I got some wool T-shirt’s, wool stocking caps and wool T-shirts from Costco, before they sell out. I will wrap them up and they will be from H to me. 
There is nothing like turning on the TV at 6 am two days after Halloween and seeing the CEO of Starbucks telling the world how they decked the stored in red and green overnight… forget the trees at Costco!
The Sferra needlepoint stockings are the most elegant and will last a lifetime. I bought my first two almost 30 years ago and added as we had children. I bought one for the cat a few years ago, and the quality is exactly the same as the originals. A little pricier, but well worth it.
Those are gorgeous stockings, @Gourmetmom. Wow, they also come in white.
https://www.neimanmarcus.com/p/ornaments-needlepoint-stocking-prod210910040
I made needlepoint stockings for my family years ago and the canvases were pricier than those Neiman Marcus stockings (and then the yarn, blocking, and finishing were extra$$$). I consider that price very reasonable and the quality looks great!
I guess the question of “well worth it” depends on your budget.
Here’s my self-appointed task for today: I pulled out my holiday boxes and am checking to see what I need to replace.
I damaged an outdoor extension cord last year, and thankfully I wrote myself a note and stuck it in the box as a reminder. My outdoor timers also weren’t synchronized as well as they should have been, so today I’ll test them indoor and make the needed adjustments.
I decided to get an early start with this. Last year, I went to purchase an additional package of red LED lights around the time of Thanksgiving and could not find any in the stores! The sales are starting earlier and earlier, so I’ll replace anything I need in the next week or so.
An idea for those who are trying to downsize and decide what to do with heirlooms - when my S was small, I repurposed a worn-out quilt made by my grandmother and well-loved/used and no longer usable as a quilt. I made it into stockings and trimmed the tops with lace made by my other grandmother. We have loved these personal stocking for many, many years and I just used the left-overs to make them for my DIL and new GS. Not a lot of skill required and a big payoff. You may have old table runners, doilies, table cloths, etc.
That’s a fantastic idea, @preironic ! Thank you so much for sharing it!
Long ago I made crazy quilt style stockings for all the kids, out of their old baby clothes. I never made stockings for H and I though, but I saved some of our beloved and/or funny old clothing. I may have to find that box somewhere and get to work!
I just sold my large tree on Craiglist. 
No longer have to store it or wrestle it up each year (eggnog sustenance definitely needed for that exercise!). I’ve purchased a smaller, “slim” profile tree that still seems sturdy enough for our ornaments, and lights that switch colors so I can have colored lights, but the kids can have their preferred white lights while they are in the room.
Also got D1 to send me a gift list for herself and SIL this morning, so starting to work on those. Booked restaurant and escape room reservations for while kids are in town. It is going to be a great holiday!
^^ I’m behind the times I’ve never heard of color switching lights! Are they the LED lights - I actually don’t care for those.
I got LED mini lights, but they had quite a few styles & sizes at Home Depot (but all are LED). There is a switch near the plug. Push it one way, and the lights are colored. Push it the other, and they are a warm white. It is kind of magic. 
Early LED tree lights were a bit garish and I still use old fashioned lights. I think the LEDs have gotten better though. How convenient to have a pre-lit tree!
Can you make it do a psychedelic swirl like a lava lamp?
I replaced an old tree that had individual branches with a slim pre-lit tree from home depot last year. I absolutely love it. It sets up in minutes. One cord, and it has a setting that slowly goes back and forth from white to multicolor. I may replace another old unlit tree with the same kind.
The ones I bought don’t do a swirl — but I saw some where you could set them to randomly blink. I didn’t pick those. And look at these - you can get an app on your phone and set up a light show!