<p>I don’t remember if I mentioned it, but a portable flash drive (cute or plain) is a great stocking stuffer for students.</p>
<p>For my kids, ages 17, 14 and almost 11, I’m kicking it old school with some back issues of Mad Magazine and some Wacky Packages. 
They are also each getting a t-shirt (17 get Soft Kitty from BBT, 14 gets a Mad Magazine t shirt and 11 gets Minecraft t shirt.) A few toys and some candy and cocoa packets. Clementines at the foot! And a book in each stocking.</p>
<p>My kids are getting newer books by favorite authors, Umberto Eco and Steven King. Another book I can’t wait to be opened (it’s wrapped in plastic) is [Building</a> Stories - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_Stories]Building”>Building Stories - Wikipedia). </p>
<p>For stockings there are also the Running Press (and other) Miniature Editions. Among the available titles are A Charlie Brown Christmas and Our Dumb Century (from The Onion).</p>
<p>I am curious, Vandygrad, what is BBT and soft kitty?</p>
<p>Books: My son is addicted to the Game of Thrones books. I think he is now on book 4.</p>
<p>iTunes gift cards are a stocking staple here. My kids both have ‘favorite’ brands of pens, those go in, too. Post-it flags if your students use those. Chocolates and mints. A pair of earrings for the girls. Mittens or gloves (those are forever being lost). Little kleenex pocket packs and pocket-sized hand lotion. </p>
<p>Last christmas I got everyone a self-charging plug in emergency flashlight. It’s very flat, and turns on when the power goes out. Good for students in off-campus apartments and my H likes too–you can find the flashlight when the power goes out. We have lots of storms, so this happens frequently.</p>
<p>Sometimes I splurge and get a Harry & David order of super good pears, and put a couple in each stocking. Otherwise, an orange.</p>
<p>And always a book. Big readers here.</p>
<p>Building Stories seems indimidating/disorienting to me.</p>
<p>My kids did love this book though.^^^^
[The</a> Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet Ahlberg](<a href=“Loading interface...”>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/402026.The_Jolly_Christmas_Postman)</p>
<p>I am going to make a mix Cd for my kids
[Michael</a> Stipe, Stephen Colbert, and Mandy Patinkin Sing “Good King Wenceslas”](<a href=“http://pitchfork.com/news/48931-watch-michael-stipe-stephen-colbert-and-mandy-patinkin-sing-good-king-wenceslas/]Michael”>Watch Michael Stipe, Stephen Colbert, and Mandy Patinkin Sing "Good King Wenceslas" | Pitchfork)
You can buy it on itunes & it will benefit the Rockaway Waterfront Alliance.</p>
<p>I got the cutest Christmas chocolate lolipops at Home Goods the other day… Other stocking stuffers are itunes or starbucks cards and always an actual pair of socks! My D really likes the soft furry kind.</p>
<p>I should have added when they were little.
Books dont really fit in a stocking though- unless it is [the</a> little fur family](<a href=“http://10engines.blogspot.com/2009/02/bookshelf-little-fur-family.html]the”>10engines: bookshelf -little fur family)</p>
<p>Something that is handy for people who live in a rainforest.
[Rite</a> in the Rain](<a href=“http://www.riteintherain.com/]Rite”>http://www.riteintherain.com/)
Use pencils not pens.</p>
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<p>Perfect! Thanks, missypie.</p>
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<p>BBT = The Big Bang Theory. Soft Kitty is a song the characters sing to each other when they’re sick.</p>
<p>Bought nail clippers, chapsticks and post-it notes this morning.</p>
<p>Thanks for the ideas.</p>
<p>Tx5…my S is also addicted to Game of Thrones. He has read all the books. He got me to start reading them. I am on book two. So now the HBO DVD series is a Christmas gift idea for a very difficult person to buy for.</p>
<p>I guess I need to stop stockings. As much as I enjoy this thread, I did not get a single new idea. Or I just will have to give the same old, same old. My kids always loved their stockings the most. I tried to be creative. But I am out of new ideas. Even last year my kids said, not ungratefully, stockings were not the same.</p>
<p>morrismm - you don’t have to be the only person that buys SS. tell the kids they are welcome to buy some for other members of the family (including you!).</p>
<p>In recent forays to Staples and to Michaels, I found truly amazing, dirt cheap things for stockings in the clearance sections. Now to distribute this loot in such a way as to minimize attacks of jealousy.</p>
<p>morris…a bottle of wine or homemade Bailey’s is nice to get in a stocking!</p>
<p>How do you make homemade Bailey’s NorhM?? But I have done miniature bottles of liquor ( when they became of age of course).</p>
<p>In my family, the stockings are the important thing. My sister has my mom’s pattern and has inherited the task of sock-making for each new family member. There is a color code by gender and generation that only that sister can keep straight. Everyone who can either reach high enough to add things, or be lifted up high enough to add things joins in the competition for finding the best stuffers. Some years there have been zip-lock bags of overflow items because the socks truly aren’t that big. I could wrap empty boxes to put under the tree and this gang would barely notice.</p>
<p>Many recipes for Bailey’s are online. 
I have also written favorite family recipes down on beautiful recipe cards that they can collect and add to a book that I made them. D2 is getting 2 tickets to a big upcoming concert in her stocking.</p>
<p>Featured in a NYT article today: [Craftsman</a> Bottle Opener - For the Home - Food Prep & Gadgets - Kitchen Utensils & Gadgets](<a href=“http://www.sears.com/craftsman-bottle-opener/p-9990000056176511P?prdNo=3&blockNo=3&blockType=G3#reviewsWrap]Craftsman”>http://www.sears.com/craftsman-bottle-opener/p-9990000056176511P?prdNo=3&blockNo=3&blockType=G3#reviewsWrap)</p>