Holiday Gifts in advance - ideas?

Parent Cafe
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<p>We will be moving into a new home mid-December, so I’m trying to get ahead of the holiday shopping/baking before my packing starts in earnest… Specifically, are there new, cool small gadgets for young and old men? We do stockings for every adult (and just draw names for gifts) so the stockings are our highlight. “Stocking stuffers” are a little more than the average orange and candy cane. I can handle the women, but the 23, 20 and 18 year old young men and their Dads are more of an issue. I like to get useful and fun gadgets or more disposable things men like. Help!</p>

<p>And what are you baking or making ahead? Knitting for women?</p>

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<p>Two places to look online are Perpetual kid and Archie McPhee. I have gotten fun dinner mints from them and am planning on ordering Ninja cookie cutters this year. There is an old thread on stocking stuffers if you search.</p>

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<p>Not a stocking stuffer, but I’m thinking of getting a car GPS for one of my kids who drives a lot to places she’s not familiar with. This might be a good idea for one of your boys. (I know that their cell phones may have that capability, but it’s not safe to drive while using them.)
On a less expensive note, headlamps for hiking, or just for using at night for whatever reason, might be a nice small gadget for the guys. My guys each have them and use them a lot.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.petzl.com/en/pro/headlamps[/url]”>http://www.petzl.com/en/pro/headlamps&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Extra ear buds - don’t have to be expensive, just the style they like.
Itunes gift cards
Splurge on a nice can of shaving cream
Travel slim coffee mug
$5 gift cards to coffee shops, burger places, etc.
Posters for dorm rooms (when you buy them rolled up they fit in stockings nicely!)
Car air freshners</p>

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<p>As for baking and knitting:</p>

<p>I have a hard time doing baking ahead so I usually get started around mid-December. I like to do mini coffeecakes, or some bread item. I also have a great recipe for dog treats that is fun to give to family members with dogs.</p>

<p>I am a knitter, and never seem to get started early enough. Last year I made several cotton shopper bags. They are easy and good gifts for people to keep in their car for having available for shopping trips, to avoid the plastic bags.</p>

<p>I also made some lace bookmarks. I have done some socks, but they take a long time, at least for me. I also did a nice thick scarf for a man.</p>

<p>Not quite sure what I am doing this year! I have been thinking about knitting some thick slipper socks and maybe more shopper bags. </p>

<p>Would love to hear other ideas!</p>

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<p>I bought a few of those “hub man” usb charger thingy…similar to this:
<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Kikkerland-US006-USB-Hubman/dp/B000YHBCJC[/url]”>http://www.amazon.com/Kikkerland-US006-USB-Hubman/dp/B000YHBCJC&lt;/a&gt;
They will make good stocking stuffers for my nephews.
One year I did battery chargers with batteries, for whatever reason they loved them (Target, I think). Magazine subscriptions, with the current issue rolled up for the stocking.
I bake a lot of various cookies, but it all happens the week before Christmas.</p>

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<p>As an aside on GPS systems…my H used both phone and GPS system in car to test the differences. GPS system was a lot more accurate.</p>

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<p>Electric toothbrush</p>

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<p>Lottery tickets and miniature bottles of booze go over well in our family. </p>

<p>(We’re not really gambling drunks. On the contrary. These are things they wouldn’t buy for themselves, but still enjoy occassionally. :wink: )</p>

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<p>One year I got everyone a tire gauge with a hammer to break car windows (in case of an accident). We live near a river with many accidents on it so the gift made me feel better.</p>

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<p>Onward - that is a great idea. Last year I got my H a digital tire gauge and it somehow ended up in my vehicle :p</p>

<p>Another thing to toss into a stocking are those USB flash drives and a roll of chewable vitamin C.</p>

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<p>We do something similar and I include my sisters’ families. Two gifts that I’ve given that were well received were the Life Hammers [Life</a> Hammer: Car Escape Tool - Break Car Window - Cut Seat Belt](<a href=“http://saveyourlife.us/LifeHammer.html]Life”>http://saveyourlife.us/LifeHammer.html) and Ice Scraper Mitts [Down</a> Ice Scraper Mitt | Eddie Bauer](<a href=“Page Not Found”>Page Not Found). </p>

<p>Both were big hits and the sources of some very amusing comments. Anytime the whole family is together at an event and preparing to go home, one smart-a$$ kid yells “Wait, is everyone armed with their Life Hammer for the ride home!” :D</p>

<p>I haven’t found this year’s “thing” yet, but I’m looking.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the ideas everyone–was also hoping to open a thread that was “bigger” than my issue–so hopefully others will chime in too as they get ideas! </p>

<p>Booze and lottery tickets always go over well here too :wink: lol</p>

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<p>The Eddie Bauer Down Mitt ice scraper is very nice! It was a family stocking stuffer 2 years ago I think!</p>

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<p>Do any of you have a model of GPS you recommend? This might be perfect for one son.</p>

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<p>Buckyball magnets. Fun to play with, challenging if one tries to make the shapes shown in the book.</p>

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<p>Last year I got two of these, or else they were similar knockoffs, at Walmart for my H & SIL: [JOBY</a> GorillaTorch - Hands-free flashlight with flexible, bendable and magnetic feet- CREE flashlight](<a href=“http://joby.com/gorillatorch/original/]JOBY”>http://joby.com/gorillatorch/original/) They were a big hit & the one that lives here has been in service during a dryer repair and assorted peeking into dark places in the basement. I don’t know if they would fit in a stocking but they are great.</p>

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<p>GPS: My Son has a Garmin & loves it. He bought it with graduation money. My father has a Tom Tom and has still been a little lost at times.</p>

<p>stocking ideas:</p>

<p>Applebees, McDonalds cards, etc
mini tire guage (Wal Mart)
lottery tickets
little trinkets from their college (golf ball, keychain,tootbrush, post it notes - look at their school bookstore website)
Itunes card
earbuds
Balance Band/bracelet
Goofy stuff - our dollar store had trick dice for $1 - 2 normal dice & 2 that always come up 7 or 11. Parachute men…
Deck of cards
Hand held video game. (cheap ones at Wal Mart $5-$10…like football, frogger, poker)
Keychain de-icer</p>

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<p>Ordered the gorilla torch for DH. Keep those ideas coming…</p>

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<p>These were a surprise hit with the under 30 crowd last year:</p>

<p>“Space Pen” (made famous in a Seinfeld episode) And they are made in USA, which qualifies this post for another thread too…</p>

<p>[400/FSP</a> - Chrome Bullet Space Pen with Fisher Space Pen Logo](<a href=“http://www.spacepen.com/chromebulletwithfisherspacepenlogo.aspx]400/FSP”>400/FSP - Chrome Bullet Space Pen with Fisher Space Pen Logo)</p>