Hello darlings –
This is it. The moment everyone (ahem, no one) has been waiting for all year! <drumroll please> It’s the third annual #MHAWS gift guide for academics and the people who love them! Want the people you love to get you something GOOD this year instead of something ill-fitting, unwanted, or inappropriate? Then share this with your partners, friends, family, frenemies!
How this works: All year long, I click on weird ass links for you, carefully saving anything that I think might hit the right note. I sacrifice my Instagram algorithm by searching for weird shit like “sword earrings.” Nothing is sponsored. Nothing is from Amazon. I try to link to sites where there are multiple of items available. You can look at past years of the gift guide for more inspiration here and here. If you like this, please share it!
This year’s holiday gift guide theme is BOUNDARIES. You want them, especially with work. You are struggling to figure out how to establish them, reinforce them, back them up. Here are some capitalist bandaids to help us pretend like we can actually say no.
People sometimes want to know what is on my list! Here it is:
Donations to doctors without borders and the Palestinian children’s relief fund
For you to fill out this 3 question survey (1.5% response rate. Y’all. So many freeloaders.)
A new website from JPK Design Co. I’m getting the ‘one-week’ website for $2500. Reach out to her for a consultation!
A new robe from Highway Robery
Some new coffee cups
Slippers (these in purple!)
Physical boundaries
Does your academic want more time alone? For everyone to leave them alone? To wear soft pants, cozy sweaters, and comfortable shoes? For more space and fewer burdens? Then your academic needs physical boundaries, which include touch, your personal space, and your physical needs. Let’s get them their needed physical environment AND help them remind people to stop touching them! Your academic might need:
a fun t-shirt, sweatshirt, sweater, or coat that lets you be cozy but also also alone
soft blankets, throws, and new sheets
a bracelet, earrings, or necklace to remind people to back the fuck offfff
a custom bathing suit, a new robe, and a one way ticket to a tropical destination
Time boundaries
Does your academic crave distance from the things that bother them at work? Do they constantly talk about how they wish they could prioritize different things in their life? Do they struggle saying no to people? How often do you catch your academic checking their email on their phone at night or on the weekends? Time boundaries are when your academic is able to understand their own priorities, rank order tasks by importance, and to set assign enough time to complete important tasks before deadlines. Your academic might need:
a t-shirt or sweatshirt or t-shirt or sweatshirt to remind them they should be writing
a coffee advent calendar, new coffee cup (these are both on my list!), or a new tea kettle and tea to help them stay awake and focused on their important work
some office swag to help them prioritize their work, including a stationary advent calendar, reusable post-its, a vibrant wall calendar, or a new calendar app (my referral code is RM912663 if you want to use it)
time boundaries around sleep matter, too. Help them with that!
some time away from screens doing watercolors, sketching, drawing, or making cute lil animals
Intellectual boundaries
Does your academic have imposter syndrome? Do they feel like their ideas aren’t worth shit and they don’t know their place in the academy? Are they moaning and groaning about how they don’t know how to do something? Intellectual boundaries help you respect the ideas of others and expect the same; intellectual boundaries mean that you aren’t belittled, shut down, or dismissed and you have healthy dialogue about the things that matter. If your academic needs intellectual boundaries, they might like:
A new website from JPK Design Co. to help them feel like a whole ass professional. Seriously such a good present!
Some reminders of their good ideas, their worth, and the things that are important
A lil thumbs up, an emotional support pickle, or a poster
Jewelry to remind your academic that their star shines bright
empowering selfie energy for your lil academic to remind them they are the main attraction
Emotional boundaries
Does your academic feel gaslit by their colleagues or institution? Do they struggle with people being assholes to them? Do they think their nemesis is winning? Are they challenged by being a soft animal body in a neoliberal capitalist society? Emotional boundaries protect your right to have your own feelings and thoughts and to not have your feelings criticized or invalidated. If your academic needs help with their emotional boundaries, you might get them:
notebooks, notebooks, and notebooks (this last one is a repeat from a previous year for obvious reasons. I own it. I use it.)
maybe your academic needs to sharpen their knives or light matches or to cut some(one)thing. For… academic reasons…
a cute pin, earrings, or necklace to remind people what you think of them
t-shirts and sweatshirts and pajamas and sweatshirts
some delightful gifts to send to people who have wronged your academic
a few imbibing gifts to help them forget how they have been wronged
That’s it! (lieeesss. I have so many more links). I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday season!
XOXOX
Mirya