Thinking of Christmas

[vegs1]

Stocking ideas - hot chocolate or hot apple cider packets, Small framed family photo, car wash vouchers, chamois, eye glass cleaning cloth, fudge, nail files or emery board, new phone charging cord

 

[juniorbugman]

We still do stockings for our family and I also do stockings for a couple of friends whose family don't do them. We love stockings and as well as putting stuff in our 'stockings" we also have a gift bag that we put stuff in as our stockings aren't big enough. Yup stockings in our family are necessary. My nephew actually gets 2 - one at his Mom's house and one at my house as he has Christmas breakfast at his Mom's and Grandmas house and we have Christmas dinner at my house. He actually lives with me in my basement.
Stocking stuffer ideas - little jars of jam, candy (always candy), we get apples and oranges, little chocolates (use the leftover Halloween candy), magazines.
Edited to add - guess I should start thinking about what we are going to put in the stockings since I am the one in my family who does all the shopping. I will have to get ideas from the rest of the group what they want me to buy.

 

[NAB]

We still do stockings for our family and I also do stockings for a couple of friends whose family don't do them. We love stockings and as well as putting stuff in our 'stockings" we also have a gift bag that we put stuff in as our stockings aren't big enough. Yup stockings in our family are necessary. My nephew actually gets 2 - one at his Mom's house and one at my house as he has Christmas breakfast at his Mom's and Grandmas house and we have Christmas dinner at my house. He actually lives with me in my basement.
Stocking stuffer ideas - little jars of jam, candy (always candy), we get apples and oranges, little chocolates (use the leftover Halloween candy), magazines.

Just as long as candy and food are not put with smelly things like candles and body washes. Those will make candy taste like them.

 

[juniorbugman]

Just as long as candy and food are not put with smelly things like candles and body washes. Those will make candy taste like them.

Well we are lucky as we don't do candles and the body wash goes in the big bag and the candies go in the stocking.

 

[Aladora]

Okay, here is a hot topic related to Christmas and stockings!

Does you family:
a) wrap all the little things in the stocking
b) leave everything unwrapped
c) a little bit of both, some things are wrapped, some are not

 

[OnceUponATime15]

For stockings, If you collect Airmiles, Aeroplan miles, Optimum points etc.. the smaller denomination gift cards are nice add on’s and the points to buy them are not usually too high.
For the teenaged GS last year His stocking received a Cinaplex gift card that paid for admission & popcorn. Also a Cara card that can be used at NY fries/Harvey’s/Swiss Chalet - so when he went to the Mall he had funds for snacks or a meal at the food court. I purchased a McDs package of $10 cards, same for Timmys & split them between stockings. Gift cards for the App Store & iTunes can be gotten with miles/points as well - for new music, podcasts or a game for the iPad/iPhone.

Other small things for stockings.. a rechargeable back up battery for cell phones dollar store, gas station, giant tiger have them, nail polish/files/buffers, Seasonal or sparkly nail wraps, travel crossword books.. word search/sudoku books & a highlighter pen, for my littlest Grands I’ve been known to stockpile Happy Meal toys/games and toss them into stockings as fillers..

I’m on the run right now - will post a few more things when I return

 

[ottawamom]

I just got thinking about stockings and something my best friend said to me recently. I was telling her that I fill 10 stockings for my family. She said her adult kids told her last year that while they appreciated the effort, they felt they didn’t need them anymore as everything in them was either stuff they already had or things they didn’t want and that they cost too much. My family seem to enjoy them. Has anyone else’s family ever said not to do stockings any longer?

Stocking don't have to cost a lot. I've changed the things I put in the stockings to things they need or will use soon, lip balm, small pocket lotion, GC for favourite fast food etc. I wrap each item so it takes longer to open. My kids would stage a riot if they didn't have all the traditional parts to their Christmas festivities. Heck I've pulled all the decorations out of storage and am starting to put them up today. My boys expect this house to be over the top (Hallmark movie like) decorated for Christmas. If I didn't they would think I'm coming down with some serious illness.

Every family is different. Keep doing it if you enjoy it until they tell you to stop.

