What to Get for a Sick Friend

Being sick is no fun, period. As I sit sniffling at my desk trying to ward off the initial onset of the inevitable cold, the one that comes every year when the weather decides to yo-yo between Springtime sunshine and winter blues, I am reminded there are many people who are very sick.  A few months ago one of my bloggy friends, Amy from Cupcakes and Couture, had surgery and she graciously asked me to guest post.   The post I wrote was one that I would have been proud to publish on my blog – and now – months later I am sharing it.  After two knee surgeries, here are eight things I am sure that would be great to make any sick friend smile:

Fresh Flowers.  Regardless how you feel about flowers – yes, they are expensive and yes, they do die – but if your friend is sick and stuck indoors all day beautiful flowers can really brighten up their days at home.  I love this Cosmopolitan Bouquet, plus they can actually use the glass once they are better.

Magazines. Your friend will have lots of down time and there is only so much TV they can handle. Go ahead and raid the magazine racks from the $1.99 gossip rag to a copy of Vogue.  Along these lines, a book of Soduku usually goes well.

Healthy Snacks.  A cheer me up bouquet of dipped strawberries and fruit is a great option because your sick friend is mostly likely on the couch / bedridden so fruit is a great way to not pack on the pounds. 

Candles. Candles are great whether you are sick or not but a great smelling, long lasting candle can really brighten your friends mood.

Pillow Cases.  Your sick friend is going to be spending a ton of time on the couch or in bed so nice new pillow cases – my favorite are Pima Cotton 700 Thread Count Pillow Cases. You can pick them up on Amazon, Overstock.com or at Marshall’s.

Nice Lotion.  Along the same line as the candles, most of the time when I run out of lotion, I swing by our local CVS and pick up whatever’s on sale. Get your friend nice lotion as a way to change up their routine and brighten their day!

Maid Service. If you can afford it, buy a local Groupon/Living Social deal and send a cleaning service to your friends place while they are out of commission.  If that is too pricey offer to help with the day-to-day stuff that needs to be done, such as a grocery trip, a Target run, doing a load of laundry, or bringing over food. 

Amazon Giftcard.  An Amazon gift card is a perfect way your friend can get whatever they want to ease and speed up their recovery.

The main thing is to get something they want not something they need.  Along with getting them physical gifts helping out a sick friend recover can be a simple phone call – When you’re at the grocery store call your sick friend and say “I’m here what do you need?”  Or, “I have the kids after school… don’t worry.” or “Of course I will walk your dog”.  

 

What would you get for a sick friend?