Gifts For Loved Ones- Spoonies Shops – Supporting The Chronically Ill

Gifts for loved ones – Supporting those fighting illness

Say hello to gifts for loves ones fighting the chronic illness life.

Ahh, the chronic illness life is hard, damn hard. Both for those who live life as a Spoonie (if you’re unfamiliar with that term, you may want to check out this post link as it’s used A LOT in this post 😉 ) and for their loved ones. When illness steals our ability to work it is tough, its more than tough but I’m trying not to be sweary 😉 we loose financial security and a sense of identity and pride that comes with working.

When a loved one, someone you care for becomes sick and it isn’t acute, a ‘get well soon’ card just doesn’t cut it and that must be really tough. To be in a situation where you feel helpless, are longing to help but are unsure how and it is an ongoing, seemingly endless situation.

Hello spoonie shops

Well friends, newbies, new friends. Whether you have a chronic illness, an acute one, whether you care about someone who does, I may just have a little gem, or a few, up my sleeve for you today.

If there’s one thing I’ve noticed in my time as a chronic illness fighter building my wonderful community of amazing folk online, it is the talent, the ability, the resilence, that resides within each and every one, against all odds (sing it Phil, sing it).

This community of incredibly strong people are creating some of the most amazing items to lift others spirits as well as their own. So I put out a call across my social media. I asked for people to share with me links to sites where they make, create and sell. My goal, to share them with the world.

I’ll be honest, I have felt incredibly overwhelmed (in the most wonderfully proud sense) putting this together. I have visited each site, categorised every seller so that as a reader you can browse at ease and will. For me, just to know that people fighting true adversity, day after day, are achieving so much, well it is truly inspiring.

So please read. Browse. Indulge yourself. Treat a friend. Spread the word. Perhaps you’ll find a perfect gift for a loved one.

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Shops are categorised as best as possible for ease and everyone’s link to their social media is linked in case you wish to follow and marked with  for ease. Beneath each you will find their shop web link.

*This post contains affiliate links which help cover the running costs of the website at no cost to yourself. If you’d like to learn more about this please see my ‘Disclosure‘ page. Posts are not affiliate driven.

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Bath and cosmetics

♦Alli Teration @allirense

If you’re looking for anything bath related than this seller might be right up your street! From oils to shower gels, moisturisers and melts:  Website www.msandry.com

♦ @lippylashlove on

might be for you, or a loved one if you’re into makeup or Posh pampering products!

Website: LippyLashLove.com

Jewellery

♦Amy, THE MYALGIA FIBRO WARRIOR on

sells hand made jewellery. Her website quotes:

“The Website that shares the TRUE stories, from the REAL people, who are affected by a Disability, Condition, Illness or Circumstance” 

Website:www.dreambig-beunique.com/partnerships/the-awareness-collection-jewellery-by-lynda/

 

♦@KTKINGBOOKS on

sells healing jewellery and gifts on Etsy inspired by her novel (more on her novel to come later!).

Her Etsy shop is: KTKingShop, Daisy Place, Little Eden by KTKingShop

♦Emily @floteren on

sells jewellery and art! You can find her shop here:

Etsy: Shop by Floteren

 

Bits & Bobs / Apparel

♦ @Youraching_art

I could not start this selection without mentioning my spoonie gal Alex who goes by @Youraching_art on. She creates and designs a menagerie of great stuff including t-shirts, sweatshirts (both adult and kid sizes), to phone & laptop cases, note books, wall art and such, which can be found here:

Website:T-Shirts by Alexandra Baker | TeePublic

♦ Georgina aka @chronillicles on

If you’re looking for tote bags, phone cases, symptom trackers, sweatshirts and t-shirts, jewellery and medical ID, then Georgina is your gal:

Website: https://www.chronillicles.com/shop/

♦zoe, aka @activelyautoimmue on

sells medication bags as well as postcards and greeting cards 😊 while sharing humour and reality of living with chronic illness.

Website: www.activelyautoimmune.com/shop

♦Sarah, @adventuresofsarahandem on

runs emmiekisses on Etsy.

