Jump to content

Menu

Stockings


DawnM
 Share

Recommended Posts

Typically stockings consist of candy, fun toothbrushes, specialty soaps, and gift cards.

I am done getting gift cards for my boys.  I have to remind them to use them and sometimes I end up just buying them back.   They prefer to just get $$ unless it is a yearly access game card or Steam card.   But food/target/etc....cards just sit there.

I am a bit stumped this year.    I mean, toothbrushes and floss and soaps and loofah sponges are bought (body wash will be wrapped as it is too heavy to go in the stocking).   

More ideas?   The toddler is easy, but the older boys......22, 21, 16.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mine are all young adults and I've gone almost entirely to good quality chocolate or other foods that would be a splurge for them. Then I just add in 1-2 small items. My daughter will get a nice nail polish. My son's are getting little kits for scouring cast iron pans. It's easy for me and everyone is happy.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Razors, aftershave, their favorite cologne?

Hand tools, hot sauce, spare cords for their electronics, favorite snack foods...

We don't drink but I got dh a set of shot glasses with characters  from his favorite movie on them. We probably won't ever use them for alcohol serving but dh likes to collect things with his favorite movie characters on them. He wants to build a display case for them.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We’re doing stocking exchanges for Christmas this year.  The men in my life (husband, brother, dads) are getting

Beard oil (for preshaving, not facial hair)

Flashlights

New bands for fitness watches

straps for sunglasses

water bottles for hiking (thanks increased outdoor time)

matches

jars of specialty pickles

A variety of popcorns for popping

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

things that we do/have done/are doing for ours who are roughly same ages as yours (23, 20, almost 16) -- 

Lego mini-figs (the mystery packs)
game expansions (so, add on cards for Munchkin, or Exploding Kittens, etc....)
fancy/themed playing cards
gift cards (just go ahead and get the Steam, game device, etc. ones.....)
ear buds, long charging cords, phone stand, etc.
a single can of their favorite drink (in their case, this is a Brazilian soda that we have to get from a specialty shop, so more of a hit than say, a Pepsi)
movie-theater sized packs of their favorite candy
fun socks
hair stuff (specifically, in their case, Rhett & Link have some assorted hair things, pomade, etc, and we ordered some of that stuff for them)
fancy beef jerky

not all of those things all at once, but just some of the things we've done in the past

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This used to be easier.   Back when they were in scouts, they loved outdoor gear, backpacking tools, knives, compasses, water bottles, camping stuff......

And I really thought they would want to do all of those things once they finished scouting, but now they all have declared they hate camping.   #BadParenting, #IHaveNotRaisedThemRight

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, DawnM said:

Typically stockings consist of candy, fun toothbrushes, specialty soaps, and gift cards.

I am done getting gift cards for my boys.  I have to remind them to use them and sometimes I end up just buying them back.   They prefer to just get $$ unless it is a yearly access game card or Steam card.   But food/target/etc....cards just sit there.

I am a bit stumped this year.    I mean, toothbrushes and floss and soaps and loofah sponges are bought (body wash will be wrapped as it is too heavy to go in the stocking).   

More ideas?   The toddler is easy, but the older boys......22, 21, 16.

We stopped doing stockings by our 20s... It may be too late this year, but maybe next year set the expectation that stockings are only for kids X and younger.  There will be gifts. And envelopes on the tree for adults.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This year stockings included blank note cards (I had a hard time finding some masculine ones in the stores), carabiners, the annual roll of scotch tape, cheap camis from the dollar store, mini boxes of cereal and other assorted snacks and a gift card to half priced books, everyone's favorite store

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

For my adult sons, I give stuff like this:

 

food - candy, nuts, trail mix, protein bars

lip balm

liquid hand soap in fun scents

hand sanitizer

travel-size toiletries for my sons who travel a lot

some kind of sponge/cleaning stuff (Scrub Daddy, Mr. Clean eraser, microfiber cloth, even something like scotch-brite)

masculine shower poofs for my sons who use them

this year I put Shout wipe packets in, I might do color catchers another time

floss

lotion

 

 

Edited by Kassia
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We only spend $5 per stocking.  Pringles potato chips hold up the sleeve. 
I ask them for Food Treat ideas, & just buy from their list.
There are all kinds of fun variations of Snickers, Reeses, etc.
Basically, I don't get stressed out over Cmas gifts anymore.
The kids are old enough to understand it's hard to find perfect surprise items, & we're trying to keep the Cmas budget affordable.
We don't do stockings for married children!
Honestly, feel free to re-think (or "customize") your Cmas tasks each year!

