Stocking Stuffers: 3 Copies “The Reluctant Entertainer” Giveaway!
Traditions can be started any time, and any place, with any person.
Thirteen years ago, the night before Christmas Eve, a knock came at my door. There stood our friend, Paula, with a beautifully wrapped silver Nordstrom box. Inside was a hand-knit Christmas stocking for our new baby girl, Abigail Ellen Rose.
“Here’s the sock! I worked all night to get it finished so you’d have it for Abigail’s first Christmas,” Paula told us, as she handed us the box.
My two other kids already had their own knit “sock,” as Paula called them. Paula felt the pressure to get Abby’s finished for her first Christmas. (By the way, these socks are about 2 1/2 feet long!)
What we didn’t know was, only a few short months later, Paula would be gone from our lives, as she died suddenly after a heart procedure.
Walt and Paula were dear friends of mine for many years. I had met Walter when he started on dialysis at my longtime workplace, and our friendship grew outside of a professional relationship. In fact, he and Paula were “designated grandparents” in my wedding almost 20 years ago, as my husband and I didn’t have any living grandparents.
My story today is about the tradition of our family’s Christmas Stockings.
It started with Elliot.
And then Garrett came along.
And then our little girl, Abby.
Their names are on the front side of the socks.
And the year they were born on the back.
Over the years, I’ve filled these large socks with toys, socks, underwear and toiletry items, cologne, lip gloss, video games, gift cards and music. Now my kids are teens, and we’re feeling the crunch of the economy just like everyone else. A sock this size can cost a lot to fill!
I want to be more creative this year, so this is where I need your help!
How should I fill up these stockings?
What to WIN:
3 winners will each win ONE copy of The Reluctant Entertainer.Answer at least ONE of these questions to WIN:
What items do you fill Christmas stockings with?
Do you ever feel wasteful?
Do you fill the socks with useful items or “fun” items?
Do you have any happy memories of Christmas stockings from when you were young?Tweet, Facebook, or sign up for NEW RSS Feed:
Do one of the above for an extra entry or two, and come back and tell me.WINNER ANNOUNCED:
The 3 winners will be announced on Wednesday, December 22nd.
Thank you friends for the great “stocking stuffing” advice! I can’t wait to read all of your comments. And there’s still time to order from Amazon, your own copy of The RE. (However, it is too late to get a “signed” copy from me, in time for Christmas.)
Stockings are actually my boys favorite of Christmas. They love their presents (only three representing the 3 gifts). My mom always put apples,oranges, nuts, candies and stuff for girls like nail polish, perfume and jewelry. The boys get candy, cologne, socks, athletic bands, cards, small toys and of course fruit and nuts. Their stockings are handmade but small. Sometimes too small for that bottle of body wash, so we put it near their stockings. The stockings also might fall off the hangers if filled too full. My DIL had never had a stocking, so we began the tradition with her. She likes it as well. I saw above the lifesaver storybook. I remember those. I loved the tropical flavors. My kids also like school supplies. Colored pencils, cool erasers. Something out of the ordinary. I would love a copy of your book!
Our kids are grown with children, so we don’t fill stockings any more. I remember filling their stockings with practical items, as we had little money. I stopped buying anything for them in September, so I could have underwear and socks to put in their stockings. I wished for the day when I didn’t have to be practical. We have a bit more money and fewer expenses now, so we are able to be generous, especially with our grandchildren. With 8 to buy for as well as our kids, it does become a tad expensive. I try to buy something really nice rather than be practical. I like to knit and craft, and those items seem to be appreciated. A new hat or mittens are practical, but special when hand knitted with really nice yarn.
What a beautiful story! Paula will always be a part of your Christmases. I am feverishly needlepointing for next year. Two sons are engaged and our daughter is expecting our first grandchild, so I understand Paula perfectly! I like to put devotionals for the coming year in stockings. I know there is one for every age or even for the family to enjoy together! Have a Merry and blessed Christmas
What a lovely -and bittersweet- story… what a great memory from your friend :)
I suggest paperback books for the stockings…carefully picked for each child, books regarding their current interests, what kind of messages you would like to give them, what you think they should improve on, current light-reads, a few comics maybe…and a few sweet treats to eat while reading ;)
That’s my idea of a great stocking! :)
Re. question number two…I don’t feel wasteful because I make a conscious effort not to be wasteful. It wasn’t very easy at the beginning, but in time it got easier, and now almost unnoticable. I don’t deprive myself of anything, I just think carefully before purchasing or throwing out something.
Thanks for the chance :) Happy Christmas Sandy.
I always aim for more fun than useful but it is always a combination of both. Never remember to put an orange in each sock though- maybe this year
My children are a little younger than yours, and I fill their stockings with fun, useful, and yummy items. I usually do a bigger item, like a shirt, nice book, etc. and then fill the rest with favorite candy, items from the dollar store or target’s dollar spot which is fabulous, such as: games, books, crayons, pens, notebooks, stickers, loofahs, depending on what the child is doing.
