With the Holiday Gift Guide season fast approaching I have decided to make a post with some gift ideas for Spoonies! If you are unfamiliar with the term Spoonie, it is a term that has been adopted by the chronic illness community and gets its name from The Spoon theory which is used as a disability metaphor to help explain the fatigue people in the chronic illness community deal with on a daily basis.
I reached out to some of my friends who are also Spoonies and together we have created the below list of gift ideas!
- Heating Pad: This was actually the most common answer when I asked my friends for gift ideas. They are great for pain flare-ups and Amazon has a wonderful selection of affordable heating pads and heated blankets.
- Ice Packs: This was the second most common answer. Many of us use both heating pads and ice packs to help combat pain and inflammation. TheraPearl is actually my go-to brand but they are other great brands on the market.
- Gift Certificates: Some services suggested include housecleaning, pedicure, lawn care, yoga classes, massage therapy, dispensary gift cards(some do offer them so do not hesitate to ask!!) and etc. I had a friend once get me a subscription to Blue Apron and I had a blast because most of the recipes don’t have long cook time and I didn’t have to go to the grocery store. Gift Cards for grocery delivery is another item that was suggested.
- Topical Pain Products: I was actually really happy to see that some brands like Biofreeze and other topical pain product companies offer great deals and even gift packages around the holidays.
- Bath Products: Epsom Salt, Bath Bombs, Bubble Bath, and etc are all items that we Spoonies LOVE!
- Handheld Deep Tissue Massager: There are some great deep tissue massagers on Amazon, I have heard Wahl is a popular brand and many of the Spoonies I spoke to suggested this particular one.
- The Mobilizer by Simple Mobility Tools: This product was suggested by multiple people who have used it and were impressed with its results. It is designed to provide deep joint and muscle relief.
- Mobility & Daily Living Aids: Let me just tell you how much easier my life is now that I started using mobility aids! A few items suggested include a sock aid, canes with fun designs, walker bags(Etsy has a wonderful selection!!) and Grabber Tool.
- Weighted Blanket: I recently purchased a weighted blanket from Mosaic Weighted Blankets and its hands down one of the best things I have ever purchased. They can be a little pricey so I chose to purchase mine using Paypal Credit.
- Robotic Vacuum: I recently reviewed the bObsweep Pethair Plus and its made my life 100xs easier. I use this thing on a daily basis and with 2 dogs and a cat it really keeps up on the pet hair!
- Body Pillow: I will let you in on a secret. I am currently using a body pillow designed for pregnant women because I got it on sale and its the comfiest thing in the world. Amazon has a great selection and sometimes you can even get the pregnancy ones on sale. I prefer the pregnancy ones because I have found they are longer and just more comfortable.
These are just a few things that were the most popular, some other suggestions include slippers, PJs, fuzzy socks, coffee mugs with large handles, heated car seat, microwaveable heating pad and Visa gift cards(was suggested as a way to pay for medication, being able to pay for medication is often a concern in the Spoonie community). When in doubt what to get a Spoonie just ask!