Stocking Stuffer Ideas - Roseville,CA

When I was a kid I always got the Lifesaver Story book and a Terrys of York chocolate "orange" in my stocking. I always put chocolate in my kids' stockings too, and sometimes cocoa packets in interesting flavors. My son loves art, so always gets some fancy pens/drawing pencils/paintbrushes etc in his, and my daughter gets make-up, perfume, mini lotions, hair accessories, etc. Sometimes I will give tickets to concerts or Broadway in envelopes that go in their stockings too. Funny how the stocking is always their favorite part!

If the older kids are girls then lip gloss, nail polish and anything else like that-SUCH fun to get! Boys are tougher...gloves, hat, cologne?

One of the ladies at work actually is a very classy lady. She wanted something different and fun. So she gave cans of cheese. Who does not love to get Ritz Crackers and just design their cheese shape on a cracker! :-) Now I have not done yet, but let me tell ya I just might one year when my kiddos are old enough to find it funny.

Someone just asked the same question for young girls and hubby, I think it was yesterday... anyway ideas for older ones...
chap stick
make up - lip gloss, mascara
nail polish
manicure/pedicure items - nail clipper, nail file
jewelry
socks
gloves (those magic ones that strech)
movie tickets
hand cream
shower gel
itunes gift card (I'm against store gift cards)
gum
candy
deck of cards
card or dice game
comb/brush
hair accessories
magnets (for 15 & 17 yo- to use at school locker)
key chain
ice scrapper for car
flash light
small candle

My mother in law always gets us a lottery ticket, and the GOOD beef jerky in our stockings, and that may be fun for the older kids. Other ideas: Itunes gift cards, Mcdonalds gift card for the 4 year old (those were our favorites as kids!) their favorite candy bar, gum, some clementines or other yummy fruit.

we always do things you don't usually think about. sort of like hints from Santa - gift card to Hair Cuttery, chapstick/lip gloss, Subway, mini cologne, mini hand lotion, travel tissues, M&Ms, TicTacs/Breathmints, new toothbrush, etc.... there is usually one really special gift like a ring or necklace.

itunes gift cards are a hit with the teens since they can buy music and apps for their itouch or ipod, OPI nail polish, Pez candy, Godiva Chocolates, cologne/perfume, pretty address book/calendar for the purse, Swarovski pens(I love those!) a good deck of playing cards like Kem, Mentos, funny bottle openers for the 21 yr old, Mad Libs, Monster ear buds for their ipods.

tickets for movies

good luck,
Susan

For older girls, how about make-up / nail polish? I got some stuff from the $$ section at Target for my little ones- coloring books, crayons, a slinky, hair accessories, necklaces, lip balm. I like the itunes and lotto ideas for the older ones. Maybe a deck of cards? Hersey kisses!

I always hit the dollar bins at Target like one of the other mom's said for fun but junky stuff like a yo-yo or silly pens, etc. I also do miniature size Axe body spray (for boys of course), Bath & Body Works mini lotions or body wash, chap stick, a big orange or an apple for the toe of the stocking, small fancy candy, goofy magnets. 5 Below is a great store for stocking stuffers, too if you've got one near you!

$1.00 scratch tickets, tooth brush, deodorant, chap stick, candy, car air fresheners, nail polish, nail files, hand sanitizer, socks. I LOVE Stockings - but they get Costly Very Quickly!! GL

Stocking are, and always have been, a big deal in my family. We actually have hand made Mittens now that my mom made a few years before she dies in 2007 for the entire family of about 25 of us...none of the rest of us knits and we have many new additions (babies and marriages) in the last 3 years, so I need to find someone who can copy it for me. They are all personalized beyond the knitted mitten (think huge over sized mitten like a stocking would hang)...they have buttons and appliqués on them specific to each person (I am a reader and work with children so mine reflect that...my hubby raced cars and enjoys motor sports so he has a checkered flag, etc..a brother is a photographer and another a fisherman and another a hunter..etc)

But as a kid we had these things
* apple or orange we favored in the bottom
* socks..always socks (practical or very very silly!)
* some mini candy canes (I recently got a big container of the Bobs brand..my fave as I am picky about them...at Sam's club...280 canes for $8.00) and Little chocolates mingled in
* Pj's (a nightie for me rolled up small and a set for the brothers rolled in there worked too...or slippers....
* some sort of small toys, book or such things as we got older.

