We’re doing the stockings a little differently this year. In previous years, I’ve kept an eye out all year long for clearanced little things (glow bracelets! kazoos! kaleidoscopes! cute pencils!). I have a box in the closet marked “Stockings,” and anytime I found a good deal on a pack of party favors or on another small toy, I’d put it in the box. Then I’d fill in the gaps with things bought at regular price (Silly Putty, Slinkies) and candy.
The kids haven’t all outgrown that stage, but neither can I split a 6-pack of something among them anymore. The older two, particularly, have seen pretty much every party favor there is. Every time I saw a clearance, I thought, “Yeah, but we already have some of those around from a previous year.”
So here is my plan this year: Each child will get 1-2 books in the stocking, plus candy, plus granola bars and little bags of chips and other snack-type things. Done. I like this so much, I think I’ll do it from now on. It was fun to choose the books (plus, a lot of them were buy-3-get-1-free), and easy to buy the snacky stuff.
Here are the books we got, if you are interested:
Rob – TCL/TK Pocket Reference (Paul assures me this will be a big-thrill item for one of Rob’s current hobbies. I can’t picture it.)
William – Diary of a Wimpy Kid, book 6
Elizabeth – Judy Moody & Stink: The Holly Jolliday, Katie the Kitten Fairy
Edward – Garfield’s Jolly Holiday 3-pack, The Captain Underpants Extra-Crunchy Book o’ Fun
Henry – Christmas Alphabet Pop-Up, Minerva Louise on Christmas Eve
Holiday-theme books will add to our collection of Christmas books and get packed away with the Christmas decorations. Other books will end up on the communal shelves. I tried when possible to get books that I knew more than one kid would want to read: my goal is to have a quiet but fun activity for them to do over the exciting days of/after Christmas, when sometimes the fun and excitement and treats get to be a bit much.
It bothers me a little that Rob and William only have one book each, while the littler kids each have two. But it feels more WORTH IT to buy books for the littler kids, because they are still in the “read a book many times, then swap with siblings, then swap back and read it many more times” stage, whereas Rob and William are in the “read it once, then return it to the library” stage. For the older kids, the book gift is more like “So you don’t have to keep borrowing Paul’s” and “So you don’t have to wait your turn at the library,” respectively. Also, four of the littler kids’ six books will get packed away with the Christmas stuff, but the bigger kids’ books won’t. But still, I might buy another book each for Rob and William if I think of one and/or get motivated to look.
I am quite irritated with Paul, by the way. Last night I was folding laundry while he was doing the twins’ storytime, and gradually the words he was reading pushed aside my meandering thoughts. “What…what are you reading?,” I asked, and he held up THE JUDY MOODY AND STINK BOOK WE’D ORDERED. He’d gotten it from the library. He weakly tried the “I didn’t know / You didn’t tell me” defense, which I easily slapped down with an “I EMAILED YOU, SO THERE IS A RECORD OF YOU KNOWING, SO YOU CAN JUST DROP THAT RIGHT NOW.”
Then, later, he said, “Oh good, I got an email from the library and the new Wimpy Kid book is ready for us to pick up!” I didn’t even need to speak: I went straight for the sustained incredulous stare.
What do you put in stockings, in case I want to snitch some more ideas? (Or in case Paul comes home with a big back of chips and candy for the kids, along with the rest of the books on the list.)
My kids are a little older. OK, a lot older. I still put books and candy in each time. I like to fill things out with little things like socks or gloves, and funny pencils. This year I found a funny science kit for each of them. I got each one something artsy too. For my younger son, this was a bag of craft sticks, which seems weird but he’ll love.
Socks! Bubble bath! Toothbrush!
Craft things… candy… OK this is only the third stocking I’ve made him and he was a baby the first time.
But he’s got a little hand pumped animal-shaped flashlight (cause he won’t stop trying to use the house ones, and a train whistle, and a book, and a rolling pin filled with cutters to use with his play-doh.
When I was in college my parents started doing this. The younger kids may be a tad young, but I think the bigger kids might like it. (Although it has the potential to get expensive.) We get stuff like shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush head refills, shave gel. Sometimes it is a little bit nicer version of stuff than I’d normally buy, like the Isoactive toothpaste instead of the regular colgate, or the John Frieda Shampoo instead of Suave. If the kids would like having some toiletry items that only belongs to them, it might be something nice.
Otherwise, I like little games, gum and snacks, burt’s bees or other chapstick, nail polish, nail polish remover wipes, lottery tickets (kids too young?), gift cards.
