I’d say my magazine subscription addiction is a little staggering. I love magazines as an informational tool. Though I gain many of my ideas and facts online, there’s just something about sitting down in a cozy chair with an actual paper periodical and turning pages.

Every time, before long, I have a mass of torn out magazine pages strewn at my feet, articles and picture of things I want to remember. I pick and choose out the projects, recipes, and decorating ideas that I like and toss (to recycle) the rest of the magazine. (I have to — I’m a pack-rat at heart, but I know that in reality, I can’t keep them all.)

What to do with them? Even filing them in a cabinet can amount to loads of paper clutter over several months’ time. So why not digitalize it?

Enter: Scanalog. It’s a handy, brilliant computer program that helps you keep track of any and all loose papers flying around your home. It works hand-in-hand with your home office scanner to import, electronically organize, and keep safe those things you don’t want to forget.

I received Scanalog to review and was immediately impressed by the clutter-free, appealing look and overall packaging. I simply inserted the included CD-ROM into my laptop and installed the program myself, no help needed from my tech-savvy husband! Once it’s installed, it’s super easy to route your scanner to the program so their tasks coincide.

Once you’ve scanned in an image or piece of printed material, you are free to move it into one of the eleven, adequately-spanning categories within the program’s interface. Within each major category, you can also add your own, more detailed or specific, subcategories (up to 102!), to customize your organization of your documents. You may also duplicate an image into multiple categories, since some things don’t fit so neatly into just one genre.

What all can you add in/scan in and organize with Scanalog?

- Lists of books you want to read or catalog items you see that you want to order in the future
- Lists of books you’ve already read
- Your daily thoughts….the Hopes & Dreams Journal helps you write down your daily happenings/ideas/inspirations in a format that’s clean, secure, and searchable
- Travel destinations to try
- Home decorating ideas & photos you’d like to save for future reference
- Kid crafts and activities
- Your child’s artwork
- Monumental parenting articles/advice
- Garden layout ideas and designs
- Household maintenance documents such as user guides and warranties
- Exercise regimens and guides
- Favorite clipped recipes or party planning ideas

A few of the other points I like about Scanalog and its features:

- It converts your images to .jpg form, an easier-to-work-with format
- It has an extensive keyword AND title search, so organization is truly a snap (you choose the keywords when it’s time to save and file your documents)
- After scanning, you can adjust the photo’s color, cropped size, and resolution

The possibilities are endless with Scanalog. It will make any home more organized, especially the homes of folks like me who gather hosts of delectable ideas but are fearful of losing them (and not being able to put their finger on them with the right time rolls around)! I love being able to save and chronicle my children’s artwork, as well as better organize all the little ideas I run across to supplement our homeschooling efforts….even the down-the-road ideas can be kept safe! Scanalog would make an excellent gift, especially for newlyweds or those purchasing their first home. I can’t tell you how valuable something like this would be for home decorating business owners, as well.

Scanalog has gotten rave reviews from customers near and far, as well as notable sources such as PCMagazine. Scanalog retails for $49.95 and includes the CD-ROM and a mousepad.

Win it! I’m excited to tell you that Kim Goldstein, the founder and owner of Scanalog, is offering one of you your very own Scanalog software package! All you have to do to enter is head over to Scanalog and look around. Come back here and tell me, in one comment, another aspect or feature of Scanalog that you like and that you’d find most helpful for your household. I’ll close the contest next Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 at 11pm EST. Sorry; US entries only. Good luck!