Cookin' Up Creations

Stockings! My family LOVES their stockings almost more than presents. Every year I struggle with what to put in them. One year I decided not to do them because my children were all adults and I don't like shopping....my daughter cried because she didn't have her stocking. Last night my oldest son who is stuck on an island in the Caribbean told me that all he wanted was his stocking filled with surprises. So once again, I am struggling with what to put in stockings.
Help me! Do you do stockings? What do you put in them?

Just for fun here is some history on Christmas stockings. History of Christmas Stocking

I hang stockings for the dogs and I fill them with stuffed animals and treats.

For boys and men....aftershave, razors, socks, their favorite candy, travel games, key chain.

My kids (22 and 24) have knitted stockings. We do not have a mantle to hang them so I put them out each on a separate chair in our living room and them all the other presents are nearby. I fill them with gum, candy, scratch off tickets, lip balm, hair products or shaving stuff. I also find trinkets like a whoopie cushion, washcloths or boxers that are all condensed into a little ball (I love when I can find these), stamps, toothbrush, nail polish, mini flashlight, and socks.

Growing up with lots of siblings, we drew names and filled that persons sock. Then on Christmas Eve we got to open everything in them. We carried that tradition on with our family and married kids. The last few years I am back to filling them because they felt like they were just wasting $20 on junk the wasn't needed. (They weren't as creative as me in the buying department ) The grandkids love it!

When I was growing up Santa always left our stockings on the end of our beds. I guess my parents thought that would keep us busy for a while so they could get some more sleep. lol
Since I never had kids, I didn't have to fill stockings other than my husbands. I usually filled it with his favorite candy, nuts, scratch tickets and some kind of funny little gift like a Sponge Bob ornament or funny pair of boxers.

We have a tradition for stockings. The guys get cheap Nerf guns and canned oysters, squid, octopus, etc. The girls get fuzzy aloe socks and candy. (My DD always gets a box of chocolate covered cherries too.) When we were near Dollar Stores and Wal-Mart I'd get everyone a Pez dispenser too. And if the girls are going to be where the guys are then they get Nerf guns too. Then there's a big Nerf gun fight and it gets pretty brutal! But all have fun. You could put CDs or videos in the stockings too.

Now I'm up here and nothing is cheap! And I have to go to Ketchikan to get to a Wal-Mart. I'm going to have to decide in the next day or so if I'm going to try going over there to get some cheap things or if I'm just going to figure something else out.

We all have stockings hanging from the mantle. I swear every other year, I forget to fill them...lol.

I usually put their favorite candies, lip balm, scratch off tickets, and socks in them.

I have 9 stockings up. one for each of us, my two boys, 2 dils and 3 grandkids. haven't done them for the dogs, but that is a good idea! got them up this weekend since Gracie was here and really wanted to decorate.