As adults Mom did things like lotions and soaps for the ladies, socks/slipper socks, the candies and fruit, lottery scratch offs (great as I never buy them otherwise and fun to do and see who won!)...then she would make us things like scarfs and hats and mittens....

For my daughter I do similar but she is 16 now, so it includes music CD's and Art supplies (she is an Artist and goes to an arts high school)...growing up we always did crayons and color pencils and markers, etc for her too..hair prettys, etc.

I am rambling here, but I love the stockings and could spend a fortune just there!

For your age kids, and if looking for symmetry..I would go for the socks, candies and fruit route..maybe even a card type game for each? There are lots of such games for adults as well as kids that fit in stocking (PIT is fun..we play at family gatherings... for the little one some sort of matching game etc)..and see if your stocking can support a pair of PJ pants each (roll them)...then something specific for each....all depends on what you want to spend? Then maybe a gift card for each of them to differnt places that interest them? Even a 4 year old would love some Target dollars to spend how they want (even $10 would get alot of stuff in the dollar spot section!)

Ok enough rambling from me..sorry for that! LOL

We have a 16 yr old. I roll up money. You know how a tootsie roll is rolled up??? Well I do the same with 1's, 5's, 10's, and 20.

I also put gift cards such as ITunes in the stocking.

She love the small perfumes from Victorias's Secret. This time of year they are very reasonably priced and fit great in a stocking.

We both love the Sephora store and they always have a lot of little things that fit well in stockings... (hand cremes, makeup brushes, etc)

I also throw in her favorite candy she does not get very often which is Godiva.

I have always include toothbrush, toothpaste, a small book or one that can be rolled up to fit, some candy as a treat. Now that my older kids are alomst 12, I include small things they like. One is all girl so she will get jewelry or lipgloss etc. The other one loves art so I plan to look for pens/pencils/charcoal type things that can easily fit. If they shape up between now and Christmas with getting chores done and no arguing, I might get Game Stop certificates that I know they would be thrilled with.

Gum, candy bars, iTunes gift cards, any gift cards, orange, Lifesaver Story Book (a classic!), knit gloves, hat.....

for your 4 year old check out the Target $1.00 bins. At this time of the year they are usually by the front doors. They are great for stocking stuffer ideas. For the older ones gift cards for their favorite resturant if they are in college. I love the idea of shampoo and toothpaste, toothbrushes. That is what my step mom used to get in her stocking and then she passed it on to us. I use it with my 4 and 7 year old. I also find some kind of chocolate or candy to put in them but not near as much as my parents did when I was growing up. Also fruit like an orange at the toe.

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We always include underware in our stockings...I just picked out fun holiday boxer briefs at gap and gymboree had the cutest days of the week undies for little ones. Hanky Panky's are a popular pick for the women. Cute hair clips, finger puppets and kitchen gadgets are other favorites

my mom would always fill the bottom of the stocking with an apple, an orange, and some candy and nuts. Then as we got older the gifts would be things like nail polish, jewelry, little stuffed animals. My brothers got things like pocket knives. She will also add silly little things that she found at the store that reminded her of us.

V., I just came from visiting Rocklin so nice to know where some of the towns are that people write from.
We have children that still although from 20-42 in ages and the grandchildren that we have fun with the stockings with. We have always saved the toys from the childrens meals, we put thier ornaments, a bottle of bubbles and bubblewrap to enjoy popping -- the guys alwasy get a hot wheel toy and the girls paperdolls and now ofcourse thier chiildren get to play with it all. There is the simple candies as well. I can't wait to read what others do because they may have ideas I can use.
Have Fun

Michaels also (besides just Target) has a good $1.00 section but it's mainly things for girls: small size pad of paper w/pen for purse, small date book for purse, mirrors, candles, kleenex, lotions, etc.

gift cards, iTunes, Starbucks etc. I think In'n'Out has $5 gift cards too.

New toothbrush, jewelry, keychains, chocolates, money, pens/markers....

You got so many posts! But I was just at Dollar tree yesterday for the same reason and came out with silly string, mini blow horns/air horns, silly putty - fun for even a 21 year old!

The Container Store always has a table full of smallish items that are appropriate for school age children - adults. Add to that deodorant, personal care items, small boxes of truffles or special candy and anything everyone else has mentioned.