Blogmas 18; Stocking stuffers for the family
Bah! Humbug! Do you think with the cooking, the cleaning and the tree dressing I have ANY time for stockings!
Well, yes, of course I do. We have small stockings on our beds early in the morning of Christmas Day. It's a tradition we never had when I was growing up (Mum was a teacher and some years just getting the presents she needed to bought and wrapped was enough without trying to organise stocking fillers as well!)
I started it with Mr AJ when we got married, and now I pass it on to my children. The small things inside the stocking are cheap, cheerful and mostly designed to make them smile.
I read once that the best advice for stocking fillers was
So what sort of stuff will Santa pack the stockings with this year? Well, some chocolate lollies. Either Christmas or some other kiddy style lollipops. Chocolate is a firm favourite.
Chocolate coins always score highly. The princess has to have milk chocolate, but the lads like white. Aldi's bags for 49p are the best value around.
A book. The Princess likes real books, the boys like virtual. Since wrapping a virtual book is hard, I print out a small card cover and wrap that. This year DP wants Moriarty, while apparently there is a new Heroes of Olympus for JW.
Toys used to feature in the stockings. Small things like sticky frogs or alien babies that are small enough to fit in a very confined space (Hawkins Bazaar was my favourite source; we didn't have one near us and I would stock up on them in Cheltenham on our holidays) I have wrapped usb sticks before now, but I haven't found any cute or cheap enough this year. We have a couple of joke-ish gifts,like these Star Wars key covers and Minion keyrings.
Some years I have packed toothpaste and a new brush, or a tube of deodorant, or another sensible gift. This year is a little soap each with a small figure in each one. I bought them at a craft fair in Liverpool the other week. From a friend I know well, it turned out, although I hadn't seen her for a while and hadn't realised that she made soap as a sideline!
And that's about it! The stockings are only small sized, after all and only started as a means of keeping them quiet for a little while longer until we woke up and were prepared to face the onslaught that is a Christmas Morning with children. Now, we have to wake the teenagers and say, "Go on, open your stockings. Let's start Christmas!" A small voice whispers that Christmas is a lot less hectic, a lot later starting and that (perhaps) the stockings are ready to retire. But then the little elf inside me whispers that you are NEVER too old to have a stocking and that the small cost in terms of time and effort (and price!) is worth it to have that marvellous moment when the first footsteps start, the daughter creeps into the bedroom and the giggling starts.
Well, yes, of course I do. We have small stockings on our beds early in the morning of Christmas Day. It's a tradition we never had when I was growing up (Mum was a teacher and some years just getting the presents she needed to bought and wrapped was enough without trying to organise stocking fillers as well!)
I started it with Mr AJ when we got married, and now I pass it on to my children. The small things inside the stocking are cheap, cheerful and mostly designed to make them smile.
I read once that the best advice for stocking fillers was
something to eat,
something to read,
something to play with
and something they need.
It strikes me that that is very good advice and I have in recent years tried to follow it.So what sort of stuff will Santa pack the stockings with this year? Well, some chocolate lollies. Either Christmas or some other kiddy style lollipops. Chocolate is a firm favourite.
Chocolate coins always score highly. The princess has to have milk chocolate, but the lads like white. Aldi's bags for 49p are the best value around.
A book. The Princess likes real books, the boys like virtual. Since wrapping a virtual book is hard, I print out a small card cover and wrap that. This year DP wants Moriarty, while apparently there is a new Heroes of Olympus for JW.
Toys used to feature in the stockings. Small things like sticky frogs or alien babies that are small enough to fit in a very confined space (Hawkins Bazaar was my favourite source; we didn't have one near us and I would stock up on them in Cheltenham on our holidays) I have wrapped usb sticks before now, but I haven't found any cute or cheap enough this year. We have a couple of joke-ish gifts,like these Star Wars key covers and Minion keyrings.
Some years I have packed toothpaste and a new brush, or a tube of deodorant, or another sensible gift. This year is a little soap each with a small figure in each one. I bought them at a craft fair in Liverpool the other week. From a friend I know well, it turned out, although I hadn't seen her for a while and hadn't realised that she made soap as a sideline!
And that's about it! The stockings are only small sized, after all and only started as a means of keeping them quiet for a little while longer until we woke up and were prepared to face the onslaught that is a Christmas Morning with children. Now, we have to wake the teenagers and say, "Go on, open your stockings. Let's start Christmas!" A small voice whispers that Christmas is a lot less hectic, a lot later starting and that (perhaps) the stockings are ready to retire. But then the little elf inside me whispers that you are NEVER too old to have a stocking and that the small cost in terms of time and effort (and price!) is worth it to have that marvellous moment when the first footsteps start, the daughter creeps into the bedroom and the giggling starts.
How wonderful! Hubby doesn't know but there is a giant gingerbread man in his stocking this year!! xx
ReplyDeleteWe do exactly the same. My children 31,24 and 22 still all want to climb on the bed (If they are with us) to open their stockings. They contain the same kinds of thinks, toothbrushes and toothpaste always feature. The last 2 years we have had a Skype session at the beginning of December where we draw names out of a wine glass and who ever you get you buy for them. Makes my life easier!! A very Happy Christmas. L Anne x
ReplyDeleteI've never done stockings, either as a child or an adult. We've never had presents upstairs and it's usually me who's awake first and waking everyone up to go downstairs for the presents, perhaps it's I who needs a stocking.
ReplyDeleteSome of our small presents were put in pillowcases at the end of our bed when we were little. For our family I make up stockings, the contents of which Father Christmas brings. Our contents are similar to yours, I look out for little things all year round.
ReplyDeleteLisa x