My 3 and 4 year old are each getting a book a d a flashlight. I will fill in the space with a few small snacks like animal crackers and such.
When we got to the teen years my mom would get us things like new underwear, pretty smelling body wash and lotion, nail polish, etc. We also would frequently get a book or something larger that took up most of the space.
I try to strike a balance between not spending too much, but actually buying useful things, rather than blowing money on little things that I will want to throw away/donate in February.
We put a ton of candy in the stockings. Plus cashews and a couple little gifts like cheap jewellery.
How do you get books in stockings? Especially kids picture books?
My oldest kid bought the Wimpy Kid book for himself. I’d put it in the middle kid’s Amazon wish list, but luckily no one had bought it yet, so I could just delete it. Still, my husband was with Boy the Oldest at the bookstore and did not think to stop that tomfoolery. Dagnabbit.
My kids are gum junkies. I hate gum, for various crotchety reasons. They are also fascinated by individual servings of sugar cereals, which I am likewise annoyed by.
Jennie W.- All but Henry’s will fit fine in the stockings: my mom knit the stockings, so they’re stretchy. Henry’s Minerva Louise book might fit (it’s a paperback, so I can kind of currrrrrl it), but the other book will have to go on the floor under the stocking.
tootbrushes, orange or pomegranate, chapstick. This year I found Christmas pez dispensers. My oldest is getting his first razor and some shave gel and a thumbdrive and new earbuds. My baby will get little people. My daughter gets hair things, earrings and nail polish. I still need ideas for my 12 year old.
Programming books and getting duplicate items of things that are FOR CHRISTMAS. Our husbands were separated at birth.
I actually just got a book at the library that I’d forgotten I put on my Christmas list. I was opening it to the first page, and my husband glared at me and said, “That was on your list!” I gulped and closed it, and he said, “… but I didn’t get it for you, so it’s okay. But watch your step, lady.” Whew!
Socks are a tradition around here – sometimes I buy fun novelty socks, sometimes people actually need new socks so get something more practical. This year everyone is getting a card game, and pokemon cards are big around here so I bought a big pack and will be splitting it up. I often put a DVD at the top of everyone’s stocking but this year they are going under the tree instead – they each get one Santa gift and that will be it.
Books are also going in our stockings. Additionally, boring but needed socks and underwear (FUN prints though). A jump rope and t shirt (but those are mostly because I am lazy with wrapping). And then a flashlight because the little one is crazy for them and a game like Go Fish or something.
I like the books idea a lot. Generally I throw in the stockings all the present stuff that I used to wrap up, but then we had present overload and it was overwhelming to a four year old. Let me think we have this year…maybe I should just write a blog post about it.
HA HA HA HA! Paul! Oh, my. This scene could have happened in my own house between A. and I.
I loooove the books in the stockings idea! But, I love giving books, love kids reading books, and was (and still am) an avid reader as a child. I would have died had I received books in my stocking.
In my family, my grandmother fills the stockings with little scrubby cleaning things, a calendar, a toothbrush (every! year!) and a pen. She still fills all our stockings.
In A.’s family, all the adults sneak around each other filling each stocking with a thing or two after the kids have gone to bed. It is so fun! I have decided to continue my grandmother’s tradition and I give everyone a new toothbrush. I love shopping for the kids toothbrushes. So cute!
Orange, apple, peanuts, pistachios (edited for age – obviously the baby doesn’t get nuts), useful things like Chapstick, batteries, socks/tights, pens/crayons, and lots of candy.
I totally screwed myself this year by planning an advent calendar full of tiny presents for my 2 1/2 year old. I used up ALL the party favor type items in my drawer and now I have nothing for his stocking – and this is the first year he understands Santa will be coming. I don’t want him to end up hating Santa for only bringing him socks.
Ooo, I love your stocking idea!
We ALWAYS have an orange/clementine. It reminds me of Laura Ingalls and I think it’s charming & old-fashioned so I insist.
We also usually get socks/underwear/undershirts (whichever that person needs) and sometimes a new tooth brush or bubble bath.
When the twins were littlier we did bath crayons and those bath thingies that make the water change color? This reminds me that Marin might enjoy that this year.
We also get candy (chocolates and candy canes and whatever else looks good to me that particular shopping day). A big sized candy bar might be fun this year as we never buy candy bars and I think it will thrill the girls.
