Organizing Computer Data and Winner Announcement!

I love organizing my studio, but I don't enjoy organizing my computer files and documents. I really do need to go through and delete a lot of old emails, move images on the computer more to where they make sense (because some of them I spend too much time looking for), and I need to update my favorites as well as blogs I follow. It eats so much time! I start to go through these things and often get interrupted or just run out of time. By the time I get back to it I may as well start over because I'm lost!

Following Blogs: I follow so many blogs and I really do love all of them that I follow but am finding that I just can't keep up with them all. I have lost control. I have decided to really downsize. When I tried to do it through my Dashboard 'manage' key, I just got bounced around, back and forth. Finally it dawned on me to copy the entire table and paste it into Word. Now, as I go through blogs as I have time, I can note on my list whether to stop following and make notes about each. Also, I will still have a copy of the link so I can go back and check the blog periodically or as time allows to see what is happening there. After I have made my way through the list, I can then go back to my 'manage' section and 'stop following'. There will be some tough decisions to be sure and I definitely want to keep those who correspond or comment regularly and have become friends. Another nice thing about this is that if by chance my list does ever 'vanish' (as I have heard others state), I will have my contacts in solid form!

Favorites: Next I will have to figure out how to do something similar with my favorites. Some of my favorites are sites that no longer exist! I'm not sure how to simplify this task without ...or am I the only one that lets these things get out of control? visiting each and every site. I would love to hear from anyone out there who knows a shortcut!

...or am I the only one that lets these things get out of control?

Emails: I have actually 3 email accounts. May Yahoo account is pretty much inactive. May Cox account is more of a personal account my DH and I use. We have a few friends that consistently forward jokes and other heartfelt emails. Some of these are worth reading and/or interesting, but I just don't have time or energy to read all of them, so every once in awhile I just go through and 'delete' without even opening them. My Google account is more for my blog and business. I was taking a look at it the other day though and found I have signed up for several business related newsletters...all very informative and helpful. However, they are overloading my email account. I decided to choose only a couple of these to keep and 'unsubscribed' to the rest. It is amazing how these can pile up on a person! It's worse than ads in the mail. I save the ones I want to read later when I have time but then forget them.

I like the option of placing a 'star' or 'red flag' by the ones that need further action on my part and being able to place emails into categories with headings of my choice.

I did mention I would announce a winner for one of the bracelets today! The lucky winner is...

Well, there are three bracelets and three entries that are all very good ideas. I just couldn't choose, so I will send them each a bracelet! If you will each send me your snail mail addresses I will get these off to you. You can add your preference for color from 1-3. If it works out you will get your choice, but if you all want the same one I will randomly place them in envelopes before I address them, then add the addresses without know which box contains which.

Until next week, if anyone has come up with a storage solution or other idea they want to share, please convo me and I will feature it on my blog along with a link to your blog! Enjoy the rest of your day!