I am so excited about CIJ! I've got to go thru my THREE tubs of gifts items to determine what are stocking stuffers and what are main gifts. This will give me the push I need. Thans.l
July: Finish Stocking Stuffers Month
- Thread starter Gingerbug
- Start date
Now that I think about it, one year, I gave our boys (men now with boys of their own) VCR's (lol) of bloopers and or wrecks from their favorite sport. This was back when we only had one VCR player, and what a fight on x-mas day to see who got to watch theirs first. This is a story that still gets told during the holidays. While the 3 teen-age boys were arguing and nearly getting physical, the 4 year old put his baseball blooper tape in and hit play, end of the fights. Loved it!!
Christmas32 EXACTLY.....sometimes we all need a little push!
GrammyK......that is too funny...those blooper tapes are neat though
GrammyK......that is too funny...those blooper tapes are neat though
I really am nearly finished. Except for the few perishable things that I get the kids such as chips and chocolates, I have got just about all the stocking fillers. I am so amazed that I have done it. I know that I will probably pick up a few things as I go along, but really I can tick this one of the list.
Katrina - What fabulous news! Being done so early will give you time to find other fun, less stressful things to do!
Colleen - The tiny screwdriver is a perfect stocking stuffer. At our house we NEVER have enough of these. I think I'll put one in each of the boys stocking. Thanks!
GrammyK - What a great story! It made me laugh!
Colleen - The tiny screwdriver is a perfect stocking stuffer. At our house we NEVER have enough of these. I think I'll put one in each of the boys stocking. Thanks!
GrammyK - What a great story! It made me laugh!
I stopped doing stockings quite a while ago. Frankly.... I never put very much thought/time ino the gifts in them...... and they were pretty boring for the recipients! Now..... I AM thinking about doing them THIS year. Everybody is having so much fun working on them..... it makes ME want to jump in too!
SparkleNana - My family LOVES them! One suggestion I have is to wrap the small gifts individually. We really enjoy going around the room and watching each person open a stocking stuffer. It seems to prolong the excitement of Christmas day! My other suggestion is set a limit on how many for each person. It can get crazy out of hand if you don't. I think this year our limit started out as 10 but someone just raised it to 15. Let us know if you jump into the stocking pool!
Sparklenana, maybe your family will appreciate the stocking more now since they haven't received one in awhile. I haven't received a stocking since I was little and would LOVE for my family to give me one. I mentioned this to my dh one Christmas hoping he would remember for the next Christmas (yeah right 
) Of course he didn't. I'm making stockings for both my parents since I have never seen them get a stocking. I think my mom will especially be happy to receive one. I'm thinking my only way of receiving one is to place mine on the fridge with a big sign or I may resort to this http://familyfun.go.com/playtime/a-stocking-for-santa-708627/
) Of course he didn't. I'm making stockings for both my parents since I have never seen them get a stocking. I think my mom will especially be happy to receive one. I'm thinking my only way of receiving one is to place mine on the fridge with a big sign or I may resort to this http://familyfun.go.com/playtime/a-stocking-for-santa-708627/ 
I've been stalking, er....reading this since it started. I never had a stocking when I was a child. When I was married. Not until my kids were grown, and my sis and I, for a couple of years, use to fill them for each other. I always did one for each of the children and their spouses/girlfriends, if there was one. It got to be very expensive to fill nine stockings (including my dad and the dog!). So, I stopped for a while. Then the grandkids started coming. I don't fill stockings for Sweetie's grandkids. He didn't seem to want to help, and good night shirts! I can't afford EVERYTHING for crying out loud!
Then a few years ago, DD said she would rather have one less gift and get a stocking, because it made her feel like a kid again. Well, her husband fills one for her and so do her in laws. Now, I don't know if the boys have that advantage. So, for a few years, I started stockings again. I didn't last year, because it was not a very good holiday for me, and I was in a deep funk.
I don't know if, this year, I will do it for the big kids or not, but always for the DGKs. Until I cannot afford it any more. I know last year, I filled the Christmas 'lunch' bags for the kids. I had way, and I do mean WAY too many stocking stuffers. So, I saved the extras for Easter baskets.