 

[hdrolfe]

I do stockings, one for kiddo and one for me (because Santa can't forget Mommy, that would be weird!) And when my parent's spent Christmas here I did for them too. I draw the line at doing them for the pets though... when I was living at home we did them for the animals too. I enjoyed one year when we did them for each other, like the 4 of us (parents, me and my sister) drew names and did up stockings for only one person. It was interesting, but of course my mom had to still give us certain things (chocolate orange, every year!). Even now, she fills a huge bag with our gifts and it includes stocking stuff like that. I used to put a can of pringles in there, takes up a good amount of the stocking and add in a pouf sponge thing in the toe...

 

[vegs1]

Stocking don't have to cost a lot. I've changed the things I put in the stockings to things they need or will use soon, lip balm, small pocket lotion, GC for favourite fast food etc. I wrap each item so it takes longer to open. My kids would stage a riot if they didn't have all the traditional parts to their Christmas festivities. Heck I've pulled all the decorations out of storage and am starting to put them up today. My boys expect this house to be over the top (Hallmark movie like) decorated for Christmas. If I didn't they would think I'm coming down with some serious illness.

Every family is different. Keep doing it if you enjoy it until they tell you to stop.

Oh I hear you....my kids are the same. Bring on Christmas and decorate, bake and shop! We love it. Iguess it caught me a little when she said her kids didn’t want them any longer. Made me sad!

 

[vegs1]

Okay, here is a hot topic related to Christmas and stockings!

Does you family:
a) wrap all the little things in the stocking
b) leave everything unwrapped
c) a little bit of both, some things are wrapped, some are not

We don’t wrap things in the stocking. Just dump it all in there!!!

 

[Silvermist999]

Okay, here is a hot topic related to Christmas and stockings!

Does you family:
a) wrap all the little things in the stocking
b) leave everything unwrapped
c) a little bit of both, some things are wrapped, some are not

Answer C! If it’s candy or chocolate it’s not wrapped, but most anything else gets wrapped (time permitting), it just adds to the fun on Xmas morning!

 

[Aladora]

Okay, here is a hot topic related to Christmas and stockings!

Does you family:
a) wrap all the little things in the stocking
b) leave everything unwrapped
c) a little bit of both, some things are wrapped, some are not

I totally forgot to answer my own question!

We wrap everything, although I usually pick up a magazine for each of us and that typically just gets rolled up and stuffed into the top of the stocking.

 

[NAB]

Nothing goes under the tree until Christmas Eve. Usually after coming home very late from hometown 2 hour away. That time varies since we have to go across the 401 eastbound.

I’m the only one that moved away . So all their cousin get excited about going home for Santa when they leave grandma’s so we wanted the same for our kids so always drove home . Lucky snow never stopped us just slowed us some year. Won’t talk about the year we broke down and needed towed home 1 1/2 hours home with a lot of luggage and presents in the van. Plus 2 car seats for the kids. Had a very grumpy tow truck driver too told us we needed to get a taxi home. Than CAA sent a double cab that took us home and let us empty the van before towing it somewhere. Got home the fire alarm was going off, I fell out of the truck forgot how high it was hit the curb....bad year. Boy I got off topic...lol

Anyway stockings are the only thing they are allowed to look in before we get up . Our Cat Buddy does have a stocking and gets treats .

Now the kids are out of the house maybe I will put stuff under the tree...no they are shakers and good guessers.

 

[marchingstar]

Okay, here is a hot topic related to Christmas and stockings!

Does you family:
a) wrap all the little things in the stocking
b) leave everything unwrapped
c) a little bit of both, some things are wrapped, some are not

this is actually hotly contested in our family!

my wife’s family wraps stocking stuffers. but other than my kid, everyone is also an adult, and we all get little things for each other’s stockings. they’re actually kind of the main present event. i grew up with stockings not wrapped.

now that we celebrate on our own too, we don’t wrap our stockings at our house.

as an aside: we have carried on one of my favourite traditions, which is that one stocking stuffer is always a clue for the main gift. so last year, we got my kiddo a wooden train set as his main gift and put a single train car in his stocking. once he’s old enough, he’ll get the fun of guessing based on the clue.

