The GYST Guide to Gifts That Matter: 2023-2024
With winter solstice marking the return of more light with every coming day, we may look forward to the holidays or find ourselves white-knuckling it this year through the ‘festive season’ and new year. One thing that might help is to consider giving yourself or family a gift that matters and can make a difference for the new year.
The Gift of Getting Organized
Chanel’s Favorite: Panda Planner and Daily Scheduler. I like the planners with daily, full week and monthly views to help juggle projects, due dates, family plans and big deadlines. Whatever system works for you is the one to use – this one works for me. Link to planner
Just Keep it Simple: Focused Schedule and Task List. Okay, this is a favorite, too. I originally got this for my son but I started sneaking blank pages and now have my own pad I use frequently. It really helps me prioritize my week and see focus my day and tasks on one page. One-page schedule
Big Blank Notebook for Notes, Lists, Projects or Plans. I have at least a dozen of these on a bookshelf from the last dozen years or so. Projects, todo items, first dreams and drafts of my book. Sometimes you just want a big, blank page to DIY it. Link to notebook
Remember: “The little things are often the big things.”
The Gift of Being Organized
Okay, once you have the box your documents won’t magically get *in* the box. However, it is a perfect starting place and I promise you that searching desperately through piles storage bins for one mother-loving piece of paper while ugly-crying so hard you can’t see straight is a level of hell you’re not interested in seeing.
Chanel’s Favorite: Waterproof & Fireproof Storage Carry Bag. Having a safe place to corral and keep critical documents, birth/death certificates, financial details, IDs and backup files at home is not optional. Try a waterproof and fireproof carry bag for “go-bag” moments or tuck into a bookshelf or drawer. Get the storage bag
Keep Important Items Safe: Storage Box
Critical legal documents, certificates, financial statements, identification and backup files need a place to live. This fireproof and water ‘resistant’ storage box looks official and easy to use. Link to storage box
Keep Important Items Safe: Travel Pouch
Going across town to open a bank account, crossing an international border with children or moving overseas? You may need two forms of ID, birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, divorce decrees or who knows what. Is that manilla folder enough? Link to travel pouch
GYST Tip: Imagine if you had one full hour to safely collect the most important things in your home, what would you grab? Documents? Identification? Financial info? Photo albums? Where are they now? Should they go in a box? Block off an hour or tackle this five minutes at a time.
Why it Matters: Having your important documents and details organized today means you can quickly locate *everything* if (or when) the shit hits the fan. Just being able to find things when you need them can save you and and family literally dozens (or hundreds, no joke!) of hours of stressful, wasted time.
The Gift of Getting Your Shit Together
Join me in January and learn where to start and how to complete must-have documents, details and plans. Over six weeks we’ll cover where to start, what’s important and how-to organize everything for emergencies today or eventualities in the far-off future.
Get Your Shit Together 6-week MasterClass
Kick off 2024 with Chanel Reynolds in this small and supportive group class with live Q&A at the end of each session. You’ll get step-by-step instructions, a customizable course workbook, curated resources, advice and tons of tools.
Sign up for the class and save 15% through December 2023 with code GYST15 at checkout.
Preparing for Life’s ‘What-Ifs’ Video Series
All the GYST Essential lessons in a self-study course to help get your *stuff* together on your own timeline. Get ‘best-of’ live class recordings and all course materials and resources from the comprehensive 6-week course.
Sign up for the class and save 15% through December 2023 with code GYST15 at checkout.
The Gift of Good Advice
People many many people may not understand what you’re going through and perhaps even say dumb, insensitive stuff – these books are from folks who have been there. Nothing will change what happened or bring your person back, but I found these books and authors can help even just a little, often, a lot.
What Matters Most: The Get Your Shit Together Guide to Wills, Money, Insurance and Life’s ‘What-ifs’
Writing this book took years and I put *everything* I learned that you really should know in it and do-able advice to actually get it done. Please enjoy the Get Your Shit Together Guide, there will be something valuable in it for everyone. Get the GYST book
This Life of Mine: Legacy Journal. A lovely book for yourself or as a gift to share your life’s stories and memories in this thoughtful and easy-to-use keepsake. A great way to begin larger conversations about legacy planning. Link to journal
It’s OK That You’re Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn’t Understand. When a painful loss or life-shattering event upends your world, here is the first thing to know: there is nothing wrong with grief. Get the book
The Art of Dying Well: A Practical Guide to a Good End of Life. Packed with extraordinarily helpful insight this book is about living as well as possible for as long as possible and adapting successfully to change. Link to book
Briefly Perfectly Human: Making an Authentic Life by Getting Real About the End. Preorder now and you’ll thank me later for suggesting this “deeply transformative memoir that reframes how we think about death and how it can help us lead better, more fulfilling and authentic lives” by death doula Alua Arthur. Link to book
Modern Loss: Candid Conversation About Grief. Beginners Welcome. Finally, a much needed, fresh and irreverent dive into navigating grief and resilience that offers real comfort, advice and community to better cope with the mess of loss. You will love it. Link to book
A Beginner’s Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death. “Our ultimate purpose here isn’t so much to help you die as it is to free up as much life as possible until you do.” Link to book
Being Mortal. Named a Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post, The New York Times Book Review, NPR, and Chicago Tribune, this doctor and son to an aging father show us how the clinical and person side to having more, better days. It’s so, very good. Link to book
The Gift of Being Present
Looking for something more gift-y? I have scoured every ‘best gift’ guide from Amazon to Oprah to the New York Times while there is a lot of great *stuff* out there, here is a short list that, I believe, will also be meaningful, helpful and appreciated for the long-haul. No slippers, electronics or chocolates – promise!
Go outside. Go for a walk alone or drive cross country with your bestie. Take a forest bath, soak in hot springs or watch the northern light – just go! Check out the annual passes at National Parks
Tea Therapy. Something warm and pretty that smells lovely might be a nice gift for yourself or others who love tea or are at least tea-curious. Tea gift sets are perfect as a gift or for re-gifting. Have a look
Stress eater? Me too. Don’t eat when stressed? Me too. Perhaps it’s because I grew up in the midwest, but I’ve had very few bad days when cheese didn’t help even just a little. Making cheese? Something to do and then eat! Perhaps ideal for a family activity when you don’t feel like talking. Check out the DIY cheese kit (thanks NYT gift list)
Book Love: Share your favorites or read together. I love getting a new book, reading books and talking about books and its a great way to connect with new or old friends. Check out and support your local (free!) library, the national digital library or sign up for a Book of the Month Club membership.
Your own personal podcast. Record an interview of you and/or your family members about a topic of your choice and get an edited, professional sounding episode for (starting at) $149. For non-tech savvy or super busy folks, you could capture and share family stories. Learn more
Why it Matters: It doesn’t have to be perfect, but showing up and being there always matters.
More Book Recommendations
Feel overwhelmed? Try The Age of Overwhelm by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky.
Becoming educated about trauma. A must-read about how trauma affects us and the lasting affects, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk.
Want to feel more centered, calm or peaceful? Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh and When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron.
Money & Personal Finance Books
Where to start and what to know about your money. Bad With Money: The Imperfect Art of Getting Your Financial Sh*t Together by Gaby Dunn.
The beginning of personal finance starts with Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez.
Keep it simple is key and The Index Card: Why Personal Finance Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated by Helaine Olen and Harrold Pollack does it very, very well.
**This Gift Guide includes things I personally use, love, have purchased, or come highly recommended. A few links, like Amazon, offer a small commission if you make a purchase. As always, please research, make good choices, and don’t buy stuff you don’t need or can’t afford.**