When the school supplies are put out, I will buy crayons, pencils, glue sticks, etc for the DGKs stockings. They can always use those things. But the ideas that have been posted here are great, and I have put many of them in my notebook on the stocking stuffer page. It is so nice to have each other to bounce ideas off of, isn't it?
Then a few years ago, DD said she would rather have one less gift and get a stocking, because it made her feel like a kid again. Well, her husband fills one for her and so do her in laws. Now, I don't know if the boys have that advantage. So, for a few years, I started stockings again. I didn't last year, because it was not a very good holiday for me, and I was in a deep funk.
I don't know if, this year, I will do it for the big kids or not, but always for the DGKs. Until I cannot afford it any more. I know last year, I filled the Christmas 'lunch' bags for the kids. I had way, and I do mean WAY too many stocking stuffers. So, I saved the extras for Easter baskets.
When the school supplies are put out, I will buy crayons, pencils, glue sticks, etc for the DGKs stockings. They can always use those things. But the ideas that have been posted here are great, and I have put many of them in my notebook on the stocking stuffer page. It is so nice to have each other to bounce ideas off of, isn't it?
Pam, I thought I saw you over in that dark corner! Glad you joined us!
One of my greatest memories EVER was the Christmas after my Grandfather passed away and my Grandmother had Christmas with us. She had been so very sad for so many months and we were not sure what Christmas would bring. My parents filled stockings for me and my brother and my brother and I used allowance and babysitting money to fill stockings for them. We all went together and filled a stocking for my Grandmother. She had never had one before. The look on her face and the joy that filled the room is something I will never ever forget. She enjoyed it so much and she just laughed and opened each gift as if it were a treasure. That was such a special Christmas. From that point on she would say to us, don't worry about buying me a present, just make sure my sock is filled. And we did.
You never know who you will touch just by doing a stocking. What about a neighbor that might not get out much. Would taking a stocking to them brighten their day?
One of my greatest memories EVER was the Christmas after my Grandfather passed away and my Grandmother had Christmas with us. She had been so very sad for so many months and we were not sure what Christmas would bring. My parents filled stockings for me and my brother and my brother and I used allowance and babysitting money to fill stockings for them. We all went together and filled a stocking for my Grandmother. She had never had one before. The look on her face and the joy that filled the room is something I will never ever forget. She enjoyed it so much and she just laughed and opened each gift as if it were a treasure. That was such a special Christmas. From that point on she would say to us, don't worry about buying me a present, just make sure my sock is filled. And we did.
You never know who you will touch just by doing a stocking. What about a neighbor that might not get out much. Would taking a stocking to them brighten their day?
My mom stopped doing stockings for us when because too many grandkids. She did it only for the grandkids. This year she is stopping the teens (mostly because teen boys are too difficult to fill) but she is starting some for the rest of the family... everyone will put what they want if they want to put something in someone else's stocking. We'll see how that works out. I bought plastic SD cases on ebay (10 for $2) and plan to put these in my sibling's stockings. I also plan to add chocolates & peanuts.
I always remember having a stocking when we were kids. They were different to what we get now. Over the last couple of years our stockings have turned into pillow case sized sacks. We fill these with all sorts of things and as the kids have gotten older have replaced some of their presents. It is really important to me that heir stockings are full. Every christmas morning we open our presents, then go and have breakfast and then come back to open our stockings. The kids still get a kick out of them and we do one for their Grandma too. The dog even gets a stocking at our place.
Kim, what a lovely idea to do a stocking for a neighbor. I have done secret Santa gifts for my neighbors, but maybe this year, I might do things differently. Ooooo, maybe for BFF and her DH. Hmmmm, you have opened a world of possibilities for me. Thx.
I'll probably not finish my stocking stuffers in July - for the little ones, I like to get school supplies for the stockings (generally by Christmas they are ready/needing new supplies) and I'll wait for the back to school sales in August to stock up on those.