 

[hdrolfe]

Santa doesn't wrap, so stockings and anything he leaves are not wrapped. When I was younger that's how it was and we weren't allowed to open anything before my parent's got up. Kiddo now gets me up (rather early) and I get to make a coffee before we start the unwrapping. But he can pull apart the stocking. Only his. After the year he also opened mine and then thought it was all for him. Why he thought he needed ladies socks and chocolate he doesn't like I don't know lol. Any way!

 

[Aladora]

Santa doesn't wrap, so stockings and anything he leaves are not wrapped. When I was younger that's how it was and we weren't allowed to open anything before my parent's got up. Kiddo now gets me up (rather early) and I get to make a coffee before we start the unwrapping. But he can pull apart the stocking. Only his. After the year he also opened mine and then thought it was all for him. Why he thought he needed ladies socks and chocolate he doesn't like I don't know lol. Any way!

In our home, Santa always uses different wrapping paper!

 

[quandrea]

I do stockings, one for kiddo and one for me (because Santa can't forget Mommy, that would be weird!) And when my parent's spent Christmas here I did for them too. I draw the line at doing them for the pets though... when I was living at home we did them for the animals too. I enjoyed one year when we did them for each other, like the 4 of us (parents, me and my sister) drew names and did up stockings for only one person. It was interesting, but of course my mom had to still give us certain things (chocolate orange, every year!). Even now, she fills a huge bag with our gifts and it includes stocking stuff like that. I used to put a can of pringles in there, takes up a good amount of the stocking and add in a pouf sponge thing in the toe...

I love that you do a stocking for yourself!

I’ve been in busy stocking stuffing mode. I have three kids. Every year I get those scented pencils—Smencils. Mastermind toys carry them. They are the best pencils. Also get candy, post it notes, socks, underwear, Christmas scented hand soap (Walmart), small Lego sets, lip balm, Mug cake mix, movie candy (Swedish fish), Ziploc containers (Star Wars themed), hair ties, hats and mitts, tiny stuffed toy.

For dh I’ve gotten socks, underwear (Christmas themed), chocolate, shortbread, poppycock popcorn, a keyboard cleaner, tuque, Carmex, some overlap with kids, shaving cream.

I do one for my MIL too. She’s gotten Christmas napkins, hand towels and tea towels (Christmas), cookies, candy, slippers, hand cream, a notebook

The kids are done. Dh and MIL still need some filling out.

 

[OnceUponATime15]

Just in from taking Mom to Giant Tiger, while she shopped I picked up 6 pair of flannel pj bottoms ($7.00 each) for the grown ups & 6 plain long sleeve t-shirts ($6.00ea) - I’m going to wrap them together & number the gifts - the corresponding number is going into their stockings. They can find their stocking gift scavenger hunt style (each package “hidden” in plain sight.

Other things I saw for stockings on my travels ...

Water bottle/Tervis cup/travel mug
Hot chocolate packets/k cups/specialty teas
wax melts (sentsy)
face masks (reusable or disposable) hand sanitizer
no contact door opener/pull
mittens or gloves
socks/slippers
key chain/ring
photo frame christmas ornament, SD cards for camera’s

 

[bababear_50]

Wow gang what a great bunch of ideas!! Thanks

I now have 2 Amazon orders
1 Etsy order
2 Walmart orders
and 1 craft beer LCBO order in and I didn't have to leave the house,,lol.

I've made a list for Little Bit Of Britain , Giant Tiger, Shoppers, and Starbucks drive thru.

I am the type that wraps everything even the gum,chocolate,candy and cookies.
I put everything in *Santa Sacks* new pillow cases.

Happy planning and safe shopping everyone.
Hugs
Mel

My favourite Christmas place to shop
Little Bit Of Britain

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!...hUKEwiB1PXh5eTsAhVaG80KHZZXAeEQoiowCnoECBIQAw

 

[amw]

My favourite Christmas place to shop
Little Bit Of Britain

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!...hUKEwiB1PXh5eTsAhVaG80KHZZXAeEQoiowCnoECBIQAw

Oh I wished I lived closer! My DDs are big Manchester football fans & I love McVitties! I’m old enough to remember Marks & Spencer in Canada. Does anyone know of any other good British gift stores on more of the eastern/north side of GTA. I’m in Markham.