Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Stocking Stuffers




The first few years of doing stockings for our kids I feel like we made "rookie mistakes".  I hit up the dollar store and felt like I got a lot of bang for my buck, but most of it ended up in the trash within the first few days.  Since then, we put a little more "quality" rather than "quantity" and fill it up with some essentials that the kids need along with fun things for them as well.

With our kids, we leave their stockings outside of their doors and they go through them until they can come downstairs and then we all hang out and go through our stockings together before opening each of their Santa presents and then presents from us.

After the Santa gifts the kids each get three gifts from me and Dave and those are typically smaller gifts than their Santa presents.  There are SO MANY PRESENTS over various celebrations and between us, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. we feel like three (plus stockings and their Santa present) are plenty.

Here are some quick stocking stuffer ideas if you're working on filling those...

All three of my kids LOVE  Zip-its and I actually have one that I keep all of my "teacher pens" in as well.  They're functional and fun and last FOREVER!




Santa usually uses stockings as an opportunity to restock some of our art bins with  new markers and colored pencils.  


Other miscellaneous art supplies like  stickers, bags of pom poms, pipe cleaners, etc. have sometimes ended up in stockings as well to restock the art closet.


These magnets are one of my FAVORITE little gifts.  The magnet part is super strong and even the heaviest kids art project won't drag it down my fridge.  Santa usually pops a set in my stocking every couple of years and I use them at home and in my classroom.


Flair pens are the perfect stocking stuffer for everyone.  The end.


I am SUPER picky about "no show" liner-type socks.  Some of them get all bunchy, some are way too high in the back, some are much too thick and  THESE are JUST RIGHT :)  Santa restocks my supply every year since now have a kid who steals them and stretches them out.


Games are always a go-to for Santa.   This Mobi game is like scrabble but math...


... and  Monopoly Deal is our favorite card game this year.   

You can check out all our favorite games  HERE.


Santa likes to throw funny things in there as well like straw glasses, fake poo and  tiny hands.  
Because of course he does.


A Rubiks cube is a solid stocking stuffer for pretty much everyone.


These scrunchies are the only hair ties I'll use anymore.  I love them forever.


These  "big book" coloring books are hands down the best ones you can buy.  The paper is thick, the pictures are detailed but not frustrating to color and the pictures are CUTE and varied.


I use  these headbands morning and night and they're GREAT for washing your face, applying serums and what not and applying makeup.


Santa loves to add some favorite candy or food to stockings.  Dave loves a Take 5...

... and I'm hopeful that I get some big bags of  these lollipops in mine ;)


We go through a TON of  everyone soap and Santa usually pops a bottle of it in the toe of each kids stocking...


On the topic of smelling good... this deodorant has already been reordered and will be in both boys stockings :) 


And Santa likes to leave a couple of tubes of  the best lip balm around in everyone's stockings for all of the jacket pockets and backpack pouches.


This satin pillowcase is a DREAM and would be a perfect stocking stuffer...


... as would this mug (that's now marked down to under $10)


These  "chiller cubes" are supposed to keep your drink cold without diluting the drink...


A few other random ideas....

- Audible credits for the person who loves to listen to audio books

- Scratch off lottery tickets

- Christmas PJ pants

- Cheese balls :)  hahaha  My boys always ask for the big tub of cheese balls for Christmas

- Frisbie

- Bubbles

- Sidewalk Chalk

- ream of paper (for your kids who draw ALL THE TIME!)

- Sudoku or other puzzle book

- Electric toothbrush replacement heads (exciting, I know)

- Hot Wheels Cars

- bath colors

- post-it notes



I'd love to hear what your family does for stockings!  Leave me a comment and let me know! :) 

32 comments :

  1. This post was so helpful as I’ve been struggling with stocking stuffer ideas! Thank you so much!

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  2. Stockings are my favorite! We have four kids, and the stockings come off the mantle and "mark" each child's little gift opening section in the living room. We also go for quality over quantity and stockings are all of our favorite way to start the Christmas morning together!

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  3. This is a great post! Needed it!!!!

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  4. Oh my gosh - those tiny hands are going in my cart because they are awesome!

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  5. Too funny—I have silky pillowcases as a stocking stuffer this year but also I always out lip balm in mine!

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  6. our stockings have scratch offs once we hit 18. Then usually it has a Barnes and Noble gift card, an ornament some cute litte items like earrings or hair ties. We also usually have some kind of knick-knack - like the suprise Harry Potter mini funko packs.

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  7. Great list! I bought some no-show socks from Amazon that I thought you had recommended. Do you like the Old Navy ones better? (Maybe it wasn't your recommendation after all.)

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    1. I found the old navy ones more recently and love them even more!

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  8. A great list! We do, gloves and beanies if a kid needs them at the time, face masks (the spa kind but any would work this year I guess;) earrings, bracelets and many of the things you listed too. Have a great day!

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  9. These are great ideas! I want to give the Soap a try.
    Thanks for sharing!
    Ellibelle's Corner

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  10. Thank you for doing this!!! I have a few of these items now in my cart ;) I also moved over to the quality vs. quantity. I like to include some fun fishing lures too! My 11 year old and his buddies fish all the time in the summer at our local little lake. Merry Christmas Andrea :)

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    Replies
    1. Adding fishing lures to my list of easter basket ideas!

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  11. I was just thinking of that meme today when I saw my son's toothpaste was getting down to the end. He'll have to wait!! Haha

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  12. We celebrate St Nick and He fills the kids stockings on Dec 6th. We have a 17 year old and an 8 year old boy. They get a book, game and the past few years St Nick has gotten them matching sweatshirts. Last year was Nike sweatshirts and this year was Badgers (we live in Wisconsin). My year 8 year old loves having the same as his older brother and my oldest can't complain because St Nick brings them!

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  13. Books almost always end up in my stocking and my youngest two boys. My husband and older son prefer DVD's. I like nail polish and nail files in mine too and other girly bath/lotion stuff I wouldn't ordinarily buy myself. I tend to fill stockings with practical things like toothbrushes, toothpaste, & deodorant too.

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    1. Nail files are a running joke in our house because my mom would get a pack in her stocking every year and literally had hundreds under her sink! hahaha

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  14. Love these ideas! Kids are grown so now it's all for the grands and ours are still little. Always candy, usually a $10 gift card for their favorite fast food, lip balm, hand cream, those character wash cloths that you soak in water and watch them "grow" from the dollar store, a card game or stickers.

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  15. I always love your ideas. Thank you!

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