I also picked up some fancy “body butter” type lotion at TJ Maxx. It came in a 3 pack so each of the big girls will get one.
Then I try to do one other thing that would thrill that child: earrings or a necklace, glasses for their Am. Girl doll, a locked diary, something like that. (Santa also brings each kid 1 gift.)
Also! I fill the adult stockings. Do you do that too? I LOVE filling my own- gives me an excuse to buy fancy/indulgent things for myself that I wouldn’t normally buy. (So far I bought myself some Mrs. Meyers candles and some Smartwool socks.) I fill David’s too, but on the one occasion that he shops with me, he often finds something to buy for his own stocking too.
Solid chocolate santas, when we can find them, candy, nuts oranges, a toy… that’s for the adults. See, my brother and sister are autistic, high-functioning, but still! And we just can’t seem to get rid of the stockings. So we do them for everybody. There’s 14 this year.
For the babies, they get a cloth book, a Sesame Street DVD, a bib, passies, yummy baby food, and small toys (rattles and chewies) a la dollar store. For the three-year-olds, they’re getting Sesame Street workbooks, books, coloring books, crayons, a small plushie, board books, a small toy (a hot wheels for my nephew, and a my little pony for my niece), small candies, a box of cracker jack, a Sesame Street DVD, and chocolate Santas. The eighteen-month-old is getting books, a coloring book, a plushie, a ball, and orange, chocolate covered pretzels, a Sesame Street DVD, and some small candies.
At your recommendation, I bought Minerva Louise for Jelly. I love the idea of packing away the Christmas books! We…just leave them out. And subsequently read them in May or whenever the boys want to hear them. Seems more festive to bring them out at Christmas. But then what do we do with the Halloween and Thanksgiving and Easter and Valentines books? Nevermind. I just talked myself out of it.
I’m so happy to see this, because I need ideas! We always do an orange because my husband always got one. We give everyone a new toothbrush too. Otherwise, hair stuff for the girls (new ties, etc.) and a little candy…I need to figure out if we can do stickers or something, and we got Baskin Robbins gift certs. For the baby, though, I have NO CLUE what to put in!
Oranges.
Little travel hand gels and kleenex packs, plus chapstick — those are silly family traditions that are only charming because of the history (dates back to my childhood).
Candy canes and those boxes of life savers.
Underpants and socks (one cute pair of each: this is when people get goofy Christmas socks, adult men get silk boxers, etc.)
We still get the kids one actual Santa gift (something big, off their lists) but eventually that will stop.
A lot of the same things everyone else has mentioned. Candy canes and an orange (or clementine) are traditional. Usually some other favorite candy. And the one thing no one has mentioned yet (at least from what I can tell): a magazine! Dad might get a guns and ammo or car mag, others might get crossword or Soduku, MAD, whatever suits their age and interest. Since my “kids” are in their 20s now (one is married and out on his own so I don’t do a stocking for him anymore), things like deodorant or other personal care supplies, gloves, earmuffs, jewelry, car air fresheners. If I see a small toy that I think they’d like (because everyone’s a kid at heart), that goes in, too.
And there are always a few things that don’t fit in the stockings. We don’t have a hearth, so the stockings are usually sitting across the couch, with things that don’t fit (like DVDs) sitting right next or under the stocking.
My family traditional stocking-toe item was an orange. Always an orange in the toe of the stocking, along with some still-in-their-shells nuts. Those would all end up back in the kitchen, where they came from.
Chocolate gold coins, candy canes, and maple sugar candy were also stocking staples. I say “were” like I don’t STILL get a stocking at my parents’ house, but I totally do. It tends to be filled with things like lotion, bubble bath, mittens, cute post-its, stationary, hairbands, etc. Useful and fun things for this 29 year old child.
They are each getting a Hot Wheels colour shifter, a snowman pez dispenser with a whole bunch of pez, a chocolate Santa, and a stuffed Angry Bird. And some other chocolate too, I think.
Misty- Ha, yes, I get that same feeling of THIS IS TOO COMPLICATED, FORGET IT. I’m inconsistent with holiday books: IF we have stuff I get out / put away for that holiday, THEN I pack away that holiday’s books. So Halloween books would go in the Halloween bin (except we don’t have any Halloween books) and Easter books would go in the Easter bin and Christmas books go in the Christmas bin—but autumn books and spring books and Independence Day books and Thanksgiving books just stay out all the time.
