I was in Archie McPhee today. They have a large -think at least two ft high by 18" - kraft macaroni and cheese box.
It’s always fun to browse the store and find the weird things. I bought Delta airlines metal forks and knives. They’re small and work great in the office. I have some from KLM and United in my desk.
Mints in funny tins, temporary tattoos, and bandaids.
I could fill a stocking with stuff from Trader Joe’s. Today I saw gingerbread and chocolate chip biscotti. They have a lot of holiday stuff. Pomegranate body butter.
I wanted to wrap DD’s BF’s gift in one of those prank boxes, but I forgot to add it to my online order, and now I’d have to pay way too much for it. I have a stocking for him for the first year ever (they’re living together, it’s serious). He’s getting the same as the rest of the family: chocolate covered orange peels from a local chocolatier and lottery scratch-off tickets. Plus one of those head scratcher gizmos that look like a whisk that you snipped off the ends of.
He’s known for being very stressed out, and this is supposed to relieve stress. Also, a tiny flip book of the iconic “Stoned Agin” poster, where the guy sort of melts in front of us. He loves 70’s music and art. And I love flip books. I want to welcome this sweet young man into our family in a light hearted way. I hope he enjoys it. My daughter “Aw’ed” when I asked if it was ok to get him a stocking.
@hotcanary You can buy a bunch of them after Christmas for next year at Bed Bath & Beyond. They will be on 75% off clearance.
Thank you, @raclut ! I really need to do that.
Those prank boxes are a riot! I had to order some. I think my H will be disappointed that our laundry won’t really smell like bacon! LOL
I used them for birthday gifts. I wouldn’t buy the earwax candle prank box.
I’ve put just about everything you can think of in stockings—jewelry, socks, spices, candy, cell phone chargers and covers, lottery tickets, gift cards, kitchen utensils, batteries and flashlights, small tools, pocket knives, travel accessories and rolls of quarters when they were needed to do laundry and so much more.
We still do stockings. But the new rule is you you have to be here in the morning to get one. Some of the kids now come the day or so after or even before. So no stockings. And the ones that are here get much less in their stockings. It’s to hard to try and make it special as they get older. It’s just more if a tradition now.
One idea when you have adult kids is to have everyone contribute to the stocking. That’s right, let the kids do most of the shopping. Each person brings something small for everyone else. We did this with the extended family and unwrapping them (one gift at a time, in a circle) set us up for an hour or two of fun and laughs (a lot of the things were funny). But be warned, we ended up trading out the stockings for “Christmas buckets” (like a very large sand pail) and then as nieces and nephews married and new people joined the fun, we eventually had to trade in the Christmas buckets for these: https://www.amazon.com/Jumbo-Giant-Christmas-Stocking-16/dp/B01AHGG8SE
I’ve received everything from a tiny nips-size Godiva liqueur (in a tiny Godiva velvet bag) to hand-made jewelry to a bottle of windshield washer fluid, fancy TP, and a big ugly snow shovel in mine. The key is to not get the exact same thing for everyone but to keep it all equal somehow–that’s really hard!
Instead of stockings, I purchased these Christmas felt bags several years ago on clearance. I fill them up every year and they circle the skirt at the base of the Christmas tree. I can easily fit a bottle of sparking pomegranate juice in a wine shaped bottle in them. I give one to each of my siblings families.
https://www.papyrusonline.com/ornaments-large-felt-gift-bag
@redpoodles, Godiva liqueur, that sounds delish. I guess you can get those at liquor stores?
I once got a package of 2 double-A batteries in my stocking with a note taped to it that said “Gift not included.” Laughed at that one for quite a while. 
My kids do purchase the stuff for my stocking. It’s fun to see what they get.
I agree that a stocking itself isn’t the best “packaging” for most items - mostly due to weight. But we hang them on the fireplace and then when “Santa Mom” fills them up they get laid in front of the fireplace.
I am stealing that “Gift not included” idea!
I’d actually like getting double A batteries. My laser measurer is always running out of oomph at inopportune moments.
Just adding to this in case this thread is popped up again in 2017. My prank boxes were the hit of Christmas day. The twenty-somethings took pictures to post and everyone read the entire box. I got the i-arm and the brew and shower boxes. I may just order a couple of more now and stick them with the Christmas stuff for next year. There was a missing family member and we’re thinking of wrapping this years boxes for him next Christmas! I also got the ladies an inexpensive shimmery scarf/pashima that seemed to be liked. This was also good - https://www.amazon.com/Kiwi-SELECT-Express-Shine-Sponge/dp/B0010TN0SE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1483046459&sr=8-3&keywords=shoe+polish+clear+sponge I got it from Walmart though at a lower price.