macbikegeek | @ncbluegrass Good evening, Tim. #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:08 |
| prodchat | @ncbluegrass Hello, Tim! Multitasking is a big challenge! Good luck. #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:08 |
| ncbluegrass | A1: that’s a statistic I don’t know but well over 100. #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:08 |
| pal4life26 | @prodchat #ProdChat A1: I would say a handful I can count on my fingers usually | 12/2/2015 01:09 |
| rsidneysmith | A1: It’s actually a small number of gifts per year…maybe less than 15 people across personal/business. #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:09 |
| prodchat | @pal4life26 Hello, Nadir. Great to have you. #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:09 |
| ncbluegrass | @rsidneysmith hey Ray pleasure to be able to be here #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:10 |
| halduauthor | A1: not very many right now, #gradschoolLife. Probably like 10 #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:10 |
| prodchat | Q2: Do you track birthdays and holidays, and how? Or, do you depend on Facebook to prompt you and the news? #prodchat http://t.co/Vha8fYgx6T | 12/2/2015 01:11 |
| ncbluegrass | @macbikegeek hello glad to be here. #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:11 |
| rsidneysmith | @pal4life26 Hey, Nadir! #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:11 |
| rsidneysmith | @ncbluegrass Awesome! :) #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:11 |
| halduauthor | Where is everyone tonight? #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:11 |
| prodchat | @halduauthor out buying Valentine’s Day gifts? #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:12 |
| rsidneysmith | A2: I’m a heavy user of Google Calendar, Google Sheets and Amazon Wish Lists to manage/track birthdays/holidays. #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:12 |
| LizFurl | @prodchat A2 I do depend on Facebook but I also add everything to @my24me #ProdChat | 12/2/2015 01:12 |
| ncbluegrass | @prodchat honestly it’s usuall a false economy in that it usually leads to lack luster across all your attempting #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:12 |
| prodchat | @LizFurl Welcome Liz! #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:12 |
| pal4life26 | @prodchat #prodchat A1:jokingly I would answer whoever buys me a gift, gets one, #JustSaying | 12/2/2015 01:12 |
| rsidneysmith | @LizFurl that’s cool, Liz! How does @my24me work? #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:13 |
| rsidneysmith | @pal4life26 Eye for an eye, eh? ;-) #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:13 |
| halduauthor | It’s all in the family calendar for the important ones, others I just let Facebook tell me #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:13 |
| LizFurl | @rsidneysmith @my24me it syncs all your calendars, notes and to do lists into one spot — it’s my lifesaver #ProdChat | 12/2/2015 01:13 |
| pal4life26 | RT @prodchat: @pal4life26 Hello, Nadir. Great to have you. #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:14 |
| macbikegeek | @prodchat A2 for gifts, my wife has a spreadsheet. for generally, Facebook and info in Mac Contacts #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:14 |
| rsidneysmith | @LizFurl @my24me That’s great to hear! #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:14 |
| ncbluegrass | A2: I use the iPhone calendar app in conjunction with Google’s calendar #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:14 |
| halduauthor | @prodchat probably, I did that yesterday #planahead #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:14 |
| ncbluegrass | @halduauthor home office, that means I’m in the old north state #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:15 |
| macbikegeek | @LizFurl @prodchat @my24me Liz, welcome! But you’re killing my productivity! ;-) w another cool app to check out. #gifttome #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:16 |
| pal4life26 | @prodchat #ProdChat A2: I use a dedicated google calendar which repeats each birthday event annually + Facebook,check on weekly review | 12/2/2015 01:16 |
| halduauthor | @ncbluegrass that means NC right? #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:17 |
| rsidneysmith | @pal4life26 I actually copy everyone from FB calendar as their birthday comes up into my own Google Calendar and manage it there. #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:18 |
| prodchat | Q3: How do you track birthday and holiday gift ideas? Paper list, calendar or app? #prodchat http://t.co/vd4a3MmHnY | 12/2/2015 01:18 |
| rsidneysmith | @pal4life26 I don’t trust Facebook to manage it for some reason. Lol. #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:18 |