I’m doing bubble bath and finger puppets, Chapstick and bandaids for the older one (she’s 3) and I’m going to fill the rest of the space in with little snacks and maybe some chalk or crayons or something. This is the first Christmas the big girl is really starting to get it and we actually had a shopping budget, so I might have gone a little overboard with everything.
I’m posting without reading the other comments, which always feels a little like running into a cocktail party, shouting an anecdote, and then running out again. But I do have to get some work done.
ANYWAY!
My mom always put these things in our stocking, and I do most of them too because they are/were my favorites:
–Magazine (favorite subject for each person, but something you wouldn’t want a whole year of, or is too expensive)
–Nail clippers and tweezers (to fight the constant disappearing problem)
–Toothbrush and floss (I don’t do this any more, because my kids get spiffy ones from the dentist)
–Candy! Specifically, Pez dispenser and refill, Hersheys Kisses, and Andes Candies with design/flavors matched to individual preferences
–Small disposable type toy, of which the biggest hit was always rubberband-powered balsam planes
–Small flashlight/batteries
Happy holidays, sweet Swistle!
My favourite Christmas kid quote is, “How did Santa know I needed more hair detangler?!?”
We go with toothbrushes and toothpaste, oranges, candy, and small toys/gadgets or gift cards.
I love the idea mini boxes of cereal and granola bars!
I like the snacky items in lieu of candy idea- will definitely use that! We do toothbrushes and toothpaste every year- this year- Spinbrushes for an added WOW factor (LOL).
Matchbox cars, socks, underwear, shampoo, chapstik.
We tend to do a lot of toiletries and snacks. There are usually little gifty things in there (card games, cheap jewellery, etc.) They always get one of those long boxes of peppermint patties and an orange in the toe.
We always got socks/underwear type stuff, candy, little gifts. Gift cards as we got older. One of the last Christmases we were all together Mom had bought tickets to see a hockey game and they were in our stockings.
For my daughter (3 years old) I put little odds and ends stuff that I find through out the year.
I do a stocking for my mom and I put in socks and candy. And a nutcracker.
stockings have always been my favorite part of christmas morning which is funny when i really think about what my mom always put in them (and what i know put in my boy’s stocking). always the clementine in the bottom, sometimes a banana too if everything else is too small and the stocking doesn’t seem full enough, a candy cane, an almond roca, sometimes one of those goofy candy toys (like the chocolate pooping penguin or an m&m tube or whatever. some years i got the book/lifesaver sets), travel size nice product, toothbrush, socks! (i love new socks on christmas), and then one fun little toy like a puzzle or stuffed animal or (when older) a pocket knife or jewelry.
this is my first christmas without my mom to do my stocking and i hope my husband remembers to do mine!!
this year i want to give the kids a dunkin’ donuts gift card ($5). that way, they know they have a certain number of times that we will go get a special treat together and they can pick their donut with their own card.
My parents did a similar thing. Most stuff in our stockings was edible. M&Ms, fancy chocolate or crackers, $5 Panera giftcards…
We always got/get socks, though, and I like that. Then mom fills in with little journals or maybe a CD.
My kids are still little, so their stockings pretty much come straight from the Target dollar bin.
Oh, hahahahaha, Swistle, you are the best :) Our stockings usually have a pair of socks, some chapstick, gum, candy, a pack of blank DVDs or CDs (long story, now it’s just a joke!) and maybe some little doodads that my mom gets at work for super cheap (solar powered flashlight keychain, headlamp, one of those things to cut your seatbelt if you get into a car wreck, etc).
I loved, “I EMAILED YOU, SO THERE IS A RECORD OF YOU KNOWING…” Yes. I am wondering if I should just email all communication with my husband from now on. A RECORD. I need one.
My sons are really into body spray, deoderant, smelly body wash and lotion, etc. and it’s still fun since they don’t really NEED to use deoderant yet, so I’m planning to get some of that stuff. I love the suggestion from one of the other commenters about crafty things. I’m going to steal that.
When I do stockings, I get snacks, treats, small toys, and a full box of their favorite cereal (that I don’t usually buy). I either take the cereal out of the box and just put the bag in the stocking, or put the box near the stocking =).
My mom always got us:
1 book
1 small stuffed toy
1 bag chocolate coins
and candy
the candy would vary year to year–those chocolate oranges, sometimes real oranges and candy, whatever we were most into/she found a great deal on. As we got older it almost always included jelly bellies. Also, as we got older things like lotion started appearing (and being appreciated).