Merry Christmas!!
I emailed you my response instead of putting it here…..ooops. Tweeting now and sharing on FB. Love you friend and Merry Christmas!
Every year my mother in law fills our stockings (her husband, children, and now grandchildren) with everyday useful items but she wraps each one individually…down to the very last chapstick. We all laugh and roll our eyes as we shake each one and guess if it is toothpaste or batteries but everyone gets in on the fun. It has become a simple but memorable tradition that I imagine we will continue to laugh about with our own children and future grandchildren.
We always loved getting the LifeSavers storybook candy. Yummy chapsticks and usually a little bottle of an Avon perfume, too. Handmade ornaments were a wonderful addition, too.
Usually we do a mix of useful and fun. Always have an orange, the Lifesavers Story Book, some chocolate, then lip balm/chapstick, nail polish, socks, crayons (even the older ones like this one) and coloring books. Good luck!
In my family, we fill our stockings with toiletries, pocket/purse items like gum and mints, small gift cards and candy!
It totally depends on the person! Before our own kids started coming along, my siblings and parents and I would draw names and fill the stocking of one other person in the house…we picked themes and gave assignments and had a lot of fun with it. One year I got my brother Ira and I had to fill his stocking with all items that started with the letter I. That was a lot of fun, and challenging :)
Now that I am a mom and have a husband…the kid gets things like match box cars and board books and the husband (who is impossible to shop for) gets scotch tape, axe body spray and candy/food items. He told me to just empty things out of the “junk” drawer into his stocking and he’d be happy..lol..office supplies. Okay, sure.
I try not to buy things that make me feel “wasteful” I do buy “filler” items though and those are usually perishables, so they won’t go to waste.
I am starting a new tradition with my son (almost 4 years old) this year. I am going to include an ornament of something that he loves to play with or from his favorite movie, etc from this year. I will put his name and date on the ornament. This will become a collection of ornaments that he can have once he’s older and puts up a tree in his own home. This year will is a Toy Story 3 ornament. I also put bandaids, coloring books, crayons, and a lollipop in his stocking.
Despite the tough economy, this will be the first year I will be able to do stockings for my little family. We’ve never been able to afford extra, so this is special to me, in a way. They wont be filled with much… but it will be something.
For my 4 year old daughter, it will be crafty stuff. Crayons, paper, markers, pens. Things that are small, inexpensive and yet very useful.
For my 1 year old, it will be copies of “big sissy’s” things that are baby appropriate. Like crayons. A little notebook just like sisters so she can feel special. And some pretend food.
For my hubby, it will be socks. Lots and lots of socks because that is what will make him most happy. Honestly.
One year, we did a “old-school” stockings. My Dad grew up in very rural times, that were feeling the post-depression effects for a lot longer than more populated areas of America. He was also 1 of 17 children. Needless-to-say, Christmas was not a plentiful time of the year. They didn’t have stockings to use, because more-than-likely, their stockings were on their feet, so they would use their lunch pails in place of stockings. They would get it filled with fruits that were stored in the root cellar and nuts that were available on the farm and a pack of gum if they were extremely lucky. So my Dad treated us to this to give us an idea of how lucky we were to have the abundant Christmas he had worked so hard to give us. <3
What a beautiful story your children will have to share when they grow up. I like the stockings almost more than the bigger gifts, it’s fun to think of those little things that will make your kids smile. There is always something the same in everyone, the orange at the bottom, the little glass coke bottles that you only find this time of year, a giant candy bar, a bottle of bubbles, a few school supplies; pencils, funny erasers, crayons. I try to find things that i normally say no to, like the sparkle lip gloss, or the lego key chain. I agree that it is easy for the cost of things to get out of controls when you get to thinking “it’s only 3 dollars,”.
Stockings became a much bigger deal to me after I met my husband. His family always fills stockings to the brim for every member of the family. It has always been so fun to see what is in there! There are gifts that just happen to be small enough to fit in the stocking, practical gifts such as lip gloss or nail polish and usually lots of candy.
Over the last two years, our family and our extended families have really tried to simplify how we handle Christmas presents. It has been so much more relaxing to actually enjoy the holiday and each other instead of spending every last minute shopping for the ‘perfect gift’, which in reality may be put away or sent to Goodwill (gasp!) at some point in the not so distant future.
For stockings this year, we have focused on gifts the boys will really use or play with, so there are toothbrushes, Matchbox cars and headphones (OK, so that is a gift for me too!). I have a general test that I will consider it for the stockings if it is something I would buy for them anyway and not just a ‘filler’.
Merry Christmas!!