| LizFurl | @prodchat A3 apps all the way — paper gets lost and calendars need to be bought but my phone is always with me #ProdChat | 12/2/2015 01:18 |
| pal4life26 | @rsidneysmith #ProdChat I feel there is an option in Facebook to export birthdays to google calendar,hmm maybe | 12/2/2015 01:19 |
| ncbluegrass | @halduauthor that is correct east of Raleigh and west of The coast by about 100 miles too far. #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:19 |
| halduauthor | A3: poorly, but when I do @evernote #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:19 |
| macbikegeek | @prodchat A3 the aforementioned spreadsheet maintained by my wife. #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:19 |
| rsidneysmith | @pal4life26 It shows as a calendar in Google, then I “copy to my calendar”…which is a special Birthday/Holidays calendar. :) #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:20 |
| halduauthor | @rsidneysmith @pal4life26 “I don’t trust facebook, but I trust google” #irony #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:20 |
| ncbluegrass | A3: could use good suggestions I rely on getting hints through year and adding them to calendar #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:21 |
| MobileBlueApp | RT @LizFurl: @prodchat A3 apps all the way — paper gets lost and calendars need to be bought but my phone is always with me #ProdChat | 12/2/2015 01:21 |
| rsidneysmith | @halduauthor @pal4life26 I definitely trust Google with my data over FB. :-P #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:21 |
| pal4life26 | @prodchat #ProdChat A3: I started using @trello and delicious bookmarks.i feel key is to note the gifts as u see them instead of wen u need. | 12/2/2015 01:22 |
| halduauthor | @rsidneysmith @pal4life26 which is funny considering they are both in the business of selling it #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:22 |
| rsidneysmith | @halduauthor @pal4life26 But with Google I can delete it all (http://t.co/19McpWnPVj) but with FB you cannot. ;) #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:23 |
| pal4life26 | @rsidneysmith #ProdChat ditto | 12/2/2015 01:23 |
| pal4life26 | RT @halduauthor: @rsidneysmith @pal4life26 “I don’t trust facebook, but I trust google” #irony #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:23 |
| rsidneysmith | @ncbluegrass We’ll actually discuss that in Q5, so kudos! :) #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:23 |
| prodchat | Q4: How do you manage birthday/holiday cards/ecards? #prodchat http://t.co/iLeBsicdv8 | 12/2/2015 01:24 |
| halduauthor | @rsidneysmith @pal4life26 do you intend to delete? Or just like knowing that you can? #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:24 |
| pal4life26 | @rsidneysmith @halduauthor #ProdChat I see a future wed #ProdChat topic here | 12/2/2015 01:25 |
| LizFurl | @prodchat A4: always a paper card for those I care about. Mail is so much better than email/text/Facebook #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:25 |
| rsidneysmith | @halduauthor @pal4life26 Knowing that I can…it’s the right/access/ability, not the actual doing. #trust #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:25 |
| halduauthor | A4: honestly I don’t really do cards anymore… #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:26 |
| rsidneysmith | @pal4life26 @halduauthor Yes, a topic on security would be good! :)) #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:26 |
| ncbluegrass | A4: poorly, if physical card a trip to dollar tree, if electronic most likely send email #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:26 |
| halduauthor | LizFurl @prodchat unless you are a tree… #RIP #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:27 |
| rsidneysmith | A4: Punchbowl and Hallmark for e-cards mostly. If I want it to be funny, http://t.co/d8ATU8CJkL. :) #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:27 |
| macbikegeek | @LizFurl @prodchat I totally agree with Liz – paper card/note is best for close folks. Electronic/FB for a lot of not so close. #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:28 |
| pal4life26 | @prodchat #ProdChat A4:I converted to online-@Hallmark @Shutterfly. | 12/2/2015 01:28 |
| rsidneysmith | Join ProductivityBookGroup .org on 2/28 for our discussion of “Happy Money” http://t.co/wQRfxIkzyT #prodchat http://t.co/FkyAcBmkCV | 12/2/2015 01:29 |
| rsidneysmith | A4a: I’ve also been sending photos (using http://t.co/4GOKZRJ8I9) through Google+ as birthday/special day greetings also! #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:29 |
| mcraegj | .@ncbluegrass I prefer to send a SMS or a phone call – cards are so yesterday ;) #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:29 |
| halduauthor | @rsidneysmith @pal4life26 like fire insurance? I love having it but I never want to use it #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:29 |
