If you buy any of these items, please come back to this list and click the "Reserve" link to mark which item(s) you purchased. This will help ensure that Olivia does not get duplicate gifts.
Fail-Safe Strategies for Science & Literacy
Reserved on Jan 26, 2026 by Roberta
This List is Too Long, I'm Not Reading It
Okay! Buy me: a book, a tea, a candle, a locally-made natural something-or-other, or clothing that looks like it was made for either a 5 year-old or a 95 year-old. Especially giant sweaters, long skirts and hats.
A Walking Curriculum
ASUS ROG Zephyrus Charger
A spare charger to carry in my laptop bag without worrying about forgetting it!
Super Fancy Digital Scale
Any jeweller's scale that can get within 0.1g of precision should be fine, but this one's affordable!
Catalina Cheng Underwater Print
I'd ask for one of their vases, but they're all $10,000.
High Atlas Foundation Donation
An NGO that did good work before and after the earthquake in Morocco to promote sustainable agriculture and clean water programs.
Interesting Paper Magazine Subscriptions
I've got one or two suggestions on here, but magazines in general are great to have in the classroom for crafts after reading them. Politics, anthropology, layman science and nature are all safe bets, but you can surprise me!
Outdoor Learning Across the Curriculum
The Cloudspotter's Guide
World Central Kitchen Donation
A charity operating with the simple goal of providing fresh, hot meals made by local chefs to people in areas of conflict and disaster.
Sons of Darkness
Seed Bombs
Nobody can prove that I am dropping these in scrubby public liminal spaces.
Margin Guide Tools
One Tea One Fun Teas and Ceramics
Gracie bought me one of their oolongs and it was wonderful. They also have some gorgeous teaware!
Aftermath Gift Subscription
It's about ethics in video game journalism! No, really. My favourite gaming coverage sites have been getting steadily bought up and firing all their most interesting writers. Aftermath is a journalist-owned co-op that I have high hopes for.
Printable Book Tracker Bookmarks
Adorable extrinsic motivation for reluctant readers in class.
Collateral Repair Project Donation
A grassroots NGO in Jordan serving vulnerable locals and refugees from countries such as Syria and Somalia. They have some lovely children's programs working to close education gaps.
One More Chapter / Go to Bed Decision Coin
Reserved on Feb 02, 2025 by Roberta
Matcha Lover Tote Bag
Fancy Glasses Chains
Multi-Colour Sweater
Compression Socks
Turns out running after small children means being on your feet all day. Fun patterns or neutrals are best!
Octopus Books Giftcard
A local socialist bookstore in walking distance that's been around since the sixties. You can also order any physical book gifts to here!
Singing Pebble Books Giftcard (Or Books)
You can also order books to here for pickup. They're literally a block away from Dad and Mona's house.
Cute Secondhand Dress
Highlands Sweater Socks from Kotn
Cute, ethically made socks not in fun patterns.
Darn Tough Heavyweight Socks
Ethically made socks for when you have bus duty and it's -30 outside.
Japanese Woodworking Knife
Metric Square
Ruler Kit
Glue Eraser
We Take Me Apart
"There is no more perfect place to be than in Molly Gaudry’s tender, dirt-floored novella, We Take Me Apart. Oh cabbage leaves, oh roses, oh orange-slice childhood grins: this book broke my heart."
Storygraph Plus Subscription
A fancy subscription to my much-used, non-Amazon Goodreads alternative, which comes with fun reading stats and personalized recs!
Maintenance Phase Patreon Membership
This is my go-to podcast while cooking. The creators have given explicit permission to join for a month, download all their bonus content and then leave, so gifting more than that is up to your discretion.
Watsi Gift Card
A medical charity that directly funds care for patients who can't afford treatment, one percent at a time.
Wuyi Origins Tea
I am deeply put out by not being able to buy all my favourite artisanal teas straight from China anymore. I've heard good things about this and the other vendors below, and anything from them in any quantity would be a treat.
Ranger Tea Tisanes
There are some interesting options at this First Nations-owned business, including Labrador tea and pine needle mixes.
Reserved on Nov 28, 2023 by I got labrador tea, though not from this shop.
Soocha Tea
This one's a Korean tea specialty store, the only one I've seen operating in Canada.
O5 Rare Tea Bar Gift Card
A Vancouver-based company with a focus on ethical farming and unusual tea origins.
Rivers And Lakes Tea
ZhenTea
The tasting notes on this website are adorable. They're also Ottawa-based!
white2tea
Despite the puer specialization, I am very fond of their black, white, and heicha teas.
Old Ways Tea
This shop owner sells tea from his family's farms in Wuyi, in tiny sample packs. Pick a few to send to me!
Mountain Stream Teas
These folks have a ~$27 USD subscription box that you can send a single non-renewing month of to someone. Just putting that out there.
ACEOs, Any Artist
I have discovered that people make tiny pieces of original art that they sell like trading cards. I want a million of them.
