<p>Santa loves dogs too - and apparently guinea pigs and birds :)</p>
<p>My kids were always just wee bit jealous of our cat Cindy since she was the only one who got to see Santa every year (she slept in the living room).</p>
<p>My family is really big on stockings. My mom put a lot of effort into the little things each year. The givens were an orange in the toe and a book. They’d usually be up late wrapping (my dad owned a retail business and always worked late on Christmas Eve) and occasionally having a party with the family down the street. My sisters and I had permission to get up whenever and get our stockings and go back to bed (and start reading the book, just like mom did when she was little). All other presents were opened after Mass.</p>
<p>FF to getting married. I knew my H was the one because we had the same stocking from the same local department store. Mine was very well loved, his was practically pristine. I made matching ones for the girls when each was born. The same tradition of opening stockings when each person gets up. Mom/me gets to sleep in that way. Some things are wrapped in tissue (I used to have special Santa tissue), others put in as-is. There’s always overflow underneath on the hearth or over on the mantle. </p>
<p>It took my H awhile to get the idea, but he does ok nowadays. </p>
<p>Socks, calendars, underwear, a small game (think bananagrams), earrings, lotion, etc. etc. and always, always a book and an orange.</p>
<p>I buy stocking things for my widowed mom every year as well as some things for my divorced sisters. When there isn’t anyone but your child(ren) to buy you something, having a surprise on Christmas morning is a good thing.</p>
<p>PhotoOp, he sure DOES 
:p</p>
<p>Zeebamom, that’s a really sweet story.</p>
<p>ThinkGeek has free shipping and some new stuff on sale ( an Star trek Iphone case 2.99, the origami sticky note). Starbucks is running a BOGO thru the December 16th for all you wonderful Santas.</p>
<p>As kids the only thing we could open before the parents were up was the stocking. So the stocking always had something in it to keep us occupied-comic books, dot-to-dot, word search, etc. My younger brother would get up at about 2am he was so excited. Entire book would be completed long before anyone got up (there was a no wake before 7a rule in the house).</p>
<p>SteveMA–your DH sounds like mine! He didn’t grow up with stockings so he just didn’t get it. I hand stitched his stocking with a very intricate pattern–it is beautiful. He always had cool stuff in his stocking and I had one or two little things (candy, nuts). Then like you I started putting stuff in there for me! Once the kids were old enough DH had to step it up a bit because the kids asked why Mom didn’t get much in her stocking! Now he does better. I used to make a list of things I’d like for Christmas, but after several years of getting nothing from the list, I just started buying the stuff and wrapping it for myself! If it isn’t available on the one day at the one store DH shops, then it isn’t happening!! But this year I’m getting a new kitchen and he knows better than to disagree with anything I recommend, so we have a system worked out!</p>
<p>Barnes and Noble has some cute little stocking stuffers usually right by the registers. DS1 always liked gumby and pokey, so they had a miniture set which I got to throw in the stocking! Thinkgeek has spit balls (put in water and they grow in size). </p>
<p>We also do stockings first, then open one gift at a time. It does take awhile. One hear DS opened a train set, and wouldn’t open any gift after that–he was done and happy! We finally had to open them and show them to him.</p>
<p>My husband shops for the stocking stuffers. He really enjoys doing it. He gets an interesting mix of fruits…whatever doesn’t actually fit in the stockings goes on the fireplace mantel. He gets a good mix of different candies and nuts. And at the top is always a paperback book. My only contribution is that I hang a new Christmas ornament on the stocking hook for each of our kids. We’ve done this every year and they each have a pretty full ornament box to take with them at some point.</p>
<p>In our family, the stockings are opened whenever the person wakes up. When our kids were little, this entertained them for all of 15 minutes extra sleep for the parents!</p>
