Looking For Non-Toy Stocking Ideas

My mom always puts our brands of razor blades and other small toiletry items - they're nice to get because they can be expensive! My aunt gives us an ornament and a Starbucks gift card in our stocking each year. When we were younger she would give us McDonalds bucks. Kitchen items have also been a hit since we've gotten older.

For my husband I found some new ideas at New Seasons. I got these foot wraps to detox and make you feel fab when you wake up. Whole foods also has them.-ALSO cool looking shampoo and conditioner that looks manly & made in Canada at New Seasons. For the whole family these cute tiles that you can put by your beside for your water only 6.99. The prints are amazing-whimsical, art deco, etc. at New Seasons again. Mini-sketch pads and any art supplies, movies and cd's. Keen pop up sippers or holders. Ski pass holder. mini flashlights the cool ones that are LEDs or the headlight version. I could go on and on but bedtime calls! Have fun shopping!

My kids have always received a roll of Scotch tape in their stockings. When they were little, they always wanted to borrow mine so I would get them their own roll for Christmas. Now that they're 17 and 19 - it's just a funny tradition!

I just bought a little piggy bank that is a little frog wearing a little crown...it's soooo cute! I also saw a piggy bank, that was a little pig wearing a pink tutu.

Oh yeah, my dad always bought us kids a new flashlight every Christmas. It was the best gift!

Our tradition is socks...not just ordinary, but some with designs and things on them. It's always fun to see what you find. :-)

Our tradtions have always included batteries, lip balm, beef jerkey and socks. This year the kids will find sharpies, hats and pencils. With them getting older, i find that it needs to be fairly 'equal'. When Anna gets older, things that usually showed up are hair clips, hair bands, bracelets, nail polish and other fun little things like that.

A few times growing up we had breakfast items in our stocking... of course an orange, also hot chocolate mix, instant oatmeal packets. We always had breakfast before opening any wrapped gifts, so we'd dig through our stockings and enjoy the unwrapped gifts Santa left, then eat our stocking breakfasts together, and then we'd get to the other gifts. I thought it was fun!

Our tradition is a new book, underwear, socks, toothbrush(a Fun kind), toothpaste(a Fun kind), and one fun little item from their Dear Santa list. They receive one gift from Santa from their list.
I am trying to keep it simple but exciting...Oh, and I had to tell them that santa knows what they need!
;)

What a greta idea! Thanks a lot!

toothbrush, toothpaste, mittens, magnets, coloring books & crayons, cute pair of socks, something i would not normally get them. have fun shopping for two this year...:)

I always make a new journal for my kids every year (I started it when my oldest was 3) they use it to write little notes, draw, whatever they want. I usually try and find some new writing tools/markers to go with it. This year my youngest is into cutting up paper (he get's that from his mama :)) so I am looking for some cool scissors for him.

My children have enjoyed: bird indentfying cards, whistles, flashlights, titanium spork (for camping), memory cards, audio books, good quality clay, rubics cube...
The older ones: bracelet,earrings, first colonge, a nice writing pen, sketch pencils, personal planner.
Babes: Stuffed animal, little people figures(the chunky ones), rescue heroes, soft book with photo pockets to fill...
This year my 7 year old is getting a hamster, so here stocking will hold a few small hamster related items.
hope this helps. A. Martin

My kids are really into non-traditional things: paperclips, a sticky note cubes, mini notebooks, etc... This year each of my kids will get traditional candy, an orange & nuts in the shell with a mini flashlight and a big non-breakable magnifying glass and a small custom gift (a lego motor for my 10 yo, a sports book for my 8 yo, a ballet skirt for my 6 yo and measuring cups for my 4yo).

Similar to coupon books are these funky children IOUs - http://larkmade.com.au/products/childrensious.html - we don't do xmas / stockings etc but I bought these for a countdown calendar I'm making for my two bigger kids (4 and 6) :)

That is an awesome idea!!! I may have to have a fiddle with that and tweak it for my 6 year old!!!

One year I carefully cracked open walnuts and took out the nut part and filled them with tiny gifts like rings, earrings, and I went to the hobby shop and got antique coins to put in them. Then I glued the nuts back together so my nieces had to crack them open to get the gifts. I think I had more fun putting them together than they had opening them.

for adults I often do string, book of postage stamps, socks, laminated wallet photos of loved ones.

I'm another fan of socks, character ones mostly, pens and fun chap sticks.

Our big "splurge" for stockings for the adults is lottery tickets. We do not usually participate in lotteries, but the young adults esp., seem to really enjoy the "scratch-off" type tickets that allows them to actively participate in their winning/losing. And if you buy about 10, they usually win at least $5 or so.