Last Updated on November 16, 2024 by melissanreynolds
This is the great Christmas gift guide 2024 for chronic illness thrivers. I love to share this with you each year, along with tips to make this busy time easier.
I have a long list of gifts I need to buy and lists for myself. We tend to end up in three or four secret Santa’s, so I need several options for each. There are around 14 kids I need to get gifts for, in addition to my own four children.
Needless to say this season can become overwhelming.
But I have found ways to make it easier! This post includes 30+ ideas for you and the people you need to gift for.
Affiliate notice: Please note that some of these links may be affiliate links. I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Gifts for children
I wrote the My Mama series to help us share our experience with our families. Not just our children, they can be a simple introduction for the adults around us too! My Mama Has ME/CFS. My Mama Has Fibromyalgia. And My Mama Has Chronic Pain.
This is my Amazon storefront for kids activities and gifts. A few of my absolute favourites are below.
Faber Castell Paint by Numbers Sets
There are many ideas here. Paint By Numbers Unicorn Set. Colour by Numbers Puzzle.
Fun fact: I waited for a sale and then ordered several of the different versions of these Faber Castell sets. Cousins on one side of the family done! (In October!)
Lego
You can almost never go wrong with Lego! Number train sets for littler ones. Gabby’s Dollhouse Fairy Garden for school age girls. A Harry Potter one for bigger kids. Or a classic box that they can build their own anything.
Activity Kits
I almost always chose activity kits for kids. This Rock Painting Kit is super cute. Build a Dinosaur Terrarium.
Books
I love the classics – The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
My 7 and 10 year old’s love The Warrior Cats books and the Roald Dahl collection.
Plants
If you’re a gardener yourself you could cultivate some seeds and give them a small plant of their own to grow. My three year old brought a dwarf bean seed and loved watching it sprout and then grow tall in the garden.
The options are endless. But hopefully something here gives you some good ideas.
Christmas Gift Guide 2024 for adults (yourself)
Fibromyalgia Won’t Win
May I be forgiven for sharing my book? I wrote it especially for people with fibromyalgia (and chronic pain) so that they know they are not alone and as a short guide to everything on this blog.
Journals
Journals to help you manage chronic illness. I have created several journals to support your journey. From the My Health Tracker Journal, to the Get on Top of Your Life Paced Planning and Symptom Tracking Journal and the My Foggy Brain To Dos. Check the set out here.
My Gratitude Journal – for anyone!
Heating pads or other chronic pain friendly gifts
A contoured neck and shoulders electric heating pad
Skechers shoes are the only ones I wear on the regular
Art Supplies
I always need top ups of some thing or another.
Fibro Pain is the Worst But At Least This Coloring Book is Distracting Me – so many coloring books to choose from!
A coloring book by a fellow spoonie!
My friend Carrie at My Several Worlds has just released this coloring book for us. A Coloring Adventure for Spoonies.
Gift vouchers
Chronic illness is expensive. So gift vouchers are a wonderful way to give permission to spend money on ourselves. I love book store vouchers. Others may like clothing stores.
Books
I am obsessed with Lucy Score. This is the first book of her best selling Knockemout series. You will want all three immediately.
From Fatigued to Fantastic! is a must read for all with fibromyalgia. Crammed full of useful tips.
I update my Am Reading list on my Amazon storefront because people often ask when I share on Instagram.
My Mindfulness Toolkit for Chronic Pain and Fatigue is my brand new book and I am so excited I can’t even tell you. This is the guide you’ve been waiting for – accessible mindfulness tools that I share how to put into your symptom management plans, the way I do.
What are my top tips for surviving the busy season?
- Say no
- Keep your pacing plans on lockdown
- Prioritise
- Start early – the gift situation alone is a lot from brainstorming, to purchasing, to wrapping, pace it
- Ask for help
