wish list for people who don’t want anything
aka possessions which are just possessions, but which have noticeably improved my quality of life: for when people ask you “what do you want for your birthday/Christmas/graduation” and you instantly transform into St Francis and pledge fealty to Lady Poverty because your mind went blank
nice. new. sheets. I cannot emphasize this one enough. if you’re still using the same sheets you had in college, you should probably get new ones. get yourself some 100% bamboo rayon sheets—they’re silky and perfect for summer and great for sensitive skin! or, if you’re cold all the time, flannel sheets!
kitchen knives. or even just one really good kitchen knife.
new curtains—blackout if you are a creature of the night like I am
fleece lined anything, but especially sweatpants and hoodies. wool lined socks are also good. if you don’t have the option of coming home after work and putting on an entire outfit that is loose and fuzzy, you should change that, because you deserve that option.
cookie sheets with a layer of air between the top and the bottom. the bottoms of your cookies will never burn again.
kitchen scale!!! no more leveling off flour with a knife and getting it all over the table!! now all your measuring is just shoveling stuff in and out of bowls like you’re at the beach. baking is both more accurate and also way more fun.
coffee bean grinder. if you want to upgrade your coffee experience, this is a great one-time purchase. just-ground beans have a much better flavor than pre-ground.
CDs!! ask for a gift card and expand your physical music collection! or a collection of the DVDs for your favorite show!
A few more things!
Good luggage. Whether it’s a suitcase or a duffel bag or even just packing cubes, it’s all helpful!
Good art. If it’s someone you trust, you can ask them to surprise you with a piece they like, otherwise you can have a few back up suggestions of ideas (I saw a framed piece of just the hands from Michaelangelo’s The Creation of Man and have not forgot about it since)
Good good pillows or fluffy blankets to go along with those nice new sheets from above
Office supplies. Pens, markers, sharpies. All the sharpies.
Coffee travel mugs (can one have too many?). If they say they still want more ideas, also ask for a bag of their favorite beans/tea
Look around your house, what do you have that is still from college? Ask for a better one of those.
And for the future planning, especially if you’re me and forget things: make a document of “things I’d like but don’t want to buy for myself frivolously” and then select items from that for a wishlist.
Some other suggestions along these lines:
Nice hand soap/ candles/ detergent - Make sure to clarify if there’s any smells you really do/ don’t want
Nice towels - The ones you want are called ‘bath sheets’, they’re extra large
Small table lamps/ indirect lighting - It is truly incredible how much using a few smaller lights vs The Fluorescent Sun That Lives On The Ceiling to light rooms improves existing in that room
Kitchen canisters- Make sure you ask for ones with seals! These both improve the lifespan of your flour/sugar/what-have-you and are much more convenient than digging into the flour bag only to find it has torn at the back and turned your counter into the Swiss Alps
If you have a favorite local restaurant, or independent bookstore/small business, ask for giftcards! I have asked for and received giftcards to my favorite local pizza place and my local comic book shop for birthdays and Christmas many times and I love that because I get to support a small business and pick something out for myself later.
