I had intended to post this before the unexpected death of my
grandfather, but didn’t get the chance. So
I am posting it now so it is hopefully still timely.
With Chanukah starting the day after Thanksgiving this year,
it was a rush to get gifts, and I was short on both time and ideas.
But I did have some time to brainstorm and come up with some
great gift ideas for yourself or someone you know who has a chronic illness.
So here goes:
This isn’t explicitly chronic illness related, but it is
winter related. I found these inflatable
inserts for boots. They keep your boots
shapely. The thing I like about these,
besides the cute design, is that they keep the natural shape of the boot rather
than stretch them like some wood or plastic inserts might.
This also isn’t explicitly chronic illness related, but it
is winter related. I’ve been wanting to
try EOS lip balm for awhile because I’ve been intrigued by the circular
design. I’m glad I did. The lip balm tastes great, is very
moisturizing, very easy to use, and comes in a pot that clicks sealed so you
don’t have to worry about it coming open in your purse. I also tried their hand lotion, which has
it’s own unique packaging, and it smells great and is lightweight on.
I’ve had a pair of fingerless gloves for awhile, but just
rediscovered them recently and they are really handy for cold hands when you
are inside, especially working on a computer.
Can help mitigate Raynaud’s a bit.
I was pretty sure that OXO was an Arthritis Foundation
approved product/company. I am not sure
if that is true anymore, but a key component of their products is that they are
based on universal design. My
boyfriend’s dad has this great can opener that is so easy for me to use, and of
course, it’s an Oxo.
These are super cute.
I have a pink shiny one that says “Take a Chill Pill.” Unfortunately, they aren’t super arthritis
friendly. They are pretty hard to open,
so I don’t use mine that much. With the
strong plastic and the zipper, though, your pills are super secure. But if you are chronically ill and don’t have
problems with your joints, these are great because they are so adorable. Varieties include the sayings, “My Pills”,
“Happy Pills”, “Crazy Pills”, “Happy Hour”, “Chill Pill”, “Love is the Drug”,
“Stay Calm”, “Take a Chill Pill”, “Hangover Drugs”, and “Drugs”. These are also great for people who aren’t
chronically ill.
My boyfriend bought me an IPad Mini for getting my PhD. I didn’t really know I wanted one until I had
it. Honestly, if I could do everything
on it and ditch my computer, I totally would.
I can do almost anything on it.
And it is light weight, which makes it great for school and
traveling. The touch screen is super
great if you have joint problems, as it’s much easier on your fingers and hands
than regular computer keys.
6. Books by and about
the chronically ill
I can never read enough books by and about chronically ill
people. On my list to read over winter
break:
I am sure there are others I am missing, so if you know of
others that are relatively new, let me know.
This is an old favorite.
I’ve had several of Lauren’s Hope medical ID bracelets. I like the fact that these are pretty, and
while they don’t look like a traditional medical alert bracelet, they are
noticeable enough. Although I may have
found a new favorite – see number 2.
This is another old favorite, but since I blogged about
these, Sara has created more patterns of both her Pillfold and Pillpouch. These are great for travel, really handy, and
stylish, to boot.
I don’t actually have
any of their products, but these pill cases are pretty ingenious. I especially like the carafe that doubles as
a pill case and the streamlined pill cutter and crusher.
So these aren’t as cute as Lauren’s Hope, but if you get the
interactive version, you can put all of your information online and it can then
be accessed by first responders in an emergency. It allows you to update information
constantly, so rather than having to get a new bracelet every time something
changes, you simply access your account online and change whatever needs to be
changed. This is totally a case of
function over form, but the silicone band comes in a variety of fun
colors. And there are other band types
to choose from, as well.
This is something that I am totally obsessed with right now. Its main purpose is as a stand so you can use
your IPad when you are cooking. But it
is so much more than that. It is a stand
that allows me to do reading for school off of my IPad without having to hold
it, can be a stand for your phone for hands free talking, and you can watch
movies and stuff on it, too. It is
really great, and perfect for extra bad joint pain days. I got mine at Barnes & Noble, but Amazon
sells it, too, or you can purchase it directly from Prepara. Definitely worth it if you have an IPad.
***
I hope that this has given you some ideas for gifts for
yourself or others this holiday season.
I would love, love, love it if this post makes it to any of
the companies I’ve highlighted, that they might donate a product or two for a
giveaway. So Miamica, EOS, Urban
Outfitters, Oxo, Apple, Amazon or Cynthia Toussaint, Danea Horn, Katy Butler,
Daniel Malito, Lauren’s Hope, Sara Gorman, Sabi, Road ID, and Prepara, if you
are out there reading, please help me offer some great holiday giveaways to my
readers.
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