Ryan and I are taking the kids to my Mom’s tonight after work (I think they have some sort of elaborate Christmas party planned) so that we can go on our annual stocking stuffers shopping date (plus dinner!).
Only, this year, I realized that I already have most of Oliver’s stocking joy already picked out and purchased. (Happy date night to me!) He has some very clear interests this year, and it was so fun to get things I knew he’d enjoy longer than pulling it out of the stocking, giving it a cursory glance, then tossing it on the sofa next to him to dig after the next thing in his stocking. This will be FUN stuff!
And, just in case you have a little guy in your life – I thought I’d share my picks! Every one of them is under $10 (we do NOT go nuts on spending for our kids stockings), and yes, there are a lot of books. But, we have a long drive to Michigan ahead of us, and I’m pretty sure we’ll be pretty happy to have them.
(Also? I believe these are all still available to ship for free before Christmas! BONUS!)
a: Spy Glasses
b. Spy Markers
c: “Nate the Great” books
d: “Top Secret” Stamp (because FUN!)
e: “Peter Pan” book
f: “Laugh Out Loud Jokes For Kids” (Oliver is going to LOVE this!)
g: Dunkin’ Donuts gift card (Ryan & Oliver have gone to the DD around the corner from our house in the morning before work at least once a week for the past two years. Thought it might be fun to let Oliver “buy” the donuts one morning!
h: a clementine! because I’m the Mom that ALWAYS (no matter how many groans I get) puts oranges in my family’s’ stockings. It’s tradition, after all!
So, when do y’all open stocking in your home?
What are you super excited for your kiddos to reach in and grab?
Any other fun gifts or traditions that I’ll wish I had thought about?
Happy Thursday, friends!
PS- I loved today’s SheReadsTruth devotional about Mary.
Matthew and I go shopping every year after thanksgiving for my Christmas list. He takes pictures of items that I like, makes notes about colors and sizes, and I try things on to make sure I like how they look. It is lots of fun and he doesn’t have to guess.
Fun! And as a bonus, you get a happy date together!!!
My mother-in-law always puts oranges in our stockings. I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t know it was a tradition until now!
Haha! Well I’m glad I’m not the only one doing it ;)
I love the gift card idea!!! My two older kids would love that!
We got Hazel a little Starbucks gift card too – even she will be thrilled with a tiny bit of purchasing power ;)
Hi! We open our stockings on Christmas morning when Santa comes. I’m trying to work on not going overboard, so I’m looking for some pointers. Does “Santa” bring the stocking to your house? Do the kids get anything else besides what’s in the stocking or is that all Santa brings them? And then do you as the parent give them anything? Thanks so much! Love your blog!!
Hi Bailey! We use Santa pretty loosely in our house. We do stockings on Christmas Eve, and those are from us. Last year on Christmas morning we had all of the gifts from us, except for a big tent and doll crib set up by the tree for the kids “from Santa”. Even at 7 though, Oliver has asked enough questions to know that we celebrate the Santa tradition because of St. Nicholas, so “Santa” is more festive than “real” at our house :) Hope that helps!! xoxo
I actually bought the joke book for my kids this year. Great ideas! I’m the mom that puts underwear in every stocking!!!
Haha – love the underwear idea! We just stocked both kids up on socks last week, otherwise they’d probably be in the stockings, too! We did pick up character band aids at Target last night for the stockings – and TicTacs :) Those will both be super exciting!
My friend wrote Laugh Out Loud Jokes for Kids. We have all 3 of them and our boys LOVE them! I’m happy to see they made your list!
Hey Kaira!!! So fun that you know Rob!! We can’t wait for Oliver to entertain us with jokes :)
The Peter Pan book is too cute! Love your blog!
I always put toothbrushes in my kid’s stockings.
Now this is too fun! On point, Raechel.
Did you ever reveal which glasses you chose? If so, I missed it!