<p>^^Interesting. What are the plastic beads for? Just for fun? Do you know what they are called? D2 is a biker, but I do not know if ever at night. She is also a big hiker. I got her a survival kit that has a lot of useful things in case of …whatever.</p>
<p>playing cards…fun pens or mechanical pencils…socks (D loves little Christmas socks)…cool headbands…cologne/body spray…water bottle…our favorite lip balm (Jess Bee Natural)…candy for sure…candles…and always an apple or orange in the toe :)</p>
<p>@OHMomof2 I always do the apple /orange in the toe- along with a coin! My mum always did this for our stockings and I have carried on the tradition. The fruit usual ends back up in the fruit bowl.</p>
<p>My kids made me a stocking last year. 
You are never too old…</p>
<p>Restoration Hardware has an interesting “stocking stuffer” section on their website. It has anything from chargers to toys and games to tools and bicycle repair kits. Everything is small enough to fit in a stocking:</p>
<p>Morris…what about a gift card to Whole Foods?</p>
<p>Morris, what about seamless.com or Fresh Direct gift cards?</p>
<p>A gift card to whole foods is a good idea for D2. D1 shops at the small grocery a block from her apartment in Manhattan. Probably doesn’t have much time. To get to Whole Foods.</p>
<p>I’ll also check out the web pages mentioned above.</p>
<p>I did buy whitestrips today for D2. Oh and D1 did text me today that she would like a lpair of gloves that you can use a touch screen with for when she goes running. Will I be able to find them? It might be too late to order on line.</p>
<p>Morrismm, if you belong to Costco check and see if yours has Head running gloves - only 12.99 and they have the correct fingertips to use with touchscreens - I have bought a few pairs - they also make good driving gloves!</p>
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<p>Fresh Direct card? Delivers all over Manhattan.</p>
<p><a href=“https://www.freshdirect.com/welcome.jsp”>https://www.freshdirect.com/welcome.jsp</a></p>
<p>Seamless? Delivers form a ton of restaurants in NYC</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.seamless.com”>http://www.seamless.com</a></p>
<p>I had an idea last night I thought I’d share. Ds1 was complaining about our beer bottle opener (it’s part of an old-fashioned can opener) when we had a party recently so we got him a nice one.</p>
<p>We are probably an old fashioned family, as we don’t use Netflix or any other streaming video company. I still get my kids DVD’s in their stockings.</p>
<p>I also get them a Barnes and Noble card every year. They both have nooks instead of kindles, so this allows them to buy new nook books or real books. </p>
<p>They get a second gift card in their stocking that is usually different every year, depending on their interests of that year. This year it is Best Buy for S and D is getting Bath and Body Works. They each are also getting manicure sets. </p>
<p>I thought I was done with stocking stuff, then I was in the local grocery store’s coffee aisle and saw a reusable Kcup that regular coffee can go into, so I got that for D.</p>
<p>I’m a fan of giving cash along with something fun to open. I remember being young and counting on a variety of relatives coming through with the greenbacks, usually parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles. But cash alone is no fun.</p>
<p>Interesting the mention of putting oranges and apples in stockings. My grandmother told me it was a big deal getting oranges wintertime when she was a young girl way back in the 1930s because fruit wasn’t distributed up north as readily as today. Getting an orange in Christmas stocking was a special treat.</p>
<p>I guess I had forgotten about the fruit. My sisters and I used to get an orange or apple, nuts, and candy in our stockings. I always figured it was a carry over from my depression era grandparents, an idea handed down to my parents who were raising a large family on just one income. Since that income was irregular, dad was an insurane salesman who got paid different amounts each month based on his sales for the previous month, mom didn’t always have a lot of money to play with at Christmas and birthday times.</p>
<p>We always got an orange or Apple and some uncracked mixed nuts (e.g. Walnuts, almonds, filberts, etc.) plus some candy. Our family was struggling financially with dad’s single income supporting all of us. We received one or two very modest gifts apiece. By contrast, we really spoil our kids with material things. </p>
<p>An interesting tip from baby kiddo: novelty contact lens cases for contact wearers! She got a cute one (looks like owl eyes) and was so happy about it! </p>
<p>We always got an orange and walnuts in our stocking as kids along with other things</p>
<p>Always give candy. But have never given fruit, nor received as a child that I can remember. I cannot remember receiving a specific thing in my stocking as a kid, yet I know I loved them. My kids have said stockings were always so special. I guess that gives me a certain type of pressure, even though they are adults. I absolutely know it is my own pressure on me! Haha, kids do not care.</p>
<p>I mentioned in an earlier stocking thread that we give lottery scratchers… someone is likely to be a winner! We also do “grateful” notes to other (immediate) family members. DH & I put some thought into those, DS & DD likely do them at the 11th hour. Warm fuzzies either way.</p>
<p>I found tiny Fireball bottles to go in stockings along with massage and mani/pedi Groupons. And we’re in SoCal and our citrus trees are going crazy right now, but oranges and nuts are still a stocking stable. </p>