“I sell cute sewn things or things made with a vinyl cutter. I made a special request of an angry disability sticker for a car for someone but since then it has been more popular than I was expecting. (Note from Amy here-how much do you love this? And YES I want one!) I like to create and make things and this shop has given me a little outlet for that creativity. Even on bad days I can lay with my laptop and design card cut files.”

Website: emmiekisses.etsy.com

P.S She has The cutest dog called Emmie!

♦Alyce @doodlepeoplexo

sells some great things! From mugs, to pins/button, jewellery, embroidered patches, wall decor and art prints, bottles, coasters, mirrors, magnets and more…

Website: doodlepeople.Etsy.Com

“Spoonie Sister Shop was created to help spread awareness of chronic medical conditions, and to support & comfort fellow spoonies! Every piece is designed with the intention of bringing comfort and confidence, with soft materials, witty phrases, and practical yet cute awareness goodies.”

You’ll find t-shirts, caps, bracelets, mugs and more!

Website: www.spooniesistershop

Stationary

 

♦Kirsten, 23 years old, lives in Belgium @graphicorganic on

works from home as a spoonie. Her business is Graphic Organic. I sell sustainable/fairtrade clothing and stationery. I also blog and do freelance graphic design.

Website: www.graphic-organic.com

 

♦Alyce, @doodlepeoplexo on

includes many spoonie and mental health accessories and such! In fact, check out me with my fab mug that my sister bought me for my birthday also wearing my sweatshirt from aliceella.co.uk – details coming up soon!! As you can see, they both make perfect gifts for loved ones!

Website: doodlepeople.Etsy.Com

 ❤

♦Amanda aka @meanmuggincoffeemugs

She sells humour T-shirts, shopping totes, and decals! Trust me, they as funny AS!

Etsy store: www.etsy.com/uk.shop/MeanMugginCoffeeMugs

♦Hayley aka, SpoonieVillage

one of my longest insta spoonie friends creates the most wonderful stationery, cards and graphics about spoonie life. They are humorous and truthful and well worth a look. Follow her insta store page here and check out the store:

Website: www.spoonievillage.com

Books

♦Sarah @braceyourselfSS

has written:

Brace Yourself: A chronically witty novel

“Lizzy spent much of her life negotiating undiagnosed Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTs), Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and associated conditions. Rated 5 stars by fellow ‘Spoonies’ and ‘Zebras’, with plenty of relatable moments, this un-putdownable novel combines rom-com with Lizzy’s health struggles until she finally gets her diagnosis.

The author brings the often-hidden topic of chronic illness into a mainstream novel, combining all the best bits of a rom-com with awareness about life with rare or invisible health problems.

Loved by readers of Helen Fielding’s ‘Bridget Jones’ and Nick Spalding’s ‘Checking Out’, Brace Yourself is a must read whether you identify with Lizzy’s problems or not!”

Available here: Brace Yourself Novel £6.49

♦Tessa aka @Endalia

writes YA fiction and she has one book out.

She has books currently available online and her next one is planned for released in September and a further in December!

Here is one available now:

The Sacred Maiden by Tessa Hastjarjanto

“There once was a girl who lived in a cottage at the very edge of a small village with her parents. Her father was a woodcutter and he needed enough space to store the logs, so living near the forest made his job easier…”

This is a short story available on her website: www.narratess.com

Full books are available:

Tales of Lunis Aquaria Paperback – 2 Jul 2019

♦KT aka @KTKING

a spoonie, has written a novel ‘Little Eden’

♦Emily @arthritisfoodie

has a book ‘Arthritis Foodie, A natural Remedy’. Having lived with arthritis since the age of twenty she has compiled a box of useful recipes and such. She is currently running a campaign on Publishizer where you can pre order a copy and support the campaign.

Find out more here: The Arthrits Foodie on Publishizer

♦ Pippa @lifeofpippa

Dear Chronic Illness Paperback – 8 Jun 2018 by Pippa Stacey (Author) (aka @lifeofpippa_  )

“Dear Chronic Illness features a collection of short letters written by young people, addressed to their long-term illnesses and impairments, detailing what they would like to say to them. The letters are not your typical sob story, and provide a light-hearted and humorous commentary on the writers’ various experiences, yet they also give insight into the challenges of navigating life whilst learning to live with their conditions. Share your thoughts and join in the conversation by using the hashtag #DearChronicIllness.”