My favorite Christmas stocking memory is of my Mom who is no longer with us. There 5 of us and little money but Christmas morning always started with our stockings over breakfast all together. Each item in the stockings were individually wrapped and so fun for us all to guess and open! There were toothbrushes, crayons and coloring books, always are favorite packages of lifesavers. One year a brother got the corvette he wanted in Matchbox size. It was a wonderful time with lots of memories that we all still enjoy.
Would love your book! And thanks for all your inspiration and welcoming ideas.
We always always had stockings growing up; so my children have had them from the beginning. We take them down last and pull each item out. My ‘children’ are now 19 and 24. I’m sure my oldest(son) might not miss a stocking much, but my youngest (daughter) would cry! STILL! LOL I’ve always tried to fill them frugally but there is a ‘tradition’ of ALWAYS getting a new toothbrush. The kids have made fun of that in later years. When they got to be teens, I began putting one small gift card in them, usually a movie theater pass. It’s something they can enjoy with friends during the long holiday break from school. They also get socks, undies, toiletries; then there is a pack of gum and one fav candy item. I’ve also added a paperback book at times. Or movie cd. Brush for my daughter, comb for my son. Most I pick up at the $ Tree; or items they use at Wally World. The other ‘cute’ thing is they get some crazy little ‘toy’ EVERY year. Something funny…like when my daughter wanted a ‘sports’ car …she got a hot wheel one in her stocking that year. I’m making book ‘thongs’ this year, so I will make one for each of their stockings. My daughter will probably get some of the homemade lotion and body scrub I am making too. A puzzle from the $Tree. Pens and pencils for school (both are in college). I try to fill them with useful items but add in one candy and one fun silly item. Plus a small gift card. Starbucks, fast food, or movie pass is great for teens.
I have SO much fun trying to find little items. I already have some ‘free’ grocery samples that I’ve collected too (shampoo, conditioner in travel size).
Coupons of things you can do later – dinner by mom, ‘date/movie night’, free laundry pass (where I do their laundry for them), etc. ANY little craft item I can make I stick in too…mostly for my daughter…every now and then I come up with a ‘male’ item! LOL
Chips, sodas, cracker packs, etc help fill it up if my items are in short supply.
A holdover from when money was oh- so -tight: I put toothbrushes, bubble bath, Hello Kitty or Ninja Turtles toiletries… It’s graduated to razor blades and makeup.
Here is my idea…
Coupons! Fun Ones — Like get out of cleaning my room, no chores for a weekend, Mama makes “my” favorite dinner tonight, etc…
Merry Christmas!
Growing up, oftentimes our stocking stuffers were our best presents EVER – giftcards, concert tickets, Lipsmackers, Pez dispensers, etc. Then, I married into my husband’s family who don’t quite follow that tradition. BUT, the best part is that the stuffers are wrapped which makes the unveiling of your stockings so much more fun (especially now that as adults we don’t need for a thing at Christmas). Thanks again for a GREAT giveaway – couldn’t pass participating in this up!
Christmas stockings have never been part of our tradition. When I was young, I had a special stocking made by my Mamaw, but since I was an “only” – both only child AND only grandchild – there wasn’t a real thrill associated with that. :)
And today in our family, we don’t even have stockings — definitely something we might want to change before next Christmas.
And actually for the past 5 years, we have given no gifts to each other. There are my husband and me, our three kids, two of them have spouses and one grandchild. We all buy something fun for the grand, but not for each other.
This started when my husband’s company didn’t give a bonus that year (which we had always used for Christmas) AND one daughter was a newlywed AND both boys were college kids. They were so relieved to not have to buy gifts for anyone OR feel guilty about not buying gifts.
We all loved it so much that we decided to continue it the next year. and then the next year. and we have all enjoyed the “pressure-free” holidays. The family always gathers at our house for a long weekend or for several days in a row — we plan our meals, take turns at cooking and clean-up and have a blast !!! Love it!!!
Hey, I saw your book in Family Christian bookstore the other day and said to whoever was near me (that I didn’t know) “hey, I know her!!!” :) It is a beautiful book !
Blessings for a wonderful Christmas to you and yours,
Gwynie Pie
Stocking have always been the best part of Christmas!!! (Speaking only materialistically) As a child, my siblings and I saved them for last and our mom always made them the best. It was filled with practical items as well as “just for fun” goodies. And always at the toe was the orange:) Now that I’m a wife and mother, I strive to make my kids and husbands stockings the way I remember them as a child. From candy to nail polish, magazines to underware…it is still by far my most favorite part of Christmas morning!
I like to put in a couple of “bigger” useful items that I would buy anyway (don’t tell the kids) and I love to include some kind of craft item they can make. The trick is holding them off on doing it right at that very moment! I agree with the other women that don’t like to add in a bunch of “junk” just to fill it.