I usually do a CD, some lip balm in a fun flavor, mabye a fancy toothbrush, a candy cane, and some other little something like a cheap necklace or a pack of trading cards.
My mom, when we were older, did gift cards and CASH in the stockings, which I still find awesome. :)
I love reading all these. I love stockings!
And “I’m posting without reading the other comments, which always feels a little like running into a cocktail party, shouting an anecdote, and then running out again.” hahahahaaaaa
Well, anyway. We don’t have any kids in the family these days, but here is what my husband and I, and my parents (who will be with us this year) do: basically what everyone else does. Candy, socks, etc.
My husband and I take the opportunity to buy candy and stuff that we never buy the rest of the year – interesting/cool looking international candy from World Market, a jar of nutella, etc. He really likes to try different drinks so I sometimes look to find the weirdest beverage I can (ethnic grocery stores are good for this). Sometimes socks or things we need, but also sometimes more expensive stuff like earrings or makeup I wanted or a gadget he wanted that we wouldn’t just go out and buy ourselves.
My Mom always put underwear in my stocking growing up. As I got older, it got more age appropriate. Which means in college and through my 20s I was unwrapping lacy underwear (THONGS EVEN) on Christmas morning in front of my Dad and brother. It’s been a few years since we’ve had Christmas morning together, so we’ll see what happens. Perhaps I should tell my husband to put some racy lingerie in there and then when I unwrap it just tell my parents he’s got underwear duty now.
I can’t actually fit stuff in our stockings, at least not safely, so we lay the stocking on top of the pile of stuff. This year, coloring books for everyone (my 10 and 9 yo daughters still enjoy this) from the dollar spot at Target. Mad Libs for the 3 older kids. Journal and pens for my 9 yo daughter that said she wanted a new journal. Leg warmers for oldest girl. Baseball cards for 9 yo girl, and 8 and 6 yo boys, Cars 2 cars for 6 yo, oversized Cars 2 cars for 19 month old boy, chapstick and LPS for 3 yo girl. Need to still find one or two things for 8 yo boy.
I love the idea of books in the stockings. I would’ve LOVED that as a kid. BOOOOOOOKS!
J & I don’t exchange Christmas presents, but we do give each stocking gifts, spaced out throughout the month. I am giving him: A bunch of Heath bars (his favorite candy), a $5 Subway card, some silly goop that makes a farting noise when you play with it, some Irish cream tobacco for the 3 times a year he smokes one of his grandpa’s pipes, $5 in scratch-offs, a bottle of cream soda, a corkscrew (to replace the one I broke), and a cool little skull full of tequila.
So far he’s given me: a 2-pack of Burt’s Bees chapstick, some pretty gray socks, a 100-eyeshadow kit from E.l.f. I’ve been coveting FOREVER, and a giant container of my favorite juice that our grocery store does not carry (Minute Maid Pomegranate-Blueberry, in case you’re wondering).
Like you, I tend to pick up small items throughout the year. This year I’ve got nail polish and lip gloss, a $15 iTunes gift card, a DVD, some personalized note cards, pretty paperclips, and a hair bow. And we always stick in some nice candy, too.
Stockings are always kind of hard for me, for some weird reason. I always do some kind of candy, and for the kids (now 17 and 21) a couple of little wrapped things.
This year my daughter (17) is getting earbuds, a small Erase Paste concealer, and some blotting papers (they blot the oil on your face — she loves them).
My son (21) is getting small sizes of Burberry Brit – cologne, shower gel, aftershave.
My husband is just getting candy — I have a huge bag of horehound candy just for him (he loves it and it’s hard to find around here)…plus other candy as well.
This year I’m also giving everyone a Field Notes notepad in the graph paper style — we all like to make lists, jot things down, doodle, etc. and they are the perfect size for pockets, purses…and stockings! :)
stockings are HUGE in our house, thanks to my childhood. they always seemed like fun stuff, but i have no recollection what was actually in there.
i DO know my brothers always got BRUT, even after mom found out they hated it, and comic books.
We also got BOOKS at every Christmas, and usually every Christmas afternoon we’d all be reading. The first year my hub experienced that was like “what? you’re reading? on a holiday? where’s the party?” we still laugh at that (him?) 12 yrs later…
Boo is getting books, coloring books, crayons, and nail polish along with an orange (Don’t ask, weird tradition). Husband always gets his favorite candy, chap sticks, a new razor, and a book. I don’t usually get anything because that’s how it goes for the matriarch of the family right?