It’s time for the annual Tripping On Air Holiday Gift Guide because the right present can make MS suck just a little bit less. This year’s list has perfect presents and a whole whack of giveaways for the demyelinated person on your list.
Of course, the greatest gift is time together – if you missed the last episode of the pod, be sure to check out 12 Tips For Tripping Through The Holidays With MS. This episode is full of unconventional tips like Cut corners! and Lower your expectations! You’re gonna wanna share it with your friends and fam, because it’s got some sassy holiday advice for them too.
And now the main event…a list of gifts and ridiculously good giveaways from brands like byAcre, Prairie Vélo, BeCare MS, The MS Gym, Dr. Gretchen Hawley, Julie Stamm, Indie Lee, and Jacqueline Lapuck Jewelry! Read to the end for contest entry details.
2023 Tripping On Air Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide & Giveaways for people with MS
Stocking Stuffers
Because if the best best gift is time together, the second best gift is a killer stocking.
Mini toiletries like hand sani, because colds. covid, and flu can mess with MS.
Take your stocking to the next level by splurging on higher end hand sani like the soapless hand-wash from Aēsop. A shea butter hand cream like the one from l’Occitane will keep your hands soft after all that scrubbing.
Pop sockets, because MS can make you drop shit.
A great smart-phone accessory for those who like taking selfies but don’t have a great grip (me).
Sleep mask, because MS can cause insomnia.
Lots of people purchase new Pj’s around the holidays, which makes it a great time to get a matching sleep mask!
Front door magnet, because doors are heavy.
I live in an apartment and the front door is heavy af. Before I got one of these magnets, it was a daily race against time, flinging the door open, then trying to cross the threshold with my rollator before it could swing back and hit me in the face.
No-tie elastic shoelaces, because MS can mess with dexterity.
Tying shoelaces has been confounding humans since kindergarten. FTS. Even if you have the dexterity of a micro-surgeon whose hobbies include cross-stitching and playing the violin, no-tie shoe laces just look better. Alex recommends these ones from xpandlaces.com.
Giveaway: 52 Essential Inclusion Cards by Julie Stamm, because words matter.
ABC Inclusion Cards is a gamified tool for home, school, and work to build kindness, compassion, and respect for diverse abilities. Learn the language of inclusion and how to advocate for physical wellness and mental health–for yourself and your community. Julie Stamm is giving away 2 decks to 2 lucky Trippers.
I was featured in this deck. See if you can Where’s Waldo me!
Giveaway: Some Days, by Julie Stamm, because kids have questions about MS.
Also by Julie Stamm, Some Days is the perfect story to share with your child about life with Multiple Sclerosis–or any chronic illness. So many parents worry about how to talk to their kids about MS. Julie herself was diagnosed with MS in 2007, so she knows what she’s talking about.
We have 2 books to give away!
Giveaway: The MS Gym subscription, because MS is modifiable.
The MS Gym is a physiotherapy and mindset training program that uses neuro-muscular movement to improve symptoms of MS. The MS Gym has loads of free resources. They also have an app and a subscription service for more customized programs.
One lucky Tripper is going to win a free 3 month subscription!
Giveaway: The MSing Link by Dr. Gretchen Hawley, because the right book can change how you think and how you move.
Dr. Gretchen Hawley is a physiotherapist Multiple Sclerosis certified specialist, and is the founder/creator of The MSing Link, an online wellness program for people with MS. She is a social media ray of sunshine who shares easy to understand, helpful tips across her platforms. Dr. Gretchen is giving away 5 copies of her brand new book The MSing Link: The Essential Guide to Improve Walking, Strength & Balance for People with Multiple Sclerosis.
VR headset, because MS can make it hard to get to the gym.
Shout out to Kathy Regan Young of FUMS for putting virtual reality on my physiotherapy radar. (The F stands for exactly what you think it does. Kathy and I speak the same language.) If you’re already incorporating VR into your rehab, please comment and let me know what games and hardware you’re using. This is a bougie gift unless you amortize it against the cost of actual physio. I’m not a gamer, but should I be?
Lap desk, because fatigue.
A lap desk can make life easier/more comfortable when you’d rather not but you still have to. Lots of companies are making lap desks but the one I want is from Lapgear. (Santa, if you’re reading, I want the pink one, obviously.) You can find these on Amazon. They look so cute and profesh your actual desk will be jealous.
Giveaway: BeCare Link app, because a lot can happen between appointments.
BeCare is a brand new app that lets you monitor your neurological health. You can generate reports and send them directly to your doctor. BeCare app lets you identify potential changes to your MS. It can measure functions like eyesight, colour vision, walking speed, hand-eye coordination and more.
As far as neuro exams go. this is pretty fun to use (make sure to try the sensory perception test that uses your phone’s vibration function). There are a number of free features and BeCare is gifting a free one year subscription which gives you access to all the bells and whistles!
