Comments on: 2009 Gift Giving Guide: All the small things

By: Lee

Lee — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:03:34 +0000

Just fyi for everyone here…
On Dec 1st I ordered 8 of the Nimli pashmina scarves (recommended above by Bridget) for the bulk of my Christmas presents this year and as of Dec. 17th have not received them. I’ve also been given the wrong FedEx shipping number twice. Of course, the money was put on my credit card the minute I ordered.

Buyer beware.

By: Annie

Annie — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:48:11 +0000

The Swiss Tech MPTBS Micro-Plus 8-in-1 or Polished Stainless Steel Key Ring Multi-Tool is really good AND a lot cheaper at HomeDepot, at least in Portland, Maine.

By: Amy

Amy — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:44:26 +0000

My parents always filled my sister & my stockings with boxes of Thin Mints candies (like big Junior Mints) and batteries, which are useful as heck! I always got the dried pineapple, I requested, too. Last time we all had Christmas morning together my dad gave everyone an “As Seen on TV” pair of snips that will cut through the thick (and sharp) plastic packaging that is so prevalent these days. It was great for opening the rest of our gifts!

By: Unclutterer’s 2009 Holiday Gift Giving Guide « MARCO CHANNING

Unclutterer’s 2009 Holiday Gift Giving Guide « MARCO CHANNING — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:09:03 +0000

[...] Stocking Stuffers: All the small things [...]

By: seaglassblue

seaglassblue — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:32:27 +0000

My husband comes from a candy-and-bijoux family, and I come from a school-supplies-and-cheap-trifles family, so we still haven’t worked out exactly how to satisfy each other’s stockings expectations. Last year, though, he had the excellent idea to go to an international grocery store and buy me three different fresh exotic fruits. He knew I’d figure out how to use them. It was great! So imaginative, and perfect for an adventurous cook. (Plus, they really filled up a lot of stocking room.)

By: Jody

Jody — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:33:50 +0000

A stocking stuffer for licensed drivers that I LOVE is the “Parking Meter Card”. Here in SF, it is a necessity. They can be bought online and at brick/mortar locations, too. I keep mine in the outside pocket of my wallet. It also fits easily into a small bag, with my license and credit card, on occasions when I only carry the minimum. The scrambling for change, when I am in a hurry, drives me crazy.

By: Emi

Emi — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:28:04 +0000

Looking back on the unusual stocking stuffers that my sister and I received included: oranges, socks, cosmetics, toiletries, batteries, and even a picture of ourselves one year! After a while, Santa got tired of shopping for us so we even received an envelope of cash.

By: Deborah

Deborah — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:10:21 +0000

my boys loved getting those flat cans of oysters and mussels in their stockings, ha ha! we also included toiletries as they got older. My fave thing to get is always, always hershey’s kisses!

By: gerette

gerette — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:20:57 +0000

I honestly don’t remember stockings as a kid, but my MIL always gave a bag of pistachios, a 4pc Whitman’s sampler, and a useful kitchen implement or small tool–the tire gauge, the toast tongs, things like that.

With our children (5 & 2), it’s a mix of candy, small art supplies, and usually one funny gift–this year they’re getting a pooping moose & a pooping penguin (little wind-up toys that spit out jelly beans). For my husband, I load him up on snacky foods to bring to his office–granola bars, dried fruit & nuts, etc. I fill my own stocking and let’s just say there’s a lot of chocolate involved.

Last year, stressing about wrapping up everything, I decided that gifts from Santa come unwrapped. Since Santa’s one who brings the big toys, it’s made things much easier!

By: Jane

Jane — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:07:14 +0000

The lacie iamakey/itsakey USB drives are the best flash drives ever for anyone that puts those on a keychain. It’s definitely not cheap, but I keep my iamakey on a keychain and it’s the only one I’ve had that hasn’t accidentally fallen off, been pulled off, or had no way to attach to a keychain. I love the half dozen sandisk cruzers and whatnot I have floating around, but those go in my pockets or in my bag, which are nowhere near as convenient.

By: Erin Doland

Erin Doland — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:28:16 +0000

@Joie — Ha! I’m of Irish and Luxembourgian decent, and grew up in Kansas. I think the salty food stuffs were just personal favorites. My brother and I were never really into candy.

By: Joie

Joie — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:01:27 +0000

I love you guys for getting oysters, anchovies, and olives in your stockings. Is this an Italian or “back east” thing? As Californians we always got a big fat orange, a giant apple, and assorted nuts (in the shells) along with the small gifts.

I’ve always had major love for multi-tools but they don’t hold as much excitement for me as they used to. If you travel even a moderate amount, you’d have to leave your keys at home or remember to remove the tool (and replace again later), becuase it’s not going through security.

I used to have a credit-card multi-tool that I loved keeping in my wallet. It was confiscated after 9/11 and it’s sort of soured me on the whole idea ever since.

By: Peg Bracken Fan

Peg Bracken Fan — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:07:48 +0000

I shop for stocking stuffers year round at garage sales, thrift stores, the dollar store, you name it.

My Tulane-graduate sister was startled one Christmas to receive a thrifted “Cafe du Monde” mug in her Christmas stocking. It’s an iconic New Orleans cafe, and she has kept it for years.

One thing no one has mentioned yet: those individual Christmas light testers. They are stocking-size and very useful for the person who REALLY gets into Christmas decorating. Here’s a link to one from Ace Hardware. The year we gave them out, every recipient stared at his tester and said in tones of wonder and gratitude, “Where did you find this?”

http://www.acehardwareoutlet.c.....GoogleBase

By: Lisa

Lisa — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:12:01 +0000

Someone mentioned yarn. For quilters or other fabric users, fat quarters are a nice stocking stuffer. You can use them to wrap other things, so the gift wrap is also a gift.

(a fat quarter is a half-yard of fabric cut in half, so that it is the same size as a quarter yard, but is a “fat” rectangle rather than a “skinny” one)

By: Caroline

Caroline — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:33:49 +0000

I stock up on little stocking stuffers throughout the year, finding unique little items, which I hide in my sock drawer. My rules are:

- It must be either consumable or useful
- It must not cost more than $5
- It must be something that is “matched” to the person who’s stocking it goes into

Dollar store bins of unique post it notes, pretty binder clips and push pins, keychains, erasers, pencils… that kind of stuff is useful, not expensive, and lots of fun to customize! Plus spending $4 on an amazing chocolate bar for each stocking is rather a lot of yummy fun.