The 2024 birthday wish list

Hello friends. Happy new year!

This post comes exactly 12 days before my birthday 🙂

Over the last year, I got headphones (shout out to the person who delivered them!), a Nintendo Switch Lite (and a dear friend got me Stardew Valley which YB is enjoying as I play little puzzle games), phone accessories, and cash or cash equivalents as well as a breakfast tray, which was a wonderful surprise. You can find last year’s list here.

Here’s this year’s list – something for everyone, I’m not vexed by being told what someone’s planned gift is (I actually appreciate this!), and here’s to receiving some (even all!) of these 🙂

1. Craft supplies. In 2023, I joined a crafting group and I hope this year is one that comes with knitting, crocheting, embroidery, pottery and so on. (Update 20240204: A friend got me a small embroidery hoop!)
2. Toys & art supplies. I’m in my Inner Child era and building blocks, paints, paper, moulding clay and so on would be such lovely gifts. Basically, all the things that please a kindergartener.
3. Book dividers like these because I’d like to organise my books alphabetically 
4. A book embosser. I have wanted one of these since I was a kid and it would be a beautiful gift.
5. Book vouchers. For folks based in Kenya, my go-to shops are Cheche Bookshop, Text Book Centre and Prestige Bookshop; for folks outside Kenya, I don’t mind US dollar denominated cards from Jeff’s site (my address is kenyanwithattitude@gmail.com)
6. Cash. Because then one can get themselves something nice – books, furniture, clothes, meals, a getaway, shoes, applications, art and craftsupplies, a meal, stationery etc – M-Pesa, bank transfer and PayPal (USD, paypal.me/cmutanyi) are all good options
7. Books (as always!). I have a wish list here – please inform me when you get one (or all!) so I can take titles off and get me physical editions if you can (I don’t want Jeff to have a chance to steal my books!)
8. Make-up and perfume, as one does. I have tried wearing more perfume since 2022 and it’s been quite a revelation. Fresh fragrances are what I like 🙂
9. A bicycle (yes, a two-wheeler!) because I miss 2015/16 Mike who was a commuter cyclist and would go to a forest to cycle every so often. I’m 161cm tall, for the purpose of getting this gift.

Lastly, feel free to clear items from previous years. Any and all gifts are appreciated.

As always; vouchers, (virtual) time with amazing people (we’re still in a panini!), and correspondence (send me a letter or birthday card! – PO Box 102439, Jamia Posta – 00101, Nairobi, Kenya) are welcome gifts.

Thank you for reading! 

The 2023 birthday wish list

Hello friends. Happy holidays!

This post comes exactly 1 month before my birthday and it may just be the standard going forward.

Over the last year, I got to spend time with lawyers and a person in the child welfare system who helped me think through adoption, fostering and everything in between; spent time with a financial advisor, got a book voucher (which I spent months later!) and cash for books; had a short story reading that I greatly enjoyed (and there were more later, including one for Gatwiri’s birthday), speakers over Black Friday (we love sound <3) and a sleeping bag I’m yet to use (I hope 2023 is The Year of Camping). You can find last year’s list here.

Here’s this year’s list – something for everyone, I’m not vexed by being told what someone’s planned gift is (I actually appreciate this!), and here’s to receiving some (even all!) of these 🙂