A Donation to Far & Near
China, as seen on the ground through art. Brought to my attention by their excellent summation of the Shanghai lockdowns, and has kept it by being all-around frank and incisive.
Reserved on Nov 13, 2022 by Xxx
A Subscription to the Chatner
Odd and light and occasionally stunningly gorgeous, like if Buzzfeed were written by Carl Sandburg.
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
I have no idea where mine has wandered off to. Doesn't have to be a Pro. Other wired or wireless controllers for the Switch are cheaper and great, too.
Recycled Short Grain A4 Plain Paper Pack
Book binding materials! Short grain A4 is hard to source, and the shipping can get expensive.
Book Binding Paper - US Only
If you live in the US and are travelling to meet up with me somewhere (or I'm travelling to meet up with you), you can buy me a ream of this paper and I will love you forever.
Apples to Apples Junior
I want this for my classroom! Good game for building vocabulary.
If Books Could Kill Patreon Membership
A month+ of people snarkily dissecting the bad research in airport books.
Rotary Grater
No longer shall I sacrifice fingertips to the cooking gods. (If you buy me a different one, please make sure it is easy to clean by hand.)
Wandering Son, Volumes 1-8
An out-of-print queer manga, with early volumes so rare they're nearly unaffordable. I'd managed to collect the entire thing before somebody threw away my copies. I would like whatever I can get back.
Discord Nitro Classic
This allows me to spam you all with bespoke emojis and large videos. Please note that I want the one that's $50, not the flashy one that's $100.
THEM Anime Reviews Donation
I've got an unreasonable degree of fondness for this cruddy review site that's been around since I first started watching anime. I'd be sad to see it go.
Any Recycled Bookmarks
The goal is to have one bookmark to lose inside every book.
Teachers Pay Teachers Giftcard
I burn an excessive amount of money on teaching materials.
Japanese Tableware
The website's just a suggestion; I need small bowls and plates more than large ones, and they don't need to match at all. Ceramics made by your local artists are also very welcome!
A Book You Think I'd Like
The truth is that while I spend an embarrassing amount of time inside libraries, I don't always keep up with bookish news and recommendations. Physical books are lovely; weightless ebooks can travel with me.
Reserved on Dec 19, 2022 by guo
N+1 Gift Digital or Physical Subscription
Fearless, intimate, exceptional journalism.
Global Giving Gift Card
Give me money so I can spend it on abandoned parrots and kelp nanotechnology. (Donations-in-honour-of also most welcome.)
Ghibli Art Books
(Any but the Totoro book, which I was already gifted.) "This has nothing to do with the story and was very hard to draw." -Miyazaki
The Folio Society Edition of Emma
In which Jane Austen sets out to write a protagonist no one but her will like, and fails.
Lofty Pursuits Candy
Many a pleasant hour has been whiled away as this candymaker educates me on black currants and Tom Lehrer's poetry.
Cute Ceramics
Animals, pots, houses, and assorted thingamabobs.
Hanon Deluxe the Virtuoso Pianist Transposed in All Keys - Part I
My hands are rusty.
Spotify Premium Gift Subscription
I will be thrilled with just a month of ad-free music.
Recycled Calendar Stationery
Or any other recycled/FSC-certified stationery sets.
Reserved on Nov 19, 2018 by Margaret Elizabeth Pooley
Ghost House
Including such classic poems as “Yoshi (A Pastoral)” and “St. Augustine Enters the World’s Largest Pac-Man Maze."
Reusable Produce Bags
Can never have too many.
Candles
Sweet-smelling things to burn.
Clarkesworld Magazine Subscription
Consistently putting out some of the best spec fic on the market.
Give Directly Donation
This is a super cool charity that streamlines the process of getting money to people in need.
Food Bank Donation!
Feed some folks! Cans are cool, but olive oil and unsalted nuts are a really nice treat for people. Take a cute picture of what you give away and that can be my present. <3
Connection Lost
"Well, you're very good at loving things you know are going to leave."
Assorted Sizes of Fabric Gift Wrap/Giftbags
Help me wrap other people's presents! Hurrah. (Any brand is fine—sometimes local craft markets will have someone selling these, too.)
Lost-n-Found Donation
A shelter in Atlanta that helps get LGBTQ youth off the streets.
Steam Games
Gaming friends, you know where to look.
Steam Gift Card
For those of you who don't use Steam, but agree gaming is one of the healthier addictions to have.
Etsy Gift Card
Don't feel like wading through layers of frills to find something I might like? This is the gift for you.
Crunchyroll Membership
Would you like to support my anime addiction? Of course you would.
Reserved on Dec 24, 2021 by Jim
bought Dec-24
Ravioli Mould
It's become easier to find vegan ravioli, but not easier to actually make ravioli.
Ribbon Headband
Makeup?
I've gradually come to realize I should just ask people who actually wear makeup to choose brands instead of attempting it myself. Local/natural/etc. is always good.
Apple Giftcard
"But Olivia, I thought you didn't like iTunes." That's why I buy books with these. And hey, you can even email them if you don't feel like wasting plastic.