Honestly, this has been one of my favourite reads. It is indeed not a sob story. This is clever, humorous, entertaining all the while sharing experiences of the daily lives of those with chronic illness. This is 100% worth a read for all. And by all, I mean the chronically ill, the healthy, the disabled, the abled. Just EVERYONE. It’s brilliant. This isn’t just a gift for a loved one but for everyone!

Available here: Dear Chronic Illness Paperback –£5.99  8 Jun 2018

Books for children to help them understand life with chronic illness

“Noah the Narwhal has good days, when he is productive and social, and pain days, when he needs to rest. His friends and family can find it difficult to handle the unpredictability. Can they come to see that having him in their lives is absolutely worth it?”

I bought this book for my nieces and it is a wonderful story about Noah a Narwhal (who happens to be my youngest nieces favourite mammal, second to a unicorn of course), who lives with chronic migraines. It is a wonderful story to introduce young ones to invisible illnesses and has gone down a treat with the two most important mini humans in my life.

Available here: Noah the Narwhal: A Tale of Downs and Ups Hardcover

♦Why Does Mommy Hurt? Helping Children Cope with the Challenges of Having a Caregiver with Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, or Autoimmune Disease Paperback – May 9, 2014 by Elizabeth Christy

“The children of people with chronic illness and pain suffer quietly. “Why Does Mommy Hurt?” is a joyful, yet honest, portrayal of family life burdened with chronic illness. This is a delightful story told by a young boy learning to understand and cope with his mother’s illness. The story creates natural opportunities for families to talk about both the symptoms of chronic illness, and how they affect family life. Even more importantly, the story puts power into the hands of the children. It also offers a helpful “Tips and Resources” section for parents! A portion of the proceeds benefits the National Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Association (NFMCPA). This book is appropriate for a wide-variety of illnesses associated with chronic pain, such as: Lupus, Lyme Disease, ME, CFS, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Cancer, Depression, Autoimmune Disease, and many others.”

Available here: Why Does Mommy Hurt? Helping Children Cope with the Challenges of Having a Caregiver with Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, or Autoimmune Disease Paperback& kindle

 

Happiness bags / Survival Boxes

Pippa @lifeofpippa & @lifofpippa  runs @SpoonieSurvival

Here’s the cool thing. Spoonie survival create little bags of happiness for chronically ill people with 50% of all income donated to charity. I mean, how AWESOME??!!!

Etsy: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/supooniesurvivalkits

Website: www.spooniesurvivalkits.com

♦Katherine @thereluctantspoonie

is next in our Spoonie Survival Kits. They are created with bespoke items (since 2016).

She also sells crocheted items and does bulk orders for chronic illness charities (be still my beating heart). This year she launched her own store on Etsy and donates 15% of sales to a chosen chronic illness charity and is currently selling Zebras with new items coming soon. So not only would you be buying perfect gifts for loved ones but you’d be donating to charity too! Pretty cool.

Etsy store: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TheReluctantSpoonie 

♦Faye of @bearhugsgifts 

began her company when first unwell. She now has a thriving business offering essentially a ‘hug in a box’. Boxes which contain goodies to cheer up anyone. You can choose from ‘Ready to go hugs’, Mini cub hugs’ and ‘build your own hugs’. Let’s say I’m feeling all fuzzy and warm inside.

Website: bearhugsgifts.com

 

Art

We certainly have some artistic folk in our community, if you’re looking to spruce up a wall or gift some art then look no further.

♦Staci @stacifriedmanfineart

sells beautiful artwork in floral themes. It can be found on her website.

Website: www.stacifriedmanfineart.com

♦Carla @carlarosemandalas

paints stunning mandalas, you can follow her on instagram and buy her beautiful work at the following address.

Website: https://www.redbubble.com/people/carlaroseart

♦Hannah @badger.artwork

is an artist who has a collection of drawings, portraits, watercolour and acrylic paintings and knitting/crocheting. You can check out her incredible work here:

Society 6 Website: BadgerArtwork

♦Sophia @artisticksoph

sells awesome art is made of one or multiple of the following: watercolour, acrylic, oil pastels, ink.

