Tell me all your good stocking stuffer ideas and what you always put in them!! We will be on a ship this Christmas Dec 20-29 so I want to bring a couple of stockings to have the kids 15 DD and 13 DS open on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Any fun ideas?

This may be odd, but this year I'm including lots of different types of gum. It seems that both my DDs (13 and 10) are really enjoying different kinds of gum, so I'm including new and different brands and flavors so they can pick some new favorites. Each time I run to the store I try to pick up a small package -- little impact on the budget that way, but I think they will be excited. (I'm also including a few other fun things picked out for each of them, but the gum will be the main focus.) Thankfully my older DD will get her braces off next week and the younger one has a few years to go before she gets hers on!

Hot cocoa packets, small toys bought on clearance, $ Tree items you know they use-maybe a calendar/planner for next year, etc. Socks on clearance, jewelry (costume) on clearance, toothbrush, mittens, candy of course, or dried fruit and nuts, gift cards for staying up late, skipping a chore until the next day, a special alone day with Mom or Dad.

I can go on and on let me know if you need more ideas.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

I saw digital photo key chains in the big lots ad for this week for $12. I was thought they would make nice stocking stuffers.

Timed Out

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I found some neat small, magnetic games at Rite Aid like Checkers, Chess, Reversi, they're small, fold up but are magnetic to take along in the car or something.
Candy and gum
CDs
playing cards
jewelry
gift cards
small bottles of perfume/cologne
lip gloss
small bottles of body wash and lotion
christmas ornament

I guess it depends on what you put in stockings. My goal every year is to have items that I paid $3 or less for. I pick them up through out the year on clearance and sale. I try to not buy these items at the dollar store unless my time is up and I don't have enough to fill the stocking.
My kids are much older now.. but when they were your kids ages I would put things in like..
Make up, lip gloss, flavored chapsticks, nail polish, Mc Donalds use to have books of $5 gift certs..and I would put a few in each stocking. (these were single $1's I don't know if they still have them or not) Jewlery, I still find these things at Claires and these type of stores in the mall when they do thier markdowns for 10 items for $10 for things that were up to $10 regularly. Small bottles of cologne or perfume,
I don't know what your children have.. but I know when I took my kids on a cruise they always took thier ipods, for laying in the sun, sunglasses, cards, extra batteries, underwater camera, things like that.. depending on what your children have you can make a things to do on the cruise stocking.

I would throw in some small photo frames or albums for the vaca pics, some small handheld games (solitare, etc), nail polish, cheap sunglasses, ponytails or barettes, hats or visors, mints and hard candy, books or puzzle books. We also scrapbook, so my dd's get stickers, decorations, etc etc.

Surprisingly, the Menards here has lots of great stuffers cheap! Often with rebates or sales on stuff too! It is like a Home Depot or Fleet Farm for those of you who don't have one. They have such a variety of stuff! Tools, games, healthy snacks, books, etc etc etc.

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"It's not about how much baggage you have, it's about whether or not you can carry your own baggage with grace and dignity."

For a while my DS was really into Japanese anime and manga, so I found a Japanese market and bought some of their special candies and snacks. (the kind of things they would mention in the books and films)....he loved it.

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My kids always get things that require batteries, so I usually throw in one 4 pack of batteries, some crossword puzzle or word find books. My girls also like neat pens or pencils, and post it notes in pretty colors or shapes. My oldest likes magnets for her locker at school. Small brcaelet making project kits that include the beads etc. hair accessories, inexpensive jewelry, lotions, nail polish, and remover pads, nail clippers, file and the things that go between your toes. Socks, and the knit gloves that you can find for $1 after Thanksgiving along with mints, gum and the thing they really seem to appreciate and love are coupons for free time or get out of a chore for the day or week coupons. Since you'll be on a cruise, maybe you could add in some sun glasses, sunscreen, a book to read if they want to sun bathe new flip flops for going to the pool ( lots of places like Karamaloop have these on sale right now) If you're going into port anywhere before they'll get their stockings maybe you could look around in your port of call to find some little things that they may enjoy or that would be a keepsake of the trip.

Anything from Target's dollar section would be perfect.

Every Year I have put in the little gold foil covered coins, I dont think I have ever missed a year for those.

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Proud mom to 4 great boys Anthony20,Nicholas16,Michael4,Sean2

Our Michaels has a few aisles of $ stocking stuffer stuff. Lots of neat things!

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Insanity laughs under pressure we're cracking

What a neat idea! Hmm, my oldest DD is, of course, into Twilight. Anybody know of any blood shops?

Too bad I don't live closer to Forks. I could send you some Forks souvenirs. Thinking. . . .would it be worth it to drive up there and buyout the drug store sovenirs to put on e-bay???

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"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm

I have been on strike from stuff & junk, so for the past few years I've tried to keep stockign stuffers useful and significant. Granted my kids are older, so it's easier. They are also both boys, which is harder. Girls would be so much fun with cosmetics, nail stuff, lotions, pens, paper, etc. Oh well, not for me.

Their stocking stuffer list includes things like: boxer shorts, socks, thumb drives, headphones/earbuds, deoderant, Mach3 razors (free from somewhere), shave gel, DVD (cheaper ones usually not from their wish list), football/baseball cards, Tums (my older one eats them like candy)....and any useful trinkets related to their interests/passions....Red Sox, Ravens, WWE, Star Wars, etc.

As for the OP and Christmas on the cruise ship....gosh, how lucky are your kids! I'd be tempted to theme their stockings around the vacation.....suntan lotion, SPF lipgloss, sunglasses, bikini for the girl (hey, it would fit in a stocking!), jewelry item or two for those nice dinners for DD, magazines, mini scrapbook, trip journal, pens, a new game if they're bringing a handheld system, cool hat for DS, etc.

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

Great idea! Maybe this is your million in the making...