1. Book dividers like these because I finally got shelves this year and I’d like to organise my books alphabetically 
2. Headphones because the brand is a sound–loving one and it would be lovely to get a pair of over-ear headphones with great noise-cancelling features 14/4/23: Treated myself to some earbuds and over-ear headphones over Easter
3. A book embosser. I have wanted one of these since I was a kid and it would be a beautiful gift. A friend is getting me this 🙂
4. A Nintendo Switch Lite in turquoise or yellow. This was on last year’s list, I know, and I was *this close* to getting one this year but um, I still don’t have one. 14/4: A friend sent me funds towards the purchase and I got one over Easter 2023 (This is now an Easter gifts account, it seems)
5. Book vouchers. For folks based in Kenya, my go-to shops are Text Book Centre and Prestige Bookshop; for folks outside Kenya, I don’t mind US dollar denominated cards from Jeff’s site (my address is kenyanwithattitude@gmail.com)
6. Cash. Because then one can get themselves something nice – books, furniture, clothes, meals, a getaway, shoes, applications, art supplies, a meal, stationery etc – M-Pesa, bank transfer and PayPal (USD, paypal.me/cmutanyi) are all good options
7. Books (as always!). I have a wish list here – please inform me when you get one (or all!) so I can take titles off and get me physical editions if you can (I don’t want Jeff to have a chance to steal my books!)
8. Make-up and perfume, as one does. I have tried wearing more perfume this year and it’s been quite a revelation. This year saw me return to an old fave, try something new thanks to a gift from a friend, and experience the pleasure that is this fragrance; so we all have a sense of what I like 🙂
9. A bicycle (yes, a two-wheeler!) because I miss 2015/16 Mike who was a commuter cyclist and would go to a forest to cycle every so often. I’m 161cm tall, for the purpose of getting this gift.
10. Phone accessories. Treated myself to a new phone this year and a case (I got 3 because I didn’t update this), matte screen cover, pop socket &c would be lovely. 

Lastly, feel free to clear items from previous years. Any and all gifts are appreciated.

As always; vouchers, (virtual) time with amazing people (we’re still in a panini!), and correspondence (send me a letter or birthday card! – PO Box 104169, Jamia Posta – 00101, Nairobi, Kenya) are welcome gifts.

Thank you for reading! 

The 2022 birthday wish list

Hello friends 🙂 🙂 🙂

Happy holidays!

This post comes exactly 5 weeks before my birthday – after Christmas but better time than last year. I have the inimitable Trish to thank for the nudge, even though I’ve been encouraging Don to send me his (Irony, is that you???). Over the last year, I got a laptop and some items off my housewarming wish list (message me if you’d like to send me some!) as well as cash gifts and donations to the Trans & Queer Fund in my name. You can find last year’s list here.

This year’s list is longer than last year’s because a) everything will go into the list and b) I’m trying to be unafraid about asking for things so here goes:

1. A yellow raincoat: I’ve been wearing fairly light raincoats for a while and I have this romantic picture of myself in gumboots and a high quality yellow raincoat like a character in a children’s book that I’d love to make happen.

2. Cash. Because then one can get themselves something nice – a book, a spa date, a getaway (getting a taste for these and I can’t get a gift card on the big sites while resident in Kenya), shoes, applications, art supplies, a meal, stationery etc – M-Pesa, bank transfer and PayPal (USD, paypal.me/cmutanyi) are all good options

3. Time with a lawyer and/ or a financial advisor. As I grow older and approach the age I set myself for starting the process of adopting a child, I need to get things in order. Plus this was on my agenda for 2020 (we know what then happened!) thanks to 20 Questions for 2020 from Therapy for Black Girls. No better time etc etc

4. Books (as always!). I have a wish list here – please inform me when you get one (or all!) so I can take titles off and get me physical editions if you can (I don’t want Jeff to have a chance to steal my books!)

5. An introduction to a good tailor who can execute some designs from Peppermint Magazine. Like a lot of people; age, a pandemic and illness have changed my body so I figured I’d use the new year to transform one’s wardrobe. Ila fundi!

6. A̶ ̶s̶h̶o̶r̶t̶ ̶s̶t̶o̶r̶y̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶d̶i̶n̶g̶ – someone I know did this with A Raisin in the Sun and it was such a delight. I’m thinking of Tekayo by Grace Ogot. A bit out there maybe but that story does so much and then after we can dance in an act of release. You can sign up to take part here.

7. A handheld gaming device like a Nintendo Switch. I want one but I’ve struggled to get it all year so I’ve decided the gifting homies (that’s you!) will make it happen 🙂

8. Donations to the Trans & Queer Fund in my name, this and every year that my siblings need aid

9. Company and/ or encouragement to/ as I take a class of some sort – sewing, pottery, printing. I know what I said about a tailor but I’m trying to slow down my hobby acquisition process (and the attendant purchases) and I’ve decided classes will slow my roll while helping me meet new folks.

