"All our family members have Keep and Share accounts, which means I can share private documents with them and even give them editing rights.  They already had these accounts for sharing photo blogs with each other."

 

"So I created a Keep and Share document and gave the family membes both viewing and editing rights, so it works just like passing a signup sheet around in a room.  But it's not on a clipboard in a room, it's on the web, which is really key, since we live all over California."

 

"Previously, our whole extended family always had a tough time around present giving.   So here's what my Keep and Share signup sheet is for:  I put all the family member names in the document - cousins, uncles, aunts, grand parents.  Then, next to my name, I wrote 5 or 6 gift ideas for myself. I told folks to write their own wish list next to their names."

 

"Then everyone in the family can always see the current list by visiting my Keep and Share account.   People can add to their wishlists at any time by editing my document, and everyone else is updated with notifications on their dashboard.  And, importantly, whenever someone buys a gift they cross if off the list with the strikeout font (like this) so others know that gift idea is spoken for."

 

"Sounds complicated, but it's the same way that online wedding gift registries make sure nobody buys the same gift twice, yet everyone can see what the wedding couple needs or wants!"