Stocking stuffers

wandajune6

Stocking stuffers are big in my family. They're normally small-ish cheap items but we all tend to do them for each other. I'm at a loss for what to do for the guys (DH, teen stepson, my dad) this year and my 93 year old gramma (dealing with dementia). BIL is easy- it's always a Christmas beer (one of the big bottles). Here's what I've got so far:

-Niece. 2.5 years old. A box of those tiny cups of olives. She loves them more than candy and will beg for them.
-Mom. A bottle of a nail polish I saw her fall in love with at a pedicure. We're getting her a gift certificate for a mani/pedi and foot massage at a local place so it fits.
-My sister. Abuelita hot chocolate. She loves the stuff and can't find it in her neighborhood.

I can always buy candy but I really hate doing that.

So here's my question:

What do you do for stocking stuffers? Aiming for the $5 range.

Thanks!

theartistformerlyknownas

We always got an apple and an orange, so I like to continue that now. Mad Libs. Nail file/clippers. Socks. Gloves. Playing cards. Gum.

emmaaa

Candy, toothbrushes and toothpaste, fruit, walnuts, nail file, chapstick, gum, a DVD maybe?

lacqueredlover

The only people I do them for are my step kids who are 7 and 5.  They got:

Those weird bead things that expand to balls in water that you can buy at the dollar store

Yo-yo

paint your own dreidel (we are Jewish haha)

Pencil Sharpener

Nail Polish for my step daughter

Fuzzy socks

littlemushroom

Lip balm and small bottles of lotion are hits in my family. Even the guys use that stuff in winter, but never think to buy it for themselves. DH's knuckles crack in winter so keeping him moisturized is important.

Otherwise, I do fun throwbacks to when we were kids. Tabletop games from the dollar store, magic kits, the things that grow when you leave them in water for a few days (last year I gave DH then FI a dinosaur egg that hatched into a dinosaur and it was a surprise what Dino he got), the sticky things that walk down the wall when you throw them up there, etc. We always have a great time playing with that stuff over the holidays.

ohannabelle

Wind up toys! We have to have them. We do good candy, funny socks, and silly things.

Stocking stuffers mean a trip to Archie McPhees. 

http://mcphee.com/shop/essentials/gift-party-supplies/christmas/stocking-stuffers.html

novella1186

• Lip stuff
  
• Those tiny sponge capsules that turn into dinosaurs when you put them in water (my sister and I always get those for each other even though we're "too old" now because it's a fun throwback to something we loved when we were kids, and I still find it super entertaining to watch the pills pop into dinosaurs)
  
• Along those same lines, the tiny creatures that grow really big when you put them in a glass of water. 
• Starbucks gift cards 
  
• I know you said no candy but I love putting nice chocolate in peoples' stockings (like the Belgium chocolate you get at Whole Foods) 
  
• Little bottles of olive oil 
  
• Little books of Sudoku puzzles for the person who's obsessed with Sudoku 
  
• I once got a jar of martini olives in my stocking and I was super excited 
  
• A cute little bracelet  
  
• A dreidel for those of us who are religiously confused 
• A few packets of seeds to start an herb garden (I was actually really excited about that one too) 
• Knitting needles (for my mom) 
• Barrettes or other random fun hair stuff (for the kids) 
• Bubble bath (again, for the kids)

That's all I can remember right now... 

IrishPirate60

My brother once got two cans of black olives when he was eight. Loooooooooved olives and we're still talking about it decades later.

flyingfoxes

I got us all cheapy extra USB battery things for our phones off of a site on FB.  I think they were around $5 each - hopefully they won't blow up our phones, haha. 

ohannabelle

Oh! I forgot lottery tickets. Always lottery tickets. 

theartistformerlyknownas

I think @ClimbingBrideNY could hook you up with some really nice wine glasses.

climbingsingle

lolo883 said:

I think @ClimbingBrideNY could hook you up with some really nice wine glasses.

Hahaha! Yes, they are breathtaking. 

novella1186

ohannabelle said:

Oh! I forgot lottery tickets. Always lottery tickets. 

Yeah, I forgot about those too. Those are always fun! 

ShellD13

Lots of great ideas...