(*Compatible with Android 13, minimum iOS 11.)
Penkou portable neck fan, because MS can cause heat sensitivity.
A portable neck fan sounds like it would be a fashion crime, but this one by Penkou looks like Beats headphones, so not uncool at all. I don’t get hot that often, but it would have been great to have this device on the beach last summer. I’m keeping this fan on my wishlist for future beach vacays, and because I could really use a portable wind machine for my selfies.
Giveaway: Jacqueline Lapuck carnelian bead bracelet, because you deserve nice things.
Jacqueline Lapuck is a Boston based fine jewelry artist whose world was rocked like so many of ours when she was diagnosed with MS. She’s since turned her trauma into the MS Hope Collection which she dreamt up while in the hospital and is now doing what she loves to help find a cure by donating 20% of the proceeds of this collection to the cause.
Carnelian beads represent courage and endurance and Jacqueline is gifting two of these beautiful bracelets to a couple of lucky Trippers.
Pedicures, because you can’t spell pedicure without ‘cure’ (and MS can make it hard to touch your toes).
Pedicures may seem like a luxury indulgence, but MS symptoms like spasticity, tremor, and upper body weakness–even fatigability–ca sometimes make it hard to properly care for your feet. If you need a doctor’s note to back up your need to splurge on pedicures, check out Professor G’s MS Selfie Newsletter – but be warned, the pictures are not for the faint of heart. Prevention is important, so stay ahead of problems. If your toenails are causing you pain or making it difficult to walk or even transfer, you need to seek medical attention.
Giveaway: Indie Lee product bundle, because it’s important to consider what you put on your body as well as what you put into it.
Indie Lee is a line of clean beauty and skincare products. The company was founded by Indie Lee after a life-threatening health scare led her to want people to think about what we put on our skin as much as we think about what we put in our bodies. Indie Lee is gifting a product bundle that would be great for anyone with skin.
Gift includes: Brightening cleanser, COQ-10 Toner, Squalane Facial Oil, I-Waken Eye Serum (my fave), I-Recover Mind & Body Gel.
Lululemon Wunderpuff Cropped Jacket, because cropped equals comfort for seated body types.
I was doing some holiday recon for a certain tween when I saw these cropped coats and was outraged–like why would you want your bellybutton to be cold? Then I thought about my upcoming trip to NYC. Travel means spending more time outside in Optimus Prime, my convertible rollator/transport chair, and a cropped cut just looks better and is more comfortable on seated body types. I splurged on the jacket (bought nothing for my niece), I’m still throwing shade at the ‘ultra’ cropped, but am otherwise a true convert. Perfect for travel, it’s lightweight, warm and compact enough that I could scrunch it up and fit it in my hand luggage. It has enough interior and exterior zippered pockets that I didn’t need to carry a purse. Lulu doesn’t market this as adaptive, which is to say you don’t always have to shop adaptive to find clothes that work for you.
Giveaway: ByAcre Ultralight in blue, because if you need a rollator, you deserve one that looks cool and functions well; plus, did I mention, it now comes in blue?!
ByAcre’s Ultralight carbon rollator has been on this list before, and it makes the cut again because blue! ByAcre is constantly innovating and we love that people who need mobility aids have more and more options. It’s super exciting to be giving away this sexy rollator in blue courtesy of Prairie Velo.
(Check out our interview with Suzanne from Prairie Velo, about navigating the world of mobility aids.)
Giveaway: byAcre Nordic Pioneer, because there’s a cool new mobility aid on the block.
Yup, we’re giving away TWO byAcre rollators! byAcre is about to launch the Nordic Pioneer. Made of eco-friendly materials, this next generation rollator has the same sleek look as the carbon ultralight. It weighs 5.9 kilos, is compact, foldable, and apparently, scratchproof! Best of all the Nordic Pioneer comes in at a more affordable price point than the carbon ultralight.
Of course, the best price point is free, and you could be one of the first to try this awesome new device (I don’t even think it’s on the market yet!), because byAcre is gifting a Nordic Pioneer to one lucky winner!
That’s a wrap on the 2023 Tripping On Air Holiday Gift Guide!
Giveaway entry details
Giveaway contest is open to residents of Canada and closes December 7th at midnight. To enter, go to ami.ca/TOAContest. Winners will be announced throughout December on Youtube, so make sure you’re following.
Huge thanks to Julie Stamm, The MS Gym, Dr. Gretchen Hawley, Jacqueline Lapuck Jewelry, Indie Lee, BeCare MS app, Prairie Velo, and byAcre for supporting the MS community and for making such cool products and services.
Did you discover a great product this year that you want other Trippers to know about? Drop your gift idea in the comments! Happy holidays, Trippers. I hope Santa is good to you.
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