Etsy: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/byArtistickSoph

 

 

Pet

Sophia @artisticksoph

Sophia gets a second mention here as she also does 

customizable pet puzzle mats to keep minds sharp and learning!

Etsy: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/byArtistickSoph

 

Knitting & Crochet & Crafts

@verukasaltof728

have a (so far) small Etsy shop for her knit and needle felted creatures: Hand Knit Menagerie

Etsy: www.etsy.com/uk.shop/Hand Knit Menagerie by HandKnitMenagerie

Whitney Gottula @chronicallywitty

sells cross stitch patterns and needleminders!

Etsy is etsy.com/shop/wittyxstitch

@bumblehandmades on Facebook

sells one of a kind crocheted stuffed animals, all made by hand without patterns, so each one is unique. I first started crocheting when I became ill, as it’s something I can do in bed with limited energy, and my love for it has only grown over time. You really can pick up something unique here!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bumblehandmades/

@schmeronica runs @lentilandstitch

a shop where you will find crochet clothing, accessories, and housewares. She donates 100% of sales to social justice orgs + pays for all materials/fees out of her pocket. What a gem eh?? She finds that crocheting distracts her from pain, helps her stay grounded in her body, and allows her to give back to the community.

Etsy: Quality Crochet Designs  +  Affordable Custom Orders by LentilAndStitch

 

@saknikteha

has a handmade brand of crochet apparel which can all be found at the following address:

Website: www.kickhink.com

Hannah aka, @badger.artwork

gets a second mention under this section for her knitting and crocheting, haven’t we got some talented folks here guys?

Society 6 Website: BadgerArtwork

♦Katherine @thereluctantspoonie

 has a second feature in our crafting/knitting section

She sells crochet items and also does bulk orders for chronic illness charities. She launched her own Etsy shop earlier this year and donates 15% of sales to a chosen chronic illness charity. She is currently selling Zebras and will be adding new items soon.  

Etsy: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TheReluctantSpoonie

♦Alison Holloway of Alison Holloway Crochet Designs

designs crochet patterns for businesses and magazines and has an etsy shop too. She has a daughter who has pots and lots of associated health problems that has led to her needing to spend much more time at home to care for her. She is @colourblind_zebra and promotes information about chronic illness and pots in particular with her own illustrations. My etsy shop is managed by here:

Etsy: www.etsy.com/uk.shop.AlisonHollowayDesigns

 

Clothes

♦@T_Ellul

has just started selling lovely vintage clothes and accessories. Discounts for spoonies! Her shop twitter handle for it is @VSpoonie  and her Etsy shop site:

 Website: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/VintageSpoonie

♦@disableddisney

sells T-shirts hoodies, sweatshirts in both adults and kids sizes. She also has home goods and cases all in Disney style! Disney fans are going to LOVE this one!

Website: teepublic.com/user.disableddisney

 

♦Suzanne of @FibroMomBlog

Sells awesome shirts and sweatshirts that really help both lift mood and spread awareness. Her blog is pretty cool too!

Website: www.fibromomblog.com

♦Kirsten @GraphicOrganic

sells sustainable/fairtrade clothing (erm how cool is that!!) and stationary. she also blogs and does freelance graphic design (so I know where I’ll be going to for any graphic design needs in the future!).

Website: www.graphic-organic.com

Sam @warriorteesuk

describes herself as someone who is a “seller of Empowering tees to help break down the stigma that unfortunately still surrounds Mental Health.” Pretty cool eh?

 Website: www.warriortees.co.uk

♦Alexander Baker @youraching_art

gets another mention here for her t-shirts/hoodies/sweatshirts, all made in both adult and kid sizes T-Shirts by Alexandra Baker | TeePublic

♦Alice @alicellagram

is a wonderful spoonie friend of mine. She is a mega talented singer/songwriter who has a clothing line with the Alice Ella logo, best big all profits go to the MEassociation charity. They’re super comfy and I’m never out of mine!