| prodchat | Q5: What aspects of gifts or gift ideas do you track? Why? #prodchat http://t.co/RZk4NebXPl | 12/2/2015 01:30 |
| pal4life26 | @prodchat #ProdChat a4:there is also apps now @postagram @InkCards papyrus is also an option.and they mail it too #customize as well | 12/2/2015 01:30 |
| halduauthor | @rsidneysmith @canva I love Canva #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:30 |
| prodchat | @mcraegj Hey, Gary! Good to have you join us. #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:30 |
| pal4life26 | RT @rsidneysmith: Join ProductivityBookGroup .org on 2/28 for our discussion of “Happy Money” http://t.co/wQRfxIkzyT #prodchat http://t.co/… | 12/2/2015 01:31 |
| ncbluegrass | @mcraegj depends on closeness could go all out and FaceTime or Skype #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:31 |
| LizFurl | @prodchat A5 I don’t tend to track — if I see a good gift idea, I’ll buy immediately #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:31 |
| mcraegj | @prodchat Well thank you! #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:31 |
| rsidneysmith | I have to hop off now. You’re in the competent hands of Juliet now @prodchat! Enjoy, #prodchat enthusiasts! | 12/2/2015 01:32 |
| mcraegj | @ncbluegrass Oh I don’t want to see the person ;) #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:32 |
| Christine_Chen6 | Hey! Hopefully it’s not too late for me to jump in. #ProdChat | 12/2/2015 01:32 |
| prodchat | @Christine_Chen6 Not at all, welcome! #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:32 |
| ncbluegrass | @rsidneysmith so glad you could grace us if even briefly be well and see you next week #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:33 |
| mcraegj | @Christine_Chen6 Look who it is – hello #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:34 |
| ncbluegrass | @Christine_Chen6 nope just answer all previous questions in one response then take it from there. Lol #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:35 |
| prodchat | @ncbluegrass @Christine_Chen6 But be sure to label A1/A2/A3 for your one response ;-) #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:36 |
| prodchat | Q6: Do you keep a wish list of gifts you want for your birthday or a holiday? How? Do you share it? #prodchat http://t.co/UVR5Dwh22a | 12/2/2015 01:37 |
| LizFurl | @prodchat A6: I’m not big on gifts for myself, so I’m TERRIBLE at telling others what I want. I should start a list… #ProdChat | 12/2/2015 01:38 |
| Christine_Chen6 | A6 I keep a wishlist for things I want. I keep a favorites tab and only share my top 3 around my birthday and holidays #ProdChat | 12/2/2015 01:39 |
| macbikegeek | @prodchat A6: Amazon wish list, some shared, but small stuff. Big stuff we talk about and may designate to holiday but buy now. #ProdChat | 12/2/2015 01:39 |
| mcraegj | @LizFurl @prodchat Take the cash Liz, take the cash #ProdChat | 12/2/2015 01:40 |
| halduauthor | Sorry folks, had to cut out for a little bit, might have to again #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:40 |
| ncbluegrass | A6: I use wish list in Amazon and iTunes but it’s for my benefit I ask for gift cards so I can prioritize purchases #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:40 |
| halduauthor | A6: I am awful at coming up with things that I want [gift] #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:41 |
| LizFurl | mcraegj @prodchat that’s my favorite — defaulting to Apple gift cards [wink] #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:42 |
| Christine_Chen6 | @ncbluegrass I LOVE gift cards. This way gift buying can’t go wrong. #ProdChat | 12/2/2015 01:42 |
| pal4life26 | @prodchat #ProdChat A6:I save Rn on Amazon wishlist, here it’s for y’all http://t.co/MdvTn9qnLb | 12/2/2015 01:42 |
| prodchat | Q7: How do you track buying (online/brick&mortar), wrapping, shipping/delivery and other logistics? #prodchat http://t.co/M5xzdntW98 | 12/2/2015 01:44 |
| halduauthor | Hmmm perhaps Twitter is broken #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:48 |
| pal4life26 | @prodchat #ProdChat using online services To send gifts takes care of all that like @Hallmark | 12/2/2015 01:48 |
| prodchat | @halduauthor Luckily you’re here so I didn’t actually have to check another platform. #prodchat. | 12/2/2015 01:49 |
| pal4life26 | @prodchat #ProdChat A7:I do use @Target to get the cards , wrapper etc in one location. | 12/2/2015 01:49 |
| ncbluegrass | @halduauthor I was wondering that too? #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:49 |
| pal4life26 | @prodchat #ProdChat A7:planning to use @Postmates to do some of that for me | 12/2/2015 01:51 |
| macbikegeek | @ncbluegrass @halduauthor @prodchat my other streams in TweetDeck are refreshing. Search stream is a little slower. #ProdChat | 12/2/2015 01:51 |
| halduauthor | @ncbluegrass I’m missing q7 and anything else in the last 5 to 8 minutes #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:51 |