We also have been known to include an issue of their favorite magazine.  For H's stocking I also typically head to AutoZone or Napa and see what they have in their impulse purchase area.  Tiny Screwdriver set, LED Task Light, O'Keefes Working Hands Hand Balm, etc...

wandajune6

These are great ideas! Thank you all so much!

So many choices...!

theartistformerlyknownas

Oh if you can find these little guys, they're the best ever. Target sometimes has them with the travel size things.

beethery

Shit. I forgot stocking stuffers. Legos and a subscription to a snowmobiling magazine. Done.

We have TINY tiny stockings. The biggest one is for our dog, and the next ones are for the cats.

southernbelle0915

DH - 6 pack of fave beer; something for his desk at work (stress ball, chapstick, picture frame...)

teen step son - does he drive/have a car? bumper sticker of fave band; key chain for backpack; iTunes gift card

dad - coupon for a car wash

g-ma - one of those lanyards (crokies?) for reading glasses

mrsk616

my mom use to do little nik nacks cards pens socks gum candy head phones. 

i got my FI a small stuffed minion because my friend who was shopping with me and i though it was funny. 

NowIamMrsKlein

My FI grew up with stockings filled with edible things. Apples, Christmas orange, candy cane, handful of chocolate.

My family however goes all out on little gifts in stockings. The lotions, cheap bin DVDs, random tools, random throw back to childhood toys etc. We always had a blast shopping trying to find the coolest things under 5$

It's been quite the transition getting FI to understand this concept. He tends to go overboard. And buy mid-price medium sized gifts. lol. I don't think he really gets it. But he also likes to spoil me so theres that.

This year i did a bit of a theme stocking for him. A bunch of small kitchen do-dads that are quirky and fun

- A mushroom scrubber shaped like a mushroom, 

- an olive oil mister,

- a corn shucker, 

- some corn cob handles, 

- hooks for hanging up aprons, 

- Herb Keeper

[Deleted User]

I got my fiance a glass drinking straw (I try not to buy plastic stuff if I can avoid it) for about $7 online.  I also got him a wallet sized beer bottle opener, it was about 1.50 online- actually cost more to ship it than to buy it.  I also got him a cow "fling shot."  He likes cows, and it's a piece of cheap junk made in China, but, basically you stick your fingers in these "pockets" on the font legs, then grab the body in your other hand and pull it back and it's all rubber tubing so when you let it go, it flies like something being shot from a slingshot.  It also makes a mooing noise.  I think that was $7 plush shipping.

loveislouder

We do a lot of earrings, an orange, and apple, body wash, shampoo, soap, deodorant (I promise we aren't smelly, it's just a tradition) a box of skittles, headphones, that kind of stuff.

ETA Spelling

Inkdancer

loveislouder said:

We do a lot of earrings, an orange, and apple, body wash, shampoo, soap, deodorant (I promise we aren't smelly, it's just a tradition) a box of skittles, headphones, that kind of stuff.

ETA Spelling

H's family puts NyQuil in people's stockings. Mostly because his dad is a pharmacist, and someone always has a cold at Christmas.

arrippa

lolo883 said:

Oh if you can find these little guys, they're the best ever. Target sometimes has them with the travel size things.

I have that exact lotion on my desk.

I usually put candy, travel sized toothpaste, soaps and jewelry for my mom. Stockings are my favorite gifts to open. 

lurkergirl

Candy.  Tons and tons of candy.  And gum.  Plus any small things my dad could find at Walgreens on Christmas Eve--manicure kits, ponytail holders/hair clips, nail polish, lotions and face washes, toothbrush, hair brush, magazines or small books, pens and pencils...pretty sure he just walked down the aisles going, "Would this fit in the stocking?"

theartistformerlyknownas

I always wished we'd get some sort of a multi-tool/knife/scissors in our stockings to bust through all that stubborn ribbon and Fort Knox plastic clamshell packages. Or wire cutters for the toys that are held onto the box with fuckin' twist ties. Fuck that noise, nobody wants to be painstakingly un-twisting twist ties while a kid cries for their toy.

And yes, I'd obviously need a new one every year.

southernbelle0915

These are perfect stocking stuffers:

MairePoppy

Flashlights, lip balm, small hand lotions, travel toothbrush.

southernbelle0915

Or a liter of awesome beer, a box of macaroni and cheese, reusable grocery bags....