It’s that time of year again. The time when we all buy our gifts last minute while praising the wonders of the modern world (Amazon Prime, ahoy!). Or, alternately, we sit at our computer screens and frantically search for the right gift.
If you’re looking for something to send your friends/family/relatives for gift guide ideas, or if you just wanna buy something awesome for the freelancer in your life, look no further:
A mouse that doesn’t kill wrists
Depending on how practical your recipient is, this might be something to ask for rather than something to buy, but I’m telling you: this Sharkk mouse has made the difference between my wrists killing me after two hours of work and letting me work a whole day in peace. And it only took me an hour or two to adjust to using it. Plus that matte plastic just feels good. Kudos to Shanna for sharing it with me!
A stylish backpack
I love a good messenger bag, but my back does not. After getting tired of dealing with angry muscles and neck-aches from toting my portable office around, I searched high and low, trying to find a backpack that fit the following criteria:
- Sturdy
- Not ungodly expensive
- Didn’t look like something that belonged on a preschooler
- …or ridiculously dwarf my 5’2″ figure
The above backpack fits all of that criteria, is under $50, has all kinds of useful compartments, and comes in my two favorite colors. DONE AND DONE. I can fit an absurd amount of stuff in if, and I’ve had it for almost a year and it’s not showing much wear yet either, so I think it’s sturdy enough for most people. Unless you’re going to go skydiving or some shit, in which case you probably don’t need a laptop backpack.
Pens
I’m not necessarily particular about what kind of paper I write on (though I do love a pretty notebook), but I’m weirdly picky about the pens I use–especially for longer writing. Considering that none of these are expensive, they’re great stocking stuffers.
Clockwise:
- Pilot Varsity Disposable Fountain Pens, for the person who wants to feel fancy but always loses their pens (psst, they come in colors, too!)
- The Seven Year Pen, which is great for longwinded people like me who kill ballpoint pens on the regular (also, you know, they’re pretty dang cute)
- uni-ball Jetstream RT Fine Point Retractable Roller Ball Pens, for the person who wants something a step up from your average Bic
Headphones
Working with music is essential for my productivity. Pictured above:
- The Skullcandy S2IKDY-101 Ink’d 2.0 Earbud Headphones with Mic, which sound pretty great for being so budget-friendly (and yet, comfortable and not hideous), and the mic is pretty decent too. These are what I use when I don’t want to mess up my hair or am walking around.
- For hardcore productivity needs, I have the Monster DNA On-Ear Noise Isolating Headphones w/ Control Talk. They block out pretty much all background noise (I can have that evil cat running around the bedroom at top speed playing with a bell toy, and not realize it until I take my headphones off). They also make me feel like a femme-fatale-cyborg. So there’s that, too. I got them for a steal at around $75 with shipping, and they’re still available at that price in the cobalt blue and white colors here. Other colors at various discounts here.
- At some point, I’ll probably buck up and buy the Bose SoundTrue In-Ear headphones to complete the set, but I haven’t bit the bullet yet. I hear great things, though.
Motivational posters
But not the kind with eagles and shit. I have the above manifesto from StrikingTruths (Show the world) and they have others that you can buy here. Alternately, here’s a Firefly-themed typography poster for the misbehaving freelancer in your life. You can even grab a Buffy one instead, if you want. Heck, just dig through all their nerdy posters. Or pick up a motivational “Get Shit Done” mug, because then it’s doubly motivating since it probably contains coffee (the lifeblood of 99% of freelancers).
Organizational tools
Because what freelancer doesn’t need to be more organized? Above:
- The Weekdate white wall planner (previously reviewed here)
- The Passion planner, recently funded via Kickstarter
- A Leuchtturm notebook, which comes pre-numbered (making it super easy to insert a table of contents or index into it and keep track of what notes are on what pages)
All right–that’s not a ton of stuff, but it’s my best picks for freelancer gifts. What say you–what’s on your wishlist/shopping list?
Other gift guides I love:
- TerribleMinds Gifts for Writers 2014 (If anyone wants to sign me up for a coffee subscription, I would not complain. JUST SAYIN’.)
- The 2014 Gift Guide for Getting Things Done at 99U (Wireless speaker showerhead? Yes, please.)
- Indie or Bust: A Holiday Book Buying Guide (because who doesn’t want to support independent authors? Puppy-kickers, that’s who!)