GOOGLE CHROME - Reopen Closed Tab

 Have you ever accidentally closed a Google Chrome tab? Here's a quick and easy way to REOPEN CLOSED TAB! 

Have you ever accidentally closed a Google Chrome tab? Or have you ever closed a Google Chrome tab on purpose and then changed your mind as soon as you closed it? Or have you ever closed a Google Chrome tab trying to clean up your tabs and then decided that you needed to open it again? Google Chrome has an easy way for you to quickly reopen a closed tab! This works on the last tab that you closed. All you have to do is right click over any empty space on the Google Chrome tab strip, then click on Reopen Closed Tab. The last tab that you closed will reopen! If you want to reopen a tab that you closed recently but it wasn’t the last tab that you closed, you can still do that. You just need to repeat the steps of right clicking over an empty space on the Google Chrome tab strip and clicking on Reopen Closed Tab until the tab you closed reopens. You can also use Ctrl+Shift+T to do this same process. Now, you never have to worry that you won’t be able to reopen a tab that you closed!

TECH TREAT of the MONTH - APRIL 2026

This is no JOKE! If you close a Google Chrome tab, there's an easy way to quickly REOPEN CLOSED TAB!

GOOGLE DOCS - Insert Templates

 The new feature to INSERT TEMPLATES in Google Docs is so easy to use and it has all new templates, too!

Insert Templates in Google Docs is a new feature and is different from using the Template Gallery on the Google Docs homepage. Using Insert Templates can be done right inside a Google Doc and the templates are modern, often with pageless design elements and placeholder chips designed for real-time collaboration. When you open a Google Doc, now you'll see the prompt word "Template" at the top of your Google Doc. If you click on it, the Insert Template page will open for you to choose a template. If you don't click on the word "Template" and just start typing, the word will disappear. The other way to access Insert Templates is to click on the File tab, hover over New, and click on From a Template. This will also open the Insert Template page and you'll be able to choose from some amazing new templates to insert into your Google Doc. Once a template has been inserted, you can customize it to look how you want by editing, removing, adding, or replacing items in the template.

TECH TREAT of the MONTH - MARCH 2026

It's your LUCKY day! Google Docs has a new feature to INSERT TEMPLATES and wait until you see all the awesome new choices! ☘️

GOOGLE SLIDES - Convert to Video

The new feature CONVERT TO VIDEO in Google Slides is amazing and so easy to use!

Convert to Video is a new feature in Google Slides and it's amazing! The small icon for Convert to Video is at the bottom of the sidebar. When you click on it, the Convert to Video side panel opens. It has an Convert button and explains that it will "convert your presentation into an engaging video using Google Vids". After you click on Convert, you will be able to select the slides that you want in the video. This is where the best feature is. Below the slides it says "Include AI voiceover, script, and background music" and you want to be sure that it's turned on. Now you click on Import and it will create a video in Google Vids with voiceover, script, and background! Isn't that amazing? And it was so easy! And that's not all. You can edit the video, if you want, and make changes. You have all the tools in Google Vids to make the video exactly how you want it. Even more amazing!

TECH TREAT of the MONTH - FEBRUARY 2026

You're going to LOVE the new feature CONVERT TO VIDEO in Google Slides! ❤️

GOOGLE CHROME - Tab Groups

Using TAB GROUPS in Google Chrome is a great way to get organized and save space!

If you're trying to get organized or like to stay organized, Tab Groups in Google Chrome are a great solution! Not only will Tab Groups keep your tabs together, using Tab Groups will also save space. Just by clicking on the Tab Group name, you can minimize each Tab Group to only show the name of the group, which will save lots of space with your tabs. Click on the Tab Group name again and the group will expand to show all of the tabs in the group. You also have lots of options with Tab Groups. You can move the tabs around and change their order. Instead of using the right-click menu to add or remove tabs from a group, you can click and drag tabs to add or remove them from a Tab Group. You can also right click on the Tab Group name to edit the group name and/or change the group color anytime. Finally, when you right click on the Tab Group name, you have these menu options - new tab in group, move group to new window, close group, ungroup, and delete group.

TECH TREAT of the MONTH - JANUARY 2026

If you resolved to get organized for the NEW YEAR, get started by using TAB GROUPS in Google Chrome!

GMAIL - Mail Merge

 Did you know that you can do MAIL MERGE with GMAIL now? It's built right into the compose window!

The Mail Merge symbol is hiding in Gmail so you really have to look for it. You can't see it unless you're clicked on the Recipient line in the compose window. If you're on the Recipient line, you will see Cc Bcc on the far right and the Mail Merge symbol will be next to them on the right. Now that you've discovered the Mail Merge symbol, you'll be able to see what a powerful tool it can be. Over the years, many people have asked me about how to do a Mail Merge in Gmail. Previously, the only options were to use an outside program, which you would usually have to eventually pay for. I was thrilled when I discovered that Google had added Mail Merge in Gmail and it was built right into the compose window. I had all of my recipient information, including email addresses, in a Google Sheet. All I had to do was match the columns to the Mail Merge tags. If you want to personalize your emails, you can use the Mail Merge tags in your email. You can even have a Preview email sent to you to be sure that everything looks the way you want before the emails are sent to everyone. Mail Merge in Gmail is amazing!