| prodchat | Q8: Where do you go for gift ideas inspiration when you draw a blank? #prodchat http://t.co/vpJqVS8mee | 12/2/2015 01:52 |
| prodchat | MT Q7: How do you track buying (online/brick&mortar), wrapping, shipping/delivery and other logistics? #prodchat http://t.co/M5xzdntW98 | 12/2/2015 01:52 |
| macbikegeek | @halduauthor @ncbluegrass me, too from Nadir’s A6 to your query about twitter being broken. #ProdChat | 12/2/2015 01:53 |
| prodchat | RT @pal4life26: @prodchat #ProdChat using online services To send gifts takes care of all that like @Hallmark | 12/2/2015 01:53 |
| Christine_Chen6 | A8 Pintrest is a great place for gift ideas inspiration. I love instagram for that too. #ProdChat | 12/2/2015 01:53 |
| ncbluegrass | @halduauthor I was using Hootesuite but I’ve looked at notifications on Twitter app and saw this. No q7 for me either #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:53 |
| halduauthor | @macbikegeek @ncbluegrass well seems that we all got hit with the same thing. Maybe nobody was tweeting #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:54 |
| macbikegeek | @prodchat A7 Amazon and other online sources send notifications as orders process/ship to it’s automatic. IRL purchases I’m there. #ProdChat | 12/2/2015 01:55 |
| ncbluegrass | @macbikegeek I’m using Hootesuite search stream and it gotten all slow and out of sequence #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:55 |
| halduauthor | Drawing a blank is an interesting expression. Is it rooted in…? Anybody know? #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:56 |
| macbikegeek | @prodchat A7b: I ship a lot so I have tape gun, boxes, etc. and #tip half-page labels http://t.co/SxkrTZdlJH to make it ez. #ProdChat | 12/2/2015 01:57 |
| ncbluegrass | A8: level of relationship ranging from dollar store to the now defunct sky mall :( #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:57 |
| prodchat | Join ProductivityBookGroup .org on 2/28 for our discussion of “Happy Money” http://t.co/hm4Ss8sLAT #prodchat http://t.co/slRjFOYJgX | 12/2/2015 01:58 |
| macbikegeek | @halduauthor if this is right, none of the above. http://t.co/hoY6OBf6LT #ProdChat | 12/2/2015 01:58 |
| halduauthor | ncbluegrass #RIP #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:59 |
| prodchat | @halduauthor apparently closer to the later, but drawing as in to pull. Pull blank paper out of the lottery jar. #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:59 |
| ncbluegrass | @halduauthor not sure both about as early as the other. #prodchat | 12/2/2015 01:59 |
| prodchat | Thanks #productivity enthusiasts for today’s #ProdChat! Join us again next week! Check out the transcript tomorrow! | 12/2/2015 02:00 |
| macbikegeek | @prodchat A8: mostly let it percolate or talk to someone to engage my subconscious #ProdChat | 12/2/2015 02:00 |
| halduauthor | @macbikegeek huh, interesting didn’t know that #prodchat | 12/2/2015 02:01 |
| Christine_Chen6 | goodnight all! #prodchat | 12/2/2015 02:01 |
| ncbluegrass | @macbikegeek interesting learned yet something else here on #prodchat | 12/2/2015 02:01 |
| macbikegeek | @halduauthor neither did I, but technically really is your second – paper! #ProdChat good night all. | 12/2/2015 02:02 |
| ncbluegrass | RT @prodchat: Thanks #productivity enthusiasts for today’s #ProdChat! Join us again next week! Check out the transcript tomorrow! | 12/2/2015 02:02 |
| halduauthor | It’s been fun, if a little choppy #prodchat, catch ya next week | 12/2/2015 02:03 |
| ncbluegrass | Thanks all for the insights, tips, retweets, favorites and follows see you all again on #prodchat | 12/2/2015 02:05 |
| pal4life26 | @prodchat #prodchat quick survey,what r the top 3 things you want in a birthday tracking-gift scheduling app ?@rsidneysmith | 12/2/2015 02:07 |
| ncbluegrass | @pal4life26 customization, automation in regards 2 reminders & scheduling, & all in 1 dashboard / not switching between platforms #prodchat | 12/2/2015 02:37 |
| my24me | RT @LizFurl: @prodchat A2 I do depend on Facebook but I also add everything to @my24me #ProdChat | 12/2/2015 09:08 |
| rsidneysmith | Join us Wednesdays, 8pm ET on #ProdChat, the weekly #productivity chat! http://t.co/PLwXi89lSy | 13/02/2015 00:02:54 |
| LizFurl | RT @rsidneysmith: Join us Wednesdays, 8pm ET on #ProdChat, the weekly #productivity chat! http://t.co/PLwXi89lSy | 13/02/2015 00:09:30 |
| rsidneysmith | Join us Wednesdays, 8pm ET on #ProdChat, the weekly #productivity chat! http://t.co/PLwXi7RL10 | 13/02/2015 14:01:32 |
| LizFurl | RT @rsidneysmith: Join us Wednesdays, 8pm ET on #ProdChat, the weekly #productivity chat! http://t.co/PLwXi7RL10 | 13/02/2015 14:53:07 |
| ladybitspod | RT @rsidneysmith: Join us Wednesdays, 8pm ET on #ProdChat, the weekly #productivity chat! http://t.co/PLwXi7RL10 | 13/02/2015 14:57:45 |