10. S̶p̶e̶a̶k̶e̶r̶(̶s̶)̶. I got a projector this year (nothing fancy, you can find it here) and sound from proper speakers would complete the experience. Or a sound bar, or a Bluetooth speaker, or whatever the cool kids use these days.

11. A flower subscription (from here or elsewhere). Flowers have brightened my little home and my mood all through this year and a subscription means I don’t have to rustle up spoons to get some regularly.

12. Camping/ hiking/ backpacking gear – a̶ ̶l̶i̶g̶h̶t̶w̶e̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶s̶l̶e̶e̶p̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶b̶a̶g̶, a light tent, a good backpack, that sort of thing 🙂

12b. Late entry, but I said on Twitter I’d like it for my birthday so here it is – a rotary phone and cell2jack set up for me to recreate those photos of folks speaking on their phones 

As always; vouchers, (virtual) time with amazing people (we’re still in a panini!), and correspondence (send me a letter or birthday card! – PO Box 104169, Jamia Posta – 00101, Nairobi, Kenya) are welcome gifts.

Thank you for reading! 🙂

The 2021 birthday wish list

Hello friends 🙂 🙂 🙂

Happy new year!

This post comes 6 5 days before my birthday but consider it a wish list, full stop. Over the last year, I got myself a phone with lots of internal storage and some hiking gear (now that I joined a hiking group) and I was gifted time with amazing people, cash, and books. You can see last year’s list here.

This year’s list is the shortest yet, as the year has clarified my 3 ‘big’ wishes so here goes:

1. A light laptop: I’ve been using a friend’s laptop for a while now and they’ll soon want it back so a laptop would make my (next 5) year(s).

2. Cash to put towards a laptop 🙂 – M-Pesa, bank transfer and PayPal (USD, paypal.me/cmutanyi) are all good options

3. Some items off my housewarming wishlist: I feel like I’m cheating here but this is a big wish this year – to turn my house into a home

As always; vouchers, (virtual) time with amazing people (we’re still in a panini!), correspondence (send me a letter! – PO Box 104169, Jamia Posta – 00101, Nairobi, Kenya), a donation to the Trans & Queer Fund in my name and stationery are welcome gifts.

Thank you for reading! 🙂

The 2020 birthday wish list

Hello friends 🙂 🙂 🙂

This is now officially a birthday wish list account haha.

This post comes exactly 2 weeks 6 days before my birthday but consider it a wish list, full stop. Last year, I got myself a pair of Bluetooth headphones (which, if you know me, is an achievement – being perpetually money anxious), time with amazing people, cash, books, and an activity tracker (it turns out I would still end up married to my phone). You can see last year’s list here.

Some of the things on the list will be familiar if you’ve been following me for a while. Some are new; tied to my 2020 reading and living intentions (see my priorities!). Here goes (not in order of importance):

1. Bluetooth earbuds because I have taken up exercise and headphones aren’t really ideal for this sort of thing.

2. A light laptop (or maybe a tab with a stylus? or both? ‘Light’ is the most important thing.)

3. Cash. Because then one can get themselves something nice – a book, a spa date, shoes, event tickets, etc

4. A phone with lots of internal storage because it would be nice to see an end to the ‘running out of internal storage’ alert

5. Hiking and hockey gear.  I’m keen on doing physical things this year and hockey gear (shoes and a 38″ stick) would be greatly appreciated.

7. Books. My Goodreads ‘to read’ list is a good place to start and I read Kindle editions all the time. Alternatively, a USD-denominated Amazon gift card 🙂

8. Air miles – Every year I talk about how I want to go to Abantu or Ake and every year my bank balance says no. Air miles would go a long way towards helping me see the continent’s literary scene up close.

9. Kenyan art in any form 🙂

10. Subscriptions to magazines, newspapers, journals &c.

As always; vouchers, time with amazing people, dinner, a donation to a charity in my name and stationery are welcome gifts.

Thank you for reading! 🙂