Find them here: www.aliceella.co.uk

Edibles 

♦Emily of @not_just_surviving  

created Emily’s Lollies on Etsy. The most adorable lollies for an event, cute gifts for loved ones, for someone you care about or maybe even just a treat your yourself.

Website: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Emilyslollies

♦Laura, the Founder of @simply.AIP

Simply AIP—”a monthly subscription box for women living with an autoimmune disease and following the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP). Every month we feature 5-7 AIP-friendly products food and self-care products.” 

I would love to add that Laura kindly sent me a box to check out and it really is amazing! Such a great idea and would make a wonderful gift subscription for a loved one or a gift for yourself for those extra bits we all need in our daily diet. SimplyAIP can also cater for gluten free and lactose intolerance I believe.

Website: https://simplyaip.com/

Art Prints / Graphic design

Sonia @sonybologna

Sonia designs art prints for anyone struggling with invisible illness.

You can find here print here.

Kristen @graphicorganic

gets a secondary mention here as she also is a freelance graphic designer, You can find here work here:

www.graphic.organic.com

♦Emily @floteren

makes a second entrance in this post as she sells positive art printed for chronically ill people!

Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/uk/floteren

♦Alex @youraching_art

creates Art Graphics which can also be found at Alex’s shop here: T-Shirts by Alexandra Baker | TeePublic

Feeding tube accessories

♦Carolanne Monteleone @craftingforacureco

runs @craftingforacureco on www.etsy.com/shop/craftingforacureco

where she sells feeding tube accessories, a business she created after becoming tube fed herself. We donate a portion of each sale to @newbietubies  project which donates care packages to people getting feeding tubes for the first time! 

Etsy store: www.etsy.com/shop/craftingforacureco

Spoons

♦Rebekah’s Valentine

Rebekah sells stamped spoons with various messages. If you’re unsure why a spoon might be an important message to someone with chronic illness, check out this post, ‘What is a Spoonie?‘.

It’s called Rebekah’s Valentine – www.etsy.com/shop/rebekahsvalentine

 My email is rebekahkik@gmail.com would love to support my fellow spoonies!

 

Custom engraved gifts

♦@kimberleejarvis

@Routermymind  is a husband and wife team, this Etsy shop of customised wooden gifts, you can find their shop here:

Website: www.etsy.com/shop/RouterMyMind 

MKCauseCreation’s is in charge of cause products for spoonies and cancer patients. MKCauseCreations’s shop on

Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/MKCauseCreations

 

Planners

♦Kimberlee @kimberleejarvis

also sells planners on her Etsy shop:

Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/MKCauseCreations

♦McKenna @warrior.life.planner

created the Warrior Life Planner which is the first spiral bound Planner made specifically for chronic illness warriors. You can track your medications, symptoms, doctors appointments, mental health and so much more! She will be releasing the 2020 version in September. 

Website: www.warriorlifeplanner.com

 

Health Coaching

♦Suzanne @fibromomblog

is offering health coaching to my fellow Chronically Strong Warriors! This can all be found on her website:

Website: www.fibromomblog.com

Education courses and tutor

♦@pinkdiamondeducation

is building an education business including online and face-to-face tutoring,  courses and is writing an e-book!

The business is @pinkdiamondeducation

 

 

 

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So please, peruse at your will. Perhaps buy gifts for a loved one, for someone special or just to treat yourself. Follow these shops and accounts and remember the extra love and care that goes into their creations.

I hope this post has been a useful reference and one you can come back to over and over again. I must say the response I had to my ‘call out’ on social media really very overwhelming, so much so, that I’m planning on making this a bi-annual post as there are so many amazing talented people out there creating and starting shops that deserve a shout out! So I plan to do one near the festive period.

Please share this post, shout our communities talents from the rooftops.

This has been thoroughly enjoyable for me to put together and I hope you’ve enjoyed!

You can follow my Spoonie gram @myillnessmythoughts where I share everything chronic illness vibe (learn my spoonie story here and here), my blog gram @treatably where I post all my latest blog happening and don’t forget to subscribe to my blog via the little envelope at the top of the menu box.

 

*All images are from artists sites (except otherwise noted).