<p>Our cats don’t rate stockings, but they’re getting a gift, a package of ping pong balls. The thing they love most about Christmas is the big pile of wrapping paper in the middle of the family room. Last year they played in it all day.</p>
<p>Because I do so many stockings (11-12) I only wrap one or two items per person. Last year I tried something new. After everyone had explored their stockings, I passed around a basket and asked people to put in items that they maybe didn’t think they would use without fear of offending Santa. After things were put in everyone was welcome to take whatever they wanted from the basket. My nephew put his travel size thing of downy fabric de-wrinkler in the basket and my daughter was amazed and talked it up so much, that he took it back!</p>
<p>My d’s were going to " Jingle Jam" together tonight. H and I opened a bottle of wine and wrapped their pressies including all the stocking stuff. We still have gifts from mum and dad and santa. Mum and dad’s pressies are under the tree. Santa’s still appear overnight. D2 asked we keep more back from santa- said it was more fun to see the pile of gifts on xmas morning rather than under the tree- Love it!</p>
<p>when the kids were younger each one set a small fake tree up in their room. I typically got them 1-2 ornaments each year for their tree, so they would have a nice start when they set out on their own. They have stopped setting trees up in their room (OK, D1 did take one back to school, but took a bucket of ugly plastic ornaments, as she didn’t want anything to happen to her good ones!) and I have stopped for the moment buying them ornaments annually.</p>
<p>Any ideas for books that college kids would like? Any genre would do, I am out of the loop regarding books</p>
<p>For boys–Flashlight with base that expands to tripod (very handy during recent power outages in the Northeast), mechanical pencils, Chapstick, Lindt Santa, iTunes gift card. Socks or boxers, if I really can’t think of anything else.</p>
<p>My girls are easy for stocking stuffers…make up, books, hair ties, colored markers, jewelry, books, an ornament every year, candy, small games, coffee shop or itunes gift cards. This year we have a new husband and a 4 yr long BF. They are getting golf balls, lottery tickets, fancy toiletry items that they wouldn’t buy themselves, trick golf balls, mini flashlights that can be switched to flash SOS, mini tools and bottle opener.</p>
<p>UCDmom…boys might like King of Thrones series? My girls like Jodi Piccoult books…quick, easy, current issues.</p>
<p>Ucdmom, I just finished reading this, but I admit Im a sucker for mountainering stories.
[Buried</a> in the Sky A Book by Peter Zuckerman and Amanda Padoan](<a href=“http://buriedinthesky.com/]Buried”>http://buriedinthesky.com/)</p>
<p>Books that my kiddos liked in high school and/or me that could apply to college kid:
Comedy: Year of living biblically, the know it all, or guinea pig diaries: all by AJ Jacobs
Nonfiction: Outliers by malcolm gladwell
Fiction: The Kite runner by Hosseini, The Litigators by John Grishom
More comedy: Dress your family in cordorouy and denim by David Sedaris
Steve Jobs biography
Extraordinary ordinary family and me: Condoleezza Rice’s memoirs
Agree with Jodi Piccoult books for girls</p>
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<p>Brilliant!</p>
<p>I thought of another thing I need to buy…those tiny very powerful magnets (usually in cube shape). Great for fridges and magnetic boards, hardly show at all, scary strong. (Showing my stupidity here - will they damage the gift cards?)</p>
<p>Regarding books - if your child was a Series of Unfortunate Events fan, Lemony Snicket has started a new series.</p>
<p>My 20 year old son loves all books by Pat Conroy - if they like sports, especially the book The Losing Season. </p>
<p>Dan Brown is another popular author for my young adults.</p>
<p>Our boys like the Vince Flynn books</p>
<p>Taking notes here! Thanks for starting this thread, Steve.</p>
<p>A few years ago my parents came for Christmas and I made them each a stocking. Can’t remember everything I put in, but I know that my Dad got golf balls and Mom got a pretty bookmark, etc. They were so surprised and touched. The were both depression babies, didn’t get much as kids and hadn’t had stockings as adults.</p>
<p>I also made stockings for my nieces when my S and BIL visited. The biggest hits were small games and decks of cards which kept them entertained during down time.</p>