Stocking Stuffer ideas for Christmas 2012

Christmas has always been a wonderful time for children, and one of our favorite family traditions (even though our children are now 19) is to open our stockings on Christmas Eve – it helps us get into the Christmas spirit, and also allows us to think of the meaning of Christmas before it actually starts.

There are many things that can appear in our stockings (see links for major items) but quite often we end up stuffing them with silly items that are fun and functional:

Terry’s Chocolate Orange – this is a staple every year and is one of the greatest stocking stuffers out there –we all love the succulent chocolate and the subtle flavorings of the orange that make this a very desirable chocolate. While there are many varieties of these chocolates (with a mint one being particularly good, we always stick to the orange one). My daughters still have so much fun by banging the Chocolate Orange down on the table as hard as they can – it scares the poor dogs silly, but it is a great memory for us as we remember when they first tried this as seven year olds!

Eyeliner – eyeliner doesn’t last that long in my house with two teenagers, so we always include at least one eyeliner in their stocking – stops just a little bit of the household fighting! I note that this is never in my own stocking; I gave up wearing eyeliner years ago!

Toothbrush – OK not very cool I guess, but we always include a new toothbrush in their Christmas stocking to ensure they change their brush every six months or so – one of the most practical stocking stuffers.

Hair Ties – I find more hair ties on the bathroom floor in my house than anything else – in fact there are probably several dozen strewn around the house at any time, therefore getting a small pack of hair ties is always a great stocking stuffer in my house (I note that this year I may be adding a packet of Sill Bandz elastic bands too!)

Pens – our houseis the Bermuda Triangle for pens – they simply disappear into thin air with no explanation! I go through dozens of pens a month! Therefore, for at least January I know that there will be no mysterious disappearances as I always put a packet of pens in my daughters’ stockings!

Video Game – this is a shared ‘stocking stuffer’ and usually is a fun family game that we can all play on Christmas Eve and have some great quality family time. Usually it’s a trivia game, although we have had a few ‘action’ games such as the great game Brutal Legend because of Jack Black and also the appearance of Ozzy Osborne!