I'm a creature of habit who likes to put as much of her life on auto-pilot as possible, including gift-giving. I don't like wasting precious time in decision fatigue, trying to figure out what I want to buy for each of my kids. So years ago, I put together a formula for buying both their under-the-tree gifts and their stocking stuffers. This helps me stay within my budget of $100 a person and provides enough freedom so that I can buy items specific to the unique personalities and passions of each of my kids. (When my kids were little the budget was $60, but as they've gotten bigger, alas, so has inflation.)
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My stocking stuffing formula has been on permanent repeat for as long as any of my clan can remember. Every year, my kids can trust that they will receive six items in their stockings. Four of them are always the same type of thing but, obviously, vary in specificity from year to year:
- a new-to-them book (I purchase these at used book sales or thrift shops each year and tuck them away until December.)
- a pack of gum (Having a whole pack of gum all to yourself is a pretty big deal to a child/teen in a large family.)
- a plastic candy cane filled with chocolate candies
- a scrap of wrapping paper tucked in the toe of the stocking
The other two gifts remain on lockdown until Christmas Eve. They are the wild cards--the mystery items that everyone looks forward to opening.
1-Stuff I Need to Do Sticky Notes // This hardcover book includes brightly colored sticky notes of all sizes.
2-Erasable Highlighters // This 6-pack of highlighter markers takes Crayola into the teen years.
3-Novelty Adventure Stickers // My teens love attaching waterproof adventure stickers to their water bottles, the front of their laptop computers, and now the windshields of their cars.
4-Bob Ross Socks // Who doesn't love Bob Ross? My daughter has these same socks and wears them whenever she's feeling zany.
5-S'mores Collection ChapStick // A great smile is always in style.
6-Detangler Hair Brush // Say goodbye to painful snarls with this detangling brush that works on straight, wavy, curly, wet, or dry hair.
7-Da Bomb Bath Bombs // I love the fact that these bath bombs are made by a pair of teenage sisters.
8-Nutritional Face Masks // Each of the 6 masks included in this set is infused with nutrient-rich ingredients such as honey, avocado, and egg white.
9-Nail Stickers // With over 1000 different designs to choose from, these stickers are self-adhesive and easy to remove.
10-Metal Brain Teasers // Teens who enjoy cracking a Rubik's Cube will definitely enjoy the brain-breaking challenge of these metal puzzles.
11-Would Your Rather Family Edition // "Would you rather discover the diary of a Roman emperor or a Founding Father of the United States?" This is just one of the 160+ puzzling questions in the collection.
12-Monopoly Deal // My teens enjoy this card game so much that we actually own two decks so they can play with multiple people.
13-Uno Emoji // This twist on the classic Uno game not only has a modern look but a few additional rules.
14-Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza // This is a fast-paced game similar in many ways to Spoons that requires little to no skill, so it works for all ages.
15- Waterproof Trick Cards // I don't know that my teen boys would care that these cards are waterproof, but I know they'd love the fact that they come in both black and gold patterns instead of the standard white and red.
16-Hot Chocolate Bombs // Each one of these uniquely flavored chocolate bombs has a marshmallow hidden inside them. Just add milk.
17-Bean Boozled // This box of jelly beans is both a treat and an event rolled into one. Be brave enough to spin the spinner and you may get to enjoy a Strawberry Banana Smoothie bean. Then again, you could end up with one that tastes like Dead Fish.
18-Personalized Mini Nutella Jar // Any treat feels a little extra when it's named after you.
19-AirPod Charging Case // When buying replacement charger cases, be sure to check whether the one you're considering is compatible with the earbuds that your teen owns.
20-Animal Phone Cable Accessory // I got a little turtle for my daughter's cell phone cable, not because she needed it but because it's fun!
21-Cell Phone Stand // These stands are compatible with my favorite teen-safe cell phone, the GABB phone. (The phone that lets a tween/teen call, text, take pictures, and listen to music but is not connected to the internet in any way.)
22-Photo Clip Lights // Teens who have a polaroid camera (Yes, they've made a comeback!), will enjoy having a special way to display all their favorite pics.
23-Storm Trooper Key Chain // This is just one in a whole line of Minifig key chains.
24-iSplack Colored Eye Black // While winter is not typically the season for wearing eye black, it can be the season for giving it.
25-Sports Lanyard // Basketball fans will enjoy attaching the logos of one of four top teams to their car keys, work ID, or camera.
26-Camo Duct Taps // One of my sons gets a roll of duct tape in his stocking nearly every year because he uses it so much.
27-Tactical Patch // These patches come with strips of velcro adhesive that can be sewn onto just about any piece of outerwear, making them removable and mix-and-match.
28-Survival Pocket Tool // Since these multi-purpose tools are about the size of a credit card, they are small enough to slide into a wallet.
29-Emergency Paracord Bracelet // This is a 4-in-1 survival tool that comes with a compass, a rope, a flint fire starter, and a safety whistle.
30-Nerf Bullets // There always seems to be a shortage of NERF bullets around my house, so I often toss a package or two in someone's stocking each year.
Thanks for these fresh ideas!
ReplyDeleteYou're most welcome! Thanks for reading.
DeleteThis is amazing! I so appreciate you! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading!
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