TECH TREAT of the MONTH - DECEMBER 2025

Having MAIL MERGE built right into the compose window in GMAIL is a special GIFT for you!

 

GOOGLE DOCS - Voting Chips

Voting is easy and fun in Google Docs when you add customized VOTING CHIPS! 

If you want an easy and fun way to vote in Google Docs, just add customized Voting Chips! You can add them by clicking on Insert, hovering over Smart Chips, and clicking on Vote. You can also add them by typing @Vote. You can choose between 3 icons - thumbs up, heart, and plus sign - or you can click on Custom Voting Chip. When you click on Custom Voting Chip, the Emoji window opens and now the fun starts! You can pick an emoji for your Voting Chip. If you want all of your Voting Chips to look the same, just select the Voting Chip that you've created and copy and paste it until you have all of your Voting Chips in place. If you want to do something else interesting, you can select a different emoji for each of your Voting Chips. Finally, anyone who can view your Google Doc can vote. All they have to do is click on a Voting Chip and their vote is recorded. Each Voting Chip will show the number of votes next to their emoji.

TECH TREAT of the MONTH - NOVEMBER 2025

 You'll be GRATEFUL for VOTING CHIPS, if you want people to be able to vote in Google Docs!

GOOGLE SLIDES - Crop Image to a Shape

 You can CROP AN IMAGE TO A SHAPE in Google Slides just by clicking a little down arrow next to the Crop symbol.

Don't overlook that little down arrow next to the Crop symbol in Google Slides! When you insert an image and click on the little down arrow, you'll have lots of choices for cropping your image. Right at the top is Shapes but you can also choose Arrows, Callouts, and Equation. When you hover over any of these categories, you'll see all of the options for that category. The Shapes category definitely has the most choices. After you click on a shape, the image will immediately be cropped to that shape. If you want to edit the crop, click on the shape and then click on the Crop symbol, not the down arrow. Small "handles" will appear on the sides and the corners of the image. Use the "handles" to edit the crop by clicking and dragging to zoom in or zoom out on the image. Once you've edited the crop, you can resize the image until it's just the way you want it.

TECH TREAT of the MONTH - OCTOBER 2025

 Here's a great TRICK and a real TREAT - you can CROP AN IMAGE TO A SHAPE in Google Slides!🎃

GOOGLE SLIDES - Building Blocks

 You have so many choices with BUILDING BLOCKS in Google Slides with 14 different categories to choose from!

You can access Building Blocks in Google Slides by clicking on Insert and Building Blocks. You can also click on the Building Blocks icon on the Sidebar in Google Slides. Both ways open the Building Blocks panel. There are 14 different categories of Building Blocks so you have lots of choices. Some categories are Agendas, Lists, Headlines, Texas Callouts, Collages, Badges, and Calls to Action, to name a few. When you click on a category name, you can scroll through and see all of the Building Blocks in that category. All you have to do is click on a Building Block to insert it into your Google Slides presentation. After a Building Block is inserted, you can edit the Building Block by resizing it, moving it, changing the colors, text, pictures, etc. You can even use multiple Building Blocks on one slide!

TECH TREAT of the MONTH - SEPTEMBER 2025

 There's no LABOR when you use BUILDING BLOCKS in Google Slides because they're all ready to use!

GOOGLE SHEETS - Timeline

 TIMELINE in Google Sheets can help you say on track with tasks and projects.

It's so easy to insert a Timeline in Google Sheets. It doesn't require a formula and only takes a few steps to create the Timeline. It's not even a hidden feature that you have search for, since it's right in the Insert menu. The Timeline is also created on a new sheet in your Google Sheet so it doesn't interfere with your original data. When you update your original data, the Timeline will also update automatically. After the Timeline is inserted, you can open Settings and customize the way the Timeline looks by selecting different options. I like to format my list first with different colors but you don't have to do that. In the Timeline, you can click on any item and the Card Details panel opens. This is where you can edit the data and/or choose a color for the item in the Timeline. Finally, I like to click on the Card Group dropdown in the Optional Fields and select an item, such as "Tasks" to appear in a list on the left of the Timeline. You have lots of options to make your Timeline look the way you want.

TECH TREAT of the MONTH - AUGUST 2025

 Use the TIMELINE in Google Sheets to help you get ready for BACK TO SCHOOL!

GOOGLE DOCS - Collapsible Headings

 You have COLLAPSIBLE HEADINGS in Google Docs now, as long as you do 2 things!

Collapsible headings are a great feature in Google Docs. There are 2 things that you need to do if you want to have collapsible headings - 1) You need to format your headings with a Heading Style. You can select a Heading Style on the toolbar right next to where you select a font. You have 3 Heading Styles to choose from so be sure to select one of them. Also, notice that I inserted small pictures of red stars in my heading names. This did not affect the headings as long as I selected a Heading Style for the actual text that I typed for the headings. 2) You need to be in Pageless Mode. This can be done by clicking on File and then Page Setup. Select Pageless at the top of the Page Setup window and click OK. Once you're in Pageless mode, when you hover to the left of each heading, you'll see a down arrow. Click on the down arrow and the text below the heading will collapse. Now there will be an arrow to the left of each heading. If you click on it, the heading will expand and you'll see the text below the heading.

TECH TREAT of the MONTH - JULY 2025

 There are COLLAPSIBLE HEADINGS in Google Docs now! Let's CELEBRATE!💥