My husband uses the head lamp to get wood for our fire place at night. Straps it on and off he goes! Something we’ve done the last couple of years (and I probably mentioned it in last years thread) is to have a large basket on the table when we open the stockings. If someone doesn’t like something they toss it in there and someone else can pick it up. I’m always surprised by what’s a hit or a miss. Something both of my NYC kids will get is somewhat loaded metro card. They pay a fortune going back and forth from Brooklyn to work in Manhattan.
I love the fire starter idea. D and her boyfriend go camping a lot- that would be great for a stocking.
I ordered beanie hats with built in led lights- they are nice- may need to order more.
Thanks, overtheedge!
Sounds intriguing-what is the purpose? Are they woven into the beanie to make the wearer visible to drivers, or are they meant to be a light source for the wearer? Trying to picture this.
http://www.amazon.com/Panther-Unisex-Vision-Lighted-Beanie/dp/B00NI35UV0.
The lights go forward and also down, for walking and/or seeing something in your hands. They come in many colors. Useful for camping, walking, walking the dog, working on the car in the garage, etc.
^^^^Cool!
They must have been popular- higher price and many out of stock at the moment.
Yep, @psychomomma, you stumbled onto a winner. Definitely going into my kiddo’s stocking.
And as someone else suggested upthread, my daughter is getting bright orange luggage tags. Leather, this time. Hers are either broken or mangled.
When the kids were little, their stocking gifts were always from Santa, and never the “main” gift. I didn’t want some nonexistent fat guy getting credit for presents I though of, bought and wrapped 
It seems like a lot of people here like to travel. Something we love when we check bags are luggage straps. They make identifying your luggage at baggage claim a breeze…especially if you have a fairly standard looking bag. I’ve given them as gifts and you can even have them personalized. I recommend a brightly colored one.
katliamom, Santa got credit for some of the best gifts because my kids knew I’d never give them those things. One year it was ‘real, official sleigh bells from the reindeer’, another it was cell phones (their first, tracfones). Santa brought Heely’s although I ‘disapproved.’ The only thing Santa couldn’t bring was a dog, because we just couldn’t have one.
My kids, very naïve, believed in Santa until they were about 11. Just when they’d start thinking there was no Santa, the Wii would arrive, or the cell phones, fingernail polish and makeup which I just didn’t allow (their grandmother sneaked it to them for years). Santa could take credit, and I could still say “I told you they were dangerous” when they fell on the Heelys.
88jm19 I believe in bright luggage accessories but one of the fondest gifts I gave my “loves to travel” daughter, who is also a huge LOTR/Tolkien fan, was a leather luggage tag I had made from Esty, with " Not all those who wander are lost" It’s been on her carry on with other tags for many trips and I think it was special to her because she deemed it more “personal”.
Regarding the tiles - they hardly make any noise…so if you know where you lost your keys/iPhone or whatever and you hit the find my keys - you can’t hear the sound at all. I knew my keys were somewhere in my house but it took me taking everything out of my purse a 3rd time before I could hear the tone sounding.
It will help you if you left them somewhere else but you better know where they are at that place.
Maybe they are better now but I didn’t find them (it) helpful…they come in a pack of 4.
The Where’s My Remote brand for key chain on Amazon isn’t as nice and flat but the beep is LOUD. That is appreciated when I leave them upstairs and I’m on first floor. No app with that brand, just one piece that goes on key chain, another wherever you want to put it.
I am going to try the Tile for my hubby.
Because I talked my 81 year old, almost blind mother into coming for Christmas, now I have to make a stocking for her! Now THAT will be a challenge.
I’ve been doing almost a dozen stockings every year for the last ten years. There’s 63 years apart from the youngest to the oldest, that includes my now 85 year old mother, hearing impaired and not so great on the sight either. For her, I’ll get a small batch of her favorite candy, chapstick, small hand lotion, maybe some throw back item from Vermont Country store. She’s probably the easiest to please.
Wow, @walkinghome , that’s a lot of work for you!
@doschicos - Yep! I’ve pawned it off a couple of times but (so far) am planning to do them this year. I’ve stopped wrapping things like toothpaste and chapstick. Or I’ll buy multiples for all in a group guys/girls/Moms/Dads. Usually a few people will sneak me an item Christmas eve.
Missy pie, that is so sweet! Your mother would love items she used to get in her stocking decades ago, such as nuts and an orange! I stopped at Cracker Barrel and they have a nice selection of retro candy. It will be fun to shop for her!
Stockings always have socks and underwear. Started off when girls were little to fill up big hand-knitted stockings. Now it is both joke and tradition and I splurge on smart wool socks or techie running socks or nice tights. And they fill up a stocking really well.
Love some of these ideas. I’ve never wrapped stocking or Santa gifts. So much easier! Stockings usually have toothbrushes, travel size toiletries, pens when they’re in school, chap sticks etc. this year I’ve asked everyone to get two stocking gifts for everyone else. It will be interesting to see what the kids come up with! And since DH is generally really challenged around Christmas maybe I’ll have a few more things in my stocking ;).