 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

candy, hiking socks, gloves, tshirt, lego mini figs, ornament, cocoa, books

AND if they arrive from USPS, fingers crossed:

Kilt pins that have clan mottos.  I'm not going to share the translations, so it will be interesting to see who figures out what they say/mean and then if they can match it to which family surname. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We only do edibles in stockings.  We're not really stuff people, so a bunch of little stuff just for the sake of filling a stocking doesn't really appeal to us. When grandparents did those things most stocking stuffers ended up being donated or thrown away, which is just a waste of time, money, and energy.  I get a list of everyone's favorite treats and some years I only do those and other times I do a mix of treats from their lists and treats I find that I think will probably appeal to them. This year is a mix year.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Stockings are my kids' favorite part of Christmas, so we'll never stop. It does get harder as they get older though. I absolutely refuse to buy clutter, but non-clutter gifts are expensive. I have come to consider the stocking as one of their big gifts because of how much they love them. Also, because we love stockings, ours are those huge ones. LOL

From the different gifts thread, my whole family is getting the bookshelf tracker bookmark and a stamped bookmark with a personalized quote. (Hoping these arrive in time. If not, they'll be New Year's gifts. A new concept, but in keeping with some of my goals for the year.)

Everyone is getting canned air and electronics wipes for caring for their devices.

new cell phone cases

furikake and specialty hot sauce (for DD16 who loves these things)

BBQ sauce from a favorite restaurant (for DH)

fancier than usual self-care products/makeup 

special (magical? LOL) tennis shoe cleaner and Doc Marten's shoe balsam (for DD who is developing quite the shoe collection)

Funko Pops of favorite characters

keychains

LEGO light kits (DS14 wants to light all his Star Wars builds, and these come in surprisingly small boxes.)

belt

special mugs

mechanical pencils and replacement lead and erasers for those who already have them

new and different Rubik's type cubes for my puzzler

small games

LEGO minifigs

candles (again, for DD)

In the past, some of the biggest successes have been...

sunglasses

headphone hanger (for gaming/over-ear, attaches to underside of a desk)

ear buds

fairy lights

for hobbies, DH gets guitar picks and is getting a wireless electric guitar receiver in his stocking this year along with a special jar spatula that will help him get the last of the peanut butter that we apparently do not have an appropriate tool to remove at present.

I will probably remember other things as soon as I post this. 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Elizabeth86 said:

I would like to know more about these exotic sodas. 

Oh I ordered a mixed case of Japanese sodas. 🙂  I ordered it a while ago but I think this may be the one?  
https://www.shadowanime.com/products/ramune-marble-soda-12-pack-variety-gift-set?variant=32241124638791&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_campaign=gs-2019-06-14&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, matrips said:

Small gifts go into our stockings instead of under the tree.  There are no standard stuffers.  This year their small gifts are wallets, keychains, chocolate, socks, shorts, baseball cards, batting gloves...

Yeah, I think of stockings as a place to put anything that's not the big gift 

Last year we did a collection of things on a theme in each of our boys' stockings.  It was enough of a hit that my sisters in law are doing the same thing.  We just do stockings for kids, so we're doing:

20 year old niece -- "beauty" theme. Lipgloss, nail polish, lotion, cheap earrings, etc . . . 

13 year old son -- "golf" theme.  Balls, practice balls, gloves, copy of Sports Illustrated etc . . 

10 year old son -- "baking" theme.  Fancy sprinkles, cupcake liners, magnetic measuring spoons, dough whisk, cookbook, etc . . . 

10 year old niece -- "woodworking" theme -- hammer etc . . . 

8 year old niece -- "art" theme.  Colored pencils, sculpy etc . . . 

6 year old niece -- "doll house" theme -- Doll house people, doll house pets, dollhouse furniture

Everyone will get a favorite snack too

My kids get a single gift from parents, a pair of pjs and stockings.  Sometimes things, like the cookbook, don't fit, and we just lean them on the stocking, but they're still "stocking gifts" in my mind.They also get a ton of stuff from other family members. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We do:

- a drink

- couple of small snacks

-chapstick/eos -consumeable health and beauty- I wasn't going to get them chapstick this year as I thought everyone had some but they all requested some- the girls wanted Burt's Bees and ds an EOS

-small useful item- girls fuzzy socks, ds a lighter/flame thrower (he doesn't smoke but fires are cool)

- little fun thing- girl's asked for nail polish- can't remember for ds

Ds and I just put in chocolates in each others stockings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sunglasses?

 I’m wimping out on stockings this year. I got about two items and one fancy candy for each kid and the rest of the stocking is going to be filled by a graphic tee, rolled up.

Edited by Emba
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/18/2020 at 12:50 PM, Alte Veste Academy said:

Stockings are my kids' favorite part of Christmas, so we'll never stop. It does get harder as they get older though. I absolutely refuse to buy clutter, but non-clutter gifts are expensive. I have come to consider the stocking as one of their big gifts because of how much they love them. Also, because we love stockings, ours are those huge ones. LOL

From the different gifts thread, my whole family is getting the bookshelf tracker bookmark and a stamped bookmark with a personalized quote. (Hoping these arrive in time. If not, they'll be New Year's gifts. A new concept, but in keeping with some of my goals for the year.)

Everyone is getting canned air and electronics wipes for caring for their devices.

new cell phone cases

furikake and specialty hot sauce (for DD16 who loves these things)

BBQ sauce from a favorite restaurant (for DH)

fancier than usual self-care products/makeup 

special (magical? LOL) tennis shoe cleaner and Doc Marten's shoe balsam (for DD who is developing quite the shoe collection)

Funko Pops of favorite characters

keychains

LEGO light kits (DS14 wants to light all his Star Wars builds, and these come in surprisingly small boxes.)

belt

special mugs

mechanical pencils and replacement lead and erasers for those who already have them

new and different Rubik's type cubes for my puzzler

small games

LEGO minifigs

candles (again, for DD)

In the past, some of the biggest successes have been...

sunglasses

headphone hanger (for gaming/over-ear, attaches to underside of a desk)

ear buds

fairy lights

for hobbies, DH gets guitar picks and is getting a wireless electric guitar receiver in his stocking this year along with a special jar spatula that will help him get the last of the peanut butter that we apparently do not have an appropriate tool to remove at present.

I will probably remember other things as soon as I post this. 

What do the kids do with fairy lights? Also, "fancier than usual self-care?" What do you get? I have one son who is into gels, soaps etc.

TIA!

W.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Things in my 19 and 15 year olds stockings ... chocolate santas, fancy treats, D & D stuff (Vis a Vis markers for their battlements, miniatures, spell cards), socks, "water bottle/laptop stickers" - 1 set The Office themed and 1 set Hobbit themed, pocket notebooks, sunglasses for the one who doesnt wear prescription, anti fog glasses cloths, nutella treats... etc.

Do your kids have hobbies or interests you could pick up small goodies for? Usually we have earbuds in their stockings but this year they got new wireless ones they love - so either wired or wireless earbuds are good. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are my teen/adult kids the only ones getting Happy Masks in their stockings? 

We do mostly edible stuff in stockings. Always something citrus plus chocolate, candy canes--stuff like that. But yeah--Happy Masks this year, too.

Edited by popmom
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There have been a couple stocking stuffer threads this year you might want to search for, too.

Favorite coffee or tea, mug

those flat all in one tools that fit in their wallet

survival bracelets

small tools or all in one utility knife

USB thumb drives

chargers

socks

gloves

a movie

notepads with cute sayings

jerky in all it's flavors

pocket sized games

devotional books

this year: Japanese curry.  Can't find the mild locally anymore, and they all love it

kitchen stuff: cookie scoop, dish towels, whisk.  Easier if they've just moved out.  😉

foods they love that you never buy: pop tarts, Jif peanut butter, etc.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We exchange stockings in our house, so this year the kids have each other. So much easier and they requested it. They put in cheap fan t-shirts, fandom stickers for things, candy. One of them got the other one a poster, MTG cards, and a little book thing that should fit. The other got his brother some cool fidget things and a card game.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

26 minutes ago, theelfqueen said:

You might try World Market for some exotic sodas.

We did an entire unusual sodas advent calendar this year and I got a bunch from World Market. It's like those beer advent calendars, but soda. I was looking for things to make our advent a little different and fun this year since everyone has so many limitations. It has been a huge hit for my teens. 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So many great ideas here! 

One thing we’ve done for years is a handheld tool in the stocking: screwdrivers, tape measure, hammer, wrenches, etc. We figure by the time they leave the house, they’ll have a decent set.

Also, air fresheners for the car (I can’t stand the smell of them, but my guys like them).

The fancy food section at TJ Maxx often has interesting pickles, sauces, mustards, chips, granola, candy, etc.  

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/19/2020 at 2:02 PM, Alicia64 said:

What do the kids do with fairy lights? Also, "fancier than usual self-care?" What do you get? I have one son who is into gels, soaps etc.

TIA!

W.

Fairy lights are for ambiance. LOL They can also be used to clip little pics and momentos onto. Some do have clips for this, in fact. 

So instead of soap/body wash, something from LUSH. I am in love with Magic Crystals, and sometimes the kids want to use mine. Bath bombs, shower bombs, shower gels, hair masks, nice lotions, etc. They have a men's line as well, although I'm not super familiar with those products.

One of my boys has extremely dry skin and likes Body Shop body butters. I do too, but my favorite are the Trader Joe's body butters that are stocked each year at Christmas. I mete out the butter from those little tins until they are back on the shelves the following year. If they ever discontinue them, I'll fake cry harder than I fake cried when they discontinued fresh tahini. 😆

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...